Even if there is a lot of harping on and comparisons with the 'old place'.
Still - after all these years... :roll: — Amity

Yes it has a name: nostalgia and is a very important part of who we are and today for it is where we come from.

I personally like the idea of nostalgia in my bio in that we are all longing to go home, a place half invisioned and a place half remembered.

It might sound presumptuous to say this; but, are people becoming less emotionally intelligent? — Shawn

Yessssss!

I understand why you did it, but it hurt. It would be great if you could figure out a way to bring it back. — T Clark

It did hurt and I didn't give up without a fight to get it back on the main page.
The threads were held together with the glue of a community and that is not present as of late.
I wish for the day when the shout box is given a chance. It's very difficult to talk on an intimate level with members you have only debated.
I too miss @S and have said as much.
Maybe I have said too much but that's the thing, I never had to worry about it before but now?
It's rather easy to feel dismissed.
That's my two cents so take it for what it is worth
Tiff

laid.

Maybe he has it right then? — Sir2u

Oh let's not be hasty now, proclaiming he is right is a bridge too far at this point. :ok:

@Sir2u
I second that :chin:

Been :flower:

Got Vaccinated! There is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm just hoping it's not a train :lol:
Being from Chicago I learned as a kid if you have any doubt if a train is near, put your ear on the tracks and you will hear the vibration.
Mom never let me do it :down:

There's Covid, and there's the American Covid disaster, the latter the Magas and their hero have a lot to do with. If Putin himself had wanted a plan for handling Covid that would be about as bad as possible for Americans, he would have been very satisfied with Trump. — tim wood

Without President Trump being at the helm ALREADY when COVID hit our shores in late 2019, with the idea of taking out two laws for every new one, for making Compassionate use of unproven medications with the right to try promise, which did facilitate patients being on the edge of survival offer some hope? Same dude right?
Also the obvious one in this response is Operation Warp Speed.
I'm in no hurry to put judgement on anyone but I will when the time is right AND the suspicious veil is pulled back to expose the truth about my family and friends in Chicago who died alone.
I got the most amazing news yesterday when I found out that Arizona is beginning tomorrow vaccinating anyone over the age of 16!
A little light is growing fast and I hope both you and I are here a year from now to be discussing it :flower:

Yes, that is precisely what I was asking. — Aryamoy Mitra

I appreciate your time clarifying it for me. :flower:

My answer is an evolving yes. Not only yes but HELL yes.

I'm used to stress and hyper anxious by nature so last year this time I was able to control the ever changing curve balls the novel pandemic was throwing us. The pandemic fatigue wears on but I feel blessed to maybe have survived. I will feel a lot more secure when I am Vaccinated and through the time frame necessary to be quasi protected. Much of my spouses family are choosing not to be Vaccinated which is their choice. I am just not going to not have done everything we know today that might protect me and my parents.

Having said that: my personal world turned inside out in May when my husband dissected his aorta, ascending and descending. COVID restrictions were in place and for weeks he was on a ventilator, brain bleed and blood pressure so high they couldn't move him for 4 days into the CT machine to see if he was "in" there. He survived and our youngest son and I kept our personal business alive for the 7 weeks before we could ask him questions.

So I have had to entertain my life alone if he died. He survived and we are blessed he did. The PTSD from being on the ventilator so long is still present daily. I brought my Social worker on board before he came out of the induced coma and he helped me and my son who found my husband and saved his life. I saw a Psychiatrist to make sure my meds were balanced, they are. He was actually impressed with how well I'm doing.

I wish I could say that the same was the case for my better half but all I can do is request, as other loved ones have requested. He has to want to survive AND thrive, I cannot do it for him.

Sorry for the long answer but I wanted to answer fairly and it helps me to talk about it.

Thank you for asking :flower:
Oh and Welcome to The Philosophy Forum~
Enjoy your stay!

Before resurfacing from unrelenting tragedy, which we most certainly can, have we ever asked whether to rise? — Aryamoy Mitra

Not in those particular words that I can get hung up on. So please let me reflect to you what I think you are asking (at least the spirit of what you are asking).

