Jeff is what most people would call a conspiracy nut. He firmly believes that there is a vast conspiracy by "the powers that be" (henceforth referred to as "TPTB") to kill off a big chunk of humanity, and reduce the survivors to serfdom. He believes that both political parties are mere tools of TPTB, and that the entire government has been corrupted and works towards the ends of TPTB.
Some people laugh at Jeff...some people, but not me. Jeff is, of course, more right than he knows...The proof of this being that if the government is willing to admit to things like the Tuskegee Syphilis experiments, inventing crack cocaine to fund CIA adventures, and spraying "harmless" viral agents over 2 American cities for the purpose of studying biological warfare...what are they not telling us?
Until a few months ago, Jeff was a republican who was for the various wars we are in, thought that torture was acceptable if unpalatable, and that one party was actually out for our best interests. Watching him snap out of these particular delusions was refreshing; it gives me a bit of hope that maybe I'm wrong about the general run of mankind...that perhaps if the average Joe was given 10 minutes to catch his breath, then there would be a cleansing of the temple.
The only downside is that when you first open your eyes, there's so many hideous truths to see that you start thinking that everything is something sinister. This tends to make an individual a little shrill, because the panic that sets in when you realize that everyone around you still believes that everything is fine tends to make you panic a little. The solution? "Bob". Hand the poor bastard a copy of Revelation X, and point out chapter two.
A person who just now sees that there's a huge goddamn machine bearing down on him isn't really ready for Eris. Not yet. First he needs "Bob", and the capacity to laugh at doom that "Bob" brings. He needs to read Orton Nenslo's essays on not freaking out and making yourself totally unbelievable. He needs a little perspective...the CoN has been setting this shit up for 300 years, so you aren't going to topple it tomorrow, and many Greys will KILL you before they let you upset their comfortable little delusions.
In short, a new biped needs to learn to not toss himself beneath the clattering treads of The Machine.
So what do you do when you know someone like who Jeff used to be, maybe someone who still isn't quite awake, but is smart enough to sense that maybe things aren't as pretty and nice as we're told? Don't preach at them. That will simply make YOU unbelievable. No, instead, it's better to occasionally bring up an ugly fact or two, in a casual manner. That way, when he starts screaming that the government is rounding up citizens and we need to grab our shotguns and put The Machine down, you can explain the truth to him with a little credibility.
You can explain to him that the LAST thing he needs to do is go off half-cocked, and become just another example of the "lone nut" or "domestic terrorist" to showcase on the evening news. You can explain to him that there ARE ways to fight back, ways that don't result in a beneath-the-fold headline about a guy that shot up a DMV or whatever the hell else was handy. And if this happens enough, if we give a damn enough to help guys like Jeff orient themselves to a terrifying new reality, then our numbers grow...and as our numbers grow, so does our ability to deal with the horrible shit that's being done to us.
This is a patience game. The CoN is strong, but it makes mistakes, and the noose hasn't quite closed yet, so there's no need to panic just yet. What we need is to learn to discern between the average cabbage and guys like Jeff. And even though there IS time, there ISN'T an infinite amount of it.
So this is how the world is changed. Not from the presidential podium, not from the pulpit, but instead at Denny's and the local coffee shop and wherever the hell else you find folks like Jeff. But Jeff isn't going to come to you, so allow me to suggest that maybe you take some of the time you have dedicated to bickering on the internet and use it out on the street, looking for our glorious horde of freaks with which to TEAR DOWN THE ABOMINATION THAT STANDS ON THE NECKS OF OUR FELLOW MUTANTS! GET OFF YOUR ARSE WHILE YOU STILL HAVE ONE!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Or Kill Me.
How do you do that? How do you pick things out of people's heads that they don't even have words for yet, then write about them like this?
Anyhow, I'm saving this. This touched me, right down to the bottom of my heart. Maybe deeper, perhaps even as low as the colon.
:mittens: WOW. Felix is right, this resonates deep, deep down. Well done, Rog--informational, advising, but not patronizing or pedantic. Perfect.
Quote from: Felix on April 01, 2009, 02:44:24 AM
How do you do that? How do you pick things out of people's heads that they don't even have words for yet, then write about them like this?
Rain God.
Quote from: Jenne on April 01, 2009, 03:08:22 AM
:mittens: WOW. Felix is right, this resonates deep, deep down. Well done, Rog--informational, advising, but not patronizing or pedantic. Perfect.
Thanks. :oops:
First, :mittens:
Second, I probably know a good four or five Jeffs. They like to talk to me about "truth" and yet, for some reason, i just can't seem to get through to them. A common thing about the Jeffs I know is they don't really give you much room for input. It's like as long as they can get you to smile and nod at their delusions then they're reinforced. ... Perhaps it's time I read a little Revelation X...and this Orton Nenslo sounds quite interesting.
