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Deep Thoughts By VJJ Handy

VJJPunisher

Necromancing the stone
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 30, 2010
4,255
1,070
prison purse
Editor’s note- This is not about politics, this is about how far our country has lost it’s moral compass.

Even though I’m not even in the Country the climate over the past few years, yes I said years, has been making me sick. I have felt this for a while but the recent anti gun retardation kinda just boiled it over. You know what makes me sick……….

It makes me sick that professional sports players are making millions upon millions of dollars playing a FUCKING SPORT while police officers, firefighters, teachers, Soldiers, factory workers are lucky to pull in 40k. How bout Capping ALL pro sports salaries to say 200-250k a year, this by the vast majority of Americans is a very healthy income. This would do a few things, one being if the current players didn’t like it, quit. It would keep all players equal and bring back a love of the game instead of love of fame and endorsements, this in my opinion is why college sports are so much more raw and true. It’s a shame that a guy playing GOLF can be a billionaire while a disabled vet cant find a job flipping burgers.

It makes me sick at how soft our country has become.

It makes me sick how a piece of shit murderer or rapist can get three hot meals, a college education, a roof, a hot shower, free clothes, free cable TV, vocational training, earn a form of income all while the aforementioned 40k a year busting his ass for his family and community factory worker or firefighter pays for it with their taxes. The death penalty should be enforced, swiftly and with extreme vigor.

It makes me sick the young Xbox generation coming up right now. They get a task to complete and instead of implanting a plan to accomplish it they start with bitching and wanting to know “why”, we are breeding mindless sheep that could tell you every map on call of duty but couldn’t tell you who signed the declaration of independence, fucking sick.

I have an idea though this country would never allow it, why not do as the majority of countries and have a mandatory 2 year service obligation from every American male from 18-20 years old? This would do A LOT of things. For one it would make a lot of snot nosed spoiled kids grow the fuck up, it would solve all our recruiting issues since a good portion would see military life isn’t that bad a lifetstyle and would choose to stay. It would give kids from dirt poor families and the hood a chance to get out of where they come instead of becoming gang bangers sucking the life out of society. It would at a minimum let future senate, congress, politicians at least have a rough idea what the military does and how they do it.

Know what makes me sick, FACEBOOK. Now I get how it’s a useful tool even though I choose not to be apart of it but it’s shit like facebook that is making our youths socially retarded. The next time your on a subway, at the mall, at a café take a look around and count how many faces are plastered to their phones. I was at my 6 year old son’s taekwando practice the other day watchin him and I look around the bleachers and every single parent there were playing on their phones, and we wonder why our younger generations are lacking. This was a study I found about Facebook-

“Research performed by psychologists from Edinburgh Napier University indicated that Facebook adds stress to users' lives. Causes of stress included fear of missing important social information, fear of offending contacts, discomfort or guilt from rejecting user requests or deleting unwanted contacts or being unfriended or blocked by Facebook friends or other users, the displeasure of having friend requests rejected or ignored, the pressure to be entertaining, criticism or intimidation from other Facebook users, and having to use appropriate etiquette for different types of friends.[84] Many people who started using Facebook for positive purposes or with positive expectations have found that the website has negatively impacted their lives” or this gem….

“A joint study conducted by two German universities demonstrated Facebook envy and found that as many as one out of three people actually feel worse and less satisfied with their lives after visiting the site. Vacation photos were found to be the most common source of feelings of resentment and jealousy. After that, social interaction was the second biggest cause of envy, as Facebook users compare the number of birthday greetings, likes, and comments to those of their friends. Visitors who contributed the least tended to feel the worst.”

My interpretation-Facebook is the devil

Sorry for the rant, and thank you for spending a moment in deep thoughts with VJJ, I am truly concerned about our society and our direction, and this is coming from a mouth breather so we must be in trouble…….
 
Yeah I feel pretty much the same. The whole issue with criminals really pisses me off. I am a strong believer that if you rape, murder, or molest. You get a bullet or a rope. I think that's fair. You get a choice at least. These criminals are no longer contributing anything positive to our society. Repeat offender? That shouldn't even be possible, but we as a country allow it.

Kids these days... A large portion of them have no respect for other people or their property. I would be locked up for years, if I could smack all the kids, and adults. That need to respect their elders, treat others with respect, and act civil. My dad would have beat my little ass had I done half the crap I see today. I see 10-12 year old kids in the PX and shoppette with Iphones. I swear they rot their damn brains with that. I mean go outside, read a book, make something. Do ANYTHING other than sit ( here I am ) on the computer all the time, or phone, facebook whatever it may be.

