If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
This week’s book:
Discourses and Selected Writings
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Epictetus was born a slave around 50 ad. His owner was Epaphroditus, a rich freedman who was once a slave of Nero. Though he was a slave Epictetus was sent to study philosophy under Musonius Rufus.
Epictetus was lame and there are some stories it was caused by his master and others that it was caused by disease.
He was a freedman when all philosophers were banished from Rome in 89 by the Emperor Domitian. He then started his school in Greece, and had many students. He did not leave any writings from his lessons, but one of his students, Flavius Arrian, took notes and wrote the Discourses.
Epictetus did not marry, had no children, and lived to be around 80-85. In retirement, he adopted a child that would have been abandoned and raised him with a woman.
He died sometime around AD 135.
He might be my favorite Stoic teacher. I love his bare bones and very straight forward approach.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of one of his lessons. Epictetus’s text appears in bold, my replies are in normal text.
If all this is true and we are not silly nor merely playing a part when we say, “Man’s good and man’s evil lies in moral choice, and all other things are nothing to us,” why are we still distressed and afraid? Over the things that we seriously care for no one has authority; and the things over which other men have authority do not concern us. What kind of thing have we left to discuss?
Stoicism is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The difference between simple and easy was explained perfectly by Forged in Fire’s Ben Abbot when he was describing how making a blade was simple. “It’s like running a marathon. Its simple, you just keep running. It is definitely not easy.” While it is easy to understand the basis for Stoicism and practice it in limited situations, to truly live as a Stoic is not easy. It is easy for me to want things I have no control over and then get upset because I didn’t get what I wanted.
—”Nay, give me directions.”[1]—What directions shall I give you? Has not Zeus given you directions? Has he not given you that which is your own, unhindered and unrestrained, while that which is not your own is subject to hindrance and restraint? What directions, then, did you bring with you when you came from him into this world, what kind of an order? Guard by every means that which is your own, but do not grasp at that which is another’s. Your faithfulness is your own, your self-respect is your own; who, then, can take these things from you? Who but yourself will prevent you from using them?
If I follow Stoicism well, there are no conflicts with the natural order of the world. Nothing except my choices would affect my mental state. The only thing that prevents me from being stress free and not getting angry is me. I manage that well for the most part, but last weekend, I caught myself getting angry at the new turbo I was putting in my truck when I was having trouble getting the exhaust bolted to it. After a minute of asking myself why I was getting angry, I realized I was hangry. I took a break, my wife made me lunch, and when I went back out, the exhaust went together with no issue.
But you, how do you act? When you seek earnestly that which is not your own, you lose that which is your own. 5Since you have such promptings and directions from Zeus, what kind do you still want from me? Am I greater than he, or more trustworthy? But if you keep these commands of his, do you need any others besides? But has he not given you these directions? Produce your preconceptions, produce the demonstrations of the philosophers, produce what you have often heard, and produce what you have said yourself, produce what you have read, produce what you have practiced.[2]
When Epictetus says to follow the directions of Zeus, to me that just means to live in accordance with nature. I do that by doing my best to control my emotions and expectations, while being an honest trustworthy person.
How long, then, is it well to keep these precepts and not to break up the game? As long as it is played pleasantly. At the Saturnalia a king is chosen by lot; for it has been decided to play this game. The king gives his commands: “You drink, you mix wine, you sing, you go, you come.” I obey, so as not to be the one to break up the game. “Come, suppose that you are in an evil plight.” I do not so suppose; and who is there to compel me so to suppose? 10Again, we have agreed to play the story of Agamemnon and Achilles. The one who has been appointed to play the part of Agamemnon says to me, “Go to Achilles, and drag away Briseis.” I go. He says, “Come,” and I come. For as we behave in the matter of hypothetical proposals, so we ought to behave in life also.[3] “Let it be night.” So be it. “What then? Is it day?” No, for I have accepted the assumption that it is night. “Let us suppose that you assume it to be night” So be it. “But go on and assume that it is night,” That is not consistent with the hypothesis. So also in the present case. “Let us suppose that you are unhappy.” So be it, “Are you, then, unfortunate?” Yes. “What then? Are you troubled with ill-fortune?” Yes. “But go on and assume that you are in a wretched plight.” That is not consistent with the hypothesis; moreover, there is Another[4] who forbids me so to think.[5]
It is OK to go along with other people sometimes, as long as doing so doesn’t violate your core principles. I can agree that something that happens is unfortunate, but I can not agree that this is a terrible outcome and you have every right to be upset. Even in my own life, when my dog died, while I was depressed and knew it was unfair, I kept those thoughts away and focused more on my memories of him than the unfairness of it.
