Posts by Paul Jones7

steelmarlin77 said:Maybe I’m just missing some kind of "twin soul" who actually gets all this absolute madness spinning around in my head....

But honestly, why would you even need one? You’re doing just fine on your own 😁 :klap:

Anyway, what does "essence" even mean, really?

steelmarlin77 said:Do you ever feel like you actually made something of yourself in this life? Because, honestly, I haven't. I poured everything I had into it, really gave my all and handed out everything I could spare to the people around me—to everyone I actually cared about—but apparently, I’m just not important enough to even warrant a response to a post like this. Not that they’d even know I wrote it, anyway. If I had to kick the bucket today, I’m pretty sure all those people have someone else more vital, or way more significant, than me to worry about. They’d move on and forget me pretty damn fast, maybe some would take a little longer, but that’s basically the whole story.

Is that supposed to be enough? You know, for enlightenment, or self-discovery, or reaching the absolute peak of human achievement?
It has to be, because there isn't anything else left to grab onto.

you really need to consider this one possibility:
that maybe you aren't actually capable of seeing the true meaning of your own achievements, so you might just be misjudging the whole situation.

because, well, maybe all you ever needed was exactly this experience you're having right now. which leads to the question... why?

don't look at it through the lens of guilt, instead, try looking at it as a game—as roles being played out on a stage. while we're caught up in the middle of living it, we have this singular chance to step back, observe the scene, and actually learn something from it.

and when it comes down to it, within our own specific roles, we're all essentially alone; only we occupy our own space, and nobody else can take that spot.

who was it that said life is either a comedy or a tragedy, depending on how you choose to perceive it? well, maybe try laughing at the absurdity of it all for once, just to see what happens, and then try looking at everything from that lighter perspective.

Susan Price30 said:What do you think? 😉 Whether you're looking at Protestants or Anglicans, my understanding is that they can marry, but once they hit retirement, they end up with absolutely nothing. They lose everything they once owned, leaving them with no assets to pass down to a spouse or their children.

They have their own priest's residence, of course, and everything else operates on the basis of a tenant rather than an owner.

It’s clearly due to Christian teachings. Both through study and practice, one learns to avoid attaching oneself to anything trivial or fleeting, focusing instead solely on what truly matters in life. And Christianity isn't even the only faith that specifically upholds this truth or this doctrine.

If the KC is all about not getting attached to worldly or passing things, then why does it seem to be constantly pushing to grow its wealth and assets?

@Susan Price30:
What’s the actual, fundamental difference here—are we talking true ownership or just possession? I mean, for someone living within the church circles, staying single, and having no offspring (at least officially 😁)?

These folks—the prebendaries, if you want to get technical—get their own salaries, which they can spend however they please on themselves. I don't think there's anything stopping them; they could even make donations
. They use what they hold just like they actually owned it
. Plus, those with authority in the hierarchy can, say, buy a car—technically, the buyer is the KC, but really, they're the ones driving it
.
The 'employees' of the KC have everything they need, and some people higher up the ladder have way more than they actually require
.
The KC holds massive wealth, but maybe not just to sustain the faith itself, but to maintain its power—real, tangible political influence—and by extension, its status
.
Now, we could speculate whether this kind of approach was actually necessary for the religion to survive. Maybe it was. But that would imply the KC doesn't quite believe that God would look after His church if it weren't busy amassing property and assets
.
Honestly, I used to doubt that the ban on marriage was primarily about protecting assets, but lately, I've come to believe that's the main reason
.

Susan Price30 said:Quincy:

The religious paradox is just as glaring—today, Vatican City serves as the hub for the Christian organization, which stands as a manifestation of immense wealth, driven by a desire for riches. This seems fundamentally at odds with the essence of Christ's teachings regarding service to humanity, especially considering millions of people worldwide die from hunger every year (most of them children). On the other hand, Islam has been fervently focused on the "desire for power" for centuries, though the two are often intertwined; in one case, one aspect dominates, while in the other, it's the opposite. Furthermore, Islamic states are largely led by religious organizations, and even if they aren't currently in power in a specific nation, they remain a powerful opposition with massive followings, simply waiting for the moment to overthrow the government through violence and everything else that entails. __________________

Well, of course it's wealthy because it's the largest religious group (one in four people on this planet is Christian, and Catholics make up the largest portion), and they pour the most funding into missions, humanitarian aid, and social projects globally—projects intended for everyone, not just Christians per se.

