What's on your mind?

[AlSymerz]

9 hours ago, BloodHornVital said:

How much does the album cover affect to the listening experience?

It doesn't. Over the years I may have bought a few albums based only on the cover, but the cover doesn't change what I hear.

4 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

My Apple watch is my saviour here.

I banned all Apple products in my house when the kids started asking for devices before they were 10. It's a ban that served us well, even out of home now the kids refuse to buy Apple stuff.

[FatherAlabaster]

9 hours ago, BloodHornVital said:

How much does the album cover affect to the listening experience?

Not much for me either. I love good cover art, but bad cover art has never put me off if I like the music. Bad art and silly band names probably make me less likely to check out a band in the first place though.

4 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

My Apple watch is my saviour here.  I will sit up, tired as shit, knowing I should go to bed but just trying to play on Xbox for on more mission or listen to one more track on an album.  Setting up the alerts of when I need to be winding down has helped me to discipline myself, plus having the alarm on my wrist means I truly wake up when it goes off.  Wind down alerts start at 21:45 for me to be asleep by 22:30, alarm set for 6am to give me the best shot at 7 hours (even though now the 'experts' are saying 8 hours but, fuck that).  Then I can be out the door for 06:15 - 06:30 for a decent few miles walk before work starts.

Maybe an Apple watch would help as backup - I could show it to my wife and say look honey, the machine says it's time for me to go to bed now. 

[RelentlessOblivion]

Apple are, fortunately, or not, the only company who build accessibility beaches into their smart products. From a business perspective, it’s kind of smart, any blind or vision, impaired person who wants a smart phone has to buy the iPhone, same goes for the Apple Watch, the iPad Etc.

[Thatguy]

4 hours ago, AlSymerz said:

I banned all Apple products in my house when the kids started asking for devices before they were 10. It's a ban that served us well, even out of home now the kids refuse to buy Apple stuff.

It's the capitalist system, mate. You've got to buy from one branch or other of our greedy overlords. Apple stuff works well for me.

[AlSymerz]

47 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

It's the capitalist system, mate. You've got to buy from one branch or other of our greedy overlords. Apple stuff works well for me.

Not really. My Apple ban has been in place since the time of the first Mac's where Apple started their ridiculous propriety behaviour. The X86 platform offered variety in both parts and software, people could fix, update and chose their own computer gear. Even those people who just bought a box and stuck it on the desk had the option to rebuild things, something Apple users rarely were. It was a practise that continued all the way into their later products where they even invented stupid propriety plugs and sockets that could only be bought from official Apple suppliers. I'm not denying that Apple products work but I like products where I'm not tethered to one architecture and products that I can adapt to my wants and needs.

[Thatguy]

2 hours ago, AlSymerz said:

I like products where I'm not tethered to one architecture and products that I can adapt to my wants and needs.

I get that and good on you. I have never had the knowledge nor inclination to tinker with computers and related gear so I'm OK with sticking with what works for me.

[AlSymerz]

31 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

 I'm OK with sticking with what works for me.

It's okay, a lot of geriatric people do get set in their ways.

[BloodHornVital]

10 hours ago, AlSymerz said:

20 hours ago, BloodHornVital said:

How much does the album cover affect to the listening experience?

It doesn't. Over the years I may have bought a few albums based only on the cover, but the cover doesn't change what I hear.

 

9 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Not much for me either. I love good cover art, but bad cover art has never put me off if I like the music. Bad art and silly band names probably make me less likely to check out a band in the first place though.

I was listening to a noise podcast where they talked about carefully selecting a cover art for a specific type of album. Well noise can be a bit abstract to listen to so a cover kind of works as a gateway to what an album is about. In metal music it’s understandable that an album cover isn’t that important, but I do tend to pick an album that has a “better” looking cover even if the music might arguably be better on another. Altars of madness vs. Covenant from Morbid angel comes to mind. I like to listen to Altars.. more even though I think Covenant sounds a lot better. Cover art isn’t of course the only thing that affects the choice. It’s about the whole concept.

[Sardonicist]

I don't have a soul.

I don't have a spirit. 

Spirituality is wishful thinking. 

