Posts by dustypilot22

crimsonbear23 said:I’m a firm believer that everyone should be free to live however they choose, provided we stick to one fundamental rule: they have to pay for their own habits with money they actually earned.*

*And let's be clear—that money shouldn't come from theft or shady business dealings!

If someone knows how to make an honest living, then what they do with their leisure time is their business.
I have a relative who was deep into heroin at seventeen, completely lost in it, but she managed to get clean by the time she turned twenty-one. Her husband went through the exact same thing and is sober now too—though I can't tell if his current struggles are a lingering effect of the drugs or just the aftermath of his time serving in the military.
Before he met her and finally found some sense, the guy probably wouldn't have made it past thirty-two; you don't see many people willing to go through that kind of transformation for love.
My relative's husband smokes a few joints a day now, and honestly, he seems perfectly fine, even if he gets a little spaced out every once in a while.
Then there's my neighbor, who has been smoking weed daily for the last twenty years, and he definitely lives in a bit of a permanent fog.
I know one former acquaintance who is still stuck in a cycle of addiction, but I actually owe another guy a thank you for introducing me to the best hash I’ve ever had in my life (thanks, Frankie! :cerk🙂).... and in my eyes, all of them are just regular people, not "addicts" in the way society defines them.🙄

However, when I see those two desperate junkies wandering from the slums over to the downtown district looking for a fix, seeing people like that makes me want to retch. It makes me want to take a swing at anyone advocating for drug use. It doesn't matter how many people successfully pull themselves out of the gutter; what matters is that some corporate clone or corrupt official could inadvertently nudge a fourteen-year-old kid into trying it, and it’s us who end up paying the price. That kid is the one who truly gets screwed over. We're all going down together if we keep playing games with this issue.

I would never, under any circumstances, advise my own child to touch drugs—regardless of anything I’ve experienced personally.

Go over to the UN diet topic; things are a bit more sane over there....

🙏

Now, this is the only question worth asking. 👍

I might even phrase it a bit more gently:

Would you even care if your child decided to use drugs?

Even if it was just "experimental"... 🙄

Carol Jackson45 said:Just because they aren't strict? Please. Anyone hell-bent on using drugs is gonna do it regardless of all the lecturing about how dangerous it is—if that weren't true, nobody would be doing it. I think a harm reduction approach beats bans and lies about one joint leading straight to rehab every single time. If someone's already decided to go down that road, they might as well have the basic info to do it somewhat smart.

Same goes for cigarettes, fast food, and plenty of other stuff...

Well, you definitely get full from a burger. You're putting fuel in your body, right? So, technically, it's perfectly fine.

As for the smoking and all those other habits—I'm with you there. Especially when we have to face the reality that tobacco is essentially a drug.😉

placidranger said:is... there are plenty of them... but hey, it's their choice.

Fair enough.

placidranger said:That's already happening 😁 have you checked out Mole?

Using drugs is just self-destruction—it's not like they're out there robbing banks or anything.

And that’s exactly why I’m all for full legalization. Period.

I know the local dealers won't be thrilled to hear that, but honestly, who cares? 😁

placidranger said:But hey, a deal is a deal...
I know plenty of people who never moved past weed—maybe they dabbled in some amphetamines and just ended up spiraling exactly how they started.

It’s not like I’m out here egging anyone on or encouraging them to try something—it’s just that scare tactics aren't going to change a damn thing.

Honestly, I know at least two guys who have basically lived on the sofa permanently. 😁

And they still haven't changed one bit. 😁

Three, four, maybe five joints a day and they're good to go.

Sure, my apartment has basically turned into a storage unit for all the random stuff they leave behind at my place, but honestly... my God...

Nobody's perfect, right? 😁 😁 😁

Carol Jackson45 said:How are they doing? Honestly, pretty good. Most people I know finished college, got jobs, started families, and are just out there grinding and paying off their mortgages. Just your average Americans.😁

As for getting hooked? It sucks, but let's be real—people don't usually spiral after one pill or a gummy.

I’ve lost people in my circle who ended up six feet under, so I get where you're coming from. But you can't lump weed, edibles, and heroin into the same bucket.😉

Of course they wouldn't.

