I'm here now. Use this to tell everyone you are here!

[Opsa]

ADoS, welcome!

I like your attitude, especially the stuff at the bottom of your posts. That is Toadfish quality- humble but proud! I would be glad to call you my sibling.

Here we bow before no other and expect no other to bow to us. You need never apologize for your opinions, just make an attempt to see where the other person is coming from. We all go off every now and then and I have apologized for going off in a way that upset someone else. We are not perfect and never will be. We don't believe in perfect. Many here are atheistic, but some are not and we respect their opinion, too. Our aim is to learn how to express ourselves in a way that communicates rather than alienates. We have however, alienated a few people too though, not on purpose but in spite of ourselves. Mostly we have learned from each other and forged some great relationships.

We dearly loved Pieces o Nine (Po9). In fact, you sound a lot like her in some ways. Even though we are in mourning, we welcome you here and hope that even though we've lost a friend, maybe we'll find another in the process.

We may be a little slower than usual right now. For instance, I cannot bring myself to write in the fun games at the moment, I am just too sad to think of funny stuff right now. Pieces was very funny, and I feel like she'd want us to carry on. We will. I beg your patience until then.

[Almighty Doer of Stuff]

Thanks!

I remember how saddened we all were when St. John the Blasphemist died. His relative didn't say exactly why he died explicitly, but we all more or less knew what they were saying, and I felt crushed. Someone at another forum I visit suffered the same fate as him, and I was startled and crushed again even though I didn't know him as anything more than a friendly, if rather unintelligent, gamer. Intelligence doesn't matter when things like this happen. Nobody should have to feel the way they felt. I've felt that way myself as recently as yesterday, but I didn't take that last step like they did, thankfully.

The suddenness of Pieces's death means it must have been something dramatic as well, although she didn't seem depressed at all, so I doubt it was that. I hope it was a sudden heart attack, dead before she hit the floor, or something along those lines and not something worse. I'm playing horrible scenarios in my head of fires and guns and I hate it.

Anyway, on FSM Discussion, lately I've only been reading the Rant Rave & Misbehave, Miscellaneous Discussion, and some of the Serious Discussion forums. I've been busy with my day program and I've been feeling like if I'm not doing anything productive at home afterward, I shouldn't be enjoying myself either, so I don't ever read, forums or otherwise. That's why I'm concerned about my ability to participate here. Imagine that, a novelist who doesn't read. We'll see if that changes after tomorrow, when I move in with my fiancee.

[Bruder Cuzzen]

Hi ADoS , i think it was me that invited you as Mad Willyum some years ago . I am glad to see you here but wish... I'm sorry... i can't continue at the moment .

[Opsa]

It's okay BC, we understand.

ADoS, we'd love to see you here whenever you feel like it. Some of us just stop by occasionally and others are here quite frequently. I like to think that the environment here helps my writing. Lotsa voices to be heard- and not all in my head!   (Gotta cut down on the fish head stewe...)

Good luck and congratulations with your move and your fiancee!

[roystonoboogie]

I just popped by to say 'Hi', and that I am absolutely gutted about Pieces. Also, hello ADoS! Welcome to a forum I seldom visit but probably should do.

Back to lurking...

[Griffin NoName]

Hi Royston, always good to see you, though this time .......... bleurgh!

ADoS - all we ever ask is tolerance of each other, respect for others feelings and etc. You are very welcome here. As Ops said, the posts at present are not our usual due to our loss.

[Swatopluk]

Hi ADoS, I also write but I doubt that anything of that could be published commercially (and it was never my intention anyway).
Most of it can be found in the 'arts' section. My latest projects are in German though, so those not learned in that language will have to put up with Choral Squids, Squidly Sonnets and Kalethulu.

[RobertMason]

Out of curiosity: The Great Schism. What was it?

[Bluenose]

Welcome ADoS to the Monastery.  I think you'll fit right in. We are generally a fun lot, although now not so much for the obvious reason. However we'll be back to our usual selves once we've had a chance to come to terms with our loss.   All we ask is tolerance of others and one thing I think you'll find here is that this place is not full of the flame wars and other nonsense that so often infects online forums. This is a place you can make some very good friends I hope you enjoy it.

[Swatopluk]

A rather nasty affair where Bobby Henderson got it into his head that someone was taking his creation from him in some way and lashed out at those that kept the FSM forum running and functional. That happened in such a nasty way that a lot of people (many of them members here when it was a subforum of FSM) decided to rather resign from mod and admin positions than swearing what amounted to a loyalty oath to the new regime. The monastery then officially got established anew independently of FSM. Some stayed in both places, others (like me) said goodbye (and riddance) to the official FSM forum and moved their activities here (and some unfortunately jumped ship altogether).

[Opsa]

Good one, Swato.

So basically many of us still have the general FSM sensibilities at heart (the founders found each other there, after all), but here is where we prefer two-way communication. That requires some degree of ego reigning in order to hear the other so that each gets his/her say, so we both learn something. Or something like that. Eh, I'm not saying it very well right now.

We wanna know what others think, even if we respectfully disagree. That way we grow. It's kinda like art- it is meant to open our minds.

[Aggie]

The Toadfish also started as a sub-forum over at The Other Place (TOP, i.e. FSM forums), and had been established as a place where we could work on tolerant and non-confrontational communication, as a refuge from the big egos and strident opinions. It was a natural transition to get our own webspace.

Former False Profit of the FSM here, at your service.

[Darlica]

Welcome ADoS and welcome back roystonoboogie!

I'd just like to point out that not everybody here are recruited from TOP. Some of us have found our way here from other places on the net.   


Oh and watch our for the squidlings, they are cute but tenacious and they hunt in packs.

[Griffin NoName]

That's one of the best things Darlica. I just wish more people found us.

[roystonoboogie]

Well, it appears that it's nearly a year since I last popped in. It feels like two weeks, albeit two weeks of crocodile wrestling (that's day jobs for you). It is nice to be back again - have I missed much?