Barracks Roster as of December 1st, 2024:
Greetings, all - and welcome to the last roster of 2024! It's amazing to think that this year is almost over. It's been a hell of a ride, and from the looks of it, 2025 may not be any easier. It seems that so many negative things are swirling around us now, from vicious politics to economic worries to wars in Europe. Throw in some nasty weather patterns and fear-mongering media so no matter where we look, it's trouble.
But I'm not going to let all that control me. Am I concerned? Yes. Do I feel overwhelmed? You bet. Does it impact my life - yes, but only to the degree I allow it to.
I have a hanging rug in my living room, and on it is the Serenity Prayer:
"God grant me the Courage to change the things I can change, the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the Wisdom to know the difference".
And even if you are not religious, it still carries an important message: You can't change everything; do what you can, but don't beat yourself up over the things out of your control.
I can't solve all the worlds problems, nor can I change how the politicians, world leaders and the media act. But I can change myself - and in doing that, hopefully spread some good to others to be passed on still.
Remember when you were younger, and didn't know or care about the world's problems. Your world was your family, your friends in the neighborhood, going to school, enjoying days off, and living a relatively uncomplicated life. The people around you weren't perfect, and unless they were truly abusive or dangerous, you got along with them. You valued your friends and their opinions, but you didn't need their approval to be yourself. And if you were like me, anything outside of your sight range and neighborhood didn't really affect you.
Life is not as simple as that today, but we can make it simpler. Spend more time with family and friends in person, and less online, where countless opinions and fictional stories masquerading as facts constantly overwhelm us. Stop and think about what you really have - not the material things, but the people around you, or your pets or teachers or friends. Think about how they fill your life - and how you fit in theirs. Remember the times spent together, and think about making plans in the near future to make more memories.
I say this because as an old lady, my circle of friends and family grow smaller each year. Death is the great equalizer - you may cheat it for a few years, but eventually, it will take you. When I think about those friends and family that have passed, I don't remember the politics or religious arguments, - I remember their conversations, their friendships and caring, and how their life helped me feel a little bit more complete. I remember the jokes and the trips and the stupid pranks; the laughing and the crying, the joys of holding their new babies and the tears when we had to bury parents.
So, my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/Holiday wish for all of you is this: May you find it in your hearts to push back against social pressure and anxiety, and see your family and friends as they truly are: the light in your life that makes life worth living. Sure, they're not going to agree with you on many things, but as I said, unless they are truly dangerous or abusive, they are worth holding onto.
Along those lines, this old hippie is reminded of a song by the late, great John Lennon - and part of it goes like this:
Imagine there's no countries - It isn't hard to do;
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion, too
Imagine all the people, living life in peace.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one...
This message is over 50 years old (it's an anti-war song), and it still rings true today: it's world leaders and politics and religion that cause us to take sides and create conflict; but we, as people, can find peace outside of all of that. We can live our lives in peace when we shut out all the noise from those that seek to control us.
May you all find that peace, and may happiness, love and friendship abound in your life. I am blessed to be part of this wonderful community here, and I am grateful to be able to share part of my life with you all. Thank you, all of you, for that!
Happiness and peace to all, my friends!
