The Christmas Day Muck-Around Thread! :)

Good evening (er - morning), Everybodypeeps! If, whether as a regular or newbie, you find yourself alone and bored tomorrow (er - today) - feel free to dive in here to have a chin-wag, share jokes and life-hacks, anecdotes, interesting facts, music, muses and theories, sat comfortably in your Fluffy-Bunny slippers with a glass of whatever tipple. I'm home alone by (grateful) choice tomorrow/today, so shall be popping on and off (or is it, in and out?), myself, once I've got all the Happy Crimbo phonecalls done. I shall be answering problem threads, as usual, also. (CreativeNick says she'll be popping in, too.) Hopefully see you then! :) Yours (but no tongues), SM :)

Hi, Soulmate!! Am I the first guest to pop by? I'm snuggling with my minion plushie, Skippy, for today^^ Have a few movies lined up and it's a mix playlist! I've got Home alone, A christmas story, Bastille Day and even sneaked in a Big Time Rush movie^^; Doing nothing much, just chilling! Have a merry christmas everybody! And happy new year^^ P.S. I have about six movies lined up.. Should I take a break after every two to watch some docs or sketch on my pad? Got some new cool markers, but I don't know.. Aydie^^

So anyway, it's pouring rain in AU with high humidity & high heat..typical Xmas weather for the head & shoulders of the country. The arse end of the place has had some snow in the high country where plenty of early convict escapees perished. Xmas day has spent at work rounding up some of the absent neighbour's cattle that reckon the fences are rooted.. & they are. Just more work for us in the new year after the monsoon passes over. Not many of us cuddle up on Xmas day as the it's too stinking hot to eat let alone drink. I don't drink alcohol, but I don't have any issues with those who imbibe on the festive day or any other occasion. It's good to sit in the aircon & just kick back, light up a Capt. Black & talk crap about nothing really. but anyway, Merry Christmas Soulmate & the usual people & their problems.

Good morning, My day is looking pretty relaxed as well. I’m about to have breakfast. Then I’ll play my game for a bit, which I’m really enjoying again at the moment, and I might put some music on in the background. When my better half gets home from work this afternoon, we’ll need to get ready after a short nap so that we can go out for dinner this evening. According to the forecast, it was supposed to snow yesterday, but it ended up just raining. It’s still really cold outside, and it’s been very windy since yesterday. I think the snow will probably only come in the new year, but that’s nice too. Have a lovely day, everyone! Merry Christmas :)

Hi! Ah yay Christmas thread! Perfect, for when you’re in bed with a virus. Hubby (still feels weird putting that) are chilling today, watching Christmas movies with a cat 🐈‍⬛. I’ll keep popping by xx 🎄

You indeed are, Aydie! And your prize iiiiiiz....er.... A ROUND OF APPLAUSE! :D What's a minion plushie?? And I thought Skippy was 'the bush Kangaroo'? (Manalone/Mannie lives in Aus, he knows all about Skippy.)... Here - check him out (Skippy, not Mannie lol): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdcQ_pDZ3V4 "What's that Skippy? Little Johnny's fallen down the well? (DANN-DANN-DAAAAANNN!)" Basically, Australia's answer to Lassie. I never missed an episode. Yeah...you can't beat Home Alone on Crimbo Day. I haven't looked at my Sky listings yet (I inherited it for-free from the previous house-owner..very nice too). Haven't heard of the others, though. Which would you recommend I look out for? Here - idea - pause the films in places and sketch the stills!

Hey Mannie! What a coincidence - it's pouring with rain here, too! Started in the wee hours and hasn't stopped since! Snow?....Monsoon? Bloody Nora! But I thought our Winter is supposed to be your Summer? Convict escapees? What's this, WHAT'S THIS? That's nice of you? (neighbour's cattle). What does 'fences rooted' mean? Nah - I'm with you re eating and boozing in the heat. Nnnnope! I'm going to make a glass of my new, fave cocktail though. I'll post you all the recipe in a min - piss simple...lovely and creamy (tummy lined with milk-fat equals no puking) (not that I'd drink to excess anyway, ever) but packs a surprising punch! And what's a Captain Black? Is it an Aus brand of ciggie? What would you liken it to? A Rothman's?...Marlborough? (I used to call them RotLungs and Hurlborough....and then there was Silk Slut and Colgate (Consulate). I smoke Golden Virginia Light, and spray the baccie with those flavoured sprays from online baccie shops. Vanilla usually but due to me Covid, Spearmint...tastes like Wrigley's Spearmint Gum (is that still in the shops?...just realised I haven't seen it for ages.) I don't like the modern chewing-gum, it loses its bounce too soon and just feels weird, like chewing paper. Merry Rainy Christmas to you too!

Good aftermorningnoon, CN! What's your game? I recently discovered Hexa Stack - which is VERY addictive. It's basically like a cross between a Rubix Cube, Tetris and the board game Draughs (or is it, Drafts??... don't actually know...probably cos I was too young for words when I began playing it). A short nap, eh? Hehhehheh. Where are din-dins-ing? Somewhere fancy? Just you and he or with friends? Raining for you too? Wow! Is there going to be enough snow to toboggan/doughnut?

Lily(-lyy...lyyy...lyyy)! :D Which virus? What are your symptoms? I wanna if we've got the same thing(s). How many films ARE there with cats in them, anyway? (groan) What you watching? And who's the illest and has to do the kitchen run?

(Sorry - who's the LEAST ill etc.) PS Mannie: He tika taku kii kua mohio koe ki tetahi panui no na tata tonu nei?

...Te mana nui me te ngakau kore e mihi, HE AHA! ('Me pai ake - tirohia te Rangatiratanga i muri i te karaehe!") (Soz, the rest of you - secret colleague-to-colleague lingo.)

Anyhoo - Say Hello to each other, then? Don't just talk through me? Well - you CAN, but that's a bit boring, innit? WHO'S GOT A GOOD JOKE OR MEME? And Lils - where's Scopes? Do you wanna knock for him?

BTW, guys, if you're wondering why it's so quiet of late, it's because of the newfangled AI responses. However, the novelty of that will soon enough start to wear off in favour of us 'live ones', particularly as it's becoming a laughing stock for how wrong it can be. That and copyright thieving and infringements, etc. New tech, released far too soon to use the general public as free product-testing guinneapigs even if it screws up their life in the process - AS. PER. BLOODY. USUAL. However - we might still get a post-Crimbo rush. For the simple, indelible fact that, all types of Narcs LOVE to ruin all special occasions, especially for their Primary Supply. ESPECIALLY Christmas...and birthdays... the two biggies in terms of highly personal and the Expectations Crushing Factor. So - "Brace-brace-brace!"... Just in-case. (Ooh...half a poem, look...Feel free to do the last 2 lines any of you?)

Q: Why does Santa go down the chimney? A: Because it soots him.

Heyy, Soulmate! Thank you for the round of applause!! Hahahah! It's just a minion stuffed toy from Despicable me and I named him Skippy because I imagine him skipping down the road humming his favourite tune and a lolly in one hand^^; Quite the picture I suppose! Oh boy! I suppose I could check him out- Skippy, not Mannie of course! ^¤^ Skippy the bush kangaroo, huh? Interesting~ Anyway! Yes, home alone is a classic! A christmas story is an easy watch. A nostalgic recount of a boy(Ralph), wanting a BB gun and trying to convince h8s parents and Santa Claus that it's a perfect give for christmas. It's a comedy and nostalgic-feeling christmas movie! Try to give it a watch! It's a similar vibe to home alone, I think you will love! Ralphie and Kevin are classics for moi^^ Bastille day is action packed. Follows a pickpocket(Mason), who finds himself caught up in a terrorist act(by mistake of course! He's just a pickpocket who stole the wrong bag and then forced to work with Agent Briar to prove his innocence. Another fav!! Big Time Rush movie is just a show that I grew up with? They had 4 seasons and movie. 4 hockey playing boys from Minnesota who turned into a boyband and trying to make it in Hollywood, and at the same time making sure that nothing would change them! It was on Nickelodeon and I'm ashamed to admit that I still do go back to that show sometimes... HEHEHE^^; Pause the movie ans sketch the stills.. I would gladly give it a try- not that I'm any good- and it would probably help stop me from going crazy just sitting for hours! P.S. I stopped after 2 movies today and just listened to songs afterwards! While fiddling with my fidget spinner mind you! Will do what you suggested later once I wake up in the morning!! Aydie^^

FYI, if you want your gift recipient's face to light up, guaranteed, on Christmas Day - buy 'em a Fridge. (groan) And now a word from the prrrro-FESS-ion-als... “My dad used to say, ‘Always fight fire with fire’, which is probably why he got thrown out of the fire brigade.” Peter Kay “I’m sure wherever my Dad is, he’s looking down on us. He’s not dead, just very condescending.” Jack Whitehall “Does anyone find it ironic how a program aimed at old people is called Countdown?” Frankie Boyle “Do you think butterflies get tattoos of white girls on their lower backs?” Russell Howard “When you eat a lot of spicy food, you can lose your taste. When I was in India last summer, I was listening to a lot of Michael Bolton.” Jimmy Carr “Lying ruined my marriage. That’s a lie. I cheated.” Kevin Hart “For the price of a single ticket to go and watch a football match, I could take my whole family to a farm park. We could go on the donkeys. We could get lunch and tea. I could go on a tractor. All for the price of a single ticket. And that’s why I go and watch the football.” Romesh Ranganathan “Crime in multi-storey car parks. That is wrong on so many different levels.” Tim Vine “If you get offended by any jokes, by the way, feel free to Tweet your outrage on a mobile phone made by a ten-year-old in China.” Frankie Boyle

"Thank you for the round of applause!! Hahahah! It's just a minion stuffed toy from Despicable me and I named him Skippy because I imagine him skipping down the road humming his favourite tune and a lolly in one hand^^; Quite the picture I suppose!" HAHAHAHA! 'Quite the imagination'! "Oh boy! I suppose I could check him out- Skippy, not Mannie of course!" He looks a lot like George Cloony (wiggles eyebrows)... Mannie, not Skippy, obviously. :D "Anyway! Yes, home alone is a classic!" It has hidden depth, though, in terms of just HOW dysfunctional the parents thus family are - had you heard? (There's a vid about it on YouTube (I think it was?)) ...That and the fact that young Kevin fits the profile of a young psychopath (which doesn't automatically mean a BAD one - firemen are good psychos....Superman's a psycho... They're good but it doesn't mean they can't be as scary - scarier, in fact! - as/than a bad one (but for saintly/rescuing reasons) when pissed-off enough. A bad one is just once-a-good-one ETERNALLY pissed-off. Basically. Big and Extreme - including fearlessness level is the point. (Blah-blah) "A christmas story is an easy watch. A nostalgic recount of a boy(Ralph), wanting a BB gun and trying to convince h8s parents and Santa Claus that it's a perfect give for christmas. It's a comedy and nostalgic-feeling christmas movie! Try to give it a watch! It's a similar vibe to home alone, I think you will love! Ralphie and Kevin are classics for moi^^" Cool - thanks! - I'll keep my eyes peeled! "Bastille day is action packed. Follows a pickpocket(Mason), who finds himself caught up in a terrorist act(by mistake of course! He's just a pickpocket who stole the wrong bag and then forced to work with Agent Briar to prove his innocence. Another fav!!" Yeah, that sounds like my bag - cheers! "Big Time Rush movie is just a show that I grew up with? They had 4 seasons and movie. 4 hockey playing boys from Minnesota who turned into a boyband and trying to make it in Hollywood, and at the same time making sure that nothing would change them! It was on Nickelodeon and I'm ashamed to admit that I still do go back to that show sometimes... HEHEHE^^;" That's normal. Just nostalgia. I'm the same with Little House On The Prairie and The Waltons...and Watch With Mother (them's was the best)...and if you've never seen The Magic Roundabout - youtube it! And see the adult jokes and symbolism everywhere. (French invention....genius!) "Pause the movie ans sketch the stills.. I would gladly give it a try- not that I'm any good- and it would probably help stop me from going crazy just sitting for hours!" You could even put tracing-paper up against the screen and (veeery gently) get the outlines done in chalk or soft pencil? (It works for people's faces, too, hahahahahaha...if you're quick and ready to run, haha!) "P.S. I stopped after 2 movies today and just listened to songs afterwards! While fiddling with my fidget spinner mind you! Will do what you suggested later once I wake up in the morning!!"" How many hours ahead or behind are you? Here in Espana, it's 7.15pm (meaning, 6.15 in UK).

PS: "“Do you think butterflies get tattoos of white girls on their lower backs?” Russell Howard " If ever I was drunk enough to get a tattoo - I'd get a wee pic of Tattooist doing a tattoo. ORRR...I'd have the palm of my Right hand tattooed. Cos - if you look at your hand with your fingers spread-out - you're basically seeing Woody Woodpecker (Warner Bros?), looking to the Right (thumb - beak; fingers - head feathers). :) (Whaaat? hahaha) (haven't even had a drink yet!)

Here's my recipe (it's too good not to share..and VERY quick and easy to prepare) (-another half-poem, look) : Large fancy wineglass... Big blob of Haagen-Dazs 'Dulce Leche' I-scream (you'll probably want the (Miniature-)Family-sized one) Add a double measure of Baileys Oiresh Cream-so-et-ez (pref pre-chilled in the fridge) And a single Reserve Brandy (or double?...I aincha mother?) (ditto pre-chilled) Ice cube if you like? Stir-stir-stir. A generous flurry of Squirty Cream (if you've got guests) on the top (of the cocktail, obvs, not the guests, haha) (Barry White voice) : YYYYYYYYYYUM. Dare you stop at one! (FFFIVV-DEE PENSH EASH, PEASHE-hic!) What shall I call it, this Forum Cocktail? What about - People's Bloblem? Any ideas?

PS: "(you'll probably want the (Miniature-)Family-sized one)" Talking of Shrinkflation: has anyone else noticed they're no longer filling the 4-hour tealight candles up to the very top of the foil cup (it USED to be slightly higher!)? Sneaky bsstds. Has anyone noticed any fave products of theirs shrinking - or shrinking again - lately?

George Clooney! Batman! So, a good looking kangaroo^^ HAHAHA! Yup! I saw the theory of Home Alone on YouTube shorts. Also, Ralphie's dad is a grumpy man. Ralphie was distant from his dad because of it. Doting mother though, but still... It's the nostalgic shows that actually keeps us sane! ^^ Never heard of those shows.. Will look it up! Ooh! Work smart with a little dash of effort! Clever! I wouldn't be able to even trace their faces. No! Would get a hand to my face before I even bring the pencil close^^; I mean, effort, yes? Hahahah It's 2.35am here in SG... So, 7hrs ahead..? Correct me if I'm wrong!

