# The Hugging Thread



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Discussions about hugging for people who love hugs

*GROUP HUG*


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

One big group one for the undead - helps hold things together too... so Hug an Undead!

Eep! W-where d-do you think y-you are p-putting your h-hand?
Um...n-not that, um, that I don't maybe, um, l-li-like...
/blushes furiously


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## Crudblud

Three hugs for muster mug!


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## Bix

Platonic hugs all round (resisting the urge to squeeze a bottom or something)


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## Op.123

Where samm gone? He would of enjoyed this.

If you are reading this samm...

*HUG*


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde




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## Op.123

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


>


Remote linking forbidden?? ~ was it meant to say that


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## elgar's ghost




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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Burroughs said:


> Remote linking forbidden?? ~ was it meant to say that


Idk but I got a picture of Snoopy giving Woodstock a hug from my computer........

There, image fixed!


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## Crudblud

I picked up my old and well-worn Snoopy collection for the first time in years. Still my favourite comic strip.

Also, hugs! Cakey hugs! Because I remade the cake I screwed up yesterday and showed it who's boss!


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## Kieran

I'm fussy who hugs me. Strictly old skool, working class bloke, worked in the transport biz, I shake hands with fellers and gals alike. Unless she's gorgeous, then I try go continental. But nothing illegal. No means no, right?

But I shake hands with fellers. That's how I roll. When I see my half-Spanish nephews, they're relaxed, they kiss, they hug, go _mwah _and generally are more liberal with the touchy-feely stuff. I shake their hands and tell them, nice to see ye again. I don't know how the European method of greeting crept into Ireland - maybe yet another hamfisted EU attempt at bureaucratic centralisation - but it makes me smile.

Then I shake hands... :tiphat:


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## Ingélou

Absolutely. As a female, I kiss other women friends on the cheek if they want it, & I have to 'submit' sometimes to being kissed by their husbands but I'd far rather just smile, not *even* shake hands. At our Hogmanay dance, it's the habit to circle the room saying 'Happy New Year' to the other dancers, and kissing/being kissed. Most of the men just kiss your cheek, but one man insists on giving me a Happy New Year juicy kiss full on the lips; for the last two Hogmanays, I've spotted him coming & successfully got out of it by dodging behind someone. Thank God! :angel:


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## Kieran

Ingenue,

If I met you, we'd just nod politely at each other, from about ten paces apart. 

"How do." (nod)

"How do." (nod)

Thoroughly civilised!


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## aleazk

I avoid all unnecessary physical contact. I hate hugs, kisses, and all other forms of extrovert emotion.
People have told me I'm extremely cold and insensitive. I'm not insensitive, I can be as sensitive as anyone, if not even more. But I'm very reluctant to demonstrations of that sensitiveness.


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## Ravndal

Hugs & kisses is not unnecessary. Just sayin..


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## kv466

I can see why you're so well-liked on the forum, Al 

I, on the other hand, love a good hug. Hug away!! This one goes out to my old buddy, KC. I hope you've been well, man. Haven't seen you but then again, I've kinda been away myself.


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## Ryan

Prolonged hugging along with unceasing eye contact is my forte


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## Wood

Kieran said:


> Ingenue,
> 
> If I met you, we'd just nod politely at each other, from about ten paces apart.
> 
> "How do." (nod)
> 
> "How do." (nod)
> 
> Thoroughly civilised!


Too gushing. A grunt is more than sufficient.


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## Tristan

In 8th grade polls, I was one of 4 voted "most huggable". So yeah, big fan of hugs


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## PetrB

4







(#4: Terrified Panda hugging police officers leg after an earthquake)

[ADD: and don't you think for certain the policeman patting that Panda's head is also murmuring the Chinese equivalent of "There, there, now." ? }


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## ricardo_jvc6

Can I have hugs too? Please...? :angel:


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## Taggart

Kieran said:


> Ingenue,
> 
> If I met you, we'd just nod politely at each other, from about ten paces apart.
> 
> "How do." (nod)
> 
> "How do." (nod)
> 
> Thoroughly civilised!


Surprised. I would have have thought you might have said "Dia dhuit" and Ingenue would have responded "Dia is Muire dhuit" in traditional Irish fashion.


