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The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing. Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. — Aldous Huxley in the (circa 1946) Preface to his 1931 novel Brave New World

If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves. ― Howard Zinn

gabbar says

If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves. ― Howard Zinn

No, they will always need the stormtroopers. It is just that with the domination of ideas the public will condone a swat raid on an anti-vaxxer in the same manner the public would condone a raid on child sex traffickers.

What you must do is not hard – Croatian proverb

gabbar says

The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing. Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. — Aldous Huxley in the (circa 1946) Preface to his 1931 novel Brave New World

gabbar says

BeneTiberCato says

I am often the Gloomy Gus as depicted.

No need to be gloomy. In most instances. And for most people. We live in a great country, imo.

We live in a country where 99% of people don't even know what nations our government is killing people in, and where 1/2 the population thinks the propaganda box has "news" on it.

How many people has our nation murdered in the last 20 years, and for what? You have no idea. Ignorance is bliss. I know. I wanted to know, 20 years ago, I wanted to know how the world works, I wanted to understand it. Well I do. Ignorance is bliss, but it relegates you to being farm animal, a human resource, a thing to be used and controlled.

Ignorance is a false happiness.

richwicks says

We live in a country where 99% of people don't even know what nations our government is killing people in, and where 1/2 the population thinks the propaganda box has "news" on it.

How many people has our nation murdered in the last 20 years, and for what? You have no idea. Ignorance is bliss. I know. I wanted to know, 20 years ago, I wanted to know how the world works, I wanted to understand it. Well I do. Ignorance is bliss, but it relegates you to being farm animal, a human resource, a thing to be used and controlled.

Ignorance is a false happiness.

I hear you. There is unimaginable cruelty in the world. There have been wars where women and children have been killed and politicians (Bill Richardson and Madeleine Albright etc.) supported the killings. Ukraine and Gaza wars don't make sense either. This is how the world is and it will be going forward and we are likely better off because of it and this does sound awful but there is cruelty or more cruelty (Sharia?). There is nothing you, I or anyone else can do anything about the matrix. Sorry. But while I am alive, I will do the best I can to the people I meet before my time is over.

Yeah, we live in a great country within the context of my experience/ignorance/suffering.

https://notthebee.com/article/this-is-a-tiktok-trend-that-i-can-100-endorse

Many people have fond memories of sleeping over at their grandparent's house as kids. Whether you lived nearby and would have grandparents babysit overnight, or if you and all your cousins would come in from out of town over the holidays and fill their house to the brim with fun and laughter on rare occasions, cousin sleepovers are a core memory for a lot of us.

One TikTokker whose surprise sleepover has amassed more than a million views was Emily Sindoni, who gathered her 10 cousins over the holidays to surprise their Pop Pop and Mum Mum.

Emily said:

"We really spent a lot of time growing up together. My cousins and I, we tell our grandparents everything. They were always there for holidays, dance recitals, you name it - so we all have a really special relationship with our grandparents. I sent [my cousins] the video and immediately everyone jumped on the idea."

Another family who had a surprise grandparent sleepover was the Armstrong family who surprised their Mimi and Papa with 8 adult cousins joining in on the fun.

Jess Armstrong, who organized the sleepover, said some of her cousins traveled from out of state to make it happen, but that it was especially meaningful after their grandfather had a difficult year with his health.

Armstrong told GMA,

All night long, if the room got silent for a minute, he [Papa] would tear up and he would just say, 'I just can't believe you guys did this. This is so exciting. This is the best present I could have ever asked for and I want you all to know I love each and every one of you so much,'"

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/mexican-standoffs-friday-january

Yesterday we reported on the outrage-inducing case of Jeanette Breen, the midwife who, instead of getting a promotion and a big bonus, is now being criminally fined for not giving children and infants vaccines but giving them holistic remedies instead. She might also have faked a few vaccine records, like around 1,500 of them, but let us not pick at the threads. A Daily Mail headline from this week, just to remind you:




As far as I can tell, Jeanette thinks natural remedies are just as good as, if not better than, big pharma injections. So she gave her kids tea tree oil or magnet bracelets or whatever and sent in forms to the state of New York confirming her patients had been “vaccinated.” All her parents knew exactly what was going on.

