What have you discovered today?

I've discovered that Father Tree Holt is a good place!


Shhh... give me a moment to explain ... or two or three ...


Three years ago Father Tree Holt became a lifeboat for me and a handful of friends. Seas were stormy and our familiar forum, the Scroll of Colors, changed like the weathers. Kindredsoul set up this place to allow us to keep in contact and interact as usual ... and as a "reserve Scroll" in case things will get worse.
It was a loved place to talk for me ... but otherwise I've neglected it.

Then things changed again at the Scroll .. we got admins and more changes ... and I got a massive problem. FTH was the sanctuary, a place to talk, keep my thoughts straight and save my sanity. And when it went even worse ...
This place became a great support for my self-confidence and a lifesaver for "Embala" - with the best friends I could wish for!

When the Scroll of Colors was frozen four months ago and the members were scattered like the shards of the Palace ... Father Tree Holt was in place to offer a new home for anyone who longed for. The few remaining members of the lost Scroll, old members returning and new ones joining the tribe. It was wonderful to see the Holt grow and thrive with increasing numbers and lively discussions. It was a new home for many and felt so much like the old Scroll of Colors I've joined years ago ... I felt omfortable and safe and happy at once.
A wonderful place for scattered fans to gather and howl again.

Here we could meet and talk freely, truely tell our mind and interact as I've learned and appreciated it on the original Scroll of Colors years ago. But ... things had changed - of course. EQ had changed ... the Final Quest was not what old fans had hoped for. The creators ... appeared changed. And in consequence the mood on the forum seemed changed. We were - as someone has worded it - the home of the "grumpy crew".

There was reason to be grumpy. Reason to be disappointed. And it was so necessary, felt so good to be able to utter this critcism. I've needed and enjoyed it like anyone else.
I felt the anger ... partly it mirrored my own, partly it frightened me.
I felt the disappointment ... so many fans who had waited for the FQ for decades - desperately, full of high expectations and anticipation, with passion and love - were disappointed, put off or simply bored. It hurt. They hurt ... and it hurt me because I couldn't do anything to help. And the creators were not a help at all.

Part of my mind - in darker thoughtful moments - asked:
How can this be the "good place" I've dreamt of? The revived Scroll of Colors I've wished for so badly? How can we still be fans and do fan stuff when we are so critical and disappointed? How can it be a good place when the members are not happy?


This weekend I learned: Father Tree Holt is exactly the place we need!

I've finally realized to full extend that only passionate fans will care to discuss and voice constructive criticism. I realized that anger and disappointment still hold the old love - otherwise there would be indifference only. FTH is a good place and makes us happy because we are allowed to be ourselves. Because we can tell our mind. And because we are allowed to interact with one another in any possible way. It is like the Old Scroll.

Father Tree Holt is here for EQ fans ...
loving and doubting
enthusiastic and disappointed
embracing and critical
active and lurking
... for all the many colors we can offer.

Father Tree Holt is here for friends ...
interaction and support
celebrations and howls
discussions and musings
fun and silliness
... all the facets and interests besides EQ.

Father Tree Holt is for community.

Father Tree Holt is our place.

Yay! Way to go, Embala.
Also, today I learned that a group of bullfinches is called a bellowing.

The English Language is kind of awesome that way.

I learned that I bloody love you all!

Actually, I knew that already but still!

I feel less alone.

Embala...

you just made me cry...

but they are happy tears....

PCoquelin wrote:

I feel less alone.

DAS CUZ YEW HAVE US!!!!

<-----and this lil' elephant who likes to shake his booty at you <_____<  (careful... he farts!)

That if I hold my breath long enough I can visit Narnia!

Yeah Mr. Tumnus!!!

I have discovered that Windows 10 does not agree with my monitor...

......Narnia...

I wanna go tooooo

How much more space I got on my room when I packed that favorite table-lamp of mine away. And... I had that one stored under my nightstand.

Wow Embala, that was... deep I agree

Narnia.... ASLAN!!! Cute cuddle lion

I realized that I have allowed myself to be the cheap hooker version of a professional artist. I'm a professional artist... but the oldest profession. Not cool. I've discovered I need to develop more integrity and self respect-- and I need to work harder at developing a voice. I'm cutting out my social life and getting up at 5am from now on. I have to just work like a dog. Because I deserve it. Because I'm worth it. So I can have a fulfilling, affirming, and possibly monogamous relationship with my career.

*hugs Embala and everyone else*

*group hug   for everyone who's in need or just want to cuddle*

Best of luck with your plans, Lunakat. You deserve it and are worth it. All good wishes that things will work!

The thing you learn nerding monarch quizzes on Sporcle:

King Charles VI of France were nicknamed The Beloved and the Mad.
"We love you dude, but you're crazy!"
Okay... those two nicknames didn't appear together. I suppose they called him The Beloved to his face, and The Mad not to his face, suppose actually calling him 'mad' to his face might've resultet in a slight lack of head...

King Louis XIX, also of France, were king for a grand total of 20 minutes.
"You're king now. Naah... kidding."

That my favourite band Laibach indeed played two concerts in North Korea. The Prophets of Doom visiting NK - that's hilarious!  The "Dear Leader" has no idea who got into his country! XD
I hope he lets them get out as well...

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/11/laibach-announce-shows-in-north-korea-pyongyang

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/22/north-korea-laibach-pyongyang-concert

(some great comments)

Stormcatcher wrote:

That my favourite band Laibach indeed played two concerts in North Korea. The Prophets of Doom visiting NK - that's hilarious!  The "Dear Leader" has no idea who got into his country! XD
I hope he lets them get out as well...

Absolutely! Has no one in North Korea listened to any of the songs before giving approval?

Oh, I believe they did as three of their songs had to go off the set list... Also, Morten Traavik seems to have good connections with North Korea, so I suppose the officials trusted him more than the band.  Here is an interesting interview with Ivan Novak: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2015/08/06/83/0401000000AEN20150806009151315F.html

'The group downplayed concerns that the North Korean regime could politicize their concerts for propaganda.

"If anything, we would be happy if the North Korean authorities want to use our concert for propaganda because it means that more people will get to see and hear it," Novak said.

He added the band's music and visual style is far "too many-faceted and ambiguous" to be used as propaganda by any political system.

"If they do so, it will be at their own risk."'

He might have added "muahahaha"... XD

She is "our" Sofia! *happy dance*

I've made roasted potatoes for the first time in my life and discovered that my daughters love them .They're fighting for the last one as I type this.

The irony that is student goodie bags - and gendered ones, at that!

During my first year in university, I got a bag clearly meant for a boy, meaning that along with other stuff it contained contained a condom (yes, students get such things over here, the Girls were supposed to get tampons...).

This year, I was watching two boys going through the bags they had gotten. One got an... intimate napkin/swab? Is that a word? And the other got a bunch of pantyliners. I got toffees with ice cream flavour (?!) and was jealous of the boy who got toffees with licorice flavour...

Tenderfoot wrote:

The irony that is student goodie bags - and gendered ones, at that!

Somehow I'm not that surprised. Darn shame though. Genedering is annoying!

I rediscovered this forums name. Had forgotten it. Yeah, I'm not th sharpest tool.

Make sure that you will receive pm notifications on your email account, Startear, and I will send you a reminder advertisement at least twice a year. ^^

Welcome back!

Haha, nice!

One is glad to be of service. ^^