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## Huilunsoittaja

I'm not much of a hugger. I only hug family on regular basis. Even with close friends, I hug if we haven't seen each other in a while, or are going to part for a while, but it's not an everyday kind of thing. Ironically, more guys have tried to hug me (I never make a move to hug them), more than my girl friends...  I don't know what's up with me, more guys seem to want to be around me and talk to me than girls nowadays...


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## Ingélou

ricardo_jvc6 said:


> Can I have hugs too? Please...? :angel:


... we had a saying in Austerity Britain - 'them that asks don't get!'


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## Bix

Taggart said:


> Surprised. I would have have thought you might have said "Dia dhuit" and Ingenue would have responded "Dia is Muire dhuit" in traditional Irish fashion.


That's they way in Irish, 'hello there, God is with you' then 'hello yourself, I give you God and Mary back'.


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## Ingélou

Bix said:


> That's they way in Irish, 'hello there, God is with you' then 'hello yourself, I give you God and Mary back'.


Glad you told me that, Bix. In confidence, the scenario proposed by my spouse was about ten miles into the Realms of Fantasy.


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## aleazk

Ravndal said:


> Hugs & kisses is not unnecessary. Just sayin..


I didn't say they were unnecessary (i.e., in all situations). I said that I avoid them when they are unnecessary, which is a very different thing.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

ricardo_jvc6 said:


> Can I have hugs too? Please...? :angel:


Why of course. 

*HUG*


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

aleazk said:


> I avoid all unnecessary physical contact. I hate hugs, kisses, and all other forms of extrovert emotion.
> People have told me I'm extremely cold and insensitive. I'm not insensitive, I can be as sensitive as anyone, if not even more. But I'm very reluctant to demonstrations of that sensitiveness.


*Abrazo*

I hope that makes you change your mind. ut:
Hugs are very healthy, you know.


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## PetrB

Bix said:


> That's they way in Irish, 'hello there, God is with you' then 'hello yourself, I give you God and Mary back'.


Ah, one upsmanship at its very best


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## PetrB

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> *Abrazo*
> 
> I hope that makes you change your mind. ut:
> Hugs are very healthy, you know.


When I returned to the university environment as an older adult, I lived off-campus. My younger colleagues, Freshman especially, seemed to be randomly hugging each other often.. so I asked.

The campus health service had determined that with all the expected craziness and stress for those dealing with school and now away from home, many for the first time, that there was a general *Rx* given all Freshman dorm residents upon arrival: Eight glasses of water a day, and hugs any where and whenever one could give, get them.

Health prescription, just like it is known that for the single and especially the less social single and elderly, having a pet is a boon to overall well-being, ergo physical health as well.


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## Kieran

Sometimes in town, college students line up throughout Grafton Street, offering free hugs, for whatever barmy reasons. I go through them like this:


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## Taggart

Kieran said:


> Sometimes in town, college students line up throughout Grafton Street, offering free hugs, for whatever barmy reasons. I go through them like this:


And then go in to Bewley's for a coffee?


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## Ingélou

:lol:
Oh Kieran, Kieran, you've done it again .... my sides hurt!


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## Forte

I stare down my enemies when the burning intensity of a thousand suns.

In reality I just want to cuddle them.


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## Kieran

Taggart said:


> And then go in to Bewley's for a coffee?


I'm a Butler's man myself! Mniam mniam!


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## Kieran

By the way, Bewleys was close to extinction a few years back, but it caught a _hug _from somebody. You've been there, buddy? They have lovely coffee too...


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## Ingélou

We haven't been there, I'm afraid, (though we'd like to) but Taggart is a Hibernophile & likes to read any emerald article in the newspaper. 
I really hope we can get over to Ireland again before too long.


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## Kieran

Well if you do, let me know, I'll introduce you to my favourite stool in Butlers - and their incomparable cappucinno... :tiphat:


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## Ingélou

We will let you know, because we will both need to rehearse our now-famous meeting at ten paces! :lol:


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## PetrB

Ingenue said:


> We will let you know, because we will both need to rehearse our now-famous meeting at ten paces! :lol:


Oh, do meet, it is, globally, but a stone's throw away!


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## Kieran

PetrB said:


> Oh, do meet, it is, globally, but a stone's throw away!


It is, and it's not far to go for that ten-yard stare!