Put plainly, Jeanette helped thousands of parents avoid vaccinating their kids, so New York has fined her enough to put her out of midwifing for good. Fortunately for her — but not her parents — Jeanette is close to retirement anyway.

Today we will show the Establishment they can tear down quiet heroes like Jeanette but we will build them right back up again. The C&C Army has enjoyed some well-deserved R&R for a month or two but it’s time to get back on the front lines. Today, we will all work together to effortlessly send a message to all the deranged lunatics clamoring for this brave midwife’s punishment. If you’re a new reader, here’s how it works: click this link and donate any affordable amount (however small) so long as it ends in a $2, like $2, $12, $22, $222, and so forth.

(This is a GiveSendGo platform, so the minimum donation ending in a $2 is $12. If you can’t easily afford $12, sit this one out.)

It takes less than a minute to pitch in. So please do it right now and then read today’s post. Here’s the link again. Go ahead and knock it out, you will feel great about it. And leave an encouraging message to Jeanette while you’re at it.

It works because everyone helps. Even you. Working together, each chipping in a little bit, we wield the power of an Army. You’ll see!

https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/heart-centered-writing

One of the most helpful pieces of advice I heard when I was younger was that people tend to remember not what you said but rather how you made them feel. All of this, in turn, led me to conclude that when writing, the state of mind you hold when you write is often the most important thing. ...

I’ve been involved in numerous alternative groups dedicated to trying to fix something wrong with the world. In each case, I’ve seen that if the hearts of the group can stay open, the group is general successful, whereas if they begin to close down and everyone gives into negativity or despair, a toxic dynamic takes over the group and quickly fragments it.

For example, once the mandates were dropped and there was no longer a unifying threat to unite everyone behind, I saw multiple groups protesting the COVID-19 response devolve into drama and gossip which was then followed by the majority of the group leaving. This was a huge shame because those groups provided the vital community organizing to prevent something similar to the corrupt COVID-19 response from happening again. Conversely, all the successful organizers I’ve ever spoken to have emphasized that they prioritize having a heart centered focus in what they do from the start so negativity can’t fracture their group (as most of them are well aware this is one of the most common methods outsiders use to neutralize any group which threatens the status quo). ...

I believe one of the most important reason why someone should not do a half-baked job on a task they’d set their minds on performing is because doing so steals the most precious thing in life (their time on Earth) away from them. For example, one of the things I’ve always greatly disliked about our economy is how many of the jobs in it incentivize you doing a very mediocre job and pay you for your time and compliance rather than your results. As a result, I frequently meet individuals near the end of their lives who lament the fact most of their life was spent trying to get through the day rather than on doing thing they found interesting or meaningful.

gabbar says

I hear you. There is unimaginable cruelty in the world. There have been wars where women and children have been killed and politicians (Bill Richardson and Madeleine Albright etc.) supported the killings. Ukraine and Gaza wars don't make sense either. This is how the world is and it will be going forward and we are likely better off because of it

No we aren't. People just assume this. We have spent trillions blowing up the Middle East, and they have had to lie the nation into doing this, or cover up the conflict entirely, like they did in Yemen and Somalia. If we were actually better off, they wouldn't have to lie.

We COULD be better off if people simply cared about being informed. I consider ignorance at this point to be tantamount to a sin. It's immoral to to remain ignorant at this point. I have gone from feeling sorry for people who still watch television and read "reliable sources", to being disgusted by them. They know they've been lied to by these sources, they continue to lap up the vomit from them.

gabbar says

and this does sound awful but there is cruelty or more cruelty (Sharia?).

You're making an error here. Sharia exists regardless. The US doesn't end shari law when it blows up a country. In fact, it creates refugees and those imports start trying to enforce sharia law in western nations.

The US allowed bacha bāzī in Afghanistan, because the people who were in opposition to the Taleban who were in favor of this practice, opposed the Taleban, and the stupidity of our government is that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", no matter how horrific they are.

Bacha bāzī is anal rape of boys.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacha_bazi

Fuck our government. We should have overthrown these motherfuckers years ago. They were running a child rape ring through Jeffrey Epstein, barely anybody cares. I'm disgusted with people.

Patrick says

I believe one of the most important reason why someone should not do a half-baked job on a task they’d set their minds on performing is because doing so steals the most precious thing in life (their time on Earth) away from them.

