Ship of Fools: Mertseger checks in

Thread: Mertseger checks in Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

Anything happen around here since 2009? (Yes, I know the major bits. I have lurked occasionally.)

The major reason I drifted away is that I was a WaMu employee, and after the crash I landed at an employer who filters forums. Not being able to check in every hour or so pretty much cured my Ship addiction.

I wrapped up a long-term committee position at church this past December. It was a nice chance to serve and I love what we accomplished, but I'm glad to able to be a full-time Pagan now.

I've been writing on pop-culture from a Pagan prospective over at a blog called The Juggler for nearly three years now. I've now reviewed more books with "witch" in the title than I'd care to count.

My son became a teenager a couple of weeks ago. (A few of you might remember him from one Shipmeet.) He's doing well, and is currently most interested in History. We're off to see some terracotta warriors this afternoon.

It was nice to load the site and see so many familiar names still hoisting the sails here. I'll check in on this thread for at least a few days, if you care to say hi.

Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :

I would recommend checking out the glory board if you haven't been around for a while - it feels as if we have lost a lot of people in a short time.

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

Thanks, Doublethink, and, indeed, I already had. Some definite shockers there. But I had managed to clue in to our loss of Erin only a couple of months after the fact which, of course, was the true tsunami.

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

Hi Mertseger, nice to see you back.

Being the lone pagan can be a hard corn dolly to plait sometimes.

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

(Re Doublethink's sig link: Garfunkle and Oates have a topically related, but thematically entirely unrelated song with the best NSFW chorus ever: The Loophole. Did it ever get it's moment in the sun around here? I checked Hell and Purgatory.)

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

Hi, Firenze! I'm just glad someone around here is speaking up for all those Pagan things like candles, celebrations of Eostre and Solstices, etc. [Biased]

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :

Welcome back! Does your change of job mean you've changed your views on the ethics of credit (which is where I think we left off in about 2009 [Two face]

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :

Welcome back [Smile]

Posted by Honest Ron Bacardi (# 38) on :

Hi Mertseger!

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

A hello from me too!

Posted by flags_fiend (# 12211) on :

Hi Mertseger,

I also recently came back to posting on the ship after a similar length of absence. I saw your name and thought it was quite familiar and then I remembered, you just beat me in the knockout quiz 2008.

So, welcome back...
flags x

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

Hi Mertseger! Nice to see you here again!

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mertseger:

My son became a teenager a couple of weeks ago. (A few of you might remember him from one Shipmeet.)

Yep!

Hey Merts! Nice to see you!

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :

Good to see you! Welcome back.

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

Hi, all!

I miss my no cal peeps!

quote:
Welcome back! Does your change of job mean you've changed your views on the ethics of credit (which is where I think we left off in about 2009 [Two face] )?

I did a "WTF did we learn" lecture over at USF last year. I do think banks should be allowed to fail, and investment banking should be far more regulated than it is. Banking capital needs to be more micro-based than micro-based as it was under Basel II, but it needs to be more prescriptive than just "do stress-testing" so that the regulators can cover their asses during the next down-cycle. But I still think consumer loans are still largely a social positive.

quote:
I also recently came back to posting on the ship after a similar length of absence. I saw your name and thought it was quite familiar and then I remembered, you just beat me in the knockout quiz 2008.

That battle was way, way too much fun. But truly participating in knockout quizes is really a full-time job.

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

That should be "...more macro-based than micro-based..."

[ 11. March 2013, 00:02: Message edited by: Mertseger ]

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

Hey! Good to see you back.

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

You know that there is likely a happy medium between "check in every hour or so" and not posting for years. That's just a broad hint that we like seeing you and would love to see you just a weensy bit more often. [Smile]

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Yay! [Smile]

Great to have you back! [Smile]

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :

Who?

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :

Good to see you again!

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

Waves flag at M. Does it feel like coming home?

Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :

Hi there! Welcome back!

I'm still in Oakland, still at GTU (working on a PhD now). Other than that, nothing huge to report.

Good to see you here again!

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

Hi, all!

quote:
You know that there is likely a happy medium between "check in every hour or so" and not posting for years. That's just a broad hint that we like seeing you and would love to see you just a weensy bit more often. [Smile]

Thanks, Lyda*Rose, that's much appreciated. But I would not want to be as addicted as I once was.

quote:
I'm still in Oakland, still at GTU (working on a PhD now). Other than that, nothing huge to report.

I was wondering why you were still showing Oakland as your locale. I got like three candidates through seminary since I saw you last. So, Piled high and Deeper for you? Congratulations and commiserations. May your thesis committee be as nice as mine was.

quote:
Waves flag at M. Does it feel like coming home?

All the furniture seems to be in the same place, and the paint job's the same. Nice new memorial chapel, though.

quote:
Who?

Exactly.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

Only the lucky few know, Merts, only the lucky few [Big Grin]

So, the name "Fenton's" is suddenly coming to mind...

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :

Mertz,

JB and I are so glad to see you back.

Posted by Mertseger (# 4534) on :

Hi, Ye Olde MB,

I'm glad to see that you're still weaving the community threads across the US and beyond!

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