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## aleazk

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> *Abrazo*
> 
> I hope that makes you change your mind. ut:
> Hugs are very healthy, you know.


Well, I guess I will take it. But with a grumpy face!.


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## Vaneyes

Unless it's for spinal adjustment, I can take or leave hugs.


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## Feathers

I used to not hug people much because I didn't think it was necessary. I would smile and say friendly words but not initiate any physical contact. But then I noticed that it sometimes made me seem a little bit dull and difficult to get to know. Plus, I liked being hugged by other people, so wouldn't they enjoy my hugs too? Hugs are one of the simplest and most direct ways of showing people that I love and care about them, so why not hug? ^_^

So yeah, I'm joining the group hug.


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## kv466

Vaneyes said:


> Unless it's for spinal adjustment, I can take or leave hugs.


I love it! That's so,...'Van'.


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## ArtMusic

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Discussions about hugging for people who love hugs
> 
> *GROUP HUG*


A warm friendly hug from me too!


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## Ingélou

What's interesting is the way things change. All this hugging & kissing of mere acquaintances when forty years ago it was shake hands & 'how do you do?'. 

The British in the 20th century had the reputation of being buttoned up.
But in the early sixteenth century Erasmus visited London & commented on the 'delightful English custom' of kissing when you met anyone. This implies that kissing then was *not* 'continental'. 

Will there be a wave of revulsion in fifty years against the touchy-feely Twenty-Tens?


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## Mesa

Hugs and kisses? Dear god, not even in a mobile short messaging service telecommunication.


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## drpraetorus

please do not hug me.









"Never without my permission" 5th Element


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## moody

Ingenue said:


> What's interesting is the way things change. All this hugging & kissing of mere acquaintances when forty years ago it was shake hands & 'how do you do?'.
> 
> The British in the 20th century had the reputation of being buttoned up.
> But in the early sixteenth century Erasmus visited London & commented on the 'delightful English custom' of kissing when you met anyone. This implies that kissing then was *not* 'continental'.
> 
> Will there be a wave of revulsion in fifty years against the touchy-feely Twenty-Tens?


I have a revulsion against it now and it's certainly false.


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## EricABQ

I'm a non-hugger and I come from a long line of non-huggers.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

So i guess you don't like trees much either.............


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## EricABQ

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> So i guess you don't like trees much either.............


I would rather hug a tree than hug another person.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

EricABQ said:


> I would rather hug a tree than hug another person.


How about a Cactus?


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## EricABQ

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> How about a Cactus?


I've actually done that accidently after crashing my mountain bike, and I would not care to repeat that event, so hugging a person wins out over hugging a cactus.


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## moody

EricABQ said:


> I've actually done that accidently after crashing my mountain bike, and I would not care to repeat that event, so hugging a person wins out over hugging a cactus.


How does a dumb hugging thread attain more answers than most music threads,there's something wrong.


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## Crudblud

moody said:


> How does a dumb hugging thread attain more answers than most music threads,there's something wrong.


It seems to me that most of the music threads currently on offer are far dumber than this one. Furthermore, it's not uncommon in specialist fora such as this to find that most people come for the discussion but stay for the community, and end up doing most of their posting in "community" oriented threads such as this one. However, that is not what's happening here, interesting music related content is simply having a brief off-season, so there is time for hugging and merriment.


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## Ingélou

The thing is, if you know a lot, you can hold your own in the music threads, but if you're a thicko about classical music, like me, you feel more confident about venturing into the community section, which after a bit acquires a sort of horrible fascination...


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## moody

Ingenue said:


> The thing is, if you know a lot, you can hold your own in the music threads, but if you're a thicko about classical music, like me, you feel more confident about venturing into the community section, which after a bit acquires a sort of horrible fascination...


Yes but then that won't help you to stop being a thicko on music.


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## Tristan

Crudblud said:


> It seems to me that most of the music threads currently on offer are far dumber than this one. Furthermore, it's not uncommon in specialist fora such as this to find that most people come for the discussion but stay for the community, and end up doing most of their posting in "community" oriented threads such as this one. However, that is not what's happening here, interesting music related content is simply having a brief off-season, so there is time for hugging and merriment.