Quote from: Burns on April 01, 2009, 03:54:46 AM
First, :mittens:
Second, I probably know a good four or five Jeffs. They like to talk to me about "truth" and yet, for some reason, i just can't seem to get through to them. A common thing about the Jeffs I know is they don't really give you much room for input. It's like as long as they can get you to smile and nod at their delusions then they're reinforced. ... Perhaps it's time I read a little Revelation X...and this Orton Nenslo sounds quite interesting.
Orton Nenslo, hate-wise, is to me what I am to Mr Rogers.
very nice.
:golfclap:
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
very nice.
:golfclap:
A golf clap? :x
Have I lost my mojo?
seriously...
Quote"The Twenty-first century, for its first few years, was starting to look like the worst century of my life. That part where that one insane billionaire master criminal made all the other insane billionaire master criminals mad so that everybody else in the world now has to be treated as if THEY are insane master criminals to insure their safety, that was the part I really didn't like. Being expected to act grateful for the fact that my "safety" is in the hands of people who believe I will murder thousands if I am allowed to carry a plastic fork seems a lot for the Global Plutocracy to demand of me."
Orton Nenslo
...This guy is awesome!
I've been hearing a lot of Jeff's at work. It's funny as hell to see somebody finally admit that the Republicans are just serving their corporate masters, then rant at Democrats that the Dems are doing the same thing.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 01, 2009, 04:08:37 AM
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
very nice.
:golfclap:
A golf clap? :x
Have I lost my mojo?
:retard:
No. it was fuckin awesome.
i was just attempting to show austere erudition to maintain the respectible nature of the foil hattery (which i share) as presented in the rant.
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:50:00 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 01, 2009, 04:08:37 AM
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
very nice.
:golfclap:
A golf clap? :x
Have I lost my mojo?
:retard:
No. it was fuckin awesome.
i was just attempting to show austere erudition to maintain the respectible nature of the foil hattery (which i share) as presented in the rant.
Oh, okay. Had me worried, there.
It occurs to me, in retrospect, that I *am* a Jeff, just one that got started early.
Whenever I talk to any Conspiracy Nuts or anyone in a postion of power I never try to preach at them, I don't even try to drop the horrible facts, those are becoming plain to see for even the most dimwitted now besides if the sinister plan has become so transparent then its probably entering its final stages (or at least a crucial part),
what I do is just make OUR con seem like the more fun, more Interesting and more in control option.
Discord: we get laid more then the Bavarian Illuminati.
Quote from: Requia on April 04, 2009, 09:42:59 AM
It occurs to me, in retrospect, that I *am* a Jeff, just one that got started early.
Same here.
Unfortunately for me, most of this is really new, though I grew up with a conspiracy nut. I prefer to learn things for myself, guess that it would have saved time to just listen.
TPTB want to control us; true. TPTB want to enslave us to their desires; true. TPTB want to kill off most of us; false. I say this because even those monkey-brained, power-hungry, over-paid individuals that DO want to rule us know that there needs to be someone to do the WORK.
In our reality, money is the real power these days, and to get money one must either steal from one who produces, or earn it, or as a last resort, beg for handouts along the road. Most all politicians fall into the first catagory, as do some so called "charities". I soetimes wonder why they even bother to call them "non-profit organizations". The vast majority of the individuals left are forced to fall into one of the two remaining catagories. We work to earn money, through services, or production, or we beg for it either on the streets or through the welfare system.TPTB need the masses to make the money, or who would they steal it from.
I think that what they really want is complete and utter subjugation of the masses to their will, as well as their laws. That, I will oppose to my last breath.
As for recruiting others, I find it easier to simply share with them the little bit of Truth that I have discovered. Perhaps it will be enough, but it is unlikely.
Quote from: Faust on April 04, 2009, 11:16:17 AM
Whenever I talk to any Conspiracy Nuts or anyone in a postion of power I never try to preach at them, I don't even try to drop the horrible facts, those are becoming plain to see for even the most dimwitted now besides if the sinister plan has become so transparent then its probably entering its final stages (or at least a crucial part),
what I do is just make OUR con seem like the more fun, more Interesting and more in control option.
Discord: we get laid more then the Bavarian Illuminati.
