Here and Now...What's Happening?

[wondering]

I have been in touch with Valerie Villars. She would like Avalonians to know that she is hanging in and sends everyone her love. Very sadly, Frysta had to be put down on 12/20, very suddenly. Valerie hopes to be back soon. Diane

[Brigantia]

Posted by wondering (here)
I have been in touch with Valerie Villars. She would like Avalonians to know that she is hanging in and sends everyone her love. Very sadly, Frysta had to be put down on 12/20, very suddenly. Valerie hopes to be back soon. Diane

Oh no... so sorry to hear that, much love to you Valerie.

[Sue (Ayt)]

Posted by wondering (here)
I have been in touch with Valerie Villars. She would like Avalonians to know that she is hanging in and sends everyone her love. Very sadly, Frysta had to be put down on 12/20, very suddenly. Valerie hopes to be back soon. Diane

So sorry to hear that. 2020 was so hard on so many.
Love and comfort sent to Valerie.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by wondering (here)
I have been in touch with Valerie Villars. She would like Avalonians to know that she is hanging in and sends everyone her love. Very sadly, Frysta had to be put down on 12/20, very suddenly. Valerie hopes to be back soon. Diane

Thanks for the update, and I'm so very very sorry.

For those who may not be aware, please see this thread:

• Please Pray for my Horse

[RunningDeer]

Hugs, Lady Valerie.

Ride like the wind, Frysta.




Incredible Natural Horsemanship! -- Frysta

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=SWcise6Qnn0

[Constance]

Wow!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qqIH9ez7d9A

"Nothing Else Matters" - Oona BROWN & Gage BROWN skate to @Metallica & @Marlisa

[RunningDeer]

Great synchronized movements. Creative. There were several moves I hadn't see before. Perfect thumbnail to showcase the video.

Thanks, Constance.

Posted by Constance (here)
Wow!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qqIH9ez7d9A

"Nothing Else Matters" - Oona BROWN & Gage BROWN skate to @Metallica & @Marlisa

[Strat]

Random thoughts: I was looking over a portfolio page for the micro loans I contributed to and turns out over 90% of folks I contributed to were women. I think this is because I think it's harder to be a woman than it is to be a man. When I think of that previous sentence in today's context a flag pops up in my mind and says "sexist warning." The media (and an ex) has drilled this in my head, the brainwashing is powerful in my country. Anyway, let's say I'm wrong and it is scientifically proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that it's harder to be a man than a women, then why is it that I'm a horrible sexist and not just plain wrong?

Snarky rhetoric and possibly annoying I know but I wanted to vent.

[RunningDeer]

♡

Posted by Strat (here)
Random thoughts: I was looking over a portfolio page for the micro loans I contributed to and turns out over 90% of folks I contributed to were women. I think this is because I think it's harder to be a woman than it is to be a man. When I think of that previous sentence in today's context a flag pops up in my mind and says "sexist warning." The media (and an ex) has drilled this in my head, the brainwashing is powerful in my country. Anyway, let's say I'm wrong and it is scientifically proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that it's harder to be a man than a women, then why is it that I'm a horrible sexist and not just plain wrong?

Snarky rhetoric and possibly annoying I know but I wanted to vent.

[Catsquotl]

Not sure what happened.
Was enjoying the polka vid's one page back and ended up here. Sugar and pure love..

Chills...

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=6rk8TsXdOeI

Oh Hi everyone..

[RunningDeer]

Posted by Catsquotl (here)
Oh Hi everyone..

Nice to see you back, Catsquotl.

............

[avid]

In these ghastly times one needs some soothing ministrations...

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=v30HUOx6SYk

[RunningDeer]

♡

[gord]

I quit smoking cigarettes 8 years ago today. I was smoking about 30 unfiltered camels per day. I still use ecigs, though. It's an okay compromise.

[Hym]

Posted by gord (here)
I quit smoking cigarettes 8 years ago today. I was smoking about 30 unfiltered camels per day. I still use ecigs, though. It's an okay compromise.

