• [OT] Leaving Usenet

    From Aragorn@2:250/1 to All on Tue Jan 3 15:43:02 2023
    Hi Everyone,


    The following post is a virtually identical copy of a post I made in alt.os.linu.ubuntu two days ago.

    The thing is that I had a (mild) stroke on Boxing Day, and I was in
    hospital from Tuesday the 27th until the evening of the 29th.

    At the moment, I am "fully functional", but my left knee is very weak,
    and my upper left arm is completely numb, as if it has been
    anesthetized. This numbness extends upwards onto my left ear and
    the rear part of my left cheek, as well as downward to below my
    left elbow. =20

    My hands are functioning normally =E2=80=94 I can obviously type with both hands, and I can even still play the guitar =E2=80=94 but while I was having the stroke, my whole left arm was numb and I couldn't move the fingers
    of my left hand. It was like my left arm didn't belong to me anymore.
    My neck was also numb, and I had a bad headache and a pain in my neck.
    My cognitive functions were still fine, though.

    According to my neurologist and cardiologist, the stroke was caused by excessive blood pressure and a too high cholesterol level. There's no
    doubt on my mind that my unhealthy feeding habits =E2=80=94 and the fact th=
    at
    I'm an ardent smoker =E2=80=94 will have been the primary cause, but there = have
    in the past couple of months also been some extremely traumatic events
    in my personal life that have chased my blood pressure up very high and
    that may as such have contributed to the release of thrombotic
    particles into my blood stream, ultimately then culminating in this
    stroke.

    Considering that I'm still well off compared to other people who've had
    a stroke =E2=80=94 things could have been much worse =E2=80=94 I consider i=
    t a warning
    shot across my bow, and therefore I must drastically change my
    lifestyle. =20

    I know I cannot quit smoking, but I can at least cut it down somewhat =E2= =80=94
    as the matter of fact, I'm already doing that right now. I've also
    stopped adding salt to my food =E2=80=94 I used to overdo it in that
    area =E2=80=94 and I've also gone almost entirely sugar-free.

    Either way, as a result of the stroke and the very brief reoccurrence of animosity on this thread, I have now made my choice on account of my
    earlier indecision regarding whether or not to leave Usenet [...].=20

    I don't like cutting ties, and I've been a steady Usenet denizen for
    some 24 years now, but the times have changed, and too many of the
    familiar faces have already long sought out greener pastures. So,
    keeping my health in mind, [...] I've decided that it's going to be
    better for my wellbeing if I leave Usenet behind me.

    I'm not abandoning the GNU/Linux community, of course. First and
    foremost, I will remain a big fan of the GNU/Linux operating system and
    a big advocate of Free/Libre & Open Source Software until my dying day,
    and I am still a moderator and active helper at the official Manjaro
    support forum =E2=80=94 until very recently I was also the Manjaro forum me= mber
    with the highest number of accepted solutions behind their name, but I
    have now been overtaken by one of the forum administrators =E2=80=94 as well that I'm also a mostly lurking but occasionally active member at the
    official PCLinuxOS forum, both under the same identity as I'm using
    here on Usenet. =20

    Anyway, if anyone wants to reach me after my departure from Usenet =E2=80=94 just to say "hi" or something =E2=80=94 the email address next to my name
    does work. It's a simple email proxy =E2=80=94 freely available from (and = at)
    duckduckgo.com =E2=80=94 that automatically redirects everything to my real email address while stripping out the tracking code from the emails in
    the process.

    This leaves me to bid you all a very happy 2023, and I mean that,
    because 2022 was a stinker of a year, as were 2021 and 2020 before it.

    Maybe we'll meet again =E2=80=94 who knows? ;)

    --=20
    With respect,
    =3D Aragorn =3D


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  • From Aragorn@2:250/1 to All on Tue Jan 3 15:54:52 2023
    On 03.01.2023 at 16:43, I scribbled:

    Either way, as a result of the stroke and the very brief reoccurrence
    of animosity on this thread, I have now made my choice on account of
    my earlier indecision regarding whether or not to leave Usenet [...].=20

    For clarity, the animosity mentioned here-above took place on the
    thread in alt.os.linux.ubuntu of which I spoke earlier. It was a
    thread about Marek Novotny, whom some of you may remember because he
    also briefly ran Mageia and he then just as briefly partook in
    the exchanges here in the group.

