Martin54, how can we help?

Hosts, I hope this is an okay thread.

This is like the opposite of a Hell call. @Martin54, I know you’re going through a lot of stuff right now, and I’m not talking about your beliefs about religious matters. I don’t know the details and I’m not asking (if you want to share them, that’s up to you and I won’t pry). But is there anything Shipmates distant or local (wherever you are in the UK) might be able to do to help, whether practical or just to bring a smile to your face?

Sending love and hugs.

❤️🫂

Comments

  • You're a nice man, ChastMastr.
  • It's certainly a very kind and generous thought - it will be interesting to see how @Martin54 responds.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    ChastMastr wrote: »
    Hosts, I hope this is an okay thread.

    This is like the opposite of a Hell call. @Martin54, I know you’re going through a lot of stuff right now, and I’m not talking about your beliefs about religious matters. I don’t know the details and I’m not asking (if you want to share them, that’s up to you and I won’t pry). But is there anything Shipmates distant or local (wherever you are in the UK) might be able to do to help, whether practical or just to bring a smile to your face?

    Sending love and hugs.

    ❤️🫂

    You just did @ChastMastr.
    You're a nice man, ChastMastr.

    He is. As are you to say so. In all you've suffered. Which moves me.
    It's certainly a very kind and generous thought - it will be interesting to see how @Martin54 responds.

    Oh bugger. With tears. You're an awesome lot. All elevated by an idea I've lost.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    ChastMastr wrote: »
    Hosts, I hope this is an okay thread.

    This is like the opposite of a Hell call. @Martin54, I know you’re going through a lot of stuff right now, and I’m not talking about your beliefs about religious matters. I don’t know the details and I’m not asking (if you want to share them, that’s up to you and I won’t pry). But is there anything Shipmates distant or local (wherever you are in the UK) might be able to do to help, whether practical or just to bring a smile to your face?

    Sending love and hugs.

    ❤️🫂

    You just did @ChastMastr.
    You're a nice man, ChastMastr.

    He is. As are you to say so. In all you've suffered. Which moves me.
    It's certainly a very kind and generous thought - it will be interesting to see how @Martin54 responds.

    Oh bugger. With tears. You're an awesome lot. All elevated by an idea I've lost.

    Hugs you.

    ((((((((((((((((Martin54))))))))))))))))
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    Welcome back, Martin.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    edited October 3
    Martin54 wrote: »
    You're a nice man, ChastMastr.

    He is. As are you to say so. In all you've suffered. Which moves me.
    It's certainly a very kind and generous thought - it will be interesting to see how @Martin54 responds.

    Oh bugger. With tears. You're an awesome lot. All elevated by an idea I've lost.

    It's not about ideas.

    It's life, and we do care.

    ((hugs))

  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    edited October 3
    Boogie wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    You're a nice man, ChastMastr.

    He is. As are you to say so. In all you've suffered. Which moves me.
    It's certainly a very kind and generous thought - it will be interesting to see how @Martin54 responds.

    Oh bugger. With tears. You're an awesome lot. All elevated by an idea I've lost.

    It's not about ideas.

    It's life, and we do care.

    ((hugs))

    I know you do. God. Caught me out again. If I may, you are all decent, loving people, trying harder in the name of Love. The idea of Love. Having that idea appears to enable you. It's a very powerful idea. I seek the same level of effectiveness, kindness without it, not through choice, and with a secular equivalent. Epitomized by Carl Roger's (Christianity informed) unconditional positive regard expanding on Stanley Standal's of my vintage. I'm also a child of Lord of the Flies...

    I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.

    Enough to give all but the flintiest of atheists pause...
    Caissa wrote: »
    Welcome back, Martin.

    : ) thanks Caissa.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.

    I can.

    People are good and kind, by and large. Especially in a community where they've got to know each other.

    My U3A group are all atheists, some ardent and some not. All are just as caring as folk on here.

    Like I said - it's life.

    I'm not denying the awful side of human nature, just saying it's not all there is. 🙂
  • RockyRogerRockyRoger Shipmate
    edited October 3
    Most humans seem to 'hard wired' to be loving and caring, thank goodness, but do I also detect the prompting of the HS in starting this thread? I too was going to start a thread like this .... so now I'll just add my good wishes and prayers.

  • It wouldn't surprise me. Mine, too.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    Martin54 wrote: »
    <snip>I'm also a child of Lord of the Flies...<snip>
    …which, of course, was fiction, and the real event in which it was based turned out very differently.
  • I’ll throw in my caring words too @Martin54.