I'm a member of a tech forum and I find that I don't post about "tech" as much as I used to (mainly because I'm no longer searching for a new computer) and most of what I post is in the "Off Topic" section because I've come to really like the people there and I like talking to them, about a variety of non-tech related topics. I don't see it as a problem if that happens here and most of the people I see posting in the Community section here post frequently in the main forum. And like you said, considering the amount of "polls about polls" available in the main forum now, I don't blame people for blowing up a hugging thread...


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## Bix

moody said:


> Yes but then that won't help you to stop being a thicko on music.


For goodness sake, boooooooooooooooooo ut:ut:


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## Ingélou

moody said:


> Yes but then that won't help you to stop being a thicko on music.


Touché! 

But thank you, Bix - nice of you to try & soften the bite of Moody's mordant wit! 

It's too hot to take offence. I'm sitting here with a fan playing on me (I make a fine sound) & a glass of lime spritzer in my hand, and life is good!


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## Guest

moody said:


> Yes but then that won't help you to stop being a thicko on music.


I can't tell if you mean to say "thicko" or if you are merely trying to say "sicko" but have a horrible lisp this morning.


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## Ingélou

DrMike said:


> I can't tell if you mean to say "thicko" or if you are merely trying to say "sicko" but have a horrible lisp this morning.


Brilliant!  
(Does it come naturally, or do you have to work on it?)


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## Guest

Ingenue said:


> Brilliant!
> (Does it come naturally, or do you have to work on it?)


I come from a long line of geniuses - and every one of us is equally humble.


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## Taggart

DrMike said:


> I come from a long line of geniuses - and every one of us is equally humble.


Which did you inherit, the genius or the humility? 

(PS Well done.)


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## Guest

Taggart said:


> Which did you inherit, the genius or the humility?
> 
> (PS Well done.)


Neither, sadly. But I did get an extra dose of sarcasm, and a modest helping of wit. As a result, I often come off as an annoying jerk! But if a room full of monkeys with typewriters could eventually come up with Cage's 4'33", then I suppose that the law of averages suggests that even I can be funny from time to time. Even a broken clock is right twice a day (sadly, though, I am more like a broken DIGITAL clock, and thus am never right).


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## Taggart

DrMike said:


> Even a broken clock is right twice a day (sadly, though, I am more like a broken DIGITAL clock, and thus am never right).


No if you've broken the fingers on your left hand! :clap:

If a digital clock shows some numbers, then it too will be right at least once a day. If it's in 12 hour mode with no am \ pm then it will be right twice a day so panic ye not. :trp:

Anyway big hugs all round and cheer up. :cheers:


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## Guest

Unlike the cynics on this thread, I have three children and I try (usually with success) to hug them everyday. Soon two of them won't want that, but the third still relishes it. I will continue doing so until asked to stop or when my heart stops beating. Is there a problem with hugging?


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## Ingélou

I don't have a problem with traditional-style hugs.

Hugging one's kids/parents/spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/brother/sister/granny/grand-dad/auntie/uncle/friend/neighbour is FABULOUS.

Just not people you hardly know and as a matter of course.
That's phoney.


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## Taggart

The OP set this up as a discussion about hugs - nice ones not bear hugs.

Some people seem to have taken this like the Irish question - "Is this a private fight or can anyone join in?"

Can we all snuggle down and hug nicely before the mods close yet another thread ? Pretty please!


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## Ondine

Seems that I am late to the thread so I just want to say that I like to approach people with a big smile and hug them. It is a way to convey openness and trust about me.


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## Crudblud

All for hugs and hugs for all!


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## Ingélou

'Yesterday -
All my huggers were so far away;
Now it looks as though they're here to stay - 
Oh I believe in yesterday!'


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## Guest

I'm not the biggest fan of hugs from anybody other than my wife and kids. Don't know why - not a very touchy feely kind of guy. My brothers and I even have a hard time of it. 

Funny story - I live in the South, and was invited one time by friends of my wife to attend their church's "Judgment House." I think it was a Baptist church. Anyways, in a room that was meant to depict heaven, a person with a very distinct mullet (if you don't know, ask an American friend) was portraying Jesus and going down the line, giving everybody a hug. I turned to my wife and whispered, "I don't want a hug from Mullet-Jesus." She whispered back, "Don't you dare cause a scene! You will let Mullet-Jesus hug you!" Well, you can guess who won that argument. I ended up getting a very awkward hug from Mullet-Jesus. Not a very religious experience for me.


