OPEN BAR: Tough on bars, tough on the causes of bars

[Reverend What's-His-Name?]

Hi guys, I hope you've been well.  Yes, I know...but the thing is, you can't spend so many years in a community and just forget about it like that.  I know we had a falling out over all of the marijuana stuff, and that really sucks.  We did a lot of cool stuff before all of that happened.  The Black Iron Prison stuff was epic and was seriously one cool piece of work this group put out.  I remember the days on end of riffing on ideas in the BIP subforum, that was some cool shit.  And despite what you all think of me now, I can report, at least, that I have incorporated quite a bit of Think For Yourself, Schmuck into my work.

Here's the deal, I'm pretty burned out on the marijuana stuff.  Once this damned election in Maine is over, I'm out.  I still think legalization is a fucking stupid idea, but I've got bigger fish to fry.  My goal now is to try to have far fewer people dying from heroin overdoses.  It's bad here.  And I think we can tie it to some BIP-ish stuff.  People are looking for answers in an IV.  We need to help them see more pathways, but we need to not make them feel like worthless piles of shit, but society wants to tell them they are worthless piles of shit every day.  That's my raison d'etre these days.  The marijuana stuff is so 2012.

Anyhoo, wanted to give a shout.  Go ahead and deep-six this account if you want.  Or, if you want to entertain letting me stick around, I'd like to.  But you'll do what you gotta do.

I love you guys!  Keep it real!

-RWHN

[Don Coyote]

Go away

[Junkenstein]

Go away

That, if it's you.

Also this:



If it's not, it's just been too long since that picture has been used anyway.

[hooplala]

Today, I noticed that someone had added me to a politics and sociology group, so I checked it out. It was full of semi-familiar names, I assume from other Discordian groups. The dialogue, though, revolved almost entirely around racism and feminism, and as I read through I realized exactly what the driving factor behind "disco" FB groups is; most of these people are actually stupid as fuck. I mean, just plain plumb-bob stupid. They're in there DEBATING THINGS THAT HAVE FACTUAL ANSWERS THEY COULD JUST LOOK UP. There were a few people with functional intellects fighting the good fight, but it was pretty evident that they were frustrated and discouraged by the tide of idiocy pressing back at them.

So that kind of made me wonder; due in large part to this forum, and well as the members of the Pigdog Cabal who introduced me to Discordianism in the Bay area ca. 1993, I am accustomed to Discordians being some of the smartest people I know, as well as the least likely to cling to outdated modes of thinking (status quo of racism, sexism, etc.) simply because they're comfortable. These FB Discos are (mostly) blithering fucking idiots with little education and minimal critical thinking skills, dinosaurically defending 20th-century-status-quo modes of thought. They seem, in many ways, to be the opposite of neophiles; it's more like some of them are using "disco" as a cover for their teabagger impulses. What is it that attracts them to Discordianism, then? Is it that they perceive it as a philosophy in which reality and critical thinking can be set aside completely, allowing them to feel smart in a reality where empirical facts are relegated to the status of mere opinion? Do they feel like it gives them license to be "edgy", using the excuse of not being "PC"?

Two words: anything goes.

My main takeaway from FB discos is that they have severely latched onto that aspect of Discordianism, to the exclusion of every other idea apart from the most obvious memes.

[Reverend What's-His-Name?]

Ah yes, I remember that WOMP.  Got way too wound up about it.  Trust me, as I've worked in this pot stuff, I've been called everything in the book in the public discourse.  It was kinda silly for me to get so wound up about that. 

That photo is a bit out of date now too.  Last couple of years have aged me quite a bit.  Got more of a Rick Grimes look going on these days. 

So whaddya guys think about this Presidential election?  Pretty damned depressing no?  I think it will be absolutely hilarious if it comes down to Trump vs Clinton.  Trump is the President the US deserves, really.  Don't you think? 

I mean, let's just go that next step and make all of America Reality TeeVee, right?  What a larf!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ah yes, I remember that WOMP.  Got way too wound up about it.  Trust me, as I've worked in this pot stuff, I've been called everything in the book in the public discourse.  It was kinda silly for me to get so wound up about that. 

