Become a Patron!

Vaping on the Front or back Porch

SteveS45

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
1016891717-2270912c29ha1yl05.gif
 

VapeOn1960

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
*wanders by picks up the empty metal trash can and a stick, starts banging the can*

"Heave to and thrice up, ye lubbers!" I've been up long enough to get more done in ten minutes than you have in all eight hours of your imaginative dreams. Get into those dungarees! Check your boon-dockers for a reflection! What ye standing still to wait on, get to the head! Take a dump and pump water to get clean! Argh! Got to run! If ye aren't on the grinder in two minutes, you are Wrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroonnnnnnnng!" "Carry on!"

*seems to wander on, pauses mid-step, cocks head to one side to listen*

"What is that? Did I hear an aye sir, or an argh?" "You better not tell me aye sir, have you keel hauled for two days! It's bloody Argh for us in working blues!"

*sees someone get confused, stop in front of others, sees the impending pile up*

"DROP! All o' ye gonna cycle now!" "Ye walk about in an orderly, timely manner. If not you are Wrrrrrrrrrroonnnnnng and in my Navy we're not that. Gimme the number of states."

*watches as the pushups begin, waits just a bit and then turns and heads out silently*

(This test message brought to you by Sporks & Silly Putty. Had this been an actual emergency this message would have been no test, rather a dud.)
WTF? Actually, I was just going to post something about how everyone keeps posting mushy happy la la crap... you totally fixed that. Carry on...
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
WTF? Actually, I was just going to post something about how everyone keeps posting mushy happy la la crap... you totally fixed that. Carry on...

Argh!

What I meant was thank you (the happy la la crap is nice too but let's even it out with some not so sugar coated stuff) Not in a bad mood at all... just being real.

I understand your point of view & do agree. Not that I'm misanthropic totally. Not against happy postings either. Like you, yeah find myself wondering how everyone is always on their A game constantly. We're all aware such isn't real.

Didn't post mine here today as a offset but as a bit of humor. Recall it being much like that when in the Navy. Been away over 30 years but still remember. Grew up dealing with similar. Ah, once a soldier / sailor, always.
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
What I meant was thank you (the happy la la crap is nice too but let's even it out with some not so sugar coated stuff) Not in a bad mood at all... just being real.

I would imagine that Steve has enough "real" when he steps out his door in the mornings. Some of the rest of us, too. Nothing wrong with a place to go get some peace. Just imo.

I surely would not have wanted to live in New York over these past 18 months or so.
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
Didn't take this pic, but never have seen one like this. The spider that makes this type of web makes one by my back porch light, but it's always gone by winter.
1c530c7704534a1f6127d76571ca9157.jpg



! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !

That spider has to be the size of a golf ball. Oh please, powers-that-be, let me never see that beast! If something like that got on me, I'd probably die of fright.

I had a lizard get on me once about 40 years ago when we lived in the Panhandle of Florida. When I think about it, I can still feel that creepy-crawly sensation.

I haz a fobia.
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I would imagine that Steve has enough "real" when he steps out his door in the mornings. Some of the rest of us, too. Nothing wrong with a place to go get some peace.

Understand & respect that. Sometimes, I get lost in a stilted cabin on the beach mentally. It is similar to a cabin along a private section of Daytona beach. Was there through Bike Week.

Bunch of us hunkered down in the cabin for a category 2 hurricane party. the next morning we rolled out of the cabin. It had gotten tilted on an angle. The rolling out was a bit of surprise. We were so drunk, or lost with other enjoyments, everyone passed out.

Hurricane came through and went on inland to die out within minutes of landfall. To borrow from The Hulk "puny hurricane". So, I still go back there mentally not for the fun, thrill of riding out a hurricane. It was a very beautiful area and the cabin although small was nice with an outdoor deck.

It is a very peaceful place for me, even without all the "candies". Although sometimes, I like being in a cabin back away from everyone in the woods, by a river. Christy fusses at not being able to "read" me too well. My mind is like quicksilver & uses an interesting psychic barrier.

Blathering I say I understand and have peace inside. Yes, to a degree I do. At times it is hard fought to get there. Figure many of us face that too. Hm. *kicks the :soapbox: scooting across the yard*
 

SteveS45

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
It's all good folks... this thread does cheer me up (didn't mean to bring anyone down)
Also, I don't word things well... it often confuses people. Have a great day (all of you)
Peace out, vape on!

