Welcome to The Hairy Bear: The Witcher Off-Topic [Archived]

[StaGiors]

Yeah that's what I thought. I told her that she can call me any time, since we live quite far away from each other. But it's weird that I feel that I can't really do much.

Tough lives some people live. Makes you think that you do not really have it so bad. Ah anyway.

 

[Unkindled]

Shit. I'm dropping 1k to play videogames on a computer, and these poor fools have never even tasted chocolate? Damn.

Damn. That's quite the difference in money. And we're sitting here complaining about the economy.

edit: I mean, I guess I already figured this, but I just never even thought about it.

 

[volsung]

Well didn't Microsoft coin the term PC for their Hardware with Windows installed? Anyway most people associate PC with Windows (Microsoft Computers) as they do Mac with MacOS (Apple Computers), but of course you don't necessarily have to MacOS on Mac (Hackintosh, etc...).

I don't think M$ coined it in the sense that they came up with it. It would more likely be associated to IBM-PC, which back then was a different architecture. Their computers ran a range of OS's including MS-DOS. What set them apart from, say, Amiga or Tandy or Apple, was their architecture. Nowadays PC is simply Personal Computer so a few of us argue that since such differences do not exist anymore, all home desktop and laptop computers are PCs regardless of their operating system. Non PC computers would be mobile architectures like tablets or specialized supercomputers, computing clusters and so on. This has come up before, I think there might even be q thread for it.

They seem happy though, and I don't know that much about what goes on in the world of these people, but it does make me realize how lucky we are.

Are we though? Most tribes or troops that still live mostly from farming, hunting, fishing, etc. spend more time with their families and work less hours than we do. Their economy is based on survival and not exploitation or accumulation. Our societies expect people to give their life for a job that makes somebody else rich and promotes inequality of resource distribution. We have unprecedented levels of heart and digestive issues and our lives may be long but riddled with allergies, mental conditions, cancer, etc.

I'm not saying we have to return to tribal mode but just maybe we are not THAT lucky. Just maybe the direction we've taken isn't THAT great. But at least we do have chocolate

 

[Briella]

Damn. That's quite the difference in money. And we're sitting here complaining about the economy.

I'd still say it's relative though, as in 7 euros to them in itself is a whole lot more than it is to us (even though it's still skewed). If you look at the bigger image you're right of course.

Are we though? Most tribes or troops that still live mostly from farming, hunting, fishing, etc. spend more time with their families and work less hours than we do. Their economy is based on survival and not exploitation or accumulation. Our societies expect people to give their life for a job that makes somebody else rich and promotes inequality of resource distribution. We have unprecedented levels of heart and digestive issues and our lives may be long but riddled with allergies, mental conditions, cancer, etc.

Oh, you're definitely right, althought I'd say these people are in a sense being exploited anyway, by "us". There's a certain charm to their way of living though, and I was using the word "lucky" in a very broad sense. Some people would just call them dumb, poor and uneducated, but at least they are not as spoiled as "we" are and they are more satisfied with less (using "us" and "we" carefully to avoid too much generalizing ). But yeah, when it comes to the living for a job bit (and especially the pressure that puts people under nowadays), I'm completely agreeing with you. Like I said, we're completely spoiled in every way. But...

at least we do have chocolate

Yesss.

 

[Unkindled]

Honestly, I'd rather live a life with cheeseburgers, steak and vidya where I'll have to work day by day for some rich fat cat here, than one where I do the same, just with the boss further away and minus those luxuries.

And we still largely see our families even if it's not nearly as much, though that is one major point for a farmer's lifestyle. It is indeed relative. The biggest point I think is that they can appreciate more than we can. There's some people living these lives with their families and they're perfectly happy, while we have people with all this good food and tech taking depression pills and upset because they can't drive their wives to a five star restaurant in a BMW...