The whole country seems to be focused on all the little, stupid, pointless, things in life. Nothing of substance. That's why I agree and have said since I graduated basic. That every person should serve a mandatory two years of service. You can choose your branch, but two years of military service. That way they can learn gratitude, respect, discipline, integrity, all the things that should make you a better person, and be someone that will contribute to society. Not that athletes aren't well respected for their athletic feats, but I don't think we should hold them so high.

Trust me when I say I know how you feel and I feel the same. Teach your kids right and contribute positively to society, I don't know what else we can do. The rest of my feelings, well I would have to find a site to talk politics as this site is muddied enough with that even though its not condoned. VJJ, if your ever in the Tacoma area and want to shoot or have a beer or something. I think we would could agree on a lot of things.

First rounds on me, stay frosty.

Will
 
I gotta agree 150%!!! Society is rotten at its core. We have gotten so materialistic, that both parents must work----just to keep up with the Jones's. This leaves the kids to their own devices---mostly video games and TV, both of which are mostly pointless at best, or downright scummy at the mid point. There is a lack of parenting. The kids don't have real role models. The athletes are spoiled punks for the most part, and actors and actresses----well, I won't even go there!
The rest of the time, the kids are at school, where their heads are being filled with all kinds of non-sense, and instead of being shepherded and allowed to grow up, they are told---No Bullies!, No Playing Cowboys and Indians!, No This!, No That!....the list goes on and on. Then, at home, the parents are too worn out (or maybe too caught up on FaceBook), to spend time finding out what went on in school, and using that for life-lessons.
We have an enormous amount of "Mental Health" issues at large today. I don't remember any where near that much when I was a kid----don't just say it's because we have become more aware of them now----I believe it's because kids aren't being parented, and aren't learning at home how to cope with issues. I'm no psychologist, but I believe that if a kid has a good home and family life, the kid can learn to deal with nearly all emotional and mental issues, because they have the support and guidance to help them as youngsters to learn what to do with them. We have so many broken homes, single parent homes, etc. Why? We are so interested in all the wrong things---money, personal satisfaction, whatever--- and many people who spawn and give birth to kids have no time to raise them. Instead, they let the schools and TV raise their kids, all the while trying to be the kid's friend, not the parent. What do we see on TV? Violence, Sex, normalization of Aberrant Behaviors, you name it, it's there, all except religion or faith in God---that is offensive to those who preach "Free Speach." And so, the kids grow up directionless, lost, and some of them turn to drugs, some to gangs, some search for fame (even if it is negative, such as a school shooting.)
Question is, how do we get a hold on our society? What can we do to arrest this downward spiral that is rushing us to destruction as a society? Certainly not by making more laws! Maybe, if we allow God back into our lives, we could change things???

If you come to Philly, PM me...I can't promise to be available, but first round is on me if I am....
Tim
 
+1000
We're screwed. I dropped Facebook like a bad habit. Rather waste my time here in the hide:D

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
Is that the place were you open up to the world, about how important you are, once was or are going to be? Sounds like a place for a better than average shot at self destruction to me,... but as old as I am what do I know.
Core values of the Strong, are never traded for money or stature.
 
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You know VJJ, on the rare occasion you post something in a serious manner I actually tend to agree with you. All the things you mentioned in your original post are things I have personally addressed to others on multiple occasions.

I don't watch sports and have wished for salary caps for those arrogant POS's for a long time, I only have a FB because my wife insists on us having a joint account but she does 98% of the activity on it, and my kid will not have a cell phone.
 
All excellent points. I watched a girl walk face first into the glass beside the automatic door at Wally World yesterday, she apparently couldn't see past the phone. However, I can't blame Facebook, it's only a tool. I use it to keep in touch with ONLY people I already know, half of which are family. I think parents are the problem. They let technology replace human interaction. This is the pussified generation coming into full swing, and they are only trying to make it worse. Kids in school can't even play as superman without being told that's not allowed.
 
So I'm not retarded because I don't have a Facebook page. Well I'll be damned. I'm with VJJ 100% on this stuff. Things are going south in a hurry
 
FB is of the devil. I was addicted in my college days, but since then only log on once or twice a week for 5min at most. Now my primary reason to maintain an account is for the giveaways, haha. Plus it looks like it's slowing down (http://www.businessinsider.com/its-official-teens-are-bored-of-facebook-2013-3). The downside is teens now are flocking to Twitter and Instagram further reducing their attention spans.