As long as Trolls don't start Flame Wars all kinds of talk is welcome whether it be Ranting or a need for Solice or Support. Sometime people are having a Bad time or Day and just need to vent. That is why I created this thread so we can all just get along and share out life experiences good or bad. There has been more outpouring of Love from people like @Rhianne who we miss here.
 

2WhiteWolves

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
VU Patreon
I had a lizard get on me once about 40 years ago when we lived in the Panhandle of Florida. When I think about it, I can still feel that creepy-crawly sensation.

I haz a fobia.
A long time ago my brother stayed the night on our couch. On the bottom of the stand we had a garden snake in a fish tank. On the top of the stand we had a white rat. Don't know how, but the rat escaped and ended up on my brother. He was just walking up and down on him, lol. He woke up freaking out :teehee:


! WAKE UP ! from the MEDIA SPELL !
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Who else sat on porches & talked everything? Let me think, ... ah, stoics? Why yes, I believe so.

Something I consider too, the Gen X crowd, my crowd ... we're a repeat of the Lost Generation. We've had several different wars in our life times, seen a couple of crashes of "the market".

We got Recession which is allegedly the opposite of Depression. Funny though it damn sure is just like a Depression. We've become disenchanted with society, disenfranchised with religion (inclusive of science & psychology).

The 1970's were a hodgepodge of the last five and half decades before, 1915 to 1969. We also come up with our own variations & taught ourselves some lovely platitudes.

"Keep on keeping on", "Kick up your Converse", ... Think we invented high top sneakers and disco. Although even those had "been there" before if you look back. Nothing new under the sun after all, and not been for quite a long damn time.
  • People still kill? Yep.
  • People still deceive? Yep.
  • People still commit theft? Yep.
  • Calamities & atrocities still happen? Yep.
What's new then? It's the same old song.

Any wonder I see Gen X as just another Lost Generation?

This post not intended as means to depress anyone. Merely expressing the view/axiom that is espoused a lot, "the more things change, the more the same they stay the same."

ETA: Adding a minor rant. When we got down to VA where my family lives, several various community groups from Spring to the last bit of Autumn host barbecue chicken at "the pit".

The pit is right along Route 259 nestled off the side of the hill up route 42 "Main Street" Broadway. There's a fuel station on the opposite side.

You can go in at the pit, just pull in, walk up to barbecue pavilion with the actual pit. There you can get one half a chicken for $2.50 USD, all day, every day the pit is being run. You can get a whole bird for $5.

These prices have not changed in years. All the groups honor this pricing. They sell chicken hand over fist like hotcakes flying off the griddle. It's good chicken, well prepared, good price, great service.

People even call through the week to reserve coolers of chicken for on the weekends. The pit is only run on weekends, although sometimes different churches will open up on Tuesday's & Thursday's. They too hold the same prices.

Last night me & Christy thought we'd get some KFC. *smh* No way that'll happen. They wanted about $10 for what come to be a half a bird. And just that, no extra stuff with it. You wanted extra you paid extra.

We both agreed that the cost of chicken is pretty stable. Know for fact KFC gets cases of thighs for around $10, and a case is roughly 40 pounds of thighs, They get breasts, wings the same way at the same cost.

Know that because I worked at a poultry plant what supplied KFC, MacDonalds, Hardee's, even Arby's as well as various Big Food Industry leaders. The company owning the plant had to keep a stable price with clients too.

Granted I could get cases of chicken for about $7 a unit. I got that through the company store. We got a slight discount, though we paid just a bit more for boneless, various specialty chicken items. It equaled out, might pay $7 for 5 pounds of breast.

So, if these big food leaders get such low cost, how is it their pricing doesn't reflect it? Ah, greed of course. So we settled for Taco Bell's cheap run stuff. It's just frustrating.
 
Last edited:

MarkS

Gold Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Yep, evil has been around for a long time and isn’t going to go away quietly. Paradoxes in life will continue; good things happening for bad people and bad things happening for good people. Crime (such as we define it) will happen. Utopia is a dream that isn’t obtainable. We just have to do the best we can in a broken world and try to keep ourselves from becoming hardened or corrupted. (Thoughts of a person that’s from the Boomer Generation.)
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
Yep, evil has been around for a long time and isn’t going to go away quietly. Paradoxes in life will continue; good things happening for bad people and bad things happening for good people. Crime (such as we define it) will happen. Utopia is a dream that isn’t obtainable. We just have to do the best we can in a broken world and try to keep ourselves from becoming hardened or corrupted. (Thoughts of a person that’s from the Boomer Generation.)
you are right mark, evil has been around a long timebut i doubt it will ever go away, we cant have good times without there being bad times.
all we can do my friend is plow through the mess we have. you and i, like others have our battles and all we can do is believe and enjoy each day yes, good or bad.
lets have a laugh and just say f@@k you bad, i feel good.
all the best friend.
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
Who else sat on porches & talked everything? Let me think, ... ah, stoics? Why yes, I believe so.