Even now, I run through some happy memories of his evening routine and it makes me smile while it hurts. After dinner I would play catch with him until he was tired. Then I would pet him on the floor until he jumped on the couch. Then we would wrestle a little until it was “pet me time” again. After all that he would go lay on the A/C vent and go to sleep. We did this every night.
How long, then, should we obey such commands? As long as it is beneficial, and that means, as long as I preserve what is becoming and consistent. 15Further, some men are unduly crabbed and have too sharp tongues and say, “I cannot dine at this fellow’s house, where I have to put up with his telling every day how he fought in Moesia: ‘I have told you, brother, how I climbed up to the crest of the hill; well now, I begin to be besieged again.'” But another says, “I would rather dine and hear him babble all he pleases.” And it is for you to compare these estimates; only do nothing as one burdened, or afflicted, or thinking that he is in a wretched plight; for no one forces you to this. Has some one made a smoke in the house? If he has made a moderate amount of smoke I shall stay; if too much, I go outside. For one ought to remember and hold fast to this, that the door stands open. But some one says, “Do not dwell in Nicopolis.” I agree not to dwell there. “Nor in Athens.” I agree not to dwell in Athens, either. “Nor in Rome.” I agree not to dwell in Rome, either. 20“Dwell in Gyara.”[6] I agree to dwell there. But to dwell in Gyara seems to me to be like a great quantity of smoke in the house. I leave for a place where no one will prevent me from dwelling; for that dwelling-place stands open to every man.[7] And as for the last inner tunic, that is, my paltry body, beyond that no one has any authority over me. That is why Demetrius said to Nero, “You threaten me with death, but nature threatens you.” If I admire my paltry body, I have given myself away as a slave; if I admire my paltry property, I have given myself away as a slave; for at once I show thereby to my own hurt what I can be caught with. Just as when the snake draws in his head, I say, “Strike that part of him which he is protecting”; so do you be assured that your master will attack you at that point which you particularly wish to protect. 25If you remember all this, whom will you flatter or fear any more?
Complaining about a situation I have willingly put myself in is a waste of breath. I caught myself doing it when we were all complaining about the property tax in Virginia. I chose to live here and really like Suffolk and my house. If the tax was that onerous, I would leave, but I have lived here 7 years and have no plans to move. That tax does suck ass though. My boss laughed when he asked how they could appraise his car that high and I told him justified by the unofficial government motto, “Fuck you, that’s why”.
But I wish to sit where the senators do.—Do you realize that you are making close quarters for yourself, that you are crowding yourself?—How else, then, shall I have a good view in the amphitheatre?—Man, do not become spectator and you will not be crowded. Why do you make trouble for yourself? Or else wait a little while, and when the show is over sit down among the seats of the senators and sun yourself. For in general remember this—that we crowd ourselves, we make close quarters for ourselves, that is to say, the decisions of our will crowd us and make us close quarters. Why, what is this matter of being reviled? Take your stand by a stone and revile it; and what effect will you produce? If, then, a man listens like a stone, what profit is there to the reviler? But if the reviler has the weakness of the reviled as a point of vantage, then he does accomplish something.
Learning not to care about the opinions of others was a skill I developed early. As a skinny kid with glasses since 2nd grade, I was bullied quite often, until I was 13 and started fighting everyone that made fun of me. I didn’t have many friends, but the “cool kids” left me alone and I was OK with that. I think this is a large part of why I don’t really have friends in my daily life.
30“Strip him.” Why do you say ‘him‘? Take his cloak and strip that off. “I have outraged you.” Much good may it do you! This is what Socrates practiced, and that is why he always wore the same expression on his face. But we prefer to practice and rehearse anything rather than how to be untrammeled and free. “The philosophers talk paradoxes,” you say. But are there not paradoxes in the other arts? And what is more paradoxical than to lance a man in the eye in order that he may see? If anyone said this to a man who was inexperienced in the art of surgery, would he not laugh at the speaker? What is there to be surprised at, then, if in philosophy also many things which are true appear paradoxical to the inexperienced?
