She’s Just Unreal

Like a movie, my life now….
This 'regular guy' gets financially and emotionally banged-up down through this life, and finally ends up with a kind, pretty, wonderful independent woman. And he's smitten. And his world starts to taste better and better.
And it's gradual that he realizes he's blossoming and that he's happier and happier with everything around him, and she saturates his existence with her patient, beautiful aura. So it's not an infatuation or delusion. He really has, finally, found good soil to grow in.
And then there's also this bitter-and-sweet moment where the audience realizes that he could have been happy his whole life if he had found what he 'actually needed' (true love) from the start, and not after making bad choices and living through the delusions and mistakes of younger, modern life.
Also the duality of reveling in being in love with the right person who fulfills him, but also the realization that eventually someone has to pass-on. Something that never actually bothered him about a spouse or partner before.
He spends these fantastic moments with her, cue the montage of laughter, travel, moments, intimacy, and then suddenly, (but no record-scratch) the audience is taken to an ultra- modern mental institution, and he's nearly 90 years old in a bed with tubes in and out of him. He slowly realizes he had never met Breia and that in fact she was a senile delusion or even something he experienced psychotically in his fifties. In fact, he had been married to his third battle-axe who wasn't even there by his death bed. She was off fighting over his estate.
A tear rolls down his cheek. He is about to die very alone.
And then, a hand slides onto the bed rail over his hand. And he looks up and it's Breia. She's 47 again just like always and she's smiling and she says “Don't worry. I'll always be with you. Come along now.” and roll credits.

Having what you need versus having what you want

Life is so good when you get what you need. I suppose “need” differs for everybody. Money has never been a need of mine. Of course it’s fundamental to things like food, shelter, and clothing. But having a lot of it never filled me.
I’m pretty sure that love is all I “need”.
I want money. I want love. I want things. There’s a whole bunch of stuff I want.
But having recently in the last two years, met my need for love finally:
Everything in the world tastes sweeter.
And on top of having the most important thing that I need, and that is Breia:
Everything I want, if I get it, tastes so much sweeter.
And, notably, if I don’t get what I want, it’s really OK. I have what I need.
They were practically children when they wrote it, but the Rolling Stones have a line like that in one of their songs:
You can’t always get what you want. But if you try, sometimes, you get what you need.
I’m saying something like that, in that if you got what you need, it’s really OK not to have everything you want. It doesn’t weigh on you. And once you have what you need, life is never miserable.
Thank you Breia.

Three easy ways to identify a sociopath or a narcissist

It’s unfortunate that the word sociopath sounds so much like psychopath. Because they’re not even hardly the same.
Our community and culture has rather a lot of sociopaths. Those are just people who don’t have a conscience. And all that means, is that when they say “aww, poor baby”. They don’t feel it. And when they say “I’m really impressed! You did a great job“ they don’t feel it. They’re just leveraging something or someone. 
….and they’re not “mean people“ even though they act mean.
sociopaths are as “mean” as a snake eating a mouse. Or a tornado hitting a trailer park. Or a flood, knocking over a little village.
It’s the thing that they do, when they exist. We take it personally, but it is about as personal as a blizzard that happens to kill you. 
Sometimes, the sociopath also happens to be a narcissist. 
And that means, not only does the person not have a conscience, but they also don’t think about anything except how they come off to other people, and their own aggrandizement, and their own satisfaction.
You might be surprised to know that the *minority* of narcissists are also sociopaths. About 20%.
Most narcissists are not sociopaths, and in fact, are just big talkers, glad handers, people who over promise, and people for whom life is always amazing. “Unbelievable. Ask anyone in the world which the greatest country is and they’ll say America.  Believe me.” Yeah. 
But most narcissists are just annoyingly grand, not actually predatory. 
And, UN-like a tornado, all varieties of narcissists can be hurtful, and very mean, intentionally or not.
I’ve come up with four parameters to use, to try to figure out if your True Love or “special other” is a narcissist before you make the mistake of marrying them.
Item 1, is that they are notoriously inconsiderate.
Item 2, is that they seldom if it ever take an interest in, or listen to the stories of other people.
Item 3 is that when you get right down to it they are some of the most insecure, vain people you know. Pardon the pun, but they are excessively self-conscious.
Item 4 is that when you dig down to it, they think they’re better than most people. It’s unlikely that you’re going to tell them some thing that they don’t have a response like “Oh that’s nothing, one time when I…“ And if you ask them, they will confide that they are better than practically everyone. They are The Chosen One. They are a gift, to any group of people, they’re working with.
What happens if you tell a sociopath or a narcissist that they have that particular emotional body odor?
They’ll say “That sounds like a YOU problem” and then: “You can quit with the psychobabble. I’m just fine. In fact, I’m better than you. You’re just jealous.”

University of Georgia is Having the Annual Fish Medicine Course Again!

As soon as we got the date, we are posting. It's going to be Saturday and Sunday, January 13th and 14th in 2024. 
Dr Stephen Divers is heading this up and has enlisted Vicki Vaughan, Dr. Erik Johnson, Dr Chad Bishop and hopefully additional, experienced talent from across the country! 
We'll provide even more details as they're available, right now we're narrowing down nearly fifty different subjects and disciplines from Koi to Walleye – from parasites to water reuse. Nutrition and an update on KHV and possibly details on CNGV (Sleeping Sickness Virus) 
Dedicated to the Management & Health of Koi and Other Species
Taught by UGA Faculty, Veterinarians and Industry Recognized Experts
vetmed_fishhealthclass2023 (1).jpeg

Identifying healthy versus sick fish; preventative therapies; common health issues and treatments;
updates on koi herpesvirus; pond technologies and construction; filtration and water reuse technology;
water quality; advances in nutrition; parasites; advanced veterinary topics and more.
For more details….
vet.uga.edu/event/koi-health-symposium
Email: vetmedce@uga.edu