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## Guest

DrMike said:


> I'm not the biggest fan of hugs from anybody other than my wife and kids. Don't know why - not a very touchy feely kind of guy. My brothers and I even have a hard time of it.
> 
> Funny story - I live in the South, and was invited one time by friends of my wife to attend their church's "Judgment House." I think it was a Baptist church. Anyways, in a room that was meant to depict heaven, a person with a very distinct mullet (if you don't know, ask an American friend) was portraying Jesus and going down the line, giving everybody a hug. I turned to my wife and whispered, "I don't want a hug from Mullet-Jesus." She whispered back, "Don't you dare cause a scene! You will let Mullet-Jesus hug you!" Well, you can guess who won that argument. I ended up getting a very awkward hug from Mullet-Jesus. Not a very religious experience for me.


Well, I don't like unsolicited hugs from strangers, that is true, so in your case Doc, I would have nailed the guy and told him after not to get hung up about it.


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## Ingélou

@Dr Mike - 

When Taggart & I were first married, we were invited to a friend's and went to a Mass at her local church. I was a new convert from a vaguely-Anglican background & Taggart is a traditional cradle-Catholic. This church (and our friend) was Charismatic. It became more and more emotional & Taggart & I shrank back into our seats. There was a choir (with guitars) up in the gallery and at one point the choir-leader looked down and announced through his microphone, 'I can see a pew down there where the people are *not clapping their hands*!'

Cringe... cringe...


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## Guest

Ingenue said:


> @Dr Mike -
> 
> When Taggart & I were first married, we were invited to a friend's and went to a Mass at her local church. I was a new convert from a vaguely-Anglican background & Taggart is a traditional cradle-Catholic. This church (and our friend) was Charismatic. It became more and more emotional & Taggart & I shrank back into our seats. There was a choir (with guitars) up in the gallery and at one point the choir-leader looked down and announced through his microphone, 'I can see a pew down there where the people are *not clapping their hands*!'
> 
> Cringe... cringe...


Yes, well, like I said, this was a Baptist church, and my wife and I are Mormons. At the end of the whole thing, they took everybody into a big room and asked if anybody wanted to talk with their counselors. They then stared at all of us for a long time. At the beginning, we filled out info forms and listed our religious affiliations. I felt certain they were waiting for the 2 Mormons to stand up and talk with one of their counselors so we could be saved. I waited them out, though, and eventually people started getting up and leaving.

The other awkward part was in one room where they were depicting hell - they were playing some rock music, and it happened to be a song my wife liked. She started humming along - I told her I always knew she listened to devil music.


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## Guest

I'm sure Christoper 'Chris' [not] Hitchens would have said something about that. And before anyone condemns me for not believing in tooth fairies, may I point out that I *was* an RC brought up in a strict CofE environment. I have to inform Ingénue and like-minded people that I have never overcome the painful consequences of such brainwashing.


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## Taggart

TalkingHead said:


> Well, I don't like unsolicited hugs from strangers, that is true, so in your case Doc, I would have nailed the guy and told him after not to get hung up about it.


An unfortunate turn of phrase. If you nailed him, he would be hung up - presumably to let the fish air dry.


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## Guest

Taggart said:


> An unfortunate turn of phrase. If you nailed him, he would be hung up - presumably to let the fish air dry.


An intentional turn of phrase, Taggart, associated with Easter.


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## Taggart

DrMike said:


> She started humming along - I told her I always knew she listened to devil music.


Cue Marty Robbins






Lovely story. I still get hung up because I always read LDS as Laud deo Semper which was a tag we used on our homework.


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## Ingélou

TalkingHead said:


> I'm sure Christoper 'Chris' [not] Hitchens would have said something about that. And before anyone condemns me for not believing in tooth fairies, may I point out that I *was* an RC brought up in a strict CofE environment. I have to inform Ingénue and like-minded people that I have never overcome the painful consequences of such brainwashing.


Has anyone condemned you?


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## Guest

Taggart said:


> Cue Marty Robbins
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lovely story. I still get hung up because I always read LDS as Laud deo Semper which was a tag we used on our homework.


