Happy Holidays to all...

Happy Holidays to all from everyone's favorite box of blinky lights. See you all on Monday. I'll still be checking occasionally for comments that need to be released from the moderation queue but won't be particularly active otherwise.

Until then, I leave you with Tim Minchin:

More like this

Due to some rather obnoxious putrid trolls, went back to commenter moderation. No big deal, I'll let all comments through as long as they aren't abusive nor spam. Also, while I'll be checking in, I'm taking the week off blogging until I get back to the US on the 26th. This is because my family is…
Every time I do a tidbits post, I think to myself, "gosh, that was a lot of tidbits; I'll never fill up the queue again." Every time, I'm wrong. The climate-data scandal staggers on: Gavin Baker has another great summary post, from which I particularly appreciated the Climategate article. We also…
Well, QEDCon is over, and this box of blinky lights is on its way back across the pond to its home in the US, having had an excellent time imbibing skepticism from its (mostly) British and European partners in skepticism. Before I left, I made a somewhat cryptic remark about "major changes" to this…
I'm off to Egypt later on today to attend my cousin's wedding. I probably won't have access to the internet for the 8 days that I'm there, so I've scheduled some posts for next week: the essay I've just submitted for my Masters will be appearing in a series of four posts, starting on Monday.…

Merry Christmas Orac! Enjoy your well deserved break.

By capnkrunch (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

With all those blinking lights I think you'd make a very colorful ornament for a christmas tree. Enjoy the holiday!

Because 15yo fine oak cask is far more clinically significant than the EtOH they told us about in ochem ;)

Merry Christmas, Orac and minions!

A music video! Cool.

A very Midwestern Happy Holidays to you too.

By Not a Troll (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

@ Orac, minions, and non-minions:

Q. What did Adam say to Eve the day before Christmas

A. Merry Christmas Eve

By Michael J. Dochniak (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

A N D

A fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2016, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere,) and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or sexual preference of the wishee.

(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)

And now, a little Grateful Dead -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn9v4KS7FMA
Pigpen singing Run Rudolph Run at Madison Square Garden on 12/7/71

Have you noticed how the days are getting longer (if you live north of the Equator)?

By Mephistopheles… (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

If anybody's in the mood for Viktor Tsoy, I'm hanging out in a down-home fried chicken type bar. Um, possibly somebody gets what I am saying.

Vlad Vysotsky (former self) had me running way too fast with the gypsies for a minute, almost over the edge, so I had to give old Viktor a call. She's pretty sexy. Coming back down to earth now, I think.

Michigan loses sometimes, too, just BTW. Somebody told me this in a bar very recently.

Did Viktor Tsoy invent the sauce?

By Mephistopheles… (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

Happy wotsit all.

By Rich Scopie (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

Did Viktor Tsoy invent the sauce?

This is entirely possible. :)

Just BTW, Wikipedia says that Vysotsky was Jewish, but I have read his biography in Russian and he was half Gypsy, and probably some other bits and pieces in there as well. Perhaps somebody who's feeling a little bit calmer and knows his or her way around Wikipedia could rectify that at some point. I'm available for references, of course.

Oh well, I survived the solstice so I imagine I'll survive this as well.
Have fun, oh minions: enjoy your philty pharma lucre.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate - or simply enjoy a few days off, if you can.

I have just been introduced to the H.P. Lovecraft and their Very Scary Solstice album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbzuzSbCyfQ

Wikipedia says that [Vladimiri] Vysotsky was Jewish

I only rate for Lev Vygotsky.

By herr doktor bimler (not verified) on 24 Dec 2015 #permalink

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and whatever you enjoy, have a great holiday to all the minions.

Orac - enjoy the MI weather (!) and have an enjoyable break with your family and loved ones.

I still have a crush on Paul Darrow...

Happy holidays, merry Christmas to all.

BTW, JP, since you seem to be into Soviet bards at the moment, have you listened to Bulat Okudzhava yet? For example this: https://youtu.be/xoRjh-pf5C0

Of COURSE I know Okudzhava, jeeeeeeez. ;)

Carolyn @ 19

I still have a crush on Paul Darrow…

Me too. Avon was always a very reluctant hero...

By Aunt Benjy (not verified) on 25 Dec 2015 #permalink

Ever since discovering your blog I've wondered whether your nom de plume was referring to that omniscient little computer from Blake's 7. I still love that power-down noise it makes. But IIRC, though it was very smart it was also a bit timid, whereas you are much more intrepid, like Blake. But I can understand why you would choose Orac - his character is just more fun. Anyway, keep up the struggle against quackery. You are greatly appreciated and needed.

