I think one of the hidden joys of this forum is the length of time people have been on here. Some faces I’ve been talking to since 2002, some more recent. Which insanely can mean 10 years feels “new”. For me this place is a kind of rolling snap shot of my life from hipster edgelord to grizzled Gen Xer shouting at clouds. But it definitely has allowed me to be more self aware than I could have been without such a niche online footprint.

When I started on here I was way more radical politically, far less inclined to care about the consequences of my posts on others, to the point of outright deliberately egging on mental illness. That was over two decades ago on a tapering level of intensity.

A little self doxing. I’m now a 49 year old, professional, family and living with a treatable but in the end incurable form of blood cancer. Other than an Instagram account for my dumb hobbies this is my social media. But this place is definitely an evolving record of my beliefs and opinions way beyond old Facebook accounts etc. Have I continued in the great tradition of becoming increasingly conservative as I aged..? reflecting on the record here, yes and no. I’ve definitely becomes more cynical as I aged. Less inclined towards singular issues, the Great Religion Debates of the early 00s being one. Honestly I still think religion is stupid and toxic but have zero interest in pontificating about this.

I’m actually pretty curious how others see their evolving self in the context of this pretty unique place. Getting old sucks, but PRF actually means those of us that didn’t have the same public forum as say, FM Steve still have a space to reflect on past opinions expressed. Whether is cringe, misguided bullshit or genuine moments of clarity and change. For me that was the Feminism thread.

Anyhoo old coots of PRF unite.

I think I started posting around 2005. Was married with a 4-year-old kid and living in semi-rural Oregon, working for a family-owned funeral home and doing everything there was to do there with an insane on-call schedule - I mean weekends where I got maybe 6 hours of sleep from Friday to Monday morning and spending entire nights in the embalming room. Considered myself agnostic and still coming to terms with a political rage I hadn't felt since the '80s (2000 election lifted the scales from my eyes pretty abruptly, and rural Oregon didn't and doesn't provide much in the way of sympathetic ears to those of an antiracist, antifascist, feminist bent).

My marriage ended, gradually and then suddenly, in 2013, and my ex took our son to Louisville. It was the best thing for him, but I've been picking up the shattered pieces ever since. I myself moved out to Portland, where I remain, working for a corporate funeral home with a pretty much 9-5 lifestyle. I'm 58 in October, and the other day my girlfriend and I filed domestic partnership paperwork after 10 years together. I bought a new bass a few years ago and it renewed my interest in playing, so I'm usually at it a few times a week. I deleted my reddit account a couple years ago, so EA is the only place I post. Have met a couple of people over the years who knew about the forum, but never any of you in person. Would classify myself as atheist at this point.

Not hopeful for the future of the world, but my son is doing well, I'm content at my workplace, and I'm with a fantastic person I expect to make happy until the end for one of us.

I think that this was my first topic started on this forumz. I was so scared that everyone will make fun of me and my Eastern European way of making funnies.
This shit right here, surrounded with all the funny and weird people in the midst of the coolest biggest virtual punk rock movement that was made known to the public and ourselves made me excited to come to this place and be a PRF beard dude that just wanted to make stupid jokes and listen to cool music.

And I haven't changed since, haven't changed inside at all. I am still that insecure little dude that will never feel like I belong, but in the bottom of my heart thankful for the place that made me record some of my music and play alongside with the coolest of the dudes that ever rocked on this planet.

I got a kid in the process, lost a ton of weight, divorced my shitty wife that never really cared for me, changed a shit ton of jobs and I am still kicking and trying to be as possibly mentally healthy as much as I can in this shitty world.

I love every single one of you assholes, even Randy who never acknowledged me here even though I think he is one hella great dude.

PS. I still think my beans story was probably the greatest internet forumz post ever. CHANGE MY MIND!

Lu Zwei wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 9:28 am I think that this was my first topic started on this forumz. I was so scared that everyone will make fun of me and my Eastern European way of making funnies.

This shit right here, surrounded with all the funny and weird people in the midst of the coolest biggest virtual punk rock movement that was made known to the public and ourselves made me excited to come to this place and be a PRF beard dude that just wanted to make stupid jokes and listen to cool music.

And I haven't changed since, haven't changed inside at all. I am still that insecure little dude that will never feel like I belong, but in the bottom of my heart thankful for the place that made me record some of my music and play alongside with the coolest of the dudes that ever rocked on this planet.

I got a kid in the process, lost a ton of weight, divorced my shitty wife that never really cared for me, changed a shit ton of jobs and I am still kicking and trying to be as possibly mentally healthy as much as I can in this shitty world.

I love every single one of you assholes, even Randy who never acknowledged me here even though I think he is one hella great dude.

PS. I still think my beans story was probably the greatest internet forumz post ever. CHANGE MY MIND!

Never change.

This is a great topic.

I also wanted to say that I really miss all the people that are no longer here and I really hate what FB has done wrong for this community.

FUCK FACEBOOK!

It's been 20-ish years. Seeing people at the BBQ after about 7 years hiatus (in person anyway) is a long time. We've all clearly aged. A lot happens in two decades, we've seen forum members leave forever, pass away and even go to prison, as the community evolves and the faces change. It's amazing that this thing is still a going on and most of us are still here. Our positions on some things have changed, while other beliefs remain stationary.

I've been married, divorced, married again, now have two kids and I'm now 47. I was just a young scrub saying and doing stupid things when I started. Saying and doing less stupid things now!

cakes wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 10:55 am Saying and doing less stupid things now!

You are doing the same number of stupid things only those things are less stupid in degree, or you are doing fewer stupid things?

enframed wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 11:02 am

cakes wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 10:55 am Saying and doing less stupid things now!

You are doing the same number of stupid things only those things are less stupid in degree, or you are doing fewer stupid things?

Nah, dude. What are stupid things!? We are what we are, and we reflect accordingly. But our stupid things make us so unique and desirable, we should never change in general.

enframed wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 11:02 am

cakes wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 10:55 am Saying and doing less stupid things now!

You are doing the same number of stupid things only those things are less stupid in degree, or you are doing fewer stupid things?

Let's leave that up to everyone else to decide.

Lu Zwei wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 9:28 am I love every single one of you assholes, even Randy who never acknowledged me here even though I think he is one hella great dude.

Excuse me, madam, are you referring to me?


I met my last band on this forum. We have another album inside, and after all of us being away from each other for a few years with more lived experiences I know the songwriting is just as strong if not stronger. There is a lot I've learned about recording, and capturing vibrant drum/percussive sounds from my time here that I'm looking forward to bullying whoever might work with us. This is how much I've grwoned.