When was the last time you felt that the world was in a good place?

[mikejh]

Around the end of 2019, very beginning of 2020 seems much more peaceful. I remember that time very fondly, it seems to be perpetual chaos since Covid started.

[99call]

9 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Once you concentrate on your world you'll be better off.

Some version of this, always seems to crop up, i.e. when you see something troubling in society, the advice. "Have you tried looking away more?" Strangely if authoritarian governments could had one wish, it's that more people would take this advice, and pass it to others. 

Whilst I can appreciate lots of people have this mindset, "My societal responsibilities end at my garden gate",  and if everyone does the same, then you have an orderly society. If that works for them, then I understand, I respect your opinion...and go for it. But I think it's the absolute bare minimum, and a pretty depressing outlook. 

I don't know if my parents had more bandwidth than most, but they managed to work very hard, raise four kids, whilst all the time managing to be very involved with the local community, help people out where they could, and generally saw themselves as part of wider well functioning society. They were never obsessed about 'gold bars' or power, more enjoying their lives, foreign travel etc.

I'm not an obsessive do-gooder, or social justice warrior, I just think that if I have nationalist violent drunks daubing their stupid f***ing flags in a community that was once peaceful and cohesive...maybe there's a problem? And maybe that problem is just going to get worse and worse. 

With regards to the 2008 financial crash I'm sure it was the fault of drug dealers, China and Globalism, and absolutely nothing to do with bankers and mortgage brokers getting rich by exploiting loopholes and flouting regulations. 

[joeypots]

The longer I live the better my life gets. Granted, there are problems and the 24 hour news cycle provides us with a daily catastrophe but I keep sane by taking a longer view. You'll have a very hard time convincing me that life the world over is not better today than it was 50 years ago. Go back a hundred and there's no argument. Don't nit pic special cases, I talking about life world wide in the aggregate. We are the luckiest people ever born to live with such unimaginable advances in quality of life. My wife and I will work for causes that we think need support and will help with resources and activity. Otherwise I'm going to make every effort to enjoy the rest of my time. 

[99call]

6 hours ago, JDoughty said:

@99call would you like to discuss why you find this amusing? 

Sorry, I thought you referencing that last time you thought the world was in a good place as being when you were 12 years old as being quite morbidly amusing. 

I'm thinking about it in my own context. I.e. the idea of waking up on the day of my 13th birthday, and saying. "that's it, the worlds gone to shit!!" 

[JDoughty]

5 hours ago, 99call said:

Sorry, I thought you referencing that last time you thought the world was in a good place as being when you were 12 years old as being quite morbidly amusing. 

I'm thinking about it in my own context. I.e. the idea of waking up on the day of my 13th birthday, and saying. "that's it, the worlds gone to shit!!"  

Being mercilessly bullied throughout my early school years for reasons beyond my control, including my race, wasn't honestly all that funny to me. 

[99call]

5 hours ago, JDoughty said:

Being mercilessly bullied throughout my early school years for reasons beyond my control, including my race, wasn't honestly all that funny to me. 

Do you imagine its amusing to me? It most definitely isn't. You have my sympathies. 

I have no knowledge of your life, and your initial comment gave me no clue as to what you were talking about. I responded with a laughing face, as I misunderstood, thinking you were trying to be amusing referencing 12yrs old. 

I'd suggest taking a step back, and thinking the best, not the worst of strangers. 

[Islandboy]

Pretty much started with the pandemic for me, which joined forces with the explosion of social media to shove the best and worst of humanity in our faces, and sowed divisions and factions never before witnessed in my lifetime. It certainly seems like there’s more BS and shitty people in the world doing shitty things, but perhaps it’s just that ignoring those people and living in ignorant bliss was more effortless in the past, before social media became the barrage of good, bad and ugly that it is.

There’s certainly still lots to be grateful for, but the 80’s man...I liked it better when the bazillionaires ruled the world from behind closed doors, and there were no smart phones to rob us of our precious attention and energy. Good times!

[JDoughty]

5 hours ago, 99call said:

Do you imagine its amusing to me? It most definitely isn't. You have my sympathies. 

I have no knowledge of your life, and your initial comment gave me no clue as to what you were talking about. I responded with a laughing face, as I misunderstood, thinking you were trying to be amusing referencing 12yrs old. 

