I love reading this board I really do, I've been busy the past few days and I got a chance to read up today and one thing seemed resoundingly (is that a word) loud.... so much doom and gloom here. It's like there's nothing good, nothing positive it's starting to feel like the evening news. I hope this is not indicative of the direction of our lives and outlook. Perhaps I'm being too analytical of the postings here maybe I'm hormonal it just seems dreary when you read the first few threads here.

Is there nothing positive going on in the world? Are we doomed? And before somoene corrects me I'm not saying EVERY thread in this section is doom and gloom but allot are and I get this really hopeless feeling about the future when I see this much negativity. Yes, probably hormonal :( Or maybe it's always been this way and I never noticed :p Maybe I just need chocolate.

And yet we degrade the media for doing the same thing...

I don't know, I'm pretty pessimistic about a lot of things in the near term, and there have been pretty significant trends in the last ten years or so of looking backwards towards greatness in culture instead of looking forward to it.

There certainly are good things going on, the sun still comes up and kids are still playing, but I think it's fair to say there is a general awareness that the best is not, so to speak, yet to come.

I love reading this board I really do, I've been busy the past few days and I got a chance to read up today and one thing seemed resoundingly (is that a word) loud.... so much doom and gloom here. It's like there's nothing good, nothing positive it's starting to feel like the evening news. I hope this is not indicative of the direction of our lives and outlook. Perhaps I'm being too analytical of the postings here maybe I'm hormonal it just seems dreary when you read the first few threads here.

Is there nothing positive going on in the world? Are we doomed? And before somoene corrects me I'm not saying EVERY thread in this section is doom and gloom but allot are and I get this really hopeless feeling about the future when I see this much negativity. Yes, probably hormonal :( Or maybe it's always been this way and I never noticed :p Maybe I just need chocolate.

That is why we are starting this (http://www.thecitizenjournals.com) it is not about fluffy good news, it's going to be REAL news, positive news and news that matters. Again I am most happy to have anyone here contact me about being a regular or part time contributor to it, we have some great and exceptionally knowledgable people who will be writing, and contributing video and photo essays.

I'm generally feeling pretty depressed about whats to come, as well. I'm reminded of (forgive me) the Harry Potter novels as it slowly got more and more negative as people began to become aware of what was going on - often regardless of what the leadership said. We can only hope as more people start to remove heads from asses and see what is really going on, we'll do something collectively to change it.

The positive stories you are missing are the (increasingly more frequent) posts on new energy techniques and things like that, the evidence that change is starting to come. Better late than never.

I think there is a definite lack of things to be positive about in the world right now. With the economy in a tailspin, people living in tent cities, the government feloniously spying on us, a couple occupations going on, and another one about to start; it's pretty goddamn negative out there.

However, I do think it's safe to say we aren't sensationalist like the mainstream media here.

I was really happy to see the bit about the Trans Texas Corridor falling through today though. At least that's something.

The economy may be bad, but right now I'm happier than I've ever been in my life. Wife and I both have good, secure (at least reasonably) jobs. Our daughter is great. We have enough that we can do pretty much what we want. She and I went through 8 very tough years of our 10 years together with both of us in school at different times.

The media reports are bad yes. Fuel prices aren't killing us, an inconvenience but not an end to our lifestyle. My biggest concern is a war with Iran because it will magnify everything that's going on now. Fuel issues now would be minor compared to the rationing that would have to happen due to global demand. Jobs outside of the military would be near nonexistant, and we'd be well on our way from all the horrible science fiction near futures.

Right now, it's not all doom and gloom for me. Life is really good right for my household. All the doom and gloom I read and see makes things worse I think. I think people overestimate stuff and that drives things to be worse than they are. The housing crisis was horrid, but I bet the fear of it drove it more than the actual events. Oil prices? We all know speculation plays 'some' role in prices. Fear drove us into more wars. Etc. etc. Everything is fear fear fear and things aren't nearly as bad around us except for what we make bad. We just keep making things worse before we get a chance to heal. We need to heal from Iraq as a country before we even consider another major campaign anywhere in the world. Our economy is fucked, our world stature is fucked, and our troops are tired.