..oh yeah - and for non-dog-lovers, the Americans brought out 'another' Lassie, called, Flipper. Check that out too. Or did Flipper come first? (Don't answer that...that's between the two of them and them alone, hahahaha, (oops)) ...I'm trying to recall which of the two was the grainiest?... I'll go oogle... Answer: Lassie came first. (selfish btch)

(Oh yes!...and in case he pops in) HAPPY CRIMBLE, RICHAAAAAAAAARD!!! And fam!!!! :X

You haven't drank or you've forgotten you had a drink, Soulmate? ^^ I've lost you on woody woodpecker!! :') At least you're having a blast, yes? My favourite snacks has shrink in quantities and so has my favourite ice-cream :( Only the price has increased if anything!! Daylight robbery °^° The hummus I've been buying has also lessened quite a bit.. sighs...

It's getting chaotic with just the two of us!! I don't know if anyone would believe it if I say I'm an introvert irl!! But I am^^; I'm so awkward in person but it's so easy to talk here!! I love this place!!

The only Flipper I've heard and know of is the penguin from Madagascar^○^;

(Lils, don't worry - I've just knocked for Scopes myself, just now. Hopefully he'll join us soon?)

Aydie, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDcQ5DC3LA Woody Woodpecker! Original, 1970s Universal version. 'Hur-hur-hur HUR-hur, hur-hur-hur HUR-hur....hurhurhurhurhurhurhurhurhur!'

The challenge is to master the 'Hur-Hurs' - in Woody's voice. I was really good at it. Hence got sent out of class for doing it. Cos whichever teacher didn't ever have to spin around and ask - RIGHT, WHO DID THAT?! And puh-puh-puh Porky Pig. (Go on - ask me who Porky Pig is lol) And Bugs Bunny, of course (he's my fave). "Heee djon't nnknoww mee chew wew - butch I knows HIM".... I used to race around the house yelling, BUGS!...BUGS IS ON!, and everyone would come running, instantly. Bugs Bunny and Cheers...my two Desert Island series... PS: nope, not tiddly yet. Have started gently - on hot Dolce Gusto coffee with a cream and a shot of Reserve Brandy cos it helps with my Covid head (is my excuse). Basically - if I drink my cocktail now, I'll probably fall off the sofa and not be able to get back on again LOL... haven't had supper yet...nor lunch or breakfast. I expect that explains why I'm hungry! Be back soon!

PPS: "The hummus I've been buying has also lessened quite a bit.. sighs..." Bloody good idea - that's what *I* fancy! And - yup. Our stuff, they've started to dilute it a bit using more oil...which obviously isn't Olive because it floats to the top and you now have to stir it back in. That's how you make your houmous stretch if you're running-out, btw - stir in some Olive extra-virgin. (Ooh, look - just did the first life hack!)

I'm going to make lightly-toasted pitta bread fingers dipped in houmous. And then my People's Bloblem....I shall just have to sip it slowly... so that I SLIIIIIIDE off the sofa rather than topple off LOL...

Wow... I only ever knew of winnie the pooh and Paddington bear at the very least! And those were from cds that were available in the cd album thing my parents had! I had books for winnie the pooh and paddington bear too! Is why I knew them. Hehe.. I knew Tom and Jerry though^^; Ok.. Just googled porky pig... Just saw the character when I googled it. How was I never introduced to them? Bugs bunny I've seen on school bags before I think... I need to introduce them to me! A new mission!! Of course! Do eat, Soulmate! Fuel for our body, energy!! Good food, good mood^^ Enjoy the yumieez!

Sorry, I forgot got to put Happy Christmas everyone! Ah, it’s a head virus, one where I feel dizzy, more when lying down, and then getting up - guessing that’s to do with blood pressure, feeling a bit spaced out sometimes, not bothered about food, cough, cold symptoms . It’s lasted ages, not just a few days. Well I’ve suffered the most so far but dishy only just got it. His step mum has come round with a food shop and homemade soup thankfully …because there wasn’t a lot of food in the house! Ermmm don’t know that many Xmas films with cats ? None? Watched home alone 1&2, Last Christmas, Elf, the grinch. Annnd Going to watch Die Hard soon. My cat is more interested in the sodding Christmas tree, which is being put away very very soon. Maybe tomorrow… Hope scopes will join!

Haahhaha! Sure, Soulmate :) Slow sips it is then^○^ Be sure to prepare pillows so you slide off nicely into a well prepared comfy sleep! Less risk of bumps or injuring yourself too!! And not gonna lie. Toasted pita bread and hummus sounds delish right now! It's too late to have it now, so maybe I'll have carrot and cucumber sticks dipped in hummus for a snack during lunch! Planning to have a sandwich as my main^^ Yumz!! Enjoy your People's Bloblem^^

"t's getting chaotic with just the two of us!! I don't know if anyone would believe it if I say I'm an introvert irl!! But I am^^; I'm so awkward in person but it's so easy to talk here!! I love this place!!" AHHHHHHHHH. Fank-oo - mwa! There are so many films on tonight that I've never seen but they're all on at the same bloody time! I fancy a Western...'The Secret of Convict Lake', starring Glen Ford, Gene Tierney and Ethel Barrymore (I like old films, plus they feel more cosy and Christmassy as it's STILL hammering-down outside! AND, due to having had zero sun all day, bloody chilly).

PS: I expect we're virtually all introverts here. Virtually. Hur-hur. But seriously. Actually, I'm half-and-half...can be a recluse one week and a social butterfly the next. Probably the weather. Seems to rule my life. ________________ Oh, if you don't see him in any Bugs Bunny footage (because they were a duo of sworn enemies) - look up Daffy Duck. Make sure they're the old, original versions though - e.g. in the 80s they made Woody up-to-date and IT WAS CRAP. Didn't work.

"Sorry, I forgot got to put Happy Christmas everyone!" YOU JEZEBEL, YOU! Happy Thursday! :) (ducks bullets) "Ah, it’s a head virus, one where I feel dizzy, more when lying down, and then getting up - guessing that’s to do with blood pressure, feeling a bit spaced out sometimes, not bothered about food, cough, cold symptoms . It’s lasted ages, not just a few days." Eeee... that sounds like how mine started. 'Well I’ve suffered the most so far but dishy only just got it.' The price of a snog. 'His step mum has come round with a food shop and homemade soup thankfully …because there wasn’t a lot of food in the house!' She's just looooo-vleeee! What flavour soup? You'll have to use UberEats and Injun takeaway deliveries. Wait - what about Ocado? They'll carry them up/in for you, even unpack it all into your kitchen cupboards and fridge!...part of the service! Or was before I came here, anyway?..... But still. They do bloody good stuff. I really miss having Ocado (uh-HAAAAAAH!.....sniff). "Ermmm don’t know that many Xmas films with cats ? None?" Aristocrats..........um................does Born Free count? ..........Um.............. I'll have to google... "Watched home alone 1&2, Last Christmas, Elf, the grinch. Annnd Going to watch Die Hard soon." I've never seen 2, but it's going to be on tomorrow, I think, because I caught a bit of it (a diff channel) tonight and laughed after just 2 minutes...the bit where they're waiting to cross the roat at the lights and Kevin pinches the bum of the woman in front. Ah lak his styyyle... "My cat is more interested in the sodding Christmas tree, which is being put away very very soon. Maybe tomorrow…" TOMORROW?? That's a bit early, isn't it? Yeah - kitten-cats and christmas trees don't mix. After a few years, they grow out of it ('yeah-yeah, tree, yawn'). "Hope scopes will join!" Let's see! I'll be up late. (US is 6 hours ahead, is it?...or it is behind?)

"It's too late to have it now, so maybe I'll have carrot and cucumber sticks dipped in hummus for a snack during lunch! Planning to have a sandwich as my main^^ Yumz!!" My own invention... Works with wholemeal or seeded Brown bread as much as thick squidgy White. Spread both slices of bread with Crunchy Peanut Butter (a generous amount). Ditto with Mayonnaise. Add lashings of Watercress or Rockett (or any peppery leaves) in the middle and gently squish down and cut (eating any leaves that fall out as you walk with it to the sitting-room). Voi....LA! Delicious AND healthy. You can add pepper, you can add chili oil... Experiment. Haven't tried the latter with chicken in it, actually....I wonder if it'd taste like Chinese Chicken Satay?....

Woah, there are LOADS of them! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_about_cats Who knew?

BTW Lils - I figured this one, you and Dishy both equally could use: "I’m sure wherever my Dad is, he’s looking down on us. He’s not dead, just very condescending." (Love it!)

Divorce Him NOW. Get all the financial resources that you can due to mental cruelty. DO NOT ALLOW him to cheat you financaily. Get a good attorney. Also get a good mental health therapist to help you move past the hurt emotions and move on with your life.

Yes I like that’s one, it’s a good one for both duds! I’m well annoyed, our first Christmas married and we are both ill, oh well. Yes, Dishy’s step mum is lovely, whenever I feel a bit meh about Bum being my mother in law, I always think at least there’s his step mum! Pretty sure dishy thinks the same. She made us a chicken soup with vegetables and homemade bread. It’s nearly all gone 😅😱. She was on her way to stay with Dishy’s gran for a few days, who was on going to be on her own. I think her plan is to drop by my mums on her way back sooo if we’re feeling ok, we are going to try and meet her at my mums. Hahaha, yeah that’s a good clip in Home Alone 2, which I think is a bit better than home alone. Worth a watch. Olive the cat just won’t leave the Xmas tress alone! and I’m so bored of picking it up, it’s a fake light one, and replacing decorations. Little minx. US is behind I think …

well Soulmate. rooted is Aussie slang for buggered or a nice way for saying .cked. So the fences are buggered & need repairing. The cattle have been held in with hot wire, which is an electric fence which gives them a mild zap & they generally only need to get zapped once & they remember to stay well away. The rain has shorted the fence out & the result was wondering cattle. Yes the southern most state of AU, Tasmania, can get a dusting of snow anytime of the year, in fact half way up the country, 1000kms north of Tassie, in the NSW high country has been known to get a light snowfall at Xmas while the neighbouring state sweltered in 40 degree heat. I've met plenty of backpackers from all over the world when I had my fishnchipper & nearly all of them mentioned that Australia is one bloody big country & they didn't realise it. Captain Black is a rum tipped filtered cigar the size of a normal cigarette. I no longer smoke daily but have been known to light up a CB on special occasions. I used to smoke about 50-60 Benson & Hedges daily but just got sick of it, the smell, the taste etc etc & just quit cold turkey & feel 100% better for it as well. Do a bit of vaping now & then as well.

Bear with - be with you all as soon as I can! :)

Aydie, "George Clooney! Batman! So, a good looking kangaroo^^ HAHAHA!" If you prefer Kangaroos to Men?...sure - go for it! hahaha! "Yup! I saw the theory of Home Alone on YouTube shorts. Also, Ralphie's dad is a grumpy man. Ralphie was distant from his dad because of it. Doting mother though, but still... " Ahh, you did?! Uh-huh - there you go (natural-born psychoanalyst). Yup, he is. And yup, he is. Superficially doting, wouldn't you say? Too many kids - AND she has a career! Frazzled, running on fumes, probably. "It's the nostalgic shows that actually keeps us sane! ^^ Never heard of those shows.. Will look it up!" Did you check-out Magic Roundabout yet? (Haven't read ahead, if you've answered it further on.) "Ooh! Work smart with a little dash of effort! Clever! I wouldn't be able to even trace their faces. No! Would get a hand to my face before I even bring the pencil close^^; I mean, effort, yes? Hahahah" If by 'their', you mean the 'fiblings' (- see what I've done there?): Not if you made the pencil, visibly super-sharpened. (Only joshing....sadly, LOL) (They don't make pencils that big, anyway, hahaha.) HAHA - just had an idea! Keep Mr Fisty-Cuffs at-bay by always carrying a thick, Permanent Marker (colour immaterial) and being prepared to use it. :D (See? Not even sensitive artists are powerless. :D) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lils, "Yes I like that’s one, it’s a good one for both duds!" Yep, and it holds its comedy-factor (I'm still laughing). "I’m well annoyed, our first Christmas married and we are both ill, oh well." Some couples would call that a gift of an opportunity! (Awww-wayz loook-oon-the briiight sii-iide-of life! Dee-DOO!...dee-doo-dee-doo-dee-doo!...) Also, I regret to inform you that you married a teacher...whom as such, is surrounded, daily, by kids-kids-and-more-kids....and you know hygienic kids with snotty noses or gushing bottoms are, doncha. You might wanna start ordering some Immunity Gold for Healthspan. (I promise I don't have shares in them - they're just bloody good.) Alternatively, get a steam shower installed just inside the threshold of your flat so that you can sanitise yourselves when you get home. Or just lots of antiseptic hand gel (and smear it on your faces as well). "Yes, Dishy’s step mum is lovely, whenever I feel a bit meh about Bum being my mother in law, I always think at least there’s his step mum! Pretty sure dishy thinks the same." Yeah, that crossed my own mind, as well. And she's geographically nearer, too. "She made us a chicken soup with vegetables and homemade bread." Wow! That really was made with love! FYI, they've proven that homemade Chicken Soup actually does have medicinal properties. If you want a cheat's version but which is just as medicinal: After a roast chicken, pop the leftover meat, bones and skin into a large saucepan. Also add (cooked or uncooked) sprouts, potato pieces - and then any other veg you like - plus salt, pepper, Mixed Dried Herbs and a knob of butter. Add cold water to a higher level (by a good inch or more). Bring to the boil, then lower the hob, cover, and simmer on the lowest setting...for a good 2 hours or more (the longer you cook, the better). Keep a regular check on it and turn the hob ring off for a few mins if it starts to boil too fast even on simmer. And have the kettle boiled and ready in order to top-up the water if necesssary. (If you like your chick soup strong-tasting but don't have more than, say, an hour free, you can add a Chicken Oxo Cube - and even white wine or Sherry if you want!...tho if you add the latter, you'll find dried chopped Tarrogan would go particularly well). Halfway through, see if the meat has started dropping off the bone when you lift one or prod it with a spoon. If so - let it cool right down so that you can fish out all of the bones, skin and gristle. Then bring to the boil and simmer again. You'll be able to SMELL when it's ready - but taste as you go (all good chefs do, doncha know). Then use one of those par-baked Baguettes to make Garlic & Herb Bread. For dinner parties, I either stir-in some Single Cream or add a blob of whipped Double Cream or Creme Fraiche in the centre, and give it a little circular swirl, and a very light shake of dried parsley. And that's how to make two meals out of one chicken/one tray of chick pieces and leftover veg. (Hmm...just thought: I wonder what Brandy Butter would be like in it? Again - experiment. You can also add Madras powder to make it curried (with naan bread). "It’s nearly all gone 😅😱." Noooooooooooooo! Tell her it's delicious and please can you both be cheeky and ask for more (and this time you'll pay for the ingredients and her time) (she'll undoubtedly refuse but offer anyway). "She was on her way to stay with Dishy’s gran for a few days, who was on going to be on her own. I think her plan is to drop by my mums on her way back sooo if we’re feeling ok, we are going to try and meet her at my mums." How you feeling now? "Hahaha, yeah that’s a good clip in Home Alone 2, which I think is a bit better than home alone. Worth a watch." I bloody missed it, didn't I. Forgot. Meh. Maybe they'll repeat it soon. (Probably.) "Olive the cat just won’t leave the Xmas tress alone! and I’m so bored of picking it up, it’s a fake light one, and replacing decorations. Little minx." Turn the tables and keep putting the tree right beside her! Foie-gras her with the tree until it annoys the uck out of her. Not joking. ("You want the tree - YOU GOTTIT - WITH FRIES ON THE SIDE!" ...works on animals too.) "US is behind I think …" Hahahaha - careful how you say that. You're quite correct though (if we're talking, the time, hahahahahaha!) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mannie, Ahhh...THAT type of rooted! Did you 'get' what I was on about in my secret message? Cigars dipped in whisky? I never knew! Where've I been all my life?! (Probably too busy roaming around the countryside, DELIBERATELY playing Dare with my friends with the electric fences, haha. I found the sensation strangely alluring (don' ask).) "which gives them a mild zap & they generally only need to get zapped once & they remember to stay well away." As above - didn't work on me, haha. I did try a cigar when I was 15... Just one drag. They did NOT suit me (groough). PS: WANDERING cattle. Cattle aren't plugged-in enough for your version, LOL. Where was your "chish 'n fip" shop (or chish n ship fop) (you choose) situated? Were you on a backpacker's trail? "& nearly all of them mentioned that Australia is one bloody big country & they didn't realise it." Yeah! That's exactly what I realised too late about Spain! And the thunderstorms...! I'll never be able to refer to an English storm as Thunder & Lightning again. HERE it's Thunder & Lightning - over there it's more 'Snap, Crackle & Pop'. And Spain's quite titchy compared to Aus, isn't it. You must feel TINY, yes?! I bloody love chish n fips. Damn, I want some now! "I no longer smoke daily " Traitor! (shakes fist at screen) "I used to smoke about 50-60 Benson & Hedges daily" Haven't you heard of cutting-down and switching to rolling baccie? "but just got sick of it, the smell, the taste etc etc " Why was that - were you pregnant? Vaping, eh? Okay, I'll let you off. :) PS: Re our secret mssg: you may have seen: earlier tonight, I made my point. I did try to be subtle but....naaaah, LOL. PS: I liked your reply. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FYI all: we can keep this going, since NYE and D still count as Christmas. I shall be in and on again. I cannot STAND New Year's Eve, eeeyeugh!