    And the reason why I'm announcing my departure here is that I have been
    a steady member of this group from the very beginning, after having
    transferred from the already long dead alt.os.linux.mandrake and the
    now equally defunct alt.os.linux.mandriva.

    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't =E2=80=94 I don't = have
    a crystal ball =E2=80=94 but I either way wish you all the best. ;)

    Sayonara! :)

    --=20
    With respect,
    =3D Aragorn =3D


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  • From Gilberto F da Silva@2:250/1 to All on Tue Jan 3 17:52:58 2023
    This is an OpenPGP/MIME signed message (RFC 4880 and 3156) --SOqDutQmIEjQHLTZkXh0i1nAuzXdkH7Bo
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    From: Gilberto F da Silva <gfs1989@gmx.net>
    Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mageia
    Subject: Re: [OT] Leaving Usenet
    References: <20230103164302.6b4f8571@nx-74205>
    In-Reply-To: <20230103164302.6b4f8571@nx-74205>

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    Aragorn escreveu:
    Hi Everyone,
    =20
    =20
    The following post is a virtually identical copy of a post I made in alt.os.linu.ubuntu two days ago.
    =20
    The thing is that I had a (mild) stroke on Boxing Day, and I was in
    hospital from Tuesday the 27th until the evening of the 29th.
    =20
    At the moment, I am "fully functional", but my left knee is very weak,
    and my upper left arm is completely numb, as if it has been
    anesthetized. This numbness extends upwards onto my left ear and
    the rear part of my left cheek, as well as downward to below my
    left elbow. =20
    =20

    I also have health issues like diabetes but I don't talk about it much.
    I talk about health problems with my wife because she takes care of me.

    =46rom here all I can do is wish good health to those on the other side.

    It's sad when what we love dies. That's how it was with OS/2. I feel
    that the Mageia distribution is dying but it won't be as bad as the
    death of OS/2 as there are other linux distributions and the migration
    is simple.

    --=20

    Abra=C3=A7os

    Gilberto F da Silva


    --BMQKGtJVIeHBcFd6YYrxn3my6V9lrZwct--

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  • From Vincent Coen@2:250/1 to Aragorn on Tue Jan 3 21:55:46 2023
    Hello Aragorn!

    Tuesday January 03 2023 15:43, Aragorn wrote to All:

    This leaves me to bid you all a very happy 2023, and I mean that,
    because 2022 was a stinker of a year, as were 2021 and 2020 before it.

    Maybe we'll meet again — who knows? ;)

    Best of luck and as well (as can be created) best of health.



    Vincent


    SEEN-BY: 25/0 250/0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 12 13 263/0 467/4 712/1321
  • From David W. Hodgins@2:250/1 to All on Tue Jan 3 20:02:53 2023
    On Tue, 03 Jan 2023 10:54:52 -0500, Aragorn <telcontar@duck.com> wrote:
    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't — I don't have
    a crystal ball — but I either way wish you all the best. ;)

    Best of luck with your recovery. Take care of yourself first. You can't
    help others if you are not healthy.

    Regards, Dave Hodgins

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  • From TJ@2:250/1 to All on Wed Jan 4 01:00:14 2023
    On 2023-01-03 10:54, Aragorn wrote:
    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't — I don't have
    a crystal ball — but I either way wish you all the best. 😉

    Fare well, my friend!

    TJ

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  • From Jim@2:250/1 to All on Wed Jan 4 15:18:51 2023
    On Tue, 03 Jan 2023 16:43:02 +0100, Aragorn wrote:

    Hi Everyone,
    <snip>
    Considering that I'm still well off compared to other people who've had
    a stroke — things could have been much worse — I consider it a warning shot across my bow, and therefore I must drastically change my
    lifestyle.

    I know I cannot quit smoking, but I can at least cut it down somewhat —
    as the matter of fact, I'm already doing that right now. I've also
    stopped adding salt to my food — I used to overdo it in that
    area — and I've also gone almost entirely sugar-free.

    If you can switch to pipe or cigars from cigarettes and quit
    inhaling -- depend on nicotine and tars absorbed via the mucous
    membranes of the mouth -- much of the harmful effects of smoking
    diminish or disappear. Those who smoke a pipe, or pipe and cigars
    only, and do not inhale have on average longer lives than those who
    smoke cigarettes or do not smoke. I.e. inhaling smoke into your
    lungs is not good for you, regardless of the origin of the smoke.

