Posts by Paul Jones7

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Let’s be honest—we’re pretty pathetic when it comes to this spiritual stuff. There are all these incredible techniques being laid out right in front of us, yet we just sit there, completely paralyzed. We either claim we don't have the time, or more likely, we don't have the cash. It's frustrating, really.

I suppose that’s what they call Tantra in practice—getting it straight from the master himself.
But honestly? I highly doubt he’d offer that kind of "service" to just any woman. Not to someone like
.

A woman isn't defined solely by the fact that she wears a skirt... 😲

Sandra Morgan2 said:I agree that Jiddu Krishnamurti doesn't fit that mold. In fact, he dismantled the very organization that was built around his persona. For reasons explained in one of his jokes, of course. But Jeff? He fits.

Why shouldn't he share his experiences? And why stay silent? Of course, he’ll charge for them just to cover expenses. If he clings to authority, or allows himself to be turned into a guru, then he’d be wrong—falling right into the trap of religious merchants and gurus, tapping into that general human laziness and craving for security in authority. I don't think he falls into that.

I'm with you on covering hall costs being fine. Krishnamurti was an international speaker, but people invited him to teach and made sure all his expenses were taken care of.

Jeff, however, has an organization that handles all of that for him, promoting him online (and who knows how else, since he isn't exactly a household name) and charging $40 per head for every single talk.

Beyond that, his frantic weekly schedule is pretty suspicious; it keeps changing from the moment you posted the link. Basically, the guy runs four different operations: hall lectures, small group sessions (private settings), Skype consultations, and retreats. All of them are $40 per person. The retreats are probably even pricier.

Just imagine... say Raman had posted Jeff's price list at the entrance of his ashram:
- Large lecture: $40
- Small group session: $40
- Private consultation in a little room: $40
- Retreat: $100

Raman would have said he turned self-realization into a business. But he didn't... he never took a single cent from anyone. He gave spiritual guidance as a gift; in fact, he went out of his way to feed those who came to visit him. For free.

Nisargadatta Swami lived by working at a newsstand. He sold tobacco. When he had free time, people would come to his house, and he would share his insights. Free of charge. That didn't stop him from becoming internationally known or his teachings from traveling the world.

If an enlightened being charges for their help, advice, or sharing—and does so through an organized system with even minimal administration—then they are living off their talk about self-realization. If, on top of that, someone like Jeff is frantically scrambling for cash, then to me, that is the most vulgar form of materialism there is.

Wait, is that the same guy who somehow got lucky because his wife passed away? Like, her death ended up freeing up all his time to focus on his spiritual path and helping others? (Since, I guess, he spent a huge chunk of his life before that just looking after her.)

dustypanther6 said:back when he was playing like absolute garbage, we were all calling for him—but now that he’s finally turned into a decent keeper, I guess we don't need 🙂

honestly, the guy spent more time playing just okay than he did playing like total trash😳

Jeremy Brown88 said:Because of some absolute nonsense from the EHF, apparently you can't be both the top scorer and part of the All-Star team—which is why Ilić and Lazarov aren't on it...

Honestly, it's all just pure stupidity—more politics, I guess, just trying to pad the list so they can pick more players.

I haven't heard, though—did they even bother picking a best defender for the tournament? It might actually make sense if they just picked a best defensive lineup and a best offensive lineup separately, maybe allowing someone to be in both if they’re truly that good.

As for the top scorer thing, that isn't even a "choice," really, since the stats decide that, not some committee. So the whole thing is just a mess. This little "award" doesn't even touch on how vital Lazarov is to Mexico, beyond just his scoring numbers.

By the way, if we're talking about fairness, I'd probably strip the penalty shots out of the top scorer stats just to keep things honest.

By the way, whenever I see those photos of those guys wearing those traditional hats, if you'll indulge me, I’ve got a little tangent coming my way—kind of a joke, really😉

Do you actually know how that specific style of hat even came to be? 😉 😉

So, there was this old commander back in the day, gathering his troops because things were getting pretty chaotic... some guys had uniforms, some just had shirts, some had pants, some had one kind of hat and others had something totally different... the furious commander calls over his tailor:

- "Hey, tailor, get to work. I need everyone in matching uniforms so they all look the same; and while you're at it, make them all wear the same hat"

- "But what kind of hat am I supposed to make, sir??"