That photo is a bit out of date now too.  Last couple of years have aged me quite a bit.  Got more of a Rick Grimes look going on these days. 

So whaddya guys think about this Presidential election?  Pretty damned depressing no?  I think it will be absolutely hilarious if it comes down to Trump vs Clinton.  Trump is the President the US deserves, really.  Don't you think? 

I mean, let's just go that next step and make all of America Reality TeeVee, right?  What a larf!

Your IP resolves to Amsterdam.  You aren't RWHN.

[Cain]

New video.  Scumbag bandit chief manages to splatter my brains all over a cave.  On the plus side I kill "Ron the Crow", one of those lovely Requiem handplaced enemies.   

[Cain]

Ah yes, I remember that WOMP.  Got way too wound up about it.  Trust me, as I've worked in this pot stuff, I've been called everything in the book in the public discourse.  It was kinda silly for me to get so wound up about that. 

That photo is a bit out of date now too.  Last couple of years have aged me quite a bit.  Got more of a Rick Grimes look going on these days. 

So whaddya guys think about this Presidential election?  Pretty damned depressing no?  I think it will be absolutely hilarious if it comes down to Trump vs Clinton.  Trump is the President the US deserves, really.  Don't you think? 

I mean, let's just go that next step and make all of America Reality TeeVee, right?  What a larf!

Your IP resolves to Amsterdam.  You aren't RWHN.

Ooops.  Well, I went ahead and banned him anyway.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ah yes, I remember that WOMP.  Got way too wound up about it.  Trust me, as I've worked in this pot stuff, I've been called everything in the book in the public discourse.  It was kinda silly for me to get so wound up about that. 

That photo is a bit out of date now too.  Last couple of years have aged me quite a bit.  Got more of a Rick Grimes look going on these days. 

So whaddya guys think about this Presidential election?  Pretty damned depressing no?  I think it will be absolutely hilarious if it comes down to Trump vs Clinton.  Trump is the President the US deserves, really.  Don't you think? 

I mean, let's just go that next step and make all of America Reality TeeVee, right?  What a larf!

Your IP resolves to Amsterdam.  You aren't RWHN.

Ooops.  Well, I went ahead and banned him anyway.

Thus saving us HOURS of boredom.

[Cain]

Ah yes, I remember that WOMP.  Got way too wound up about it.  Trust me, as I've worked in this pot stuff, I've been called everything in the book in the public discourse.  It was kinda silly for me to get so wound up about that. 

That photo is a bit out of date now too.  Last couple of years have aged me quite a bit.  Got more of a Rick Grimes look going on these days. 

So whaddya guys think about this Presidential election?  Pretty damned depressing no?  I think it will be absolutely hilarious if it comes down to Trump vs Clinton.  Trump is the President the US deserves, really.  Don't you think? 

I mean, let's just go that next step and make all of America Reality TeeVee, right?  What a larf!

Your IP resolves to Amsterdam.  You aren't RWHN.

Ooops.  Well, I went ahead and banned him anyway.

Thus saving us HOURS of boredom.

True.  Also checked, the company that provides the IP is known for having a few proxy servers around.  This does appear to be one of them.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ah yes, I remember that WOMP.  Got way too wound up about it.  Trust me, as I've worked in this pot stuff, I've been called everything in the book in the public discourse.  It was kinda silly for me to get so wound up about that. 

That photo is a bit out of date now too.  Last couple of years have aged me quite a bit.  Got more of a Rick Grimes look going on these days. 

So whaddya guys think about this Presidential election?  Pretty damned depressing no?  I think it will be absolutely hilarious if it comes down to Trump vs Clinton.  Trump is the President the US deserves, really.  Don't you think? 

I mean, let's just go that next step and make all of America Reality TeeVee, right?  What a larf!

Your IP resolves to Amsterdam.  You aren't RWHN.

Ooops.  Well, I went ahead and banned him anyway.

