Topic: The Chit Chat Thread

This is Math worksheet I made for my extra curricular Math Club last semester.
Feel free to print and answer the given question.
If you cannot answer these questions, you need to go back to grade 3.

Welcome back yet again to the returning people. Hopefully the time away has helped. A little self reflection is always good to become a better person and stop the antagonising comments meant to bait reactions and feign hurt, and realise not everyone who buys 'the wizard game' is a foe

Ha! Before long you'll eventually have a kid staying up all hours of the night, talking back to you and all sorts @Thrillho so good luck!

I'm alright thanks @AgentCooper.

I've actually been away since December myself and only came back a few weeks ago.

We were hosting the Christmas & New Year's parties this year and so I was just quite busy over the Christmas holidays. Plus with me and my partner being primary school teacher's we still had a lot of work to plan for the new term.

I was ready to come back sometime in Jan but my PS4 had kicked the bucket (or so I thought) so I lost all the motivation to post here whatsoever.Thankfully I later learned it was just the hard drive so it was a less pricy proposition then I was thinking.

There's also the strikes over the past month or so and it's just been a little stressful in general.

Other then that though things have been pretty good. Best class of kids I've had for a good while (I teach year 2) and my partner has been filling in as a deputy headmistress. Given her a lot more work but she's risen to the occasion and then some!

@nessisonett Glad to see you are back. This place will surely be better for it.

@Ralizah So sorry to hear of your recent loss. Doubt anything i can say will make things better, it may be a cliche, but allowing the time to grieve is really essential. As is having a good support around you, which sounds like you are sorted in respect.

Without trying to come across like I'm quoting something from a Fast and Furious movies, this place can a have proper family vibe to it. Helps that there are quite a few of us that have stuck around for a few years.

Wanted to split my response to you from the other post I made in the thread. I'm not really sure what to say @Ralizah as there's been some wonderful and heartful responses to this tragic news but I'll try my best.

I'm really sorry to hear what's happened to you and your family Ral.

I know we're only avatars and text on a screen to one another but I've always enjoyed talking with you and hearing how your family is doing from the times you've mentioned them in previous discussions. Whether it's playing games together with your nephew or in regards to your mother. She sounded like one hell of a woman.

It's good to hear you're doing better and that you've got a good support network going to let your emotions out & feel comfortable talking through things. Just don't beat yourself up if you find yourself lapsing and struggling at points as I know how difficult that can be.

I'm not particularly one for divulging too much about myself on here either (Like ralph said worse things happen to better people) so I can understand the reticence of talking about such a thing. I do wonder sometimes if I'm being a bit too... Surface level at times with people I would genuinely consider friends. It's a hard balance to strike.

Sorry if that was a bit of a mess of a response but I hope it conveys my genuine concern and the heartfelt nature of. Like others have said I'm here to lend an ear should you need it Ral.

After sitting here for about half an hour now, I'm not sure what to say, other than that the genuine feeling of community is absolutely what keeps me coming back to Push Square, and I appreciate all of the heartfelt responses. And am so, so sorry for other people here who have had to struggle with the pain of losing a close loved one. It's never easy to talk about, and I appreciate the disclosure.

@AgentCooper The more time goes on, the fewer working digital copies of P.T. are out there in the wild. I'm going to hang onto my PS4 and replay the game annually for as long as possible.

Crazy to think how easily a freely accessible demo became an ultra-rare resource.

@Kidfried I'm generally pretty private, but it felt unfair to keep cryptically alluding to some undefined bad event. Although I agree people need to know and maintain their boundaries. There are things I'd never tell other people, and that's true of everyone.

If nothing else, I'm less inclined to worry about the possibilities awaiting the people I care about now. Because all of the neurotic hand-wringing I did, all of my planning and mental calculations didn't do a thing to protect the people I love. The universe is not in our control.

We all understand that intellectually, but it's a different thing to grok it.

@Ralizah It’s always hard to know what to say, particularly online, in these situations but I’m sorry to hear what you’ve been going through.

When my sister died a few years ago (before I joined this place) I found it kind of cathartic to write some things out on another forum I use, and have used for a long time, and actually found it more useful talking through it with people I didn’t know “IRL” at times.