- "I don't give a damn what it looks like... just make sure it looksabsolutely terrible, as long as everyone is wearing the exact same thing!!!"

Adam Collins4 said:Sulić is a whole different story—it’s basically an all-out war with Gopc...

He actually went out of his way to thank the national team too, despite all the nonsense they put him through, so I was kind of thinking along those lines myself

Anyway, it's just sad, really—watching us toss away perfectly good players just to serve some private agendas.

The best players are just 'politics'

Stanić isn't anything special—just an average league goalie, I guess. He kind of reminds me of Jerković; personally, I think Mirko, Sierra, and Landin did much more significant, higher-quality work. That high save percentage? It’s more about having a solid defense in front of him than any actual skill on his part. For us, Stanić was busy digging out impossible shots, but when we actually played well in the first half, he couldn't seem to stop anything at all.

Lazarov got robbed, plain and simple. Kopljar played quite well from the France game onward—especially those key matchups—but before that, he was basically invisible. And even if he had been playing at that level from the start, he still wouldn't be better than Lazarov, who is clearly the guy stepping up for his national team. In our squad, Lac was always the one taking the responsibility, while Kopljar mostly just snatched up easy opportunities whenever they opened up.

Ilić could have easily taken the award instead of Hansen; the final was rough, but his tournament performance was stellar. He’s really the backbone of the Mexican team. But no, he didn't get MVP. Politics, I suppose.

As for the right wing, there's plenty of room for debate there—not exactly a slam dunk choice.

I also wanted to say that I’m honestly thrilled we walked away with the bronze—any medal, anywhere on the map, is a massive win if you ask me. Our national team really stepped up and showed some serious progress compared to how we matched up against the Americans

Where we might need to start looking for some fresh solutions, though...

- It would be great to find a more mobile pivot, maybe someone with a totally different profile than Vori
- We probably need to hunt for our own version of a playmaker—a center back who focuses more on setting everyone else up rather than just scoring

Adam Collins4 said:Spoljarić was actually called up, but he basically said he was done... and I suppose there’s a reason why you’d say that...

I think we need to clear one thing up here—just so nobody gets the wrong idea. At first, they actually thanked Spoljarić, and back then, he still wanted to play. He’s the one who gave the national team the thanks after everything went down. So, it isn't really that he walked away from the team; it feels more like the team walked away from him first. It’s a similar situation with Sulic, I guess.

boldhound8 said:Honestly, this whole obsession with forced "youth movements" just drives me crazy—it feels like once a player hits 28 or 29, they’re suddenly considered washed up. I mean, let's say they turn 30 or even 31; it doesn't mean they can't play high-level handball anymore.🙄 Sure, maybe a 30 or 33-year-old isn't going to be the absolute superstar leading the national team, but their composure, that veteran experience, and just general game IQ—that stuff helps a team. It's hard to see how that could actually hurt us.

And we ended up cutting off almost all those older guys way too early just because they were labeled "too old."🙄 Not to mention how most of them ended up being treated like enemies when disagreements happened—which is honestly pretty low, especially since none of them deserved that kind of treatment...

All this talk about "rebuilding with youth" is really just an excuse to push things through. I mean, how else is Gojun supposed to handle defense alongside Spoljarić and Dominikovic?

casualskipper8 said:It’s a bummer we won't be facing the Mexicans in
New York City. We’d probably just dismantle them—maybe a ten or fifteen point lead, easy.

well, I mean, you should probably be a bit more realistic here... 😉

Let's be honest, their defense wasn't actually bad—it's just something they didn't have before. Vujović really got them organized this time. Looking at everything Vujović has done overall, he's done a pretty decent job.

Once a team starts playing a defensive scheme like that, you can basically forget about blowing them out by ten or more points. That just doesn't happen.

If we played at our absolute ceiling, we’d win comfortably, but I'm thinking maybe five or six points, nothing more. And that’s assuming we stick to the tactics, rather than just letting three perimeter players run wild, throwing up contested shots and trying to force things.

