World Forums

[RedFury]

Just a brief hello to all of you who have been on-line friends and enemies for so long.

Also wanted to say to those of you (two or three) that might have missed me that I've had real life take precedence over sports and/or anything else the Internet might offer. Simply put, my Mother died of cancer on Jan 20th, 2006 after a long and painful ordeal where I was both privileged and extremely disturbed to be along her side the whole time. Rough and tough as I've always presented myself on-line, this event proved to me that is not the case -- love matters over anything else, be it sports, politics or religion.

Not saying that I can't still be a mean SOB, just that my priorities are different. I've been back to Spain three times since she passed away, and went to my own private cathedral each time: The Bernabeu. And while it never made up for her loss, for a good couple of hours I was in my own heaven; specially the last Valencia Liga-defining match. So no, I haven't lost my love of football nor my fidelity to Real Madrid -- it's just that they don't seem as important in the overall scheme of things.

Not sure if I'll be posting much here, but I do want to thank all of you (and you know who you are) that worried and contacted during these trying times. And I do. From the bottom of my heart.

OTOH, I hope all of you are doing great and going as far back as most of us go, glad to see there are still some of us left. Loyalty is not that much in vogue now a days I'm afraid -- good to see it's not altogether gone. Restores a bit of faith in humanity.

Having said that, please, to The Usual Suspects, feel free to fire away at me as per usual. My priorities might have taken somewhat of a tumble, but I can assure you that I am still no daisy.

I'll try to keep in touch....and my registered e-mail is current if you'd like to communicate privately.

Once again, thank you all.

Ole mi Madre!

Hala Madrid!

Viva La Furia Roja!

All the best,

~Red

[agentesecreto]

Hey Daisy:

That was one bogus championship. How can you win a championship and finish second in the standings? Bogus I tell you. Bogus as you.

Sorry about your mother. God speed.

[Felix K]

Hi Red,

good to hear from you - has been a long time...

Glad to hear you're OK (was not self-evident for someone who, like myself, did not have a clue as to why you stopped posting), and good that your time of trial is over.

Be sure that Spain will win Euro 08!

see you

[Leonid]

Red

Please accept my belated sincere condolences.

[pramzan]

Red - Glad you checked in and that you are fine.

I am sorry for your loss.

[mate]

Red, you were kind enough to graciously respond and share all of this when I first inquired as to your status. I long kept your trust and didn't share it with others, although you may well have let other people know. Nevertheless, I am glad to hear you are well.

That being said, I pray for your mother, you, your son, and your family, with no hint of irony due to our differences about religion. As you noted, we ultimately all share a common core that unites us. And, a lot of us have had epiphanies these past few years.

Anyways, here's hoping that you do indeed come back to post more often...and to challenge me as to who is really the meanest bastard on the block.



Funny how even this community means something after all these years. Imagine that?

[Falc]

Red - Sorry to hear about your mother. Good to hear from you. Pop into the football forum when you get a chance, especially if you visit your "cathedral" again. We miss you.

[mate]

Falc

Pop Red an email. I did on a number of occasions. Let's try to get him back here. I am convinced that his return would be a positive catalyst.

Posting on other forums, even limited as I do it, just isn't the same.

[Glenn Stromberg]

Red

Sorry to hear about your mother, had similar experience of lately, having lost both my parents just before this summer. All the best to you, maybe we'll see each other at the Euro08 forum when EC starts. Especially since our team got each other gain.

[Arcade Fire]

Red

My sincere condolences for your loss. I understand how painful losing a loved one to cancer can be, as my father was taken from me in such a manner when I was 13.

I too hope that you will resume posting here, at least when Euro 2008 comes around.

Not that I'll have much to post about lol :P

Regards,

Mark

[mate]

Guys

Let's reinvigorate the forum. We have similar passions and a degree of familiarity, even if it is virtual. It just isn't the same posting in other forums.

And yes, even the busiest of us have time, as this hobby is but a few keystrokes and nanoseconds of thought commitment...at least for most of us.

[Arcade Fire]

It definitely isn't the same on other forums. It would be nice to have some new blood here, but those of you who have visited the likes of Big Soccer will be aware that quantity of posters doesn't necessarily make for good debate.