The ONLY redeeming quality of Twitter is Cloyd Rivers (you can read his stuff via Google without joining). Here is one of his latest tidbits of wisdom: "Not everybody drives trucks, not everybody drinks sweet tea, and not everybody owns guns. Them folks is foreigners. Merica"
 
I feel ya, brother, but I' have to draw the line at Salary Caps for private sector employees. Would you have the owners keep all of the profits? Believe it or not, even those astronomical salaries are governed by S&D. If there was no market for it, they wouldn't exist.
 
I enjoy facebook. Get on about twice a day. Often the only way I keep up with some long distance friends from high school or college. Can be addicting, so is beer and whiskey. I enjoy them also. Have about 1 drink a week. We have always been tempted by things. It is self control and knowing/judging what is good and bad for us. Or be bad for those around us. I don't drink much because of alcoholics in my family. It is a bad influence for them. I am lucky and not an alcoholic. My sister sees me drink and wants to join in like a 3 year with candy. Some things we simply can not have, some things we can have plenty of and not effect us in a bad way. Internet and smart phones make communication very easy. I believe it will only get easier. This is good and bad.
This is still the #1 country. I wouldn't want to live any other place. This whole world is messed up right now. Largely due to how quickly we can communicate. This ability came on very quickly. I can hope we will adapt to it better and be more stable. At that point we will have another thing to adapt to. It is an amazing time we live in. I feel like I am on facebook. Group hug? haha..
 
You hit most of the nail on the head VJJ, only thing I would disagree with is the players salaries. These guys get a ridiculous amount of money, however, professional sports is a massive money making entertainment machine. The team owners make astronomically MORE than the players! Take NHL Hockey for example, the revenue split is 50/50... 50% is divided among about 650 players and the other 50% goes to 30 owners. Everything you can think of is branded with a team logo... I can't blame the players for getting every penny they can since the entire system is dependent upon them being the entertainers.
As for societal decay outside of that, I agree with you entirely. Facebook and the like are destroying the future generations ability to communicate with each other. The massive pussification campaign going on in our schools is creating a generation with no conflict resolution skills. When they are finally faced with a conflict, instead of taking a punch, they approach it just like in the video games they play all day and go get a weapon. They have no appreciation for life and no concept of morality or the finality of the fatal decisions they are making. Those that do act out get drugged into submission by apathetic parents. It's a truly shameful state of affairs....
 
I guess with facebook and he SH its what you want out of it. I like the SH to keep track of whats what in the precision rifle field, as to Facebook, its the only place I know where I can keep up with Vintage APD, a group of retirees from the Anchorage Police Dept.

Can't find this type of pistol qualfications any more, even on the SH.

APD%20firearms%20training.jpg
 
VJJ, there is only one point to which I don't quite agree with your Opening Post on this thread.

You haven't exactly stated your case VEHEMENTLY ENOUGH!!!

This stuff needs to be driven into the masses now, before it is too late. I, the optimist, am of the delusion that it is not too late already. Back me up on this, guys.... we need the faith.

The USA is not the only civilization that is swirling the drain. Canada is too. But we're hanging on, and we actually DO have a lot of folks in the West here, where work is actually required and appreciated and rewarded. Oil-Sands work, running cows, checking fence-lines, growing crops, manufacturing lumber, technological research.

You know, actual "doing" stuff, and also some actual "thinking" stuff. Near unheard of nowadays.
 
I feel ya, brother, but I' have to draw the line at Salary Caps for private sector employees. Would you have the owners keep all of the profits? Believe it or not, even those astronomical salaries are governed by S&D. If there was no market for it, they wouldn't exist.

Agree with you 100% sir.

If the market will bear a genetically-altered, steroid-induced giant mutant playing a kids game for a million dollars a minute, I'm ok with that.

The problem is circular, and goes right back around to VJJs point to begin with. The foolish Kardashian-comatized people that pay the ticket prices make it all possible.

I think the issue can be traced back to the breakdown of the family. When you have two parents, truly VESTED in the rearing of a child, you wind up with better children and people. Not to say a single parent can't possibly raise a good kid...but...

Human offspring require a HUGE investment. Evolution designed humans to raise children in pairs for a reason.
 
I agree with much of what you're saying VJJ.

