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8/12/09 2:28 P

We're here on Spark to be open about our struggles with weight loss as well as many other things. I think private pages are counter productive too.

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8/12/09 12:15 P

I agree with that. Even if you don't give a real name or where you live, you can still open up here. If you don't you are much less likely to have success in your journey. It all becomes too easy to just give up and not bother. You don't feel the support of the online community. I have found that a key in my success. When I am frustrated, there is always someone who understands, may have even been there before, and someone who is cheering for me to fight my way through it all and get back on track

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8/12/09 12:09 P

Nicely put Mare.

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8/12/09 12:00 P

I think we concur... that with a name and info about a person, it is easy to find them. But Spark is more about sharing our emotional realities, and our striving to become whole and healthy. If we don't share the core guts of ourselves, we miss the true accountability and community of strangers that this site offers.
Giving info to people to track us... is a different deal. Like- real names. Hometowns, yada, yada. Not that I don't have that info in my blogs... I guess I suspect that lightening only strikes once... any hoot, I'm saying that keeping a Spark page private is counter productive to the change that we are each striving for.

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8/12/09 11:57 A

I am very aware of how easy it is to find people. That's why I was so protective of all sorts of things - no pictures of the kids that might end up in papers, no real names with postings of any sorts, name changes, and so on. Now it's not such a big deal. However some habits die hard.

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8/12/09 1:50 A

Royale,

Since 1971 there have been so many advances in "finding people" that it wouldn't take more than a week, UNLESS someone was actually hiding.

For example, I found two of my friends from High School in a total of five days. Both of them were "astonished" I had found them, and I just used some of the "free" ways of finding them.

If someone has graduated from high school, community college or university, that's all the lead one needs. If they've ever been honored by a professional society or been in their hometown newspaper, you're getting warmer. If they then don't have an unlisted telephone number, you have both the phone number and their address. If you know they use a computer and you know their screen name, you've got them and you don't even need to know their server.

If they've ever defaulted on a loan, filed bankruptcy, had a car re-possessed, you can find them.

If you know the name of their spouse, you can follow that angle also.

I'm not saying I could find anyone, but there are way more people who are accessible then you think, and a lot simpler.

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8/11/09 11:53 P

I had a stalker after me for over three years. Que serra. He finally stopped chasing me. Hooray. But- it's not like I have my address & phone number in here. Have fun trying to find one person in Oakland, CA- or heck, I remember trying to find a cheating boyfriend in Normal, Il in 1971- no way.

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8/11/09 7:33 P

I do have to admit I have a paranoid side, but it comes from hiding from someone for years. However, enough time has passed, and I am pretty sure he doesn't know how to use a computer. Even if he did, finding me here is like finding a needle in a haystack so I'm not so worried.

Facebook is another issues...

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8/11/09 4:37 P

If anyone is out to get you and they found you on Spark, then you must have not been creative to hide their real name in their username (like me!)

Don't know, I've never searched anyone either...

Just go to No Topic Off Limits SparkTeam, and look under 'Is your Profile Pic..." to find these paranoid people. And I didn't send you!

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8/10/09 10:03 P

People who have no Spark Page or their page set to Private should visit my Dealing with Depression team.

Obviously they have personality issues (such as paranoia, schizophrenia, maybe some Borderline Anti-Social Disorder) that need to be resolved.

However, for those with paranoia it doesn't necessarily mean that there's NOT someone out to get them.

If some of them were people I know, I would make their Spark time hail on Earth.

Oh, I can get off just thinking about it!

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8/10/09 4:56 P

Well, I guess, if you had 4 friends who were Sparking, and you joined to be with them... but hey, whatever works.
I'm just used to jumping in and saying 'hey' on their pages, and reading a billion blogs, and watching other people tear the cover off the ball, and like that.

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8/10/09 3:58 P

I never understood the pages set to private... this isn't facebook.

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8/10/09 9:07 A

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8/9/09 11:02 P

Kick ball with Keith's head! Oh, boy!

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8/9/09 10:47 P

Yeah --- what is this anyway "I've got a Secret"??
You can play with my avatar anytime you want to, baby!

