Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evolving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
Rules For the rest of the Site also accessible on the sidebar.
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Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and money system; for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning."
Henry Ford
Friday Poem...Czesław Miłosz - “Campo dei Fiori”
https://theamericanscholar.org/campo-dei-fiori-by-czeslaw-milosz/
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9
https://youtu.be/A54JLBm_cIM?si=SfJOPTptnxkyePpZ
Amish Country music couple Ben and Rose are back with a new cover: “When You Say Nothing At All”.
https://amishamerica.com/new-ben-rose-song-when-you-say-nothing-at-all/
Rural Revolution...In-your-face stuff from an opinionated rural north Idaho housewife
http://www.rural-revolution.com/
Amish Speedily Repair Tornado Damage – Before Gov’t Agency Can Even Have A Look
https://amishamerica.com/amish-speedily-repair-tornado-damage-before-govt-agency-can-even-have-a-look/
How to live without electricity: A practical guide for survival and preparedness
https://survival.news/2025-04-10-tips-live-without-electricity-guide-survival-preparedness.html
Declassified Documents Reveal The CIA’s Bizarre ‘Psychic’ Search For The Ark Of The Covenant
https://harbingersdaily.com/declassified-documents-reveal-the-cias-bizarre-psychic-search-for-the-ark-of-the-covenant/
Theodore Dalrymple - Approval of Stamps
https://www.takimag.com/article/35626/
https://archive.ph/ZktJ2
Taki - The Real Costello
https://www.takimag.com/article/the-real-costello/
https://archive.ph/wip/H2ezu
Worst Of Babylon Bee
Texas Bans Sale Of Assault Rifles With Capacity Of Less Than 30 Rounds
https://babylonbee.com/news/texas-bans-sale-of-assault-rifles-with-capacity-of-less-than-30-rounds
Republicans Vow To Get Really Serious About Cutting Spending In Like 20 Or 30 Years
https://babylonbee.com/news/republicans-vow-to-get-really-serious-about-cutting-spending-in-like-20-or-30-years
China Trade War Update: Trump Classifies Panda Express As Domestic Terror Organization
https://babylonbee.com/news/china-trade-war-update-trump-classifies-panda-express-as-domestic-terror-organization
China Retaliates Against Tariffs By Putting Worse Fortunes Into Cookies
https://babylonbee.com/news/china-retaliates-against-tariffs-by-putting-worse-fortunes-into-cookies
9 Things More Exciting Than Watching Golf
https://babylonbee.com/news/9-things-more-exciting-than-watching-golf
C. H. Spurgeon's Morning Reading (April 12th)
"My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." — Psalm 22:14
Our blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and melting of soul. "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all besides is as nothing. Well might the suffering Saviour cry to His God, "Be not far from me," for above all other seasons a man needs his God when his heart is melted within him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward anguish, than any one among us; and mark His fitness to become a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of our Father's love, enter into near and intimate communion with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through this dark room the Master has passed before us. Our souls may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to behold the light of the Lord's countenance: at such times let us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our great High Priest. Our drops of sorrow may well be forgotten in the ocean of His griefs; but how high ought our love to rise! Come in, O strong and deep love of Jesus, like the sea at the flood in spring tides, cover all my powers, drown all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul, and float it right up to my Lord's feet, and there let me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by His love, having no virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to Him that if He will put His ear to me, He will hear within my heart faint echoes of the vast waves of His own love which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at His feet for ever.
Say no to "comfort height" toilets!
The Big Toilet Conspiracy is Ruining Your Sh*t https://youtu.be/vccCA7YybQU (19 minutes)
TL;DW Standard height toilet is 14.5 inches from floor to rim. Toilets in public spaces are made taller thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, toilet manufacturers and plumbers promote these toilets as "comfort height." The natural position for defecation is squatting. When sitting on a toilet seat the pressure on hamstrings and legs reduces circulation. The higher height promotes anterior pelvic tilt. This makes it harder to poop and compresses the lower back. Dropping bombs from a higher may increase splashing. Home Depot had no standard height toilets in stock. Lowes had ONE. Commentators have suggested a footrest like squatty potty as an economical alternative to replacing a toilet.
I've written about toilets before:
https://greatawakening.win/p/16c247nGjd/x/c/4TwRSufoWwd
https://greatawakening.win/p/16c2WBDEPf/x/c/4TwSiGk32pC
As a care attendant, the higher toilets saved some of my back, in transferring a person from a wheelchair to the toilet, but there are also booster seats that are inexpensive, and can be placed on the bowl for this purpose, if a person needs it. I used one of those after a hip replacement, and it was wonderful, bending and standing to use the toilet gets harder as you get older, but, on the other hand, I am so damn short, my legs dangle on whatever I sit on. Instead of changing the design, and making so called universal adaptations, just get a booster seat, and for the comfort of pooping correctly, get a foot rest, no need to completely overhaul manufacturing to meet this years trend. By the way, childbirth is easier in the squatting position also, not laying flat on your back. It is the same principal, the body is trying to push something out.
True story…Wife gets call from an engineer (she ran facilities services at hospital among other departments).
“Boss… (male engineer). Ummm, we have a problem with a patient on the fifth floor..””What is it ?” she said. “Well Boss, it’s the toilet…what’s wrong with the toilet?” She asks, “Too short.” The engineer replies.
“ It’s a standard hospital toilet- WTF are you talking about? “ she yells.
Engineer says, “The patient is calling for us to get this fu@king “Ball Washer” out of his room.”
Wife looks at Engineer sideways and says “Ball Washer?” 😂😂😂 The Engineer then had to explain to my wife (in an HR appropriate way) that the dudes balls were so saggy that they were dipping into the toilet every time he sat down. What’s the solution my wife asked? A spacer he said.😂😂. Yes, they have spacers😂
That's a weird conspiracy, but I agree it's wrong. Both my parents suffered from diverticulitis at different times, so I'm in favor of the squatty potty as a remedy. I've heard great things about Japanese toilets, but have no experience. Being in California I'm sure they'd be regulated to be as annoying as possible ... let's MAGA first and these smaller MAHA items (smaller than curing cancer and autism at any rate) can take a back seat. Or a back squat.
I’m rockin a fresh haircut. I was all smiles yesterday as I was sitting down for my monthly trim as another patron was exiting the shop. My cute Vietnamese hair stylist said goodbye and asked about how everything was going with his sister- he said, They left for Brazil yesterday- self deported. How long were they here? Eleven years. He replied. I’m so sorry she said.
I just sat there with a smile. She knew😂😂😂
Self deported... Crazy how MAGA policies can do so much work both directly and indirectly haha
Here's a Song to Celebrate Saturday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BKKaKT_dtM