realizations

[dkeltz]

What is something that you have realized, that you never really thought about before. I personally, think about and philosophize about a lot of things when baked. Anyway, I realized something yesterday, which I had not really thought about before. I went to my corner deli to get a burger. In the front part is the deli and then in the back there is like a couple of tables to eat sandwiches and shit. There is also this small TV which only displays lotto numbers. The majority of people who sit in the back with the TV are people who keep buying lotto tickets in hopes of winning some much needed money. The people who buy these tickets are just about all very poor. The realization is basically that the man who sells the lotto tickets is like a pusher. The man selling these tickets is basically like a hustler, and the people buying these tickets are like addicts. I came to the conclusion that the spot is similar to a crack spot. These poor people continue to purchase tickets. The sad part is they will never win. I also realized that the lotto is one of the biggest schemes pulled off by our gov't. They con so much money out of the poorest people. Anyway, I'm kind of rambling on, but does anyone else have realizations similar or completely different to this one?:rastasmoke:

[MastaChronic]

ive realized that size is infinite

[cannabis=freedom]

I've realized that I am nothing and I am everything.

[crudemood]

i realized people are evil.

[xblackdogx]

woohoo, lucky #5
i realized the gov'ts sham on AIDS

The ratio of patients w/ HIV is 50%m/%50f
the ratio of patients w/ AIDS is 90%m/10%f
Aids medicine is based on the concept that HIV gives someone (surely) AIDs,
so they treat with AZT. And long story short, anyone checked and is HIV positive is then assured death by AIDs and put on AZT.
Research has shown that HIV is a harmless retrovirus is in no
way correlation to causing the diseases classified under (AIDS-theres 28 diseases)
right now 28 million people have HIV,
but under 2 million of them have AIDS:
HIV IS NOT CAUSING AIDS, and because of the medication AZT they are contracting the same symptoms as AIDS!!

and of course
aids funding- 75% of total research funding
heart disease, cancers, others-25% of funding
basically, they are wiping away all the funding for diseases we are affected by, literally millions of people to only crumbs off the pie of money, while AIDS, which has been found to be non-infectious is receiving all funding (billions!)

[B.Basher]

The biggest realisation of my life came a few months after I started smoking. I thought about a Bill Hicks sample from 'Revelations' used in a drum 'n' bass track (this was before I was a fan of Hicks) and realised that we live in a fake, manufactured lifestyle where football players make up to 50 times more money than doctors, celebrities are made out to be superior to the working man or woman, the shameless exploitation of young people as sex objects for corporate profit is socially acceptable and consumerism reigns above all else to help us forget that the problems of the world are everyones responsibility. Since then I just smoke more. :D

[TallulahGreen]

Life is all about the now.
It's not about worrying about the past or the future.

Life is all about...being here and experiencing it. So many people spend their lives searching for a point when the whole time they aren't stopping to realize that maybe the point is to just BE????

[B.Basher]

Life is all about the now.
It's not about worrying about the past or the future.

Life is all about...being here and experiencing it. So many people spend their lives searching for a point when the whole time they aren't stopping to realize that maybe the point is to just BE????

True that. Life is what happens when your making plans.

[benagain]

I just realized that the TV is on and has been muted since 8:30 am. What a great waste of power for 2 hours.

[bud luv]

The most rational of agendas is to maximize your own pleasure.

When people have a full-time job they have money, but no time to do anything. When people have no job they have the time to do things but not the money.

Society says you should work 50 hours a week until you're close to death. Society says you should buy a house and cars and expensive things, but then your bills tie you to your job and you don't have the freedom to enjoy your possessions like you want to. Society says you should wake up at 5am to commute to your cubicle to devote your life to being a cog in a corporate empire you don't give a shit about, then return home too tired to do anything but watch an episode of American Idol, pay your bills, eat a T.V. Dinner, and pass out and get ready for work the next day.

Religion says you should accept your crappy life because you will go to a better place when you die. Religion was invented by Kings who wanted to keep their peasants obedient.