Anyone remember the guy in NY sometime back who started the fires and then shot a few of the fireman who showed up to do their jobs. Dude beat his grandmother to death with a hammer, served like 20 yrs and was released. I'm sorry, but there's no going back when you beat your grandmother to death with a fucking hammer.
 
I think the issue can be traced back to the breakdown of the family. When you have two parents, truly VESTED in the rearing of a child, you wind up with better children and people. Not to say a single parent can't possibly raise a good kid...but...

Human offspring require a HUGE investment. Evolution designed humans to raise children in pairs for a reason.

I agree. I think the saying goes something like "It takes a village to raise a child". My wife and I are raising our two children. She is a stay at home Mom and home schools the kids. We are lucky enough to have a farm in which the kids get to learn about chores and taking care of animals. Also, this allows them the opportunity to learn where their food comes from. I dread the day when they go off into the world.
 
VJJ, I know you think Im a douche bag, but coming from a member of Team Douchenozzle Ill take that as a compliment. I agree with a lot of what you say. I do disagree in two places:

-While I agree that pro sports players earn absolutely unconscionable salaries for playing a "fucking sport" as you so aptly phrased it, I think that capping' them would be a clear violation of free enterprise in a free society. I just don't go to the games. Fuckem.

-Secondly, I disagree that Fakebook is the devil. Its just a tool, like a gun or a hammer. How one uses it determines its worth. As said above, I keep with a couple of old friends. Stress out over it.Bwahahahaah.

All in all, well written, but chill out. The world's going to hell in a handbasket...enjoy the ride.

Maggot out.
 
I agree with this thread, and its assessment of American life. I used to be a teacher, but I was sick of trying to fight for my students attention. All were on electronics: texting, surfing, or out right playing computer games. No bones were made about hiding it. It was almost as if when I told them to listen up and copy this stuff down that I was asking them to take time away from their jobs and do something irrelevant. Of course they were paying to be there....

But the treatment of criminals is what really made me want to comment on this thread.

My grandfather, a marine and vet of the Korean war, has been in the hospital since Feb 6th. Staring at the wall while he receives treatment. Why the wall? Well because TV is 15 dollars PER DAY, and he is unable to afford it. I offered, but he did not want the money spent on him.

So why am I mad? Well the last time I visited him, the other guy in the room was handcuffed to the bed with 7 rounds in his gut. Seems the little gang banger got shot that morning, and my tax dollars had to put his useless ass back together. The best part, that little turd had FULL CABLE! Here he is a criminal, and has a better hospital treatment and luxuries than my grandfather, who is a vet. WTF.
 
My original post was brought on by a few things but in particular It was the other morning when I had a discussion with this new guy that works for me, got here bout 2 weeks ago, 19 years old, and typical of what we are discussing. He thinks the world owes him something, has never worked a day in his life, and cant fathom how I crush his soul when he is on Facebook when he is supposed to be completing a task I set him out to do.

Anyway, to those that commented about Facebook, well I do truly see it's uses. I understand hillbilly, Kraig, and Maggot's point and it is just a tool. I do also agree 100% its all about control and not becoming so obcessed with it, which seems to be happening alot. However it is my opinion and choice to not partake in the FB koolaid, and I dont think less of those that do, it was just a point as to our current culture. My wife uses FB quite regular but she uses it mainly to stay in touch with family as we are a few miles away.

concerning the Pro sports gojillionaires, yes I know, there's no real way to change any of that, I just find it appalling at the amounts of money guys make playing a sport. I guess the real issue is more so that whether we like it or not these clowns are role models for our youth, and what are we getting, we are getting thugs that shoot themselves in bars, buy prostitutes, have affairs with 30 wimmins while married, etc etc. Where are the days where your Father was your role model, those days are slipping away and it's sad.

Maggot, I dont think you're a douchebag though I may have said that in joking, but I do think you can act like a Douchebag when your trying to stir the pot, which is who you are. I dont believe enjoying the ride is something I can do while our culture is crushed, though I may just have to.

Sniper Uncle, don't know that I will ever make it that far east but if I do you're on

Kraig, I have a mancrush on you and everything you ever type, thanks for your many posts of wisdom. P.S. The closest guy in that pic looks like he is either gettin ready to soil himself or trying to hide a boner, maybe both.

So, how do we bring back the Family unit, Values, Morals? I know there's no good answer, just an observation that is scary. By the way, I'm only 34, well i'll be 35 this month, so it's not like I'm a crusty bastard like a bunch of you fossils, and If I'm seeing a degradation in society in my life I can only imagine the thoughts of the older generations..........
 