Wo Ho & not meaning to detract from TGRR's sermons! (& I like what you said there too ^ Faithless) but THIS I must clarify. Getting laid is an important albeit perplexing issue. :wink:
Quotehttp://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1421/whats-the-deal-with-the-church-of-the-subgenius
Philosophically, the church owes it's origin to the Discordian movement of the late 60's and 70's. The first pamphlet of the Church ("The World ends tomorrow and You may Die!") reads a lot like the "bible" of Discordianism, "The Principia Discordia." In fact, as Stang wrote in an e-mail to this author, "The only difference I've been able to see between Discordians and SubGeniuses, is that SubGeniuses get laid."
What's the deal with getting laid?
Quote from: Honey on April 04, 2009, 11:04:54 PM
What's the deal with getting laid?
Let's go back to my place and find out.
-toa,
is cheating on roger
Quote from: Honey on April 04, 2009, 11:04:54 PM
What's the deal with getting laid?
No shit. I haven't gotten laid since Maria and I split. Which may explain my laser-like hatred.
Quote from: Honey on April 04, 2009, 11:04:54 PM
Quote
Philosophically, the church owes it's origin to the Discordian movement of the late 60's and 70's. The first pamphlet of the Church ("The World ends tomorrow and You may Die!") reads a lot like the "bible" of Discordianism, "The Principia Discordia." In fact, as Stang wrote in an e-mail to this author, "The only difference I've been able to see between Discordians and SubGeniuses, is that SubGeniuses get laid."
What's the deal with getting laid?
Consider the age of the average discordian to the average sub-genii
Quote from: Aufenthatt on April 04, 2009, 11:18:43 PM
Consider the age of the average discordian to the average sub-genii
Ooh! Ooh! Can I be the first to make an "average" joke?
-toa,
too excited
hhhmmmm
Quote from: Honey on April 04, 2009, 11:04:54 PM
Quote from: Faust on April 04, 2009, 11:16:17 AM
Whenever I talk to any Conspiracy Nuts or anyone in a postion of power I never try to preach at them, I don't even try to drop the horrible facts, those are becoming plain to see for even the most dimwitted now besides if the sinister plan has become so transparent then its probably entering its final stages (or at least a crucial part),
what I do is just make OUR con seem like the more fun, more Interesting and more in control option.
Discord: we get laid more then the Bavarian Illuminati.
Wo Ho & not meaning to detract from TGRR's sermons! (& I like what you said there too ^ Faithless) but THIS I must clarify. Getting laid is an important albeit perplexing issue. :wink:
Quotehttp://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1421/whats-the-deal-with-the-church-of-the-subgenius
Philosophically, the church owes it's origin to the Discordian movement of the late 60's and 70's. The first pamphlet of the Church ("The World ends tomorrow and You may Die!") reads a lot like the "bible" of Discordianism, "The Principia Discordia." In fact, as Stang wrote in an e-mail to this author, "The only difference I've been able to see between Discordians and SubGeniuses, is that SubGeniuses get laid."
What's the deal with getting laid?
Not much a deal for me. i'm talking about from an image standpoint and how try to portray us to the masses, it was a throwaway example. I also tell people we are successful and are millions in number.
Got'cha, Discordians are intelligent, successful, number in the millions & get laid all the time.
Quote from: Honey on April 05, 2009, 01:37:45 AM
Got'cha, Discordians are intelligent, successful, number in the millions & get laid all the time.
Now that's what I call
delirium!
I try. :D
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 01, 2009, 01:46:45 AM
Jeff is what most people would call a conspiracy nut. He firmly believes that there is a vast conspiracy by "the powers that be" (henceforth referred to as "TPTB") to kill off a big chunk of humanity, and reduce the survivors to serfdom. He believes that both political parties are mere tools of TPTB, and that the entire government has been corrupted and works towards the ends of TPTB.
Some people laugh at Jeff...some people, but not me. Jeff is, of course, more right than he knows...The proof of this being that if the government is willing to admit to things like the Tuskegee Syphilis experiments, inventing crack cocaine to fund CIA adventures, and spraying "harmless" viral agents over 2 American cities for the purpose of studying biological warfare...what are they not telling us?
Until a few months ago, Jeff was a republican who was for the various wars we are in, thought that torture was acceptable if unpalatable, and that one party was actually out for our best interests. Watching him snap out of these particular delusions was refreshing; it gives me a bit of hope that maybe I'm wrong about the general run of mankind...that perhaps if the average Joe was given 10 minutes to catch his breath, then there would be a cleansing of the temple.
The only downside is that when you first open your eyes, there's so many hideous truths to see that you start thinking that everything is something sinister. This tends to make an individual a little shrill, because the panic that sets in when you realize that everyone around you still believes that everything is fine tends to make you panic a little. The solution? "Bob". Hand the poor bastard a copy of Revelation X, and point out chapter two.
