Balalaika's Lair: Thoughts, Rants, Tangents and Revelations

[BalalaikaBoy]

while ancient Greek religion is far less morally satisfying than Christianity, its inspired literature is just the opposite, far removed from the simplistic good-vs-evil binary of fiction inspired from monotheism, the poets of Greece and Rome ("poet" is a lose term here, since "poets" were really a complicated amalgam of musician, historian, author and teacher in varying degrees) were not afraid to be frank about the nature of both man and woman.

one of my favorite themes in Greco-Roman mythology is the tendency of women to recruit younger males (often sons) against their older male lovers, husbands, fathers, etc. a few examples include Gaia giving Cronos a sickle to cut off Oranos's genitalia, Rhea repeating this pattern in her recruitment of Zeus to rescue his brethren from the belly of Cronos and Demeter attempting to turn the human boy Demophon into a god in order to gain a co-conspirator against Zeus for giving Persephone in marriage to Hades.

indeed, the Greeks, while often unfair to woman, was also more bold in its illustrations of female evil. if man is autocratic, proud and impulsive, woman is treacherous, manipulative, passive-aggressive and vindictive.

PS: a good portion of this (maybe 70%) comes straight from Elizabeth Vandiver; however, where she attributes it largely to misogyny, I think it's a fairly accurate take on much of female psychology, in much the same way that the vices of the many heroes of the Trojan War represent many of the common vices of man's nature.

PPS: as with all things: "not all men/women", and there are plenty of exceptions to these trends such Hector, Psyche, Iphigenia, etc. There are also others with vices more typical of the other gender (Artemis, Narcissus, etc) and examples where the tendencies mentioned above were arguably completely justified (Clytemnestra's conspiracy with her lover to murder her husband in vengeance for her daughter)

[Animal]

YUP!! One reason I will never like Christianity is because of the "virgin mary" type of role models (and unrealistic expectations thrust upon women therein). It's such bullshit.

[BalalaikaBoy]

universal sufferage was honestly a bad idea. imo, the following people have no business voting
1) anyone without job experience
2) people without a basic understanding of statistics
3) illiterate people (waits for someone to assume I'm racist. I can taste the irony already...)
4) those with an IQ below 90. sorry, it doesn't make you a bad person, it just means that you shouldn't be making decisions about the direction and management of a country

from there, people should have a kind of "voting credit score", which categories like
1) years consistently employed (this would include entrepreneurs, home school teachers and other positions that perform productive work without technically being employees)
2) a score on a kind of voting equivalent to the ASVAB, with strong weights on statistics, logical reasoning skills, verbal ability and problem solving skills
3) military experience boosts score (if you're putting your life on the line for your country, you deserve a stronger say in how things are run)
4) years of post-high school education, including trade school
5) a slight boost for parents
6) bonus points for people who have moved from an upbringing in the bottom 20% and made it into at least the top 40%.
7) more bonus points for entrepreneurs.

so yeah....sorry. if you're a dumbass, an artist without any practical skills** or a naive idealist without any real-world experience #NoOneCaresAboutYourOpinions

**being an artist isn't bad, but people who masturbate to the notion of being a "starving artist" can kindly go fuck themselves, because creative and artistic talents do not exempt you from the responsibility of learning basic ass life skills

the result of such a policy would be more meritocracy and politicians actually having to form reasonable platforms to appeal to those who make more rational policy decisions rather than pandering to the masses with bullshit sensationalism. fuck equality.

[Animal]

I actually have thought similar things. My contention of course, is that sick people can really struggle to find work. I have been saying for ages that there should be programs for sick people to get consistent work which can be intermittent - such as filling out forms for a big company but taking time off when necessary. This would actually be better for everyone so they're not a drain on society. But for now, I think the sick should have a say in healthcare - we're the ones who have actually experienced it, dealt with the red tape and seen the effects. Universal healthcare works great for people with broken legs and flu. We need people that actually get what healthcare is like, to be voting. Eventually, everyone will need it.

[BalalaikaBoy]

I thought I had that exception in there. damn.