    If you switch, get strong pipe tobacco or cigars. Making the
    transition from inhaling to not inhaling means you must increase
    the amount of nicotine and tars greatly as the mucous membranes
    absorb them much less readily than lung tissue does.

    This leaves me to bid you all a very happy 2023, and I mean that,
    because 2022 was a stinker of a year, as were 2021 and 2020 before it.

    Maybe we'll meet again — who knows? ;)

    Life is movement. When you cease to move, you are dead.
    Continue to move on, with our best wishes, and we may
    indeed meet again, on this side of the Great Divide or
    the other.

    Cheers!

    jim b.

    --
    UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
    expects users to be computer friendly.

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  • From faeychild@2:250/1 to All on Wed Jan 4 21:21:13 2023
    On 4/1/23 02:54, Aragorn wrote:


    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't — I don't have
    a crystal ball — but I either way wish you all the best. ;)

    Sayonara! :)



    Good luck Aragorn

    I always enjoy your posts
    I too have high blood pressure and I'm pre-diabetic.
    It would appear that the Gods are after both of us. :-)
    --
    faeychild
    Running plasmashell 5.20.4 on 5.15.82-desktop-1.mga8 kernel.
    Mageia release 8 (Official) for x86_64 installed via Mageia-8-x86_64-DVD.iso



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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Daniel65@2:250/1 to All on Thu Jan 5 08:52:09 2023
    faeychild wrote on 5/1/23 8:21 am:
    On 4/1/23 02:54, Aragorn wrote:

    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't — I don't have
    a crystal ball — but I either way wish you all the best. ;)

    Sayonara! :)

    Good luck Aragorn

    I always enjoy your posts
    I too have high blood pressure and I'm pre-diabetic.
    It would appear that the Gods are after both of us. :-)

    What is recognised as "high blood pressure" now-a-days??

    I was diagnosed diabetic following a (very) mild stroke in 1996. I'm now Insulin dependant (four injections per day!)

    My blood pressure is usually about 135/75 but, on one occasion, it was
    107/70 and the GP didn't bat an eyelid.

    On another occasion, *prior* to a Heart 'Stress Test' on a treadmill, it
    was 185/75. Still not a battered eyelid!!
    --
    Daniel

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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Aragorn@2:250/1 to All on Thu Jan 5 15:31:33 2023
    On 05.01.2023 at 19:52, Daniel65 scribbled:

    faeychild wrote on 5/1/23 8:21 am:
    On 4/1/23 02:54, Aragorn wrote:
    =20
    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't =E2=80=94 I d=
    on't
    have a crystal ball =E2=80=94 but I either way wish you all the best. =
    ;)

    Sayonara! :) =20
    =20
    Good luck Aragorn
    =20
    I always enjoy your posts
    I too have high blood pressure and I'm pre-diabetic.
    It would appear that the Gods are after both of us. :-) =20
    =20
    What is recognised as "high blood pressure" now-a-days??
    =20
    I was diagnosed diabetic following a (very) mild stroke in 1996. I'm
    now Insulin dependant (four injections per day!)
    =20
    My blood pressure is usually about 135/75 but, on one occasion, it
    was 107/70 and the GP didn't bat an eyelid.
    =20
    On another occasion, *prior* to a Heart 'Stress Test' on a treadmill,
    it was 185/75. Still not a battered eyelid!!

    In my case, it was around 160 to 170/80.

    --=20
    With respect,
    =3D Aragorn =3D


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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Strider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From TJ@2:250/1 to All on Thu Jan 5 15:48:28 2023
    On 2023-01-05 10:31, Aragorn wrote:
    On 05.01.2023 at 19:52, Daniel65 scribbled:

    faeychild wrote on 5/1/23 8:21 am:
    On 4/1/23 02:54, Aragorn wrote:

    That all said, maybe we'll meet again, or maybe we won't — I don't
    have a crystal ball — but I either way wish you all the best. ;)

    Sayonara! :)

    Good luck Aragorn

    I always enjoy your posts
    I too have high blood pressure and I'm pre-diabetic.
    It would appear that the Gods are after both of us. :-)

    What is recognised as "high blood pressure" now-a-days??