Clergy, monks, or nuns personally own nothing. They take vows to live without material wealth, focusing entirely on the spiritual realm. It’s all about serving the Church, after all.

The logic is probably quite simple: if the world's largest religious organization were as poor as anyone else, it would be difficult to achieve anything with their work. They wouldn't have any social influence, and the mission of the Church is precisely that—to have social influence, to improve society, and to provide help where it is needed most.

I think that is exactly what distinguishes the Church from all other groups. And by the way, who funds the Church? 😁Atheists? No, the believers give. By giving to the Church, believers are giving for everyone.

Who does Islam help, since you brought up that religion? Additionally, if you "stand against" a Muslim, they believe evil should be answered with evil (doing even greater harm to those who wronged them)—which is completely and 100% contrary to what Christians believe or what any other faith practices, as far as I know.

That isn't what Gandhi ever believed or preached to Indians, for example.😉 Using such principles—inspired by figures like Martin Luther King—they effectively dismantled the influence of one of the most powerful and greatest Empires in history, the British one, in India. That seems to be the strength; there is a certain spiritual power there that truly has the potential to tear down everything in its path.

hmm... what about prebendaries?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebendary

hollowpuma762 said:It's like a circular argument, really.

Once you've burned through enough of it in this life, things start to become clear.

I mean, look—if we can't hold our own against the top two teams, I don't care who they are, we honestly don't deserve to be in the tournament at all

Because, let's be real here—we're looking at playing either the Poles (or the Germans, whatever) or some mid-tier European squad that isn't France, Spain, or Denmark—so basically, nobody who actually has an edge over us

Terry Fisher2 said:Damn, looks like we're heading into the qualifying group with three Europeans—they really shuffled the qualification deck a bit here.🤮
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handball_World_Championship_qualification

As it stands, it looks like we'll be grouped with Poland and whoever else from the EP didn't make the cut—but, I guess if Qatar or some other European team ahead of us at the SP ends up grabbing those continental titles, we might end up in Group 3 with Germany and the top performers from the EP.

The Mexicans seem to be sliding into that first, easier group.

How many teams actually advance to the Olympics from the group stage—is it just the top two?

George Ward7 said:Paul Jones7

I guess it feels like Peharec was actually on that national team back in 2003 and 2004—or maybe I'm just misremembering things, it's hard to say for sure. 🤔

Was that back when we were actually out there clinching the gold? 🙂
It’s pretty beautiful if that’s how things work out—though, honestly, after all that, they probably just tossed him aside like yesterday's news... 😵

Jeffrey Wilson67 said:If Kostelić Sr. took them under his wing, he'd see just how much work they need to do on their conditioning... 😁

Okay, look, a cast is one thing—I’m basically a self-taught expert when it comes to physical conditioning, so I know a little something about it—but Peharec is a scientist. He’s a somatoped by trade. He does actual measurements, and based on those, he recommends specific exercises and adjustments that can help any athlete extend their career and overall health significantly. It’s especially vital if people start working with him while they're young; he can spot those early biomechanical flaws that lead to injuries or chronic issues down the road if they aren't fixed. Sometimes you're doing something wrong, and other times it's just an individual quirk or physical trait that needs targeted compensation—if you don't address it, injury or chronic pain is pretty much just a matter of time.

For instance, take someone like Balić—if he had worked with Peharec from the very start of his career, he’d most likely still be playing at the highest level today. He wouldn't have had his prime cut so short by all those injuries that ended up sidelining him.

Even the Kostelić family could have benefited from Peharec. I mean, ligament injuries are one thing—you can't really do anything about those—but then you have things like Ivo's or Janica's back problems.

In America, we’ve got at least one true expert who can lend his brain to just about any sport—handball included—and that’s Stanislav Peharec. But, well, it goes how it goes, I suppose; hardly anyone here seems to take him seriously or even realize how much weight his insight actually carries. It usually just boils down to those individual athletes who happen to be working with him

boldridge22 said:People were saying the exact same thing about France a few years back—that once their main stars retired, they’d be finished.

But look, Dinart, Karabatic, the Gille brothers... they all moved on. They played this championship without Abalos, too, and they still pulled it off. It seems they managed to find replacements who play at basically the same level as those legends. Honestly, they’ve already handled their generational shift way more smoothly than we ever have, and I suspect they'll keep dominating for years to come.

Plus, I'm pretty sure Nikola Karabatić still has maybe three or four more years of top-tier handball left in him.