[Lit Up]

The most rational of agendas is to maximize your own pleasure.

When people have a full-time job they have money, but no time to do anything. When people have no job they have the time to do things but not the money.

Society says you should work 50 hours a week until you're close to death. Society says you should buy a house and cars and expensive things, but then your bills tie you to your job and you don't have the freedom to enjoy your possessions like you want to. Society says you should wake up at 5am to commute to your cubicle to devote your life to being a cog in a corporate empire you don't give a shit about, then return home too tired to do anything but watch an episode of American Idol, pay your bills, eat a T.V. Dinner, and pass out and get ready for work the next day.

Religion says you should accept your crappy life because you will go to a better place when you die. Religion was invented by Kings who wanted to keep their peasants obedient.

Society says we should do all these, but who is it up to in the end....us. We choose wether or not we work 50,60 hours a week, we choose wether we continue or education and work for a "career" that we "want" to do. Now i know people and i have friends who went both ways. Some hate their jobs some dont, my job will offer me opportunities to do exciting things at work, work with children and make a differance. I can live with that and enjoy it.

[bud luv]

Society says we should do all these, but who is it up to in the end....us. We choose wether or not we work 50,60 hours a week, we choose wether we continue or education and work for a "career" that we "want" to do. Now i know people and i have friends who went both ways. Some hate their jobs some dont, my job will offer me opportunities to do exciting things at work, work with children and make a differance. I can live with that and enjoy it.

It's definitely up to US what we do. But 90% of the workforce is doing something with no depth that they'll never truly be rewarded for; they've been brainwashed to think this is all there is to life, and that there really are no alternatives. And to most people, perception is reality. I'm happy for you that you've found something that you enjoy, though.

[Lit Up]

Thanks and i do agree with you on some your aspects. I work construction in summer time and i was getting up at 5am and walking in my door at 7pm, made summer go real fast plus i made a ton of money.

[benagain]

There's allways a job to be done by someone that doesn't want to do it. Unless you have a better idea on how to provide food and shelter for my family, I'm gonna stick to my job.

[bud luv]

I don't have a better idea.

The point is that it is a vicous struggle. I graduated from college and within a few months was making 70k doing a job I completely hated. It took up all of my time, I couldn't even enjoy my one friggin day off because in the back of my mind I knew I'd have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn the next morning to kiss people's asses and sell them overpriced crap. Nobody gave a shit about anything but the bottom line. At first I enjoyed some of the challenge of it, but after a while I felt like I was losing my soul. I aged 10 years in a year and a half. Right now I'm trying to start a few small businesses and hoping one of them takes off to the point where I can hire someone else to run it, because the way I see it, that's my only chance at freedom. It's not looking too good though.

[BizzleLuvin]

i realized, while tripping vagina, that there is no god. i've never felt happier with my beliefs since then. before that, i toiled over this belief and that religion, never finding one that truely made me feel comfortable or truely happy. after i realized that its OK not to believe, that I dont need a god or goddess or higher power or heaven or afterlife to feel secure in this world, i felt like at last i had found what i truely believe in. i dont need a religion because i believe in myself, i believe in nature and the universe, that humans are not supreme beings but simply a coincidential passenger on this wild cosmic ride. i have never felt better about my life and its purpose since i have abandonded the futile search for a religion and god. believe in yourself, people. you dont need to believe in god, just yourself, fellow beings and the earth.

[BizzleLuvin]

The most rational of agendas is to maximize your own pleasure.

When people have a full-time job they have money, but no time to do anything. When people have no job they have the time to do things but not the money.

Society says you should work 50 hours a week until you're close to death. Society says you should buy a house and cars and expensive things, but then your bills tie you to your job and you don't have the freedom to enjoy your possessions like you want to. Society says you should wake up at 5am to commute to your cubicle to devote your life to being a cog in a corporate empire you don't give a shit about, then return home too tired to do anything but watch an episode of American Idol, pay your bills, eat a T.V. Dinner, and pass out and get ready for work the next day.