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8/9/09 9:11 P

Yup- you can see my face any time you want to, but I love to play with avatars... subject to change on a whim. Or... according to the latest challenge I'm in. Us 'old hand' Sparkies are used to it. I get frustrated with the current crop of 'private page' joiners. Wuz up with that? No fun.

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8/9/09 1:51 P

No kidding, my other team wouldn't like you as some dislike anything other than putting the 'real you' up front for your profile pic.

Boo-hoo, but I did put some pics of myself on my page vs "hiding behind a cat"...

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8/7/09 1:03 A

Severum,

Has anyone ever commented on how cold and gross your eyes are? Did you steal them from Frankenstein? Oh, I know. You were born with them.

Severum, has anyone ever told you how cool your eyes are. That cold stare is so . . . . I just can't think of a word to describe it or how it makes me feel.

Body shot (sorry)

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8/6/09 10:31 P

so what!??!!?



yeah welcome...yada yada yada...

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8/6/09 3:38 P

Maxine just tells it like it is

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8/6/09 2:21 P

I love the Maxine cartoons.

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8/6/09 2:05 P

SEVERUM, I want your t-shirt!

"Your lack of planning is not my emergency" is literally what I deal with everyday at work! If only I could hang a sign that says that in my office, but that wouldn't fly since I work at a health department.



I snagged a Maxine day-by-day calendar piece from a co-worker. It says: "I'm an optimist. I think people are only half FULL of crap".

Posts: 7,140
8/6/09 9:56 A

I used to have a Dilbert cartoon hanging in my office.

Carol was being berated for being negative and told she needed to find more positives in every situation.

In the next shot, a project manager reported that the entire development team offshore was killed by a stampeding herd of pigs.

Carol's response was "Pigs are cute!"

Anyway ... Welcome to the Team!

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8/6/09 9:30 A

Mare, I used have a similar sign hanging in my office, that is when I had an office.

"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

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8/6/09 2:00 A

I used to have the classic hidden from clients... I always yearned so to show it...
"Your lack of planning is not my emergency."

I used to shut peoples water off for non payment. Oh, how I yearned to have that one visible. Not too cool for a city employee.

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8/5/09 11:39 P

The shirt I wear that gets the most comments from people is, "Let me drop everything and work on your problem!" The word "your" is in italics.

Edited by: SEVERUM at: 8/5/2009 (23:39)

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8/5/09 8:35 P

Love it Popeye.

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8/5/09 6:55 P

I had a t-shirt made.


SARCASM SOCIETY
If you have to ask,
you don't meet our standards.

Of course, it was off-center.

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8/5/09 11:03 A

Nice reply to that guy, EXERCISETCHR! I have a
t-shirt that says, "Sarcasm: just one of my many talents". I wish I could wear it to work :)

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8/5/09 9:55 A

I have that t-shirt also! The other one I have is "National Sarcasm Society -- like we need your support". I was wearing it the other day over my bathing suit and some guy at the pool asked me whether it was a real society. I told him I didn't know but that I was a member and he shook his head and said that some people had lousy senses of humor! I said "Yes, some people do, don't they?"

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8/5/09 9:05 A

2 Da' Team!
Sarcastic, you say

Join In!
Paul

Edited by: MR.NET1 at: 8/5/2009 (09:06)

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8/5/09 8:16 A

Talk is cheap ---

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8/5/09 8:10 A

Welcome Valerie!

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8/5/09 12:36 A

There are strong corollaries between the ability to perceive sarcasm and intelligence- that's why we're a bunch of smart a$$es. Welcome!

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8/4/09 11:49 P

Welcome to the team.

I went for a medical interview a few years ago. It was to evaluate my depression level. I wore one of my favorite t-shirts. It says "sarcasm is one of the services I offer". When the doctor asked me if I am ever sarcastic, I looked right at him and broke out laughing. He looked back, and said "I take that as a yes". By the time I was done laughing, I had tears rolling down my face.

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8/4/09 11:35 P

Hey sarcastic SparkPeople!

I'm looking for a new team to get involved in, and this seems to be a perfect fit! I'm so sarcastic most of the time that people just don't get it...
I hope to get in with the conversations here!

-Valerie

*edited due to the fact I can't spell sarcastic correctly 3 times or use spell check, LOL!

Edited by: VALERIE5978 at: 8/5/2009 (10:46)