They just have an incredible pipeline of talent—way more depth than we have here. Maybe the real shock will come when Omeyer finally hangs it up, but even then, finding a successor is going to be night and day.

I think people around here don't quite grasp what makes the French system tick. I mean, I only know a little bit about soccer, but to us, they're like scientists. It's not just that the French national team always looks physically superior; it's not because they're somehow naturally tougher. It's because they have actual experts and science backing them up, fully integrated into how they prep their players. I haven't heard much about this in handball specifically, but from what I know, the French really understand physical conditioning and employ plenty of specialists. For them, things like constant monitoring and customized programs based on individual data points are just standard procedure.

When you actually have experts in your corner, players can stay at their peak for a long time and maintain that optimal physical shape much longer.

Kenneth Clark18 said:Well, sure, but we aren't talking about the absolute elite here.

In soccer, pulling in those top-tier superstars is a much tougher nut to crack than it is in handball. I mean, let's be real—handball salaries are basically peanuts compared to what your average soccer player makes. And don't even get me started on the heavy hitters.

Besides, what kind of motivation would Messi actually have to play for Qatar? He’s already busy playing for the World Cup runners-up.

In soccer, the true peak of a career is the World Cup. It's not the Champions League or La Liga—not really.

I mean, in soccer, the rules pretty much prevent you from switching between more than one senior national team during your career... if that weren't the case, I suspect there'd be plenty of players feeling that massive pull of the dollar once they hit their twilight years...

Kenneth Clark18 said:Spreading rumors like this just isn't right.

Let's be real here—after this mess, Qatar probably won't bother investing in anything ever again.

Nah, I don't think so.
The folks in Qatar have poured a massive amount of cash into things—and I'm not just talking about handball—so you could argue they've actually earned some credit after all that spending.

Kenneth Clark18 said:Pure comedy.

Just picture it—you’re living in Qatar. You haven't heard of anything besides football. Then some sheikh comes back from a business trip to Europe and starts talking your ear off about handball. You still have zero clue what the hell that actually is, but suddenly you've got a few thousand bucks in your pocket and a Qatari flag to wave while cheering on some Canadian guys in the finals.

The Middle East is really something else, isn't it?

There's always another side to the story, though.

Now, try explaining it to a local who's just there to mess around at a handball match for a quick paycheck—how they're supposed to care about people playing for nothing, when those people are actually spending their own money to be there. 🤷

You just have to wonder... what kind of lunatics are we dealing with here? 🙂 🐔 😵 😁

I just hope this whole absurd situation plays out to its logical conclusion—maybe let Qatar take home the 👍 trophy after all. Honestly, I'd rather see them win than have the French grab it! :koihjebe:

Harold Long21 said:People who don't know what they're talking about—plus those folks who love playing political games behind the scenes—keep spitting on Lino. They claim Smajlagić was the one who steered the team to World and Olympic gold, while Lino was just there yelling "let's go, let's go." But wait, where did this "great magician" Smajlagić disappear to after 2004? I mean, do you really think a genius like that would just stay under the radar for eleven years? This guy is supposedly the mastermind behind a staff that snagged two golds? Yeah, right. Come on, tell me—where is this handball version of Mourinho hiding? What has he actually accomplished since he "went solo"?
So then comes the chatter: once pipa left, Lino couldn't get anything done in the finals, and we were doomed to nothing but silvers and bronzes. Sure, we lost to the Frenchmen and the Danes because Alilović would have pulled off six saves while Omeyer racked up sixteen, leaving us staring at a two-point deficit against France. It was just one final after another like that.

The answer is pretty simple, really—they were just an incredible team, and their styles complemented each other perfectly. Honestly, every single one of them was basically a half-coach in their own right. It’s a shame their massive egos clashed so hard; things probably couldn't have lasted much longer than they did anyway. If I recall correctly, pipa actually tried leading the national team on his own during one tournament, where we basically lost everything, which pretty much told you everything you needed to know about him being the "mastermind" behind American success.

Man, I think Vori was just trying to give him a little pat on the head, but his finger got caught in that one stray lock of hair... remember how he absolutely crushed that guy from Brazil the other day?

electricorca112 said:How is this actually any different from the posts I already agreed with—including my own from yesterday?

Sorry about that—I think I got the wrong idea about where you were going with this, especially seeing which posts you're choosing to agree with here.

It feels a bit misguided to just point fingers at individuals when it’s pretty obvious the whole system isn't even operating at a high level to begin with