Religion says you should accept your crappy life because you will go to a better place when you die. Religion was invented by Kings who wanted to keep their peasants obedient.

THANK YOU CAPITALISM!

[bud luv]

THANK YOU CAPITALISM!

Unfortunately Socialism works even less well. Capitalism is by far the best economic ideology that has been implemented, but it has negative attributes. The shithole commie countries are way worse off than we are, though I couldn't say from personal experience. ideally I'd like to take 50 people to a deserted tropical island, build shacks, and fish, farm, play music, smoke and fuck all day.

And what's "tripping vagina"? I have 2 guesses....

[xblackdogx]

Unfortunately Socialism works even less well. Capitalism is by far the best economic ideology that has been implemented, but it has negative attributes. The shithole commie countries are way worse off than we are, though I couldn't say from personal experience. ideally I'd like to take 50 people to a deserted tropical island, build shacks, and fish, farm, play music, smoke and fuck all day.

And what's "tripping vagina"? I have 2 guesses....

The capitalists want you to believe that socialism works even less well. Who does it work less well for? You have to wonder if the 42 million without health insurance would be covered if this was a socialist society, of course they would be. Socialism is worse for those who seek, and do, control us and better for the masses of people.

[bud luv]

The capitalists want you to believe that socialism works even less well. Who does it work less well for? You have to wonder if the 42 million without health insurance would be covered if this was a socialist society, of course they would be. Socialism is worse for those who seek, and do, control us and better for the masses of people.

but if you use China and the U.S.S.R. as examples of socialism, you can see how it's easier said than done. In a very idealistic sense, socialism sounds great -- but there's no practical way to implement its tenets. In practice, socialism is a far better tool for those who seek to control us than capitalism is. In the U.S.S.R. you had people rioting in the street over loaves of bread, in the PRC you have the most inefficient country imaginable. Internal corruption in these countries was/is higher in those countries than it ever was here. Additionally, people as individuals had far fewer "rights" than we have.

I expect there to be some form of nat'l health insurance within the next 5-10 years anyways.

[Ganj]

I realized recently how incredibly stupid I am. That's always a good one. :)

[xblackdogx]

but if you use China and the U.S.S.R. as examples of socialism, you can see how it's easier said than done. In a very idealistic sense, socialism sounds great -- but there's no practical way to implement its tenets. In practice, socialism is a far better tool for those who seek to control us than capitalism is. In the U.S.S.R. you had people rioting in the street over loaves of bread, in the PRC you have the most inefficient country imaginable. Internal corruption in these countries was/is higher in those countries than it ever was here. Additionally, people as individuals had far fewer "rights" than we have.

I expect there to be some form of nat'l health insurance within the next 5-10 years anyways.

thanks for the thoughtful response,
true, ideally socialism>capitalism for masses...
but capitalism, in its IDEAL form, also produces a population happily ignorant.
they have FALSE freedoms and are actually stopped from growing spirtually.
Materialism leads to disappointment, never being satisfied, and allows a few select to get ahead, yet the masses don't realize it's capitalism oppressing them. THEREFORE, capitalism is a hidden path to destruction yet its own people would swear by it.
Today, we don't have ideal Socialism, but we have an ideal Capitalistic Society, America.

[higher4hockey]

i've realized that for ME. weed was an inhibitor. i would sit around and get stoned all the time and think about what i wished i could do and say oh im gonna do this some day. and then one day i quit smoking weed, this was about a year ago, and ever since i've been on the right track. maybe some day i'll go back to smoking weed, but probably not. weed made me a dreamer, instead of a do-er.

[dkeltz]

I would just like to say that this is turning out to be a very high quality thread. I am very intrigued by everyone's realizations

[BizzleLuvin]

Unfortunately Socialism works even less well. Capitalism is by far the best economic ideology that has been implemented, but it has negative attributes. The shithole commie countries are way worse off than we are, though I couldn't say from personal experience. ideally I'd like to take 50 people to a deserted tropical island, build shacks, and fish, farm, play music, smoke and fuck all day.

