All,

It's me, theropod. My iPhone 6 plus died almost a month ago, and no matter what I did the insurance replacement would not log me in. I copied the password exactly as was used by my Mac Mini, which logged on without hesitation. After three tries the board software threw up a challenge screen no phone software I know of will accept. Michael and Jesse and I have been at this for weeks, and nothing seems to work. Today, using my Mac Mini for the first time in weeks, the board software informed me that my account is now locked. So, I created this sock account. Y'all can ban my old ass, fix my account or live with this.

Is it just me, or is this a fatal flaw in the obviously outdated board software? Before you get all defensive let me tell you a few things.

New Phone:
I restored from a backup from a week~ before the old phone died via iTunes, and checked for the most up to date iOS version available. I then backed up the new phone to iTunes, and launched Chrome for iOS with no browsing history, cookies, saved passwords or previous interactions. Google demanded I log on to my account, and my hard copy passwords all worked perfectly. Even though I am 100% sure I entered the absolute correct password the board software rejected all attempts. I've deleted cookies and history and tried several times to log in. No joy. That just left me having to go through several two method verifications in order to log on other sites. Michael reset everything multiple times. Nothing has worked. So, I am left with this choice. I either create a sock, and own it, or I leave you fine fools to your own devices. I choose to be a rebel, and openly slap my sweaty sock self on the wall. Let's see if I stick, eh? One might be able to tell I really don't give a flying fuck which way this works out. I don't feel like I did anything wrong, and now my account is locked.

Oh, and that screen informing you of being locked out of your account says to contact the admin. Trouble is I could find no means by which one might do so. Clicking on any of the links results in "You must be logged in to do this". Nice catch 22 there. Well played. That way nobody bothers the admin!

Come on people. There are some great coders here. Volunteer to fix this stuff. Michael, convince LIFE to let them. Shit is screwed up and hasn't been updated to deal with phones. The utter fail of the "drag non planets" challenge screen for all known mobil operating systems is ample evidence of that.

How long has it been since the server software was upgraded? Do we need to crowd source this upgrade here? Seriously!

If there any doubts as to whether it's really me I can only say this. The earth isn't expanding, JJ is wronger now than he has ever been and I worry about Hack, Tony.

RAS

I can reset the account for your computer but the issues with your phone I cannot fix. I will reach out to Life to see if we can use a different phone friendlier verification tool.

theropod_V_2.0 wrote:How long has it been since the server software was upgraded? Do we need to crowd source this upgrade here?

This version (3.0.6) was released on November 2009. Considering that much later versions of the phpBB software have been hacked (e.g. Atheist Foundation of Australia in 2011 and again in 2017, at which time it was running on V3.8.9 Patch Level 1), this forum must have big enough holes to drive trucks through, load up all members' passwords, IP addresses of the devices they post from, private messages, etc, and disappear again.

Money is not a problem unless you need to pay a software technician to do the upgrade. The phpBB software itself is free. Time evidently is a problem, though. Looks like LIFE has not managed to spare enough of it to fix the email issue, so the chance of an upgrade does appear to be quite slim.

Kiore might reset your password for you. He's done that for other members in the past. Luckily, you only ever called him a suppurating rat’s rectum inside a dead skunk that’s been shoved up a week-old dead rhino’s twat in our private messages, eh?

ETA: Oops. I didn't notice that Kiore is already onto it.

Did you ever get this working, Theropod?

When I click on Theropod's name next to one of his posts, the board responds with...

The requested user does not exist.

!!??!!

I'm pretty sure he does.

That's a glitch in the Matrix. Evidence that we live in a simulation.

Jesse has gone WAY above and beyond in order for me to return to the fold.

I really don’t exist, and my presence is a mere projection from “the other side”.

After an 8 month experiment which revealed just how poorly my wife and I are equipped to deal with the nightmare that western Oregon has become we are back on our Ozark property livin’ the dream.

