Ask Luke

[Disco King]

Originally Posted by Trotskilicious

the whole fight cancer never give up thing is important but a half-truth.

Yeah, this whole "Fight cancer! You're a survivor!" thing annoys me because it insinuates that one's chances of living through the disease is a function of how much effort one puts into not having cancer, and implies that those who didn't make it "failed."

I mean, I know that things like positivity can can have a marginal affect because of how the brain and endocrine system affect other facets of health, but for the most part, you can't smile away a tumour. I mean, focusing on happiness and positivity is great, but it should probably be geared more toward making the best out of life given the circumstances, rather than telling people it'll allow them to "beat" cancer.

The marketing industry is also using cancer for their purposes, like with the whole "Pink Ribbon" campaign and whatnot. Most of the products sporting the label don't give out info about how much money actually goes to charity, and some products have been found to have suspected carcinogenics. But they can sell more shampoo if they manipulate people's concern.

[Lucky Day Spa]

lotta people seem to think vitamin c is the future

[Bread Regal]

It also bothers me when people try to console others by saying "i know someone who had (relevant form of very aggressive cancer) and they've been in remission for x years." Saying that is of literally zero consolation when statistics are readily available.

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by Disco King

The marketing industry is also using cancer for their purposes, like with the whole "Pink Ribbon" campaign and whatnot. Most of the products sporting the label don't give out info about how much money actually goes to charity, and some products have been found to have suspected carcinogenics. But they can sell more shampoo if they manipulate people's concern.

that's mostly susan g komen, who makes stuff like Pink fraking drill bits. but not all cancer charities are the same

it is frustrating how much help there is out there for breast cancer sufferers, compared to basically anything else, except Lukemia & Lymphoma Society who is wonderful. but there is pink fatigue and it's setting in, last year my non-profit didn't do as hot as they expected during october. i think it's time to start talking about colon, skin, gynecological and prostate and stuff more, and lung too but people seem to think it's okay to act like people deserve that one. BUT breast cancer I think is most common cancer behind skin which both genders get. so there's also that. it's also pretty routine and relatively easy to check for and treat

i think it's pretty obvious which charity i work for, but i still don't think it's wise to say it. they really do good work and i'm 100% cynical all the time

[Disco King]

Originally Posted by Lucky Day Spa

i don't care about physical objects

i have no keepsakes

prayer/quack meds: never, not for a second

It's nice that you don't have too much of an attachment to material goods. I wish I were a bit more like that. I feel like I like to buy things a lot but don't really focus enough on doing things. Have you been able to do a lot of stuff, or is being hospitalized sort of keeping you?

[Trotskilicious]

oh and i should say i don't work for leukemia & lymphoma society

[Bread Regal]

Susan G Komen is evil. I mean this is all I really need to post to support that statement.

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by Disco King

It's nice that you don't have too much of an attachment to material goods. I wish I were a bit more like that. I feel like I like to buy things a lot but don't really focus enough on doing things. Have you been able to do a lot of stuff, or is being hospitalized sort of keeping you?

mostly i'm focused on spending time with friends and family but also ondoing as much good stuff as possible

plus managing the drugs + side effects i guess, and trying to avoid seizures

[Mo]

How is your family / circle of friends taking it?

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by Mo

How is your family / circle of friends taking it?

Some better than others.

[Lucky Day Spa]

you learn who's there for you and who isn't pretty quickly

[Bread Regal]

that's not an uncommon experience, i hear.

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by duovamp

Can we do anything for you? Like send cards or stuff? I think that'd be fun.

no thanks, but that's kind of you to offer

[duovamp]

Awwww....

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by duovamp

Awwww....

i kind ofdoubt anything would arrive in a timely manner imho

[buzzard]

Originally Posted by Lucky Day Spa

i like to go to restaurants

Perhaps you already know it, but there's a Neapolitan pizza place within the Ponsonby Central complex that'd be right up your alley.

http://www.dantespizzeria.co.nz

[Lucky Day Spa]

i know of it. still keen to visit if i can

[Lucky Day Spa]

on second thought, i've been there. it was pretty good

[buzzard]

Are there any specific restaurants that you're hoping to visit while you're up here?