If I truly am a Stoic, there is no need to think about how I would respond to different situations. If I could, I would rather be free of concerns about things outside of my control. I try to think ahead to bad things happening and try to be ready when, not if, these things happen to me. That being said, when Smoke died, I was a wreck for a couple of days. I did not wallow in it, but it had to run its course before I was able to go back to work and talk to people.
To some people, there are inconsistencies within Stoicism, but for me, it is a beautiful philosophy and has really helped me in my daily life and the avalanche of stupid we were all subjected to over the last few years.
Music today is from Iron Maiden’s 3rd album Number of the Beast.
This was my introduction to Iron Maiden, I was 13 or 14 and my older cousin came to live with Dad and I for the summer. He was a metal head and really helped me with my shyness and attitude. Actually, he might have been the inspiration to start fighting instead of just taking the abuse.
Bruce Dickinson was a revelation to me then.
Invaders-This song confused younger me, I had no idea the Vikings ever invaded England.
The Number of the Beast-Fun Fact, Nicko Mcbrain is the one in the devil suit. The intro scream is unreal.
Hallowed Be Thy Name– The live version of this is so good, I ever listen to the one on the album.
I am not a patient man.
I am trying to grow lavender in the dish the grocery store gave me (long story, previous comment, not relevant), but I keep reminding myself that even if I’ve done everything right, I can’t expect to see green for at least 2-4 weeks.
The real risk is that in wanting to ‘encourage’ the seeds to sprout I am going to do something stupid, like over water them. Lavender doesn’t like too much water, it could undo everything.
So, I must focus and fight my impatience, because nature keeps to its own schedule.
My wife likes to test her plants will to live by forgetting to water them sometimes.
She denies that’s what she does, but I think it’s a stress test and in the words of Drago, “If he dies, he dies”.
In theory if it does survive should be the best of the best
‘How I learned to kill plants and love gardening.’
I used to try to save all my plants, now? Hey if they don’t hack it, they weren’t cut out for the job.
Lavender is so far the only thing in my yard which is impervious to deer and rodents, so worth the effort to get it started. I have four seedlings from the several hundred seeds I planted in August, hoping to get a few more from a recent planting. With any luck I might be able to grow some flowers adjacent to the Lavender next spring since the deer won’t go near it.
I just want to succeed at growing something intentionally. This is an office plant, so I hope it’s immune to deer in here.
Not sure how much light lavender needs. I know it grows well in full sun. Whether it will grow in an office, I couldn’t say.
So, I must focus and fight my impatience, because nature keeps to its own schedule.
Something something watched pot.
A watched boil never pops?
A watched Cornpop never pops Pop?
Pop Pop!
Speaking of staying stoic, Biden kicks dogs.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-biden-kicks-his-dog-rumors-animal-abuse-swirl
Is this what it will take to finally get the guy out? Corruption won’t, fomenting war won’t, but kicking dogs will. I must remain stoic for two reasons:
1. He is kicking dogs. The action of an asshole, but it is not directly impacting me.
2. He will probably get in more trouble for this than the war in Ukraine, which killed lots of people. I must remain stoic.
If a tree falls in the forest and all of that.
The guy obviously isn’t taking great care of his dogs.
And the dogs don’t seem to want to have anything to do with him, based on the video.
They’re props. Big, potentially vicious props.
Any reason that works is good enough now
It’s funny that they’re German Shepherds, because if Trump had those dogs he’d be just like Hitler.
The video just looks like he got tangled up in the dog’s leash.
This whole thing with the dog is weird, though. Did they not have him trained by a professional?
I’d assume someone else is taking care of them. Do you think Joe feeds them, takes them for walks, and does all the other dog owner things?
People do that to Joe these days.
No, which is why I find the biting thing strange. He was given to them as a puppy, he should have been professionally trained as a puppy.
Professional trainer for Biden? I’m not even sure he’s housebroken at this point.
He didn’t “kick” the dog. He’s a doddering old fool that got a rambunctious dog caught between his legs and nearly fell over.
Isn’t this old? Like a few months? Kinnath called it. It’s like my 70 year old in laws that want a big dog that needs to play.