Aye I did see it. I was gonna be sarcastic but then I thought what the hell..it's Xmas. & another thing do you reckon Richard could get us some emoji's ?? it'd save a hell of a lot of confusion when words just do not do justice to some replies.

Heya Soulmate!! "If you prefer Kangaroos to Men?...sure - go for it! hahaha!" Hahahah!! What outfit would one put on for a first date with a good looking kangaroo? Should I go fancy, casual..? Maybe a kangaroo onesie would do the trick^○^ "Did you check-out Magic Roundabout yet? (Haven't read ahead, if you've answered it further on.)" Had to stop it at the part where Zeebad got himself the nutcracker as his henchman.. Went to watch a movie and dined out today^^; Been a hot minute not being able to do that, so took the chance today!! Just got back and I'm in bed about to continue watching it atm~ "HAHA - just had an idea! Keep Mr Fisty-Cuffs at-bay by always carrying a thick, Permanent Marker (colour immaterial) and being prepared to use it. :D" Sounds like an idea^^ I did receive cool new markers anyway! "Come near and you shall be marked with this invincible marker of mine! I dare you!" *insert the best challenging glare* ^○^ Too much of a perfectionist to get his shirts marked anyway! My pens and markers are always in my hands, ready. My weapons!! BTW! Watched some Looney tunes on YouTube! I. LOVE. IT! I can't seem to be sure if bugs bunny is smart or just really lucky sometimes. It has to be a mixture of both! Easy watch, entertaining and euphoric..? It is in a way for me.. I needed this ages ago!! ^v^ I'm going back to magic roundabout! TTYL^^

Aye, Looney Tunes was the toons to watch growing up in the 60's. We all had our favourite characters.

Oh yes, Looney Tunes is really great. Which character is your favorite? I always really liked the Coyote. I used to watch that all the time as a kid. Tom and Jerry too. I also love the German intro of Tom and Jerry :D Oh, and The Pink Panther was always really great as well. How do you guys spend New Year’s Eve? Do you have any traditions you do every year? For us, it’s raclette with friends and lots of board and party games :) We haven’t really celebrated New Year’s Eve in a classic or traditional way for years now. it’s more cozy and relaxed, with nice cocktails or a few beers. Yesterday I found out that my fiancé actually doesn’t know Dinner for One at all. In Germany, it’s pretty much a fixed New Year’s Eve tradition to watch. I then read that the sketch isn’t really known in the rest of the World. It's a UK sketch. Do you even know it? As a child, I didn’t understand a single word, but it was still always incredibly funny. In Germany, people say “Guten Rutsch” to each other before the New Year. Literally, it means “good slide,” but it’s used like “have a good start into the New Year” or “happy New Year in advance.” So… Guten Rutsch, y’all! :)

Wow!! Good to know that Looney Tunes has a great reputation here! Will probably make it a nightly routine to watch before bed^^ I'm really loving bugs bunny atm!! And, yes! Was actually really shocked to see the dates displayed when watching them on YouTube! They're really old °○° though really enjoyable^^ I think I watched pink panther before. New Year's Eve.. I just sit home and spend time with my books and play any movies in the background. "Yesterday I found out that my fiancé actually doesn’t know Dinner for One at all. In Germany, it’s pretty much a fixed New Year’s Eve tradition to watch. I then read that the sketch isn’t really known in the rest of the World. It's a UK sketch. Do you even know it?" Hmmm... Have to say, I too have never heard of this ^^; Guten Rutsch to you too, CREATIVENICK! And Guten Rutsch to everyone here!!

Hey guys! I'm in tonight as well...still recovering and don't want to put myself back (it's COLD out there!). Canny-Mannie! "Aye I did see it. I was gonna be sarcastic" Aohwwwww. Why didn't you? Spoilsport! :D I adore sarcasm - where fitting and if it's cleverly witty, of course. "but then I thought what the hell..it's Xmas." Na, i mohio koe ko to maatau tangata noho, DD, katahi?...me te korero tawhito ano? Ka pai! :) Anyway. I love the way you handle yourself on here, always have. Tres impressive! "& another thing do you reckon Richard could get us some emoji's ?? it'd save a hell of a lot of confusion when words just do not do justice to some replies." Here - you're considered staff now, why not just email him direct? (Top Green banner - Support - Technical support - and email awaaaayy! I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you. :) I agree with you, btw. There used to be some, didn't there. I'm trying to recall if he told me why he'd got rid of them......... Don't think so. Yeah - mail him! Feel free! If there's some technical reason why he can't put them back - you'll have to take my cue and do this old-fashioned thing, e.g. (*ducks rotten tomatoes*) or (*sarcasm alert*) or (jk)/(jj)...that sort of thing. There's nothing wrong - ever - with your replies, though. It's definitely not you. Okayyyy? Get that thoroughly through your bonce. So - Gish a smile, go on, gish a smile! (ruffles hair and pinches cheek) PS: Canny means clever in Scottish. ('Aye' for 'Yes', you already know...) "Aye, Looney Tunes was the toons to watch growing up in the 60's. We all had our favourite characters. In that case - Let's have a quick sing-a-long of the Warner Bros. Cartoons theme toon (-see what I did there?)... (After Three...................... THREE!) "DAAAAAAAH-DLE AH-DA DA-DA-DA-DA, DA-DA-DA-DAAAAH... DAAAAAAAH-dle ah-da DA-DA-DA-DA, DA-DA-DA-DAAAAH... DAAH-ah-DAAAH-ah DAAAH-ah-DAAAH-ah da-DA-DA-DAAAAH... DAAH-AH-DAAAH-AH DAAAH-AH-DAAAH-AH DA-DA-DA-DAAAAH... DAAAAAAAH-dle ah-da DA-DA-DA-DA, DA-DA-DA-DAAAAH... DAH-dle-ah DAAH-DAAH DAAAAAAAAH... (Bur-dur-bur-dur-bur-bur-THAT'S ALL FOLKS!) So who was your fave character(s), then? _________________________________________________________________________ Hey Aydie! ""If you prefer Kangaroos to Men?...sure - go for it! hahaha!" "Hahahah!! What outfit would one put on for a first date with a good looking kangaroo? Should I go fancy, casual..? Maybe a kangaroo onesie would do the trick^○^"" Haha - definitely the onesie if you wanted the date to be successful! ""Did you check-out Magic Roundabout yet? (Haven't read ahead, if you've answered it further on.)" "Had to stop it at the part where Zeebad ((Zebedee)) got himself the nutcracker as his henchman.." It was definitely the original 60s/70s version you watached, yes? (PS: they were all high in the 60s - obviously including all of the the Mag Roundabout writers and production crew.) "Went to watch a movie and dined out today^^; Been a hot minute not being able to do that, so took the chance today!! Just got back and I'm in bed about to continue watching it atm~" Ooh, nice - what sort of restaurant? And what was the movie? You are definitely attracted to the film and theatre world, aren't you. Any more thoughts on joining your local Thespian group? Doesn't cost you anything, but it'll make you a heap of new friends (of all ages)? ""HAHA - just had an idea! Keep Mr Fisty-Cuffs at-bay by always carrying a thick, Permanent Marker (colour immaterial) and being prepared to use it. :D" Sounds like an idea^^ I did receive cool new markers anyway! "Come near and you shall be marked with this invincible marker of mine! I dare you!" *insert the best challenging glare* ^○^ Too much of a perfectionist to get his shirts marked anyway! My pens and markers are always in my hands, ready. My weapons!!" Even better idea, then: have ink covered hands. Because if he tries to hit you and you (pretend) you're going to hit him back - one sight of your inky hands and he'll run for it! :D (Use his weaknesses - those things he THINKS are strengths (Narc Land - Opposites Land) against HIM. That's how to turn the tables. "BTW! Watched some Looney tunes on YouTube! I. LOVE. IT! I can't seem to be sure if bugs bunny is smart or just really lucky sometimes." Both! But very smart. "It has to be a mixture of both!" Oh - haha! Haven't been reading ahead! "Easy watch, entertaining and euphoric..? It is in a way for me.. I needed this ages ago!! ^v^ I'm going back to magic roundabout! TTYL^^" Hahahahahahahaha! Laters square-eyed 'Gater! ____________________________________________________________________________________ CN! "Oh yes, Looney Tunes is really great. Which character is your favorite? I always really liked the Coyote. I used to watch that all the time as a kid. Tom and Jerry too. I also love the German intro of Tom and Jerry :D Oh, and The Pink Panther was always really great as well." 'Great minds think alike' :). Wiley Coyote! Is it him specifically or the Road Runner and how he runs (groan) rings 'round him? Yeah, I forgot about Pink Panther! "How do you guys spend New Year’s Eve? Do you have any traditions you do every year?" Yeah. I stay indoors (and watch the fireworks from the sofa). Cannot stand NYE. It's just a whole load of meaningless nothing! Plus, the Gregorian calendar is wrong anyway! Plus it's a very cold Dec and Jan here so far in the evenings and nights. "For us, it’s raclette with friends and lots of board and party games :) We haven’t really celebrated New Year’s Eve in a classic or traditional way for years now. it’s more cozy and relaxed, with nice cocktails or a few beers." THAT'S more my scene, yes. But not since I caught Covid and keep getting it every damn Winter. Apparently, I'm slowly-but-surely morphing into a hedgehog. "Yesterday I found out that my fiancé actually doesn’t know Dinner for One at all. In Germany, it’s pretty much a fixed New Year’s Eve tradition to watch. I then read that the sketch isn’t really known in the rest of the World. It's a UK sketch. Do you even know it?" Dinner For One? It's ringing a bell, actually. But only a faint one. I shall go google. "As a child, I didn’t understand a single word, but it was still always incredibly funny." Oh! This I've got to SEE! "In Germany, people say “Guten Rutsch” to each other before the New Year. Literally, it means “good slide,” but it’s used like “have a good start into the New Year” or “happy New Year in advance.” So… Guten Rutsch, y’all! :)"" Mine's a Helter-Skelter, haha. Hippy New Yeeeeaaaaar! (Or, Hoppy, even.) ___________________________________________________________________ Aydie again! "Wow!! Good to know that Looney Tunes has a great reputation here! Will probably make it a nightly routine to watch before bed^^ I'm really loving bugs bunny atm!! And, yes! Was actually really shocked to see the dates displayed when watching them on YouTube! They're really old °○° though really enjoyable^^ I think I watched pink panther before." (Mag Roundabout Dylan's voice): Shuuur...it's, like, goood therapyyy, maaaan.... (stoned thumbs-up). "New Year's Eve.. I just sit home and spend time with my books and play any movies in the background." Oh - so you're home now too, then? I'm typing here ("WAY!") with LBC (London Broadcast Radio) (I tink??) in the background.... Nick Abbott is playing and he's both sharp AND hysterical. And unbeatable at sarcasm, note, Mannie. Educational AND laugh-out-loud witty. Thoroughly recommend him. GMT 10-12pm on Friday, Sat and Sun ("The Late Show"). But he's on tonight because he's covering for the usual presenter. (Oh, and, Scopes - if you're reading: he is AMAZING at taking the right-royal-piss out of Donald Trump, and does it nightly, WITHOUT FAIL!) "Yesterday I found out that my fiancé actually doesn’t know Dinner for One at all. In Germany, it’s pretty much a fixed New Year’s Eve tradition to watch. I then read that the sketch isn’t really known in the rest of the World. It's a UK sketch. Do you even know it?" Hmmm... Have to say, I too have never heard of this ^^;" I'm about to google... "Guten Rutsch to you too, CREATIVENICK! And Guten Rutsch to everyone here!!" Haha! I love how you're so bouncy! :D ('Bartender?.... I'll have a pint of whatever SHE'S drinking, please!') HOPPY NEW YEAR!