Congrats, Gord!
That's something to be very proud of.
Once smoking is stopped, even after many years, it is amazing how health improves exponentially, new years gained in longevity and health from then on.

The stats are incredible, showing how rapidly oxygen uptake is increased, blood pressure normalizes, and many illnesses lose their impact on our health. Decades of healthier living are gained.

I know a little bit about this, just enough to have stayed away forever after.....
My mother smoked cigs from the 4th month, 120+- days in, of her pregnancy with me until I was born, a fact I didn't learn until decades later and a seer told me what happened when my soul entered, apparently 'freaking her out'. I had to ask her what was different amongst the many pregnancies she had, as I never saw her smoke, at all, ever. I didn't know it but I was born with the addiction.

When I was 3 years old and one of my older sisters started smoking, I had an unnatural attraction to the smoke she was hiding from the family. After a month of bugging her, I finally convinced her to let me smoke and then she showed me how to take a deep drag. I did so and went completely out, collapsing on the floor. Cured me early.

A big accomplishment, Gord.

[Strat]

I don't know if it's true but I occasionally hear Americans are cocky/loud/obnoxious. Whether or not this is true I don't know, I've travelled a bit but I haven't lived in any other countries. I don't take that as in insult it may be true, you should've seen my football team. One thing I can tell you, American men are being tamed. I believe in a few generations our men will be very different. They will be more intelligent and physically fit, however they will increasingly lose grit and self reliance.

I've been watching a lot of (what some would say corny) older movies lately. Earlier I watched Over The Top and I couldn't help but miss the exaggerated alpha personalities. Ya know, barrel chested trucker dudes like 'Smasher' who's not afraid of a confrontation. The Stallone fight scenes of course ring a bell with me because the Rocky movies are some of my favorites of all time. The first is the best but the forth is the most fun.

As I was watching Over The Top I would think things like "They don't let you do things like that anymore." It was just a flippant thought in the back of my mind, a kind of inside joke with myself.

I don't see it yet when I'm out with friends, probably because I don't hang out with the younger crowd. However it seems like masculinity has died in one of these recent generations. We already have gyms that will throw you out if you're too loud. I will never associate with a place like that. I am on a couple of other forums and I read reddit though I don't have an account. Increasingly I'm seeing the younger crowd move away from these things and regard them as silly. One thing I can't stand is when the younger crowd throws around the 'boomer' term sarcastically. You little bitches have done nothing and your knocking a generation that's paid their dues.

Around 8ish years ago I was knocked on a forum for experimenting with testosterone supplements. I don't remember what the other member said but I wasn't taken seriously, I suppose to the younger crowd it just seemed lame. The thought of working out and competing physically seemed like a joke. Maybe it was just that particular forum? I dunno. Maybe it's just me but I swear I see a kind of 'culture' with the internet that exists only within younger folks. I could very well be wrong. I was going to make a thread out of this but frankly I'm too tired to really articulate my thoughts so I figured best to ramble here.

[Mike]

Hey Strat, the typical reaction from someone who can't or won't compete in a given domain is to knock it. So as men grow softer they will naturally knock anything that has to do with physical fitness, weight lifting, competition, and so forth. It's done basically so they can feel secure in their hipness.

What's happened is that this has become normalized.

The term "toxic masculinity" has emerged partially because of this. It provides a wonderful excuse for males that are afraid of competiton and physical activity to not only not feel ashamed as they avoid it, but also morally superior in some sense.

The world is being flipped upside down now , as we speak. Men who fight in cages for a living are called "toxic" , and men that wear dresses are called "brave".

I miss those Sly and Arnold 80's epics too. Perhaps the male bravado was a bit much, and perhaps we men do need to refine ourselves some, but the emerging culture's answer to that is to mentally and emotionally (and sometimes physically) castrate us. We can't let it happen. Keep lifting those weights and watching those Arnold movies. **** those people who suggest it's lame

[Strat]

Posted by Mike (here)
Hey Strat, the typical reaction from someone who can't or won't compete in a given domain is to knock it. So as men grow softer they will naturally knock anything that has to do with physical fitness, weight lifting, competition, and so forth. It's done basically so they can feel secure in their hipness.