A great scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home where Kirk and Spock are trying to blend in in "present-day" United States (probably early 1990's, I'm guessing), and Kirk is trying to play off Spock's oddness. He tells someone that back in the '60's, Spock did a little too much LDS.


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## Guest

Ingenue said:


> Has anyone condemned you?


Yes, my sister (some sort of evangelical nutter who believes in the 'literal truth' of the bible) has told me on numerous occasions I will be condemned to everlasting Hell for my atheism; my mother also told me the same but from a 'gentler' Catholic angle, and so on and so forth from various contacts I have had to deal with in my travails through this life. Still, I must say that this has never put me off from listening to Haydn or Beethoven Masses, or Bach cantatas. In any case, I rarely pay attention to the 'lyrics' and they might as well be singing 'Tra la la pax dominus blah blah ...' for all I care. But the music, that is something else!


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## Ingélou

Yes, but you say, 'Before anyone condemns me ... I have to inform Ingenue & such like-minded people...'

Your sister (presumably) is not on this forum. I would rather not be second-guessed, if it's all the same to you! Faith isn't about believing impossible things before breakfast ('the tooth-fairy') it's about living life with an eye on the eternal good.


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## Guest

TalkingHead said:


> Yes, my sister (some sort of evangelical nutter who believes in the 'literal truth' of the bible) has told me on numerous occasions I will be condemned to everlasting Hell for my atheism; my mother also told me the same but from a 'gentler' Catholic angle, and so on and so forth from various contacts I have had to deal with in my travails through this life. Still, I must say that this has never put me off from listening to Haydn or Beethoven Masses, or Bach cantatas. In any case, I rarely pay attention to the 'lyrics' and they might as well be singing 'Tra la la pax dominus blah blah ...' for all I care. But the music, that is something else!


Based on my experiences at the Judgment House, if you like rock music, you are in luck!! Apparently they play a lot of it in hell.


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## Guest

Ingenue said:


> [...] I would rather not be second-guessed, if it's all the same to you! [...]


Fair comment, and I stand 'corrected'. Still, let it be known on this forum that I'm a 'Hitchens man' and I don't take magicians, crooks, priests (all denominations) and charlatans seriously.


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## Taggart

DrMike said:


> Based on my experiences at the Judgment House, if you like rock music, you are in luck!! Apparently they play a lot of it in hell.


That's why it's called Hell!


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## Ingélou

@Talking Head: We'd noticed! 

This is 'the hugging thread', so let love, joy & peace reign supreme. :angel: (* strictly symbolic)

As regards our eternal destination, I like the approach displayed on this medieval epitaph, which describes a man who died falling from his horse (I've quoted it on another thread somewhere):

'My friend, judge not me -
Thou see'st, I judge not thee.
Betwixt the stirrup and the ground, 
Mercy I sought - mercy I found.'


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Does anyone here ever do this?


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## Crudblud

^Only to people I know won't punch me in the face.


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## PetrB

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Does anyone here ever do this?


Just call me Sweet Jesus!


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## Turangalîla

I am by nature a hugging, touchy-feely person, but I also consider myself good at reading the other person and responding appropriately...my natural response is to hug someone when I first meet them, but I can usually tell if the person (more often a male) is preparing for a handshake, which suits me fine as well. Everyone is entitled to their own personal level of comfortable privacy. In the art community, I am very used to hugging and cheek-kissing pretty much everyone


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## PetrB

CarterJohnsonPiano said:


> I am by nature a hugging, touchy-feely person, but I also consider myself good at reading the other person and responding appropriately...my natural response is to hug someone when I first meet them, but I can usually tell if the person (more often a male) is preparing for a handshake, which suits me fine as well. Everyone is entitled to their own personal level of comfortable privacy. In the art community, I am very used to hugging and cheek-kissing pretty much everyone


Damned Continental European of you


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## Guest

TalkingHead said:


> Fair comment, and I stand 'corrected'. Still, let it be known on this forum that I'm a 'Hitchens man' and I don't take magicians, crooks, priests (all denominations) and charlatans seriously.


Yes, but after reading Hitchens' book "god is not Great," and finding all the factual and historical inaccuracies in that book, I have to warn you that I don't take Hitchens that seriously anymore (really quite sad, because I liked him up until that book, but he either flat-out lied in several places, or simply didn't bother to do any research into anything, referring strictly to the factual and historical assertions he makes, not touching on his critiques of religion).


