Friday, November 2, 2018

After Some Thought...

Well, not posting in order to try to escape some bad habits has been interesting.  I would say it worked about half-well.  The successful part was finding the sites that kept me up all night for no really good reason  But, as I sit here, I have a glass of wine at and and a pack of cigs.

Apparently, I am still stuck with wine and cigs when I'm on the computer for any longer than it takes to check email.  Old habits die hard, and sometimes don't die at all.

But less is better.  There is a difference between a pack of cigs and 2 glasses of wine vs 4 packs and a bottle.  The less is because I've stopped visiting a discussion board that kept me worked up all night and a game site that has been failing for a couple years.

The discussion board is an atheist site.  I'm an atheist, for anyone who didn't know.  I spent a lot of time there over the past 2 years.  I enjoyed the discussions and arguments, and there sharp people there on both sides.  But I realized that I wasn't changing anyone's opinion.  The other atheists just agreed with me, and the theists (ranging from creationists to philosophical believers) were as unlikely to be convinced to change their views as I was.  So there doesn't seem to be much point in debating there.

The game site was a wonderful discovery some years ago.  I joined because there were free classical games (Risk, Hearts, Backgammon, Scrabble, etc) and I enjoyed that.  Then I discovered that, by joining the site for a modest fee, I could play more dedicated gamers and earn a rating.  That interested me. 

But the site is losing paying members (who normally feel a duty to complete a game) and the free players just leave the instant they aren't winning.  I just received an email notice that my annual membership is up for renewal.  I think I'll give it one more year, but I suspect that will be the last.  Which is a shame, because I really worked for all those rating points.  Still, nothing lasts forever.

I've been busy while I was away.  Not staying up all night meant I slept better and was more active in the daytime.  I'll post about that soon, by project. 

I've decided I enjoy posting about things I actually do myself that mean something around the house and yard than arguing with intractable people about topics that will never be resolved or playing games that don't mean much.

3 comments:

Megan said...

Yaaaay. Welcome back. You were missed.

Aetheists discussion group: I agree that debating some things isn't helpful in persuading people to change their point of view. But it can be helpful in clarifying your own thinking and in hearing other people who are of like mind explain how they arrived at the same opinion as you hold - ie. they may have come from a very different direction.

Have you ever considered joining a local Dungeons and Dragons group? Not a player myself, but my stepson has been playing for almost 40 years and still loves it.

Megan
Sydney, Australia

AnnDee said...

Mark, I'm looking forward to reading about your projects. I've missed you, and I apologize for not emailing you.

Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs said...

I am glad you have figured out some of those things which were causing you to feel out of sorts or bad about yourself.
And even more glad to know you are back to blogging. Though we don't always comment too quickly we do read your blog(s) and enjoy reading about you and your cats and your 'doings', etc.

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