At any rate, my holiday gift to Orac's magnificent minions was NOT mentioning any of the horrible tripe that I've read or heard over the past few days
( No need to thank me- it's all part of my job)
such as AoA's ( Kim's?) and Mikey's pathetic parodies of a seasonal poem and
BS about the Establishment cyber-carpet bombing prn.fm to "stop their Truth from being heard" or such like.*Y mucho mas*.
Today Dan ( AoA) returns to his Saturday/ Weekend (fish) Wrap. One of our own is mentioned for his comments.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 26 Dec 2015 #permalink

At any rate, my holiday gift to Orac’s magnificent minions was NOT mentioning any of the horrible tripe that I’ve read or heard over the past few days

Some Gypsy bankrobbers in Pakistan (I think) were trying to burn my nervous system out by yelling at me in all caps. I think I set them straight, though.

Then there were the lazy writers who wouldn't stop f*cking stop talking about stupid easy ways to make money.

It's not like I ever even gave much of a sh!t about money anyways. I mean, jeez, obviously.

Ahh, those Pakistanis probably weren't really trying to do anything so wrong. Just didn't know good Netiquette at the time or something.

I think I sort of had the hardest road, to be honest. You know, genocide of indigenous peoples, then the salt in the wound of shoving us onto reservations. Slavery, etc. Welfare, which wasn't a bad idea at the time, but jeeez, it's pretty hard to make anything of your life on the rez.

And they've almost all been trying to waste the trannies, too. I mean, come one, what a stupid thing to do. Any good mechanic'll tell you that. Debts to be repaid, blah blah blah. I'm pretty sure I never had any in the first place, anyway. I mean, jeez, think about it, you guys.

Boxing Day's pretty cool, though. The Canadians come up with fun things.

Oh wait, Alaska, though. Kind of, like, the best of the rest, you know? I mean, like, whatever, you know, it rhymes.

:)

Carry on, then. Merry Christmas or Happy Boxing Day or whatever the f*ck it is you people are celebrating. Jehovah's Witnesses kind of kick it old school, or something, you know. It's sort of lame that they don't celebrate hardly any holidays, but in fact, I learned a pretty neat tradition from them of giving people gifts just for the heck of it. You know, for fun, so grandmas who don't celebrate birthdays can join in and stuff.

Doobie Brothers, Long Train Running: good song. Just sayin'.

Weimar Germany always seemed like a good time, honestly. And the Soviet Union in certain periods, like the 20s and the 60s through sort of the late 80s and early 90s.

At one point I did mention Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits, but I'm obviously not the one who set this whole thing in motion. I don't know who, really. So, you know, whatever, man.

United States kept it old school, along with Mexico and Canada, yeah, but geez guys, just cool it already. I just need a beer and a smoke break or something.

Go have fun already, minions. On the Internet, here at RI, whatever, seriously, you know I'll be around. Whatever. I stop in from time to time. Like a little Jewish leprechaun or something. Just some guy I met once, seemed pretty cool, Omry Ronen, you can look him up on the Web.

-JP

ONE MORE THING, because I get to keep talking too, obviously, when I want to. I have a very good friend from Bosnia, his dad's a Serb, his mom's from Croatia. In the States know, obviously, you know, the war and all. But see, when the family was split up, his dad kept in touch over the radio. Transistor radio or something like that.

^In the States, now, you know, is about what I had meant to say.

^^Omry always used to sort of wink at me and hint that he thought I was a good Catholic girl for some reason. Possibly because I used to sometimes wear gold necklaces on the inside of my shirt, but the main one was actually just a souvenir from Krakow with a star of David as the "charm." Plus he thought I must have gone to a Catholic school because I knew the Bible so well, but as I told him, no, I've always gone to state schools. Just, you know, pretty good ones. ;)

Yo, maybe we could scrub that part about genocide and slavery. That's some f*cked up shit there, just sayin'. I mean, just make sure the real jerks know what they did. Ya know.

Festivus greetings and best wishes, Orac, minions, and MJD, too.