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## Guest

CarterJohnsonPiano said:


> I am by nature a hugging, touchy-feely person, but I also consider myself good at reading the other person and responding appropriately...my natural response is to hug someone when I first meet them, but I can usually tell if the person (more often a male) is preparing for a handshake, which suits me fine as well. Everyone is entitled to their own personal level of comfortable privacy. In the art community, I am very used to hugging and cheek-kissing pretty much everyone


I suppose there is good reason why I am not a part of the art community, or a European - I don't think I could stand the cheek-kissing.


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## Ingélou

DrMike said:


> I suppose there is good reason why I am not a part of the art community, or a European - I don't think I could stand the cheek-kissing.


It's escalated, too. The French way involved both cheeks but now, just as you're trying to get away, you find out that the Spanish 'extra' kiss is in fashion!


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## Turangalîla

DrMike said:


> I suppose there is good reason why I am not a part of the art community, or a European - I don't think I could stand the cheek-kissing.


I suppose it's not a complete kiss...more like a lip-brush with a _mwah_ added...


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## Guest

CarterJohnsonPiano said:


> I suppose it's not a complete kiss...more like a lip-brush with a _mwah_ added...


I am a big fan of personal space, and the hug is too much already - I am not a big fan of my lips even gently brushing someone that I don't know very closely. Usually I am only cool with this with my wife and kids.


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## Ingélou

Does anyone find, as I do, that sometimes a new acquaintance has an odd idea of personal space? They hold their head too close to mine when they are speaking & I feel uncomfortable and surreptitiously step back - whereupon they readjust the closeness quotient. It is usually a man who stands too close; women (to generalise & annoy someone no doubt) seem more attuned to social nuances. Oh dear - making for the hills right now!


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## Vesteralen

Ingenue said:


> Does anyone find, as I do, that sometimes a new acquaintance has an odd idea of personal space? They hold their head too close to mine when they are speaking & I feel uncomfortable and surreptitiously step back - whereupon they readjust the closeness quotient. It is usually a man who stands too close; women (to generalise & annoy someone no doubt) seem more attuned to social nuances. Oh dear - making for the hills right now!


The worst offender I can think of on this is also a man, but I'm afraid you and I make a very small sample upon which to base an axiom.

The embarrassing thing for me is that I find when I'm talking to someone I look at their mouth. I have to remind myself to look up at their eyes. When someone stands to close to me, I have an awful view.....


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## kv466

A big hug to my old friend CountessAdele! Not only was she super nice but remembering her in her Halloween costume a couple years ago,...she was a major bunny! A truly lovely girl.


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## Taggart

Vesteralen said:


> The embarrassing thing for me is that I find when I'm talking to someone I look at their mouth. I have to remind myself to look up at their eyes. When someone stands to close to me, I have an awful view.....










.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Vesteralen said:


> The embarrassing thing for me is that I find when I'm talking to someone I look at their mouth. I have to remind myself to look up at their eyes. When someone stands to close to me, I have an awful view.....


I look at their nose first.


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## Taggart

Have a look at this one:

http://www.talkclassical.com/14481-funny-pictures-brighten-your-137.html#post508450


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## mstar

Taggart said:


> .


Oh, yeah. My teachers.... Their teeth. Especially if they're, ah, disorganized. 

As for hugs, hug yourself and be happy. Just don't touch me. Nevertheless, handshakes are almost always welcome! Other things I won't tolerate from _anyone:_ getting too close to me, cheek-kissing, any kind of kissing at all at that, myself speaking unless you have _just_ brushed your teeth, had a mint, etc., chewing with mouth open, body functions of any sort, mentions of disgusting things and topics, etc., along with hugs.

Yup. Forget the hugs. They're overrated, mstar, they really are.


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## Huilunsoittaja

I need some hugs. But I don't want 1-second "friend" hugs, if you know what I mean... I'll be going home this next weekend, I'll get a few in from my parents.


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## Vaneyes

I've got everybody's hug waiting.

View attachment 26974


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## neoshredder

Nothing beats a cyber hug. Cue in Full House music.


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## georgedelorean

HUGS! LOVE! HUG MUMMY!! That was for any Aqua Teen fans.


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