What made you happy today?

[Podaar]

I don't really want to relive it, and it isn't appropriate for this thread, but I once spent 28 years at a career job only to get kicked in the gut (read, was handed a threat from their attorney as I was leaving)  once I decided to leave and after giving the company three months notice to hire my replacement.

Hard to believe that was 12 years in the past now! 

[Evermind]

It's kinda difficult to find various English books in Russia, which is why I make it a point to visit some book stores whenever I'm in Europe to buy stuff I'm interested in. Last autumn, I was in Netherlands and I bought Joe Abercrombie's new book A Little Hatred, which was a nice big paperback and which I enjoyed immensely.

This autumn, a follow-up, The Trouble with Peace was released in September, and my original hope was that I'll get it in Europe again as I planned to fly there for ProgPower Europe 2020. That obviously got postponed, and all my travel plans were obviously postponed as well. Today, I found it in my favourite local English bookstore and it's the same publisher and the same edition as the first book. I'm incredibly happy about this!

[TAC]

Ruslan, what are those books about?

[Evermind]

It's a fantasy genre branch which is nowadays called "grimdark" which basically means everything's going to suck for the protagonists, the harsh reality, and everything. I usually don't like it, but Abercrombie does it in such a fun way I just can't resist reading it.

I can go into more details if you wish; his first trilogy was mostly driven forth by magic behind the scenes, this time, it's in the same universe but he jumped a couple decades at least and now there's an industrial revolution happening and obviously now there are disgruntled people (The Breakers) who are against the new machines and wish to break them; there's the old crowd, there are opportunists who are eager to seize the opportunity to rise in this new business and there are still people who are fighting in the North because apparently there are always fights in the North.

I'm never good when it comes down to describing books, actually. If I had to describe the first book in one sentence, I would go with "Everything sucks, but there are people trying to set it back on its course, I bet it won't work though, we'll see." It worked so far for me though.

[The Walrus]

TAC literally stopped caring when you said fantasy. 

[TAC]

It's a fantasy genre branch which is nowadays called "grimdark" which basically means everything's going to suck for the protagonists, the harsh reality, and everything. I usually don't like it, but Abercrombie does it in such a fun way I just can't resist reading it.

I can go into more details if you wish; his first trilogy was mostly driven forth by magic behind the scenes, this time, it's in the same universe but he jumped a couple decades at least and now there's an industrial revolution happening and obviously now there are disgruntled people (The Breakers) who are against the new machines and wish to break them; there's the old crowd, there are opportunists who are eager to seize the opportunity to rise in this new business and there are still people who are fighting in the North because apparently there are always fights in the North.

I'm never good when it comes down to describing books, actually. If I had to describe the first book in one sentence, I would go with "Everything sucks, but there are people trying to set it back on its course, I bet it won't work though, we'll see." It worked so far for me though.

Sounds like a cross between 2020 and The Astonishing.


I appreciate the synopsis. The books look cool, so I was wondering.

[Dublagent66]

Staff infection...errr...I mean staff meeting was cancelled.  I should've been devastated but I wasn't. 

[hunnus2000]

Staff infection...errr...I mean staff meeting was cancelled.  I should've been devastated but I wasn't. 

Same here!!

Every staff meeting the boss starts off with "well I really don't have an agenda". I wanna say "Well then bitch, cancel the meeting"! Fo, real! 

[cramx3]

Staff infection...errr...I mean staff meeting was cancelled.  I should've been devastated but I wasn't. 

Same here!!

Every staff meeting the boss starts off with "well I really don't have an agenda". I wanna say "Well then bitch, cancel the meeting"! Fo, real! 

Literally my boss says this to start every weekly team meeting.  "Not much to go over..." and then we discuss all the work for the full hour.  Like, just stop with that intro.  I guess what makes me happy is that he's on vacation and we didn't have that meeting this week.

[Dublagent66]

Our staff meetings are every 2 weeks,  So, it's an extra bonus when it gets cancelled and moved to the following week.

[wolfking]

My boss who has thankfully gone now did that every meeting too.  His line was 'not too much has been happening'.   That would piss me off. 'Maybe not for you asshole but I've been working my ass off!'

[lordxizor]

I welcomed my 4th son, Henry, into the world this morning! He and my wife are both doing great.

[wolfking]

I welcomed my 4th son, Henry, into the world this morning! He and my wife are both doing great.

Congrats to both of you mate!

[TAC]

Hell yes Lordxizor! That's great news!

[Stadler]

Congratulations!

[Kotowboy]

.