I ended my Facebook participation yesterday. My son, a Turnip supporter, went off on me for posting a John Oliver video which showed just how screwed up it is that the USA doesn’t have a single payer universal healthcare system. His wife is a nurse practitioner for Lane county, Oregon. She’s probably pulling down well over $100K a year. When I pointed out that his opinion was tainted with a vested interest he flat out told me I would never see my grandkids again.

This, of course, hurts like hell, but not because of his prepubescent inability to deal with being called on his Fux Noise repeating of absolute lies. Rather the pain comes from his punitive retaliation involving those kids. It’s a low tactic designed exclusively to get at me. So, if anyone has any doubt about how much I absolutely hate the orange shitgibbon they just might reconsider. The mental poisoning of the right is nearly complete, and daring to question “Dear Leader” is enough to split families asunder.

This explosive exchange was far from limited to his defense of his vested interests. When I reminded him that he PROMISED we would go golfing “every chance we get” if we moved out west, and after 8 months the rain fly is still on my bag, untouched from packing, he went off. When I reminded him that I spent a couple hundred bucks and over 50 hours developing the hardware and software for a prototype novelty device he and a buddy were trying to market, and he PROMISED to pay me back, which he didn’t, he went off. When I reminded him that he promised to take some time and go shooting (targets) because my Tikka 308 took an impact to the Leupold scope, and we never did, he went off. That last one was a burr under my saddle because we hadn’t been back home two days when he texted me a pict of him and his nephew (wife’s) out having a shooting spree. When I explained that all this combined was sending the message that his lip service “respect” was offensive he pretty much melted down.

Yes, I pushed back against his bullshit, and as expected he resorted to hate rather than admit he had treated my wife and I like absolute shit. We went to their house a grand total of two times in that entire 8 months. Apparently he wanted a senile old fuck for a dad that didn’t have the intelligence to take note of his fucking me over at each opportunity. He refused to even accept that my observations were meritorious, or that I had any right whatsoever to be hurt by his actions.

Now, understand that my son served 6 years on a boomer (nuke sub), and then went on for a 6 year stint in the CIA, followed by 8 years at the State Department. He has a no telling how big government retirement package, and works for a multimillion dollar earning trash romance author. Nearly everything he talks about involves money. He even talked about how much money he could save by killing a deer over buying meat, when no hunter I know would make such a claim. He is applying for yet more government benefits in claiming his ankles have disabled him. Never mind that his pedometer showed nearly 80 miles covered in 5 days during his eastern Oregon mule deer hunt. So, his honor only extends so far. Yep, I mentioned that too after he asked how I dare question his righteousness. Yep, claims to be a Christian too.

So, I’m sad, but not destroyed. I’m pissed, but not livid. I’m disgusted, but not sickened. I’m disappointed, but not surprised.

________

Our trip home was not a joy ride. Seeing as we are in late winter and we didn’t want to deal with crossing the Rockies, we went south into California. We pulled a 4’ X 8’ U Haul out and back with our Escape. Same load, same loadout and same size trailer. The only difference was the last trailer had a tongue almost 2 feet longer than the first. This altered the forces at work, and caused the hitch to almost pull the attaching bolts through the Escape sub frame. We stopped in Barstow, California at a U Haul center to have things checked when we discovered the frame was tearing. They would not let us leave with the trailer hitch was repaired. After trying for half a day to get any of the several welding/fabrication shop to make these repairs with no joy I finally pulled into a wrecking yard, and after machining discarded mobile home frame to fit the trailer hitch was fixed. This only took two days in the oasis/garden spot that is Barstow.

We left Barstow, and headed east on I-40. Arizona must spend every penny they get for road maintenance on I-10 because I-40 is a hammered piece of shit. The worst interstate I have ever seen. Just before reaching Flagstaff an idiot and copilot in a jacked up F-150 threw a golf ball at us which took a chunk out of the grill, and only luck kept it out of the windshield. Yep, a Turnip 2020 sticker was on the rear window.

I need a big fatty!