Have I entertained the idea of: before rushing back in, that I take a look at what it is that I am rushing back to and if it is worthy of returning to?

Anywhere close to what you are asking?

Not ever! :strong:
Come on now, who hasn't been having a great time in life this past year? :rofl:
In all seriousness? We got this :ok:
And as many times as life breaks us down, we have the ability to rise again. :sparkle:

Rage is the power I have felt exuding from the writing.
Steely rage awoken in a Momma Bear who has the courage to do what needs to be done before it's required.

If you haven't seen this performed lately I saw it last night by Rodney Dangerfield in the movie "Back to School". :lol:
It really is a deeply passionate poem.

I know I'm a bit of an asshole to you and we disagree about more or less everything. But I'm genuinely sorry you have lost people you love. — bert1

Bert, I appreciate your empathy and Thank you for your friendship. There are very few things that humanity as a whole can agree on but the joy of birth and sorrow of death are two universal emotions we share. :flower:

Nah. We're just better than you. — bert1

Whatever you need to tell yourself to be "better" than I. Tell you what, while I'm at it I will tell you you are AMAZING.

Better? :eyes:

Probably less, and that's all that matters. Requesting a specific number is silly. It's possible some of your family and friends who died would still be alive. — bert1

It does matter or it wouldn't be something that is focused on.
As far as my family is concerned: the death here in AZ was COVID in a long term care facility but like others, she had a DNR and a DNI so I don't know if she would still be with us as Influenza could have taken her.
My family in Illinois is going to shake out but my Uncle was denied seeing my family members, he fought to see them and was denied. My Uncle was there 6 out of 7 days a week and he battled the nursing home rules and it didn't matter. He never got a last call, a last visit and no idea how he was. My Uncle learned of Italo's passing by getting a greeting card back saying Return to sender.
Italo was 99 and his wife was 87. My Uncle found out via the obituaries. What the hell? Are we in America still?
Accountability will happen because we have all the time in the world now to figure out what got so fucked up that family loses loved ones this way.

Well it appears we need some clarification. Are you suggesting that Trump is not mentally incompetent and also not an a**hole? I've never knowingly been within 50 mile of the man, but I will concede I do not like him. — tim wood

I suggested that you didn't like President Trump and I tried to validate your feeling. No more, no less. I'm not trying to judge anyone.

And are you suggesting that Trump's choices, decisions, and statements did not have a significant effect, and still will have a significant effect, on the Covid-9 death toll and infection rates? — tim wood

There was a time to act and President Trump was at the helm at the beginning of this pandemic. Does he have due responsibility to keep Americans safe? You bet. Did he make mistakes that cost lives? Time and our due diligence to do a national autopsy on how "IT" was handled will tell us.
We are still in "IT" so "IT" is still being written today.

And why mention Hillary Clinton? Trump's failures and sins are not in virtue of a comparison with her, or with anyone. They are his alone. But I will guess, and that is that the polices of any Democrat president would have differed by so much that deaths might easily be a fraction of what they are. Anywhere from nominal to half. — tim wood

I bring up Hillary because she was the other possible Captain in this storm but trust me I will leave her right her and won't bring her up again. (God willing for me to be blessed to uphold that statement.)

Whatever sins you speak of are his to own, mine to own and everyone else who you might feel responsible for the deaths from the pandemic.
I'll be waiting in line for the confessional to open up if you care to join me.

But I will guess, and that is that the polices of any Democrat president would have differed by so much that deaths might easily be a fraction of what they are. Anywhere from nominal to half. — tim wood

I disagree with you and your utopian numbers.
Governor Cuomo's numbers between reported and then fully reported in the nursing home move. The same move was made in Illinois. The numbers of the autopsy of this pandemic is going to shock your concious.

AND once again I will state that the policy of sending COVID 19 positive patients in group homes for the handicapped are STILL being sent back to their group homes in New York. Where is the flipping outrage?

Here are listings of deaths by countries, You may find it interesting. — tim wood

I lost loved ones to this pandemic in two states. Maybe if you gave a flying fig to read my posts all the way through before suggesting I look at the hyper links to pandemic numbers and where we rank, your character might be a little more becoming of you but that is yours to own.