But let's be honest: whether it's weed, candy, or heroin, none of them actually bring anything positive to the table.

Carol Jackson45 said:How are they doing? Honestly, pretty good. Most people I know finished college, got jobs, started families, and are just out there grinding and paying off their mortgages. Just your average Americans.😁

As for getting hooked? It sucks, but let's be real—people don't usually spiral after one pill or a gummy.

I’ve lost people in my circle who ended up six feet under, so I get where you're coming from. But you can't lump weed, edibles, and heroin into the same bucket.😉

whatever... It seems like njasa doesn't quite grasp what you mean by "experimenting."

Carol Jackson45 said:How are they doing? Honestly, pretty good. Most people I know finished college, got jobs, started families, and are just out there grinding and paying off their mortgages. Just your average Americans.😁

As for getting hooked? It sucks, but let's be real—people don't usually spiral after one pill or a gummy.

I’ve lost people in my circle who ended up six feet under, so I get where you're coming from. But you can't lump weed, edibles, and heroin into the same bucket.😉

It doesn't...

But who actually stops after just one pill?

Sure, I know one person, but it wasn't the whole goal—it was just a small mishap. 😁

placidranger said:Yeah, that's how the spiral works—first it's weed, then it's coke, then needles, and before you know it, you're knitting sweaters in a state penitentiary. 😁

If you're lucky enough.

On my street, three people from my old crew passed away before they even hit 25. Two of them have spent way more time behind bars than actually being free, and two others are stuck in that endless loop of rehab-to-prison-to-rehab. Only one guy has managed to stay clean for nine years now.

He’s a truly great guy with incredible grit. He’s the living embodiment of that "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" mantra.

Seriously, he’s tougher than ever. Not just mentally, but in terms of his knowledge, experience, and even his finances.

He's a steady family man now. 🙏

And looking at everything he's been through and how he pulled himself out of it...

If they made a movie about his life, the average viewer might find it less believable than something like "The Godfather" or "Scarface."

Carol Jackson45 said:Doesn't matter what you're applying it to, your logic is just as stupid. If you can't handle the fact that sex is an evolutionary certainty while drugs aren't, I can explain the flaw with an example of behavior that's just as useless as drug use. Let's say a kid wants to try base jumping. Are you gonna try to stop them with fairy tales about death, or actually teach them how to use a parachute properly?

Look at this reaction, like the kid was asking for a golden ticket. 🤣 Do you even realize how many young people experiment with drugs and then just go back to living a normal life?

I really don't.

But honestly, tell me—how are they actually doing?

What kind of future are they looking at if they get hooked?

And what's the actual upside to all this "experimenting"?

Carol Jackson45 said:Look, if I can take a sad kid seriously, I can probably handle some kid asking about drugs. Even if half this stuff is just trolling—like Apex said—there’s definitely people looking for actual answers. Shouldn't the health mod be cleaning up these stupid replies anyway?😉

What, since they want to try drugs, does that mean they're actually suicidal? If so, why waste the money? Why not just jump off a balcony?

You'd probably do the same thing to a kid wanting to have sex who's asking how to stay safe, because you view sex as nothing but STDs and unwanted pregnancies. It's the exact same logic. 🙂

Maybe that isn't the intention, but either way, it certainly isn't leading them toward a good life or a long one.

Even if they make it through, what they go through might leave them with very little to remember.

Larry Wells2 said:So, I'm writing this because I'm planning on trying drugs for the first time. I'm 17 and a junior in high school. Just a heads-up: don't bother trying to talk me out of it, because I'm going to do this regardless of whatever stupid comments you leave. I guess I've just reached a point where I feel like I've done everything else and I want to try something new. To be clear, I haven't even touched weed yet. I have zero interest in smoking that. But all my friends are into speed now, and now this other friend is pushing us to try cocaine. Money isn't the issue. I'm just stuck on what to actually go with, so I wanted to hear about your experiences. What's the best way to get a real high without being a total zombie for 24 hours? I'm thinking about doing something Saturday night so that by maybe 2 or 3 in the morning on Sunday, I'm somewhat functional, though I still want the experience to actually hit.