[jingle.boy]

I welcomed my 4th son, Henry, into the world this morning! He and my wife are both doing great.

Amazing! Four little xizors ??  Time to close shop, man.

[cramx3]

I welcomed my 4th son, Henry, into the world this morning! He and my wife are both doing great.

Congrats!

[The Walrus]

I welcomed my 4th son, Henry, into the world this morning! He and my wife are both doing great.

Amazing! Four little xizors ??  Time to close shop, man.

I once overhead my mom say "the candy shop is closed" long after having her fourth and last kid, and my dad chuckled and immediately replied, "It's not closed, it's condemned" 

Congrats lordxizor!!!

[lordxizor]

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's probably time to take more permanent steps to prevent any future offspring. The thought of knives and stuff down there is scary!

[jingle.boy]

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's probably time to take more permanent steps to prevent any future offspring. The thought of knives and stuff down there is scary!

The thought of having teenagers when I'm 60 was even scarier!

[emtee]

Accepted a new position at a brand new, yet-to-open hospital and received a nice pay increase.

[The Walrus]

Accepted a new position at a brand new, yet-to-open hospital and received a nice pay increase.

That's what's up, my man. Congrats!!

[emtee]

Accepted a new position at a brand new, yet-to-open hospital and received a nice pay increase.

That's what's up, my man. Congrats!!

Thanks much my friend. I appreciate it.

[cramx3]

That's awesome, congrats!

[lordxizor]

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's probably time to take more permanent steps to prevent any future offspring. The thought of knives and stuff down there is scary!

The thought of having teenagers when I'm 60 was even scarier!

Haha... yeah. If I had any more I'd be in the boat.

[Cool Chris]

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's probably time to take more permanent steps to prevent any future offspring. The thought of knives and stuff down there is scary!

Speaking from experience, the methods have advanced such that it is about as painless a procedure as possible. I felt very little during the operation (other than awkwardness at the doc's weird sense of humor), and felt no ill affects the next day.

The thought of having teenagers when I'm 60 was even scarier!

We've talked about this offline, but as me and Mrs. Cool started our family later in life, we will be 60 when our youngest hits 18.

[Kotowboy]

My step brother is 17 in January and Dad is 69 in December.

[jingle.boy]

Sweet Moses.  Y’all daft. 

[pg1067]

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's probably time to take more permanent steps to prevent any future offspring. The thought of knives and stuff down there is scary!

Speaking from experience, the methods have advanced such that it is about as painless a procedure as possible. I felt very little during the operation (other than awkwardness at the doc's weird sense of humor), and felt no ill affects the next day.

The thought of having teenagers when I'm 60 was even scarier!

We've talked about this offline, but as me and Mrs. Cool started our family later in life, we will be 60 when our youngest hits 18.

I got a vascectomy about 15 years ago.  I could be wrong (I certainly wasn't watching), but I want to say that the doctor used some sort of laser rather than a physical knife (of course, I'm not sure that's any more comforting!).  I do recall that I almost hyperventilated right before he started, and he had to take a minute to get me to relax.  But yeah...recovery was nothing and it didn't hurt at all.

As far as having kids when you're older, I'm the youngest of 5.  My four siblings were born within 11 years of each other (the oldest was born in 1945 and the youngest other than me was born in 1956), and then I came around after another 11 years.  Oops!  My parents were 46 and almost 44 when I was born.  My father died when I was 7, and I recall feeling self-conscious during elementary school that my mother seemed much older than all my friends' parents.  Of course, 50 was much older then than it is now.

[Stadler]

Man, my parents were 30 and 28 when I was born, and I still had that feeling.   Some of my friends parents were a good ten years younger than mine.   

Coincidentally, I called my brother (51, newly divorced for the second time) on Friday, and he had just gotten that same procedure done.  SMH. 

[jingle.boy]

Yeah, the big-V was no big thing.  All I remember was feeling a little tug, snip-snip, and fold everything back up.  It was painless, and pretty quick.  I took the recovery seriously, and that's why it was no big thing.  One minor complication a few months later, but a round of antibiotics cleared it up.

Thinking about the V always brings a smile to my face... for Gary's story.   

[The Walrus]

I've heard horror stories about people being in severe chronic pain after getting snipped. Honestly though I've thought about getting it if only to save the hassle of putting on a Jimmy hat

[emtee]

I felt horrible pain and was black and blue for two weeks. First 2 days after, I couldn't walk. I guess the doctor who did mine screwed up.

[lordxizor]

It's the chronic pain stories that have scared me off to this point.