Amen brother! I don't have to enjoy the ride. I am going down kicking an screaming. At one time I had twenty-seven young people under my direct report. You could tell quickly which ones had good parents. They knew why they were at work. Some just never got it. Trouble was that they also never got the "attention" they deserved due to the fact that I could not use the proper tools to get the message thru. Unions and bleeding heart libs protected their sorry asses so the hard workers just got to work harder.
As much as I hate the fact that guys who wouldn't lift a finger to do a real job will get paid millions to play sports I really hat the fact that they are called "heros" by the same media that demonizes soldiers and police officers as killers and thugs.
Facebook I resisted for a long time. It has turned out to be a good way to get to know who my real friends are and what my old friends that live far away are going thru. I do not live there and never will. If I live anywhere in the clouds it is here at SH.
Lastly, if there is only one thing I am proud of in my life it is my 27 year old son. He gets it. Hard working, respectful of others and self sufficient. Hopefully some of the goofs around him will catch on.
 
VJJ, I gotta say, I'm glad to find some other people who in many ways are concerned about a lot of the same things I am. It is also nice to see that you are young, and thinking along these lines. I am about to be 40, and I find so many times that I feel out of place, as I have the same values as people my parent's ages. It is refreshing to find other young people who have those values too. Thanks for starting this thread.
I travel a lot, all over the CONUS, so i might just be able to buy you a beer sometime without you having to come over here to the armpit of the world.

All you others who contributed, thanks for sharing your views, too. It is nice to know that one is not alone in one's values, and to see that there are others all over who are concerned with the status-quo also.
 
Amen brother! I don't have to enjoy the ride. I am going down kicking an screaming. At one time I had twenty-seven young people under my direct report. You could tell quickly which ones had good parents. They knew why they were at work. Some just never got it. Trouble was that they also never got the "attention" they deserved due to the fact that I could not use the proper tools to get the message thru. Unions and bleeding heart libs protected their sorry asses so the hard workers just got to work harder.
As much as I hate the fact that guys who wouldn't lift a finger to do a real job will get paid millions to play sports I really hat the fact that they are called "heros" by the same media that demonizes soldiers and police officers as killers and thugs.
Facebook I resisted for a long time. It has turned out to be a good way to get to know who my real friends are and what my old friends that live far away are going thru. I do not live there and never will. If I live anywhere in the clouds it is here at SH.
Lastly, if there is only one thing I am proud of in my life it is my 27 year old son. He gets it. Hard working, respectful of others and self sufficient. Hopefully some of the goofs around him will catch on.

Thanks for raising your son right. This goes to show that parenting, or lack thereof is a great contributor to where we are today, but that it is possible to raise children right even still.
 
I gotta agree 150%!!! Society is rotten at its core. We have gotten so materialistic, that both parents must work----just to keep up with the Jones's. This leaves the kids to their own devices---mostly video games and TV, both of which are mostly pointless at best, or downright scummy at the mid point. There is a lack of parenting. The kids don't have real role models. The athletes are spoiled punks for the most part, and actors and actresses----well, I won't even go there!
The rest of the time, the kids are at school, where their heads are being filled with all kinds of non-sense, and instead of being shepherded and allowed to grow up, they are told---No Bullies!, No Playing Cowboys and Indians!, No This!, No That!....the list goes on and on. Then, at home, the parents are too worn out (or maybe too caught up on FaceBook), to spend time finding out what went on in school, and using that for life-lessons.
We have an enormous amount of "Mental Health" issues at large today. I don't remember any where near that much when I was a kid----don't just say it's because we have become more aware of them now----I believe it's because kids aren't being parented, and aren't learning at home how to cope with issues. I'm no psychologist, but I believe that if a kid has a good home and family life, the kid can learn to deal with nearly all emotional and mental issues, because they have the support and guidance to help them as youngsters to learn what to do with them. We have so many broken homes, single parent homes, etc. Why? We are so interested in all the wrong things---money, personal satisfaction, whatever--- and many people who spawn and give birth to kids have no time to raise them. Instead, they let the schools and TV raise their kids, all the while trying to be the kid's friend, not the parent. What do we see on TV? Violence, Sex, normalization of Aberrant Behaviors, you name it, it's there, all except religion or faith in God---that is offensive to those who preach "Free Speach." And so, the kids grow up directionless, lost, and some of them turn to drugs, some to gangs, some search for fame (even if it is negative, such as a school shooting.)
Question is, how do we get a hold on our society? What can we do to arrest this downward spiral that is rushing us to destruction as a society? Certainly not by making more laws! Maybe, if we allow God back into our lives, we could change things???

