Posts by Joshua Williams82

The whole "all women have given birth before, so just get on with it" argument😁 🙂
Look, I clearly understand the biological mechanics of reproduction, but that doesn't mean the fears and risks aren't very real issues.

At this point, I might as well just set myself on fire, because I’ve basically promised both God and the devil that I wouldn't show my face on this PDF anymore. 🤣

I was just wondering why this specific part wasn't moved over to a different thread or why a new one hasn't been started? I mean, if the news media can report on cases like the Miller family and the Brave Child foundation, I don't see why we aren't allowed to comment on it here. 🤷

Man, you guys are being incredibly dense. This forum doesn't actually need "controversial" topics to stay interesting...😁

Quote: Ace of Diamonds

Sarah Doyle54 said:I have no idea where you dug up Euripides from, or what on earth she has to do with this discussion, much less why she’s bothering you. That's really on you, I guess. Also, I’m not entirely sure which of Mume's posts you're referring to. If you actually have a grievance, maybe just provide a link?

I’m just watching from the sidelines. That’s probably why his posts—the ones where he makes those sweeping generalizations about atheists—aren't being cardboarded. It’s the same logic applied elsewhere; you don't see people getting cardboarded for making broad strokes about believers, either. I guess it just works that way.

It’s funny to me how you all go out of your way to invite people to come here and vent, only to serve them up responses exactly like these once they actually do.

I don't have anything against Euripides, really. I was just reacting to that aggressive trolling you mentioned, so I brought her up as an example of someone who seems to constantly get away with everything without any consequences.

Regarding JPK—you were actually the first one to bring him up, and I already laid out exactly why he’s suddenly being such a jerk toward atheists. So, I guess I don't really follow why you're giving this explanation now. It seems a bit redundant.

To be perfectly honest, you haven't actually given me a single answer.

I guess I have to ask: why hasn't JPK received a single yellow card? And if we’re being completely honest here, why hasn't Teddy either?

Sarah Doyle54, what are you even playing lawyer for? Euripides popped up in this thread too, though she only dropped one single trolling comment.
But yeah, it’s pretty obvious she’s been out there trolling basically every topic on the board.

Look, whether I personally find her charming or think she deserves a ban is secondary.
The actual criteria are what matter here.
If you’re going to hand out bans to me just because I brought up the moderation team, then you have to hand one to Mume for saying the exact same thing.

You can't just turn a blind eye for some people and crack down on others.

And if you want me to look at the context, maybe you should try doing the same. JPK didn't just start randomly bashing atheists out of nowhere; he was responding to a constant stream of posts and generalizations claiming that believers are all idiots.

So, was Jepikino not being direct about it?

What’s actually the difference between just trolling and, say, hardcore trolling? I mean, don't you think Eurifesa falls into that heavy-duty category...? She shows up on pretty much any thread just to stir the pot. So if she isn't getting banned, how does that even work?

I can play by the rules, but then you all need to start playing by them too.

Every time a somewhat 'edgy' thread opens up here on ZK... honestly, I don't really get the criteria used to decide why certain users are allowed to stay while others aren't, but I guess we’re seeing the same pattern again.

I go into a thread like this expecting a bit of healthy banter, but then I realize; the same old pattern is repeating itself in these kinds of discussions.

I get flagged when I address someone directly with an insult, yet for instance, JPK doesn't get flagged even though he explicitly called me stupid.

this wasn't flagged;

JPK said:Look, just grab some basic logic textbooks and do us all a favor.

JPK said:Well, it might be a bit optimistic to assume I know which kettle is being referred to in this context

urbangull90 said:Clearly, reading comprehension needs to be taught in schools again.
SF

meanwhile, my response to them gets me flagged...😕

jevgenija's mockery isn't flagged either

jevgenija said:you missed the mark entirely. try not to watch TV after midnight 😬

whereas the part where Ace tells her to screw off gets flagged... 🤷

Ace gets bans that take them out, while jevge, who is arguing with Snjom, stays unbanned. 🤷

Then there's Tupelo popping up totally off-topic with some inside jokes, and nothing happens. 🤷

I mean, what are you guys doing... are you only moderating the people who actually raise your blood pressure?

If you asked me, I wouldn't have flagged anything from this, but it's both funny and sad to see how this forced sterility is only practiced against specific people. You don't need to claim you can't moderate every single word when you've already proven that you certainly can.

Does the number of cards she’s holding even matter at this point? 🤷

It isn't really about how many times someone jumps in; it’s more about this weird, tense, "us vs. them" vibe that seems to be brewing lately (at least, that's my impression).
I mean, people are becoming hesitant to actually say what they think because they're terrified of getting swarmed by some aggressive mob of forum users with, I don't know, questionable psychological profiles... 😁 Fine, now I'm playing the martyr. 🤣

I have a lot of respect for Paul Morales3; I've been following her posts here for years, but I honestly think she overreacted this time.