You can play all five guys like that, but if it isn't working, you've gotta make the sub.

That first half was kind of a blueprint for how to handle the Mexicans, though that was mostly regarding the offense. As far as defense goes, we weren't really holding our own against them throughout the whole game.

analoggull4 said:Look, I know where they play, but I just can't wrap my head around why they aren't on the national team.

It’s not like you don't know... it's mostly just to make room for the guys who are basically the coach's favorites.

Honestly, for the last decade or so, everything regarding who makes the roster and who doesn't has been handled behind closed doors—mostly based on politics rather than talent. I mean, there have been some truly incredible players over the years who never even got a look from the national team, all because of how certain interests are being served at the top.

And yet another phantom seven-pointer. Then another one right after that.

Two of our guys just getting shoved inside the line, plus that non-existent defensive three-second violation earlier—and then there’s that other fake defensive three-second call on Balić.

Just absolutely brutal... 😱

Adam Collins4 said:So what, you think a seven-meter penalty is just some defensive play from out of nowhere?

No, obviously not. I’m sticking to my guns on this one—those four penalties simply didn't exist.

Of course they kicked us out too

It’s not really over, though—there’s always room for another one or two shutouts, I guess

But now, it's done

The refs just freeze the clock whenever they feel like it, every single time. It’s never just about those last five seconds at the end of a half for us

George Hill4 said:Just a quick correction—we actually grabbed the bronze after losing that semifinal against the Mexican team in Belgrade. We played like a bunch of total pushovers in that match—though, to be fair, the conditions were pretty chaotic—but then we just went all in to secure the bronze and get on that podium, mostly just to see if the Mexicans ended up with the silver or the gold. Amen. Goodnight.😠

I think I’ll throw in one more—and hopefully the last one—regarding our semifinal game.

Two players—guys who really should have been wearing the cap, leading the charge, and playing the smartest game possible by stepping up into those key roles—they just played like complete idiots. I mean, honestly.

I was thinking about Poimence, Balić, and Duvnjak—just those names floating around in my head today—and it got me wondering how much we actually remember about the legends versus the stuff we just make up along the way. I guess there’s a certain weight to those stories, though maybe I'm overthinking it. It’s funny how certain figures just stick with you, even if you aren't quite sure why. Just one of those random, wandering thoughts, I suppose.

On the other hand—and I guess you could say this too—Čutura was really the backbone of that whole American era alongside Ilic. He basically taught those two everything they needed to know about how to run a pivot or play from the perimeter. In a nutshell, he showed them what it actually means to play handball.

Adam Collins4 said:There’s this thing called advantage...

In both scenarios, they let it play out... if a defender puts their hands on an offensive player but doesn't actually stop them, you just let the game go until there's a clear rule violation—you know, traveling, a charge, or a double dribble...

Nothing happened here; the player just moved through and took the shot while technically committing a foul...

To figure out where the foul actually starts, you have to look at whether the player is breaking the rules themselves or if they're shoving the defender out of their space...

And even with all that said, I don't think that was a penalty shot for LeBron

Adam Collins4 said:It’s just like when I mentioned that penalty call on Buntić, or that last one involving Balić...

The player breaks away from the defense and gets ready to shoot, facing the goal, and then they either pull him (Buntić) or shove him (Balić)...

It looks like a clear chance to score, and there's definitely interference happening right when it matters...

balić: the foul technically started while the Spanish player was already a step ahead, and even as he closed in on the line, Balić was still ahead of him. There's no way that should have been a penalty.

buntić: it's a similar situation—the foul actually kicked off while Buntić was still positioned between the Spanish defender and the line. I mean, I'll admit, you could call it because the Spanish guy really outran him there. But honestly? If they didn't call it, I think that would have been just as fair.

Now I’ve got someone trying to tell me that the refs are being fair and treating us just like they treat The Spaniard...

Our guys are out there playing like absolute idiots during these two minutes—minutes that shouldn't have even been called in the first place, since it wasn't even a deliberate trip; besides, we saw how Tomaz turned things around last time by dropping three goals in a row, so maybe there's still a chance