I'd suggest taking a step back, and thinking the best, not the worst of strangers.

I made no assumptions and said nothing, other than asking if you wanted to discuss why you thought it was funny when being hated and persecuted for stupid reasons was stated as something that made the world not feel like a good place very early on. I'm still not making any assumptions. Just asked why you thought that. Now I know. 

[Çnote]

5 hours ago, 99call said:

I'm thinking about it in my own context. I.e. the idea of waking up on the day of my 13th birthday, and saying. "that's it, the worlds gone to shit!!" 

South Park 

[El Presidente]

it's been a while since we banned someone for US politcs discussion. Today was the day! 

 

 "My societal responsibilities end at my garden gate"

Not quite. They largely end however at the extent of my larger community. Self, family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, associates.  If everyone looks after that patch, sweet. 

I know we have members who are stridently on one side of the political divide or the other. I don't suffer from that weight. I believe they are all largely busybody, interfering, power hungry, narcissitic, incompetent, duplicitous, scum. 

If you wish to immerse yourself in the algorithmic social media slime then you will receive that intended dopomine hit as it it targets and magnifies your personal triggers. It's a sticky web. 

Remove yourself from that world and the the sky may not be as blue as you would like, but it is not that hurricane that SM was talking about either. 

[Ford2112]

3 hours ago, Havanaaddict said:

Yep the 80's were a blast the concerts were outstanding and the weed was not 2 hit quit😳 

Dude you remember that ? 

[Chibearsv]

40 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

the extent of my larger community. Self, family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, associates.  If everyone looks after that patch, sweet

Amen!

[Havanaaddict]

44 minutes ago, Ford2112 said:

Dude you remember that ? 

Like it was yesterday, below is just a few of the epic concerts I was lucky to go too! And yes, a few of them are a little hazy not that there was a lot of weed involved or anything like that😂

Pink Floyd The Wall 1980

Queen live at the Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, USA 1977

KISS at the forum 1976 with Cheap Trick

US Festival 1983 Heavy Metal Day, which featured performances from Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Triumph, Scorpions and a memorable set from Van Halen

Boston, Black Sabbath,Van Halen, Sammy Hagar 1978, at Anaheim Stadium

YES in the round 1978 Inglewood Forum

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM 1985 Born In The U.S.A. tour

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band LA Sports Arena, California 1988

Oingo Boingo Dead Man's PartyJul 25, 1987 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Oingo Boingo Oct 30, 1993 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Oingo Boingo Oct 31, 1988 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Oingo Boingo Oct 30, 1987 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Rolling stones LA. Coliseum in October 1981

[Chibearsv]

1/4 bags for $10. Passing joints up and down the aisles. Incredible music. Oh, I remember…kinda 😎

[99call]

[Lucas Buck]

12 minutes ago, Havanaaddict said:

Like it was yesterday, below is just a few of the epic concerts I was lucky to go too! And yes, a few of them are a little hazy not that there was a lot of weed involved or anything like that😂

 

Pink Floyd The Wall 1980

Queen live at the Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, USA 1977

KISS at the forum 1976 with Cheap Trick

US Festival 1983 Heavy Metal Day, which featured performances from Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Triumph, Scorpions and a memorable set from Van Halen

Boston, Black Sabbath,Van Halen, Sammy Hagar 1978, at Anaheim Stadium

YES in the round 1978 Inglewood Forum

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM 1985 Born In The U.S.A. tour

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band LA Sports Arena, California 1988

Oingo Boingo Dead Man's PartyJul 25, 1987 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Oingo Boingo Oct 30, 1993 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Oingo Boingo Oct 31, 1988 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Oingo Boingo Oct 30, 1987 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre's

Rolling stones LA. Coliseum in October 1981

Color me green with envy! 

[Wookie]

@El Presidente…are you going to provide online grief counselors for this thread? Could probably write it off and combine it with a 109 discount. BTW, they are good. 

[LordAnubis]

In my opinion the world has never been a good place. Every “good prevailed” story followed onto an even worse outcome, it just took a long time to realise what was going on. Men have only ever been greedy at the expense of everything. Greedy for ritches for land for control. When we “felt bad” was when information came into our pockets and people could read all the horrible stuff that’s been going on since day one. 
 

