The Happiness Thread

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Cogito, Nov 20, 2010.

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  1. obsidian_cicatrix

    obsidian_cicatrix I ink, therefore I am. Contributor

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    For me the saddest thing is how easy it is to become accustomed to it. My childhood is full of memories of being searched for explosive devices while going through the barricades into the centre of town, being in the backside of beyond in the dead of winter, because the train that was taking me to school was halted because of a live bomb on the line. We would have to wait until they triggered a controlled explosion before we could proceed. (That happened rather a lot.) I would regularly get accosted, the perpetrators wanting to know which side I was on. Say the wrong thing and you'd get a beating.

    But... luckily, a sense of humour is kinda engrained. A joke...

    A man is walking down the street and he gets accosted by three menacing looking guys. The ringleader says, "Are you a catholic, or a protestant?" The man shakes his head and says, "I'm neither." The ringleader pulls a face, unconvinced. "Bullshit!" he says, "You've got to be one or the other." The man shakes his his head. "Well, no... actually I'm Jewish." To which the ringleader smiles at his mates and starts advancing on him. "Well, aren't we the luckiest Palestinians in Belfast?"

    ;)
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2014
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  2. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Oh man, the stories you must have. I know a tiny bit about the conflict, Bobby Sands and what not. It's unfortunate anyone should suffer a conflict like that.
     
  3. obsidian_cicatrix

    obsidian_cicatrix I ink, therefore I am. Contributor

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    'Tis. But this is what happens when people cling to tradition with no regard for others that hold different beliefs. Tolerance and an ability to compromise is key.

    It's gone far beyond differences in religion. I think the paramilitaries are now less worried about the opposing Northern Irish factions, and more worried about the likes of the Russian crime rings getting a footing here and messing with their 'business'/revenue.
     
  4. Lewdog

    Lewdog Come ova here and give me kisses! Supporter Contributor

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    ...and in the U.S. people freak out over one little bomb, and in your country it sounds like they are daily occurrences. It's like the video of the car bomb and the guy takes his meal out of the restaurant because he said he paid for it so why not eat it.
     
  5. obsidian_cicatrix

    obsidian_cicatrix I ink, therefore I am. Contributor

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    @Lewdog Not daily, I'm glad to say. Used to be that way but not any more, and I think that people have now got so used to having a bit of piece of mind, that every time there's another minor explosion or hoax, it just cements the desire to never let things return to the way they were. Our kids deserve better.
     
  6. Mackers

    Mackers Senior Member

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    I see you've been reading the Sunday World? lol
     
  7. obsidian_cicatrix

    obsidian_cicatrix I ink, therefore I am. Contributor

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    @Mackers ;) Actually no... just hearing chatter from various friends, in different areas. The Sunday World' a rag. If there's anything in it worth reading someone usually sends me the snippet. I didn't even know of the craic with Paisley and the DUP until someone informed me.

    Ostrich. Head. Sand. That's me.
     
  8. Mackers

    Mackers Senior Member

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    We'll I envy you. You'll live a much happier life if you avoid anything to do with Northern Ireland politics that's for sure! I normally just look to Willy Frazer for entertainment
     
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  9. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

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    Wooh! Went from having no computer to 3 broken ones to 2 working ones. To spare you a couple paragraphs of story, I'll just say that after a recent mishap involving my new HP, I was given a quality laptop by my school Computer Store. I did some tinkering and swapping of parts and now I have one working Acer netbook; one very nice, touchscreen Asus with 4GB of extra RAM; and a 750 GB external HDD, thanks to my now useless HP.

    I feel pretty darn blessed now to be a broke kid from San Bernardino (America's worst city, apparently) who is somehow attending a great 4-yr university (out of state, at that), to be doing so with 2 personal computers and an abundance of resources, and to have it all nearly handed to me simply by the favor of others. I'm filled to the brim with gratitude!
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2014
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  10. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    @Andrae Smith That's awesome :) I'm baffled, though. You're American yet not an Apple user!
     
  11. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

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    Ha ha I've never owned anything Apple (besides my ipod) to know if, and how much, they are truly better. I can only assume so by the shear scarcity of complaints or product failures. Truthfully. It is rare that a Mac would ever fall into my price range, at least for the time-being.
     