We're definitely lucky, but we just take it all for granted because we're so used to wealth. What I take from it is there's good to be found almost anywhere if you think about it. But one thing I know is I doubt many of us would trade our situation for someone else's.

 

[wichat]

One of my really good friend's dad has cancer. She just found out. And she recently broke up with her boyfriend. They were together for like 3 years.

I really have no clue on what to say to her. What does one say?

Sit beside her when she is silent and hug her firmly about 20 seconds (5 slow breaths) and tell her in the same silent that she's not alone, and whatever she do you'll be there.

Cancer patients often feel guilty for causing undeserved pain to their loved ones. Relieve them of this false sense helps them cope better with their decisions and day to day, which suddenly becomes their biggest and most terrible challenge. It won't be easy for her to see it that way. As her family.

Be strong, Stav, cause she no need compassion, but true friendship. No doubt you're the best person to give it to her.

 

[volsung]

Yeah we're too comfortable to change our lifestyles radically, but it makes you reconsider what we think is quality of life. Family time, fresh organic produce, no government surveillance, just saying.

Of course those cocoa bean farmers are not exactly tribal. They provide a luxury product for civilized (in the proper sense, ie living in cities) societies who pay them next to nothing in return. I'm talking about real tribal like in the old days. Of course now we've multiplied like vermin and overcome all natural predators, so we can sleep in peace.

Brielle is right about money being relative. First of all money is a cultural construct and it really is worth nothing except what we trade it for. Same with jewels and metals, their value is symbolic. If you harvest most of what you eat you don't really need all that money.

But of course we've been brainwashed into needing a lot of useless crap and we "need" money for it. Not fully complaining though, I like my computing and my games.

 

[Briella]

Honestly, I'd rather live a life with cheeseburgers, steak and vidya where I'll have to work day by day for some rich fat cat here, than one where I do the same, just with the boss further away and minus those luxuries.

They don't know who they're working for and why, though, which is another reason why they might not feel too bothered about it (doesn't make it less unfair).

Completely agree with everything else though, also with @.Volsung. !

 

[shinobi2u]

One of my really good friend's dad has cancer. She just found out. And she recently broke up with her boyfriend. They were together for like 3 years.

I really have no clue on what to say to her. What does one say?

Really, really sorry to hear that, StaG. I think @Blothulfur summed it up best, just be there for her and support her the best you can. If you can find words, great, but try to just listen to her as much as you can and don't force it. Do you know what kind of cancer it is?

 

[StaGiors]

Really, really sorry to hear that, StaG. I think @Blothulfur summed it up best, just be there for her and support her the best you can. If you can find words, great, but try to just listen to her as much as you can and don't force it. Do you know what kind of cancer it is?

It's lung cancer. Some doctors told my friend (she is a Med student) that there's 90 percent chances of it spreading. Which is bad. They will do some tests next week I think.

Hopefully everything will be fine. I think that right now, it's the not knowing that is worse. Once they get into following a certain plan, I think it will be a bit better. I told her that and she seems to agree.

 

[Blothulfur]

It's lung cancer. Some doctors told my friend (she is a Med student) that there's 90 percent chances of it spreading. Which is bad. They will do some tests next week I think.

Hopefully everything will be fine. I think that right now, it's the not knowing that is worse. Once they get into following a certain plan, I think it will be a bit better. I told her that and she seems to agree.

One good thing about the lungs is that you don't actually need a full set to breathe, they're enormously efficient. My brother had a part of each lung removed at the age of eight, because of damp, unhealthy living conditions in our little Coal corporation house, and he now runs Marathons. He does produce a lot of bile and phlegm though. He almost died in the operations but that was back in the 60's.

 

[Mataresa]

One of my really good friend's dad has cancer. She just found out. And she recently broke up with her boyfriend. They were together for like 3 years.

I really have no clue on what to say to her. What does one say?

Just stay with her and continue to be her friend. Don't need to do anything special, just be there, if she needs you. Worst thing that happened to me was people leaving, cause they didn't know how to deal with the situation and avoiding me.

