Something I learned, through a friend.

I have a friend, one I've known longer in life other than immediate family. Met when we were fourteen. Still friends today.


He had a knack for saying things you'd roll your eyes at. You'd think or say, yeah right. No way that could be true at all. Not one bit.

Once, in a crappy apartment he had, I realized he was only using one light bulb in the entire place. I asked him why and he said it was because his electric bills were exorbitant. How exorbitant, I asked. He said upwards of $500 a month. I laughed, and I said there was no way. He was diligent about keeping things turned off, not wasteful, etc. He said no, his bills were insane. I told him that the reason why they had the meters was so that you could see them, as well as the company, to get a read on what you were actually using. He said that the building kept them in a locked room, and that there was nothing he could do to prove that the charges were wrongfully inflated.

A year or so later, I'm helping him move out of the dump. One of his neighbors came up to him and thanked him for his advice on contacting his lawyer about the exorbitant bills, because his neighbor thought he was the only one who had the insane electric bills.

What did this teach me?

It taught me that yes, my friend could come up with some stories that were sometimes questionable. Sometimes, "Yeah, RIGHT" laughable. But, there was always at least some kernel of truth to what he was saying.

So, why is this a rant?

This is a rant because of just how close minded people here, everywhere, can be.

In a place where we come for some morsel of respite from the MSM, from the story that the official and vetted sources would have us believe. Because we realize that the truth is formatted to fit their needs, and therefore, is no longer to be considered actual truth.

Truth is truth, not the pretty and shiny part we want to see. Truth is ugly, laughable, and highly volatile. And it scares most of us beyond belief.

Canon is not absolute. In fact, there is no canon other than what we choose to believe. What we settle on believing. Each and every day (figuratively speaking, not literally), something new is discovered which violates the tenuous concepts of truth we hold so dear. How is it that these new discoveries occur? They occur because at some point, someone throws caution to the wind and attempts the heretical and ponders.

How often have you heard that something once laughable was shown to actually be true? This being said, I refuse to disregard a notion because of it's source. Or because "it's been proven to be untrue". Or because it doesn't fit in with one's own narrative.

Dogged pablumatic regurgitation of what is believed to be "true" is a dangerous thing. It threatens stagnation at best, and ignorance at it's worst. To me, it speaks of a fear that what is so vociferously being denounced as untrue might just prove us to be wrong.

Am I saying to throw your common sense to the wind? No.

What I am saying is, don't let hubris be the cause of your downfall. Keep things in perspective and ask questions while striving to be open minded.

a reply to: FHomerK

Why didn't you just ask your friend to see a bill or payment receipt?

Rule #1, do your own research.

If, in your travels, you meet people and do things that seem unbelievable to everyone else, it's best to just keep your mouth shut.

I've learned this the hard way. Some people don't want to see beyond the version of the world they create for themselves.

a reply to: underwerks


True. And amazingly sad.

originally posted by: underwerks
I've learned this the hard way. Some people don't want to see beyond the version of the world they create for themselves.

Please note the 'extra' Star of Irony I just appended to your contribution.

a reply to: underwerks

Agreed. Keep your garden a secret or your flowers get trampled.

This is one thing I don't understand about religious recruitment.

originally posted by: Snarl

originally posted by: underwerks
I've learned this the hard way. Some people don't want to see beyond the version of the world they create for themselves.

Please note the 'extra' Star of Irony I just appended to your contribution.

Not at all surprised you would think that.



Thanks for the star though.

a reply to: FHomerK

What if you are wrong and there is a truth and if you fail to look and find it you fail and fall.

John 14:6

“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”…

a reply to: SeaWorthy

Umm, yes. That is what I said.

originally posted by: NarcolepticBuddha
a reply to: FHomerK

Why didn't you just ask your friend to see a bill or payment receipt?

Rule #1, do your own research.

Rule number two, do the research without appearing nosey.

My guess is the (landlord) was growing 'something'.