RS

Sorry that you can’t choose your family, Roger. Well, your heart can probably do without that aggravation.

theropod_V_2.0 wrote:
I ended my Facebook participation yesterday. My son, a Turnip supporter, went off on me for posting a John Oliver video which showed just how screwed up it is that the USA doesn’t have a single payer universal healthcare system. His wife is a nurse practitioner for Lane county, Oregon. She’s probably pulling down well over $100K a year. When I pointed out that his opinion was tainted with a vested interest he flat out told me I would never see my grandkids again.

Wow, what a fucking numpty. Your son, that is.

Eta: assuming that your son isn't so deep under his wife's thumb that she could force him to say that to you.

Yep, Fal, the old ticker has been tested over the last 8 months. No doubt about that. Aside from the hurt locker shit I’m good. When I had my infarction I weighed 183.5 pounds, and this morning I am at 154.5. That’s a half pound lighter than the day I graduated high school, May 3, 1971. I have also been walking a lot, and am going to be hard as a rock come spring time.

Oh, for the comedy side of life. Our second morning back, about 4 am, I got up to piss. I had not cleaned and rinsed our water holding tank, so the head was non functional. I was headed to the porch to do the deed, and had got up a good head of steam, when I slammed into the back/top of our antique oak rocker. This broke a rib on my lower left abdomen. I have broken several ribs over the years, but never one of those “floating” bastards. So, putting our off grid systems back into service has been a study in pain tolerance. Oh, and my cardio Dr told me 800 mgs of ibuprofen would be OK for pain relief. Took 400 mgs and my stool was full of blood the next day, so I’m just dealing with it. Maybe I can not fuck myself up further for a few days.

RS

Welcome home, mate.

JamesT,

So true. Nope, his wife isn’t a royal bitch by any means. He is just so full of himself that he actually thinks he “made it” in life all on his own. He ignored my observation that “We the People” paid his entire salary for all his service time and his retirement. When I suggested that a simple twist of fate could have ended up with him destitute and homeless he called me a communist asshole that didn’t know a fucking thing about life, the universe or anything.

Well, it will take me some time to get past this, but my life is just too full to let his childish idiocy bring me down. I have a wife that thinks I’m the shit, crazy woman, and some friends I trust with my life. My son only wanted me around to boost his ego. That sad fact is evident.

RS

Good to be back Lak!

RS

So sorry you have to deal with all this. Even though Trump's evil doesn't need to be demonstrated anymore, I'm still astonished how far it can go. It's even worse when it's family.
But then again, that comes from someone who was cast off from their family, so maybe I should be less naive...

theropod_V_2.0 wrote:JamesT,

So true. Nope, his wife isn’t a royal bitch by any means. He is just so full of himself that he actually thinks he “made it” in life all on his own. He ignored my observation that “We the People” paid his entire salary for all his service time and his retirement. When I suggested that a simple twist of fate could have ended up with him destitute and homeless he called me a communist asshole that didn’t know a fucking thing about life, the universe or anything.

Well, it will take me some time to get past this, but my life is just too full to let his childish idiocy bring me down. I have a wife that thinks I’m the shit, crazy woman, and some friends I trust with my life. My son only wanted me around to boost his ego. That sad fact is evident.

RS

I feel for you, really. I mean, I have a young daughter so I know how I'd feel if she said something similar to me. I mean, as parents we do our best to support our kids no matter what they think or do. It's our 'job'. My daughter is a teenager now so I often wonder how I'd react if she did this or that, etc.. The bottom-line is that I'd try and support her no matter what. Certainly, that extends to her political beliefs as she becomes an adult!!!!!!! In other words, I wouldn't tell her to fuck off for supporting ideals opposed to my own.

I love my brother, but a couple of years back he walked out of a restaurant we were eating in after a silly heated exchange and I haven't heard from him since. I still love him and have tried to reach out to him, to no avail. If he ever needs me, I'll be here. The bottom-line is that you have to accept that love is not always equally reciprocal. In my case and yours, neither of us can do anything about it, for neither of us are willing to lie about how we feel (politically etc.) in order to receive their 'love'.