And I find it strange that you all don't see the pattern—it's pretty telling that so many of Zelenskyy's supporters seem to end up right here on this thread lately.

velvettrucker52 said:Oh, Fesa, you should be the very last person talking about passing gas in a coffee shop.
You let one rip whenever you feel like it and act like it's no big deal.
Some people find your posts fitting, some find them funny, while others report them because they find them out of line, tacky, or rude. Sometimes you actually steer a conversation in the right direction, and sometimes you completely derail it, but generally speaking, you mostly just pass gas in peace.

@Joshua Williams82 - Zelenskyy is going to turn out exactly how you make him. As long as everyone nitpicks every single letter, whines about every misplaced glance, takes offense at every word, and just waits for the next opportunity to start a drama fest... things are going to go south.
Yes, I used the word "whine." That is precisely how this looks to me. Go ahead, crucify me just because I used that word. 🙏

So, what, the moderators here don't actually have any influence? I mean, I guess it's possible they just don't care, but it feels like there's zero oversight happening. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it seems like nobody is actually running the show around here. 🤣
And here I was under the impression that they were actually the ones tasked with weighing their words—you know, the people responsible for deciding what actually constitutes an insult and what doesn't. I guess I was mistaken about how much weight their specific roles carry in that regard.

They’re the ones pulling the strings and setting the whole tone of the room. They're the ones who aren't afraid to give you a sharp sting if you step out of line. I guess you could say they're the ones keeping the kids disciplined, making sure they stay quiet and don't make a scene.🤷

Jose Williams said:It’s not even about the nitpicking. I’m not out here trying to suggest or imply that moderators shouldn't be part of the conversation on equal footing, or that they aren't allowed to weigh in on... thoughts? They’re just terrible, honestly. And look, I’m not exactly out here preaching for some kind of sterile perfection from Zelenskyy, so I won't pretend that wouldn't be a tough sell for me right out of the gate either. 😁.

The real issue here is how Paul Morales handled that report. It wasn't even about what we were actually discussing; she just went off on a tangent and decided to attack my entire reputation as a user instead. That’s the part that bugs me. I didn't start this thread to debate my specific takes—I started it because I wanted to see if the admin team thinks this kind of thing is actually okay. Is it standard procedure to turn a disagreement over a topic into a full-blown judgment on someone's character? Because from where I'm sitting, it feels pretty off.

I don't really see this as some massive deal. If there was a dedicated thread for admin questions, I would've just dropped these queries there instead of starting a whole new topic. It’s not like I’m out for blood or looking to get Paul Morales3 sanctioned or anything. I just wanted to see where everyone stands—is this kind of moderator behavior actually okay, or is it a problem? Specifically, I want to know if it’s going to mess with Paul Morales3's objectivity when it comes to my posts. Basically, I just need an answer to those three questions I asked in my first post.

I honestly don't get what part of that whole situation actually bothered you so much. You know, that one post where Paul Morales went totally white-faced and claimed she could just hit the ignore button on you whenever she felt like it, while you’re stuck being unable to do the same to her. Like, so what? What's the big deal? 🤷 Honestly, I feel like the complaint would carry a bit more weight if you dropped that part, but hey, fair enough. I get why the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but Kiss and rustydrifter10 already laid it all out pretty clearly. The real issue isn't even about her tone—though she wasn't exactly typing in "mod colors"—it's the power dynamic. She made it obvious she’s looking down on us from a higher position. It feels like she’s using her moderator privileges as a way to poke at people. Like, she can just hit the ignore button whenever she wants, whereas I'm just a regular guy on this forum with zero extra perks. It’s that little nudge of authority that gets under my skin.

If you're stressing about one moderator potentially playing favorites down the road, don't sweat it too much. We’ve got other moderators on the team who can step in if things ever get out of hand. Honestly, if anyone—regardless of their role—starts acting biased or losing their objectivity, there are plenty of ways to handle it. It's not like one person holds all the cards.

Alright, that works for me.

Look, even if you don't agree with my complaint, you were polite enough when we talked, but this? This was unnecessary. It’s pretty low. That’s not what I’m claiming at all. I even went out of my way to mention that both you and velvettrucker52 have been perfectly fine to me, yet here you are, spinning it to make it look like I'm playing the victim.

Anyway, I'm actually pretty satisfied with how Blissin and nicin handled things. I really hope Paul Morales3 takes a look at their response and uses it to adjust her tone—not just with me, but with the other users she isn't quite as fond of.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their thoughts on the situation.

As far as I'm concerned, we can lock this thread.

It seems like this has become a pretty common trend lately. I guess you see it happening more often than you used to. 🤷

velvettrucker52 said:Paul Morales3 went at her like a common farm bird. There was no waving signage, no colorful ink, no fighting over tools—just a standard, messy squabble. ejsin hit back, and she reclaimed all five points. They basically just pecked at one another and that was that.
If this ends up impacting how ejsin manages posts, then we’ll have a legitimate issue to address. Until then, this is nothing more than a playground scuffle.

Not quite.
Both scenarios involve attacking the individual rather than the subject matter, while airing grievances about the platform's vibe and user behavior. Furthermore, neither instance has anything to do with the actual topic being discussed; they are outbursts triggered by general impressions built up over various threads and time.