The meaning of "2" is not set out in a definition, but seen in what we do with numbers. Meaning as use. — Banno

So then 2 + 2 can equal 22

Unfortunately with a mentally incompetent and dangerous a**hole in the wheelhouse. — tim wood

I get that you didn't like President Trump. Noted.

Geographically captains more recently are always in chartered waters, but the waters themselves are never charted but are always new. And up to the end of the 19th century, captains were often in uncharted waters. The point being that the real issue is the quality of the captains. So in fact the United State of America did not do the best it could. We did not even come remotely close. And the failures are across the board, large and small, and in many cases will be enduring. There is no defense for the unspeakable. There is only taking stock, acknowledging, and trying to figure out how to never, ever, again screw up so completely. If you're not ready for that, and apparently lots of people are not, therapy is the right action to take. It's not about politics; it's about a life consumed with craziness and absurdity.

500,000+ dead, and what did our captain say? "No, I'm not responsible." Churchill had something to say about that kind of leadership. "He should be pole-axed." — tim wood

Tell me how many of the 500,000+ dead, my family members among those we lost, would still be alive if President Hillary Clinton had been chosen.

A specific number please: and if you think it would stand at Zero today with her at the helm of this pandemic, save the thread the space and me the time.

@Banno
I plead with you to remain humble but do as you wish.
As with many things in life we do the best we can with what we know, when we know better we do better.
If you want to drill down on the number of deaths, how each state handled it is different.
We are a Union of very individual states not a homogeneous state called the USA.
Together we did push forward Operation Warp Speed and have done an Amazing job with the rest of the world to bring an effective Vaccine to put into people's arms.
It's a shame that your view of Americans is glossed over with our governments action or inaction.
We were in uncharted waters and the fact that you and I are still here to debate it is an amazing outcome :flower:

Those who understand the nature of pandemics told the government what would happen. And they were correct. — Banno

Sure. The trauma centers in the USA were prepared for a SPECTRUM of possible pandemics but we didn't know what part of our armor was going to be attacked so we had to adapt when we found out it was a respiratory disease and there was a greater need for ventilators. We had some but not enough but remember we DID NOT know what the pandemic was going to attack with. It was a good thing it wasn't Ebola or a host of other possible pandemics because we only prepared so much for the Ebola threat as well. And if my naive guess is correct, a shit ton of ventilators would be worthless.

The ability to adapt to a war like this pandemic takes time and experience. You can only predict so much.

and that would happen if we followed the advice in the OP. — Banno

Again I suggest remaining humble.

I think I've mentioned before that I find the inability of so many Americans to think in terms of a common wealth... puzzling. — Banno

Your mentions of how Americans are unable to help "insert current international crisis here" across the decades have been noted my friend, I promise you. What I continue to wonder and wait for is a little good news, a little balance to come from you about anything we in the USA do help with. If all you do is find fault in others and highlight their shortcomings, how do you allow any change?

As a fellow "thinker" I would hope you are still willing to move positions as the reality changes over time and in this case circumstances.

All these factors allow it to sneak up on a population. — frank

Such a profound observation. Really.

It doesnt. For the most part, lockdowns were used to reduce the load on healthcare systems. In Europe and the US, the virus was out of control before it was clear how dangerous it was. That's partly because it mutated in Europe early on. — frank

You highlight the MAJOR difference in our individual countries goals. Here in the USA we went into lockdown to flatten the curve not eliminate it. We knew people were going to die and our best goal will be achieved when we reach herd immunity through mitigation and Vaccinations.

Where Australia is trying to eliminate the virus and as you rightfully note, it may be a short term mercy issued to Aussies that could breakout anytime in the future.

The Australia path is a ticking time bomb in my opinion, it could go off at anytime in the future.

Where in the USA we treated it like a live hand grenade and regular citizens chose to lay down on it for the survival of many, knowing the danger of death.