Something I consider too, the Gen X crowd, my crowd ... we're a repeat of the Lost Generation. We've had several different wars in our life times, seen a couple of crashes of "the market".

We got Recession which is allegedly the opposite of Depression. Funny though it damn sure is just like a Depression. We've become disenchanted with society, disenfranchised with religion (inclusive of science & psychology).

The 1970's were a hodgepodge of the last five and half decades before, 1915 to 1969. We also come up with our own variations & taught ourselves some lovely platitudes.

"Keep on keeping on", "Kick up your Converse", ... Think we invented high top sneakers and disco. Although even those had "been there" before if you look back. Nothing new under the sun after all, and not been for quite a long damn time.
  • People still kill? Yep.
  • People still deceive? Yep.
  • People still commit theft? Yep.
  • Calamities & atrocities still happen? Yep.
What's new then? It's the same old song.

Any wonder I see Gen X as just another Lost Generation?

This post not intended as means to depress anyone. Merely expressing the view/axiom that is espoused a lot, "the more things change, the more the same they stay the same."

ETA: Adding a minor rant. When we got down to VA where my family lives, several various community groups from Spring to the last bit of Autumn host barbecue chicken at "the pit".

The pit is right along Route 259 nestled off the side of the hill up route 42 "Main Street" Broadway. There's a fuel station on the opposite side.

You can go in at the pit, just pull in, walk up to barbecue pavilion with the actual pit. There you can get one half a chicken for $2.50 USD, all day, every day the pit is being run. You can get a whole bird for $5.

These prices have not changed in years. All the groups honor this pricing. They sell chicken hand over fist like hotcakes flying off the griddle. It's good chicken, well prepared, good price, great service.

People even call through the week to reserve coolers of chicken for on the weekends. The pit is only run on weekends, although sometimes different churches will open up on Tuesday's & Thursday's. They too hold the same prices.

Last night me & Christy thought we'd get some KFC. *smh* No way that'll happen. They wanted about $10 for what come to be a half a bird. And just that, no extra stuff with it. You wanted extra you paid extra.

We both agreed that the cost of chicken is pretty stable. Know for fact KFC gets cases of thighs for around $10, and a case is roughly 40 pounds of thighs, They get breasts, wings the same way at the same cost.

Know that because I worked at a poultry plant what supplied KFC, MacDonalds, Hardee's, even Arby's as well as various Big Food Industry leaders. The company owning the plant had to keep a stable price with clients too.

Granted I could get cases of chicken for about $7 a unit. I got that through the company store. We got a slight discount, though we paid just a bit more for boneless, various specialty chicken items. It equaled out, might pay $7 for 5 pounds of breast.

So, if these big food leaders get such low cost, how is it their pricing doesn't reflect it? Ah, greed of course. So we settled for Taco Bell's cheap run stuff. It's just frustrating.
good post, and with all the people starving they cannot even donate any left overs in case someone chokes and sues them for it.
i supplied conveyors to the meat industry and the poultry industry, and people would never understand the money that is generated in those industries,
you dont want to now how little it costs or whats in the mincemeat you buy.
its our world and in some ways, our fault. all we can do is try and get through it, oh and try to smile.
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
you dont want to now how little it costs or whats in the mincemeat you buy.

Ah, I got a clear idea of what both are. I know hot dogs are made from "trim". It's left over scraps. Know they turn offal into pure protein slurry. They dye it and can make potted meat, bologna, corned beef and such.

Have seen the pure protein, in its natural white state cut in blocks of 3 foot long. Visited a protein processing plant. The trim comes from chicken, turkey, duck, quail, hogs, cattle, sheep. I still eat hot dogs, bologna, potted meat.

If you work at a large taco serving place they'll show you "pink 54". It's the slurry they use to simulate beef for their tacos. Still eat their tacos. As to the low cost, yeah know crack corn runs $12 per 100 pounds, can feed a small flock of chicken for 6 months on that.