 

[ReptilePZ]

It really depends on the person. Whenever I've had to deal with heavy stuff, I preferred to be left alone and deal with it on my own. But I also know a lot of people that find great comfort in others when something like this happens. As others have suggested, making her aware you're there for her, but not overdoing it, is probably the best thing you can do.

Anyway, sorry to hear that, Sta.

 

[StaGiors]

One good thing about the lungs is that you don't actually need a full set to breathe, they're enormously efficient. My brother had a part of each lung removed at the age of eight, because of damp, unhealthy living conditions in our little Coal corporation house, and he now runs Marathons. He does produce a lot of bile and phlegm though. He almost died in the operations but that was back in the 60's.

See, she saw his scans, and along with a radiologist, they spotted multiple dots. They might be wrong, but they don't really think they are. So yeah.

I mean they might be wrong, and the man will be fine, but I can't be someone that gives false hope. Anyway she's smart enough to understand the situation, so anything I say is pretty much of no use.

Like you said, I can only sit back and let her talk when she needs to. Or make her laugh occasionally.

 

[Damariel]

I'm kiling time... nothing gets my attention for more than 10 minutes for some reason...

 

[Briella]

See, she saw his scans, and along with a radiologist, they spotted multiple dots. They might be wrong, but they don't really think they are. So yeah.

I mean they might be wrong, and the man will be fine, but I can't be someone that gives false hope. Anyway she's smart enough to understand the situation, so anything I say is pretty much of no use.

Like you said, I can only sit back and let her talk when she needs to. Or make her laugh occasionally.

I understand what you mean. You said she's a medical student, right? So she knows quite a bit about how bad things probably are.
But even though false hope is never a great thing, losing hope isn't good either.
But from what you're telling us, it's for sure that you're doing all you can and being a great friend to her

 

[Briella]

@Damariel Alunnar That kitty is adorable and it's distracting me! (I'm supposed to be studying...)

Motivation please! Anyone got some motivation for sale?

 

[Damariel]

@Damariel Alunnar That kitty is adorable and it's distracting me! (I'm supposed to be studying...)

Motivation please! Anyone got some motivation for sale?

 

[TemerianGirl]

It's lung cancer.

My granddad died from this nasty thing in age of 71. If he wouldn't smoke too much he might live a more long than this. He was very depressed after the fall of USSR and losing job at the factory where he spent entire life and all of his passion. He was a lead engineer-constructor and a chess grosmeister of Yaroslavl'

My mother was very upset when doctors said, that this desease slowly killing him, and there is no way it can be stopped, because it was too late do do anything with the last stage.

When she cried I'm hugged her very tight and said "Don't cry mum, everything will be alright, I'm with you and always will be" and she smiled and said that I'm silly and hugged me too. We didn't saved our granddad, and every time when she cried I'm hugged her and she become calm.

Since then I know, that hug is a very powerfull spell of calming.

P.S. I was a kid when it happened, and I wasn't very scared of this. Childrens perceive death differently than adults... Now, remembering these times, gives me shivers actually.

By the way... Hairy Bear growing so fast! So many new pages.

 

[wichat]

The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds.
When a hug lasts 20 seconds, a therapeutic effect on the body and mind occurs.

The reason is that a sincere hug produces a hormone called "oxytocin", also known as the love hormone. This substance has many benefits for our physical and mental health, which helps us, among other things, to relax, to feel safe and calm our fears and anxiety.

Dr. David Spiegel of Stanford University, California, USA is a pioneer in observing the correlation between longevity and therapeutic support group for women with metastatic breast cancer. According to their research, the embrace as emotional support improved quality of life and reduced pain in many patients. But more revealing is that the pain has shown that not only was reduced by 50%, but patients lived twice (the women in the control group lived an average of 18.9 months, whereas the group receiving therapy support lived 36.6 months).