[Cool As Ice Cream]

aw man.
i know it never looked good, but i had really hoped you'd get more time.
i'll miss you too.

[wHATcOLOR]

some questions. i know time and energy are at a premium, please disregard any or all - hope that you make the most of your time

- are there any books in particular that you really love? ones that you find yourself going back to? (for me it is frank herbert's dune series)

- is there a place where you've put most of your songs online? soundcloud or something? (i'm thinking of the one about the guy hunting whales in the arctic ocean, and several others that were fingerpicked acoustic guitar. and dog days. man)

- are there any television series that you think are superior?

- are you living in your own place presently? with family? how often are you able to see immediate family?

- are you able to get outdoors each day?

- do you mind saying what you are most proud of?

- do you recommend bread making or pizza making as a cool hobby / thing to learn?

- what are some things you've learned (skills / hobbies / information) that you got a lot of happiness from and could recommend for others to try?



this part is not a question, but i wanted to say thank you. this might sound hokey or overdone but i mean each word.

i originally was going to message you privately with this, but perhaps it is better to put here. honestly not sure if private is more appropriate or not, but to paraphrase one Luke De Spa, spending time doing things that matter most to you is how you minimize regrets. expressing how i feel to people i care about is one of those things. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i hope that you know what a positive impact you've had on people. i'll speak for myself but have to imagine there are many others who would say similar things.

the way you live your life has made me improve myself as a person. i didn't originally mean that in reference to the humility and courage you've shown in dealing with cancer, but that may apply perhaps even more.

just on an every day level, pretty much every interaction i've had with you, i've felt like i needed to step up my game. you're always witty and colorful; what a generous, valuable gift that is, to make life more exciting for others. it's pushed me to put more effort in to my thoughts and interactions. the debates you've had with people have forced me to think and learn more. you are very giving, in terms of creativity, intellect, and kindness.

i was really happy that when you visited the US we were able to hang out. i was really looking forward to it, and think back on it from time to time. there are many different permutations of friendship, especially when you throw the internet in the mix, but i'm very glad and lucky to consider you a friend.

i will miss you incredibly. you are top quality, and i know that has made a real positive impact on me, and surely on many others. if there is anything at all i could do to help you in any way, i would drop what i'm doing in a heartbeat. i hope that you are proud of your life; i am proud of you from a distance. thank you for giving as much as you have, and for doing your thing man, it's a beautiful thing.


i went and looked through some old pictures, these made me laugh and think of you. i left the hilarious gif of paul hem and sunglasses appearing / disappearing out of this to keep things clean.






with admiration and respect, ice cream pigout in M1-aud - forever.

[Starla]

I'm not going to be good with words and I have no questions, so I snapped this a few min ago.... the tiniest post card from me to you. xo

[Bread Regal]

Since wHATcOLOR opened the door to this, I feel that I should share my feelings as well.

You've always been one of the few very compassionate people on this board. Between your spates of not posting, you can always be relied upon to defuse a flame war with cogency, empathy, level-headedness, intelligence and kindness. You've been one of the few who has steered this ship away from being the abusive cesspit that everyone believes it to be. I can't count the number of times you walked into a raging megathread full of logical fallacies and cognitive biases, and everyone quotes your first post in the thread, amending only a "Yeah. This."

There's always been this undercurrent of love in all your posts, and you've always been a shining example of the sort of person we should aspire to be, on and off the board. On top of that, your artistic talent is also something to be admired, but that is neither here nor there. Netphoria is a place that will be a part of me until my own passing, and you will always be a part of it. You enhanced this community more than you might ever know.

Thank you. So very very much. You will be sorely missed.