Milled corn is dirt cheap too and most critters are addicted to it. even humans are addicted to it. That was the USDA's plan for global dominance, a single cereal grain that could provide America with something to rule Earth. It's called "soft warfare".

America produces corn even cheaper than Mexico. This means America can export corn to Mexico at cut throat prices. "Your corn costs you too much to grow. We can send ours to you far cheaper."

This is why Mexico saw an economic collapse. They had nothing to export, trade, barter with after that. They've since started recovery. It's gradual though.

High fructose corn syrup is in nearly everything. The nutritional value of it is almost nil. Yet it can act as a filler the same as milled corn. Cheetos is a global brand promoting eating powdered corn fluffs, just to name one such product.

Control bellies, minds come right along. There's no refusing, no resisting. Best way to a human heart? The belly, and if you get stuff in the belly that causes cholesterol, inflammation and so on, you got the heart.

Soft warfare comes from Loa Tzu. "You must win the fight without fighting." It's very insidious strategy. Colonialism is dead, long live the colonies!
 
Last edited:

VapeOn1960

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
good post, and with all the people starving they cannot even donate any left overs in case someone chokes and sues them for it.
My mother and I take food to the homeless (leftovers... sometimes made into a big batch of soup) You aren't supposed to do this but we do anyway. Some of them have mental issues but we really haven't had any situation where we felt unsafe. Most are very thankful... say things like "bless you... thank you, thank you" They seemed to really appreciate it even more during the holidays (often when depression can be a big issue) One day we gave out 24 servings of soup. It's a good way to clean out the fridge of food we would have thrown out (but is till OK to eat) Not just that they are hungry but it really shows them that people do care. Last 4th of July, we planned a huge BBQ and it was great but not as many people showed up as expected. Had loads of leftover burgers and hot dogs (and buns) That was really fun... we laid out a tarp with all the food (and beans potato salad, ect) It seemed to bring the homeless together too (like an old fashioned block party) We never carry cash (and mom doesn't bring her purse... even in the car, just her driver's license) We wear masks and won't touch anyone's hands. It's a very long story, but my sister had mental issues (we finally lost her... don't want to get into details) That's part of why we do this.
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
My mother and I take food to the homeless (leftovers... sometimes made into a big batch of soup) You aren't supposed to do this but we do anyway. Some of them have mental issues but we really haven't had any situation where we felt unsafe. Most are very thankful... say things like "bless you... thank you, thank you" They seemed to really appreciate it even more during the holidays (often when depression can be a big issue) One day we gave out 24 servings of soup. It's a good way to clean out the fridge of food we would have thrown out (but is till OK to eat) Not just that they are hungry but it really shows them that people do care. Last 4th of July, we planned a huge BBQ and it was great but not as many people showed up as expected. Had loads of leftover burgers and hot dogs (and buns) That was really fun... we laid out a tarp with all the food (and beans potato salad, ect) It seemed to bring the homeless together too (like an old fashioned block party) We never carry cash (and mom doesn't bring her purse... even in the car, just her driver's license) We wear masks and won't touch anyone's hands. It's a very long story, but my sister had mental issues (we finally lost her... don't want to get into details) That's part of why we do this.
when i was 16 i worked as a volunteer at a mental hospital. there was a girl a patient around my age,she came from a posh family. whenever guests came she would be fine, but unknown to her parents everytime at the house parties that she saw a man alone she would drop her pants and show them, then she would offer them a blow job for a ciggy, eventually she was admitted. her parents came to see her every saturday. one monday i went to help out, i realised i had not seen her all day, i asked where she was. her parents had not been up on 2 consecutive days, she went uo to the 3rd floor and threw herself off.
i quit the following week
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
Ah, I got a clear idea of what both are. I know hot dogs are made from "trim". It's left over scraps. Know they turn offal into pure protein slurry. They dye it and can make potted meat, bologna, corned beef and such.

Have seen the pure protein, in its natural white state cut in blocks of 3 foot long. Visited a protein processing plant. The trim comes from chicken, turkey, duck, quail, hogs, cattle, sheep. I still eat hot dogs, bologna, potted meat.

If you work at a large taco serving place they'll show you "pink 54". It's the slurry they use to simulate beef for their tacos. Still eat their tacos. As to the low cost, yeah know crack corn runs $12 per 100 pounds, can feed a small flock of chicken for 6 months on that.