Ayde (as in Lemonade, as in incredibly bubbly), Do you mean this, with Freddie Flinton? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7VI0rC8ZA That was a bit before my time, so, no, I've never seen that. But I must have heard him mentioned by my parents or the telly, to have recognised his name. LOVE listening to The Queen's English, though. You rarely hear it these days- sorry - 'rare-leh', air yairs. FYI, that's how I sound :DDDDD Although, not as pronounced. I don't say 'really' as 'rarely', nor 'reyalize' for 'realize', like the old woman does on there. But I am considered as rarely qwait poesh, air, yairs. And I mix in a bit of Cockney and other accents, both UK and worldwide (just for self-entertainment). The ONE accent I can never master, is the Tyne & Wear one (like Ant & Dec and Cheryl Cole (-Versini-wotsit). I can say, 'Why Aye, man!' but then it all goes Indian. Still, I'd rather it were that way round. Can you do any voices and accents? Here, Mannie and CN - can you two do a take-off of the English accent? What about American? Or "Fuh---rrrensh...." (swoon).

Sorry, CN - this post was supposed to be to you (me gats confuuused)... Well, all of you really, but addressed to you: "Do you mean this, with Freddie Flinton? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7VI0rC8ZA That was a bit before my time, so, no, I've never seen that. But I must have heard him mentioned by my parents or the telly, to have recognised his name."

Damnit! The fireworks were incredibly noisy round here so Fluffy's run off and hidden somewhere and won't come out yet. The local dogs were all going crazy too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, RICHARD (AND FAM)!!! :X

Here - CN - just had a thought: where does Heidi go at the weekend? Does she stay inside the surgery?

You got any pets, Mannie?...Aydie? And Lils, have you put away the tree or has Olive settled down?

Heyy, Soulmate! "It was definitely the original 60s/70s version you watached, yes? (PS: they were all high in the 60s - obviously including all of the the Mag Roundabout writers and production crew.)" I mean, seeing how everyone was somewhat high on something, I reckon I did get the right one ^○^ I LOVE Dylan the rabbit! He's unsuspecting at times and he's quote! "Sorry, I don't believe in violence. Except in self-defense." I LOVE IT!! And I agree with him^^ "Ooh, nice - what sort of restaurant? And what was the movie?" We went to Swensen's! I had myself a spicy carbonara^^; and we watched Avatar:Fire and Ash! It was alright. I understood the pain of Neytiri from losing her son, but I felt for Spider a lot too :( He was already guilt-ridden from what happened in the previous movie(Neteyam died because he went back for Spider..). But, Neytiri is a mom, so her pain is valid too... I'm torn :'( "You are definitely attracted to the film and theatre world, aren't you. Any more thoughts on joining your local Thespian group? Doesn't cost you anything, but it'll make you a heap of new friends (of all ages)?" Still definitely something I might do, yes!! "Even better idea, then: have ink covered hands. Because if he tries to hit you and you (pretend) you're going to hit him back - one sight of your inky hands and he'll run for it! :D (Use his weaknesses - those things he THINKS are strengths (Narc Land - Opposites Land) against HIM. That's how to turn the tables." Ink! Paint! Watercolour markers! I feel like a superhero ready to take on my archenemy! Hahhah! No violence just colours^^ "Haha! I love how you're so bouncy! :D ('Bartender?.... I'll have a pint of whatever SHE'S drinking, please!')" Hahahhhhah! It's virtual world Aydie! She doesn't need a drink! She is THE drink @v@!! Nah.. it's just really easy to be outgoing online^^ IRL... Aydie is switched off ^^; HOPPITY HOPPY NEW YEAR, Soulmate! Happy 2026 everyone!!! P.S. I have 3 male cats! I'm gonna quote the vet's words right here! "All well, behaved and well fed!!" ^○^; They are quite hefty... :)

***Happy new year y'all*** Aydie, What books are you reading? :) I love sci-fi and fantasy a lot! “Hahahhhhah! It's virtual world Aydie! She doesn't need a drink! She is THE drink @v@!! Nah.. it's just really easy to be outgoing online^^ IRL... Aydie is switched off ^^;” I feel that :D In real life, I’m sometimes like introverting the introvertness xD “P. S. I have 3 male cats! I'm gonna quote the vet's words right here! "All well, behaved and well fed!!" ^○^; They are quite hefty... :)” Aww, cats are the best! What breed are they? How old are they and what are their names? Soul, “Do you mean this, with Freddie Flinton? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7VI0rC8ZA” Yes, this is it! No joke, they play it on television on New Year’s Eve several times. The main public TV channel always publishes a schedule showing when it will be on air :D We watched it last night and it’s still pretty funny :D We even made a drinking game out of it and took a sip of beer whenever James drank and stumbled over the carpet. The phrase “same procedure as every year” is also really commonly used as a joke when it comes to New Year’s Eve party planning. “FYI, that's how I sound :DDDDD” I really imagined your voice kind of like that :D When I read your posts, my inner voice reads them like that too xD …well, maybe with a German touch, I don’t know :D When I speak English, I really sound like a typical German speaking English, sometimes mixed with a bit of my Swabian accent. BIUTIFULL! :D “Can you do any voices and accents?” Nah, I’m pretty bad at it. :D I can do a little bit of a Northern German accent and maybe a bit of Bavarian, because it’s close to Swabian, but all the others are really hard to do :D Oh, but I can do an almost perfect imitation of Dory from the movie Finding Nemo. :D I loved that movie as a kid, I can say every line with her :D “Damnit! The fireworks were incredibly noisy round here so Fluffy's run off and hidden somewhere and won't come out yet. The local dogs were all going crazy too.” Same here, it was actually a bit better than last year. But still, people were going crazy, firing that stuff into the sky until 2 in the morning. Some teenagers near us also had some pretty loud firecrackers, thankfully only a few. I really hope the wildlife and all the pets are doing okay :( “Here - CN - just had a thought: where does Heidi go at the weekend? Does she stay inside the surgery?” For those who might not know: my colleagues and I have a cat at work called Heidi. She was somewhat of a stray until we “adopted” her. She has always been around the clinic. Sometimes she’s outside for a day (or just chilling somewhere I don’t know yet, it’s a pretty big building complex). A colleague who sometimes works on weekends sends me pictures of Heidi when she stops by. Heidi even has a chair exclusively for her in that office, where she often stays throughout the day. One doctor also told me that Heidi once visited her during a night shift and they lay together in the bed (awww, cute). Some of the nurses who mostly work night shifts also let her stay in the nurses’ room, with a little spot just for her. So I think she’s always around and has found her favorite places to stay. Still, I was worried because of the fireworks. Sometimes she gets scared by loud noises, like doors shutting too fast or rolling carts being pushed down the hallways. I really hope she found a safe place inside, either somewhere to hide or with someone who helps her feel a bit calmer. Tomorrow I will check on her :)

Happy New Year to you too, CREATIVENICK^^ "What books are you reading? :) I love sci-fi and fantasy a lot!" I enjoy a bit of everything, I guess..? There's 'Devotion by Adam Makos', 'The ones who walk away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin', 'Almond by Son Won Pyung', 'The Dragon of Ynys by Minerva Cerridwen'. I'm in the middle of reading 'The Child Called it by Dave Pelzer'. It was recommended to me by my friend in November last year. It's... different but I'm fixated somehow. Any Sci-Fi and Fantasy books you would recommend? "I feel that :D In real life, I’m sometimes like introverting the introvertness xD" It does feel like that most of the time.. I would socialise if I have to. I would need to recuperate for a thousand years after that though(not that it's possible in real life- just 2 days at most)... "Aww, cats are the best! What breed are they? How old are they and what are their names?" The vets states them as Domestic Crossbreeds(don't really know what of) and they're 14, 12 and 5 respectively^^ Cupid is our oldest, King is our middle-child and we have Snow who is our mischievous youngest baby♡♡ The two youngest were strays actually and Cupid was handed over to us because his owners had passed. And, yes, I can attest to that! They are the best^^ Do you have or had any pets of your own? P.S. I do hope everything is ok with Heidi. I'm sure she's safe and sound. Maybe she made herself comfortable somewhere around the area where she would be able to hide if need be^^ It's really nice of you and your colleagues to have "adopted" her! She might make a good mascot for the clinic?

Hey Aydie! "I mean, seeing how everyone was somewhat high on something, I reckon I did get the right one ^○^ I LOVE Dylan the rabbit! He's unsuspecting at times and he's quote! "Sorry, I don't believe in violence. Except in self-defense." I LOVE IT!! And I agree with him^^" That sounds a bit modern, even mentioning the word Violence - can you give me the link so I can check? "We went to Swensen's! I had myself a spicy carbonara^^; and we watched Avatar:Fire and Ash! It was alright. I understood the pain of Neytiri from losing her son, but I felt for Spider a lot too :( He was already guilt-ridden from what happened in the previous movie(Neteyam died because he went back for Spider..). But, Neytiri is a mom, so her pain is valid too... I'm torn :'(" So Neteyam was Neytiri's son? (LOVE Spag Carbonara! That and Bog. Either of those would be my Desert Island Meal (whereby you're allowed only one meal from your past/pre-shipwrecked) life per day. It's a concept that grew from Radio 4's Desert Island Discs where celebs had to choose just one track to be shipwrecked with, fyi). I don't know Swensens, though. I shall consult the Holy (or is that, Holey?) Google... ""You are definitely attracted to the film and theatre world, aren't you. Any more thoughts on joining your local Thespian group? Doesn't cost you anything, but it'll make you a heap of new friends (of all ages)?" Still definitely something I might do, yes!! " Good cos I can see that being the making of you. You're obviously a bit 'locked-in' (thanks to your fam (short for Famine-ly)). "Ink! Paint! Watercolour markers! I feel like a superhero ready to take on my archenemy! Hahhah! No violence just colours^^" And then progress your way to sticking your finger up your nose and holding it out towards him like a weapon with a (acted) sadistic grin of glee on your face. Watch him run! You're allowed to do this because - this is the mistake that people who've no option other than to fight/defend themselves because they're incarcerated with them, having to bide their time until they can leave/the narc bully leaves, (gasp!), make. They expect the Narc to fight them up on THEIR level. Ain't gonna happen. You're fighting with a 2ft toddler, meaning, have to get down to THEIR level. (And I'll bet he himself has got plenty of anti-social habits, yeah? But that's always okay because (self-important & over-entitled & No Shame) HE'S ALLOWED...or... BUT THAT IS/WAS DIFFERENT! This is tried-and-tested btw. I call it A Cold Shower. :D Try it, Sam-I-Am, you might LIKE Green Bogeys with Ham (= nickname for theatrical/dramatic acting), heh heh heh (do the hehehs with me) heh heh.... The minute we hit on a tactic that works, we'll know what other things will work on him (oh-ho-ho-BOY will we). (I'm ucking resourceful and sneaky when I need to be. The Bullier of Bullies, with a HUUUUGE repertoire - or in your case, menu. :)))))

...."Hahahhhhah! It's virtual world Aydie! She doesn't need a drink! She is THE drink @v@!! Nah.. it's just really easy to be outgoing online^^ IRL... Aydie is switched off ^^; HOPPITY HOPPY NEW YEAR, Soulmate! Happy 2026 everyone!!! P.S. I have 3 male cats! I'm gonna quote the vet's words right here! "All well, behaved and well fed!!" ^○^; They are quite hefty... :)" Yeah, just keep practising being Your True Self on here and automatically it'll start to transfer to the outdoors. (This IS real life, it's just indoors and electronic....just a really fancy phone.) THUH-REE? Woah. MALES AS WELL. Woah. You don't (consciously) know it but, like a lot of our long-haulers/regulars, you've got some of the really *positive/vitally societally-useful* traits of (healthy) Psychopathy, i.e., your (still there, didn't go anywhere) inner Ape. She's VERY tough and sensible. We've just got to bring her out more. Because, for the rest of your life, this inbuilt Bodyguard of yours (we'll call her Jeff, LOL) is going to be right beside you, on-call 24-7, and you won't get picked-on aaaaannnnny more! Well, the really stupid ones might try. But you'll too-soon nip it/them in the bud. And that's the secret (particularly with Empaths/Rescuers/Heroes) to having an invisible forcefield OR (if bullying enrages you) becoming a Narc-Slayer (or Warn-er-Off-er). You'll be able to do it with even just a LOOK. (Rarrrrrr! LOL) And as the final clue: Clearly your THREE.....MALE.....cats sense it, eh. ;) (So they're a lot cleverer with your risk-taking-loving brother, then, aren't they.) Have a think and see if you can identify any other such traits/skills/unique qualities in you.

