No not a Yank thing Sarge. Over here there is a mawkish public sentimentality re peoples passing. an overwhelming need to emote dramatically in public, to weep and wail, to show some kind of utterly bogus collective mourning which as far as I can tell started with the death of Diana Princess of Wales.

Manifesting as it does in many cases of say the death of a "celebrity", with the throwing of flowers onto the funeral car as it passes, young couples stood forlornly, he with head bowed whilst she buries her head in his shoulders doing their best to show how much they cared for this "fantastic" human being who in life wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire let alone acknowledge them.

I regard death and illness as two sides of the same coin, twin companions if you will that accompany us through life from our first breath till our last gasp. Twin companions, one being illness whose presence albeit unsolicited should only be observed and acknowledged on the fringes of our existence and bid a temporary adieu once recovered and then death itself which should be greeted with a "one last drink before we go into that dark night" hurrah when at last that time arrives.

I too have my black dog days which a maintenance dose of mirtazapine helps keep Fido at bay somewhat and my vintage computer hobby and study of that ancient computer language Forth, courtesy of Charles "Chuck" Moore, keeps me mentally active deriving if you will some small sense of victorious validation when a program does what it should do. Also interesting pleasant discourse from friends newly found from across the water brightens the day somewhat.

Life is for the living so they say and I intend to continue in that same vein for however long it lasts.

To quote a line from a James Taylor song.

"The secret of life is enjoying the passing of time..."

More drinks everyone!?