All of them were poorly written and explained. I wrote them without having an order in my mind. My emotional spring has betrayed me once again.

"Ready and willing to invest a lot more in our security."

And Rutte has said it as secretary general of NATO.

Did he throw down the gauntlet and the EU took up the challenge?

Demons (sometimes also called The Possessed) by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

I agree with everything you said. I can only see benefits from being in the select EU membership. It is obvious the big change we experienced since 1986. From a poor and isolated nation to a European and developed country, which is likeable for most of you because we are friendly. Even VOX (the far-right political party) roots for Europe, but in a mode closer to Hungary or Le Pen, but no way do they do negative speeches on Europe or the European Union itself.

The only thing I dislike is that I perceive that there are still some negative prejudices against us. The coronavirus crisis was a good example of that. I remember Mark Rutte and the Finance Minister of The Netherlands saying very negative comments on Spain and Portugal. But I didn't feel frustrated about their view but the fact that it is actually true our politicians suck at managing budgets. Alas, we always had corrupt politicians and despotic kings. :sad:

Oh, it is not surprising to me that there is an important community of Spaniards working in Finland. Low incomes and unemployment are the most tough troubles in modern Spain. Since our politicians don't seem to find the solution, my fellow countrymen decide to go to other EU countries, searching for better-paid jobs.

Let's remember that membership either to NATO or the EU is voluntary — ssu

I know it is voluntary but...

It depends on the nation we are referring to. We were forced to join NATO (1982)—when most of the Spaniards didn't want to—as a previous step to join the EU (1986); that was what we really wanted since Franco's death. Felipe Gonzalez was treated as a traitor in that period of time, but many years later he admitted that Reagan forced him to join NATO if Spain dared to be an EU nation. We don't know if he threatened Felipe Gonzalez, but probably he did, and we were in a social context where we felt the necessity to be friends with Western democracies.

I can understand them: they would be paying much and not getting much — ssu

I don't get it, and that thought rang a bell on an old prejudice. The north feeds the south (Mediterraneans) and East (Romania or Moldova). I hope you were thinking about political relevance or the number of seats when you thought about "not getting much" and "they would be paying much"...

Joining the EU means give part of sovereignty and many things. I get it. But that's the point. Share the best of each country. We were in war for centuries, and look now. That's what I wish Europeans could see and understand. Our old continent already suffered from wars and dictatorships, so no one is entitled to give us lessons of how we should do the things up.

I believe that before building something important as a stronger European Union, we should update the concept.

First of all, the EU should keep pushing forward to get Georgia's membership. We can't let them behind. It is important to lend a hand to those countries. Otherwise, they would think the EU is not relevant enough for improving human rights.

On the other hand, I would ask Norway to join the EU. It is not understandable that this country had a NATO secretary, but their citizens have no voice in European chambers. How can we allow that? Furthermore, they are very clever at managing natural resources, as they usually do with oil in their sea.

United Kingdom: Since Brexit was a terrible mistake, I think our representatives should start to get them in again or something similar. We can't have a WWI and WWII winner out of the EU. This was established exactly to prevent wars amongst Europeans. Also, it is reckless the high costs for not being in the common market. Alas, we had the worst politicians possible.

Ukraine should not be a member of the EU.

Another great version I found. Good memories of Casares' works. :sparkle:

Haven't you ever thought of being a moderator? I think you will be a great mod as well as @fdrake was. :smile:

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Well, perhaps European countries should start to root for the Democrats — ssu

We should not root for anyone but to build a shield capable of protecting us from the coming high-voltage wave when the last pillar of their democracy finally collapses.

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I am American. — NOS4A2

Sorry, my bad. I think I read you were Canadian somewhere in this long thread.


Fine. Thanks. We approached a similar point, and I hope it will be taken politely, but we can't know what the future holds.

I think you (as well as frank) and others have a weird obsession that we owe you something. A false belief that you are protecting us pro bono. I don't even understand your position since you are Canadian, not American.

NATO and other Western-like and American-ish institutions, like the International Monetary Fund or United Nations, were made to orbit to the side of American interests. It is even funny since the US was the only country in recent history to drop nuclear bombs on another sovereign nation. Hence, I think American foreign policy should have never been entitled to build 'institutions' of the free world. But I understand the context, and Europe was helpless and divided, so we were basically forced to accept the rules of your world.

What you can't do now is destroy what you imposed on us after decades. Dissolving NATO and trying to build an EU military organisation seems the most rational thing to me.