Gypsies:
I lived in Chicago (Bucktown) for a yea in early 90s, doing a 'visiting' prof gig at Loyola. I probably shouldn't have been working, as i was too depressed, but I needed the income. My car had been sideswiped while parked, I didn't have collision insurance, and couldn't afford to get it fixed right. One day I stop at the Target on Elston, and there's a couple guys driving around the parking lot in a old white car. They approach me, roll down the window and the guy says he's a bodyman who can fix my car up like new, on the street, for a very low price. Dumb arse that I was, I think 'what the heck', and agree. They called themselves gypsy bodymen, which I took to mean they didn't have a home shop but just travelled around parking lots looking for work. Later, I learned that besides that, they were literally Gypsies. Many 'repair sessions' followed, the work not looking as promised, or at all professional, and always needing something else to do, and another (cash) payment. But the guys were colorful, and interesting in their style of con-game. In the end, I chalked up the expense as a kind of entertainment/education experience of urban culture.

There was a 70s rock band called Gypsy from Minneapolis. None of the members were ethnic Gypsies. The lead singer was named Enrico Rosenbaum. I don't know why his parents gave him that first name, they were both survivors of the death camps. I thought Gypsy was really good, but they never got the right promotion, and didn't make it. Rosenbaum got hooked on sack and died young. All their albums are on YT. The first is the best, kicking off with their signature suite, 'Gypsy Queen':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SqqKY1CrYA

OH HEY
IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE SOME MONEY
IN MY ACCOUNT
AND SOME TIME AND SPACE
TO MYSELF
WITH NOONE WATCHING FOR ONCE
THANKS ALREADY
GUYS

....Jeez, stupid f*cking Kaffirs.

It's almost like they think American women don't know how to be SECURITY MINDED or something.

Stupid mother-f*ckers. I mean, honestly. Seriously.

Hmm. I guess it looks like I pretty much won.

You can look it all up on Facebook, more or less, under the name "Yoru Teruhiko." I was thinking about the name "Yoru Tetsuhiro" - you know, names are all pretty random when it comes down to it, like TIME ZONES - but it seemed like kind of a BRAGGARDLY choice at the time, because I know I'm not really a HERO, kind of a ZERO, you know, a REGULAR GUY, like ME AND YOU, and least the way we kick it here in AMERICA, THE HOME OF THE PROUD AND FREE AND BRAVE AND WHATEVER.

INDIAN BRAVES FIGHT TOUGHER, BITCHES.

-JP

Oh, PS:

It just so turns out that ADBLOCKING addons, you know, whichever you PREFER, are a really good idea. Glad we THOUGHT THAT ONE UP.

Also, just in case you've been feeling a little out of it lately, you can turn the comments section off and on by entering and exiting the "read" mode, roughly speaking, you know what I mean.

Have fun, be safe, happy holidays!

Yoru Teruhiko: It is a cool name. I sort of just found it lying around.

The first name was some hard work. It rhymes with the name of a good Buddhist friend of mine, Haru, sort of. But I was still hearing some sort of Japanese jangly song in my heard that brought it all together a little bit. I never even watched much anime or anything, I swear. I mean, it seems like fun, but a lot of it is silly.

The surname was totally random. I found it lying around in Google.

Still JP, though, when I wanna be!

Oh: And Abbey Road. Cool record, just sayin'. Always liked that one. I used to annoy the sh!t out of my brother, Jason, by playing it over and over and over again when I was about 3 years old until I almost wore the grooooooves down.

Pretty f*ckin' innocent, ya gotta admit, when it comes down to it.

Not too innocent, though. Duh.

;)

THAT'S WHY OLD TIME INDIANS ARE ALLOWED TO SMOKE, GUYS.

AND DRINK.

DUH.

...

*mice drop*

The stupid Kaffirs do still seem to be snooping around, though, so please do be safe, for real. Duct tape over your webcam is a good idea. Personally, I have used rainbow-colored packaging tape. :)

Check your homes for bugs, in the literal and metaphorical sense. You know what I mean. I know it sounds a little Soviet, but I'm pretty f*cking savvy that way.

-JP

Benjamin Paloff says: This is the Game for Real,

But Jamie says: It's not a Joke.

Just in case you were wondering.

I mean, if you think about it, we're all Indians from way back, of course. Me in particular from several particularly hardy tribes, which is why I GET TO party hardy IF I WANT TO, THANKS JEWS. ;)

(You know we love you guys, too, DUH.)

Still don't think it's a Joke, though, I mean it is, but it's not, you know, so still say safe, don't let the bed-bugs bite!

ALL I GOTTA SAY MY FRIENDS, STAY AERODYNAMIC!