    I was diagnosed diabetic following a (very) mild stroke in 1996. I'm
    now Insulin dependant (four injections per day!)

    My blood pressure is usually about 135/75 but, on one occasion, it
    was 107/70 and the GP didn't bat an eyelid.

    On another occasion, *prior* to a Heart 'Stress Test' on a treadmill,
    it was 185/75. Still not a battered eyelid!!

    In my case, it was around 160 to 170/80.

    As I misunderstand it, the lower number is the one they get most alarmed
    about if on the high side, as the upper number is the one most
    influenced by emotions - like the unease of being in a doctor's office,
    having your blood pressure measured. A smaller difference between the
    two numbers is also more alarming than a higher one.

    Then again, I'm a farmer, not a medical professional, so my statements
    on this subject should be considered accordingly.

    TJ

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  • From Aragorn@2:250/1 to All on Thu Jan 5 16:51:33 2023
    On 05.01.2023 at 10:48, TJ scribbled:

    On 2023-01-05 10:31, Aragorn wrote:
    On 05.01.2023 at 19:52, Daniel65 scribbled:

    What is recognised as "high blood pressure" now-a-days??

    I was diagnosed diabetic following a (very) mild stroke in 1996.
    I'm now Insulin dependant (four injections per day!)

    My blood pressure is usually about 135/75 but, on one occasion, it
    was 107/70 and the GP didn't bat an eyelid.

    On another occasion, *prior* to a Heart 'Stress Test' on a
    treadmill, it was 185/75. Still not a battered eyelid!!

    In my case, it was around 160 to 170/80.

    As I misunderstand it, the lower number is the one they get most
    alarmed about if on the high side, as the upper number is the one
    most influenced by emotions - like the unease of being in a doctor's
    office, having your blood pressure measured. A smaller difference
    between the two numbers is also more alarming than a higher one.

    Yes, that is more or less correct. The lower number represents the
    diastolic pressure in your blood vessels at all time. The higher
    number is the systolic pressure by which the blood is being pumped
    around.

    Then again, I'm a farmer, not a medical professional, so my
    statements on this subject should be considered accordingly.

    Wasn't that supposed to go something like, "I'm a doctor Jim, not a..."?
    :p

    --
    With respect,
    = Aragorn =


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  • From faeychild@2:250/1 to All on Thu Jan 5 20:32:25 2023
    On 5/1/23 19:52, Daniel65 wrote:


    What is recognised as "high blood pressure" now-a-days??

    ambiguous as hell I think. The Medicos shift the goal posts all
    the time



    I was diagnosed diabetic following a (very) mild stroke in 1996. I'm now Insulin dependant (four injections per day!)

    My blood pressure is usually about 135/75 but, on one occasion, it was 107/70 and the GP didn't bat an eyelid.

    This morning pre med 168/82 pulse 58 bpm



    On another occasion, *prior* to a Heart 'Stress Test' on a treadmill, it
    was 185/75. Still not a battered eyelid!!

    Ah HA the stress test. I looking down the barrel of that one again as well.
    I am also getting to old for treadmills

    --
    faeychild
    Running plasmashell 5.20.4 on 5.15.82-desktop-1.mga8 kernel.
    Mageia release 8 (Official) for x86_64 installed via Mageia-8-x86_64-DVD.iso



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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From faeychild@2:250/1 to All on Thu Jan 5 21:06:23 2023
    On 6/1/23 02:48, TJ wrote:


    Then again, I'm a farmer, not a medical professional, so my statements
    on this subject should be considered accordingly.

    TJ

    A noble occupation TJ I had kin in farming, wheat and dairy.

    And everybody likes to eat

    --
    faeychild
    Running plasmashell 5.20.4 on 5.15.82-desktop-1.mga8 kernel.
    Mageia release 8 (Official) for x86_64 installed via Mageia-8-x86_64-DVD.iso



    --- MBSE BBS v1.0.8.2 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Daniel65@2:250/1 to All on Fri Jan 6 09:14:12 2023
    Aragorn wrote on 6/1/23 3:51 am:
    On 05.01.2023 at 10:48, TJ scribbled:

    <Snip>

    As I misunderstand it, the lower number is the one they get most
    alarmed about if on the high side, as the upper number is the one
    most influenced by emotions - like the unease of being in a doctor's
    office, having your blood pressure measured. A smaller difference
    between the two numbers is also more alarming than a higher one.

