Darren

Over on Twitter I was keen to chat to people with large follower bases in order to perhaps hook in to some of that. On Mastodon I generally have no idea how many followers people have because it really isn’t important to me any more.

If someone is interesting, and their engagement good, then I’m happy to be a follower.

I’ve found almost the exact opposite.

Engagement on Lemmy is mostly fine, but I chat with people all the time on Mastodon

I think the key is to meet people on their level, to find people who share your interests and sensibilities. Follow plenty of folks and chat to them and before long you’ll have a grand little community.

I always undo my laces before taking off my trainers.

No matter how tired I am, I always take a few seconds to untie my laces, because if I don’t I’ll wear through the heels and then I’ll need new trainers.

I wonder if MAS can work through Mint, even if just to download the installer?

Might try it later.

Which one? Either would lead to remarkably different evenings.

They haven’t yet responded, so I can only assume that they died of how much they hate you. Sorry.

Drugs Are Really Excellent?

Detectorists is a masterpiece. Everything about that show is warm-hearted. Not even Lance and Andy’s rivalry with Simon and Garfunkel ever turns truly nasty.

I tried to put this on my Kobo, but it just crashed it every time.

I think Refused are one of those bands who don’t need to be big. They do their thing, then they disband for a while, work on other projects, then come back together.

Shape of Punk To Come is a straight up masterpiece. Blew my tiny mind in '98, when my world had come to revolve around whatever Epitaph and Fat Wreck were putting out.

My wife and I are finally in a place where we’re financially comfortable enough to book tickets to things. So we’re seeing Alanis Morissette in Cardiff in July, then we’re off to the Royal Albert Hall in September for a performance of Holst’s Planets.

These aren’t big things by any means, but her mobility isn’t great and our income hasn’t been amazing, so it’s nice to have something on the calendar that isn’t a reminder of a bill that needs paying.

Split Fiction came out a few days ago and is excellent. My wife and I are a good way into it already and are enjoying it every bit as much as we enjoyed It Takes Two.

Yep. Welder in a previous life, and can’t go to travelling fun fairs without casting an eye over the rides.

Yes Jeff!

Oh, you also work with my chatty manager?

I don’t necessarily think it’s underrated because it’s the underpinning of a major religion, but;

Existence is suffering.

The first noble truth of Buddhism that I don’t think enough people really grasp.

On first read, those three words sound like an angsty teen being all sad, but a deeper exploration tells us that to expect a life of ease and unending contentment is to set ourselves up for continued disappointment and anguish.

When I first really absorbed the meaning of this it actually made me feel incredible. I am alive, therefore my knee hurts. I am alive, so I’m worried for the welfare of those I love. And when I considered it even further I began to understand that this is something that connects us all, regardless of our status in the world. From the most powerful kings and presidents to those sleeping rough begging for change; we are all fundamentally the same.

For me, it’s really helped me to push through boundaries that have stopped me being more assertive with those who are more powerful than I am; managers, bosses and such. My boss worries about stuff the same way I do. It’s probably different stuff, sure, but he’s still experiencing existential pain.

I am not a Buddhist, nor am I particularly spiritual. But I take a lot of inspiration from that phrase.

I say “That’ll do pig” almost daily. It’s basically a tic for me at this point.

Hands down, Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation.

He’s a libertarian who firmly believes in his right to self-determination, but doesn’t force that view on those around him; he lets them live their own lives and is there to help them whenever they may need. I do somewhat envy his ability to ignore the meaningless bullshit around modern life, how he paddles his own canoe and strives not to be in anyone’s way.

But most importantly, he’s fond of pretty, dark haired women, and breakfast food, and who can argue with that?

When I was assessed for (and diagnosed with) ADHD when I was 39, 5 years ago, I asked the psych whether my obesity was perhaps linked to it. He replied that, “no, probably not. Most of the people I see are thin”.

This had the double whammy of making me doubt my diagnosis and consider that I’m just an irredeemable fat cunt.

Which was nice.