If you come to Philly, PM me...I can't promise to be available, but first round is on me if I am....
Tim

This^^^^ It is not merely the US experiencing moral decline. The seemingly endless descent into darkness driven by the globalists agenda reaches across borders and oceans.
 
VJJ, I know you think Im a douche bag, but coming from a member of Team Douchenozzle Ill take that as a compliment. I agree with a lot of what you say. I do disagree in two places:

-While I agree that pro sports players earn absolutely unconscionable salaries for playing a "fucking sport" as you so aptly phrased it, I think that capping' them would be a clear violation of free enterprise in a free society. I just don't go to the games. Fuckem.
Maggot out.

What if this was all planned? :) The whole social engineering thing... dependency, etc.

Can't get upset at the pro athletes, it's the sheep that pays to watch them and buys their stuff right? I still agree though, a cancer researcher should make more than a pro athlete I believe. But if they cured cancer, how would big pharma make so much off each cancer stricken patient? I better stop there.

It's a fact a lot of people use facebook to seek validation. Why else would so many women take 35 pictures of themselves to get that 1 good pic?
 
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VJJ, there is only one point to which I don't quite agree with your Opening Post on this thread.

You haven't exactly stated your case VEHEMENTLY ENOUGH!!!

This stuff needs to be driven into the masses now, before it is too late. I, the optimist, am of the delusion that it is not too late already. Back me up on this, guys.... we need the faith.

The USA is not the only civilization that is swirling the drain. Canada is too. But we're hanging on, and we actually DO have a lot of folks in the West here, where work is actually required and appreciated and rewarded. Oil-Sands work, running cows, checking fence-lines, growing crops, manufacturing lumber, technological research.

You know, actual "doing" stuff, and also some actual "thinking" stuff. Near unheard of nowadays.

Well said neighbour, we in the prairie provinces are behind the curve as the pan handle of the north as it were. I too believe its not too late, but there are a whole lot of sheeple or should we call them zombies roaming the earth who need to wake up before its too late
 
VJJ I always suspected there was more than two brain cells bumping around in there. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I think you have come to some pretty factual conclusions.
That having been said; Don't let this stuff over whelm you. Remember about not sweating the stuff you can't change, just work on the stuff you can change.
And thanks for your service.... Brother!
 
i have learned and seen many things during my 16 years as a nail tech working at many different nail salons, trying not to get too disgruntled about these things. The wife and I will drive on raising our three kids, maybe a 4th sometime, as we have been raised, we just wish there were more like us, and apparently there are. BTW, i have one really smart brain cell and one retarded brain cell, they often dont get along.
 
In my NHO raising those kids in the right way is job # 1. everything else is just filling in the empty spaces.
It pleases me on a regular basis to see some of the younger folks working at raising their kids right, learning to do some of the "old fashioned" things like preserving food, building things for themselves, understanding how the government is supposed to work. In time these little things give one a bit of hope about the next generations.
Facebook? whichtalk? social media? none of them will fill an empty stomach or satisfy a questing mind. Don't mean nothing.
 
I am probably one of the more technologically inclined here, having been building/modifying/hot rodding-computers since 1989 and having an enterprise-class network at home (including a server farm). That being said, I will not touch "social networking" with a two-meter cattle prod. Have said it before and I'll reiterate: social networking in general and facebook in particular are digital herpes. If I want to keep up with someone I'll call, email or write a letter. No one is interested in what I had for breakfast or how the resulting stool came out.

My boys are almost 11 months old, I fear for them in this "society".
 
My boys are almost 11 months old, I fear for them in this "society".

Exactly why the wife and I are not interested in kids, AT ALL, for the conceivable future. Maybe later, in a more favorable economic and social climate. Not to mention, children take (or should take) all of your time and resources to raise properly. There's too much I want to see and do to make time for that.
 
The wife and I are in serious talks about moving to Russia when the boys get to school age. I want them to learn, not be propagandized about the fucking drowning polar bears. Yeah, kids suck down a LOT of resources, including your sleep, but they are so worth it.
 
Do what you KNOW is correct, maintain heading and airspeed, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

All that you can do is take care of YOUR kids, passing on to them the values and standards that guide you.

It takes a long time, but it is worth it. Here are my three, it's only taken 20+ years, all of my money, most of my time. I missed a ton of stuff that I wanted to do, but they always came first. And now I don't regret 1 second spent on their upbringing.