And what's "tripping vagina"? I have 2 guesses....

you make me angry. i'm proud to be a socialist. i dont want to argue with you. just read 'Democracy for the Few' by Micheal Parenti. clearly you are a victim of capitalism, you just dont realize it because that is what the establishment has greated. a society of 'have'.

[bud luv]

you make me angry. i'm proud to be a socialist. i dont want to argue with you. just read 'Democracy for the Few' by Micheal Parenti. clearly you are a victim of capitalism, you just dont realize it because that is what the establishment has greated. a society of 'have'.

All I said is that U.S. > China or the former U.S.S.R.

If you don't agree, I don't know what to tell you. I have studied both of these countries and while we have plenty of negatives here, there is no question which of these three is/was the best to live in. And by best to live in, I mean best human rights, least poverty/starvation, least disease, etc.

I fail to see how I am "clearly a victim of capitalism," but I do see that you yourself are pretty irrational and presumptious. You've never met me, but because I say the U.S. is a better place than the U.S.S.R. was, I'm immediately branded as a sheep to you? Ok, whatever... You don't like capitalists. If you read back to my first post on this thread you'll see that it was a harsh critique of capitalist society.

And you repped me down? I hope you were REALLY baked when you did that.

Get a life!:S4:

Peace.

[FreeVenice]

I have created my own form of govornment which I follow. . .


I have come to realize that money doesn't grow in trees, but herb comes from a bush. . . if you know what I mean;)

[bud luv]

The capitalists want you to believe that socialism works even less well. Who does it work less well for? You have to wonder if the 42 million without health insurance would be covered if this was a socialist society, of course they would be. Socialism is worse for those who seek, and do, control us and better for the masses of people.

Does China have a nat'l healthcare system? Harvard Gazette: Health care reform in China discussed (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/09.15/09-china.html)

Did the U.S.S.R. have a nat'l healthcare system?
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform (http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF124/CF124.chap5.html)

The healthcare in the U.S. is better than in any of these countries, so your point is what?

If you're going to be adamant about something, maybe you should do your homework.

[bud luv]

Marxism (other than the violence) is heavy shit, his ends were admirable, even if not all his means were. I certainly agree with many of them, and you can see that my original post on this thread was in the Marxist spirit.

Still, Marx was but a philosopher. His tenets have proven difficult to implement, and when used in actual practice thus far have resulted in Stalin's Russia and Mao's China. And If you're down with Maoist or Stalinist politics(propaganda, genocide, total censorship), I don't know what to tell you. Stalin makes GWB look like friggin' Ghandi.

peace.

[Reefer Rogue]

I've realised my meaning of life is inner peace and outer harmony.

[JunkYard]

I've realized that the older I get the less enlightened I become. Life was so easy as a child; no worries, always happy, lots and lots of fun. I was at complete peace with the world, and with myself. Funny how life can stick a big as thorn in ya!!

[bud luv]

last thing....

It's extremely easy to criticize capitalism/democracy from a socialist perspective, but it's hard to point to an alternative that has been proven to be superior. Surely the "solution" here is not in black and white form. In fact there are some attributes of our government/economy that are socialist in principle, and there are aspects of China's gov/economy that are capitalist. Man has been struggling for 10,000 years to find the best form of Government, and we're not there yet.

[JunkYard]

the best form of government is no government. My newests unverified realization, lol! :D

[rebgirl420]

Im all for a minimalistic democratic/republic society. I am for a capitalist society with a low flat tax and a few unalienable rights such as the right to bear arms and the right to free speech. I like Thomas Jefferson's governmental point of view myself. I suppose I would really enjoy a libertarian society. I am also against any society that has welfare or any other programs where people feel the need to assume that the government or anyone for that matter owes them ANYTHING really. No one owes you anything, you are not entitled to anything either except for a few things. It is not the governments responsibilty to be a nanny state.