    Yes, that is more or less correct. The lower number represents the
    diastolic pressure in your blood vessels at all time. The higher
    number is the systolic pressure by which the blood is being pumped
    around.

    Then again, I'm a farmer, not a medical professional, so my
    statements on this subject should be considered accordingly.

    Wasn't that supposed to go something like, "I'm a doctor Jim, not a..."?
    :p

    Ah!! The memories!! ;-) But in many/all situations, 'Bones' achieved!!
    --
    Daniel

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  • From Daniel65@2:250/1 to All on Fri Jan 6 09:16:29 2023
    faeychild wrote on 6/1/23 7:32 am:
    On 5/1/23 19:52, Daniel65 wrote:

    What is recognised as "high blood pressure" now-a-days??

    ambiguous as hell I think. The Medicos shift the goal posts all the
    time

    I was diagnosed diabetic following a (very) mild stroke in 1996.
    I'm now Insulin dependant (four injections per day!)

    My blood pressure is usually about 135/75 but, on one occasion, it
    was 107/70 and the GP didn't bat an eyelid.

    This morning pre med 168/82 pulse 58 bpm

    On another occasion, *prior* to a Heart 'Stress Test' on a
    treadmill, it was 185/75. Still not a battered eyelid!!

    Ah HA the stress test. I looking down the barrel of that one again as
    well. I am also getting to old for treadmills

    When do treadmills get too old?? ;-P
    --
    Daniel

    --- MBSE BBS v1.0.8.2 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From faeychild@2:250/1 to All on Sat Jan 7 21:22:05 2023
    On 6/1/23 20:16, Daniel65 wrote:

    Ah HA the stress test. I looking down the barrel of that one again as
    well. I am also getting to old for treadmills

    When do treadmills get too old?? ;-P

    They are insane devices, they get recycled
    The used to be part of the running jumping standing still gym crowd

    Now they're used too induce infarction .

    I have had an old foot injury resurrect, so the treadmill is
    indefinitely postponed

    To Aragorn!!! We are way off topic AGAIN :-)

    regards

    --
    faeychild
    Running plasmashell 5.20.4 on 5.15.82-desktop-1.mga8 kernel.
    Mageia release 8 (Official) for x86_64 installed via Mageia-8-x86_64-DVD.iso



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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Daniel65@2:250/1 to All on Sun Jan 8 09:26:37 2023
    faeychild wrote on 8/1/23 8:22 am:

    <Snip>

    To Aragorn!!!   We are way off topic AGAIN  :-)

    regards

    Doesn't being OT suggest this is a living community, then??

    Sure, we lose some of the steadfasts ... but gain some new blood along
    the way!!
    --
    Daniel

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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Doug Laidlaw@2:250/1 to All on Sun Jan 15 01:28:48 2023
    On 6/1/23 02:48, TJ wrote:
    As I misunderstand it, the lower number is the one they get most alarmed about if on the high side, as the upper number is the one most
    influenced by emotions - like the unease of being in a doctor's office, having your blood pressure measured. A smaller difference between the
    two numbers is also more alarming than a higher one.

    Then again, I'm a farmer, not a medical professional, so my statements
    on this subject should be considered accordingly.

    According to my doctor, the lower figure is the one below which there is "laminar flow", i.e. where no pulse can be detected. The higher figure
    is the one to watch, because the higher that figure is, the harder your
    heart is working to push blood around. In the "fight or flight"
    situation, adrenalin is pumped into your system, and your B.P. goes up.
    Any additional obstacle to your blood flow, such as narrowing to the
    arteries, or a deposited blockage, makes your heart work harder than it
    needs to. I had an employee who developed lung cancer but refused to
    face it. By the time they opened him up to look around, it was too late
    to do anything. The cancer growth was pressing on his aorta, the main
    blood vessel that takes blood going around his body, and was still
    getting bigger. He must have had a strong heart, because he lived a few
    weeks longer than anticipated.

    My wife is now insulin-dependent, and I have just been diagnosed with
    Type 2 diabetes. so I am on medication. We are both taking pills for
    blood pressure. It is typical for our age group.

    Best wishes, Aragorn, and take care of yourself,

    Regards,

    Doug.

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