Thus saving us HOURS of boredom.

True.  Also checked, the company that provides the IP is known for having a few proxy servers around.  This does appear to be one of them.

He was never that smart.  Possible potard.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

One of the smartest facebook groups I'm part of has almost no-one giving their personal opinions.

The problem is Facebook encourages people to think their opinions are important, when they're mostly junk and garbage.  I'm also semi-convinced the current 20something generation has been chewing lead paint chips, because someone told them it was bad and they wanted to be contrarian.  FB is no worse than Reddit...which does suggest an age and possibly social media thing.

I'm intrigued by this "smart group" concept you relay here.

And yeah, people just prance about on Facebook posting their opinions everywhere as if they are filled with the assurance that they're important. They get enjoyably riled up when you tell them their opinion is irrelevant, too. 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Hi guys, I hope you've been well.  -snip-
-RWHN

Hey, speaking of the lowest common denominator!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Today, I noticed that someone had added me to a politics and sociology group, so I checked it out. It was full of semi-familiar names, I assume from other Discordian groups. The dialogue, though, revolved almost entirely around racism and feminism, and as I read through I realized exactly what the driving factor behind "disco" FB groups is; most of these people are actually stupid as fuck. I mean, just plain plumb-bob stupid. They're in there DEBATING THINGS THAT HAVE FACTUAL ANSWERS THEY COULD JUST LOOK UP. There were a few people with functional intellects fighting the good fight, but it was pretty evident that they were frustrated and discouraged by the tide of idiocy pressing back at them.

So that kind of made me wonder; due in large part to this forum, and well as the members of the Pigdog Cabal who introduced me to Discordianism in the Bay area ca. 1993, I am accustomed to Discordians being some of the smartest people I know, as well as the least likely to cling to outdated modes of thinking (status quo of racism, sexism, etc.) simply because they're comfortable. These FB Discos are (mostly) blithering fucking idiots with little education and minimal critical thinking skills, dinosaurically defending 20th-century-status-quo modes of thought. They seem, in many ways, to be the opposite of neophiles; it's more like some of them are using "disco" as a cover for their teabagger impulses. What is it that attracts them to Discordianism, then? Is it that they perceive it as a philosophy in which reality and critical thinking can be set aside completely, allowing them to feel smart in a reality where empirical facts are relegated to the status of mere opinion? Do they feel like it gives them license to be "edgy", using the excuse of not being "PC"?

Two words: anything goes.

My main takeaway from FB discos is that they have severely latched onto that aspect of Discordianism, to the exclusion of every other idea apart from the most obvious memes.

Yes. My burning question is, why? The only real answer I have so far is that they aren't very bright, so pretending that nothing has meaning anyway allows them to feel smart without all the work of actually learning something.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Do they feel like it gives them license to be "edgy", using the excuse of not being "PC"?

Yes.

I think that this forum, in contrast, benefits from it's smaller membership. It helps that a lot of the regulars are, as you mention, pretty smart.

No. This leads to SGITR.

You don't become a SGiTR by getting used to being one of many smart people. You get it by getting used to being the only smart person around for so long that you come to assume  that you are the only smart person everywhere you go. I actually think that Facebook groups foster the phenomenon, because if you happen to be one above-average person in a pool of morons, pretty soon you come to assume that you'll always be the smartest person in any given company. I think that's why so many people come here to tell us what; it worked on Facebook, and they think they'll just pop in and become instant celebrities here. Then they spout some stupid bullshit, and instead of becoming the adoring fanbase they expected, people here go "Yeah actually I think that was pretty bad reasoning, let me explain why". Butthurt ensues, and ultimately they decide to go back to Facebook or Reddit or Tumblr or Twitter, where they have a lowest-common-denominator crowd to tell them how smart they sound when they use big words.

Facebook groups are really fascinating. It's just Dunning Kruger all over the place. One particularly strange event was when some dude was trying to give legal advice to someone, and the actual lawyer in the conversation was like, "seriously, don't listen to this guy, he's giving you terrible advice."

That's classic.