;)

And, you know, etc., blah blah blah. You know me.

Happy hunting grounds, motherf*ckers.

;)

I saw this poem and I had to share it here.

"Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house,
everyone felt sh!tty,
even the mouse.

Mom at the br0thel,
dad smoking grass;
I'd just settle down
for a nice piece of @ss.

Out on the lawn,
I heard such a clatter.
I sprung from my bed
to see what was the matter.

When out on the lawn,
I saw a big dick.
I knew in a minute,
it must be St. Nick.

He came down the chimney
like a bat out of hell.
I knew in an instant,
the f###er had fell.

He stuffed all our stockings
with ciggies and beer,
and a big rubber dild0
for my brother the queer.

He rose up the chimney
with a thunderous fart.
that son of a b1tch
blew my chimney apart.

He swore and he cursed
as he rode away,
piss on you all
and have a hell of a day."

By Julian Frost (not verified) on 26 Dec 2015 #permalink

Thanks guys, I like that poem. I still don't feel very well to be honest, kind of shaky. Maybe you guys can help take care of me, or like, find some people who can or whatever, I mean, you know, whatever, I've already found a lot, blahblahblah. Literally and metaphorically, including SUBSTANCES, jeez. Oh Petes.

Dear JP,

Could you please take your meds? (Lithium at least, pretty please?).

Al

That was a very uncool thing to say. How would you react if I said that to you?

Nope. Not today, sorry.

(Original) Gypsy's gotta do what a Gypsy's gotta do, ya know?

So, who wants Chinese food?

@Alain:

Done and done. No biggie, two at a time twice per day, as the doctor ordered. You know, he's pretty smart too. Even if I'm just a liiiitle savvier in a certain way. ;)

JP,

Some unsolicited advice to take or leave.

There are a number of psychiatric medications where lab values are extremely important. I have huge issues with electronic medical records but I am very appreciative of the MyChart service that allows me to see my lab results.

I don't panic at what I see in the lab results but there are times when I've asked my doctor what a certain lab level means. I consider his educating me on this one of the things I pay him for and I hope he enjoys the teaching opportunity.

By Not a Troll (not verified) on 27 Dec 2015 #permalink

Since the holiday season is dissipating rapidly even as I speak.....

I will deliver a new load of mind-boggling, foetid claptrap from Mike Adams
( Natural News) wherein he reviews the year from his highly suspect vantage point and predicts the future.

You can either read and weep or listen to his ( 73 minute) expanded edition ( which I did).

We face "collapse... strife... clash... hard times... civil war.. revolution" and the rise of alt media because
" people are tired of being lied to".**

Soon a university degree will lead to its holder being rejected for careers. He may require his future employees to be free of that qualification as he expands his presence.
Its absence also guarantees Mike plenty of readers.

** heh

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 27 Dec 2015 #permalink

@ JP:

These things take time.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 27 Dec 2015 #permalink

You can either read and weep or listen to his ( 73 minute) expanded edition ( which I did).

Denice, hat tip to you. Not sure I could make it through even 3 minutes of listening to him.

On Twitter Dr. Gorski kept us apprised of at least one idiocy of the DangerRanger. All about the origin of Chiptole's E. coli issues. And it's one of the wackest stretches of imagination that I have heard of in a long time.

By Not a Troll (not verified) on 27 Dec 2015 #permalink

@ Not a Troll:

You know, somebody has to point out what's wrong on the internet- might as well be me.
Mike's musings have entertainment value but like those of the other loon, his pronouncements reek of desperation.

In other news...
I learn from a fashion source that tee shirts printed
" WILD INSOLENT FOREVER" are appearing in Paris...

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 27 Dec 2015 #permalink

Orac: "That was a very uncool thing to say."

It is. Though some of us worry about her, but do know she is getting care and these things take time.

JP, stay excellent and in good health. You contribute many good things to this blog.

Orac,

I agree that it wasn't cool but I was worried about the tone lability in the number of comments.

Better phrased, I would have asked how JP was doing and if I can do something to help.

As for my meds, I wouldn't mind and do you remember the event where I made a ruckus some 10 years ago with the neuroscience phd student here on SB? That definitely was an occasion where I'd have minded with the suggestion but not today (if something similar occurred with me).

Still, JP, please accept my excuses.

Alain

JP: I wish you well.

I know JP only from words posted here, and occasionally on that other blog. I have never met JP in real life, nor do I have any idea where in real life I might physically find JP.