What's happened is that this has become normalized.

The term "toxic masculinity" has emerged partially because of this. It provides a wonderful excuse for males that are afraid of competiton and physical activity to not only not feel ashamed as they avoid it, but also morally superior in some sense.

The world is being flipped upside down now , as we speak. Men who fight in cages for a living are called "toxic" , and men that wear dresses are called "brave".

I miss those Sly and Arnold 80's epics too. Perhaps the male bravado was a bit much, and perhaps we men do need to refine ourselves some, but the emerging culture's answer to that is to mentally and emotionally (and sometimes physically) castrate us. We can't let it happen. Keep lifting those weights and watching those Arnold movies. **** those people who suggest it's lame

I agree with everything but I'm not sure about the toxic masculinity term. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you, I'm just kind of on the fence. I used the term originally in my post but deleted it because frankly I haven't researched it and am only casually aware of it.

Women are the recipient of creeps quite often. It's not rare for me to see someone get thrown out of the pool hall for playing grab ass (or boobs in an ex's case). It's almost commonplace at the pub to see folks get cut off because they think they're gods gift to women and grabbing their hips or thighs or whatever. And the fact that gals have to be walked to their cars after closing so they don't get raped is awful. My friends girl stopped being an uber driver because of constant harassment.

It's somewhat funny because I have opinions of men being different from women in how high their sex drive is. Not once has a women agreed with me so I generally keep this opinion to myself. I do have some casual evidence or reasons for believing this but no hard data. I can't say this nowadays (I can and do) or else I'm immediately considered sexist.

Oddly enough this only happens on the internet, I've discussed it with friends and while gals generally don't agree I've never been called sexist.

I've been grabbed by women I just met in public on more than one occasion and I don't mean just my butt. Oddly enough this is usually older women. I kind of have a thing for older women but I mean not that much... That's neither here nor there point is I was never in fear of being 'womanhandled.' Type that word in, even spellcheck doesn't recognize it but if you type in 'manhandled' then the computer can even relate. I'm joking but I think you see what I mean.

Like I said I don't have any concrete beliefs on this, just some basic observations.

[Mike]

Hey Strat, those are interesting points. Do women frequently get raped while walking to their car as they're leaving this pub you go to?

I'm not being glib! I have to ask because "rape culture" is the new campus cause du jour now...and there is absolutely no data or evidence to support this. It's a trope that gets thrown around that most people simply accept. It's part of a disturbing trend to villainize men in order to create a new set of mostly make believe victims.

Another question that must be asked is this: If conditions are so dangerous for women at this pub, why do they go there? And furthermore, why would they put on makeup and, presumably, wear clothes that attract attention?

Some reading that may think I'm suggesting women are responsible for unwanted attention, or even rape. But the fact of the matter is, it's a very layered topic, requiring delicate nuance and vigorous intellectual exercise.

It would be very difficult for me to say a woman is responsible for being raped. But it's not so difficult for me to say she might be responsible for some unwanted attention. Events like rapes usually begin with unwanted attention...so while a woman is never directly responsible for these tragic events, they often increase the chances of them occurring - sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly - with poor decisions regarding clothing, the places they frequent, the people they expose themselves to, and maybe how much they've had to drink that night

And, occasionally, rapes have nothing to do with any of that. Sometimes you just have a very sick man ready to violate anyone for no reason at all. It's just a devastatingly tragic thing

But my larger point is this: While rapes do obviously occur, (and the people perpetrating them should be castrated and thrown into a moat filled with crocodiles!) it's not a systemic issue. There simply is no such thing as "rape culture" here in the U.S. It's a myth.

[Constance]

ffffffffffffffffffffffffff