But we’re all different and one of the hardest parts of grief is realising everyone will react differently and that can be really difficult and even sometimes quite frustrating at times.

There will always be a hole there but I found it’s about remembering the good times and sometimes it’s silly things that still catch me out. It sounds kind of weird but playing Sonic Origins was quite an emotional thing for me as we played the those games together loads as kids.

So yeah, don’t feel bad about posting or not posting about things and I hope your family are all doing okay.

And sorry to hear about your bereavement too @ralphdibny I hope you’re doing alright too.

@Kidfried Now you officially know your first Martian word.

@AgentCooper I wanted to say that I'm sorry about your dad, and I think having a sense of guilt about how you approach such a situation is natural. For myself, I... couldn't bring myself to be the room when she passed. Other family members took on that burden for me. And even though she wasn't conscious during that process, I did feel guilty, and still do, sort of.

@ralphdibny It hadn't even crossed my mind that the subject might be triggering for people.

Sorry about your grandad. Considering you describe the experience of his passing being "profound," it sounds like you're in a healthy place with regard to that particular loss.

@HallowMoonshadow Everyone has different comfort levels in terms of talking about themselves. Admittedly, the (wonderful) outpouring of support from people on here is a bit awkward for me, since I'm typically someone who emotionally isolates when grieving or processing some sort of uncomfortable emotion (which actually caused some concern a few months ago IRL with some of the people around me; had to sit them down and assure them I wasn't going to "do anything drastic," which was also awkward, lol).

@Thrillho There are a few activities I might just permanently retire now. Toejam & Earl, for example, was her favorite game, and one we played together literally thousands of times. It's a great game, one of my favorites, but I have no idea when or if I'll ever want to revisit it now.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. My own sister is sort of like a second mother to me. I'd be equally gutted if I'd lost her.

@RogerRoger I just know what it's like to be a helpless bystander to the pain of others. It's not that you don't care, but when there's nothing you can do for them, and when you're not sharing their pain, it just becomes a bit uncomfortable, and I don't really want to put others in that position.

And, to be clear, that remains the case, even though I did open up. I just feel like the people I talk to on here deserved some context how I've behaved recently.

By the way, since I have no idea where else I'd post this on the forums: did you, uh, happen to see the announcement about that Sonic the Hedgehog murder-mystery adventure game? April Fool's came a day early, it seems.

I just read the BMX man’s how it became a stick club game article. Wild stuff. I will say though, it stated off with stupidity. Making a bike riding game M so you don’t censor swearing in the music is just a stupid idea. How crazy that idea was absolutely opened the flood gate for everything else to go downhill.
Also, some of his rationalizations about Walmart not selling the game was kinda dumb. They sell guns, but strip clubs are a no go.
Yeah, those aren’t comparable. There’s a reason you’d be okay with a kid watching a video where someone shoots a rifle at a target, and not one shot in a strip club.
But still, interesting to see how that game happened.

It's funny ya know, I do feel like I "know" people on here. I mean, obviously I don't know anyone's real name (except @kyleforrester I assume 😂) but most people's personalities (or at least, that which they want to portray) really come across very well in their forum posts and you are no exception Foxy!

People talk about all sorts here, their jobs, where they come from, their family, their gaming tastes etc. I think the only thing that surprises me quite a bit is people's voices if I ever play online with someone (which is not often to be fair) - it's never the voice I used to read their posts in. Read in my head by the way, I am not some weirdo who reads every post out loud while guessing people's accents 😂

But yeah, even if people hold certain parts of their life back here they can be quite candid about other parts and you can sort of paint a picture really, even if it's an incomplete one. I don't know if that's impolite to do but I think it's probably a natural thing that humans do when communicating with eachother.

It's better than family in some ways, well different at least, but in a good way. I think the anonymity helps. I get super embarrassed talking to my actual family about anything personal and even most of my friends. I have got a lot better at it lately but I still need work.

I get that sometimes too, even for little things. I don't even neccesarily worry about people caring though, more that I might just get a negative response. But I am always proven wrong.

