*** Congrats to Sammy 4 new BBV mod! - April LC/NC NSFW ***
From bumpy balls to modship - who would have thought? Congrats Sammy! 😀
Made a conclave thread in politics with some ChatGPT help. In a first version it overshot on the Poker references though lol.
Pope Francis has left the table. The first Latin‑American pontiff used every street of his twelve‑year run to shove hard for the poor, green the Church’s image, and keep the conversation open even when the rails got rowdy. His mix of humility, media savvy, and willingness to play marginal hands (think: encyclicals on climate and migrant rights) bought him a big stack of goodwill that will echo long after the dealer pushes his final pot toward eternity. Requiescat in pace.
Within the next two‑plus weeks the camerlengo will lock the Sistine Chapel, stack the decks, and 140‑ish cardinal‑electors will ante up under Michelangelo’s ceiling. After a few preliminary “cash‑game” meetings they’ll move to rapid‑fire ballots until white smoke settles who’s holding the winning card.
Whoever drags the pot will inherit a split field: internally, abuse accountability still bleeds chips, clerical morale is low in some dioceses, and synodal reform needs real‑world implementation, not just theory on felt. Externally, the Church must navigate wars in Europe and the Middle East, rising authoritarianism, and an AI‑supercharged attention economy that treats nuance like a busted draw. Add to that climate disruption hammering the Global South (where Catholicism is growing fastest) and a West that keeps folding on organized religion. A new pope will need both theological range and geopolitical table presence to stay in the hand.
Here’s a list of some possible pope‑hopefuls (scroll down). But keep in mind that wildcards may have the better odds: roughly four‑fifths of the electors were created by Francis in the last decade, many meeting each other live for the first time—so a dark‑horse “cardinal nobody has on his rail” could easily scoop the whole tournament.
Just had a remote call with a recruiter; put on my nicest shirt, trying to look business-like - recruiter has a nose septum piercing. 
Just had a remote call with a recruiter; put on my nicest shirt, trying to look business-like - recruiter has a nose septum piercing.
Rarrrr kids these days!
Morph still the best poker player in BBV! Looking forward to the pope's funeral tonight. Got a really good mate over there checking it out.