It would be great if we could get back some of our long-time posters like Red, Eugene, Dezzi, Boye, Manosanta, Mandela, Zeus, SouthAmerican, Di Stefano Fan, BNMS, Lobo, Matt Clark, Ali, Ciked, kks, Aircal, Dunshee, Grammy, etc.

Hell, even the likes of Lopov, Dimitri, Sidney Sutton, Graham Webber and Klatu would be welcome, as we could do with some light entertainment from time to time

[mate]

I draw the line at Klatu.



By the way, I post with Klatu and Lopov occasionally back at World Crossing. Leo and I happened to meet a rather bright and informed person by the name of Pseudoerasmus, who has me in a debate that has spanned near a year now.

[Arcade Fire]

Do you mean on the International Digest Forum, Mate? I've just popped over there to read a few threads, and it took seconds for me to be disgusted by what Klatu was posting, so yes, I think I'll draw the line there too

Lopov, to be fair, is actually making some good points at times. I just wish that he'd choose his sources more carefully and offer more of his own opinions, rather than merely googling to the point of insanity.

He's certainly right about Islam.

[mate]

That's the forum.



I think that deep in his heart, Lopov is a decent man. He just cannot escape his deep sense of nationalism, at least not to the point where he can be objective. He is also desperately trying to salvage a Serbian nation that is now threatened to its core. Trust me, between the Albanians and indigenous Muslims, Serbians may eventually become a minority across all their ancestral lands.

Don't get me wrong, as Serbian leadership and the Serbian people have brought all of this on themselves. Pure and simple, they tried to recently liquidate their neighbors. Well, now the chickens are coming home to roost, as their victims are armed, getting stronger by the day, and all to eager to exact revenge.

I myself am a bit torn. I never will forget what Serbia tried to do to Croatia and never will have trust in this lifetime. I realize Serbian nationalism is still strong enough to materialize an annihilation against their current Islamic foes.

On the other hand, I am not vindictive and want Croatians and Serbians to have a productive, friendly relationship. I also don't want to see Islamic based nationalisms triumph right next to Croatia.

The trouble is that there are no real moderate choices here. How ironic that Croatians can sincerely express such a sentiment, eh?

By the way, I find Pseudoerasmus somewhat fascinating. He has a Russian and Pashtun background, albeit he claims being raised as a Catholic. Yet, he clearly pushes an agenda that exposes Shia, Persian, and subcontinental sympathies. For all his eloquence and supreme mastery of economics and history, he can't hide this.

He has even managed to put me on the defensive in proving that American led nation building efforts in Iraq can be as productive as our efforts in rebuilding Germany and a host of other nations after WWII.

[mate]

Mark

By the way, do you see now why, despite my disgust for Bush and his administration, I yet remain behind the American led war on terror?

The main thing we did wrong was to incompetently execute it and to allow the Western world to become divided in the face of a real threat. But, fortunately enough, things might be turning around.

[Arcade Fire]

Mate

Just to clear up any misunderstanding, I was in full support of the war in Afghanistan, and the War on Terror in general, and still am, even if it's not going as well as expected - particularly from a British perspective, as we've failed to stop the production of opium.

In fact, it's increased under our watch. Not to mention that the Taliban still controls large areas of the country.

It was Iraq which I stopped supporting because I don't believe it has achieved its aims. Most of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia (none were from Iraq) and it's about time something was done about the Saudis, our so-called "allies" lol.

[mate]

Patience. Have patience.

[Arcade Fire]

I'll do my best, Mate, even if patience is one virtue that I've never quite possessed.

If I was in power, Saudi Arabia would have been flattened a long time ago, much like a hedgehog that has been run over by a large truck, but it's probably just as well for the wider world that I have no authority in such matters

[lillie]

But the terrorists came from Saudi Arabia while they were pretty much Saudi defects (and obviously not too much appreciating the fairly close ties between USA and the house of Saudi). By that reasoning you might as well level out Florida as well because they got their pilot training there.

And following that reasoning..what would the west say if for instance Saudi Arabia suddenly placed an order in place that would prohibit their citizens to leave the country (presumed that there are no objective and visible signs that people who leave the country are presumtive terrorists)?