[bud luv]

the best form of government is no government. My newests unverified realization, lol! :D

haha read Hobbes/Locke/Rousseau.

The state of chaos is nothing nice either.

[bud luv]

Im all for a minimalistic democratic/republic society. I am for a capitalist society with a low flat tax and a few unalienable rights such as the right to bear arms and the right to free speech. I like Thomas Jefferson's governmental point of view myself. I suppose I would really enjoy a libertarian society. I am also against any society that has welfare or any other programs where people feel the need to assume that the government or anyone for that matter owes them ANYTHING really. No one owes you anything, you are not entitled to anything either except for a few things. It is not the governments responsibilty to be a nanny state.

Certain forms of welfare like long-term disability insurance are good programs, IMO. I think it's right to look after our own that were injured. I don't see it so much as the government oweing people anything, like you said, but more like a fund that working people donate to that they can later draw from if they need to. Of all the crap our tax money is spent on, that particular form of welfare is one of the better things. I think it's good risk-management from an individual's perspective. Would you want to stop paying your few bucks/month, but in exchange if you were ever hurt and couldn't work you'd essentially be out on the street? I'd rather just keep paying that few bucks/month. Studies have shown that people would be willing to pay up to 5% of their income to have disability insurance, but we only end up paying about 1% - Disability Risk and the Value of Disability Insurance (http://www.nber.org/papers/w11605)

This might not have been the type of welfare you had in mind, just wanted to mention that not ALL welfare is bad.

As far as a libertarian gov't, if it means the ganj is legal, I'm all for it :pimp:

[xblackdogx]

Does China have a nat'l healthcare system? Harvard Gazette: Health care reform in China discussed (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/09.15/09-china.html)

Did the U.S.S.R. have a nat'l healthcare system?
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform (http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF124/CF124.chap5.html)

The healthcare in the U.S. is better than in any of these countries, so your point is what?

If you're going to be adamant about something, maybe you should do your homework.

look,

[xblackdogx]

Does China have a nat'l healthcare system? Harvard Gazette: Health care reform in China discussed (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/09.15/09-china.html)

Did the U.S.S.R. have a nat'l healthcare system?
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform (http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF124/CF124.chap5.html)

The healthcare in the U.S. is better than in any of these countries, so your point is what?

If you're going to be adamant about something, maybe you should do your homework.

look,
what i'm saying is IDEALLY, socialism > capitalism
socialist policies that are being put in place in: uruguay, argentina, venezuela, cuba, bolivia are benefitting PEOPLE much more than our US National Healthcare system. 42 million out of 300 million, 1/4 of them kids have no health insurance, and we claim to be a nation where anyone can achieve the American Dream... Did you know that the majority of people that filed bankruptcy last year had medical bills they couldn't take care of?

[rebgirl420]

Well Bud what im trying to say is that today many people abuse the welfare system. It was supposed be there for people for a few months until another income is possible. Now a days people live on it and teach their kids to live on it. Many people even us their access cards to buy ciggarettes and hoe-hoes. WTF?

[xblackdogx]

last thing....

It's extremely easy to criticize capitalism/democracy from a socialist perspective, but it's hard to point to an alternative that has been proven to be superior. Surely the "solution" here is not in black and white form. In fact there are some attributes of our government/economy that are socialist in principle, and there are aspects of China's gov/economy that are capitalist. Man has been struggling for 10,000 years to find the best form of Government, and we're not there yet.

i think it's extremely easy to say that WHAT SHOULD BE OCCURING and what IS occuring under the policies of any government is far from what they stand for in a books definition. so why fight about which one is wrong, and focus on fixing the shit we were lucky to have, capitalist ideals with an ends justifies the means rulebook.

[CanaDanKs Inc.]

Life is all about the now.
It's not about worrying about the past or the future.

Life is all about...being here and experiencing it. So many people spend their lives searching for a point when the whole time they aren't stopping to realize that maybe the point is to just BE????