-Anne-
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Oh, yeah, there's this roster thing, too:
Milestones:
@BlueMonday1984 - 2K blams, 27K saves, 29K total B/P
@byteslinger - 234K saves, 264K total B/P
@Exedor - 81K total B/P
@Guthrie - 172K saves, 204K total B/P
@Pingu - 62K saves
@ZJ - 19K saves, 20K total B/P
The Roster:
No. B/P / Gain / Average / Level / Change / Username / Rank / Posts / Level
01) 264,235 | 1,665 | 55.50 | A | -012.96 | @byteslinger Sup. Commander | 1 | D
02) 204,506 | 2,751 | 91.70 | A | -004.88 | @Guthrie Sup. Commander | 5 | C
03) 93,565 | 0,004 | 00.13 | D | -033.33 | @GameJunkie Sup. Commander | 0 | F
04) 86,895 | 0,503 | 16.77 | C | -079.52 | @tox Sup. Commander | 0 | F
05) 81,147 | 0,163 | 05.43 | C | +120.27 | @Exedor Sup. Commander | 10 | C
06) 75,874 | 0,543 | 18.10 | C | +014.80 | @Pingu Sup. Commander | 0 | F
07) 71,402 | 0,027 | 00.90 | D | +350.00 | @Little-Rena Sup. Commander | 3 | D
08) 69,395 | 0,007 | 00.23 | D | +000.00 | @Jolly Sup. Commander | 0 | F
09) 49,556 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | -100.00 | @Asandir Sup. Commander | 0 | F
10) 46,649 | 0,010 | 00.33 | D | +400.00 | @Big-Boss Sup. Commander | 0 | F
11) 44,075 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | +000.00 | @Fro Sup. Commander | 0 | F
12) 34,333 | 0,175 | 05.83 | C | -032.17 | @freaks-heart Sup. Commander | 0 | F
13) 31,835 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | -100.00 | @Lizzardis Sup. Commander | 0 | F
14) 29,783 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | +000.00 | @Decky Commander | 0 | F
15) 29,499 | 2,944 | 98.13 | A | -008.80 | @BlueMonday1984 Commander +2 | 46 | A
16) 28,548 | 0,001 | 00.03 | D | -050.00 | @ZomAlien Commander -1 | 0 | F
17) 26,599 | 0,002 | 00.07 | D | -066.67 | @EchoTense01 Commander -1 | 0 | F
18) 25,067 | 0,002 | 00.07 | D | -060.00 | @Jackho General | 0 | F
19) 23,439 | 0,026 | 00.87 | D | +271.43 | @AnalPenguinFarming Lt. General | 0 | F
20) 20,473 | 0,536 | 17.87 | C | +217.16 | @ZJ Brig. General | 0 | F
21) 5,850 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | +000.00 | @ADR3-N Sergeant | 0 | F
22) 4,682 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | -100.00 | @solitonmedic Corporal | 0 | F
23) 4,531 | 0,015 | 00.50 | D | +036.36 | @Anonymous-Frog Corporal | 6 | C
24) 4,216 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | +000.00 | @dovod Corporal | 0 | F
25) 3,063 | 0,010 | 00.33 | D | -037.50 | @GlitchBuddy Pvt. First Class | 2 | D
26) 2,705 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | -100.00 | @iShadowzz08 Private | 0 | F
27) 1,870 | 0,000 | 00.00 | F | +000.00 | @TheRoboTrickster Police Lieutenant | 0 | F
28) 829 | 0,003 | 00.10 | D | +000.00 | @Dreggsu Police Officer | 0 | F
Top 5 Gainers:
@BlueMonday1984 - 2,944 (31.36% of total) (dude, get some sleep already!)
@Guthrie - 2,751 (29.31% of total) (and you, too!)
@byteslinger - 1,665 (17.74% of total)
@Pingu - 543 (5.78% of total)
@ZJ - 536 (5.71% of total)
Top 5 users accounted for 89.90% of B/P points (8,439 total)
Top gainers, repeat appearances:
@byteslinger (179)
@Guthrie (90)
@Big-Boss (65)
@Pingu (62)
@GameJunkie (52)
@Asandir (50)
@Exedor (38)
@tox (25)
@Jackho (25)
@ZomAlien (24) * 2 Years *
@Decky (16)
@Lizzardis (15)
@Jolly (14)
@freaks-heart (13)
@Little-Rena (12) * 1 Year *
@EchoTense01 (11)
@BlueMonday1984 (9)
@Fro (7)
@AnalPenguinFarming (5)
Total gain for month: 9,387 (19 Active Members)
That's 312.90 per day, or 16.47 per day per active member.