Well mostly always 😅, there are a couple moody people on here. I think sometimes the negative responses can seem like the "loudest" though if that makes sense even if they are few and far between. I've certainly belayed a post if certain users are fairly active at the time. It's normally pretty insignificant stuff but I don't always want to be talked down to about something I've just made a passing comment about.

Sounds like you've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. Hopefully you'll settle on a more balanced POV eventually if that's what you want.

It is so very very tough to balance control and chaos and also to accept and enjoy impermanence (because it can be joyful when you make the most of your time) while also trying to make plans to make your future as comfortable as possible.

I feel like I'm balancing that future planning with impermanence on an almost daily basis at the moment with regards to other things going on in my life. I just have to keep reminding myself that it will settle down in time, one way or another.

Sorry to quote this, I am sure it was tough to write. I know the feeling of guilt is natural but I've talked to a few people since my grandad died and asked them their experiences of being present and they were vastly different from my own...

As I've said, mine was profound and I don't regret it at all. Like it seemed really important for me to be there and to see it happen. Someone else I spoke to about their experience said it made them more misanthropic. Another person told me they regretted being there completely and it was one of the worse experiences of their lives and they will never do it again for anyone else. Another person just wasn't that bothered by it, well that's as much as they told me at least.

So it does seem like its different for everyone and it probably depends on where someone is at in their own life as well, whether they can deal with it or not. I don't think you made the wrong decision though, it sounds like you did what was right for you in that moment and that's all that really matters. Don't let anyone tell you any different.

Thank you, by the way. I certainly thought I was back when it happened! 😅 Like I even spoke about it in my speech at the funeral. How I was able to healthily process the emotions by being in a place in my life where my then state of being hyper emotional allowed me to let it all out.

Well, I've kind of stabilised since then which seems both fortunate and unfortunate. I feel like I'm holding back a lot more now so I can actually function and when I think back to the day he died, I've found myself stifling my tears because the thought comes at an inopportune moment.

I think I need to set aside some more time to properly grieve. But I am a bit too scared to do it alone and to be honest, I have kind of gone back to being embarrassed about being upset in front of people which is kind of annoying. I'm sure something will happen at some point and the moment for tears will come at a better time but who knows.

With regards to the triggering, well I was actually going to write my experience out in detail. I didn't want to forget it and I wanted to see what others thought and hear their experiences. I don't think it's triggering (at least not unfairly so) to mention that somebody has died.

I chose not to write about it here though because as I was forming what I was going to write in my head, I realised that it might actually be quite upsetting for some people. I considered putting it all in spoiler tags with a disclaimer but I just decided not to in the end.

I've spoken to a few people in real life about it though and obviously got their consent to talk about it first so they knew what they were getting into.

Thank you mate, yeah ticking over! I'm sorry to hear about your sister too. I feel the exact same way about posting online. People are there to listen and the anonymity means that your real life isn't affected by people's perceptions of you. I also think people online are just distant enough as well that they don't feel the need to make small talk. Which if you are having a good day and their small talk refers back to a disclosure you made on a bad day, well, that can really put a downer on your good day!

Thank you mate and no worries, my time on both Xbox and PS has been severely cut down for various reasons so I'm not on either much anyway!

Sorry to hear about your dad mate, what I said to Ral above rings true for you too. You handled it in the best way you could at the time and you should never feel shame about that. You might learn from it for future but you did what was right for you and anyone who tries to fault you for it can get stuffed. If you ever need a semi stranger to talk to, just give us a shout on PSN or Xbox and we can try and work something out.

@RogerRoger did you claim the sonic game from steam in the end? I claimed it but I haven't played it yet. Sounds like it's a solid couple of hours of entertainment!

I feel like the April Fools jokes have been quite elaborate this year between a full Sonic visual novel game and Limited Run's GBA Video Cartridge of Night trap. Unfortunately I can't justify dropping £60 on Night Trap for game boy advance right now. I did quite want it but it's too expensive for me right now! Luckily Sonic was free!