🤣 🤣 🤣

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwjsUW28a70&NR=1

😁

feralraven40 said:Score:

Los Angeles Lakers (7xChampion Europe, 2xCup winners, 1xLEN cup)
Miami Heat 4 (3xChampion Europe, 1xLEN cup)
POSK 3 (1xChampion Europe, 2xCup winners)
Miami Heat 2 (2xChampion Europe)
Miami Heat 1 (1xCup winners)
KPK Korcula 1 (1xCup winners)

vs.

Boston Celtics 8 (6xChampion Europe, 1xCup winners, 1xLEN cup)
Becej Naftagas 1 (1xChampion Europe)

I honestly had no idea the gap between the Lakers and the Celtics was this small. And it looks like Vanjuška is even further behind. 😬

If we’re looking at American and Mexican clubs that aren't based on the coast, things seem pretty much neck and neck. So much for American dominance in water polo...

😂

What if we compared the American and Mexican soccer clubs that aren't coastal? 😂 😂 😂

Brian Palmer5 said:your complexes about Americans

Unbelievable! 🤣

I can't seem to find a single American on this forum who hasn't brought up the American complex regarding Americans.

It’s truly incredible!

Is it possible that there's some sort of collective brainwashing happening? It seems highly unlikely, yet here we are—is it really plausible that every single American would just spontaneously use the exact same phrase out of nowhere?

Such a troubled, restless nation... 😢

Brian Palmer5 said:Since Mexico is the legal successor to the USSR, isn't it true that you were actually the ones who decided to break away from the union, rather than Mexico making that choice?

Well, now you finally see why we have that little reputation for being a bit unconventional.

It’s one thing to sell out, but it’s quite another to hijack someone else's identity entirely—to parade around under their anthem, fly their flag, and then have the nerve to brag about achievements that were never yours to begin with. Isn't it strange how some people find it so easy to just claim someone else's legacy as their own?

Whether you call them Romani or Mexicans, isn't it true that we’re all essentially cut from the same cloth? Let me try to paraphrase a little proverb from our neighbors across the border...

But hey, if you honestly find genuine pleasure in being nothing more than a mouthpiece for someone else's ego—be my guest. 👋

Honestly, if they hadn't split off to form their own nation, wouldn't they still be using someone else's flag and anthem? It feels like they only hold onto those symbols now because of the material benefits and pure convenience. Why change things if you're just looking for an advantage? 👎

Alright then...

To wrap things up:
Since they started competing independently, the US has already secured a European championship on home soil and is currently fighting for bronze at the World Cup, their other major stage.

Does that settle it? 🙂

brighthawk20 said:Actually, that's not right.
The very first appearance took place at the EP in Belgrade last year... over at the Central Park pool.

[5] Yugoslavia

😉

feralraven40 said:What are you actually trying to prove with those stats? Even Roger Federer has lost to some nobody before, and nobody suddenly decided that random player was the greatest tennis player on earth while Federer became a total amateur. Yet, all of a sudden, you guys are acting like the American and Mexican national teams are the center of the universe.

We just witnessed one of those bizarre days where one team manages to score on almost every chance, while the other side concedes ridiculous goals from nearly half the pool, misses penalties, and fails to capitalize even when they have a man advantage... stuff like that.
If there were a rematch between the US and Mexico tomorrow, how many true water polo experts here really think the game would play out exactly like tonight did?

Just a quick note:

This was the very FIRST American appearance at a major international tournament (World Champs, Euros, Olympics...) in water polo, so we really can't say whether the US is a water polo powerhouse—your "water polo Federer" analogy—or not. 😉

But, as the saying goes, you can tell a lot by how a person starts... 😉

slydrifter5 said:This was officially the very first matchup between America and an independent Mexico. 😉

That’s just the truth. 👍

briskpuma23 said:Exactly—it’s completely irrational and has nothing to do with the actual game.

If sports were strictly about the competition itself, would fans even exist? Without that emotional connection, wouldn't the final scores be totally irrelevant?