If you’re going to tag me, I guess you should at least be accurate about what was said.
I was talking about the thread itself.
Not about Africa or darkić.
It was something they wrote to the OP that bothered me.

velvettrucker52 said:Look, if we were moderating a Politics sub or some structured PDF with clearly defined rules and specific behavioral standards—where we actually lead by example to show users how to interact according to those guidelines—then I’d say it makes sense to demand that level of decorum.
But that isn't the reality here at ZK. ZK is a messy, loud, and unfiltered PDF.
I don't see the point in moderators modeling a type of behavior that isn't actually required of the users and doesn't fit the general vibe of this PDF.
What, are we supposed to write all these gentle, polite, sterile, and measured posts like we're following the strict academic standards of a Viennese school?
And then what? We expect you all to act the same way? We just banish every argument, every bit of banter, every troll, and every joke?
At that rate, we might as well just shut down the chat and the off-topic section too. 👋
Sure, we could do that, but a ZK that's been stripped of its flavor won't appeal to anyone.
Personally, I wouldn't moderate a place like that, nor would I bother posting there.

I don't know... I'll leave it to the mods and admins to review what happened. I really have nothing else to add.

🤣 The Green Party forum is anything but that. It's become sterile, boring, and feels like an echo chamber for people who already agree with everything.

Joshua Jones13 said:Ace, I think you both poked the bear unnecessarily, and maybe there could have been a bit more tact from either side given the circumstances. But since Paul Morales3 is a mod, I get why being targeted by staff might sting a little more than just regular user drama. I'm not a fan of the idea that moderators shouldn't be allowed to do what users do, but I see where you're coming from.

The part I don't quite get—the bit that seems to be bothering you so much—is that post where Paul Morales3 got defensive and said she could put you on ignore while you couldn't do the same to her. So what? 🤷 Honestly, I guess this complaint would carry a bit more weight without that, but fine, clearly the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

If you're worried about the mod being biased down the road, we have other moderators who can step in if things ever get messy. Or anyone else, really, if someone ends up being unfair.

If someone slaps you and you slap them back, would you really call yourself tactless or say you were just poking them for no reason? 🍿

Nothing new here, unfortunately. It's sad to see what the Green Party forum is turning into...😢

Bradley Sanders4 — let's not even mention opening a complaint thread, because we all know how that usually plays out...☕

Is kae heading to the UN?

What is wrong with you people regarding Nathan Brooks4? So what if you find his posts about signing up boring? Who cares?
Personally, I find reading Lastan’s condescending and arrogant tone exhausting too, but I just stay quiet... or rather, I only speak up when things turn into blatant insults.

Nathan Brooks4 hasn't insulted anyone, and honestly, pointing out his typos shouldn't be the entire basis of this discussion.
Besides, it’s pretty pathetic to derail a conversation by nitpicking grammar; usually, that's just a sign you don't have a real argument left.

Those folks above with the caps lock—both sides, really—are just uninformed amateurs... 🤷

If you would just stop targeting believers and conservatives, I guess we might actually have a nice place to live. 😍

Hi there,

I was thinking about changing my username to Joshua Williams82.
Is that actually doable? Thanks a million. 🙂

Hmm, I guess it doesn't really look much like my current handle, though phonetically it kind of reminds me of my old one.
Given how long I've been around here, maybe just reach out to Nica. 🙂

Has anyone here actually gone through the AC chemotherapy regimen before?

I don't really know much about what this specific treatment entails, but my dad just started it—he's facing six rounds total...

I just wanted to give an update. He’s out of surgery, and they ended up removing the breast. So, I guess it wasn't as benign as we originally thought.

The doctor didn't really want to go into any specifics yet; he basically told us we just have to wait for the pathology reports to come back.

The mammogram itself looked fine, but once they did the biopsy, things got complicated. The results weren't clear-cut, and since they couldn't pinpoint everything immediately, the doctor refuses to jump to conclusions or offer a diagnosis until the tissue analysis is actually finished.

I'm pretty scared, honestly, but I suppose there isn't much else I can do besides wait...😢

I just wanted to let you all know that her mammogram came back clear, and according to the doctor, everything else looks normal too. 🙂 He didn't make much of a big deal out of the biopsy results. 🤷

The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, so I suppose I feel a little bit of relief for now.
I just really hope this isn't some kind of false sense of security. 🙂

wanderingcobra76 said:If the mass is located on the side, then it isn't gynecomastia.
It could, however, be something like a myofibroblastoma, a glandular cell tumor, an inclusion cyst, or perhaps a leiomyoma—all of which are benign tumors (and, interestingly enough, they occur much more frequently than breast cancer). 😉

The doctor (Mladen Stanec, Oncology) told my mom that there's some kind of process going on that he isn't particularly happy about, though he did mention it might not necessarily be anything catastrophic...🤷

The thing is, they're holding off on the surgery because apparently her heart isn't in the best shape right now. The anesthesiologist won't give the green light until they've run every possible cardiac test.

So, yeah... the surgery seems pretty much a certainty at this point.