In short: you won't NEED to walk or run away. They will. Because they can tell you out-rank them....MAJORLY. (Narcs have their own heirarchal system, called Might Is Right. And you don't have to be a narcissistic-personality-*disordered* psychopath to be a psychopath. You can be a SAINTLY psychopath (e.g. that becomes a fireman or surgeon or other giant, uber-brave rescuer.) FYI, a lot of Narc-Sociopaths FANCY themselves to be Psychopaths ("Yeh, maybe it's because I'm a psychopath" said one of my exes. "Don't be ridiculous, you're not nearly intelligent enough!", said I, LOL), ....but deep-down know they're not that 'big/strong/impressive', especially since you're the onen that ISN'T semi-crippled by a PDisorder......whereupon their ego with its insatiable need for Power/Superiority-Over, doesn't like it, kicks-in, and tries to take the good psycho on. So it's the sociopathic Beta, trying to take on the psychopathic Alpha. (Yeeeaah...good luck with that, Sonny Jim.) Simple. As. So I can't wait until you finally get to know yourself *in conjunction* with your new teammate, Jeff (:D). Nah...it's your inner ape, YOU choose its name. PS: There's also this true fact - as pointed-out by world-famous journalist/novelist/poet, Rudyard Kipling, in his poem, "The Female Of The Species": "Kipling begins the poem by illustrating the greater deadliness of female bears and cobras compared to their male counterparts, and by stating that early Jesuit missionaries to North America were more frightened of Native women than male warriors. He repeats the refrain "The female of the species is more deadly than the male" at the end of the first four stanzas, which returns in the seventh stanza in modified form as "The female of the species must be deadlier than the male." At the end of the poem, the narrator concludes "That the Female of Her Species is more deadly than the Male."[2] He writes that women take their purpose from the care and protection of their offspring". (- Wikipedia) (Put more simply - they're naturally, logically, born with many more and bigger defence and defence-by-attack weaponry *because of/thanks to* their reproductive responsibilities, which, obviously, come in handy elsewhere, in other threatening situations, yeh?) "The Female of the Species When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride, He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside. But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail. For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. When Nag the basking cobra hears the careless foot of man, He will sometimes wriggle sideways and avoid it if he can. But his mate makes no such motion where she camps beside the trail. For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. When the early Jesuit fathers preached to Hurons and Choctaws, They prayed to be delivered from the vengeance of the squaws. ’Twas the women, not the warriors, turned those stark enthusiasts pale. For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. Man’s timid heart is bursting with the things he must not say, For the Woman that God gave him isn’t his to give away; But when hunter meets with husband, each confirms the other’s tale— The female of the species is more deadly than the male. Man, a bear in most relations—worm and savage otherwise,— Man propounds negotiations, Man accepts the compromise. Very rarely will he squarely push the logic of a fact To its ultimate conclusion in unmitigated act. Fear, or foolishness, impels him, ere he lay the wicked low, To concede some form of trial even to his fiercest foe. Mirth obscene diverts his anger—Doubt and Pity oft perplex Him in dealing with an issue—to the scandal of The Sex! But the Woman that God gave him, every fibre of her frame Proves her launched for one sole issue, armed and engined for the same; And to serve that single issue, lest the generations fail, The female of the species must be deadlier than the male. She who faces Death by torture for each life beneath her breast May not deal in doubt or pity—must not swerve for fact or jest. These be purely male diversions—not in these her honour dwells. She the Other Law we live by, is that Law and nothing else. She can bring no more to living than the powers that make her great As the Mother of the Infant and the Mistress of the Mate. And when Babe and Man are lacking and she strides unclaimed to claim Her right as femme (and baron), her equipment is the same. She is wedded to convictions—in default of grosser ties; Her contentions are her children, Heaven help him who denies!— He will meet no suave discussion, but the instant, white-hot, wild, Wakened female of the species warring as for spouse and child. Unprovoked and awful charges—even so the she-bear fights, Speech that drips, corrodes, and poisons—even so the cobra bites, Scientific vivisection of one nerve till it is raw And the victim writhes in anguish—like the Jesuit with the squaw! So it comes that Man, the coward, when he gathers to confer With his fellow-braves in council, dare not leave a place for her Where, at war with Life and Conscience, he uplifts his erring hands To some God of Abstract justice—which no woman understands. And Man knows it! Knows, moreover, that the Woman that God gave him Must command but may not govern—shall enthral but not enslave him. And She knows, because She warns him, and Her instincts never fail, That the Female of Her Species is more deadly than the Male." ______________________________________________________________________ What you MUSTN'T do with narcs/narc-sociopaths, however, is just suddenly transform, in-one. 'Slowly, slowly, catch ye monkey' is your new mantra. So we start 'innocently/playfully/childishly' with the dreaded Green Finger Of Death-By-Revulsion.

Aye Soulmate..I have three cats two solid black & one blacknwhite like the minstrals...one tom & two queens all spayed of course. I also have a house dog cross, Staff with an AU Bluey..a good snaker & good protector & of course loves the bloody cats but will kill anything that comes into the house yard including any stray cat....oops! the distant neighbour's missing theirs...apparently. I also have a piggy rig which is two Bull Arab breed dogs which are bred to catch & hold pigs by their ears. There's a few YT vids getting around if you google it, showing you just what goes on when us Aussies use the dogs to hunt pigs. oh yes then there's the chooks & the guinea fowl as well which make up the 'pet' section of the family.

(Typo: "(So they're a lot cleverer with your risk-taking-loving brother, then, aren't they." Meant, THAN him. Obvs.)

Aww, you're kidding me, Mannie! I thought Aydie was saying she had 3 male cats and took that as my cue to let-on about her inner healthy psychopath. Damn - curses - foiled. No matter, Aydie - I had enough evidence way before now. It was just a 'theatrical' cue (looked like perfect timing). (D'oh.)

Right - I'll slow down, have supper, and then try again. I was obviously Russian. (Rushin' lol)

Hi, Soulmate!! "That sounds a bit modern, even mentioning the word Violence - can you give me the link so I can check?" Yeah... So, checked it again.. It was the 2005 movie ^^; I got the wrong one the whole time :') So sorry! https://youtu.be/iYZkybqKoOw?si=miIDuTGwPcrnC_Ny "So Neteyam was Neytiri's son? I don't know Swensens, though. I shall consult the Holy (or is that, Holey?) Google..." Yes, Neteyam is the eldest son to Neytiri and Jake Sully. And they lost him in the 2nd movie, sadly :( Swensens is an American dining chain^^ They're more well known for their ice-creams and ice-cream cakes, really. The food is really good though! "..You're fighting with a 2ft toddler, meaning, have to get down to THEIR level. (And I'll bet he himself has got plenty of anti-social habits, yeah? But that's always okay because (self-important & over-entitled & No Shame) HE'S ALLOWED...or... BUT THAT IS/WAS DIFFERENT!" Ooh! Yup!! A toddler in a disguise(is Halloween this long..? And it's Jan..)! Very anti-social, but so am I..? Over-entitled and no shame. Check. Not my words. "Try it, Sam-I-Am, you might LIKE Green Bogeys with Ham (= nickname for theatrical/dramatic acting), heh heh heh (do the hehehs with me) heh heh...." Ok! Heheheheh! heh^^ "(I'm ucking resourceful and sneaky when I need to be. The Bullier of Bullies, with a HUUUUGE repertoire - or in your case, menu. :)))))" Well, so far, I am loving the menu! You have good appetisers and even better mains! I'm looking forward to dessert^^ "THUH-REE? Woah. MALES AS WELL. Woah." Yup! A handful too.. But you just love them^^; "Nah...it's your inner ape, YOU choose its name." No, no! I like Jeff! "My name is Jeff.." (21 jump street with Channing Tatum) ^○^ We'll go with Jeff! "He writes that women take their purpose from the care and protection of their offspring". (- Wikipedia) (Put more simply - they're naturally, logically, born with many more and bigger defence and defence-by-attack weaponry *because of/thanks to* their reproductive responsibilities, which, obviously, come in handy elsewhere, in other threatening situations, yeh?)" Right, so the "women will naturally respond to a 'mom' shout from a kid" even though they have no children situation..? Or did I interpret it wrong? "What you MUSTN'T do with narcs/narc-sociopaths, however, is just suddenly transform, in-one. 'Slowly, slowly, catch ye monkey' is your new mantra. So we start 'innocently/playfully/childishly' with the dreaded Green Finger Of Death-By-Revulsion." I agree! Been using applying this for a year now. Trials and errors but you can't escape that. It was a test run and now you're experimenting with the subject. So, yes. It wasn't supposed to go perfect anyway. Or have I always been testing this..? I don't know! Starting to sound like damn researchers here.. Wrong thread..? ^^; Do not be alarmed people of the internet! ^v<

Wow... Mannie has a whole animal reserve.. °□° I have no words^^;

Wait, Soulmate! It is 22 jump street, not 21! My bad^^;

Mannie, "Aye Soulmate..I have three cats two solid black & one blacknwhite like the minstrals...one tom & two queens all spayed of course. I also have a house dog cross, Staff with an AU Bluey..a good snaker & good protector & of course loves the bloody cats but will kill anything that comes into the house yard including any stray cat....oops! the distant neighbour's missing theirs...apparently. I also have a piggy rig which is two Bull Arab breed dogs which are bred to catch & hold pigs by their ears. There's a few YT vids getting around if you google it, showing you just what goes on when us Aussies use the dogs to hunt pigs. oh yes then there's the chooks & the guinea fowl as well which make up the 'pet' section of the family." Well!... There's only one thing I can say to that: "Alright, Noah?" :D So do you have fresh eggs every morning? PS: Surely if your dog had 'had' neighbour's cat, there'd be a body around-about somewhere?

Aydie - yeah-no, you need the 60s/70s original. If you prefix it Original Series in the youtube search, you should get it. Ice-Cream Cake - OOOOH! My favourite. Used to insist on that for my birthday tea when I was little, every single time. Spag Bog (or Biscetti Bo-naise, as I called it) followed by Ice-Cream Cake. My mum would make a tall, three-layered strawberry jam sponge cake (with lashings of real fruit jam), spread Soft Scoop Cornish (i.e. made in Cornwall), Vanilla ice-cream in each section, add sliced fresh strawberries, stick the layers back on, dust it liberally with Icing Sugar, then pop it back in the freezer, and, voila! (For the adult version, you can make a boozy syrup to drizzle over, by boiling then reducing white wine with Caster Sugar (or Dessert Wine). Even nicer if you marinade a forest fruit salad overnight in it and spoon that over. (Damn, I want Spag Bol now!) "Very anti-social, but so am I..? Over-entitled and no shame. Check. Not my words." Pff - NO?! If you were that, I wouldn't now be having to encourage Jeff OUT, would I. That's typical Narc Projection (who says it?). Google Narcissistic Projection and Blame-Shifting. Basically, by the nature of their PD, all Narc accusations are actually confessions. "Ok! Heheheheh! heh^^" Feels good, doesn't it. :) Did you know you were actually secretly so powerful? Well, they did/do. That's why they try to keep you 'pecked down'. To stop you from ever having the confidence to rear-up and start banging heads together (and taking control, SINCE by the sounds of it, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THAT FAMILY THAT'S FIT ENOUGH TO STEER THE FAMILY SHIP). OR you can 'opt out' altogether and focus on building-up your own life and confidence - said thespian acting...especially as local thespian groups are always crying-out for locals who can act/perform (as most people aren't that brave - whereas you are); they should positively leap on your offer...and they'll let you sample it to see. PS: if they ask you if you've any experience, you can say, Yeah!...I have to act my socks off daily my whole life - to pretend I like my family! :D (...although, I concede that you HALF-like your sister) (big deal, but it's better than nothing). Anyway - Jeff it is! (And yeah - very entertaining film, as I recall.) Wow... Mannie has a whole animal reserve.. °□° I have no words^^; I KNOW!!! :o He's practically a Zoo-Keeper!...that looks like George Clooney (bit of a waste of physical 'talent', but never mind LOL). "I'm looking forward to dessert^^" Me too! All in good time, though. First you need a physical network around you...a brave and 'dramatic' one. PS: Ring your local council to find out which amateur dramatic groups, where. (You're gonna love it! It's SUCH great fun - people don't realise! And these groups quickly become FAMILY, is even more the point....all sharing First Night/Matinee performance-nerves is very instantly bonding :)) "Right, so the "women will naturally respond to a 'mom' shout from a kid" even though they have no children situation..? Or did I interpret it wrong?" Well, there's that, but it means - don't EVER push a woman too far (especially not an Empath with naturally strong maternal instincts, previously still dormant/as-yet-unactivated before that point or not). I call it, 'Don't EVER poke a lioness's cub (or any cub!) (or the lioness herself!) in the eye, or you're dead and you damn-well asked for it'. Basically, if you threaten a cub, you threaten a cub and indirectly threaten the mother - if you threaten the mother, you indirectly threaten the cub, innit. So when women are pushed too far, they're programmed to become lethal because the survival of the species relies entirely on the mothers, even-bigger-innit. Lorena ("Lorraine") Bobbit. Need I say more? (Eyy dyon't thyink syo, nyo.) "I agree! Been using applying this for a year now. Trials and errors but you can't escape that. It was a test run and now you're experimenting with the subject. So, yes. It wasn't supposed to go perfect anyway. Or have I always been testing this..? I don't know!" (Last two sentances) Probably. :) "Starting to sound like damn researchers here.. Wrong thread..? ^^; Do not be alarmed people of the internet! ^v<" Snot a problem. (Hur-hur - see what I did there?)

PS Mannie: Sounds like the solid black ones are English Black Cats and the other, a Tuxedo. Is that right?

CN, "Soul, “Do you mean this, with Freddie Flinton? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7VI0rC8ZA” Yes, this is it! No joke, they play it on television on New Year’s Eve several times. The main public TV channel always publishes a schedule showing when it will be on air :D We watched it last night and it’s still pretty funny :D We even made a drinking game out of it and took a sip of beer whenever James drank and stumbled over the carpet. The phrase “same procedure as every year” is also really commonly used as a joke when it comes to New Year’s Eve party planning." HAHA! In that case - you're gonna LOVE THIS From "Victoria Wood", this sketch featuring her unofficial side-kick and contemporary, Julie Walters (starred in the fab film, Educating Rita btw). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htvs1wXv1-0 (The original sketch was longer but this was all I could find. Alternatively, you could see Victoria and Julie together by youtube-ing "Acorn Antiques", which was a right, royal piss-take of a serious, but low-budget, daytime soap-opera called "Crossroads".) “FYI, that's how I sound :DDDDD” I really imagined your voice kind of like that :D When I read your posts, my inner voice reads them like that too xD …well, maybe with a German touch, I don’t know :D When I speak English, I really sound like a typical German speaking English, sometimes mixed with a bit of my Swabian accent. BIUTIFULL! :D" Oh, did you? That's interesting! What's Swabian? "“Can you do any voices and accents?” Nah, I’m pretty bad at it. :D I can do a little bit of a Northern German accent and maybe a bit of Bavarian, because it’s close to Swabian, but all the others are really hard to do :D" So - "Yes - some", then, LOL. (And you've answered what Swabian is (a region) so disregard the question.) "Oh, but I can do an almost perfect imitation of Dory from the movie Finding Nemo. :D I loved that movie as a kid, I can say every line with her :D" Oh, now, THAT'S a GOOD 'party trick'! It'd be good for being slippery (back) with Narcs, too: "Sorry - WHAT butt? I've forgotten!" “"Damnit! The fireworks were incredibly noisy round here so Fluffy's run off and hidden somewhere and won't come out yet. The local dogs were all going crazy too.” Same here, it was actually a bit better than last year. But still, people were going crazy, firing that stuff into the sky until 2 in the morning. Some teenagers near us also had some pretty loud firecrackers, thankfully only a few. I really hope the wildlife and all the pets are doing okay :(" It's happening again, right now - so I'm gonna have to break-off for a min in order to check she's ok! BRB!! “Here - CN - just had a thought: where does Heidi go at the weekend? Does she stay inside the surgery?” For those who might not know: my colleagues and I have a cat at work called Heidi. She was somewhat of a stray until we “adopted” her. She has always been around the clinic. Sometimes she’s outside for a day (or just chilling somewhere I don’t know yet, it’s a pretty big building complex). A colleague who sometimes works on weekends sends me pictures of Heidi when she stops by. Heidi even has a chair exclusively for her in that office, where she often stays throughout the day. One doctor also told me that Heidi once visited her during a night shift and they lay together in the bed (awww, cute). Some of the nurses who mostly work night shifts also let her stay in the nurses’ room, with a little spot just for her. So I think she’s always around and has found her favorite places to stay. Still, I was worried because of the fireworks. Sometimes she gets scared by loud noises, like doors shutting too fast or rolling carts being pushed down the hallways. I really hope she found a safe place inside, either somewhere to hide or with someone who helps her feel a bit calmer. Tomorrow I will check on her :)"