My two 3-year-old shelties take turns running between my legs when they are wound up. The only thing you can do is stand still and scratch them till their content.
But, I have no problem that the Biden’s are bad owners. Multiple dogs biting multiple people is proof enough.
Yep. Us normals would be having a visit.
Not a kick, but also not a well trained dog.
Agreed. And Joe should not be holding the leash of that dog. The dog is not well behaved and if it decides to bolt, Joe is going down and the dog is free to do what it wants. Could endanger the dog, could endanger other people.
At least he didn’t tweet mean things at his dogs. /normies
Not much of a kick.
German Shepherds are real high-energy working dogs that need real training from a good handler. Dangerous if they don’t get those things. He should have some stupid little dog that’s just for decoration.
Yep, this is my point. Biden got him as a puppy, so there’s no excuse.
One of the torpedos that took out Mittens was the whole dog on the car roof thing.
The thing is, GSDs are very highly trainable and most manage to get through life without biting anybody (although one did bite Mrs. Dean – I told the owner if it happened again I would kill her dog myself). There’s something fucked up going on. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Scranton Joe likes to vent his frustrations by beating his dog. Can’t really beat the missus, after all – she’s on camera way too much.
Patience
Iowa Democrats announce plan for January caucus with delayed results in attempt to keep leadoff spot
Iowa’s Democratic Party announced Friday it will hold a caucus on Jan. 15 but won’t release the results until early March, attempting to retain their state’s leadoff spot on the presidential nominating calendar without violating a new national party lineup that has South Carolina going first for 2024.
Kill the caucuses once and for all. Free us from the political spam.
There should be no primaries and no recognition of political parties.
Every candidate must individually garner ballot access.
If an organization resembling a political party is identified, all of its members should immediately be jailed for conspiracy.
I’m being hyperbolic about the last line. It’s too easily abused. Lines 1 and 2 may stay.
Parties are the problem. Nothing wrong with groups of people working together for a common cause.
The problem is the government giving preferred access and privileges to a couple of parties and then shutting out the rest.
When the parties get out of touch with their members, the parties would die like the did in the olden days and be replaced by something else.
Parties are not the problem
Works either way. While there’s nothing wrong with people working together for a common cause, political parties are a problem because the common cause is the accumulation and exercise of power.
Did they ever get an accurate count from Iowa the last time?
Nope. The dems fucked it up totally. They use an app written by an incompetent developer who was connected with the political leadership (I don’t recall the details).
The pubs did just fine with hand counting votes.
Sure, those results won’t leak, nosirree.
The caucus will be for “local” shit only. The presidential straw poll will be by mail-in balloting that ends in February. The straw poll results will miraculously match the early primaries.
It’s a little bit humbling to read this and know that I’m struggling to learn lessons that have been debated for two thousand plus years.
Also: Maiden is a perfect choice for me today. Thanks for that.
Are your sands of time running loooooo….w
Not today. Fairly peppy. That may change after I eat this lunch my wife fixed.
Why, do you think it’s kind of cute the way she poisons your coffee, just a little each day?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWD5gdpt4Dw
Not technically poisoned, but fed mac and cheese with some sausage bits and onions in it. I may be able to propel a smaller propane powered vehicle later today.
Don’t know what happened to the link for Number of the Beast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxnN05vOuSM
Heh. People that know me casually think I’m the most easy-going guy in the world – until they hit that threshold. Then I am the most obstinate mule that ever lived.
Yup. I’m pretty binary in that way myself. I’m not going to get worked up over details or minor things, but cross a line, and you’ll learn why I drew it there.
I feel like this with my medical coding course. I spent a lot of money to learn that, and I did, to an extent. I should have thought ahead and realized I wasn’t going to be able to have a real job just because my kids aren’t totally dependent on me anymore. 1) I still have to take XY, who can’t drive, to his doctor appointments. 2) Now my mother is old and feeble and needs assistance during the day. 3) A friend of mine has early onset dementia and can’t drive anywhere, either, and her husband is laid up in the hospital. I can serve in these ways, which means money’s always going to be tight because I can’t get a real job.
Anyway, also, I didn’t research that this profession would require a continuous outlay of money and time besides working. Professional organization fees, CEU fees, further certification fees (meaning, more schooling). It didn’t occur to me. You don’t have to be certified to be a medical transcriptionist.
