Hello my friends,
This morning I'm a little active about my relations. Due to unfortunate circumstances in 2008 kind of paralyzing my natural ability to socialize I have over a long period been hiding and while this is not a recommended behaviour it perhaps was necessary for me to be able again to know where North, South, East and West are located on my "compass of life" ! However to very selected people I have asked for support and I got that support. They know who they are ! Now 2009 is a new year and since the first days I have decided to take control again of everything regardless of the fact that the problems have not been really solved ... this won't stop me from looking ahead with confidence ! I will not allow 2009 to trap me again in dark corners of despair !
This was only an introduction to explain my motivations about this post. I have the feeling that the POP chatroom is a fantastic place for unique gathering in real time but instead of being able to talk to your friends you only enter an empty room and have to be satisfied with your own voice reverbing against the virtual walls !
The chatroom has an enormous potential. This has been showed in past POP chatroom events. I would use the expression of Paul Gilreath in his "Guide to Midi Orchestration" in correct context : "POP's chatroom is not only the cherish on top. It really is the icing and some of the cake as well !"
Why don't we use more this fantastic tool ? I don't understand ...
With warm regards from Belgium,
Bruno 
I couldn't agree more Bruno ... the Chat Room is there for you guys, though I do understand time zones play a part.
I've suggested this before; why don't we use the Shout Box to let other members know we're in `Chat`... it might help a little.
I'm thinking of replacing the Chat Room we have with the one we used to use as that one gives members an audio warning/notice that someone has entered. What do members think of this idea?
Chris (Admin)
Bruno it sounds like you had some difficult times my friend. It also sounds like you have moved on to better days and that is a good thing.
Funny you bring this up because I had thought about having a bunch of us coming into the chat at a specific time frame. I`m not to up on time zones and all but if we could get a time set up and consider the time differences so all could be clear when to come in we should definitely do that.
I`ll be bringing this up again...
Take care Bruno 
Tim Turner
Bruno, dear friend. I do hope you know that anytime, anyway and anywhere you can call on me to be there to chat with or even phone me if you need a friend to talk with. Never ,ever feel that it is to much to ask....I am there for you my friend. The time thing makes the chat room hard....but some organised get togethers would work for me. Take care bro
Chris I like the current chat room because the messages stay a while and if I miss someone it acts a bit like a message center. Also I feels good to leave a message for the next person if there IS no one there. I do miss Simon though
It's great to have your reactions Chris, Tim, Boogieman and David
I highly appreciate your concerns, Tim ! I will be OK : There is nothing worse for your mood to have the feeling that live controls you because of severe pressure on your shoulders. I have decided to take control again of the situation simply because I have no choice if I want to get where I want to be !
But as far I know this site is about music. I had fun yesterday with my own "quote" when I subscribed to facebook and where somewere you have to give your political opinion. I said : "If you would translate politics into music you would get many dissonant sounds". So, music is really a fantastic tool to express your feelings
There are many good ideas already regarding the chatroom. I'm very happy to feel so much interest about my topic. This shows that also you love the chatroom concept !
Time zones are indeed a barrier. Another barrier is also how often scheduled chatroom visits are suggested. The more, the worse ! I know that this sounds contradictory. Let me explain
If we want gatherings in the chatroom the Lord will not please us by adapting the earth's rotation in order to make our chatroom meetings easier ! Time zones will always make things more difficult and we will not be able to avoid that some of us will need to chat in "less comfortable" night hours (Midnight, 1 o'clock in the morning = my own experience). But this barrier is no barrier if we are motivated ! I will never understand how in the U.S. people can be so crazy about baseball while this sport nearly does not exist overhere but would some Americans not sell their bike to be able to support the "red sox" if they are a fan ? They are motivated !
The other barrier is that if chatroom gatherings are happening too often, those who are in not comfortable time zones will need to make an effort each time and regularly and this may in the end discourage them. For this reason I was thinking of a very easy formula : for example, chatroom gathering each first Friday of the month at X time U.T.C.