I also think governments are becoming more blatant in their sinister tactics, betting that the people are too many to unite and rebel, and it’s true. We as the people are easily manipulated to get into line and accept. 

[chasy]

I got banned once for overly celebrating a separate person’s ban. Perhaps I even egged them on. I will admit, I love a good banning, but I’ve learned to be respectful and keep my excitement to myself.

[JohnnyO]

On 9/19/2025 at 1:42 PM, 99call said:

Some version of this, always seems to crop up, i.e. when you see something troubling in society, the advice. "Have you tried looking away more?" Strangely if authoritarian governments could had one wish, it's that more people would take this advice, and pass it to others. 

Whilst I can appreciate lots of people have this mindset, "My societal responsibilities end at my garden gate",  and if everyone does the same, then you have an orderly society. If that works for them, then I understand, I respect your opinion...and go for it. But I think it's the absolute bare minimum, and a pretty depressing outlook. 

I don't know if my parents had more bandwidth than most, but they managed to work very hard, raise four kids, whilst all the time managing to be very involved with the local community, help people out where they could, and generally saw themselves as part of wider well functioning society. They were never obsessed about 'gold bars' or power, more enjoying their lives, foreign travel etc.

I'm not an obsessive do-gooder, or social justice warrior, I just think that if I have nationalist violent drunks daubing their stupid f***ing flags in a community that was once peaceful and cohesive...maybe there's a problem? And maybe that problem is just going to get worse and worse. 

With regards to the 2008 financial crash I'm sure it was the fault of drug dealers, China and Globalism, and absolutely nothing to do with bankers and mortgage brokers getting rich by exploiting loopholes and flouting regulations. 

You asked the question I gave you my answer. Might not be the right answer but it is my answer. Did you think that only bankers and brokers were the only ones involved in the 2008 meltdown? Everyone was involved. My point was that if people are making decent wages they wont resort to these things (at least most). I guess you were looking for someone to re-confrirm your ideas, and say you are right. Cool story brah (as Miles would say). John 

[ha_banos]

Around 2015 sp500 went hyper...

 

 

Ai says

2015 was a watershed year: the layering of economic shocks, humanitarian disasters, and unresolved structural trends created many of the challenges dominating global affairs today.

[99call]

2 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

You asked the question I gave you my answer. Might not be the right answer but it is my answer. Did you think that only bankers and brokers were the only ones involved in the 2008 meltdown? Everyone was involved. My point was that if people are making decent wages they wont resort to these things (at least most). I guess you were looking for someone to re-confrirm your ideas, and say you are right. Cool story brah (as Miles would say). John 

I told you that "I respect your opinion" and that I understood why someone might have that opinion. It's just an opinion or outlook I found to be saddening. and tried to express why I found it saddening. Your original comment carried with it the notion I was looking for advice, when I wasn't, I was looking for your opinion (which I was grateful that you offered). 

In initially writing my first response to you, and now looking back as it again, I don't see it as being any more or less bullish than yours. 

If you feel like I've been rude, it wasn't my intention, and you have my apologies. 

[MrBirdman]

On 9/19/2025 at 4:37 PM, El Presidente said:

Remove yourself from that world and the the sky may not be as blue as you would like, but it is not that hurricane that SM was talking about either. 

Social media is as bad for the mind as cigarettes are for your body. 

[Ford2112]

On 9/20/2025 at 11:27 PM, LordAnubis said:

In my opinion the world has never been a good place. Every “good prevailed” story followed onto an even worse outcome, it just took a long time to realise what was going on. Men have only ever been greedy at the expense of everything. Greedy for ritches for land for control. When we “felt bad” was when information came into our pockets and people could read all the horrible stuff that’s been going on since day one. 
 

I also think governments are becoming more blatant in their sinister tactics, betting that the people are too many to unite and rebel, and it’s true. We as the people are easily manipulated to get into line and accept. 

I was being cheeky when I said 20000 BC but it stands true that the world has always been one of war and conflict. Humans are their own worst enemy. But if one is willing to look for it there is a world full of love and miracles, if you believe in that sort of thing. I do. Otherwise what would be the point?

[BoliDan]

Everyone was in good place when we could bury our heads in the sand. Carefree and willfully ignorant age of 20's and 30's will always be when people were 'in a good place' regardless if the world around them in war and economic hardships.