Alas, you guys will always be there. You don't trust the elites of Brussels unless your friends (AfD, for instance) are the ones in charge. It is sad how we always misunderstood Russia. Weren't they the evil here? Because now your 'elected' and 'democratic' politicians are the ones who are threatening. We did a damn effort dispensing Russian natural resources because they were the threat, and look how many economic sanctions our institution put on their shoulders.

Why haven't we done the same when you nuked Japan? Ah, got ya. Because the 'good' ones were acting in that case.

Decades of being a pain in the ass imposing how the world should act: McDonald's everywhere, Hollywood films and flawed Apple devices too. Now, you don't want the rest of the world as your favourite toy because most of us don't buy the paranoia of your convicted felon in charge. :groan:

"Why are we in NATO?" is a question Europeans should ask not you, mates.

One of my favourite authors was interviewed by an editorial of my country in Barcelona. Very cool.

Well said, Tobias. :clap:

EU countries were terrible vassals. They never paid any tribute. :grin: — frank

You guys are always obsessed with the same thing. :roll: What do you really expect? To just cut spending on social welfare to feed your paranoia of not trusting the rest of the world?

If your president even has the guts to threaten Denmark, one of NATO's founding states, what advantage is it to keep paying the tributes?

Now that a year has gone by, could you tell us if you finally got to be a professional roller skater? :eyes:

How much have you skated since then? The council of my town built a skate park, and a lot of folks do skate every hour there. But they are not pros, I guess...

Yes, but Sir algorithm also can show very poor and mediocre films. That's why I cheered when such a piece of art popped up.

Excellent! Glad to know that Criterion Channel has it on its watchlist. :up:

Hello Clarky, @T Clark

I was watching Asian films again, and I discovered a very good one: Majestic, aesthetic, and enigmatic. It gave me an inexplicable sensation of melancholy.

It is a 2000 Chinese film called Suzhou River.

It popped up on my screen randomly. One special section of Filmin (the platform I use to watch TV) is dedicated to commemorating films that turn 25 years old in 2025, so they were filmed in 2000. Suzhou River was one of them, and I applaud how randomness can lead us to art sometimes.

If you ever watch it, I would like to hear your thoughts on whether you think Meimei and Moudan are the same girl.

Mates, this has to be a farewell to fdrake; not your personal notebook where you write all the things you didn't like in the past. What is the point of being a killjoy? :roll:

Understood, frank.

I will not defend abusive people; so did fdrake I am sure. 

Sorry to step in. As I discussed before with being a moderator is not easy. I respect that you perhaps experienced things you did not like, yet it is not the time to exploit the situation. We can't just reduce fdrake's commitment to your negative experience with Mikie. We all deserve a broadly based assessment. It is not fair to point out one thing you disliked when his compromise lasted nearly ten years.

I'm not sure why, but I'm afraid now. See? Moderation is riskier than we imagined.

Trust Me Bro. — Arcane Sandwich

I wholeheartedly trust you, mate.

It's not polite to ask people to work for free. — Arcane Sandwich

True, but that must not surprise anyone since volunteering is already a free task. So, I don't see why it would not be polite to ask for doing it for free. We are talking about volunteers, not bankers. :rofl:

I have never thought of being a moderator on anything.

Philosophy of Religion? An interesting topic, indeed. But my knowledge doesn't go beyond Kierkegaard or Hegel. Very basic. That's why I appreciate the guts of those who volunteer to moderate!

Well, I'd say that you're my friend, if there's such a thing as Internet friendships. So, I have already given you the right to moderate me, informally at least. — Arcane Sandwich

I consider you as my friend too. But I don't want to act like I am a shepherd and you my loyal mastiff.

So is everyone, arguably. — Arcane Sandwich

Not really. I have seen some folks who control themselves and know to ensure eclectic positions in different topics. @Count Timothy von Icarus is a good example, and his appointment as moderator was a very good decision by the forum.

Not every moderator has to moderate every single topic of discussion. Maybe your talents and knowledge are better suited to moderate topics in Philosophy of Art, for example. You don't have to moderate political topics if you don't want to. — Arcane Sandwich

That's interesting.

I don't know if you already notice that there is a short story contest once a year. The previous contests were based on a system of poll voting, but readers were not forced to read and leave feedback. Thus, explaining why they gave a 2 instead of 5, for example. I disagreed with this, and I remember putting a lot of effort into supervising that each author had the feedback they deserved, but I ended up mentally exhausted. My aim was just to keep the contest up on an optimal level. I care a lot about the contest, but caring is not the only important feature. If I take personally the way some folks treat the short stories or the contest itself, I couldn't be a good mod because my attitude is obviously biased.

But first I should ask myself: who am I to moderate you?

I admit that I lose my control often, and I am biased on explicit topics. For example: I can't see myself as a good mod in Gaza thread because I root for Palestinian people, and I am not very fond of Israel.