@RogerRoger lol you sly dog you, encouraging me to do something creative 😉😀

@ralphdibny I’m wound pretty tight 9 hours of the day, hopefully that doesn’t come across here 😂

I’ve often wondered if any of the Push Square forum regulars are famous people incognito. I’m pretty sure @kyleforrester87 is actually Taylor Swift.

No wonder he is @get2sammyb favourite.

@AgentCooper I'm glad, I used to be a bit of a stubborn know it all frankly - I guess that's not uncommon for people in their teens and early to mid-twenties! In fact, when I see people so sure of things I do sometimes worry that I have gone too far the other way haha. I can still dig in when I need to, especially professionally, but I don't take it all so seriously anymore. I dunno, maybe it doesn't come across like that. I'm not smart enough to pull it off anyway. I see all my faults more clearly these days, not that I know how to do anything about them.

@RogerRoger @ ralphdibny Visual Novel gags seems to be getting pretty common these days. I can’t say I’ve played any of them, but I love seeing it and it’s a neat way for the genre to attract more attention. I personally wish we got more of them on PS5. Especially because they sometimes improve visual novels for me on the console versions.

@AgentCooper I’ll reply here rather than the other thread but baby is all going well thanks! Just hit the 6 month mark and started to try weaning which has been interesting so far

Being back at work has been alright actually. The wife is pretty good at dealing with most things overnight and I’m such a heavy sleeper that I often don’t notice any problems! The harder part for us will be when she goes back in another 6 months.

How’s life with two going???

Apologies for the late replies everyone! Most of you will know it's the easter holidays/spring term break and I've been at my inlaws the past 5 days and will be til Saturday

... I'm getting my coat

No that wasn't a dumb pun at all it was kinda brilliant actually kidfried

As for the rest of your post... Yeah I can feel that and I suppose you're right along with Ral's point earlier in the thread also discussing this and just how comfortable we are as people divulging these sort of things.

It was quite a rejuvenating break actually thank you very much...

... Aside from all the christmas hosting duties which as you say was pretty intense.

Awwww that sounds fudging adorable!

I used to teach Reception (Kindergarten for anyone else reading not from the UK) for the longest time but... That's a young woman's game and I don't wanna herd a bunch of crazy little monsters 😅

At Year 2 they've st least developed some restraint ha ha!

My partner meanwhile teaches Year 6 (We teach at the same school (which is a Primary & Junior School)).

They've been trying to get my partner to be more then a teacher for a good while now. She's had offers from other schools to become a head or deputy there but... No dice. Though with our current deputy getting into a pretty serious accident she couldn't really turn down the temporary position.

As for the strikes? I'm not realy sure how much I can or should say but... For me personally I just don't want anything taken out the school's budget.

We work at a school with a fairly decent budget but some aren't so lucky and would absolutely be hampered pretty badly having to fork out some to beef up the salaries.

... Remind me to never again say where I was born and raised for most my life (and if you remember forget it). I don't need you imagining that accent when you see my posts

Joking aside I totally agree on the feeling of "knowing" folks on here and the likes Ralph and you raise some good points.

True. Very very true Ral.

I also get that feeling of awkwardness you were feeling from all the support or the other part.

I realise I didn't reply to your post beforehand but good on you still having P.T on your PS4!

I never had my 4 til it'd already been taken off the store. Though even just watching a "playthrough" spooked me quite a bit... Maybe it's for the best I didn't play it! 😅

@kyleforrester87 haha I'm not sure to be honest. I think you give a fair description of what your days look like but I've never considered how tightly wound you were 😅

@Th3solution almost certainly, though I do have a confession. I am secretly The Rock. 😀

@AgentCooper thank you. Grief wise, when I've lost other family members, that like uncontrollable breakdown has always come like months, sometimes years after it actually happened. I did wonder if because I was there and in tears for it, whether I'd actually still get that delayed emotional response later on.

Talking about random tears, I used to get it a lot when I was driving. I used to travel a lot either for work, to see family or friends and even for uni many years ago. Just being alone in the car would often allow me to get lost in my thoughts and emotion. I don't think I was crying for any particular reason though.

@HallowMoonshadow haha I meant more like tone of voice rather than accent. I think I read everything in my accent anyway 😅.