Posts by brisktiger56

Angela Newman33 said:so where are you based
if you don't mind me asking

That’s more of a DM kind of question—everything on the internet is a secret, anyway😉. Nicknames exist specifically so people can dodge using their real names... which basically makes this forum feel like one big masquerade ball
.
There’s this old song from way back... I can barely recall the lyrics through the mental fog... but Google knows it. The chorus goes something like this, and it was posted here.

Life is a masquerade, everyone hides if they aren't sure of themselves..
Life is a masquerade, people are wrong, it's easier to live under someone else's mask...

Some girl wrote a blog post adding this bit:

I just happened to turn on the radio... purely out of boredom... When suddenly, this amazing song comes on, "Life is a masquerade"! It made me stop and think... We all want to be someone, we want to be somebody sometimes, we want to be loved and respected like someone important...

That’s what you call hypocrisy... trying to be both an angel and a devil at once... Honestly, it's just nonsense. There are very few people on this Earth who are actually WHO THEY ARE! It’s better... obviously... To be yourself than to hide behind some mask and pretend to be something you're not... And I've said it a billion times:
I'D RATHER BE HATED FOR WHO I AM THAN LOVED FOR WHO I'M NOT!!!! And I'm sticking to that! What makes anyone better than me?

Nothing, really...

Sam Hayes said:But that's not quite what I meant—you actually said earlier that you should take me there blindfolded... and honestly, that part stuck with me—the blindfold and the whole big surprise element, ta-daaa! 🤣

So, basically, you want to be surprised without actually knowing the details. Well, newsflash: you already live that way every single day. That blindfold was ripped off the moment you actually woke up to reality. Now, everything you see around you could be a total blast—like a trip to a carnival—or it could be a massive letdown because things aren't how you imagined them. Just try being honest with yourself for once; figure out exactly what or who is missing from your life, and then go make those changes happen.

Who knows, maybe you'll finally find your version of happiness while riding the Ferris wheel at the carnival 🙂

Sam Hayes said:No, I don't truly believe it would help me—I don't think anyone can help me at this point, I guess😂
It would certainly be nice, though—that much is for sure.😁

Anyway, go ahead and hunt down some moonlight or whatever... just bring someone along who you'll actually have to drag out the door😉

Sam Hayes said:And honestly, I haven't experienced that myself yet, though it sounds like it would be quite an adventure! 👍

What about you guys? You’d just end up asking some Americans in liquid German 😉

Do you really think that would help you?

If you're from New York City, I'm thinking maybe there's a moon over Times Square or Spanish Harlem... man, I don't know—the British would probably just respond in fluent British 😁

dustyskipper3 said:Well, see, you already got a little worked up... despite all that composure. I suppose it is called "sparking interest," though there isn't really some specific 'technique' per se; rather, it has to be 'customer-tailored,' you know, customized for the individual user.

@brisktiger56
Such a dirty imagination... naturally, if you don't specify exactly what you mean by animating her, she won't find it interesting at all 😁

I'm with you on that one. Honestly, the best way to handle someone that exhausted would be to blindfold them and drag them straight to a carnival. Once they're strapped into those massive, bone-rattling rides, that's when you rip the blindfold off. Throw in some trampolines, maybe a bungee jump just for kicks, and then finish it off by scaring the life out of them in a haunted house. 😉

Well, I guess my master plan is ruined now that I've actually laid it out... total bummer.

Sam Hayes said:I'm honestly quite curious, though—what exactly is this technique? 🙄

Honestly, slamming bumper cars together at a local carnival is probably more effective at chasing away the blues—or even darker thoughts—than most therapy sessions. 😁

slymaker9 said:Here is the leaderboard showing who has posted the most on the thread regarding God and Hitler:
locutos 154
Father Peter 58
52 Valerija St, 79 42 Jopa, 36 Articles of Faith 52
Valerija79 42
Jopa_od 36
Articles of Faith 16
barba marin 15
brisktiger56 13
slymaker9 9

Consider this the evidence.

So, I ended up dropping 13 posts in that whole discussion.......
Lord help me, what a massive waste of my time and energy......

It hit me way too late that I actually HAVE THE POWER to just delete a thread from my subscription list and save myself from the madness... Which basically means... if we just take a second—you know, pull back and breathe—no matter how emotionally wound up we get, we can realize we have the agency to protect ourselves from the chaos of our surroundings, outside influences, and all that nonsense... including avoiding certain absolutely insane topics altogether...

irongardener18 said:Women tend to be more emotional by nature, so letting a tear fall comes easier. Some clever women use that as leverage, and it often works to get them exactly what they want. Honestly, I’ve never understood how men fall for those tactics.
For me, just acting "sad"—even without the actual tears—is enough to make my partner give in. 🙂
It isn't about revenge; it's just an easier way to handle things when dealing with someone stubborn.

Fair enough, but if you look at the gray text, I was clearly specifying that I was talking about my own personal experience here. I wasn't aiming this at you or making any comments about crying...

irongardener18 said:Why would a woman's tears be considered an abuse of power? It's just a form of influence that men often seem unable to handle.😁

Wait, where exactly did I claim that crying was an abuse of power?