Milled corn is dirt cheap too and most critters are addicted to it. even humans are addicted to it. That was the USDA's plan for global dominance, a single cereal grain that could provide America with something to rule Earth. It's called "soft warfare".

America produces corn even cheaper than Mexico. This means America can export corn to Mexico at cut throat prices. "Your corn costs you too much to grow. We can send ours to you far cheaper."

This is why Mexico saw an economic collapse. They had nothing to export, trade, barter with after that. They've since started recovery. It's gradual though.

High fructose corn syrup is in nearly everything. The nutritional value of it is almost nil. Yet it can act as a filler the same as milled corn. Cheetos is a global brand promoting eating powdered corn fluffs, just to name one such product.

Control bellies, minds come right along. There's no refusing, no resisting. Best way to a human heart? The belly, and if you get stuff in the belly that causes cholesterol, inflammation and so on, you got the heart.

Soft warfare comes from Loa Tzu. "You must win the fight without fighting." It's very insidious strategy. Colonialism is dead, long live the colonies!
and sell cows eyes to hospitals sell their feet it is crass.
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
Yep, evil has been around for a long time and isn’t going to go away quietly. Paradoxes in life will continue; good things happening for bad people and bad things happening for good people. Crime (such as we define it) will happen. Utopia is a dream that isn’t obtainable. We just have to do the best we can in a broken world and try to keep ourselves from becoming hardened or corrupted. (Thoughts of a person that’s from the Boomer Generation.)
i have been watching christopher hitchens for years on y tube i get along with him. also prof cox is cood.
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
and sell cows eyes to hospitals sell their feet it is crass.
i knew a asswipe who worked at a meat plant, his favourite tricke were dropping an eye ball into someones drink...and rolling one along the floor.....f@@king shit headed low life prick that he is. as for the lady who works there,,no dont ask about her!!
 

walton

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
New Member
Reddit Exile
and sell cows eyes to hospitals sell their feet it is crass.
in england there is a castle that on new years eve holds a feast. its hard to get a booking.the chefs dress as monks and the ladies as servants at midnight they come marching through the hall carryigf food on like a stretcher on theis shoulders. its a great medievil night, but the one thing they do is something that i think only they can. its a fown disk consisting of 6 different birds, a goose on outside with a stuffing around it them a pheasant with stuffing and 4 others stuffed into each other. so when you slice it its a ring of 6 different birds with 5 different types of stuffing!! it is amazing.
 

VapeOn1960

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
A long time ago my brother stayed the night on our couch. On the bottom of the stand we had a garden snake in a fish tank. On the top of the stand we had a white rat. Don't know how, but the rat escaped and ended up on my brother. He was just walking up and down on him, lol. He woke up freaking out :teehee:
My son had a pet rat... Max (we loved that rat actually) My wife just barely tolerated it until one day it bit her "nipple" (not sure why) after that, she hated the rat (I can see why) but I actually like rodents (even after being a professional housekeeper and dealing with mice) I also love bats... they eat lots of bugs that we also don't like) One day, my son and me were at a friends house... he had an albino boa constrictor pet snake (very rare) I totally forgot we had the pet rat and made him watch the snake devour a mouse (OMG... I'm sorry, it was nature... my bad, I didn't think about the pet rat) my son hated me for that!
 

VapeOn1960

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
About hot dogs an bologna... in Europe, there are many recipes that use organs (look up Scottish Haggis)
We here in the US don't like to think about things like that (whatever... eat that hot dog and pretend you don't know what's in it)
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
About hot dogs an bologna... in Europe, there are many recipes that use organs (look up Scottish Haggis)
We here in the US don't like to think about things like that (whatever... eat that hot dog and pretend you don't know what's in it)

The grossness of hot dogs and bologna, etc., isn't related to just the ingredients they're made from. The conditions in those processing plants are often so disgusting. If we saw some of the places our foods come from, we'd be horrified. Chicken processing plants can be the same way.

My husband and son both have worked installing commercial overhead doors for decades, and every once in a while I used to get an earful about the green slime on the walls and floors of those places, and the smell to boot.

For that matter, anyone who's ever worked in a filthy restaurant could tell you stories that would keep you eating at home for the rest of your life. I'll reference the 2 hours I worked in the kitchen of a Shoney's back in the early 80s. It was so disgusting I told them there's no way I'm working in this mess. The assistant manager had handed me a mop and a bucket and told me to clean out a refrigerator that had little baskets of old, rotten strawberries that had fallen into water in the bottom, and just left to lay there for god knows how long - until green mold grew all around them. I said, if you think I'm sticking my hands in that filth, you got another think coming. Remember Shoney's strawberry pie? Well, now put that thought beside the rotten strawberries swimming in green mold and old, wet nastiness in the bottom of a commercial refrigerator. No, thank you.
 