Thirdly, NOBODY is hiring new coders. The place I transcribe for right now employs coders. I had expressed, at the beginning of the relationship, that I would like to move into that side and they said they’d think about it. Well, apparently, they hired a newbie coder and she’s not picking it up, so the person in charge of coding said, “Never again.” At least they told me up front when I re-broached the topic.
And lastly, I just flat didn’t like it.
Now, I’m gnashing my teeth over the money I spent (still paying payments) and doing nothing with it. My husband is okay with it because I was doing something to try to help the family and so what if it didn’t work. I swear, my husband may be the most stoic person I’ve ever met.
I didn’t research and look into the future enough to realize what this would mean and my personal limitations, and coming to terms with the fact that we’re still going to be on a tight budget because I’m not able to get a real job for time and newbie reasons.
That said, I tried. I did well in my studies (even if I don’t believe I have a good grasp on it). I didn’t give up and I didn’t fail. Then I remind myself, “There are Harvard Law grads who don’t use their degrees and they’re still paying student loan payments, so… There’s that.”
That’s rough, especially since you are still paying for what now appears to be a waste.
on the bright side, you have a new skill that might pay off someday, and you learned what to look out for if you decide to try something else.
Good job by your husband, I’ve been in similar situations and really appreciated the fact that my wife didn’t pile on to my regret.
It doesn’t sound like a profession that rakes in enough income to justify the outlay of funds for recertification.
It is. It’s just getting your newbie foot in the job door that’s the problem. I’m not going to put out more money for it.
It can if you can get into a sweet contract. My guess that takes time.
Sounds more like the real money is in becoming a certification company.
In Mojo’s honor
Thats always the case. The trainings, etc. are incredibly lucrative if you can swing it. Just look at Universities for another example.
Charge 50+ professionals $100 ea. for a one-hour course, and voila.
It does. Insurance companies love coders. That would be where to start looking for a contract.
In the meanwhile, the Halloween movies I am posting should give you plenty of opportunities to keep up your skills with E codes.
“Torn in half by a poultrygeist… would that be farm accidents or acts of god?”
We had a drill press injury last night in the zombie film. Good E code for that. Actually with ICD-10, I am out of practice. It’s a Y93.H now.
Here. Less snark, more help.
https://careers.unitedhealthgroup.com/job/18914272/coding-quality-analyst-national-remote-remote/
https://careers.unitedhealthgroup.com/job/18752849/outpatient-coding-auditor-remote-remote/
Oh, I forgot to say. Your employer will pay for your certs and CEUs and buy the coding books you need.
If I were to get recertified every year, I’d have to buy new code books every year, and that is also $$$. For my test, I had to buy 2 books I only used for the test.
Sorry to hear that, Mo’.
Could there possibly be some money to be had from Medicare if you were be your Mom’s “official” caretaker? I thought I had heard of such a thing before, but I’m not sure.
I’m not her official caretaker. She lives with 2 of her sisters and they generally do a pretty good job of taking care of each other, but I’ve had to take one of my aunts to the hospital now and stay with her several hours. So what I anticipate is that they will all need me at some point.
I have two university degrees I’m not using. Tried to get jobs in the fields, but life happens. My debt is some guilt over the money a couple of generous relatives gave to make the degrees possible. Not at all sorry I didn’t manage to make it into either industry.
Now I feel like I’m slacking, I’ve only got one degree I’m not using. (Unless you count working in the field… but I’m not using anything from the coursework)
You’re using the degree, if not the education.
My trouble was bouncing from one major to another because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. (Dirty little secret: I didn’t really want to grow up.) Miraculously managed to finish in four, but with a major (Mass Communication, i.e radio/TV) with WAY more grads than jobs. The only thing I thought I could do well was school, so I did more school.
Darnit, now I’m really slacking, since I’m two behind.
I only have the two. The job I have doesn’t require any degree.
“You’re using the degree, if not the education.”
Excellent distinction. Credential =/= qualification.
I liked teaching, kids didn’t like learning. I moved on.
“Thirdly, NOBODY is hiring new coders.”
I can’t tell you how much that surprises me. When I was with the health system, it seemed like we were always short.
A watched pot gathers no lobsters.