Satan is a mythical character that inspires a lot of good music, and no longer has any further significance in my life. 

In the bible Satan and Yahweh are depicted as the same entity.  

1 Peter 5 8

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (The devil is a lion?)

Revelation 12 7

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (The devil is a dragon?)

Job 4 9

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. (Yahweh the dragon)

Psalm 18 8

Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire came from his mouth,
    burning coals blazed out of it. (Yahweh the dragon)

2 Samuel 22 9

Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. (Yahweh the dragon)

Hosea 11 10

They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west (Yahweh the lion)

Psalm 50 22

Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. (Yahweh the lion)
 

So Satanists worship Yahweh and Christians worship Satan. 

Bible study and irony fix for the day. 

 

 

[Thatguy]

Christianity, blah, blah, blah. Just ignore it and get on with your life.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Strewth

[Sardonicist]

I have hobbies, bible studies are one of them. 

[RelentlessOblivion]

38 minutes ago, Sardonicist said:

I have hobbies, bible studies are one of them. 

That’s great at all, many of us here, have hobbies, but I think it’s important to ask yourself, whether this is the appropriate space to share your revelations, no pun intended, about Christianity or religion, more broadly.

That’s great and all, many of us here have hobbies, but I think it’s important to ask yourself whether this is the appropriate space to share your revelations, no pun intended, about Christianity or religion more broadly. For a point of reference, consider this: the sport of cricket is one of my hobbies, but I wouldn’t with absolutely no other context start going on an extended rant about how misleading players statistics can be, or how the rules of the game need to be changed to remedy some perceived floor within the sport. partly because I don’t care enough to make the argument, but mostly because I know literally no one else here would care.  

 

[Nasty_Cabbage]

Could be facing some slightly drastic lifestyle changes coming up here. Short story even shorter my remaining grandparent is hitting the age where his health and overall well being is experiencing problems. My brother is in the early stages of raising his family and my sister just took up a new career and needs to be able to continue her education where she's at. My parents are enjoying their early retirement years and, even though they'd be there if anything were to happen, they've taken to their more or less nomadic lifestyle of seeing the whole country via their RV-ing. My job is fine right now, but nothing I couldn't walk out on so that makes me the likely candidate to take full time care of my grandfather on a live-in care status. First off, I'm actually more proud than anything that they would ask me to do that if future Dr. appointments show further decline. I am more than willing to do the dirty work when it comes to full time care. A elderly home is not an option. Grandpa did a fantastic job with his children and by extension his grandchildren so we owe him peace and unconditional love in his waning, and if he were to move in with me taking care of him he'd be closer to his children and be able to see them much more often.

When I was talked to about this I didn't detect any malice or lack of faith in my ability to care for him, but it was made clear that it would effectively be my full time job, and everything else that comes with that responsibility including putting my own personal plans on hold for possibly years. I have no problems with this. Afterall, like I said, he's earned his peaceful twilight years and built a strong growing family. This is at the absolute minimum what we owe him, and what they mean when people talk about being an adult and what you owe the humans in your life that made you. We'll know in a week or so what the general health prognosis is, and whether this will be a necessary step. Whatever the old boxing adage is that says everybody has a plan until they get hit holds true, but honestly, more than anything else I feel a lot of self pride in being asked and entrusted to do this that I'm going to have to watch internally.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

You're a better man than I Cabbie, I couldn't do it full time. You mean like bathing him and shaving him and spoonfeeding him and wiping his ass and everything? That's not easy even part time. And like you said it could go on for years. How would you support yourself financially?

My parents and grandparents are all long gone at this point so I won't have to make any more of those types of tough decisions. My mom was institutionalized in an assisted living place, and then finally near the end in a nursing home for close to a decade after my father died suddenly in 2007 at 72. I hate just being in those places, the concentration of old people that don't really wanna be there makes me feel a little uncomfortable. She also had schizophrenia and heard voices which made me extremely uncomfortable.