Now I was talking about more "official" chatroom events with more people participating. Chris also mentioned : the shoutbox. Indeed, for quick and easy gathering this is a great tool. the more we will do it the best it will work ! it should become a "refllex" to enter POPspace and look immediately at the shoutbox to make this concept successful !
Bruno
Hey there, my man, Bruno,
My job takes me into a lot of peoples' homes and I have definitely noticed that there has indeed seemed to be some bad mojo going around these past few years, there has been a lot more drama in their lives - sickness, divorces, loss of homes and loved ones. I confess that I too have spent more time than is warranted crying in my beer, as well. Thoughts, especially fears, are very powerful things and can reduce us to chickens that are hypnotized inside a chalk circle. For example, I have always been afraid to pick up the phone to call my Grandmother. Here I am, healthy and strong, just a completely gorgeous specimen of a man in every way, but tell me to call my grandma on the phone and I am reduced into a simpering bowl of jelly. I know that if I call her she will say "Why haven't you called?" and I will start humming and hawing and stuttering until my balls melt and I pee my pants. My reason tells me that such a fear is completely ridiculous and irrational but that doesn't make it any the less powerful over me. A child would be able to pick up the phone but for me it weighs a thousand pounds.
On a slightly related note, I have always had an amateur interest in languages -I was a linguist in the Army- and I have been thinking lately about the words "destiny" and "fate". "Destiny" has the same root as "Destination" ie, something that one is moving towards, or a goal. It is a powerful word or force (la forza del destino!) I think that every child has or should feel this joyful sense of destiny. Fate has a similar meaning but I think that it is probably related to the Persian word "Ghesmat" (which is commonly anglicized as "Kismet"). In Persian "Ghesmat" also means place. In other words, not a destination so much as the place where God put us. When I was single and perhaps more naive I thought about destiny; but now that I'm an old fart, married with children, whose lives take precedence over my pipe dreams, I am more inclined to think of the word "Fate" or my place. The tragic motto for such a condition is "Amor Fati" or "Love Thy Fate". The Christian counterpart is "Thy will be done." A certain acceptance of suffering is implied, either way. Anyway, I fear that I am lapsing into a sermon so I will break off here....
I trust you are doing okay, my friend, you are a man of many talents and you certainly have been an inspiration to me.
Catch you later, Bruno,
Rob
aahh i miss the days when it was crowded like when it was FNL
Hello Rob :o)
Well, you are indeed "lapsing into a sermon" as you said, but often a sermon has a feeling of negativity and something boring, while your sermons are simply catchy. I have noticed more than once how you are able to start "deep thinking" where other people remain superficial and ... Yep ... boring for some who prefer analyzing the world we are sometimes wandering into ;o)
you definitely were able to make me laugh ! While for you calling your grandma seems a little "tragic" and definitely contradictory with your personality, from outside this sentence is hilarious :
"I know that if I call her she will say "Why haven't you called?" and I will start humming and hawing and stuttering until my balls melt and I pee my pants".
Well, I dont know if my remark could be of any help to you Rob but I only have known my grandfather, and he died when I was 17. Since then, I have no grandfathers or grandmums so my balls can't melt but at the same time there is nobody I can call from that generation 
Destiny ? Fate ? I'm stuck in "fate" since a long while but this year I'm working hard to change this fate into destiny. You know what I'm saying ? I believe that fate is something we sometimes can contol and sometimes we can't. And when we can control it we sometimes have to pay a price ! That's my situation here !
Well, you were able to make me laugh ! Thank you Mister Rob ! Laughing is in my eyes probably the best drug against depression. My problem was in 2008 that I was almost not able to laugh anymore. My last type of humor that always works in the most bad situations is "black humor" but I also have lost this kind of humor last year. It's in 2009 that I have decided to change my "fate" into "destiny" and this is an interesting goal that can bring you again trust in life and at the same time bring the humor back
It was, like always, definitely very nice talking to you my friend Rob
Bruno