A watched Lobster Girl gathers many oglers
Beautiful story about Smoke. A bit dusty it is.
There’s a clunker or two on Number of the Beast, but Hallowed Be Thy Name might be up there in the milieu of ‘best’ hard rock/metal tunes. Maybe get stuck in a riff for just a hair too long here and there, but they’re just such good riffs it’s hard to fault it.
How the government made people fat with cheese.
https://www.messynessychic.com/2023/09/29/the-story-behind-americas-giant-government-cheese-vaults/
Tom Wood’s last episode was talking about the merger of government and science.
The guest went into the “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” myth, which was started by government scientists after the government was lobbied by the cereal companies.
Why do you hate The Science? Don’t be a denier.
Excellent interview
It’s the all important internet connection day. Also air out the previous owners day.
Mrs OBE would freak out cause to get the fiber into the house it’s a new exterior penetration. No bonus holes in this 2005 house. A man has to do what a man has to do
Also getting a quote to replace this mamajama
https://ibb.co/Pm791vv
Actually doesn’t look that bad from a rot/decay standpoint. Stripped and re-finished rather than full replacement?
I gave you the good side. Realtor while showing the house almost put her foot through the actual deck
The structure looks good. Is it just the floor?
Oh my. Looks large and expensive.
This ^
10×30 deck 9 feet high.
Mine is 12 by 20. Also 9 feet high.
14 X 40, made with green treat wood, 30 years ago. It’ll last until a new owner comes along and makes a decision
My new deck is almost complete. A lot of fucking money these days.
Yeah. Gonna get quotes for refinish, repair, and composite. If salvageable, will just redo
Mine was tear-down and replace. $27K. But the new one looks great.
Man, these euphemisms keep getting more and more obscure.
I assume every poster writes what they write and thinks…yeah…thay will get the euphemisms comment
I’ve had to drill more than one hole from outside to inside to get what I wanted.
Oh my.
They don’t over fiber to my house.
Probably because it’s on an island and they haven’t crossed the river with any trunk lines.
ATT keeps sending me mailing for fiber that isn’t available in my area. If I didn’t hate them before, the taunting mailings would have done it.
They’re never running fiber out to us.
Which is fine. We consistently run well over 300 mbps (I just checked – it’s around 450 now). I can’t imagine I’d notice a difference if we had 1 gig fiber.
We went from DSL at 100ish mbps to fiber at 1 gig.
For interactive web browsing it makes not difference at all.
When we are both streaming 4k videos, it does seem to help.
I don’t believe I’ve ever lived in a house that was built after I was born. Lots and lots of suburban houses from the 50’s around here.
Me neither. My current house dats from before the first world war. The house I grew up in was supposedly once a Speakeasy, and had a coal bin next to the basement stairs, so it was probably either of the same vintage or older.
I built mine 18 years ago. So still brand new.
It’s not brand new, it’s old enough to vote!
… and has already been registered as a Democrat.
Deeply in debt and looking for a bailout.
Woohoo! My replacement scrapers and water-washable resin have arrived.
Shame I’m at the office, I’ve got printing that needs doing. Wonder if the water-washable resin smells as bad as the alcohol-only stuff?
“Gov. Newsom signs bill repealing doctor-muzzling COVID misinformation law he signed a year ago”
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/10/06/gov-newsom-signs-bill-repealing-doctor-muzzling-covid-misinformation-law-he-signed-a-year-ago/
There should be scare quotes around “misinformation”.
Anime music video for “Hallowed be thy name” (Ninja Scroll NSFW)
Who all is coming to Gourmeltz tomorrow?
You, me, Sheldon, and Rat, anybody else?
Nice. Since we are getting closer by the minute…
https://reynolds-news.com/2023/09/30/apocalypse-literature-eighteenth-century/
Random Thoughts: My wife has been watching those Instant Regret/Fail videos on YouTube.
Some of them are funny, but a lot of them are assholes being assholes and thinking it’s funny.
Jump scares, taping a doorway with clear tape at face level, putting fake bugs on a sleeping woman and waking her up.
My wife is jumpy and I am a naturally quiet walker, so I accidentally startle her now and again. I feel bad when it happens and could not imagine doing it on purpose just for a video.
I also never liked pranks and always thought they were just things an asshole thinks are funny.