Orac @55

That was a very uncool thing to say. How would you react if I said that to you?

I took Alain’s comment as a publicly stated voice of concern from a fellow commenter.

Reading JP’s words in the last few weeks and especially these last few days, I see a person in crisis. And I am concerned. I’m not the only one. But I find myself at a loss for words that could go beyond platitudes. And I’m clearly not alone on this, either.

At least Alain spoke up.

Again, to JP: I wish you well.

No problem, guys.

Hey, funny thing: shamans are allowed to smoke inside sometimes. I mean, mostly in our own apartments and so on, we're pretty cool like that, but I did used to smoke in bars and taverns in Russia fairly often.

I'm heading out West for a vacation, but ya know, I'll be around.

;)

-JP

@ JP:

Hey, take care.
I understand they smoke various substances in Washington, indoors and out
but really-

" The west is the best...get here, we'll do the rest"
Jim Morrison

-btw- in that other den of psychoactive substance, Northern Cali, people relax, no traffic problems, go with the flow...might be a good thing.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 28 Dec 2015 #permalink

Not entirely OT as it IS a holiday gift.. of sorts...

it seems that the lovely Andy Wakefield ( see his twit account) will again be appearing on a Conspira-sea Cruise in about 4 weeks. ( Ruby Princess)

He will be joined by Drs Tenpenny and Bark, anti-GMO activist Jeffrey Smith, libertarians, futurists, astrologers, paranormal investigators, chemtrail mavens, Aids 'whistleblowers' and UFO experts.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 28 Dec 2015 #permalink

@DW et al. re above
Ship of fools...
(I know, I know, obvious)

Is the cruise in the Bermuda Triangle by any chance?

Is anyone else nostalgic about the fuss over the Bermuda Triangle that fizzed? Nah, me neither!

By Jane Ostentatious (not verified) on 28 Dec 2015 #permalink

JP, I'm fairly new here, but please take care of yourself.

You'd be surprised by how many people care.

By Jane Ostentatious (not verified) on 28 Dec 2015 #permalink

” The west is the best…get here, we’ll do the rest”
Jim Morrison

Yeah, I've been trying to get out there, but some of my darned worry-wort friends here in Michigan don't seem too keen on letting me leave for a while, for some reason. Don't they get that people can come and go as they please, at least the coolest ones?

I mean, in the literal, physical sense, also.

Jeez. Some people, will they ever learn?

-JP

@ Jane Ostentatious:

No, it's from Los Angeles to Mexico.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 29 Dec 2015 #permalink

@ JP:

I think that the worriers feel that your doc is in Michigan so if you needed to see someone when you were in the west, there would be crazy paperwork and phone tag- both of which are bothersome so staying where you are temporarily might be EASIER to do. But it's basically up to you.

And you are definitely one of the coolest ones.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 29 Dec 2015 #permalink

@ THS:

For sure it is,

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 29 Dec 2015 #permalink

Merry belated Christmas and happy early New Year.

Lemmy died. The world is suddenly a little less interesting.

The man's exploits are the stuff of legend, but I think my favourite is that he managed to get himself booted from Hawkwind...for doing too much/many drugs. That one still makes me chortle.

Later, Mr. Delphine will take Delphinette out in the snow, and I will play No Sleep 'til Hammersmith at a volume which justifies the mortgage on our detached home.

I suppose the most amazing thing is that he made it to 70. And then cancer and I'm sure cancer went, "where the f$ck am I and what the f$ck have I done?!" Cancer didn't kill Lemmy, Lemmy killed cancer.

Go give God a migraine, Lemmy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdC0QtR_Kwc

About reactions to JP's posts:

None of us know the 'real' Jamie, but we know and like the cyberspace persona JP enough to care about the human being behind it. We know Jamie's had some kind of recent hospitalization related to psych stuff, and we are now seeing a string of comments from JP that contain references we don't understand, and are apparently unrelated to the threads. It's easy enough to guess, as Alain appears to have, that JP's comments are expressions of her 'issues'. But AFAIK, Jamie hasn't shared any diagnoses she's received, or what sort of treatment plan she may have been given. And even if she did drop hints that she might or might not be following said plan, those 'self-reports' may not be reliable.

I think Alain stepped in some poo with "please take your meds", as that has both literal and figurative meanings regardless of what Alain intended. That is, 'so-and-so's not taking their meds' is a common trope used to refer to people who are NOT under psychiatric care and don't need to be who are acting 'a little crazy'. And in that usage, it's unkind. The subtext is 'act like we've come to expect from you, damnit!'

