Good morning, digital neighbors! Happy Friday to all. Today we have a reprint from 2021, when I was only roaming about on Locals at Rubin Report, Phetasy, Triggernometry, and Scott Adams. Padre’s had just formed that January, and we were in the prolonged throes of Covid, with the Vaxx Maxx crowd demanding Conformity 2.0 — you will take a shot and save the rest of us! Crazy days.
GARDYLOO down below!
More fun with words from The Little Book of Lost Words by Joe Gillard: Gardyloo — A warning shouted before throwing waste out of a window down into the street. (gahr-dee-loo) — 17th-century Scottish interjection.
I’ve had conversations with assorted members on Locals about the blessings of indoor plumbing. It’s odd how conversations work—one never knows where they might go. Plumbing and sanitation are among those things I don’t really appreciate until they stop functioning or become unavailable. Too much of life is taken for granted and only noticed when it no longer works, is no longer convenient, or is no longer at hand. My reactions to such sudden interruptions in modern living are often not marked by patience and problem-solving. It was worse when I was younger. I’d like to think age and more thoughtful living have given me better perspective.
Too much “me.” It really screws up so much of my journey in this world. I hope your own “Too much me” can be moderated as well. Prayer, reflection, meditation, or thoughtful pondering can help tame the beast. Listening to others and seeing life as an opportunity to learn and grow feels far more manageable to me than expecting everything to go my way and serve my convenience — which sometimes seems like a factory setting for humanity. Plumbing, sanitation, electricity, heating/cooling and all its wonders, my magic glowing screens, and so much more make my life wondrous and amazing compared to what four or five generations ago knew as everyday life. So many things are better now, yet some good things have been lost. More to say, but nature is calling — and the plumbing still works. 😊 Happy Friday, friends!
Artwork from the book
"Rhetoricians at a Window" (also known as "Men at a Window with Grapevine" ), painted in 1661–1664 by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Steen (1625/26–1679)
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaire’s main love was writing—an endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.
Don’t argue with people over sixty.
Just don’t.
It’s not just an age; it’s a masterclass in survival.
They grew up without Google, without DoorDash, without therapy podcasts, and without an "undo" button. If something broke, they grabbed duct tape, WD-40, a hammer, and a look of sheer determination that made even the broken appliance second-guess itself.
As kids, they knew exactly what kind of mood their mom was in just by the sound of how hard she slammed the cast-iron skillet onto the stove.
They were the original latchkey kids — walking home from middle school with a house key tied around their neck, with strict orders to heat up lunch and not burn the kitchen down. By the time they were ten, they could bike to the corner store, buy a gallon of milk for the neighbor, feed the family dog, and still have time to play freeze tag in the yard until dark.
Their knees were a permanent canvas of scrapes, bruises, Mercurochrome, and rubbing alcohol. Their universal first-aid kit was just ...