What else explains all the electricity despite using 'just one bulb'?

Walk down wind from the house on a warm night and see if you can smell any herb-essence.

a reply to: intrptr

Being nosey indeed!

originally posted by: NarcolepticBuddha
a reply to: intrptr

Being nosey indeed!

I lived in a house that had been subdivided into Studios, the utilities were one hookup though. Each of the tennants was charged a flat fee per month for power and gas. A bit high, I thought. I found out later that was illegal, if you divide a house into individual units you're supposed to divide the utilities, installing meters on each unit. He was saving on taxes and pocketing the difference between the actual meter read and what he was charging everyone.

People like that also charge exorbitant late fees, charge tenants for repairs, taking it out of deposits. They raise rents too, claiming increased 'cost', taxes, or whatever.

Landlords...

a reply to: FHomerK

Very nicely said.

Something I've had to consciously work on every day and everywhere.

Listen to everyone, you don't know where 'the answer' will come from.

a reply to: intrptr

Eh, I've seen worse. Sometimes multiple structures (glorified tool sheds) all on the same property sharing gas, electric, and communications services.

Definitely do not rent in these kinds of places.

Nothing worse than if you speak the truth, but somebody won't believe you.

Earlier in the year I went to a music festival with this married couple, and while parking is up the hill, the concert, bars and stalls were in his dip called the quarry.
There is no cellular phone reception in the quarry.

So at one point I walk up the hill with my bro (the husband) to go get money from a makeshift autobank, and get my jersey and wine from the car.

Get back down and sit chatting to people.
Next thing his wife comes, and yells at me hysterically: "Come, we're leaving NOW!"
The whole way home she's swearing and screaming and yelling at her husband and me.
I had no clue what she was on about, except the place is full of "whores", and she's not stupid, and she phoned my smartphone four times, and I didn't answer because her husband and I were whoring!

The more I said there's no reception in the quarry, the more she yelled.
Eventually I got angry.

Got home, she unfriended me on Facebook, and while me and her husband (who's unemployed, and didn't bother taking his phone) have been in touch, she still refuses to talk to me, or to get it into her jealous skull that there is NO RECEPTION in the quarry.
I couldn't have gotten any calls from there!
She just won't believe it.

Ruined the whole first half of 2017 for me.

The same Media most like to hate about, are the same ones who cite them.

Perhaps someone else was skimming off their electric power?

My parents worked abroad in Malaysia. Everyone over there has water meters as well as outdoor taps for washing their cars. Every home has high walls and locked gates for safety. The strange thing was that they started having huge water bills, which based on the units they were using, would have amounted to someone watering the garden eight hours/day. So that would have meant a serious water leak between the meter and the house which was impossible.

Then they noticed that there was a construction site for new homes across the road. They were always mixing cement and putting down concrete, but no one could figure how they were getting water. There were never any water trucks. Then it twigged, they must be running a hose from the outdoor tap to their worksite. That would make sense, they could bill the client for the cost of construction, and keep the savings for water for themselves.

After my parents changed the keys to the gate, and put a metal mesh box around the outdoor tap, the high bills stopped.

I think the point of the OP was more existential rather then practical.

Why is it that people are compelled to offer advise when not asked?

There is usually some truth to everything, but often the truth is misinterpretted. Never discount everything that a non-reliable source is saying, sometimes the people who want the truth suppressed use tactics to discredit people who are saying things that would negatively effect them. Actually this practice is used quite often. It is not rare. Even scientific organizations use this tactic.

Always research what you hear, and do this with an open mind, you will often only look for things that reinforce your beliefs. You will discount things that go against your beliefs. It is actually hard to open your mind, sometimes I even have a problem since I had so many years of conditioning done to me. I still have a hard time believing some of the stuff I have learned is real.

originally posted by: FyreByrd

Why is it that people are compelled to offer advise when not asked?

It's all fair game (mostly) once posted. My advice could be existential as well. If one is in doubt about tall tales then put them to the test!