MyMagicMist

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I'll reference the 2 hours I worked in the kitchen of a Shoney's back in the early 80s. It was so disgusting I told them there's no way I'm working in this mess. The assistant manager had handed me a mop and a bucket and told me to clean out a refrigerator that had little baskets of old, rotten strawberries that had fallen into water in the bottom, and just left to lay there for god knows how long - until green mold grew all around them. I said, if you think I'm sticking my hands in that filth, you got another think coming.

Worked in various restaurants s well. Could tell you further horror stories about them. Will not because there's worse things.

For example custodians deal with fecal matter and paper filled toilets. We need to get the toilets cleaned out. Double glove and use a trash bag.

Work is work. You do what you need to do, go on. But yes, know there is a lot I've done no pride is there. Still just go on.

Work is work. I'm good at working. Have done it since five years old. There's a lot of muscle memory, experience, routine recall, an ability to just keep on until the work is done. A capacity to "see something needing done, do it."

Finding any more with the rise of Millennials being good at work is troublesome. They seem to have an attitude that doing half ass work is "the best I can do for the money". Then, when they get kicked from the job blame the job. *smh*

No not saying "well welcome to the machine of human drudgery" either. At the same time how the beans do people get that feeling of being entitled to not need to pitch in? Probably the same way we got kids growing up as murders, drug fiends. No parents to speak of.

Round and round we go while going round. Oh what fun.

Ultimately, I'm drawing a straight line back to the first wasted f**k what cried out, "mine!" That is where all the trouble winds up coming in. Greed and doubt the cosmos doesn't provide are the worst sins.

And if down to brass tacks?

Doubt == Fear == Greed == Doubt == Vicious Infinite Circle of Ultimate Sin

Doubt is a killer. This is also why I have trouble with acceptance. I'm told to accept what I cannot control. This for me means I have to not doubt there's a path, purpose, meaning to it all. I have to not doubt life provides. So I'm told.

Then, I look at everyone telling me to accept. Funny they don't accept the same thing I'm told to accept. Such hypocrites, they doubt and so fear is left to cause intolerance, hate, greed, violence and so on.

Life is gray. What I mean by that is there's no polar opposites, no dichotomies. We're taught there are but in reality that's just a construct, a concept we use to try understanding, accepting. Life meanwhile has an objective balance.

You don't get rain without mud, blessings without atrocities. There is always a wholeness, a completion, even in the eternal change. The cosmos does provide all, all for one and one for all.

As Pythagoras said it, "All is number and one is all, all is one." He was referring to the first cause, the monad. We are the cosmos, the cosmos is us. We have it all. Why doubt? Why not accept?

Probably because we cannot accept the unnamed nothingness after death. That nothingness is itself a blessed gift. This is where we go to return to the first cause. One is all and all is one.

I still have no belief in any deity. I'm looking at it all objectively as I can, seeing it scientifically, clinically. We live and have it all, we die and have nothing. Ah there's the doubt. "How can we lose all?"

You don't lose all though. We're transient, only riders on an eternal journey, we have all we need as loaned out to us by the cosmos. Quit doubting, quit fearing, .... accept.

Sorry, got off on a ramble.

ETA: No, I'm not saying accept evils exist and do nothing to help ease those. Indeed we ought to reasonably, rationally, be obligated morally and ethically to do just that. We need to lift everyone up. That's the Great Work. And no it isn't what the Mason espouses. Yes they have a Great Work similar but it's a means to an ends.
 
Last edited:

VapeOn1960

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
So what can I say... it's been one of those days,,,
just found out my nephew's son (4 and 1/2 years old... love the kid but he has autism) has tested positive for COVID (third time now) I'm quite sure he has also gave us NORO virus before (I do love him but the kid is a germ spreader) We have been through this twice before (mom is 82 years old) and she is kind of freaking out. My nephew shares the kid with his ex (she is known to have mental issues and also has an older kid with autism... from another father... oh boy, we really don't know how to deal with all of this) Mom and I have had both shots so I feel we are going to be OK. Heck of a way to start the week-end (I was hoping to visit my grandchildren but that's not going to happen) The kid is not sick so who knows...
 

VU Sponsors

Top