Don't worry about it so much. Maybe he'll grow up one day. The point about love is that it should be unconditional, otherwise, it's worthless. In the not so distant future maybe he'll realise what a twat he's been. Hang in there.

The truth is that Trump has a very good chance - afaict - of becoming re-elected. That means that there is a significant mindset within the US supporting 'Trumpism', so the point of Trump-bashing is lost here. Though the point of what supporters of Trump might do, is not. Obviously so in this case. When kids start banning their own kids from seeing you 'the grandparent', we can see how far wrong this has gone.

My sympathy goes to both theropod and the USA, really.

Y’all that know me also know I don’t resort to ad homs, distortions or logical fallacies even when dealing with weapons grade idiocy. Y’all also know I am stupidly fearless of bluster and exposing bad thinking. My son claimed “all” the good doctors from social healthcare countries were coming to the USA to make more money. I responded by asking him if he would rather receive care from someone entering the field for profit or passion, and he took that as another insult because he was caught out in a trap of his own making. He claimed my question was typical of a commie faggot! No, he didn’t answer.

He simply attempted to bully me into submission. I cannot express the abject disappointment I have experienced in his turning to the dark side.

RS

His wife is a nurse practitioner for Lane county, Oregon. She’s probably pulling down well over $100K a year. When I pointed out that his opinion was tainted with a vested interest he flat out told me I would never see my grandkids again.

Fuck Roger, that is shitty of him. I am so sorry to hear that and hope your son realizes how spiteful this is and has the confidence of character to admit error and reverse course.

jamest wrote:The truth is that Trump has a very good chance - afaict - of becoming re-elected.

The truth is that you don't know that.

The only way you could tell is by looking at headsup polls, and in those polls Trump loses to every Democrat candidate.

But as the polls aren't foolproof, there's no actual way of telling anything. You could as well use a Magic 8 Ball.

I have serious doubts, Spear. The harder I tried to apply rationality to the discourse the more obtuse, abusive and trite he became. I suggested we both back off, think a day or two, and revisit the issue. This he used in an attempt to say I was trying to “chicken out” on the whole thing, being a typical coward “libtard”. Yes, he used those exact words.

Love is great and wonderful, but hate is love’s half brother. My son has chosen hate, and extended it to me. Frankly, I saw it, but put it on the back burner, pretended, fooled myself that a glimmer of hope remained. I sat silent when he went off on how Hillary should have been executed for Bengazi. I said nothing when he ranted about Nancy Pelosi being an “enemy of the people”. I didn’t correct him when he claimed the democrats wanted open boarders. I didn’t say a word about Ronnie Raygun’s implementation of an assault weapons ban when he frothed at the mouth about gun control being an attempt to “take away our guns”. That’s all on me. I should have not sat there like a bump on a log and let my silence pass as agreement.

RS

He does sound extremist in his politics, and that's just sheer unhealthy behavior on his part... but how and why that should affect his parents and children is where it gets completely unreasonable. He's punishing you and his own kids because you disagree with his politics. That's sad in both senses of the word.

Perhaps try a letter? Write a clearly worded letter expressing how he's entitled to believe whatever he wants, but he shouldn't use his beliefs as grounds for emotional manipulation. Remind him you won't be around forever, and that he's harming his kids too by denying them a relationship with their grandparents. Even in an acrimonious divorce, angrily estranged ex-spouses are obliged to put aside their venom at least to the degree that they allow both parents access to the kids, and it's just as much for the kids sakes as for the adults. Sure, finally, try a conciliatory tone to let him save face or whatever, but be frank otherwise.

The thing about letters is that they're not so easy to close down as spoken conversations. Getting angry and slamming down the phone is easy, and it's hard to 'save face' to pick that phone back up and apologize, but a letter even ignored just sits there waiting to be read. Worst comes to the worst, write to your daughter-in-law and appeal to her sense of familial instincts.

Even if your relationship with your son is irreconcilable, that shouldn't be a reason for him to deny you a relationship with your grandkids.