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Hang With Friends

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Location: Earth
Members: 808
Latest Activity: 1 hour ago

Come on in, pull up a chair!

Picture yourself spending some time with congenial friends, sharing your lives and pictures from your cell phones." They're curious about that cool game, song, movie, camping trip, art show, or other event that fascinated you. You talk about all kinds of stuff, poetry, styles, personal achievements, relationships, and bad days. You can share your inner child, and laugh together. They sympathetically listen to your feelings about serious topics like politics or climate change, even when they don't agree.

Personal validation comes from paying attention to one another, giving more than you get. Everyone respects you and themselves, despite our amazing range of personal tastes and interests. They'll tell you they don't agree with an idea or behavior without implying you're a bad person or somehow deficient. It's an "I'm OK, You're OK" kind of fellowship, where nobody tries to make himself look better by picking on somebody else.

Nobody here is into mind games. A discussion started with a loaded guilt-throwing question will be deleted.

This group is not intended to compete with other groups on topics they cover but to "fill in the cracks." Whenever a discussion dwells at length on a topic for which there's an existing group, we urge you to provide members a link to that group to continue along their tangent.

A comment is a shout-out, which will get lost in a few days, because the comment wall is just a random stack.

Please start a discussion to share stories, photos, and videos. Replies will pop up in your "latest activity" and a conversation can develop from the feelings and thoughts you contributed. Groups are built on discussions.

Discussion Forum

Facebook

Started by Ruth Anthony-Gardner. Last reply by Joan Denoo 17 hours ago. 4 Replies 2 Likes

This captures my opinion of Facebook. AN is so much better.Continue

Tags: Facebook

A tribute to my father

Started by Brent Feeney. Last reply by Debra Stevenson on Monday. 12 Replies 1 Like

So, I guess most of you here know that my dad died back in January of complications of Parkinson's disease. There have been times that have been rough since then, but I'd think it's all part of the process, so to speak.Today was Remembrance Sunday…Continue

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Comment by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on January 7, 2013 at 6:53pm: The fox is my favorite, Joan. Thanks for sharing the NatGo pics.

Thanks for your heartfelt account, sk8eycat. I feel as if I know you better. I've often been in love, but I'm lucky to have found a lot of much nicer guys. And smart enough to give back the engagement rings of the first two prospects, when their true nature showed through. Never regretted those decisions. My second husband has been the real keeper.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 6:45pm: Chris Dodd, try:

Seraphim, Cherubim & The Four Living Creatures

Comment by sk8eycat on January 7, 2013 at 6:35pm: Back to the discussion about love and hate, this is what one of my heroes, Robert A. Heinlein had to say about love (in several books): "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own..."

I'm not sure if I've ever felt that emotion, except for my parents...particularly when they were having so many medical problems the last few years of their lives. And for all the many cats I've lived with during my life, of course. I don't think I was ever "in love" with anybody...at least all the men I thought I was in love with turned out to be controlling rotters, and I ended up dumping each one. Most of the men I care about deeply, and have for years, are gay. They have been the best, most caring friends I've ever had. It didn't matter that I couldn't go to bed with them (well....some I did ... nice friendly cuddling). It's the mutual warmth and genuine affection that matters to me.

Obviously I've never had children, so I have no idea what that feels like. I suppose my pets have been my "children," and I would seriously damage anyone who harmed any of them....or any so-called human who purposely harmed any animal. (I've seen an ASPCA commercial many times in the last 3 weeks that made me cry so much I had to change the channel briefly...the "You Are So Beautiful..." one....with quick cuts of abandoned dogs and cats in cages. Damn! I'm crying right now, just thinking about it!)

Abandonment of children or pets ought to carry much more severe penalties than it does.

Okay. Okay. I do have abandonment "issues." My dad "abandoned" me an my sister for 10 years...not by leaving home physically, but by escaping down the neck of a vodka bottle.....starting when I was 10 and my sister was 5. There were times when I wanted to kill him, and it's a good thing we didn't have a gun in the house, or I might have taken a shot at him. He wasn't violent or abusive in any way, he just wasn't "here."

Okay. I'll shut up now.

OH! I forgot! I LOVE "This walk is over"! I have never seen a dog do that before....just cats. A LOT of cats.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 5:37pm: http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/01/winners-of-the-national-...
"Viewers' Choice for Nature: Tender Moment - Everyday in Mara starts with something new and different and day ends with memorable experiences with spectacular photographs. I was very lucky to sight and photograph Malaika, the name of this female Cheetah, and her cub. She is well known for her habit of jumping on vehicles. She learned that from her mother Kike, and Kike from her mother Amber. Like her mother she is teaching lessons to her cub. This is a tender moment between Malaika and her cub. I was very lucky to capture that moment. (© Sanjeev Bhor/National Geographic Photo Contest)"

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 5:27pm: http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/01/winners-of-the-national-...
"Grand-Prize Winner: The Explosion! The subject's name is Busaba, a well cared for Indochinese Tigress whose home is at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Thailand. I had taken many portraits of Busaba previously and it was becoming more and more difficult to come up with an image that appeared any different to the others. Which is why I took to observing her more carefully during my visits in the hope of capturing something of a behavioral shot. The opportunity finally presented itself while watching Busaba enjoying her private pool then shaking herself dry. In all humility I have to say that Mother Nature smiled favorably on me that day! (© Ashley Vincent/National Geographic Photo Contest)"

Comment by booklover on January 7, 2013 at 5:25pm: Joan, you are such a Sweetheart. I'm glad you enjoyed the "This walk is over picture" too.

Comment by John Lynch on January 7, 2013 at 4:45pm: Yes to all those question Joan. I would be willing to bet a few pesos he is wrong.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 3:55pm: John Lynch,

http://www.standingforgod.com/2010/10/the-ministry-of-angels-end-ti...

looks like an interesting sci-fi read. I wonder if anyone asked the good man Dr. David Reagan what evidence does he have to support his claim? Does he believe all the things he reads in the scriptures? Are they worthy of believing? Is it possible that the end times will occur for homo sapiens when we create such a mess of Earth's fragile atmosphere all living things will die and it will take billions and billions of years to get back what we so blatantly wasted? Is it possible the scriptures are just myths told by Bronze Age tribal people to provide a story to explain things about nature they didn't understand? Could it be that religions offer outdated, outmoded, useless information unless one reads it for recreation or to pass time? What if he is wrong?

Sounds like a good source for Chris to answer his question.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 3:46pm: Chris Dodds, try Googling: angel + appear in the end times + four wings and four heads; those of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle. I found a lot of sites for this and haven't read them. they sound grim, scary, and would arouse fear in the faint hearted. Good luck!

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 3:45pm: Chris Dodds, try Googling:
angel + appear in the end times + four wings and four heads; those of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle.
I found a lot of sites for this and haven't read them. they sound grim, scary, and would arouse fear in the faint hearted. Good luck!