Hey.  You doing alright?  I'm not down, but not real UP either.  Herman Cain has replaced neil Boortz, my favorite radio host.  Cain was bashing atheists and blaming the recent killing in Connecticut on us, saying we keep religion/God out of public life.  I NEVER told anypone to stop praying...YET.  This is pissing me off enought to sue our local gov't to stop praying before each public meeting.  Pray in you f'ing cars, people>   Say a silent prayer.  Stop wasting time, you hypocrites!  They are all liars and cheaters in our local gov't...prayer hasn't helped them!!!

Hey Leonard, we want you back !

Les Athées Napoléonienne

I'm going today to buy a $13 lightbulb from Walmart that has almost 3900 lumens, which is about the brightest one can buy for an ordinary table lamp.  Most table lamps take up to 100 watts only, no higher.  Anyway, this buld is great to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder/SAD, a type of depression.  I've been looking for something like this bulb for a while and didn't wanna buy a special lamp just to accomidate the bulb.  If ya' can, get it and read in front of it an hour every day.  Morning is best, if possible.

How are you doing Leonard? -Anything new going on?

I came up with this "official statement" to practice. it helps: 

I choose to conduct my life NOT following FAIRY-TALES. I feel it is fine for others to do so -as long as they are not passing laws or hurting people because of them.

Hi Leonard! Hope things are turning around for you! Welcome!

Check this out Leonard, there's a recent post on here from a news company looking for stories of people ostracized for leaving religion. Maybe you'd have something to say?

Thomas Sole, Percy julian (or was it Julian Percy?), and Herman Cain all wrote books.  These are all very intelligent black men who have succeeded in life.  The latter will unfortunately be Christian.  Also read Neil Degrasse Tyson...we atheists LOVE him.. he's also on PBS/Nova.

He's right about the window washing...all you need is $10 worth of tools and a can-do attitude.

Get out in the sun or at least try to sit by a very bright window.  We evolved in sunlight and it affects our brains through the chemical melatonin. It is So hard to make yourself eat right and/or exercise, but when depressed, you really need it.  You MUST take a walk daily, even if you have no shoes!

Sometimes, when I'm down and scared that I won't succeed at a job inteview, I force myself to re-read a list I've made of all of my good qualities and of all of the victories, even small ones, that I've had.  Most of my family is either negative and so I don't speak with them anymore.  My list helps!    Being unemployed is hard and a bit lonely.  I find myself talking to stranger too much.  Some get annoyed with me.  Just remember that the REAL unemployment number is FAR greater than what the news says.  So many are VERY under-employed, too, making no where near what they ade 5 yrs ago.  I had two jobs that din't wanna even pay me minimum wage, but I felt that I had to stay there because I needed the tiny bit of money I did make there.  One place cheated me out of my last paycheck (about $40). 

     We ust experience downs in order to appreciate the UPS.  If I had known in my 20's what I know now, I'd have worked 5X more and spent 10X less!  I'd have ignored the users who I allowed to use me and focused instead on making money and educating myself.  I'm slowly trying to study now to go to college.  Just can't make up my mind what field. 

I run a carpet cleaning biz and that costs something to start. But if I had to start something on a shoe string budget right now... the apartment complexes are always crying for professional cleaners.  And I've always thought professional window washing of houses was cool -mostly just a squeegee, bucket and ladder.

Leonard, hang in there.

Leonard, welcome to a group of people who asked similar questions as you, discussed, compared, contrasted our different life experiences and many of us found that seeing no evidence of a god made good sense. We are not all alike, nor do we all believe the same things. Our common thread is questioning, exploring, thinking and finding our own ways through all the chaos. 

Greetings fellow Texan! Welcome to the site!