I’ll happily join in the encomiums for @Ann_Hedonia, but add another reason she’s such an asset to the Board: she willingly sacrifices her brain cells by going down rabbit holes that would have me punching my screen in minutes. She watches Trump rallies and Giuliani pressers and even Mike Lindell’s Crazyposium, just to keep us informed as to what shenanigans the wingnuts are up to. I think she sees her username as a mission statement. For heaven’s sake, Ann, go watch some cute kitten videos or something, just to get some happy back in your mind!
Anything @Kimstu posts is worth reading. She’s another whose posts are intelligent, well-written, balanced, and thought-provoking. Not uncapable of snark, either.
I’ve learned from and enjoy many posters - @iiandyiiii (whose novel I just finished - good story, Andy!), @Left_Hand_of_Dorkness, @ThelmaLou. @Elendil_s_Heir scares me with how much we have in common. He’s one I think if we ever met, we’d end up at a Waffle House at 3:00, because we weren’t through discussing our favorite fantasy authors.
Yes, I’m a big fan of @What_Exit too; he’s one of the few currently-active Dopers that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in person. I admire him for his modding, his Navy service, his Middle-earth knowledge and his mad DM skillz.
Many thanks, @Slow_Moving_Vehicle, for your kind words. I look forward to that wee-hours Waffle House chat sometime!
Some other favorite Dopers o’ mine:
@BMalion, a fellow Sherlockian and movie buff, and an all-around great guy @Northern_Piper, a skilled lawyer and far and away my favorite Canuckistani @Skald_the_Rhymer, very funny and always good for a bizarre hypothetical that gets me thinking @Qadgop_the_Mercotan, a fount of knowledge for all things Tolkienian @Noel_Prosequi, another lawyer of note and hands-down my favorite denizen of Oz
There are others, to be sure, but I’ll stop there.
I have to call out @Martin_Hyde for overall excellent posts in the Afghanistan threads. Great analysis and fair and insightful discussion of the political issues from someone I don’t always see eye to eye with politically.
So, today I want to say nice things about @Johnny_Bravo . Rather than a specific post, in the ongoing Confederate Flag thread (about concerns another poster had with Confederate flag-based clothing in a public school) J_B went out of his way to argue with cites, that courts are finding it acceptable to consider factors beyond simple ‘disruption’ of school, and support controls that support civility as well as the values of good government.
In a thread where many posters (pro freedom of speech even in extremes and those that (rightly IMHO) hate and fear everything the Confederate flag stand for) were being driven by emotion, he stood above the rest in sticking to the facts of the debate and bringing in good cites to the respect of all sides.
I didn’t even know this thread was a thing. I appreciate you for starting it and enjoyed reading through it. Thanks for the good vibes in the middle of the week.
In the spirit of the thread, I’ll point out this post by @mjmartin. I was genuinely taken aback by somebody on the internet conceding a point as a result of presented evidence, and for a few moments didn’t quite know how to feel about it.
Quick shout-out to poster @Saintly_Loser. In a recent thread (current shut down, and probably for very good reasons) a poster was asking about RNA ‘computers’ being used to generate voices inside a person’s head. Despite it being General Questions, my, and probably most people’s first feelings would be to debunk, snark, or shut down.
If this is happening to you, please get in touch with a doctor. An internet forum is not the place to learn about “audible instructions from within the skull.”
Please. Do it now.
You don’t know me from a hole in the wall, but I’ve had my problems, and gotten help for them. But I never got any help, or even useful information, from anonymous people on the internet.
Okay, you may all go off and be excellent to each other.
I’ve been there. There is help, I know very well that medications these days can do wonders, I can’t say more. Just seemed like something not to joke about, especially to someone who might not get the joke.
But thanks! That was my little ego boost for the week. Unearned, but nice anyway.
Permit me to disagree, it is absolutely earned. It is easy to be mean on the internet, and sometimes seems harder to be nice without (or without the perception of) the justification of looking good to people on social media.
The point of the thread is -to make people’s day-. If you see an amazing piece of writing, a poster going above and beyond for the board or another poster (I’m eyeballing @dropzone may he return soon in good health and @Beckdawrek here), let them know it here. And let others see it!
Not to say it has to be all rainbows and butterflies, as I’ve put particularly well written or funny bits of razor-edged snark as well, just not ones addressed at other posters. It’s about letting a poster know with more than a “This.” or a +1 or a that what they’ve said or done is memorable and moving. It’s a place for old fashioned positive reinforcement. So again, @Saintly_Loser, it is indeed earned, and if it was a needed ego boost for the week then we’ve done what was intended, just remember to pass it along when something or someone blows your mind with a post!
Shout out to @UltraVires for his work on the Texas Abortions threads. He’s done a good job of explaining the ins and outs, explaining how it’s an awful law (even though he’s personally opposed to abortion and Roe), and answering tons of questions.
Also, a shout out to @Martin_Hyde who has been very helpful in the various Afghanistan threads.
Came in to mention that @Martin_Hyde has churned out a lot of lengthy but thoughtful, informed and absolutely worth reading posts on US politics past and present in the last week or so in various threads. Quality posting, that man.
A particularly positive message was shared in the Pit thread regarding @Miller’s now repeatedly delayed wedding. This isn’t a thread directed against anyone, just the pain that COVID-concurrent life can be, so should be no worries.
In the vast scheme of things, weddings don’t matter. Marriages do. If you’re happy in the marriage, then the wedding can take place anytime in the future. If you have to wait for your fifth anniversary to have a great shindig, you’ll enjoy it just as much as if it happened when it should have. Enjoy your lives together, regardless of when you get to have your reception.
All credit to the wise person who authored the quote, @BobLibDem!
@Stranger_On_A_Train has been blowing up ignorance in multiple space-based threads recently, but the following piece was a marvel of writing and realism I wanted to share.
But, since we do want to focus on the positive in the thread as well, I’ll close with the first line of the post -
Oh, I don’t think anyone should go around calling people that refuse to get vaccinated “bad” or “evil”, either. It’s not productive. Neither is the anger.
A good reminder as I (and probably others) head into a holiday weekend (with my in-laws) that fall on the conservative side of the spectrum. Spare myself the frustrated fury, and be glad I got my booster.
that what they’ve said or done is memorable and moving. It’s a place for old fashioned positive reinforcement. So again, 