I hated having to put her in there, but sometimes it's the most practical option. Even though personally I think I'd want to end myself if I was sentenced to do time in the old folks home. I'm just not cut out to be institutionalized. My daughter will probably take me in one day, or so she says. She's 33 now, her youngest kid will be 6 in April so I'll assume all 3 grandkids will be grown and out of the house by the time that becomes necessary. My biggest problem with this scenario is I really wouldn't want to live in fucking Florida. Unless my boy Navy the caregiver were to take me in, then at least I know I'd have good tunes and good food and good booze for my twilight years. 

[AlSymerz]

Geez I'd be fucked if I was going to have to rely on my kids to look after me. They know how to cook, clean, tend to the right things etc etc, but like me at that age they make fucking useless care givers.

Whenever anything gets done around my parents house, like adding some solar panels to the shed or cleaning the gutters or lopping trees, my old man always has the brightest outlook lately. "Well, I wont be here when those next need cleaning." "That's an issue for the next owner." "That will last longer than I will." I got over thinking about it a while ago and now days just throw back a smart arse comment like "then why the fuck are we doing it", or "fair enough lets fucking ignore it and hope it goes away for a few years." The problem with either statement is that my brother and I, more likely I, will be the ones that deal with it because when my parents get out of the house, no matter where they go, we are the next owners.

 

[FatherAlabaster]

9 minutes ago, AlSymerz said:

Geez I'd be fucked if I was going to have to rely on my kids to look after me. They know how to cook, clean, tend to the right things etc etc, but like me at that age they make fucking useless care givers.

Whenever anything gets done around my parents house, like adding some solar panels to the shed or cleaning the gutters or lopping trees, my old man always has the brightest outlook lately. "Well, I wont be here when those next need cleaning." "That's an issue for the next owner." "That will last longer than I will." I got over thinking about it a while ago and now days just throw back a smart arse comment like "then why the fuck are we doing it", or "fair enough lets fucking ignore it and hope it goes away for a few years." The problem with either statement is that my brother and I, more likely I, will be the ones that deal with it because when my parents get out of the house, no matter where they go, we are the next owners.

 

I hope my parents have a while ahead of them, they're both in their mid 70s. They recently moved to an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere about a 16 hour drive south of us, so there's not a damn thing I can do about helping them. They've always been self sufficient and they still are, and they're having fun together, which is great to see. But this makes me think about how, at some point within the next 20 years or so, my brother and I are gonna be in the same position.

 

Cabbage, good for you if you can handle this, and more importantly if you feel positive about it. I wasn't under the impression you were on great terms with your family. Best of luck.

[Thatguy]

18 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Cabbage, good for you if you can handle this, and more importantly if you feel positive about it.

Yep.

You are a good man.

[AlSymerz]

26 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I hope my parents have a while ahead of them, they're both in their mid 70s. They recently moved to an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere about a 16 hour drive south of us, so there's not a damn thing I can do about helping them. They've always been self sufficient and they still are, and they're having fun together, which is great to see. But this makes me think about how, at some point within the next 20 years or so, my brother and I are gonna be in the same position.

 

 

My parents wouldn't expect us to look after them. Mow the lawn, clean the house maybe that sort of stuff but if they can't cook for themselves they'll put themselves into a retirement home. The time will come when they want to get out of the house they are in, mum already pays a gardener to do the any gardening that isn't vegetable. Dad just seems to want to remind me constantly that it's going to happen. What he doesn't realise is that I know it's going to happen and I have plans for that bit of dirt!!

[RelentlessOblivion]

Mum’s made it abundantly clear that we’d have to drag her kicking and screaming if we wanted to put her in a retirement home once she reaches that age, so that definitely isn’t an option. With that being said, I don’t need to worry about that any time soon.,

[navybsn]

As someone living with the consequences of family not making plans for an elderly loved one in their later years, good on you @Nasty_Cabbage. I'll be honest, I contemplate murder more than I should, but I also practice a good deal of restraint. I wouldn't say I asked to be in the situation or even rogered up for it, but there are zero resources where I live and I can't see the old bag homeless. We're getting on alright but praying for a speedy end. Just be sure to take time for yourself because I promise, despite the best of intentions, it will weigh on you heavily after a while. Especially if and when the dementia kicks in. Here's hoping you find it better than I.

[Nasty_Cabbage]

Hey. Thank you guys for your encouraging words. It seriously means a lot.