[a2jc4life]

I like this. I think the original system had, for all its shortcomings, some important (and intentional) features. When land owners voted, votes were cast by those with a long-term vested interest in the locale and, generally, enough education to understand how the system and the things they were voting on worked.

Yes, it caused some unfortunate disparities that needed to be addressed. And yes, that specific criterion is not a particularly good fit for our transient modern culture. But we're awfully quick to forget (or overlook) that the Founders actually thought through these things; they didn't just throw down some ideas willy-nilly, and we have a tendency to give very little thought to the problems they were trying to avoid/solve.

[BalalaikaBoy]

I try to respect my elders. Really, respect is important to me....but you can shove that shit right back up the hole it came from when you violate my space.

some condescending old man: *puts hand on shoulder* "you know, it counts as a workout if you use 2 hands..."
me: *slowly looks at the hand, then back at old man*
"for your information...
1) I'm checking on a friend who is in the hospital
2) it's none of your business anyway
3) don't touch me...
It's a sad day when someone less than half your age needs to lecture you on respect, but here we are...."

[BalalaikaBoy]

the following are lies the left have told for years which they are finally admitting:
1) "We support liberal values"
2) "We don't hate the rich, we just want them to pay their fair share in taxes"
3) "We don't want socialism"
4) "It's not about the money"
5) "Pfft! What do you mean our goal was to destroy the family unit?"
6) "Don't compare yourself to others"

[BalalaikaBoy]

okay, I've got some shit to say about "mental illness"
1) first and foremost: it's your responsibility to deal with your mental illness, not anyone else's, period.
2) mental illness is not a blank check to be self-congratulatory
3) if you don't have dignity, you don't deserve help. as far as I'm considered, your very existence is sinful and makes a mockery of the glory of the God in whose image you were made.
4) you wouldn't need so much damn attention if you actually formed real relationships with real people and did real things with them. he who chases 2 hares catches none, so how do you think that's going to play out chasing the attention of over 100 people?
5) you don't get to debate me and then sight "mental illness" whenever I bring up an uncomfortable truth. if it's too much for you to handle, don't debate me

[BalalaikaBoy]

"Why is Poland so nationalist and authoritarian"
hmm....let's take a quick look at their history
Middle Ages: conquered by Swedes and sold by Danish vikings as slaves to the Abbasid Caliphate and Byzantine Empire
Renaissance: invaded by Holy Roman Empire
World War I: fucked over by Germany
World War II: REALLY fucked over by Germany
Cold War: occupied by the Soviet Union (keep in mind this was like 30 years ago. it's well within living memory for half the population)

...no shit they're hard asses about border security and protecting their own.

[BalalaikaBoy]

World War II: what happens when you take one of the most fragile, begrudged-by-all-sides treaties (The Treaty of Versailles), and then a bunch of idealistic fucks throw up their hands like "I have a great idea! Let's all DISARM! " (I'm not exaggerating, they were that fucking stupid)

...but you won't hear about that in school, cuz the Pussycrat teachers all masturbate to gun control.

[Animal]

Yup, it's not an accident that Hitler and other dictators disarmed people and now the Dems want to do it.

[BalalaikaBoy]

everyone says America is a 3 country (except for David Fauvre, who claims it is a 7 country). imo...nothing could be further from the truth. in truth, America is an 8w7-fixed cp6w7 country (overall. it varies considerably my region).

tbh, it's a miracle we've lasted this long, because we've literally made it a tradition to go against tradition, to rebel against the system, the scream and protest whenever we don't like something.

these riots are only the most recent manifestation. as you all know, I'm not exactly a notorious pacifist, but I'm just ...sick of it. not just the protesters, not just the police, it's literally like eight subcultures of people like that. part of the reason I care so much about control and autonomy is because I have been on the receiving end of uncontrolled violence, both directly and indirectly via having its costs imposed on me.

at the end of the day, I can handle myself, and if push comes to shove, I can probably take care of my family too, but I'm sick of social unrest getting in the way of my plans. the only things I truly want** to do are find a man worth protecting, work on my finances, and, when I'm in a decent spot, give back in small ways (when I give to people, their keeping quiet about it is an important condition, because I do not want the attention of virtue-signalling fools, media press or moochers who realize "he has money! let's ask him!")