/agree Taleren.

It's all doom and gloom politically, but in my own life I couldn't be happier.
Lovely house, great fiance, she's just been called to the Bar, I'm almost finished in my studies, thinking about little Halo's running around...It's all good.
Sure we can't get a mortgage, my parents are on the brink of bankruptcy when they should be retiring, the economy's in the doldrums and the troops are overstretched, but I have no personal doom and gloom =)

Pop into Nuggets every now and then :D

I think I can relate to both of you, doing better than ever in life but things around me are coming apart at the seams. Brothers losing 20+ year jobs, parents still working and they are in their 70's (mostly because they dont want to do anything else but its sad nonetheless)...many people croaking (Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas) been 3 deaths already this year. Neices and Nephews going to Iraq and Afghanistan..strange times indeed.

Aye... Bad on the news but good in the personal life. Wonderful wife.. Great VERY secure job. In fact I could not be fired short of murder. Warm summer days... Lots of sun.. Not much to complain about except gas..lol Daughter is being raised to hate the communist left. All is working out..lol

'Daughter is being raised to hate the communist left. All is working out..lol'

- You sonofabitch!

I think it stands to reason that most of us are doing relatively well, since we're able lounge around posting on Internet message boards instead of worrying where our next meal will come from. Like you guys, I don't think things have ever been much better for me personally or professionally.

At the same time, I owned half of a mid-sized technology company through the dotcom bust, and know exactly how quickly things can change, even when they seem like they couldn't be more assuredly solid*. If there were no food at the grocery store or your bank closed this afternoon, what would you do?

Even if we all manage to ride out what's happening around us (and many will), there's no happiness while watching your friends and family fail to do the same.

(* This is an awesome book about how we fail to correctly evaluate risk along those lines: http://www.amazon.com/Fooled-Randomness-Hidden-Chance-Markets/dp/1587990717)

If there were no food at the grocery store or your bank closed this afternoon, what would you do?

Trap wildlife and eat bugs :rolleyes:

http://www.survivorman.ca/

I think I would no longer consider things going well at that point.

'Daughter is being raised to hate the communist left. All is working out..lol'

Teaching your daughter to hate Americans... how Osama bin laden of you.

Eh, I agree in my life things seem quite well. I don't feel the pinch, I'm generally quite happy. I do worry very much about another war or even more war. But yes, I do think we've gotten a little gloomy in our posts here and regurgitation of the nightly news. If we're all happy shouldn't we be discussing our happiness and how what the news people are saying isn't affecting us rather than just posting to each other what they are telling us?

Totally needed chocolate last night too by the way ;)

Oh yeah, just ate a large bag of Minstrels. But anywho..

'If there were no food at the grocery store or your bank closed this afternoon, what would you do?'

- I'd probably become a looter, and gather around lacky-looters and form a large county-wide gang which I eventually see spreading across the country. Our weapon of choice will be curtain-rail poles and I'll be feared as El Curtaino, overseeing the violent and ruthless exploitation of the breakdown of society.

Or failing that - I'll become a hobo and ride the trains with my banjo.

It could go either way.

I refrain from never saying I'd starve, could shed a few pounds anyways but I am a hunter/gather by nature. I eat wild things!!

"Daughter is being raised to hate the communist left"

Everything sounded cool Os, right up until you indicated that you had unfortunately pro-created...very depressing indeed. Hopefully once she escapes your narrow minded grasp, she'll begin to think for herself and realize what a hateful fool dad is.

As far as the topic...

It is a depressing time with the myriad of problems facing mankind, not the least of which is our own ignorance. Personally I'm generally happy. I have a secure job in an industry where I'm not feeding millions to some SOB CEO, two kids that are happy and healthy and, a solid 21 year marriage.

..and, unfortunately, once again faced with an election where it's a challenge to vote for the lesser of to evils.

Teaching your daughter to hate Americans... how Osama bin laden of you.