Pranks are evil. Pranksters are down there with con artists and pickpockets, but are only spared deserving of death because they are misguided rather than deliberate in their evil.
Have you seen the one where the YouTube prankster gets shot in the chest? That was pretty compelling.
This needs to happen more often.
I’m surprised it doesn’t.
Some pranks are funny. Rothbard once went along with us convincing a prominent activist that he had puked on Murray’s shoes during a drunken episode.
All pranks have a victim. Funny versus Not Funny is irrelevant.
*raises hand*
I have no objection to a bunch of guys that like pranking each other. My risk management/captive insurer company had two founders, and their pranks on each other were epic (and got pretty expensive – one involved a billboard next to the interstate, but they had money).
But that’s kind of an implied consent deal. Pranking someone who isn’t a player is no bueno.
I worked with two guys that liked to prank each other. They lived next door to each other. One was having a major remodel done. The other snuck into the house before the walls were completely sealed up and put a dozen battery operated alarm clocks in walls around the house. The home owner had to wait until the batteries died to stop hearing alarms at random times through out the day in random parts of the house.
Iowa school administrator resigns after threatening to shoot students over homecoming prank
We now know that was activities director and secondary assistant principal Eric Hjelle. He was caught on video threatening to shoot high schoolers from his front porch as they were walking home from TPing.
The ATF banned the import of nonlethal training ammunition for the general public?
https://www.reddit.com/r/NYguns/comments/16zxrfq/update_press_release_from_utm_regarding_the_atfs/
Why and on what authority?
I believe the answer to both your questions is FYTW.
Reason #2536 to stay out of the Big Apple.
https://nypost.com/2023/10/06/dramatic-spike-in-tb-cases-overwhelms-nyc-health-dept/
“Cases of the flu, TB and other infectious diseases dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, as public health efforts kept people masked or isolated at home.”
…
“”During the pandemic … COVID-19 prevention efforts reduced tuberculosis cases,” Dr. Carlos Franco-Paredes, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, wrote in The Conversation.”
So, staying home prevents the spread of TB.
“And experts are concerned that matters could get worse as the weather turns cold and people huddle indoors, helping to spread TB and other respiratory illnesses like the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19.”
But huddling indoors is dangerous. I am confused.
Back in the stone ages of the early 20th century immigrants were detained on Ellis Island for health reasons before being allowed to mingle with the general population. I’m sure the modern approach is far superior.
Two doctors have told me that the 6′ distancing was the big primary reason for decline in respiratory illnesses, not masks or jabs. If avoiding getting sick floats your boat, then stay away from other folks.
Very little is known about how respiratory infections are actually transmitted. And practicing doctors would be the last to know about it. Do they do their own research or just repeat whatever they heard elsewhere?
Cases of the flu went down because there was little testing for it. No telling how many cases of the flu were misdiagnosed as the ‘Vid because the PCR samples were tortured until they said what the doctor wanted to hear.
Oh, and the 6 foot thing is about as effective as paper masks – that is, not at all outside of very limited circumstances almost never encountered in the real world.
And those one way aisles in the markets. 🙄
Among a plethora of stupid shit, that may have been the stupidest.
I was once chastised for ignoring that.
LOL
For one ought to remember and hold fast to this, that the door stands open.
That’s a good one. We can always leave that which is keeping us from living properly. We won’t, of course. It’s easier to pretend that we are locked in.
Great songs. Hallowed was perfect for deadlifts today.
As always, thanks for these, Ron!
“Nature has sometimes made a fool; but a coxcomb is always of a man’s own making.“
This time of year I get spiders weaving webs from tree branches to the ground in my yard. I guess it works for Halloween but is annoying when doing yard work.
There was a spider that had managed to build a strand across my back patio. I could see it sitting there being very proud of its work. Weather took it down, but I was hopeful I would look out and see a deer trapped and drained one day.
On the other side, I’ve finally found out what’s been digging into my flower pots, it’s the smaller black squirrels moving into the neighborhood.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/70/f2/d7/70f2d7aac52622818b172c6575ba29f3.jpg
I hate it when that happens
Could be frost in the morning. Garden is over, other than a few mice eating a few things no problems with the animal pests. Some friends coming by this evening, to dig some apple trees for re-planting.