[yo soy el mejor]

is there anything in chicago you'd like to see?

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by buzzard

Are there any specific restaurants that you're hoping to visit while you're up here?

some of these http://cuisinegoodfoodguide.co.nz/re...awards#winners

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by wHATcOLOR

some questions. i know time and energy are at a premium, please disregard any or all - hope that you make the most of your time

- are there any books in particular that you really love? ones that you find yourself going back to? (for me it is frank herbert's dune series)
The prince of nothing series by r. scott Bakker

- is there a place where you've put most of your songs online? soundcloud or something? (i'm thinking of the one about the guy hunting whales in the arctic ocean, and several others that were fingerpicked acoustic guitar. and dog days. man)

kind of moot now, but here's some older stuff http://jonathanmcarthur.co.nz

https://soundcloud.com/mcrthr


also andhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6928048/Seismonaut_Polar-Opposites.mp3
- are there any television series that you think are superior?

sopranos on hbo now, looking forward to new true detective soon
- are you living in your own place presently? with family? how often are you able to see immediate family?

like i said, please don't ask me about my personal life or finances

- are you able to get outdoors each day?
when i can

- do you mind saying what you are most proud of?

- do you recommend bread making or pizza making as a cool hobby / thing to learn?

the coolest, provided you're into pizza

- what are some things you've learned (skills / hobbies / information) that you got a lot of happiness from and could recommend for others to try?

practise guitar and don't play too many video games

this part is not a question, but i wanted to say thank you. this might sound hokey or overdone but i mean each word.

i originally was going to message you privately with this, but perhaps it is better to put here. honestly not sure if private is more appropriate or not, but to paraphrase one Luke De Spa, spending time doing things that matter most to you is how you minimize regrets. expressing how i feel to people i care about is one of those things. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i hope that you know what a positive impact you've had on people. i'll speak for myself but have to imagine there are many others who would say similar things.

the way you live your life has made me improve myself as a person. i didn't originally mean that in reference to the humility and courage you've shown in dealing with cancer, but that may apply perhaps even more.

just on an every day level, pretty much every interaction i've had with you, i've felt like i needed to step up my game. you're always witty and colorful; what a generous, valuable gift that is, to make life more exciting for others. it's pushed me to put more effort in to my thoughts and interactions. the debates you've had with people have forced me to think and learn more. you are very giving, in terms of creativity, intellect, and kindness.

i was really happy that when you visited the US we were able to hang out. i was really looking forward to it, and think back on it from time to time. there are many different permutations of friendship, especially when you throw the internet in the mix, but i'm very glad and lucky to consider you a friend.

i will miss you incredibly. you are top quality, and i know that has made a real positive impact on me, and surely on many others. if there is anything at all i could do to help you in any way, i would drop what i'm doing in a heartbeat. i hope that you are proud of your life; i am proud of you from a distance. thank you for giving as much as you have, and for doing your thing man, it's a beautiful thing.


i went and looked through some old pictures, these made me laugh and think of you. i left the hilarious gif of paul hem and sunglasses appearing / disappearing out of this to keep things clean.






with admiration and respect, ice cream pigout in M1-aud - forever.

that's an awesome message. thank you so much

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by yo soy el mejor

is there anything in chicago you'd like to see?

don't have a wishlist but air travel is off limits so can't think of anything right now

[ilikeplanets]

are you scared?

what's something you've learned that amazes/impresses you?

[Lucky Day Spa]

Originally Posted by ilikeplanets

are you scared?

what's something you've learned that amazes/impresses you?

seizures are pretty frightening to go though, so i advise avoiding them

some people are just awesome well-adjusted amazing people whom you totally want in your corner for as long as possible

[myosis]

as detached as i stay from the people on this board, i've always felt disturbed about this, and now i am frankly upset.

this is an Ask Luke thread and so a question I ask:
-i will stop by napoli this summer, any particular recommendations?