I was actually talking about how female retaliation—whether it's justified or not—is a demonstration of power, both the influence women hold themselves and the leverage they get through others. Now, tears? Usually, that's just a way for women to process pain—though, let's be honest, it can also be a repetitive pattern from childhood when crying was the easiest way to get what you wanted. If I started weeping because I wanted a candy bar or a new Ford, my wife would probably just suggest I check myself into a clinic in Seattle.

irongardener18 said:We all know how much power a baby’s cry can have. It’s their way of letting us know they need us.
But have you ever stopped to think about the kind of influence a woman's tears can hold? 😉
It's rare to find a man who can actually resist them—especially if she knows exactly what she's doing.

Using that kind of power during a vendetta is probably the clearest sign of just how much influence someone actually has > they'll fire at anything and everything available to them
- at least, that's my experience anyway -

slymaker9 said:Even crying and seeking assistance is, in a way, an expression of a specific kind of power. A baby uses crying to command attention toward itself and its needs, much like an adult using words to ask for help. In doing so, they exercise power by taking action, while simultaneously expressing hope or faith in a mother, in people, in society, or in anyone who might hear them and step in.

To me, true helplessness would be something else entirely—a total paralysis or an inability within a person, or caused by external factors, to satisfy a need, a desire, or a goal, whether independently or through any other means.

It's true; a child possesses a type of power that 😉lets them scream and practically "pierce" a parent's eardrums. That drives caring parents to take positive action for the baby. Then you have the other kind of parents who abandon a baby in a dumpster—and we all know metal isn't exactly capable of feeding a child... So, the only tool a child has is crying > crying is enabled by power. You're right. Sadly, if nobody responds to that cry, the baby's power just isn't enough for survival.

The way you described helplessness seems fine to me. Paralysis, incapacity—and I'd add unconsciousness or fear (in adults)—are just some of the symptoms of lacking power.

If the power goes out on a standard US grid right now, our computers just die. How else do you describe a dead computer besides the absence of electricity? It's obvious the machine isn't working, we can't communicate, we're frustrated, and that long post we were planning to put on this forum just vanishes... we're paralyzed, unable to communicate, but the actual root cause is still the lack of electricity. Mapping that back to us flesh-and-blood humans, when we are paralyzed and incapable, it's because we lack power. We don't have power —meaning, we have helplessness.

p.s. your inbox is full

irongardener18 said:🤦
I usually just toss stuff like that because I honestly don't know what to do with it.
At that moment, I wasn't thinking about power—clearly, I wasn't thinking about anything at all.

Me? I tend to hold onto things like that until they eventually find their way into the hands of some kids who can barely afford a pair of sneakers or a cheap phone. To me, throwing away something that actually works and still has utility feels like discarding—well, it's basically discarding and devaluing actual power.

Most people don't really look at it through that lens, though.

dustyskipper3 said:So, it seems legitimate to ask the opposite question: "What is helplessness?"

Because it's pretty clear there is a massive gap between "not wanting to" and "not being able to." The first one is a conscious choice to refrain from using power, while the second is an expression of identity—the fact that something fundamentally inside a person prevents them from realizing their potential power.

It’s the total lack of agency 🙂. When people find themselves powerless, they reach out—they look for help in every sense of the word. Take here at our little community, for instance. A mother of five reached out recently. She’s trying to get them a computer because their school curriculum is all digital now, but they have zero way to practice at home. She’s stuck—completely unable to make it happen because she's just barely scraping by. Buying a PC isn't even an option right now.
Now, look at my side of things... I have some level of ability here. I have the means, the connections, and the knack for scavenging decent, slightly beat-up computers from others, fixing them up, and tuning them specifically for kids like these. I have power because I haven't let myself get bogged down by that typical mindset—you know the one: "Eh, let them struggle like I did," or "Not my problem," or "Who am I supposed to help everyone?"—there are plenty of people who think like that...

I have this capacity, and I’m using it to bolster the strength of those who don't have it. These kids will grow up knowing how to navigate a computer, which is basically the baseline for survival nowadays. That gives them power later on, simply because someone stepped in when it mattered.

It’s been the fundamental setup since day one: a newborn without a mother or someone to feed them is just... gone. If the mother is healthy after birth, she has the power, while the infant is just a crying, helpless thing that can't sustain itself. It’s pure powerlessness.

p.s. does anyone else have the capacity to help? All I'm missing for this rig is a USB or a PlayStation 2 mouse 🙂 If you have one lying around gathering dust... please, help a kid out...

irongardener18 said:🙏
Reading this just now, I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't a bit more courageous myself.

Was I any braver? Not really... back then, I guess I just took things at face value without overthinking everything into a corner... you know, like a kid would.

As time goes on, I find myself drifting closer to the idea that maybe this is actually the way to live—keep it simple, have clear goals, and don't spend your life overanalyzing every tiny detail. Too much brainpower sometimes just leads to missed opportunities—you end up paralyzed by your own potential.