[lillie]

In fact... I suspect if they gop to England and Saudi Arabia would issue a warning to British authorities about them I suspect the British authorities would set them on their payroll, no?

[agentesecreto]

Arcade:

What you need to adress is your consumption of opium, your social ills and self indulging way of life that includes drugs of abuse. Drug use is not about production.

[RedFury]

Thanks for the responses and all the mail kids. Apologies for not answering most of them but I wanted closure on my own terms. In that sense, things are looking-up as I think I've finally learned how to cope with my own runaway emotions.

Might make a come back after all -- yes that is a threat. For like my team I'm better than ever, kicking butts and taking names. You've been warned!

Oh and BTW, what is this "useless" crap under my nick?

Grrrrrrr....

[Falc]

Thanks for the responses and all the mail kids. Apologies for not answering most of them but I wanted closure on my own terms. In that sense, things are looking-up as I think I've finally learned how to cope with my own runaway emotions.

Might make a come back after all -- yes that is a threat. For like my team I'm better than ever, kicking butts and taking names. You've been warned!

Oh and BTW, what is this "useless" crap under my nick?

Grrrrrrr....

Probably Ali's doing. I changed the rankings. You are a novice, believe it or not. Do you want the keys back?

[agentesecreto]

In other words, Red Fruty is a control freak.

[lillie]

Sorry to hear that Red, I hope she didn't have to suffer a great lot.

I think I've finally learned how to cope with my own runaway emotions.

That can be difficult enough. I had a cousin that died of leukemia a couple of years ago. He was just 22 years old, only drank a couple of beers now and then but was otherwise healthy and active in sports and such. I felt like crap about it a long time afterwards (and still does when thinking about it) because I used to babysit him and my nephew and then I haven't exactly lived in a way that would justify me being so ok as I am in comparision.

Similarly it can come so quick so that you don't have possibility to prepare from when the diagnosis is settled until they pass away.

[RedFury]

Probably Ali's doing. I changed the rankings. You are a novice, believe it or not. Do you want the keys back?

Hiya Falc!

No worries bud. Thanx all of you for keeping the place afloat. Damn! do the years ever go bye fast! I still remember first meeting Campi when he was a senior in HS...and now he's probably running his own company out somewhere.

As for being a novice, fine by me. Better than having "Old Geezer" under my nick. Which would be much more in line with the truth anyway.

Shhhh! We'll just keep it a secret between us and and all the rest of the 'net. Deal?

-----

In other words, Red Fruty is a control freak.

Yep, no doubt, what I missed the most about this place was reading your psychobabble. Still going strong I see.

Good for you as long as it earns you a burrito or two. With beef in it even.

-----

Sorry to hear that Red, I hope she didn't have to suffer a great lot.

I think I've finally learned how to cope with my own runaway emotions.

That can be difficult enough. I had a cousin that died of leukemia a couple of years ago. He was just 22 years old, only drank a couple of beers now and then but was otherwise healthy and active in sports and such. I felt like crap about it a long time afterwards (and still does when thinking about it) because I used to babysit him and my nephew and then I haven't exactly lived in a way that would justify me being so ok as I am in comparision.

Similarly it can come so quick so that you don't have possibility to prepare from when the diagnosis is settled until they pass away.

Thanks for sharing that, lillie. Guess the lesson learned from all of this, if we didn't already know it, is that we have to live for the moment whether good or bad. If good, try to capture it in your mind's eye for it'll become treasure with time -- in that sense it's how I keep my mom alive. The good times. And there where many. As for how she went, that's something I've tried to erase for there's no point in picking at that particular scab.

Take good care,

~Red

PS-If 'gene is still around someone point him to this post as I am visiting my son in Boca for a week...and will be in Miami for a couple of days afterwards. Should he want to get together for a bite, we are on. On me.

:::wonder if his daughter's married yet ::::

[RedFury]

Deleted entry.

[mate]

Red

Damn, I missed you again! I should check this thread out more often. But, do come back. When you do, I have no doubt you will quickly go beyond being a Novice! I will make sure of it.




God bless.

[agentesecreto]

pink is too busy licking his woulnds from last nights fiasco.

Forza Negrero!!!!!!