3 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

You're a better man than I Cabbie, I couldn't do it full time. You mean like bathing him and shaving him and spoonfeeding him and wiping his ass and everything? That's not easy even part time. And like you said it could go on for years. How would you support yourself financially?

Nah. I know what I believe to be right, but better? No way man. If anything I've seen your general sense of empathy on this board and the way you fret over this little cobwebbed corner of the internet is... What's the metal equivalent of heart warming? I'll have to think on that.

The stinky human element is honestly something that I'm the least worried about. Grandpa is primarily suffering from something hard to pin down that's causing blood pressure spikes, and loss of balance. If this continues to worsen before they know what's going on, it may come to full time care. We're not to the point of ass-wiping yet, but it's certainly a possibility. I know nobody's quite as quick mentally in their eighties as they were before, but I've been told that mentally he has detectably lost a step. His wife (my grandmother) died about seven or eight years ago with dementia among other problems, and those last few years were very hard on him, but from what I understand he's still self aware and able to read and write and speak. He just gets a little lost sometimes when in conversation and has trouble tracking the course of discussions that get a little lift off. Typical two alarm stuff for his age. Financially I can live like a Spartan if I have to, and speaking as a stinky bag of offal and meat myself, I've seen what we all look like turned inside out, and I don't consider it an indignity personally. Only real concern in that regard is if my aunts and uncles believe I'm responsible enough for the task, and I honestly relish the chance to prove my worth in that measure.

1 hour ago, AlSymerz said:

My parents wouldn't expect us to look after them. Mow the lawn, clean the house maybe that sort of stuff but if they can't cook for themselves they'll put themselves into a retirement home. The time will come when they want to get out of the house they are in, mum already pays a gardener to do the any gardening that isn't vegetable. Dad just seems to want to remind me constantly that it's going to happen. What he doesn't realise is that I know it's going to happen and I have plans for that bit of dirt!!

Ahh. The sacred rite of the elderly to make the young people around them uncomfortable by talking about their own death. Is it weird that I'm actually looking forward to that for myself? One really awful trait I've always had is my staunch belief that there are few things in life funnier than frightening children, and making young adults squirm. I don't know how I would have ever made it to my thirties if I wasn't allowed to laugh at some wealthy people getting crushed in a depressurized submarine or some backwoods fellow pouring half a bottle of whiskey up his ass to fire firecrackers from his torched lower GI system. These things are funny, and on witnessing them I will exercise my right to laugh. 

As far as my own death I have expressed in no uncertain terms that I am to be taken to the Henry Dorly Zoo with a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 and not to be stopped from trying to ride the rhino. A victory for both of us.

[AlSymerz]

I'm pretty sure my old man's not doing it to make me feel uncomfortable because he knows it doesn't. He's doing it too make excuses for not being as enthusiastic about things as he once was. He's doing it to remind me that although the house is technically on my dirt it's still his house and he'll do what he fucking likes when he likes.

We've talked open and honestly about death for a long time. Being executor and enduring power of attorney for both my parents I've known exactly what they want to happen and how much of it they have organised. I even know what they'll leave behind and what they'll be worth when they go.

My dad was faced with his father's dying bullshit where my grand father orchestrated a rift so deep between Dad and his brother that they would never talk again after his death. He planned it long before he died and it played out almost fucking perfectly because Dad's brother hasn't spoken to any of us since the will was read. Dad (as executor) even went against the will and gave his brother an equal share of the estate. But the fact that his own father actually wanted to give my uncle as little as legally possible and gave him no say on the estate drove the wedge deep. 10 or so years on that wedge is still there and that made my old man the polar opposite to his dad.

 

[Thatguy]

1 hour ago, Nasty_Cabbage said:

What's the metal equivalent of heart warming? I'll have to think on that.

Goatwarming?

1 hour ago, Nasty_Cabbage said:

As far as my own death I have expressed in no uncertain terms that I am to be taken to the Henry Dorly Zoo with a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 and not to be stopped from trying to ride the rhino. A victory for both of us.

Yeah, baby.

[FatherAlabaster]

Goatwarming. 

Word of the week, maybe of the month.