If you are unable to recognize the tongue in cheek humor of that remark you should probably just ignore his posts. Posting your own negative retort added nothing except to affirm Fil's perception of negativity on the forums.
Feel free to ignore mine as well. :D

Totally needed chocolate last night too by the way ;)


Better than Dr. Jenkin's Fabulous Cure-All Snake Oil. :eek:

"Daughter is being raised to hate the communist left"

Everything sounded cool Os, right up until you indicated that you had unfortunately pro-created...very depressing indeed. Hopefully once she escapes your narrow minded grasp, she'll begin to think for herself and realize what a hateful fool dad is.

As far as the topic...

It is a depressing time with the myriad of problems facing mankind, not the least of which is our own ignorance. Personally I'm generally happy. I have a secure job in an industry where I'm not feeding millions to some SOB CEO, two kids that are happy and healthy and, a solid 21 year marriage.

..and, unfortunately, once again faced with an election where it's a challenge to vote for the lesser of to evils.


With the exception of a very few you are all the big bunch of dumbasses to have ever been concieved. You are so easy to push. Jesus, take a joke. I leave my daughter well out of politics. I figured you would all froth at the mouth when I said that and BINGO I was right. So predictable. What fools you all are.

If you are unable to recognize the tongue in cheek humor of that remark you should probably just ignore his posts. Posting your own negative retort added nothing except to affirm Fil's perception of negativity on the forums.
Feel free to ignore mine as well. :D

Oh and for the daily double.. Byl gets it.. To bad few do... 'Tis a shame.

That's ironic, for all the doom and gloom we're supposedly happier:

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/denmark-is-worlds-happiest-country/20080701135109990001?icid=100214839x1204848819x120 0218369

OS, the reason folks tend to miss the humorous barb is because there really are people out there that ignorant, narrowminded, shortsighted and just plain mean and dispassionate for peeps to not take it serious. seen that video of the woman collapsing a dying on the ER floor?
If i came across you lying wounded and bloody in a ditch i'd do everything i could to help you. not because your a (R) or even a fellow countryman but simply because your a fellow human.
Scares the living shit outta me that there are people in this world who would walk on by me because i have long hair or looked mexican or maybe like a towel head.

Yes I am aware of that Velvet.. May I suggest you look up the definition of Irony. I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.

I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.

My personal favorite is "There is a small but important difference between peeing in the pool and peeing into the pool"

Since we're already off topic....

I saw a sign recently that said....

"welcome to our 'ool, notice there's no "P" in it, let's keep it that way"

The thread about being negative that started to turn negative is now becoming less negative as it heads into a more positive posting environment.

OS, the reason folks tend to miss the humorous barb is because there really are people out there that ignorant, narrow minded, shortsighted and just plain mean and dispassionate for peeps to not take it serious.

No, the reason we missed Os's supposed "joke" is because this post was mild compared with some of his other posts.

Now with that being said....

Os, my response was over the top, I apologize. Though i disagree with a some of your views, I haven't seen hate from you.

No, the reason we missed Os's supposed "joke" is because this post was mild compared with some of his other posts.

Now with that being said....

Os, my response was over the top, I apologize. Though i disagree with a some of your views, I haven't seen hate from you.

Look at his little board title under his name.

In the spirit of un-derailing a thread I very much helped to derail...

Other than personal situations, what national/world news is there to be happy about? The stoppage of the "Trans-Texas Corridor" was mentioned. How about no major terrorist attacks in the US. To be honest, although it's hurting my wallet, not nearly as bad as many, the rising gas prices has gotten the country focused alternative fuels and we may get some viable electric vehicles out of it. More locally, here Colorado we had a great snow-pack (109-169%) this year, though far from pulling us out of the drought over the last decade, it's a nice start.

It's easy to say something is tongue in cheek, or meant as a joke. When a post history says otherwise though, it's not just jokes. Most people, when called out on hatred or bigotry try to make things out as a joke to try to diffuse any tension.