As I am getting older, I realize that life has been very short indeed. People spend a lot of their time working a career and less time in retirement, doesn't make sense.

https://www.organism.earth/library/author/terence-mckenna

gabbar says

Patrick says

I believe one of the most important reason why someone should not do a half-baked job on a task they’d set their minds on performing is because doing so steals the most precious thing in life (their time on Earth) away from them.

As I am getting older, I realize that life has been very short indeed. People spend a lot of their time working a career and less time in retirement, doesn't make sense.

That's why I'm in quasi retirement the last six years. Wife works a good job that is pretty much hanging out with people. I just try to make people laugh in public. Here I can be an ass hole. Here's my recent work for Spring Break.



Have fun. Do stupid shit. As you said, life is short. One life to live and it can end at any moment.

Kids helped with that one as well. I hope I'm the fun dad when they don't piss me off.

You should see the one I sent to my buddy for his birthday. He wouldn't appreciate me posting it online, but it was good. I might blur out his face and name out of it and post it though.

WookieMan says

I might blur out his face and name out of it and post it though.

Sounds good.

gabbar says

WookieMan says

I might blur out his face and name out of it and post it though.

Sounds good.

He's not gay, but I went on a hike with him in Montana and he wanted me to take this photo. I've known him since I was five. His older brothers were ruthless. So he does weird shit. I'm like whatever. So I made this birthday flyer. Lava Lake hike in Montana just north of Big Sky. He's on the lake.

He joked about bringing the dog into it. I lol'd at that and thought, that was your take away?



Have fun.

I hang out with weird/fun people. I didn't partake, but just did a couples weekend with some other people. They were doing shrooms, I stuck to drinking responsibly. All professional or blue collar type.

This is why I don't go on X or most social media platforms. I vent here but this was a good thread to start Gabbar. Just because one can come across as negative doesn't mean they're not fun or positive or goofy.

WookieMan says

He's not gay, but I went on a hike with him in Montana and he wanted me to take this photo. I've known him since I was five. His older brothers were ruthless. So he does weird shit. I'm like whatever. So I made this birthday flyer. Lava Lake hike in Montana just north of Big Sky. He's on the lake.

Friends who are like this are priceless. They add value to life. Gotta hang on to them, even if the friendship is not perfect at times.
I would like to have a friend to have a beer with every Friday evening with or perhaps have a lawfully allowed doobie once in a while before I die. I don't. I have friends who don't drink, forget about trying a doobie, I don't get the inability to take any risk knowing that you are gonna die.

WookieMan says

I vent here but this was a good thread to start Gabbar. Just because one can come across as negative doesn't mean they're not fun or positive or goofy.

Negative people are fine; sociopaths/psychopaths are not since they are unpredictable, imo.

gabbar says

Negative people are fine; sociopaths/psychopaths are not since they are unpredictable, imo.

I don't know... It's not impossible I'm on that level. That hike I had 20lbs of beer on my back 2.5 miles in up 1,600' of elevation. It was so icy we had to buy yak tracks for grip after falling the first 30 yards. Getting passed by women because we're flat landers. Man card lost... hence the gay flyer. I slid down probably 5% of the mountain. 5 miles total. Down is harder than up. It was fun though.

Drinking has its flaws. I've gone through my battles. I have good friends that keep me in check. We do have our fun from time to time. I drink too much when on vacation. Drinking with others and being safe is fun. I'm a child at heart. We play ping pong every week on Wednesdays. Have a few beers, they smoke, I'm done with that at this point but it doesn't bother me. It's fun. We're all around 40. Most are bachelors and one is actually gay. We don't get rowdy just shoot the shit and pong.

Working on getting a crew to buy my mom's place. 60 acres or so. Everyone here has a UTV, 4 wheeler, golf cart with a lift. We shoot, play yard games, camp it would be a blast. It's on a river so float trips are fun on a hot summer day. Kayaks, canoes. Actually the one flyer I blocked his face out actually took a shit in the river as we floated. We're just white privileged males enjoying life... lol.

Patrick says

This small-town farmer paid people's pharmacy bills for the past decade, and no one knew about it until after he passed away

I respect those that would yell "Get a Job" at a beggar soliciting money, more than those that go out to find homeless people to give money and necessities only to film it and put it on social media. Boasting about your charity efforts should have been one of the seven deadly sins, or there should be 8.