Jolt Country

My mom used to tell me if I didn't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. My dad used to say always punch up, never down. I haven't been following either of those rules lately. Between life, work, and general pandemic-itis, I find myself more irritable than usual, and taking random swings at easy targets, while somewhat therapeutic, isn't really my style. If I've taken an undeserved pot shot at you recently, I apologize. I need to reset -- drink more beer and less Monster energy drinks for a bit.

Flack wrote:If I've taken an undeserved pot shot at you recently, I apologize.

What is the time frame of "recently?"

The disease and the lockdown have put us all through the emotional wringer so I completely understand why you'd be feeling a little extra irritable recently. I can't complain personally because you've always been good to me, but I think I know what you're talking about. The board as a whole has felt a little testier recently. A couple of days ago I counted at least three people trolling simultaneously which is never a good sign.

You can take your pot shots at me if that would help? I think they're funny, nobody's feelings will get hurt, and you can vent. Everyone wins.

bryanb wrote: Fri May 08, 2020 8:40 pmThe board as a whole has felt a little testier recently. A couple of days ago I counted at least three people trolling simultaneously which is never a good sign.

I'm one of those three people and the truth is that I'm likely using this place as my punching bag, though now that I know, I can stop the behavior... So there's that.

Whenever Flack has taken a "shot" at me, I've always found it hilarious. I think his best one parodied my Interactive Fiction example, which had some sexual content, and he did one about taking a shower, you're standing next to it, you type "enter" and the response is:
"Do you want to enter 1) The shower 2) Paul's girlfriend?"
I'm not the only one who thought that was really funny.

Every time I come here lately, I cannot avoid the impression that the place has never been better, not even remotely.

I don't think anyone should be thinking about adjusting their attitudes right about now.

Flack, you who have done so much for us. You deserve this place to be how you like. I will never forget the times that we have traveled on the path together, just us and you. For each scene here we noticed that there were two wheelchair tracks. Through most of it. But as I looked back I noticed that at many times, especially at the lowest and saddest times, there was only the print of one wheel in the sand. This was so troubling. So I asked you about it. "My precious children," you said, "That's when I carried the entire BBS on my back. But the wheelchair was really hard to carry, so I had to sort of roll that forward tilted upwards."

Let us be here for you now.

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 11:09 am Flack, you who have done so much for us. You deserve this place to be how you like. I will never forget the times that we have traveled on the path together, just us and you. For each scene here we noticed that there were two wheelchair tracks. Through most of it. But as I looked back I noticed that at many times, especially at the lowest and saddest times, there was only the print of one wheel in the sand. This was so troubling. So I asked you about it. "My precious children," you said, "That's when I carried the entire BBS on my back. But the wheelchair was really hard to carry, so I had to sort of roll that forward tilted upwards."

I believe that was the day Paul's scrotum swelled up so big he couldn't sit in his wheelchair, which explains the two scrotum marks in the sand between the wheelchair tracks.

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 11:09 am Flack, you who have done so much for us. You deserve this place to be how you like. I will never forget the times that we have traveled on the path together, just us and you. For each scene here we noticed that there were two wheelchair tracks. Through most of it. But as I looked back I noticed that at many times, especially at the lowest and saddest times, there was only the print of one wheel in the sand. This was so troubling. So I asked you about it. "My precious children," you said, "That's when I carried the entire BBS on my back. But the wheelchair was really hard to carry, so I had to sort of roll that forward tilted upwards."

Dude! I've been working on something totally similar to that in my head for like two weeks except I was going to make a play off of how Paul only has one leg, a third footprint or maybe a clumsily dragged mark across the sand...

Fuck it, it's now or never, here I go:



One night Paul dreamed a dream.
As he was walking along the beach with Robb.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed a clumsily dragged mark across the sand and a set of footprints,
One belonging to him and one to Robb.

After the last scene of his life flashed before him,
He looked back at the agonizing footprints in the sand.
He noticed that at many times along the path of his life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of impossibly impacted footprints.

This really troubled him, so he asked Robb about it.
"Robb, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

Robb whispered, "How bad are your eyes, buddy? When you saw the..."
But none of that mattered to Paul so Robb asked,
"Could you at least eat with your mouth shut, you're getting Jerry's Subs and Pizza in my bowl cut."
But that didn't matter to Paul either.

Like I said. God is this place great. Look how great it is:

I am (other than Retro, obviously) the least entertaining/interesting poster here right now. I mean, you wanna talk about carrying a place, none of you would even be here if I wasn't around from 2002 until whenever Paul showed up. Now, even I scroll past my own posts.

Nobody change anything (other than Retro, obviously) or you're banned.

pinback wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 2:09 pm Like I said.

As you said. [/nitpick]

pinback wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 2:09 pm Nobody change anything (other than Retro, obviously) or you're banned.

pinback wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 2:09 pm Nobody change anything (other than Retro, obviously) or you're banned.

(The previous posting had a bad image [for technical reasons I wont go over], let me try again.)

Tdarcos wrote: Sun May 10, 2020 6:04 pm

pinback wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 2:09 pm Nobody change anything (other than Retro, obviously) or you're banned.

(The previous posting had a bad image [for technical reasons I wont go over], let me try again.)

It's true. Tdarcos is exempt from getting banned as part of the negotiations that got him back in last time.

He even has a seal! Or a license plate! Or whatever that is!

Tdarcos wrote: Sun May 10, 2020 6:04 pm

pinback wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 2:09 pm Nobody change anything (other than Retro, obviously) or you're banned.

(The previous posting had a bad image [for technical reasons I wont go over], let me try again.)

This one also had a bad image.