Going for a walk. I'll see if I can spot any pessimists wandering about.

Given COVID etc., and repercussions, shouldn’t all the pessimists be smiling or at least have a supercilious smirk?

I would, if I were a pessimist, but I’m not a pessimist; I’m a misanthrope. And I’m eternally happy, plus beer.

I decided it was the ones walking faster than me. Long way to go and a short time to get there. Or is that the optimists?

I hate all optimists.

I hate Asians.

I hate God.

I hate hate.

I love the Irish because they hate everyone, especially other Irish.

I love whiskey.

My brother passed away this morning.

I hate life.

I like the NHS. Impeccable.

Don't damage the nerves in your spinal cord, kids. That's how the brain communicates with the body.

So sorry to hear that. Condolences

That sucks

Condolences, personal and from the whole SMP family.

He attended Mill Hill, a posh public (i.e. private) boarding school, at the zenith of socialist aspirations in education. I'm not sure exactly how the scholarship to do this happened. He wasn't that smart, although he did pass the entrance exams, such as they were. My parents weren't pushy about it (too busy getting pissed), it was he that wanted to go. I had always assumed the the extreme contrast in boarding at Mill Hill and living on one of the worst estates in Edmonton is what messed his adolescent brain up (because he was messed up). As it happened, I was able to spend some time with him alone yesterday, without others (e.g. my sister) filling every hint of conversational void with superficial levity. He wasn't able to speak, but could comprehend some of what I was saying, and nod yes and no. Happy schooldays at Mill Hill? Yes, unequivocally.

Condolences from me as well.

TY Howard Beale. You're Good People. I always wanted to see New York. Ever since I read the Catcher in the Rye.

There's a Mad comic book with a Don Martin story about this guy with an inferiority complex who's walking around thinking he looks like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Suffice to say that's what happens. My brother somehow had the comic, and I was laughing yesterday recalling it. We both liked 70s Americana.

PairTheBoard

Sorting out my brother's stuff today. If you want to know what's going on in someone's life, look at their recent, itemized bank statements. 18 pints of Ruddles @ £1.69 in one day at Wetherspoon's. Beat that, pussies.

I encourage everyone to visit NYC, if possible, esp for ppl that like museums. Plus there's the subway but not after 8pm. OTOH, you can ride it at 3am and, if you survive, you'll know you're a tough mofo. And the Staten Island ferry is cheap and it's a great outing. Plus Italian food if you do your research. All sorts of activities few of which are available in such abundance in a single location.

OTOH, you can't say a word to a stranger on the street even if they look 'normal.' That's simply not done.

That's nice. They wouldn't let me in because I'm a terrorist.

Sorry Charlie to hear the loss of your brother. Best wishes to you for a long healthy life of motivation for all progress you like, wisdom and happiness. We need to be reminded often how temporary it all is. It's a good thing you were with him.

What can one say? Just remember the things that mattered to him and made him happy. The kids are no more. Others will come. But the beauty and wisdom the kids experienced in their lives will survive, look back and smile at its origins because nothing in this universe is in vain.

TY Masque. Good post. Thanks to everyone else too.

I was four and a half years younger. I visited Mill Hill a few times, but my memory of it is hazy. That photo does remind me of it, though.