A person who just now sees that there's a huge goddamn machine bearing down on him isn't really ready for Eris. Not yet. First he needs "Bob", and the capacity to laugh at doom that "Bob" brings. He needs to read Orton Nenslo's essays on not freaking out and making yourself totally unbelievable. He needs a little perspective...the CoN has been setting this shit up for 300 years, so you aren't going to topple it tomorrow, and many Greys will KILL you before they let you upset their comfortable little delusions.
In short, a new biped needs to learn to not toss himself beneath the clattering treads of The Machine.
So what do you do when you know someone like who Jeff used to be, maybe someone who still isn't quite awake, but is smart enough to sense that maybe things aren't as pretty and nice as we're told? Don't preach at them. That will simply make YOU unbelievable. No, instead, it's better to occasionally bring up an ugly fact or two, in a casual manner. That way, when he starts screaming that the government is rounding up citizens and we need to grab our shotguns and put The Machine down, you can explain the truth to him with a little credibility.
You can explain to him that the LAST thing he needs to do is go off half-cocked, and become just another example of the "lone nut" or "domestic terrorist" to showcase on the evening news. You can explain to him that there ARE ways to fight back, ways that don't result in a beneath-the-fold headline about a guy that shot up a DMV or whatever the hell else was handy. And if this happens enough, if we give a damn enough to help guys like Jeff orient themselves to a terrifying new reality, then our numbers grow...and as our numbers grow, so does our ability to deal with the horrible shit that's being done to us.
This is a patience game. The CoN is strong, but it makes mistakes, and the noose hasn't quite closed yet, so there's no need to panic just yet. What we need is to learn to discern between the average cabbage and guys like Jeff. And even though there IS time, there ISN'T an infinite amount of it.
So this is how the world is changed. Not from the presidential podium, not from the pulpit, but instead at Denny's and the local coffee shop and wherever the hell else you find folks like Jeff. But Jeff isn't going to come to you, so allow me to suggest that maybe you take some of the time you have dedicated to bickering on the internet and use it out on the street, looking for our glorious horde of freaks with which to TEAR DOWN THE ABOMINATION THAT STANDS ON THE NECKS OF OUR FELLOW MUTANTS! GET OFF YOUR ARSE WHILE YOU STILL HAVE ONE!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Or Kill Me.
Please excuse the getting laid distraction posts! (Pulling my leg & wut) :)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Quote from: Honey on April 05, 2009, 04:38:04 PM
Please excuse the getting laid distraction posts! (Pulling my leg & wut) :)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Pulling your leg?
Quote from: the other anonymous on April 04, 2009, 11:39:31 PM
Quote from: Aufenthatt on April 04, 2009, 11:18:43 PM
Consider the age of the average discordian to the average sub-genii
Ooh! Ooh! Can I be the first to make an "average" joke?
-toa,
too excited
I think I got there first
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 05, 2009, 11:12:23 PM
Quote from: Honey on April 05, 2009, 04:38:04 PM
Please excuse the getting laid distraction posts! (Pulling my leg & wut) :)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Pulling your leg?
I didn't know you were having marriage/relationship problems. There's nothing funny about that. I'm sorry you & your family are going though that. I hope things work out.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 01, 2009, 04:08:37 AM
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
very nice.
:golfclap:
A golf clap? :x
Have I lost my mojo?
No, it was much awesome.....and I can picture this..Too bad I'm not there to witness. *pout* Now that he's paranoid, does he still bicker?
Quote from: Sister_Gothique on April 08, 2009, 02:20:57 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 01, 2009, 04:08:37 AM
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
very nice.
:golfclap:
A golf clap? :x
Have I lost my mojo?
No, it was much awesome.....and I can picture this..Too bad I'm not there to witness. *pout* Now that he's paranoid, does he still bicker?
Oh, hell yes. He slapped the dogshit out of Greg, right in front of Hat's.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 08, 2009, 02:35:39 AM
Quote from: Sister_Gothique on April 08, 2009, 02:20:57 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 01, 2009, 04:08:37 AM
Quote from: Iptuous on April 01, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
very nice.
:golfclap:
A golf clap? :x
Have I lost my mojo?
No, it was much awesome.....and I can picture this..Too bad I'm not there to witness. *pout* Now that he's paranoid, does he still bicker?
Oh, hell yes. He slapped the dogshit out of Greg, right in front of Hat's.
I would have paid good money just to see that.
Damn Skippy Rog. That's how I do it, just listen with an occasional well placed comment or two.
:mittens:
I like it, and it resonates because we're all Jeff n some way. Who doesn't remember the slow horror setting in?
Bump for use elsewhere.
It's still awesome. This one could be relevant for a longass time, I think.