Don't get frustrated, be confident that what you are doing is right.

37994_457143785933_736250933_6415012_8150948_n.jpg
 
The wife and I are in serious talks about moving to Russia when the boys get to school age. I want them to learn, not be propagandized about the fucking drowning polar bears. Yeah, kids suck down a LOT of resources, including your sleep, but they are so worth it.

Good plan. Russia is propaganda free LOL.

Seriously, you dont have to move to Russia to avoid public school....
 
Good plan. Russia is propaganda free LOL.

Seriously, you dont have to move to Russia to avoid public school....

It's not our first choice, but I'm not putting it off the table. We'd actually save money doing it. And compared to US public schools...yeah, they are propaganda free. The wife was an elementary school teacher in St. Petersburg. The teachers there are required to be competent in what they teach. Oh yes, they can also be fired for being screwups.
 
Exactly why the wife and I are not interested in kids, AT ALL, for the conceivable future. Maybe later, in a more favorable economic and social climate. Not to mention, children take (or should take) all of your time and resources to raise properly. There's too much I want to see and do to make time for that.

dont take offense but I dont believe this is the view to have, I mean it seems very selfish to me. There shouldnt be anything to see and do you cant do with a family and kids in tow. Economically speaking, sure kids cost money but I feel like I never even lived until I had our first kid, they are a treasure and our future. Dont take this the wrong way, no one should become a parent if they are not ready but not because you think they will slow you down from what you want to achieve. Just my thoughts
 
dont take offense but I dont believe this is the view to have, I mean it seems very selfish to me. There shouldnt be anything to see and do you cant do with a family and kids in tow. Economically speaking, sure kids cost money but I feel like I never even lived until I had our first kid, they are a treasure and our future. Dont take this the wrong way, no one should become a parent if they are not ready but not because you think they will slow you down from what you want to achieve. Just my thoughts

No offense taken at all, as this is the response I get from most people. I'm not proud of my stance on children, and on self-reflection, find it pretty shit-headed myself. If we wound up with a kid I'd drop everything and do what I had to do with no questions asked, and based on my observations, with no regrets (which I chalk up to a biological impetus to propagate the species, no offense). But intentionally create that situation? Nah.

Growing up the child of two public school teachers, we never had a lot of toys. We had everything we needed, and were fortunate enough to do a lot of stuff. But looking back, my dad sacrificed so much for that, that he never had the stuff he would have liked to, and never bitched for a minute about it. A mountain of a man to say the least, and until I think I can do at least that good of a job, i think it's selfish of me to want a human being to raise.
 
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Oughtsix, I commend you for your honesty. I also respect you for your decision not to "try" to have kids. Whatever your reasons may be, stick with what you believe in. If you should wind up with one, do your best to instill right values and I hope a firm foundation in belief in God---that is up to you.
That said, I would have loved to raise kids, but my wife is considerably older than myself, and kids weren't in the cards for us. I have mixed feelings about this. I would never, ever trade her love for anyone or anything in the world. I would have loved the opportunity to raise a child or more with her. Instead, I try to be supportive of my brothers and sisters as they raise their kids. We do get to travel a lot, much more than if we had kids.
I believe one should make the most of what God has given them. I also respect someone who feels they are not ready to raise kids, at least not yet. Part of the problem we face today stems from people who were not ready to raise kids, but didn't care, and created them anyway. Now, they are being left to the system to be raised, and we all can see the results of that. Parenting is a full time job and then some, and so many are not willing to put in the effort. Marriage is a full time job and then some, and many aren't willing to put in the effort there either---we see the effects of that too.
 
It's not just the Facebook thing, the young people today have to be constantly entertained. They don't go outdoors and play,they sit at a computer and play games or sit in front of a TV and Lord knows what they watch. Hell they get in the car and the parents drop the TV down and they are entertained while they go down the road. They don't look out the window and see the world, lots of interesting things out that window. Don't know but they probably don't have much interaction with their parents when they are watching the DVD player. Letting young childern on a computer does not let them develop their own mind, because they can let the machine do it. Look at clerks in stores, they don't even know how to make chainge if the machine doesn't tell them. It first started with the computer.
 
No offense taken at all, as this is the response I get from most people. I'm not proud of my stance on children, and on self-reflection, find it pretty shit-headed myself. If we wound up with a kid I'd drop everything and do what I had to do with no questions asked, and based on my observations, with no regrets (which I chalk up to a biological impetus to propagate the species, no offense). But intentionally create that situation? Nah.