Damn! I wasn't fast enough...she's run off again. Oh well.... They seem to have stopped again (it's the Eve of "Three Kings Day" here...like Xmas isn't enough for Spaniards, cuh!) (fiestas, fiestas...they spend more time fiesta-ing than working!). Anyway, where was I.... "“Here - CN - just had a thought: where does Heidi go at the weekend? Does she stay inside the surgery?” For those who might not know: my colleagues and I have a cat at work called Heidi. She was somewhat of a stray until we “adopted” her. She has always been around the clinic. Sometimes she’s outside for a day (or just chilling somewhere I don’t know yet, it’s a pretty big building complex). A colleague who sometimes works on weekends sends me pictures of Heidi when she stops by. Heidi even has a chair exclusively for her in that office, where she often stays throughout the day. One doctor also told me that Heidi once visited her during a night shift and they lay together in the bed (awww, cute)." AHHH......sweeeeet! "Some of the nurses who mostly work night shifts also let her stay in the nurses’ room, with a little spot just for her." So basically - EVERYONE falls under her spell! "So I think she’s always around and has found her favorite places to stay." Yeah. "Still, I was worried because of the fireworks. Sometimes she gets scared by loud noises, like doors shutting too fast or rolling carts being pushed down the hallways." Snap! "I really hope she found a safe place inside, either somewhere to hide or with someone who helps her feel a bit calmer. Tomorrow I will check on her :)"" Course she did. Cats are clever. *Emotionally* cleverer and deeper than dogs, that's for-sure, plus better at coping in the wild due to the simple fact that dogs got domesticated far earlier in history, hence cats are harder to train...it's far further to travel from Wild Station to Domestic Central. And even THEN, they're merely agreeing/cooperating...because unlike dogs, they don't NEED-need us. It's Want Us. I find that far more flattering and reassuring - to be wanted rather than purely needed, don't you? (ducks Dog Biscuits) Anyway...this is nice, isn't it - us regs and vets getting a chance to get to know one another, finally? Sod-it, let's be rebels and keep this thread going for us. 'Christmas Thread' can become purely 'ironic', dwahlings. PS: How to speak perfect Queen's English, via 3 peasy questions: 1. What's the word for that stuff that you breathe? 2. Ditto for the stuff that grows on your head? 3. Name for a lion's 'camp/nest' (begining with L)? Now put all the words together for me?...

Here, Mannie - do you make money out of looking like George Clooney? Are you an official Lookie-Likie? You know you could, right? BIIIIG money in them there hills! (I'll take a one-off ("mates rates") 20% commission for the idea, cheers! (thumbs-up))

PS Aydie. Another 'fall off your chair' moment: Finding Nemo is my No. 1-and-only Desert Island film! ("WAYYY!!!") I can watch it over and over and overandoverandover..................(ad nauseum). It's the visuals, especially. Colour Therapy. Bloody works, does colour therapy (ever tried it?).

Tsk, oh ffs - I did it again! That PS was for you, CN. (Well -all of you really, but addressed to you.)

PS: Maybe we were fish in a previous life? PPS: In fact - we were. The growth patterns of human Back-hair prove unequivocably now, that we were aquatic first - and or possibly had to return to being so at one point - and for a loooooong time. That certainly makes sense to me of the fact that Dolphins are so drawn to us and so hell-bent on protecting/shielding us from marauding sharks, eh. ("Donchoo touch our cousins, you jumped-up water-rotweiller, you!" :D) ...Especially pregnant women.

Hi there, Soulmate! I've never known anyone who doesn't love ice-cream cake^^ Can You believe it?! I only learned about ice-cream cake 4 years ago!! I didn't know it was a thing and you know I fell in love with it after I had a taste^^; "Basically, if you threaten a cub, you threaten a cub and indirectly threaten the mother - if you threaten the mother, you indirectly threaten the cub, innit. So when women are pushed too far, they're programmed to become lethal because the survival of the species relies entirely on the mothers, even-bigger-innit." Ok.. I understand that now! Seen it applied in shows where mothers would do ANYTHING to protect their child. Amazing.. °○° "Snot a problem. (Hur-hur - see what I did there?)" I Shirley did, partner! ^○< "PS Aydie. Another 'fall off your chair' moment: Finding Nemo is my No. 1-and-only Desert Island film! Tsk, oh ffs - I did it again! That PS was for you, CN. (Well -all of you really, but addressed to you.)" ^^ Ok! Finding Nemo is nice but I would have to go with Lilo and Stitch. "Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Warms you up doesn't it? "PS: Maybe we were fish in a previous life? PPS: In fact - we were. The growth patterns of human Back-hair prove unequivocably now, that we were aquatic first - and or possibly had to return to being so at one point - and for a loooooong time." Hey.. That doesn't sound so bad at all. Free swimming lessons-cause you're already in the water anyway- and we play catch or hide and seek with other fish friends/foe! Never ending adventure in the marine life, eh?

Scuse delay, Aydie - everyone! Am at the end of a super-important project, up against deadline, should be free to post tomorrow.

Hi, Soulmate!! No worries! I ain't got nowhere to be >v^ See ya!!

Aydie, “I enjoy a bit of everything, I guess..? There's 'Devotion by Adam Makos', 'The ones who walk away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin', 'Almond by Son Won Pyung', 'The Dragon of Ynys by Minerva Cerridwen'. I'm in the middle of reading 'The Child Called it by Dave Pelzer'. It was recommended to me by my friend in November last year. It's... different but I'm fixated somehow. Any Sci-Fi and Fantasy books you would recommend?” That’s really a bit of everything :) I also read a lot of biographies, books on social and societal issues, physics, astrophysics, and more recently philosophy as well. But fantasy and sci-fi have always been a constant :D My absolute favorite books are The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Tuf Voyaging by George R. R. Martin, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, and the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. “Do you have or had any pets of your own?” I’ve had quite a few pets over the years: two birds, three cats, three rats, and a dog :) After my dog passed away four years ago, I haven’t emotionally been able to adopt another pet yet. But Heidi has definitely contributed to the fact that I now want to adopt one or two cats again :) “P.S. I do hope everything is ok with Heidi. I'm sure she's safe and sound. Maybe she made herself comfortable somewhere around the area where she would be able to hide if need be^^ It's really nice of you and your colleagues to have "adopted" her! She might make a good mascot for the clinic?” She’s doing well :) I met her the very next morning when I walked into the clinic. She came with me right away and spent the whole day chilling on my desk and in her shelf :) I now have a video of her sitting on my desk with her paws tucked in so she looks like a little loaf of bread, watching my mouse cursor on the screen with great focus and purring while I work (♥.♥) ______________ Soul, “In that case - you're gonna LOVE THIS From "Victoria Wood", this sketch featuring her unofficial side-kick and contemporary, Julie Walters (starred in the fab film, Educating Rita btw). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htvs1wXv1-0 “ That’s really very funny :D “Oh, now, THAT'S a GOOD 'party trick'!”+ “Another 'fall off your chair' moment: Finding Nemo is my No. 1-and-only Desert Island film! ("WAYYY!!!") I can watch it over and over and overandoverandover..................(ad nauseum). It's the visuals, especially. Colour Therapy. Bloody works, does colour therapy (ever tried it?).” Mine too! I watch the movie at least three times a year :D By now, various scenes and phrases have even made their way into my everyday language :D Whenever my fiancé doesn’t understand me acoustically for the fifth time, I switch to speaking whale :D I think he’s getting annoyed by it by now XD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJGeeryk0Eo (I LOOOOVEEE that scene) Whenever I read “escape,” I say (of course in german but for you translated) “es-cap-eee… hmm funny, that looks like the English word for emergency exit.” That’s what Dory says in the German version in that scene. Whenever people ask me, “Wait, so you don’t eat fish either?” I reply, “Fish are friends, not food.” Most people don’t get it :D And I also often just randomly sing “just keep swimming” XD “Oh, did you? That's interesting!” At school, we always had to do listening comprehension exercises in English class. They always spoke in that accent as well. So maybe that’s why :D “Oh well.... They seem to have stopped again (it's the Eve of "Three Kings Day" here...like Xmas isn't enough for Spaniards, cuh!) (fiestas, fiestas...they spend more time fiesta-ing than working!).” Every now and then, you can still hear fireworks here these days. We also have Three Kings’ Day as a public holiday here in Germany :D The older people here in the south always say when holidays or time off are coming up, “Gnieß es, schaffe musch dei Lebe lang,” which basically means, “Enjoy the rest, you’ll be working all your life.” “I find that far more flattering and reassuring - to be wanted rather than purely needed, don't you?” Yes, that’s true. You really have to earn a cat’s love :D But the bond with a dog is also very special, especially when you train a lot together, that requires a great deal of mutual trust, and the love dogs give you when they fully trust you is also very beautiful. “PS: How to speak perfect Queen's English, via 3 peasy questions: 1. What's the word for that stuff that you breathe? 2. Ditto for the stuff that grows on your head? 3. Name for a lion's 'camp/nest' (begining with L)? Now put all the words together for me?...” AirHairLair..........wait..........no..... I don’t get it? :D “PS: Maybe we were fish in a previous life?” What kind of one would you like to be? I think I’d most like to be a pufferfish or a sunfish :D (Fun fact: the sunfish is called a “moonfish” in German, which, judging by the way it looks, is actually the more fitting name, isn’t it? :D) “PPS: In fact - we were. The growth patterns of human Back-hair prove unequivocably now, that we were aquatic first - and or possibly had to return to being so at one point - and for a loooooong time.” Just the fact that it took 3.1 to 3.3 billion years for the first amphibian to come onto land, and the time for evolution to eventually reach us, is already pretty impressive. You’re talking about the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis, right? Do you have a link to the discovery about the hair? I googled it, but I only found theories. I find that super interesting :) “That certainly makes sense to me of the fact that Dolphins are so drawn to us and so hell-bent on protecting/shielding us from marauding sharks, eh. ("Donchoo touch our cousins, you jumped-up water-rotweiller, you!" :D) ...Especially pregnant women.” Yup, that would actually make sense, and I also instantly thought of this :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_dUmDBfp6k

Hey, CREATIVENICK^^ "I also read a lot of biographies, books on social and societal issues, physics, astrophysics, and more recently philosophy as well." Yup! I do read up social and societal issues too. I think it's vital to have a bit of knowledge on that. Physics.. not so much^^; Philosophy I love with all my being. The Little Prince is a classic! I still read it from time to time. I find myself just understanding it in different perspectives everytime I read it. Philosophy is beautiful! "My absolute favorite books are The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Tuf Voyaging by George R. R. Martin, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, and the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman." I'll be sure to look those up and probably give them a try. "I’ve had quite a few pets over the years: two birds, three cats, three rats, and a dog :) After my dog passed away four years ago, I haven’t emotionally been able to adopt another pet yet. But Heidi has definitely contributed to the fact that I now want to adopt one or two cats again :)" Wow!! That's a whole lot of experience you have under your belt! I totally get it.. I lost a cat(my BEST FRIEND) when I was younger.. Couldn't even look at one for 5 years. Then, my parents adopted one of the cats that we have now when I was 20.. And look at where we are~ 3 babies and I love them with all my being.. I just have to come to terms that we all leave when it's time.. So, I just focus on loving them and the time we have in the present. At least, I would have memories that I could look back on. Fear of losing them never goes away, but, I think it's what makes life and memories a beautiful thing. I think you should if you feel that it's the right call, CREATIVENICK^^ "She’s doing well :) I met her the very next morning when I walked into the clinic. She came with me right away and spent the whole day chilling on my desk and in her shelf :) I now have a video of her sitting on my desk with her paws tucked in so she looks like a little loaf of bread, watching my mouse cursor on the screen with great focus and purring while I work (♥.♥)" I'm glad to hear she's doing well! From the looks of it, I'd say she's very comfortable around you^^ Bet she missed you a bunch!! Really nice to hear from you, CREATIVENICK! Have a great day to you and everyone here!! ^^

OMG, I'm so late! Sorry, guys - couldn't be helped - completely lost internet (and I can barely read my tiny phone so that was no use)! I'll catch up after I've responded to the problem threads - bear with!

Guys - and everyone - I'm so sorry! I've been trying and trying and this is the first chance I've had to be uninterrupted for five sodding minutes. I've got a legal suit I'm bringing, ongoing, currently preparing for (Hell is full of paperwork!), conractors crashing and hammering due to the recent gale damage and Gotafrias (monsoons) everywhere, including my roofs, electricity and internet.... it just doesn't stop! Plus my UK friend and helper can't come back out again yet because she's got her own giant problems going on, and I really need her because I'm so knackered that I have to grit my teeth (scuse pun) to resist the temptation to skip brushing my teeth (which at best is a bit difficult when you're swaying) before falling into bed! There just aren't enough hours in each day... I'm therefore going to have to ask you to give me a giant Hall Pass - and to thank those of you who've held the fort, profusely. (Toldja it'd get worse before it got better. Ha-bloody-ha.) Hope you're all ok? I'll still read your threads when I can, it's getting time to think and reply that's the difficult bit. I have a window now, so I'll get on with things before it gets snatched... :X

I think I'm caught up with the newbies, and anticipate another couple of windows tomorrow. Just for now, so's not to keep her in suspenders... Aydie, "AirHairLair..........wait..........no..... I don’t get it? :D " Oh, He-llo. In a posh Surrey accent it sounds more like, Air hellair! Air. Hair. Lair. And 'yes' sounds more like Yah or Yairs. And we say sorry like this: Soh..REEEEEE. Especially when playing tennis, haha. PS: Eyy'd laike to beee a Dol-phin, daaahling. Fun & Friendly yet Deadly when necessary. And the only sea creature brave enough to bully back Sharks of all things. I identify. :) Plus I love fish, especially shellfish, and utterly adore the smell of fish, particularly raw. I used to spend my pocket-money - not in the sweetshop like my peers, but in the local Fishmongers, on shell-on prawns and cockles in vinegar...and would stand there whilst waiting my turn, taking it all in (sniffffff!...love-leeeee). Coulda stayed there all day. Here, Mannie - I would happily have worked in your fish 'n chip shop(s). And if anyone had said - Poo, you stink of fish!, I'd have merrily replied - Poo, you don't! :D Clearly, I missed my true calling. It's funny how fins turn out... (ducks) PS CN - just done an update on my kitties on Lily's thread.