I don't think you have anything to regret. You likely built a life that works perfectly well within those boundaries. And if you're sitting there thinking the neighbors' roses look redder than yours, well, you're falling for the same illusion everyone else does. 😉

irongardener18 said:Power is an interesting thing; we all have it, but the real question is whether it's smart to use it every single time. I wouldn't trade my current life for a massive metropolis. Back when I actually had the drive and the means to move, my gut told me it wasn't the right move. I didn't have anyone to back me up (my brother was still just a kid 😢) and my intuition told me I'd just be struggling to get by in a huge city. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't push it then, because now I can head into the big city whenever I feel like it—whether it's shopping with friends or catching a concert with my partner. If I had moved, I'd probably be stuck coming back to this small town just to ask my sponsors for help.

That really shows how much you’re limiting your own sense of agency by looking at things through such a narrow lens. It sounds like you’ve always operated under the assumption that someone else is going to be there to pick up the tab. Personally, I tried to flip the script. I told myself—plain and simple—that if I could cover my own rent and bills while I was in college, then I’d stick with it; otherwise, I was heading straight back to my hometown.

Basically, I set a goal and used whatever leverage I had to make it happen. Since I didn't let self-doubt or these arbitrary "safety nets" get in my way, everything played out exactly how it was meant to. Nobody from my old neighborhood has had to sponsor me since those days—in fact, if you want to get really crazy about it, the opposite has actually happened.

irongardener18 said:If I had truly taken charge of my life, I'd be living in a major city right now. But I think I was always waiting for a specific catalyst to give me that push—maybe a better salary, finding the right person, or finally solving the housing issue. Instead, I stayed in a smaller town. At the end of the day, the reality remains: I didn't use my power to chase what I really wanted.

Are you kidding me, or are you being dead serious about what your goals actually were!? It sounds like we’re aiming for totally different lifestyles here 😉!

Looking at what you wrote, if I had to take a guess, it seems like you just weren't motivated enough—you didn't want those things badly enough to actually grab them. Am I hitting the mark there?

When you talk about "power," the real question is whether you actually had the leverage to turn a thought into reality. When I went off to college, I didn't have much agency of my own, though my brothers stepped up and covered my tuition and housing. In terms of how life works, it’s like a baby wanting to experience the world but having zero survival power without help from their parents. Maybe you simply lacked the necessary resources—because clearly, the desire was there, so that part wasn't the issue.

What kind of small town are we talking about? And what's the thing you're actually missing most?

irongardener18 said:If we think we have total control, there's always that "X factor" that can either help us out or trip us up. When things go smoothly, we just call it luck, right? We can strive for power, but in today's society, isn't it a bit utopian to think we can ever truly hold it all?

I see it differently—our agency is ours to command, while external circumstances are just variables that might nudge the direction we're heading.

In this modern society, honestly, very few people have the guts to actually grab hold of their own destiny. Take me, for example: I work, I live, I’ve got my family in the city. I’m certain life would be more peaceful out in the suburbs or maybe even rural Montana, and I’d probably be happier, too—but instead, I’m sitting here saving up for an apartment in a smoggy metropolis. What’s stopping me from moving to the country? Just pure cowardice, really, because I haven't been brave enough to exercise my own will.

I could do it, but I don't :/ and it isn't because someone is holding me back—it's because I'm the one setting my own limits.

irongardener18 said:They probably believe in something undefined—maybe just luck. But can anyone truly have power without a little bit of luck on their side?

Wait, what? I actually see it the opposite way—power shouldn't depend on belief in God or some random streak of luck. Honestly, luck feels more like a gambler's crutch to me; it's kind of an undesirable variable if you're actually trying to hold the reins and keep things under 100% control.

stormycanyon11 said:To me, true power lies in the ability to tackle my own struggles through nothing more than my own grit and the grace of God.

I mean, that makes sense if that's your worldview...

But just think about someone living in some totally isolated community—say, deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest—who’s never heard of God and doesn't believe in any of that stuff. How would you even define power for a person like that?

casualmaker13 said:Man, the moment you utter any word at all, the silence is gone—even if you're yelling "Silence!"
If that doesn't click for you, I honestly don't know how to help.🤷
Basically, I just don't have the power to make you see that.😁

Silence vanishes within the exact radius that the spoken word can be heard. That vibration of matter carrying the sound isn't actually the opposite of silence. There were already movements happening in that space—we just didn't hear them or see them, which is really more of a "us" problem than a physics one.

You aren't even trying to wrap your head around my point. You’re just aiming all your energy at attacking some random opinion... like 😉Einstein's. Personally, his explanation feels a lot more logical than yours. Sorry, not sorry. 🙂

Your perspective only holds water if you ignore the actual laws of the universe. To you, light and dark are opposites—but there are other wavelengths out there that your specific way of seeing things wouldn't even register. Some alien would just sit there listening to you drone on about "opposites"...

Basically, I don't have the power to make you understand.😁

No, what you *do* have is the attempt to force your worldview on me, but you're missing the actual arguments. That's the part where you're falling short.

Sound logic is just one of the links in the chain of influence.