    I feel sure that whatever else has been abandoned, Jesus hasn’t been.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    You're all very kind. And this squeaky wheel is undeservedly oiled (HS allusion!). How is everyone doing? How are you all doing?

    Every protestation that this is not your doing reinforces the fact to me, that it is. That human nature is as broad and as deep as this and just as we can fall into the the Nietzschean crater of despair typified by Golding in his early nuclear bleak midwinter of the mind, we can climb out. Naturally. By making up, projecting our own helping hand. A sky hook. The fact that I can just about stand on my own two aching feet, under an empty but still beautiful sky is in no small part due to lifelines from others - including yourselves. Over all the years here. Through all enforced changes of mind, with a lot more to come over the next six months. A huge pruning and uprooting. Inevitably inevitably incidentally losing you all will be a wrench.

    I had a lovely conversation with a woman of the Kenyan Indian generation in the shadow of St. Mary de Castro on the way home upriver yesterday evening. One naturally avoids such interactions for a multiplicity of appropriate reasons, but we were mutually beguiled by all the young rats and importuning squirrels. I stood a body length away at right angles to her facing me, of course. I do love Leicester!

    And you all. You are part of my support network after all.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    You're all very kind. And this squeaky wheel is undeservedly oiled (HS allusion!). How is everyone doing? How are you all doing?

    Every protestation that this is not your doing reinforces the fact to me, that it is. That human nature is as broad and as deep as this and just as we can fall into the the Nietzschean crater of despair typified by Golding in his early nuclear bleak midwinter of the mind, we can climb out. Naturally. By making up, projecting our own helping hand. A sky hook. The fact that I can just about stand on my own two aching feet, under an empty but still beautiful sky is in no small part due to lifelines from others - including yourselves. Over all the years here. Through all enforced changes of mind, with a lot more to come over the next six months. A huge pruning and uprooting. Inevitably inevitably incidentally losing you all will be a wrench.

    I had a lovely conversation with a woman of the Kenyan Indian generation in the shadow of St. Mary de Castro on the way home upriver yesterday evening. One naturally avoids such interactions for a multiplicity of appropriate reasons, but we were mutually beguiled by all the young rats and importuning squirrels. I stood a body length away at right angles to her facing me, of course. I do love Leicester!

    And you all. You are part of my support network after all.

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ and 🕯
  • Boogie wrote: »
    I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.

    I can.

    People are good and kind, by and large. Especially in a community where they've got to know each other.

    My U3A group are all atheists, some ardent and some not. All are just as caring as folk on here.

    Like I said - it's life.

    I'm not denying the awful side of human nature, just saying it's not all there is. 🙂

    I just hope you aren't (in your mind) relating "the awful side of human nature" and the line between theists and atheists.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    mousethief wrote: »
    Boogie wrote: »
    I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.

    I can.

    People are good and kind, by and large. Especially in a community where they've got to know each other.

    My U3A group are all atheists, some ardent and some not. All are just as caring as folk on here.

    Like I said - it's life.

    I'm not denying the awful side of human nature, just saying it's not all there is. 🙂

    I just hope you aren't (in your mind) relating "the awful side of human nature" and the line between theists and atheists.

    If I may, I know that Boogie isn't. That dividing line is wavering in us all.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    edited October 4
    mousethief wrote: »
    Boogie wrote: »
    I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.

    I can.

    People are good and kind, by and large. Especially in a community where they've got to know each other.

    My U3A group are all atheists, some ardent and some not. All are just as caring as folk on here.

    Like I said - it's life.

    I'm not denying the awful side of human nature, just saying it's not all there is. 🙂

    I just hope you aren't (in your mind) relating "the awful side of human nature" and the line between theists and atheists.

    Goodness, no! How did you that from what I wrote?

  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    edited October 23
    From the Styx thread about @KoF's departure. An exchange between @Martin54 and me...

    Hopefully he'll come back after I'm gone.

    Are you implying you soon will be?

    The sword hangs by two threads.

    Which are?

    Failures to communicate causing host intervention.

    But you specified that there were two. Which were the two failures to communicate?
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Ah, it just hit me. You mean your two remaining chances with the mods before you get banned.

    Well, I don't think the worst-case scenario neccessarily has to be realized there, but it's not really in my hands, so...
  • I've only just seen this thread. How thoughtful of @ChastMastr to create it and good posts here all round.

    Let's hope things continue in this vein.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    @ChastMastr is a very sweet guy. But I'm not : )
  • Your past record shows that not to be the case @Martin54. You are a good egg, so istm. I want you to stay, I enjoy your presence here even though I have to try to get the gist rather than fully understand you.