Hey, Soulmate!! Really good to hear from you! I think everyone would grant you that GIANT hall pass! I myself have been busy with filing and printing etc.. The amount of work piling up all the way to my neck! I rather drown in water than papers, files and whatnot. I swear I cry just by seeing paper anywhere near me these days! So, all is good and we're all doing alright, I guess. "PS: Eyy'd laike to beee a Dol-phin, daaahling. Fun & Friendly yet Deadly when necessary. And the only sea creature brave enough to bully back Sharks of all things." ^□^ I fancy myself as a jellyfish or an orca. I don't know the reason for that though ^^; I wouldn't go as far to say I love fish or hate it. I do enjoy it from time to time, that I certainly do. Anyway! I'd say everything is alright here! Don't you worry and focus on handling the important things first^^ Aydie

Hey Soulmate, and everyone else as well. It's fine. I was just kind of thinking before I logged back in here, it's been a while since I'd gotten around to checking back because I've had my mind on other things. On the subject of fish, I've always been really picky about it and seafood in general. I probably could stand more fish in my diet. I usually like tuna, but I turn my nose up at a lot of other fish. My girlfriend suggested getting some haddock from a fish fry in the near future, and I suppose I haven't eaten that in a while, so maybe one of these weeks we will. Especially if it's beer-battered, hmm... I absolutely love my fries with malt vinegar, also, if I get those as a side. I've always thought the octopus are cool sea creatures. I've always heard they're very intelligent, but also somewhat short-lived, which is tragic. Seahorses are pretty neat, too. There is a lot of interesting life underwater. Things have been alright lately, I suppose. Hopefully I don't jinx myself by saying that. The past weekend was okay for me, anyway.

"Anyway! I'd say everything is alright here! Don't you worry and focus on handling the important things first^^" Ahhh, thank-you, Aydie :x (Now picturing you as a jellyfish, haha!) ____________________________________________ Thank-you, too, Bal. And PS: if you like Tuna and Vinegar, I reckon you'd like Smoked Haddock (Kippers) and Cockles (Tellinas in Spanish) in Vinegar, if they sell them over there. Usually come in a glass jar. Also, try a jar/can of Green Olives stuffed with Anchovy. And then report back, haha. Got a brief window, let's see how much I can do with it... PS: Hi Mannie, Hi CN, Hi Lils, Hi Scopes! Hope you're all good?

I think they do sell at least kippers here, and I don't think I've tried them before. Also, I love green olives, and I like Caeser Salads so I might like anchovies, Idk. I'll have to keep it in mind the next time we go to the grocery store.

Message to our Regulars and Veterans but also anyone still awaiting my reply: Hey guys/posters, I don't even know what to say! I'm STILL too short of time right now to post more than once per week. The court-case I'm actioning in has now reached crunch point so, what with every other daily and backlogged problems and obligation already, my schedule's not going to improve quite yet. Could be 2 more weeks of mostly-absence, could be 4. Fingers crossed only 2, but there's no way of knowing yet. Will keep keeping you all posted and - well done again for your hard work; I shan't forget it. :) PS Bal: a Caeser just isn't the same without anchovies in the sauce. And once you've tried them - neither are green olives. Oooh...making me hungry...

PPS Quick (cold) kipper recipe: Amounts to-taste: Juice however-many oranges you like and shake orange juice with olive oil, adding ground black pepper. That's your dressing. Tear or (if you want it to look prrrrro-fessional) slice raw Curly Kale leaves onto a dinnerplate, tear/slice kipper fillets on top, add (skin and pith-free) slices of orange, add sliced black olives, drizzle copioiusly all over with the orange dressing. Add freshly baked, buttered roll or baguette (supermarket par-baked wholemeal is quicker), and tuck in. Bloody delicious. (And now I'm starving.)

Hey Soulmate!! No worries there! Hope everything goes well and only best outcomes hopefully^^ Aydie :)

Thank-you, petal! :) PS: forgot a bit... you de-vein and de-stalk the Curly Kale before slicing it.

Guys/colleagues, just letting you know - and this is the first chance I've had(!!!) - that I'm stuck-fast in gathering evidence/documentation as we near the out-of-court settlement deadline. I don't think I'm going to have time to post again for another week but- who bloody knows! This is case is super-important to my future so there's nothing I can do about it, I'm working all the hours and the days and weeks have been speeding past. I'm able to read but no time to type any responses yet. Sorry again, and please bear with me again - I didn't anticipate it'd get this involved/heavy. :( Thank-you (again-again) for keeping things ticking along. Just wanted you to know I hadn't abandoned forum (as if!). Speak again as soon as I humanly can.:X

Here, guys - have an urge to share this round (have posted it for Scopes on Lils thread, but, comments here, plizzies-fanks... _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Came by text so I'm transcribing it. No link, unfortunately (mmmmmmeh). He sounds English. And, FYuslessI, he's into Westerns (the poisoning the well/denying it contains any water, so as to force townspeople into having to buy expensive bottled water, comes from one I watched only recently but can't recall the title of. Was it The Alamo? I'll have to google) He's certainly mightily pissed-off, that's for-sure, haha!: ______________________________ "Oh this flatulent flubbering f***ing gameshow host. This sentient bag of McDonald's grease just bombed a country, shut down a strait that 20% of the world's oil moves through, caused a global fuel crisis, and is now standing in the ashes going "why don't you losers buy MY oil?". Like a guy who poisons the town well and then starts selling bottled water from his front yard. You absolute f***ing psychopath. "Iran has been decimated." Oh yeah? Then OPEN THE ****ING STRAIT, genius. If you won, where's the oil? Where's the shipping? Why are planes grounded from London to Sydney? You didn't decimate Iran, you d***head. You decimated the global economy. Iran's still there. The Strait's still closed. And you're on your little safe space app doing a victory lap like a guy who shit his pants at a marathon and is celebrating crossing the finish line. "Delayed courage." He said that. To the BRITISH. The country that followed you brain-dead cowboys into Iraq because you LIED. You told the world Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. Colin Powell sat at the United Nations waving around a prop like a f***ing children's magician. "Nothing in my hand...nothing in my other hand... and PRESTO, a million dead people!" The UK sent their kids. Allies sent theirs. And it was all bullsh*t. Every coffin. Every flag-draped casket. Based on a lie. So the Brits see you screaming about ANOTHER Middle Eastern country and say "nah, fool me once" and you call THEM cowards? You? The bone spur king? The guy who dodged Vietnam because his feet hurt? The guy who hid in a bunker when protesters got too close to the White House? You've never had a paper cut in service of another human being, you spray-tanned f***ing fraud. ((Hmmm...not quite true if we remember the attempted shooting and ear-bandage...unless it was staged? I recall you and I agreed we certainly wouldn't put it past him?)) The British stood ALONE against Hitler while American was at home j**king off to isolationism. Don't you EVER lecture them about courage. And here it is. Right in the middle of this deranged rant, the six words that tell you exactly what this whole thing was about from day one: "Buy from the U.S., we have plenty". There's your war motive, folks. Right there. Didn't even try to hide it. This fat p**ck blew up the Middle East's oil supply so that he could sell you his. That's it. That's the whole play. Every missile, every dead civilian, every fuel queue from perth to Paris, it's a f***ing INFOMERCIAL. "Are YOU tired of affordable oil from stable trade routes? Well DO I have the solution for YOU!". This post isn't a flex. It's a confession. >He's telling every ally America has ever had that the alliance was bullsh*t, the loyalty was a scam, and the next time they come asking you to die in a desert for them, you show them this post and tell them to go f*** themselves. -Gman" ______________________________ "WOAH!", or, "OOH, I SAY!" - eh? I should cocoa. I've just tried to google this writer "Gman" and an entry came up for Instagram, however, it wouldn't open. Would love to read any other articles of his." _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What do you guys think about that, then!? I find I can't argue with it. It won't have been his ONLY agenda, however (never is...Narcs are lazy and try to bundle too much together into one act, like overloading a tea-tray...something usually falls off and smashes,- OH LOOK!). I reckon it was equally to flex his muscles in front of Putin. Can yous think of any others?

wtf Soulmate? you've introduced world politics onto a relationship forum...reads like an April fools joke. This Gman bloke's full of it. It's just his theory & his opinion. Actions speak & in my opinion, Starmer is a gutless, two faced coward who would be not even fit to tie Churchill's shoelaces if he'd had had the chance & I'm not even a Brit. You only gotta look at him to see & smell his fear. He's as bad as our PM Albanese..a pair of gutless, woke cowards grovelling before the Islam invasion. Wife beaten Macron's another one. Not a leader's a'hole amongst the lot of them..none. All of Europe should take a page out of Poland's play book..won't have the terrorist tribes in their country. Keep the ME filth out by force if necessary. Trump's no angel & with plenty of the worst sins BUT he is the President & he stands tall for his country, cares about his country, sets the trade tariffs that benefit his country. He was elected & blew the polls out of the water after the US had endured four years of failure of the Democrats who betrayed their own country big time. Trump's mob are slowly cleaning it up while Europe sinks into a stinking cesspool of it's own making. Putin loves Trump even though he supplied Iran's weapons along with China. Putin's crazy enough to pull the trigger but China doesn't want WW3 nor does Trump because they're all about commerce & money. As for Iran, who wants to sympathise with a regime that murders it's own people? hello? Nuclear weapons? yep they sure did have the ability to have them. People should ask hard working Iranians what they want & need & stop listening to the left leaning media of the world as they'll tell you what they want you to believe rather than the cold, hard facts. So I back Trump & Bibi 100%. Anyone want to argue with me? bring it on.

@ Manalone https://youtu.be/9zUG99zt3r8?si=8zy3tYa7XcaC-TJN Netanyahu has been crying wolf that Iran could have nuclear weapons for decades. And this is a video about it from a Right-wing source. Also, Trump doesn't give a flying weasel about anyone other than himself. And maybe his daughter Ivanka, you know, when he catches her in just the right light. He also is a horrible businessman and lies, cheats, steals and accuses - many times of things he himself will later do - to get ahead. That's not being a good businessman, it's doing whatever you want without any repercussions. https://youtu.be/7XERwP5YE6w?si=cTLuhhxiUVDgoSA6 What Iranians want and need? Well, I'm pretty sure they didn't ask to have an elementary school struck by two rounds of missiles in a "double-tap" attack on day 1 of "Operation Epic Fury", and kill 175 people, mostly kids. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Minab_school_attack You're allowed to have your own opinions. I'm gonna continue to judge you for them, though.

Dear Bal, I'm not surprised the slightest bit.

Hey everyone. I am 100% with Balance on this. I honestly don't know how one can support Trump and justify the genocide from Netanyahu and say that it's for the better of people. Nothing about any of these is for the good of anyone, but, those behind these monstrosity. Lack of healthcare and childcare support, tearing families apart and not to mention "other horrible" things that he was involved in. It benefits him and only elevates the sufferings of his own citizens and people involved in what he has started. Sudan, Congo, Palestine and now Iran. There are kids in these countries too. Are they "fated" to die because they're not American? Civilians died and are still dying because Trump thinks he's helping those countries get rid of their dictators. That's the lie he's going with. A smoke screen to distract people from his crimes. Just like Netanyahu. These have been going on for so long and and it's all came to this point because people have chosen to be ignorant and ignore the atrocities. These are not theories and opinions. It's facts and things that has been and will continue going on if we let it. The constitution? They are not for the betterment of the people anymore. They work for him. They work with him. So, no. He's not doing anything for his people. He never has. He's a man crazy for the power he wields and uses recklessly for his own gain. With all due respect, Manalone, I'll stick to what I know is the right side of history. I stand for humanity.

Hi, I am also 100000% with Balance and Aydan on this… But when I read that post I also felt compelled to respond because your perspective on Trump, Netanyahu, and global politics is not just misguided, it’s dangerous. You frame these men as “strong leaders,” but let’s be honest: They’re demagogues who thrive on fear, division, and the suffering of others. Your admiration for them reveals a deeply troubling worldview, one that ignores the real consequences of their actions for millions of people. Let’s start with Trump. You call him a president who “stands tall for his country,” but what does that even mean when his policies have consistently served the wealthy elite at the expense of everyone else? His presidency was defined by corruption, self-dealing, and a blatant disregard for democratic norms. He didn’t “care about his country”, he cared about his bank account, his ego, and his grip on power. His recent escalation in the Middle East isn’t about strength or patriotism; it’s about distraction, profit, and a desperate attempt to stay relevant. Starting a conflict with Iran isn’t courage, it’s recklessness, and it’s ordinary people who pay the price in blood, displacement, and economic chaos. Then there’s Netanyahu, a man who has spent decades screaming about Iran’s nuclear program, only for nothing to ever materialize. Year after year, he stands on the world stage with dramatic presentations, warning that Iran is “months away” from a bomb, yet no evidence ever emerges. Meanwhile, Israel remains the only nuclear-armed state in the region, refusing inspections or accountability. This isn’t about security, it’s about power, control, and justifying endless aggression. And let’s talk about what Netanyahu’s government is actually doing: overseeing an apartheid regime, reinstating the death penalty exclusively for Palestinians, and continuing a brutal occupation that has lasted for decades. This isn’t “standing tall”, it’s state-sanctioned terror. Israel has spent years displacing, bombing, and dehumanizing Palestinians, and now they’re literally writing laws to execute them. How anyone can defend this is beyond me. You call Iran’s regime “murderous,” and yes, it is, but so is Israel’s. The difference? One is condemned while the other is celebrated by Western powers. That’s not justice; that’s hypocrisy. Your dismissal of Europe’s leaders as “gutless” and “woke” is equally misplaced. “Woke” isn’t the problem, bigotry is. Calling out racism, Islamophobia, and systemic oppression isn’t weakness; it’s basic decency. Europe isn’t “sinking into a cesspool” because of migration or Islam; it’s struggling because of rising inequality, corporate greed, and far-right politicians who scapegoat minorities instead of solving real problems. Poland’s refusal to take in refugees isn’t “strength”; it’s cruelty. Real leadership means protecting the vulnerable, not demonizing them for political gain. And your rhetoric about an “Islamic invasion”? That’s classic far-right fearmongering. Muslims aren’t “invading” anything. They’re people—doctors, teachers, neighbors—who deserve the same rights and dignity as anyone else. The idea that Europe is under siege by Islam is a myth, one that’s been used for decades to justify racism and violence. Many of the people fleeing to Europe are running from wars and instability that Western powers—including the U.S. and its allies—helped create. If you’re angry about migration, maybe direct that anger at the politicians who bombed those countries in the first place. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean has become a mass grave, and no one seems to care. Thousands of men, women, and children drown every year trying to escape war, poverty, and persecution, only to be met with barbed wire, pushbacks, and the cold indifference of governments that would rather let them die than offer safe passage. This isn’t “defending borders”; it’s a moral failure of historic proportions. How can we claim to be civilized when we turn our backs on people begging for help? Finally, your admiration for Trump and Netanyahu is what’s truly “gutless.” These men aren’t leaders; they’re authoritarians who thrive on division and fear. Trump incited an insurrection, lined his own pockets, and spent years undermining democracy. Netanyahu is presiding over an apartheid state. Neither of them cares about “their people”, they care about power, and they’ll burn the world down to keep it. The fact that you’re cheering them on while dismissing the suffering they’ve caused says everything. And since it fits so well, I’d like to end with this: We have one planet, one shared home. The divisions, the hatred, the endless wars, none of it matters in the grand scheme of the universe. What matters is how we treat each other, how we protect the vulnerable, and how we ensure that this “pale blue dot” remains a place where everyone can live with dignity. Cheering on war criminals and demagogues won’t get us there. Empathy, justice, and solidarity might. I’ll leave you with this fresh image of Earth and the words of Carl Sagan, who understood what’s truly at stake: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/hello-world/ “Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.” -Carl Sagan