Very true.

As for myself, I've come to realize that if you ask the Universe something, it WILL respond. :thumbsup:

[bud luv]

Well Bud what im trying to say is that today many people abuse the welfare system. It was supposed be there for people for a few months until another income is possible. Now a days people live on it and teach their kids to live on it. Many people even us their access cards to buy ciggarettes and hoe-hoes. WTF?

right on, I think I knew what you meant. My only point (and it probably was a stupid one, since I was up all night blazing and it was early in the mo-mo) was that there are different types of welfare and some are good. But hey, there was probably no need for me to mention all that.

peace.

[bud luv]

look,
what i'm saying is IDEALLY, socialism > capitalism
socialist policies that are being put in place in: uruguay, argentina, venezuela, cuba, bolivia are benefitting PEOPLE much more than our US National Healthcare system. 42 million out of 300 million, 1/4 of them kids have no health insurance, and we claim to be a nation where anyone can achieve the American Dream... Did you know that the majority of people that filed bankruptcy last year had medical bills they couldn't take care of?

I would be the last to say that our sytem is perfect, and I would be one of the first to say that we need an egalitarian nat'l healthcare system. I don't know what the argument is anymore.....

peace.

[lagstronaut]

I am also against any society that has welfare or any other programs where people feel the need to assume that the government or anyone for that matter owes them ANYTHING really. No one owes you anything, you are not entitled to anything either except for a few things. It is not the governments responsibilty to be a nanny state.

Umm my family was on welfare a couple years back and it kept our stomaches full and gave me bus money to get to and from school. It's really easy to say who your government shouldn't help when you're in a nicely heated room watching satellite television, I guess :thumbsup:


EDIT: I suppose that would make my realisation that you can never be so sure about what you are saying unless you are acting on real-life experience

[rebgirl420]

Im far from comfy, my parents BOTH worked two jobs to keep a roof over my head and food in my tummy thank you very much.

[bud luv]

Realization:


Arguing on the internet is like the special Olympic.....

Even if you win, you're still retarded.

[Nochowderforyou]

I realize that not everyone is fortunate enough to find a good job and provide for their family. I used to volunteer at a food bank, and when you see a mother come in with her 2 kids, hungry and cold, it's kind of hard to turn your backs on them and figure they don't need our help.

People have children, and a lot of the time, the bitch ass man walks out on them leaving them on their own. I think welfare is a good idea for those women, and men, out there with kids, who work, but need a little extra cash to get through the day. Living these days is very expensive, and 2 working parents is hard enough to support.

So unless you're a parent, you have no say, if you've never been homeless, you have no say, so until you really live in their shoes, you have no say.

I was homeless for 6 months once during the middle of Feb. It was -30degC outside, and no one helped me, but it would have been nice if someone did.

Kind of easy to say someone doesn't need help when you have the money and freedom to do what you please.

I agree that one too many abuse the system though, but there are people out there who do need help, and welfare shouldn't be a permanant thing. If someone needs finacial help so they can get a job, a place to live, and help get on their feet after a birth of a child, or a divorce, or a man walking out on them, then they deserve it.

Have a heart. Not everyone is a mooch from welfare.

[lagstronaut]

It's really easy to say who your government shouldn't help when you're in a nicely heated room watching satellite television, I guess


Kind of easy to say someone doesn't need help when you have the money and freedom to do what you please.


Great minds think alike :D

[Nochowderforyou]

Great minds think alike :D

Yup, they sure do! :thumbsup:

I'm not judging anyone, but I figure if you have a computer and can buy cannabis, things can't be that bad for you (money wise). :rasta:

Take care.

[FreeVenice]

haha read Hobbes/Locke/Rousseau.

The state of chaos is nothing nice either.

It's not the chaos that an Anarchist asks for, it's more of a self efficent life.

[bud luv]

It's not the chaos that an Anarchist asks for, it's more of a self efficent life.

But in your state of anarchy I can kill you without reprecussion.. Do you like that?