A mod should act as we expect from judges: objectively.

I didn't know that. Perhaps someone who wants to help with moderating should ask the admins. But I can't see myself in such a plight. It is just that Javi is made for writing nursery rhymes, not moderating discussions. :sweat:

The job is time-consuming and messy. It takes a certain kind of person to do it well.
Sometimes, we get to see timely interventions. Other times, not so much. Work is behind the scenes, not recognised and not given enough appreciation. — Amity

I agree Amity.

It is true that a mod's job is behind the scenes, and it is not always recognised. I even remember some bleak members who tried to make the ambience even worse, and they confronted the mods.

I will be honest: I also did one or a few tantrums. I didn't like when some threads were put in The Lounge, my endless discussions with universeness, or how I personally take the short story contest. I know I am not an easy fella. I appreciate the generous behaviour they always had, and I am aware that banning a member is not easy.

Honestly, being a mod in TPF could be one of the hardest tasks to do. It is not always easy to track the endless chat in each thread; furthermore, regarding those threads that are mainly political, it is complex to find out a balance on both sides of the debate. I was never asked to be a mod, and I am lucky because I think I will not be up to the required standards. So, I appreciate the job done by fdrake and the current mod job by the rest of the team.

Your commendable job on moderating will never be forgotten. Thanks! An era comes to an end.

Wouldn't it be more appealing to know who the ghostwriter is who received @Dan's 5% fee? :smirk:

I have been watching Coronation Street for the last couple of days. It inspired me to write the small play that I posted in The Shoutbox.

I think I always watched soap operas without realising they were soap operas. Since the plot is not very deep and the characters simply represent ordinary families facing platitudes, I mostly hooked on to this famous British TV show because the accents of the actors are unique. I thought it was recorded in London, but it turned out to be in Manchester, which means that they are Mancs as the English say.

Who knows if the ITV franchisee will like to hire me as a screenwriter in the future?

You see the sun rise in the morning, and impose an idea that time has passed. Nothing has passed. It was the earth which rotated itself by 1 turn since yesterday morning. — Corvus

Well, I think something has happened. The sunrise is like an alarm, and it tells me that the day just started and I have a lot of things to do: take a shower, have breakfast, go to work, pay things, take care of my relatives, and a lot of things that I can't experience when I am in the night. When night comes, I feel the day is ended, and I have to wait until tomorrow to do new or the same trifling things. Therefore, yes since the sun rises there are a lot of things that happened.

Dogs don't care about time or numbers. Maybe they would do, if they had the concept of time and numbers. — Corvus

True, good point. But the fact that dogs don't have the concept of time doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We can flip it and see the coin of the reverse side: dogs bark yet we don't understand bark language. Does the message in the dog's bark exist even though we can't understand it?

Time doesn't exist. — Corvus

And yet you posted that 19 hrs ago. — Banno

And yet Banno posted that 40 minutes ago.

And yet there will be more replies to this thread after mine in the next minutes or hours, making the thread longer. Therefore, time affects space.

Etc...

I agree that a celebration is in order. — Jamal

¡Viva! :party: :party: :grin:

All of us meet in Times Square in New York City. We can borrow that ball they use at New Years. — T Clark

Great! New York City is a lovely city. :smile:

Depose the moderators and watch the forum quickly descend into chaos. — T Clark

The Shoutbox is already chaotic. We can go there just in case we don't depose the mods!

Nothing. — T Clark

Oh, nada. My favourite.

Double Jamal's salary. — T Clark

I agree. Jamal deserves it; either with British pounds or Russian rubles.

Put Hanover on double-secret probation. — T Clark

I don't know what double-secret probation is but I think @Hanover will be one of the special guests in the 10th anniversary ceremony.

I agree, and I understand that time, as an entity, is complex to understand. Why does this happen? Why does something intangible, such as time, exist?

Well, we give relevance to something that, although it is not purely perceived by our senses, enters into our understanding of the world. I bet my dog is not aware of time, but I do, and when my dog was just months old, I called her a "puppy," but now that she is 6 years old, I consider her nearly "senior," yet she doesn't care about these facts.

On the other hand, I believe that most of us got used to living with 'illusions' or abstract features. Dreams, hallucinations, nightmares, etc. When we were kids, our parents used to say, Don't worry, they are just dreams. Like if a dream is not existing, while I disagree obviously.

Another point: time zone is very important, and its existence affects our online communication. We have to wait until our friends from America or Australia wake up to see your thread, and this is due to the solar system.

We say those things exist because they benefit us in different ways. What would be the point of getting rid of time? Space and objects are affected by the flow of time, for instance.