    Strangely appropriate that, it occurs to me that there are parallels with faith in God.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    I mean dash it all @Raptor Eye. You moved me you blighter. And I've been a tad robust with you in the past. That's that scuppered.
  • @Martin54 As they say in the military KBO - there are good people in this world, and squirrels to watch, and random strangers who can become friends ❤
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    Aye, @TheOrganist, Churchill were right. As are you. Spoke to a squirrel yesterday. I'm turning in to Dustin Hoffman with the pigs at the end of Papillon with regard to the swans and snow geese too.
  • That all sounds good to me.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    Martin54 wrote: »
    Aye, @TheOrganist, Churchill were right. As are you. Spoke to a squirrel yesterday. I'm turning in to Dustin Hoffman with the pigs at the end of Papillon with regard to the swans and snow geese too.

    I speak to spiders. 😂
  • The_RivThe_Riv Shipmate
    edited October 24
    @Martin54, I saw this short poem by Wendy Cope this morning, and I thought of you:

    Defining the Problem

    I can't forgive you. Even if I could,
    You wouldn't pardon me for seeing through you.
    And yet I cannot cure myself of love
    For what I thought you were before I knew you.


    So there you have it. Cheers,
    T_R
  • @Martin54, as you said in this other thread...
    Wanting to be All Saintly, all I can, should, say, is, I'll miss you all when I'm gone. I'll add you all to the list : ) God already being on there.

    Martin, nothing is making you use up those final two strikes.

    The rules have been laid out saying what you need to avoid doing. (I don't know where they are currently, myself--I thought they were in the Styx. Is there a link? Regardless, I'm sure Martin has been given a copy.)

    Please just... you know, don't use them up.

    Please.
  • NenyaNenya All Saints Host, Ecclesiantics & MW Host
    ChastMastr wrote: »
    The rules have been laid out saying what you need to avoid doing. (I don't know where they are currently, myself--I thought they were in the Styx. Is there a link? Regardless, I'm sure Martin has been given a copy.)
    They are here.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    edited October 24
    Wonderful example of burden of proof.

    From the above link: "This is an extension of the existing practice of ruling anything you post about other Shipmates as personal attacks unless clearly not."
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    Styx is that way —>

    Doublethink, Admin
  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    Perhaps Martin could be offered a challenge to post in any forum six times in a row without offending anyone.
  • HarryCH wrote: »
    Perhaps Martin could be offered a challenge to post in any forum six times in a row without offending anyone.

    Well, people can be offended even if taking offense is not fair, though. And Martin has only had one strike, so he can act in a way that does not bring strikes on... conflicts or even experiencing Hell calls aren't the same thing as crossing that line.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    HarryCH wrote: »
    Perhaps Martin could be offered a challenge to post in any forum six times in a row without offending anyone.

    I actually think these threads that are ABOUT Martin kinda work out well for everyone. Martin gets to talk about his favorite topic(*) without derailing other threads, and speaking as a mostly-reader and occasional contributor, the discussions aren't entirely devoid of insight or entertainment.

    Not that I'm demanding the Ship allow threads for the sole purpose of posters to debate the pros and cons of @Martin54's presence. Though since this one remains open, and was launched in a friendly and compassionate spirit, perhaps it can keep going for those who wish to participate.

    (*) No negative judgement implied in that diagnosis. I think we're all pretty narcissistic on the internet, but Martin does seem to have a bit more of a challenge in managing it.
  • Boogie wrote: »
    mousethief wrote: »
    Boogie wrote: »
    I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.

    I can.

    People are good and kind, by and large. Especially in a community where they've got to know each other.

    My U3A group are all atheists, some ardent and some not. All are just as caring as folk on here.

    Like I said - it's life.

    I'm not denying the awful side of human nature, just saying it's not all there is. 🙂

    I just hope you aren't (in your mind) relating "the awful side of human nature" and the line between theists and atheists.

    Goodness, no! How did you that from what I wrote?

    How do you infer I did any such thing? Such a conclusion is, however, one of the possible.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    HarryCH wrote: »
    Perhaps Martin could be offered a challenge to post in any forum six times in a row without offending anyone.

    Not one he'd accept.
  • TelfordTelford Shipmate
    Martin54 wrote: »
    HarryCH wrote: »
    Perhaps Martin could be offered a challenge to post in any forum six times in a row without offending anyone.

    Not one he'd accept.

    I don't blame him. Too many are easily offended
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    HarryCH wrote: »
    Perhaps Martin could be offered a challenge to post in any forum six times in a row without offending anyone.

    Not one he'd accept.

    Not even Headlines of utter weirdness???
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