Everything you say is baiting, or it's a joke. Posting a fishing lure when someone calls you out on being a fool. Sure.

If so, you are nothing more than a troll and have no place here.

Those are good points Ailwon, but sadly our news doesn't report on the positvie effects of the negative stuff going on. Just the doom and gloom.

Honestly I hadn't thought of how the rising fuel costs have allowed for more awareness in alternative fuels. I do know the rising fuel costs have made me and Leah walk to get our groceries, walk to Blockbuster, or anything else in the shopping center near us. I think that's a positive side effect.

The whole drought stuff makes me kind of scratch my noggin though. When I first moved to PA it was OMG we're in such a terrible drought it's going to take YEARS to get out of it. And then, it snowed and snowed that winter and we had tons of rain in the spring next thing you know we're not in a draught anymore. I think weather forecasters are the worst for sensationalizing than any other type of reporter. I just don't care about the weather anymore the idiots have a job where you can be wrong 99% of the time and still keep your job. Idiots. :p

Just the doom and gloom.

Here's the truly sad part for me. The news I tend to watch (mainly because my wife is addicted to watching the idiots Fil referred to) is an hour long. I don't have the patience to watch the whole thing usually not because of the main stories, but because of the "human interest" stories that are so sappy I find myself saying "why the hell is this on my TV". If a lot of people do this, it could go a long way to explaining why the news is so full of negative, fear mongering stories. I've been conditioned to think it's not worthy or being reported unless it's bad news. Something to work on I guess.

As far as the drought thing. Here in Colorado effects of the drought are extremely evident. When you drive by a reservoir in the mountains whose water level is thirty feet or more below a dock built for boats. :(

We need to find a way to get the flood waters in some areas of the country to other areas of the country with drought.

If I could find an efficient way to do that, man I'd be rich.

Step 1) Identify flood and drought areas
Step 2) ?
Step 3) Profit

Buckets. Lots of big buckets.

Aye, I remember last fall when I drove back home to NC I was shocked to see Fontana Lake so low. So low that in some places you could stand in the lake bed. So low that docks had been closed. It was amazing and they are still not quite to where they need to be, definitely a shocker. I do think some areas it's real but in my part of PA they were screaming drought and water table and I couldn't see it then winter, snow, and bam changed their tune. Idiots.

It's like watching the Baltimore channels when a snow storm is coming. They make it sound like a huge blizzard is going to come and wipe out the city. This shit should not be allowed!

Taleren I would think collection and transport would be the most difficult things for your plan. I have no idea how one would collect flood waters and remain safe. Though if you had a Mega Maid like in SpaceBalls you could just suck it all up and then blow it out :p

Buckets. Lots of big buckets.

I said efficient :(

Aye, I remember last fall when I drove back home to NC I was shocked to see Fontana Lake so low. So low that in some places you could stand in the lake bed. So low that docks had been closed. It was amazing and they are still not quite to where they need to be, definitely a shocker. I do think some areas it's real but in my part of PA they were screaming drought and water table and I couldn't see it then winter, snow, and bam changed their tune. Idiots.

It's like watching the Baltimore channels when a snow storm is coming. They make it sound like a huge blizzard is going to come and wipe out the city. This shit should not be allowed!

Taleren I would think collection and transport would be the most difficult things for your plan. I have no idea how one would collect flood waters and remain safe. Though if you had a Mega Maid like in SpaceBalls you could just suck it all up and then blow it out :p

See now that's what I wanted, an actual solution to my dilemma. I can't believe I didn't think of the Mega Maid. I can't give you a rep hit right now so +1

It's like watching the Baltimore channels when a snow storm is coming. They make it sound like a huge blizzard is going to come and wipe out the city. This shit should not be allowed!

Try to drive in Baltimore on a day when there is 1" of snow. It certainly feels like the city is getting wiped out. People around here never get snow, so when it does happen, traffic is generally at a stand still for days on end. I've had class canceled years ago at the threat of snow, even when a single snowflake hasn't hit the ground.

Saw a rainbow today.

*walks off*