From Alain's subsequent comment, I'd guess he knows that's usually not helpful. Easier said than done. I know how I respond to expressions I read as 'just shake it off and go back to being yourself' — forcrissakes don't you think I want to - desperately – and would do that if I could??!! You know, the pressure to maintain the persona other folks expect might be part of what's screwing up somebody's head. (AFAIK, that wasn't true for me, as consciously I could care less whether I met any expectations but my own. But who's to say how subconscious stuff figured in forming my own thoughts on what kind of person I ought to be, how I ought to conduct myself, etc. etc.)

The thing is, though, there's a deeper issue here than any negative connotations that may come with Alain's choice of words. The problem is that JP's comments are epiphemena — we don't know what mechanisms are at work behind them, and don't necessarily have the knowledge to understand them even if we did. Pretty much ANY interpretation of JP's comments is beyond us. They could be a sign that Jamie's still in trouble, or they could be a sign she's getting better. She could be posting here on RI because this forum is very important to her... or because it's not, a low-stakes place to vent off some things which just need to be expressed somewhere even if they're not understood. Sometimes, weirdly, you need an audience when you talk to yourself, even in your own private languages... Or any number of other possibilities could be at work in JP's posts. We just don't know.

[After hanging with other psych hospital patients for a month, I was struck by how wide a range of reactions we'd have to things. While I totally feel Chemmomo's desire to avoid platitudes, homilies that made my skin crawl made other people feel better. And a thought that might help me cope better could send someone else back toward the darkness... When your brain goes off the rails, it not like it takes a path that's predictable or necessarily consistent with anyone elses...]

Alain, Chemmomo and Denise appear to think they know what's going on in Jamie's head. They could be right, or they could be wrong. Either way, what they write in their assumptions could help, hurt, or just not matter. So how best to avoid any possibilities of hurt?

May I humbly suggest:
1) that we bracket any thoughts we may have about JP's recent posts with an acknowledgement that we don't know what- the-f**k is going on...
2) that having done that, it's OK to express concerns as long as we do so conditionally. Alain could say JP's posts lead him to wonder if she's 'taking her meds', and encourage her to listen to her doctors (w/o implying she's not doing so, necesarily). Orac could warn "That could be interpreted as a very uncool thing to say," - granting the possibility Jamie might read Alain's comment the way Alain says he'd read someone telling him that now (as a positive 'intervention'), but arguing that the possibility it might be read as hurtful is real enough to refrain. Chemmomo could say JP's words look like those of someone who might be in crisis, and is concerned about the possibility.

It may be disconcerting that not only do we not know how to help, but we can't even grok JP's messages. So it goes. As we lack both knowledge and expertise, we can only be contingent in our concerns. All we can do with confidence is offer to help in any way we might be able, should she want us to, wish her the best, and advise her to take care of herself including following doctors' orders.

As we lack both knowledge and expertise, we can only be contingent in our concerns.

TINW. HTH. HAND.

There was no reason to resuscitate the subject, much less at tedious length, in the first place.

No worries, things turned out okay, it was really hard work on my part, pretty awful, got burned by some people who should have known, really they were just misled by some real idiots with REALLY bad ideas who can f*ck off to wherever.

It's just, like, shaman stuff. I was going crazy because the had kept me in the dark from my own business for most of my life by messing around with Occult Forces. I f*cking well told them that stupid idiots who dont even know LATIN are clearly not qualified for that kind of thing.

Anyway, shrink, shamans, same gig really, different styles some times. Victory Hong knows what's going on. He recently had to watch me basically die in a manner very similar to that of his mother (not a literal death, but some of you may get it) when there was no reason for that at all, because some stupid kids were messing with OCCULT FORCES. If it's marked "occult," kids, it's hidden for a reason.

Amateurs.

Anyway, I'll be fine, you know me, I know the locals, I like to get around.

-JP

;)

PS: Go check out the news or something lately, it seems better, just sayin'.

Any other Central Asian/Russian types around these parts?

Victory Hong knows what’s going on. He recently had to watch me basically die in a manner very similar to that of his mother (not a literal death, but some of you may get it)....

"Ralph? Ralph?"

Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out is a notable LP, but mainly for humor value.

Sadmar,

You don't know me or my background. Please refrain from overanalysing the situation.

Alain