@frank
And I Thank you from the bottom of my heart and many more around me that I love, for being one of those average citizens who put your life at risk to save others. Again I humbly Thank you :heart:

Hmmmm....the last word.....
How about compromise?
Like how Governor Cumo is while interacting with his staff? :gasp:
Not to mention intentionally hiding the COVID 19 death order he proclaimed on nursing homes.
Today, he is still sending handicapped people who contract COVID 19 back to their group home setting WITH the protection he so slyly added that if your family member dies, you cannot sue for malpractice.
Gosh, what a guy hey?

534,000 deaths in your country.

Less than a thousand in mine. Lockdowns work. Where yours went wrong was to lock down too late, and hence for too long. — Banno

Remain humble my friend :flower:

Have you heard of Dylan Thomas' 'Do not go gentle into that good night'? I imagine that the majority will have chanced across his works at large, in some capacity. — Aryamoy Mitra

I have in fact been entranced by the words you have shared. I did not know the interpretation of the author as you explain here so I drew my own conclusion.

I heard a part of it and it grabbed my soul and I needed to find out if there were more words than that excerpt, as it felt very biblical in proportion to me but not about the person.

No, this is talking about the very democracy we as Americans, in this great experiment, hold together with both hands with all we have. That RAGE is what, at times, is needed to protect against the threats of our freedoms. Both forgien and most recently domestic threats. In my humble opinion we are blinded by the very fact that the problem lays within us. The wolves walk among us and it is within our power to change but as you know, change is hard.

As an Arizona resident, we have been aware that 30-35 immigrants without having citizenship, were going to be released daily into our state at the Yuma port of entry, from the moment Joe rolled back our agreement with Mexico to have people applying for asylum wait in Mexico. Our media had been aware of it and we are aware of it but this is a surprise to Joe?
You have to have a negative COVID 19 test in order to fly into the USA but not if you walk across our border.
It's not okay.

The cancelling of live concerts, of course. — Banno

I feel this! :hearts:
Buddy Guy just got his vaccine for when we can get back together in person :party:

Let the bartender no longer give anyone free drinks! — Gus Lamarch

Seeing as I am a self appointed bartender I will have to kindly object to your suggestion of my charging for the spirits I serve. :sparkle:

However since I am very accommodating in serving, I shall charge you for your drinks :100: :cool:

I think the brackets are skewed! :rofl:

25 — The Opposite

Damn you're good! :clap:

I think I counted 5 followers which surprised me (pleasantly) but how many people do I follow?

Take a guess: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35+?

It's indeed not true for every cryptocurrency but I'm not familiar with any fork of BTC that has resolved the energy drain issue. — Benkei

https://youtu.be/-C19r0UsYws

For everyone thinking how cool it has been making a quick buck out of bitcoin, bitcoin is now using more electricity than the entire Netherlands combined.

Some more perspective: you can power 100,000 visa transactions with the energy used for one bitcoin transaction. — Benkei

Yes, this is true of some bitcoin but not all bitcoin. In fact there are coins you can invest in that do not use the same electricity draw.

Examples of "Proof of stake coins are Ethereum, Algorand and I believe Crypto is getting ready to do the same.

Like all investments, you or I, the investors, need to do our due diligence. Don't put in what you cannot stand to lose. There are stable coins that do not make astronomical profits but if tied to the United States dollar will make 8% -12% profit if you simply lock it up for 3 months, 6 months, whatever you choose which you cannot make in a traditional savings account in addition to interest being paid out daily.

Who has the most followers on here? — The Opposite

Not sure about number of followers but
@Michael has secured AWESOME :cool:

Since the topic has come up I will share again that for a few, maybe many women myself included, the ultimate part of fantasy is to allow your mind to relax enough for your body to absorb and enjoy the pleasure and stop thinking. We can be moved into fantasizing through the written or spoken roleplaying as opposed to men who society suggests fantasize visually.
I stumbled onto this site and have found it interesting.

I am not going to be a security guard and escort them out, if they found their way in here they can find their own way out. — Sir2u

I'm glad you get to take up a chair here instead of working.
What is the thing you like least about this pandemic and what do you like best?
On a very superficial level of course!
What I dislike the most is the unknown future.
What I like the best is these bacon wrapped jalapenos filled with cream cheese!
Flipping amazing!

I didn't ask it. I offered an answer. — Bartricks

I apologise and stand corrected. I missed your period on your OP.