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  12. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

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    A bottle of water, some fresh air, and some light yoga is one way to start the day off right. Now all I need to do is add a little exercise and I'm good.
    Working on handstand push-ups this morning.
     
  13. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    You can do handstand pushups? Damn, that's impressive.
     
  14. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

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    Not entirely ha ha! I need a wall for support right now, but I'm trying to work away from it.
     
  15. Lewdog

    Lewdog Come ova here and give me kisses! Supporter Contributor

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    I can no hand push-ups...now THAT is impressive. :oops:
     
  16. VM80

    VM80 Contributor Contributor

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    8,000 words. I think I can safely say this is turning into a little idea.
     
  17. MainerMikeBrown

    MainerMikeBrown Senior Member

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    The New England Patriots won't be going to the Super Bowl this year. But as a Pats fan, I'm still happy because they went far and generally did well this year. Going 12-4 in the regular season and making it all the way to the AFC Championship game is nothing to sneeze at.
     
  18. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Especially with so many of their top players on the DL.
     
  19. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    I once went to train with these so-called Power Gainers, they're kind of like cross-training enthusiasts with a lot of emphasis on bodyweight exercises, and the training session started with all kinds of push-ups, as the warm-up! There was one chick, musclebound as f*ck, and she was doing handstand push-ups. I felt very small and featherweighty in that company... Needless to say, my handstand push-ups, in fact, my handstands alone were abysmal.

    So anyway, I'm pretty happy with the progress of my Master's, and T and I finally got a lot of editing down last night for our WIP. I also received muchly awaited package from Amazon.fr. Who said learning a language can't be fun? My study books are friggin graphic novels, so there!

    But now I'm off to a brief jog... I actually found running pants suitable for arctic conditions, lol. Life is good.
     
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  20. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Well, if one ever does fall into your price range, I'd go for it. I've had Macs continuously since 1994, and have NEVER had to replace or repair one, except when their operating systems finally go obsolete. I generally get about 6-8 years' use from each one. My husband also has Macs (we shared our first, a Performa, but we have had separate ones ever since.) Again, he's never had a repair issue either. It's just a shame about obsolescence. Our attic is a Mac graveyard ...of Macs that still work, but no longer have compatibility with online systems or printers, etc. Macs really are worth the money, if you can come up with it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2014
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  21. Neha

    Neha Beyond Infinity. Contributor

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    So happy, so happy, so happy!
    I scored a 99.92 percentile in an entrance of a B-School I really want to go to! One step closer to getting there.
    Just some minor glitches with dates clashing with another interview, but hopefully they'll get sorted *fingers crossed*.
    Yayay! So happy! :D
     
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  22. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    That's fabulous, an excellent score! Well done. Congratulations.
     
  23. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

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    @KaTrian I know what you mean! I used to be one of the bigger, stronger guys around, but since I've lost so much muscle mass from general inactivity (aside from walking and cycling everywhere) and a lighter diet (more like college diet) I am embarrassed to set foot in a gym with some of these guys. I plan to go tonight and work legs or something, but bI'll have to quiet my pride. Now that I'm back to the basics I've been more into body-work training, as that is where I started before weights, and what put me ahead of my classmates to begin with.

    @jannert Duly noted! I will make the investment once I have my own income and can start saving. Until then, I'mma take the best care possible of this PC. It's pretty nice too!

    @Neha Congratulations! Keep believing. I'll be pulling for you. Best of luck!

    Now for me, I'm just happy today. Ha ha! I have a lot of positive energy flowing through and around me, and the world just seems vibrant and. I've been sleeping well, my classes are getting in full swing, and this AZ weather has been great. In general, I feel entirely different than I did going into the holidays. And my birthday is tomorrow. (I remembered because my mom asked me what I wanted lol Lets see if I remember tomorrow morning!)

    If you're feeling good, or want to, I think you can appreciate this video:
     
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  24. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    You shouldn't being a date to an interview anyway.

    Congratulations on the excellent score!
     
  25. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Love the music and the video, @Andrae Smith.
     
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