I just want to take a moment to wish a belated Happy Easter to everyone here. I hope everyone has had an alright weekend. I guess mine has gone okay, even if it wasn't quite what I was imagining a few days ago. My life is feeling like it's in this weird sort of Limbo more than it's ever been. Maybe that's to humble me, lol. Idk. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Manalone... Hey, I'm sorry, I'm not really trying to single you out here. You're allowed to have your own opinions, and my family members sure as shoot do. I get that it's probably stressful coming to the holiday muck-around thread and reading about politics yet. So, I don't want you to feel ostracized here or anything. I think if the majority of visitors held the opposite opinion here, I would have a difficult time continuing to visit Peoples' Problems, so you are showing more endurance than I might in this situation. I'm trying not to take things personally, and realize that there are reasons why you feel the way you do about current events. There are reasons why we all feel the way we do. The fact of the matter is, I voted for this guy ten years ago, and I've gradually come to see how terribly misled I was back then. I sat out the 2020 election because I didn't want to feel responsible for the next 4 years. It took a lot for me to finally budge and take a leap of faith, and change my political party affiliation from "Non-Partisan" to "Democrat." I was never this political before in my life, and I think this is where I stand. I grew up around the people who made all of this possible. And they are horrible people, Manalone. I can tell you right now, a lot of them would discredit you just because of your ethnicity and your nationality. They don't stand for America, and if anything, they stand for the Confederacy from the Civil War. They are not what I think you've been led to think they are. Then again, I understand that Rupert Murdoch had a hold on your country well before he came Stateside. And I get that Elon Musk came along and offered you a solution with Starlink that simply never existed before. I'm sorry so many other people didn't care enough about the Bushlands to make a difference there. If it's any consolation, I am pretty sure the goal in the United States is to break down cities and make everywhere more like these small, dying towns all over rural Pennsylvania. They want everybody to be miserable. For what it's worth, I appreciate your feedback and experience you offer with your feedback on this website. I know you've helped me before, and you've helped countless others. So I don't think you're a heartless monster, I just think you've fallen for some very elaborate propaganda that has been in the works for decades.

OY - KNOCK IT OFF! You're showing us up to newbies, horribly. Think about it. Gonna have to delete ALL of that. (My mistake - my resolution.) I didn't realise I myself was lobbing a nuclear weapon, jeez... Just thought, as it's affecting and detrimenting every single one of us, in the already-bleeding wallets, particularly, it'd be a good topic for friendly debate and mutual elightment/education, and see what came out of the melting-pot. *Debate*. You remember Debate? It's where you do not argue ad-hominem (or you're automatically Out of the discussion as well as showing you aren't confident enough with the weight of your opinion so are adding insults), ESPECIALLY not where it starts turning into a slanging match - NOR threaten any disagreers, NOR try to shame other regulars to cease posting here(!!!). And if you two are going to mutually posture at every available opportunity - if it happens again, I'm going to have to Time you Out whereby you can't address one another for a good few months. ...Christ... Is it a full moon or something?...Thought we could have a nice, intellectual, mature discussion. Should have put: No Challenging Opinions Allowed, just start with "My understanding (although what do any of us Ant-farmed-and-over-milked Aphids know!?) is, (etc.).) Didn't think I had to. Spoilsports. :(

Alternatively, you can all do Community Service by posting money-saving life-hacks (THAT'S one of the places I hoped it'd lead to, after all!). I'll start: Clingfilm spread all over the cooker hob backsplash. When dirty, peel it off and soak it in warm dishsoapy water (hot and it'll shrivel up) before popping into your recycling (or using again if poss), and replace. Particularly handy if your house is on the sales market but the viewers have all the power thus aren't allowing you enough viewing-appointment notice, e.g. coffee tables, all the kitchen surfaces. Equally you could Cellotape a newspaper double-spread page and just take it off when guests come. (Clingfilm's obviously less obtrusive to look at, though.) Right, that's me redeemed a bit. Your lot's turn.... You wanna fight? Beat that! :p

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMq3VLQc1MU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtsiywZJTm8 HAH! And that! 'Forty-Thirty......... New balls, please...'

PS CN (hi!) - no-no-no, they're not my words. It was a forwarded article by text, which I pasted for Scopes on Lils' thread first (he bloody loved it, btw, ...found it very cathartic and wants more). The author calls himself G-Man, that's all I know. Sender didn't have a link and I can't find him on the web, either. Maybe Facebook (I'm not on there)? But anyway - nope, not my words. I guess he's sort-of got my STYLE, though - of telling it short 'n not-so-sweet, "in yer face" at times when we have an extreme troll or trouble-maker (that I don't find remotely amusing enough to take the piss out of)? Giving it to them with both Barrels, it's known as (an Old English phrase), back from the days when all we had were shotguns...and not enough brains...or not enough time to bring brains into it ("Watch-out, man-Eating Bear, shoot it!"). Sergeant-Major-ish kind of barrage, yeh? :)

Hi again, guys. Don't even ask! My life has become an overwhelming nightmare. I've literally never been this ill-busy-ill-busy IN MY LIFE! Solicitor-Barrister reckons another month. Ucking hope so because I'm sick to death of it and the other party's endless prevarications with questionnaires and requests for this/that paperwork now. So I can still only read, no time to post. Saying that, I'm going to try (TRY!) to message you all this weekend. ('This too shall pass.....Ommmmmm....') (PS: Sorry if I reacted too strongly up there. My patience and stomach for any hassle at all is in shreds at the mo.) Tho-weeeee. Yours, Grumpy.

CN - oh nooooo! I've just noticed your thread's expired! Right, then - I'm going to respond to your last post on here ...and then we can use this thread instead, since we're neither of us able to post frequently enough at this point in our respective RLs... _______________________________________________________ Your post: Hi Soul, How are you doing? I don’t really have time to reply properly right now. My mind is full, and I haven’t been in the best mental state these past few weeks." As you know - me neither. "So here’s a short update. Regarding M: we still haven’t met up in person. She’s been busy whenever I or we asked," Ah. "so I don’t have any new information. We keep in touch via text and social media, but it’s mostly reacting to each other’s posts or briefly chatting about videos we share." Nothing real/deep/heavy, then. And that's her avoiding talking by keeping you at arm's length, not you/s. Noted. This goes For the verdict of, She's guilty. Doesn't WANT you to witness or help crack the case. Whereas, the innocent party (in this context/situation) does (as you've seen is true, from yourself and other forum OPs/visitors). "Next month, we’ll probably need to plan some details for the festival, like what to bring. We’ll see how that goes." Okie-dokie. Keep keeping me posted. "Quick Life-Update: I’ve been struggling with my mental health, and my back is acting up again. The past few weeks have been really stressful, and current world events are hitting me hard." Jeezuz - I felt like I could have written that! (...although, it's my emotional health; I think that's what you mean as well? From what I've seen, you're too well-wired to let it affect your actual inner components.) You have my empathy and co-victimship, matey! "I took a break and I’m doing a bit better now, though not fantastic." Very sensible, very survivalist, very winner mentality. :) "The sun and the upcoming spring are helping a little." "Snap!" again. "Sometimes, I wish I could just wake up from this bad dream or switch to a different timeline." SNAP!!! Or, when times are roughest I've been wondering - Hmmm...DID my giant nspath decide that this holiday-ette-back-home gift from me was really me tricking and hypnotising him the hell out of my house and mine and my son's face, by thousands of miles?! DID ex in fact then kill me on the way to the airport and that's why my life is far-far-far too hard and harsh for just me to handle (or handle without howling and yowling here and there, etc.). My state and confidence to cope is very rollercoaster-ish. Overall, however, I HAVE BEEN THROUGH harder than this. Sometimes, being a No Matter What type of giant Survivor is a PAIN IN THE ARSE. Sometimes I think - Maybe I don't WANT whatever "up there" I'm being psychologically army-trained for.... Can't I just mainly sit around sipping tea? I'm supposed to be retired, goddammit! (Ok - Early. But still...I bloody well earned it!) Then I remember that I've got friends, both here but particularly UK, going through their own type or similar struggles with surviving these worldwide-harsh times. UK friends, once both with-job and comfortably-off, are now having to get their weekly shopping from a couple of charity-run Food Centres. Both are (now/since Covid) on Benefits, but the monthly amount is just not NEARLY enough. I think MOST people are struggling like us, to be fair. I also remind myself, that, "Them Upstairs", be they spiritual or alien-superior, tend never to give any of us anything heavier than we are capable of handling/surviving/conquering. Plus, I'm bloody-minded when it comes to refusing to be beaten. But yeah, when those dips happen.....UUUUUURGH! They are so HORRID. Less Wobbles and more Earthquakes. I'm looking skinnier again. Plus looking English again (no time to be outside, gardening, except late at night). "Right now, I’m trying to slow things down." That's good. Yeah, you see? You can cope with anything, even when it feels like you're not. You instinctively know exactly the right things to do. Moi aussi. I do sometimes wish I'd been born a superficial, fairly dense person, though. Apparently they're the happiest, hahaha...fact. "I’ve been spending most of the day without my phone or social media, focusing on living in the moment." AGAIN - SUPERB, SPOT-ON-CORRECT MEASURE! "I got a new telescope and have been doing some deep sky photography on clear nights." FABULOUS! PS: Roughly how much do they cost these days? "I love it! sitting in the dark, waiting for the exposure," Yeah. "looking at the stars," Yeah. "listening to music," OH yeah... "and just breathing" As opposed to self-asphyxiating? :D "with a cup of tea." Positively mandatory. "It’s been really cold," Nnnnnah! Not for me, tanks. "but it’s worth it." Nnnup! I'm too skinny, can't take even Chilly. Or too used to being hot and/or sweaty during whatever-seasonal humidity. It's already hot. Have you got the Western European heatwave spill-over too? UK has had 35 degrees! "I’m thinking about starting a blog to share my astro photos and some astronomy facts, because why not?" AH...! What a brilliant idea! Are there any currently or would yours/your style be a First? What will you call it? I'm great at coming up with co./club/product names so let me know if you want any ideas or inspiration for your own? (How's about Luke's Sky Gawkers? :D) (They don't have to know your gender...probably be safest anyway.) "I’ve also been reading." Giving your poor brain lots of long, fun-filled weekends away, IOW. Again - correct counter-measures! ""The Bird That Drinks Tears" is now my new favorite ((it's favourite)) ((favorite is American)) fantasy series. I’ve only read the first book yet, but I’m obsessed with the story and world." Fabulous. "Regarding the wedding: some people were like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJzFov98PAw “But if she or he is coming, I’m not! You can’t do this to me!” 🙄" WHAAAAAAAAT? How many shellfish(es) ARE there in that beef salad of yours? TALK ABOUT, ALL ABOUT *THEM*. NO!.....UCK-OFF!.... (PS: But I can't do it to her, either. So what's your solution, Einstein? Timeshare? :p) So who said that, then? "So, screw them. We’re doing it just the two of us" Oh, well, in THAT case - let's raise a glass and thank those idiots SINCERELY for having made the decision FOR you! It's far more romantic, just the two of you. "and will meet up with the few who really care afterward." Yesss. You two can't afford a big church fee any more, anyway. (Can anyone? Anyone normal/not insanely money-mad, I mean.) "It’s also easier because we only need a small table." Good! And then, with the expense you save, you and he can have a brill anniversary holiday next year! Or buy something life-saving, LOL. Like food. "I can’t wait to officially be his wife! And the honeymoon is going to be amazing. I’m so excited!" Ahhhh..... That's really sweet. "Heidi: I think the girl doing her volunteer social year at my office scares her. Heidi rarely comes by now. Every time she starts petting Heidi, I remind her that Heidi is a cat, not a dog. She ruffles her fur in all directions, which no cat I’ve ever met likes" (Except for Norwegian Forest Cats like Fluffy. But, moreover - yes, they hate it.) The young woman has never owned a cat, then?, "and Heidi definitely isn’t a fan. She scratched and hissed at her. Now she’s more careful," 'Too little, too late', luv... you shoulda listened from the start. (Her) "but Heidi still avoids the office more often than not 😞" Awwwwwwwwww? Er...... Why don't you encourage Heidi in and into your office, having offered to SHOW this work experience gal how to make friends with and how to stroke Heidi? Alternatively, when does this young lady leave? Are you guys feeding her outside, then? "So, that’s it for now" Okie-dokies. Keep an eye on this thread now - and I'll do likewise. IF, however, this shuts too (I still only have time to read, barely any to respond), then I suggest you just start another thread "Am I in the wrong, etc., continued...". Or tell me here if you do intend to return at some point but need a break for whatever while. :)

PS: Brilliant clip - had me laughing like a drain!

Who the EFF do they think you are, though? Each of their own, personal, bendy toy?! Certainly sounds like it, doesn't it. And a toy they fight over! Good decision to react by excluding them, missus. Let's see if their little pea-brains can work out why, eh? (Jeez, feels like we grown-ups are now outnumbered by these overgrown kids everywhere!)