Growing up the child of two public school teachers, we never had a lot of toys. We had everything we needed, and were fortunate enough to do a lot of stuff. But looking back, my dad sacrificed so much for that, that he never had the stuff he would have liked to, and never bitched for a minute about it. A mountain of a man to say the least, and until I think I can do at least that good of a job, i think it's selfish of me to want a human being to raise.

I don't think your selfish at all. Some just aren't cut out to raise children. I guess I was one of those as I never had any kids though that's the only thing in life I ever really wanted. So it goes. But your decision is your decision, and no one else's.

I guess as a man, its not off the table...no biological clock ticking away. That said, I would not want to bring a child into the world today. Life has never been a certainty, but today the future just looks too cloudy for me to do that with a clear conscience.
 
Kids are like their parents, almost always. So it's best to lead by example. Facebook is just another false idol collective.
It can be good tool for already strong friendships, but a quagmire for those lacking self-knowledge.
VJJP, we have faith in you and yours.
Deep Thoughts...
 
As regards having children: My wife and I tried for twelve years to have them...including three rounds of in vitro and five frozen transfers (to the tune of ~$45,000 out of pocket). We had our boys last year when I was 48 and my wife 34. To be honest, I don't think I would have been a very good father had we had critters earlier. Oughtsix, all I can say is do some serious soul-searching on this. From what i have learned through this process the longer you wait the less likely it is to happen.

And if you do have them, keep 'em off Facebook.
 
There's a few things I agree with you on. The prison system sucks for how long it takes to get stuff done. My daughter is almost 4 now and she doesn't have a wii or anything like that. I hope to keep it that way for a long while.

Kids are the best thing in the world. There's nothing greater than them telling you goodnight daddy I love you. I travel for work and they've traveled with me to a lot of places.
 
Rich athletes, FB obsession and the general de-vertebration of people are symptoms, not causes. As has been mentioned, parenting and discipline are key missing ingredients to making a society productive in a useful and civilized manner.

I don't have the advanced years and wisdom of some posters on this forum but I do have a keen interest in history. Everything goes in cycles. Nothing can remain on a permanent upward or downward trajectory while staying alive. Our society is one that was hard won and took many generations of stoic folks to forge. There were at times many bad elements in every tier of society that threatened it but the core nature of Americans who wanted better lives for their children and the children of their neighbors proved to be more than match for the greedy, selfish and false. However, what's happening is that more Americans are unworthy of the duties that come with being an American. More Americans are placing prefixes to their national identity 'African-American, Mexican-American, Armenian-American and so on'. Again, this phenomena is symptomatic of a bigger problem - there is not a direct, hardwired affinity between the citizens and their country and as such, they see nothing in it to fight for but rather, put up fake distances between themselves and the idea of loving their nation as active, involved citizens.

A culture is a function of how people see themselves in relation to one another. This perspective used to be based on community, trust and 'looking out' with the understanding that there would always be those who took and tried to, take advantage but the collective mindset of 'us' rather than 'me' drove the direction of things. Now, our perceptions are based on what we have and our pattern of consumption rather than who we are and our quality of behavior. These are core beliefs that have changed and they're the result of easy abundance, distracted parenting and misguided education goals. We're at the crest of that wave, it may crash and cause a harsh re-balance or it may continue for a while longer and only reduce gradually. I had thought the former but it seems the latter.

What always makes the difference however, is not the great masses. It's the single, or small group of, exceptional individuals who can grab the imagination and attention of the masses and direct them. This is well evidenced in history for the good and the bad. For my part, as an American who loves this country, I will do my level best to raise my two boys as the best Americans they can be and hope that if and when the time comes for them to be exceptional and lead towards the betterment of their lives, the lives of their children and their neighbor's children that they're ready, equipped and willing to do so.

God Bless America!
 
There is a cure to pro sports salaries without caps. Make it all pay-per-view. I don't watch any pro sports, so why should some of the money I spend on damn near everything go to them? I buy a truck - every auto mfg advertises during sports games. Some of that is making it's way back to players. They are NOT making it off ticket prices.

Make it pay-per-view and what ever people spend on tickets. Then we'll find out exactly how much they are worth using open market supply/demand. I bet it is a lot less then the millions they make now.


On everything else - I agree with you guys. I'm not sure how we change course from where we are now. But I too hope it is not too late.