**it would probably sound more sympathetic and flow better to say "all I want is....", but I'm realistic enough to know that, while what I want in life is simple, it's easily a higher quality of life than 95% of people. I'm not going to pretend that I'm not asking for a lot, because the truth is that I always ask for a lot. imo, it's the only way to live, and the only way to be truly honest with yourself.

[Qassim]

America is a 6 imo. It became increasingly that way after 9/11 although the tendency has always been there. The 1980s and 90s, when a lot of this enneagram stuff was written, actually were more 3ish and 7ish. It sure as hell isn't like that anymore though.

[BalalaikaBoy]

"The 1980s and 90s, when a lot of this enneagram stuff was written, actually were more 3ish and 7ish. It sure as hell isn't like that anymore though."
that's almost verbatim what I told David Fauvre

[Qassim]

Excellent, we agree on this point.

[BalalaikaBoy]

I don't care if you're a white supremacist, a BLM activist, a cop, an ANTIFA member or anything in between in this clusterfuck of a race war. If you so much as lay a finger on one of my friends, I will fly out there, cut off your tongue and watch you drown on your own blood while you wait there begging for death.

[Animal]

Count me in.

[BalalaikaBoy]

victim blaming is underrated

my thoughts when a woman is with an abusive boyfriend
1st time: "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he is brought to justice"
2nd time: "it looks like you have a tendency to attract some less-than-savory personalities"
3rd time: "it's difficult to feel sorry for you when you actively seek out sociopaths. stop...dating...felons"
4th time: "you are actively fucking up the dating pool for good men out there and putting your children in danger because your dating habits are self-destructive as fuck. if you won't go to therapy for your own sake, do it for theirs"
5th time: "at this point, you're probably an abuser yourself and actively provoking him to do it back because it gets you off."

incentives matter. the idea that I'm supposed to feel sorry for you at this point is hilarious. the idea that I'm even supposed to respect you at this point is even more hilarious. you are a fucking disgrace and you have no ability to do anything other than cause drama, arouse sociopaths and bring everyone around you down with your manipulative, self-destructive bullshit. #LeaveMyPresence

[Vive]

While I do think you're definitely being unnecessarily harsh here, I agree with your point. People poop in their pants when they are thinking about anything that could faintly resemble victim blaming, but it takes to to make a relationship/friendship/whatever. While the abuser is definitely at fault so is the person that tangles themselves up with abuser after abuser. I recently saw an advertisment that said 'no victim blaming' and I was like lol, what? The victim always has 0% responsibility, that's bullshit. A person who constantly ends up in a abusive relationships definitely needs to do some self-work.

[BalalaikaBoy]

whoever said "half of life is just showing up" is full of bullshit. that might get you from poor to lower middle class, a degree in communication or psychology or a drop from 30% to 20% bodyfat.

think you can do that shit and get a degree in accounting? a ripped body with 10% body fat and lean muscle? a 6 figure salary? uh...WRONG! you have to show up AND get all y our work done, AND go a little extra to get ahead of the competition AND make sure everything is done right.

don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you for sucking at this. I suck at it too and have to push myself, but if you think that kind of nonsense is enough to be a high performer, LMAO!

what they should say instead: half of STARTING is just showing up. once you have some idea of what you're doing and your newbie gains (at the gym or anything else) start to wear off, you have to up the intensity, up the conscientiousness and start treating your activities like a fucking professional.

anyway, long story short. if your only desire in life is to survive being poor and maybe make your way to a modest living just above the poverty line, fine, listen to bullshit advice like "HaLf Of LiFe Is JuSt ShOwInG uP!", but for those of you with any ambition or desire to be anything more than a lame ass mediocre fool, it ain't that easy.

[Vive]

I do agree that showing up is really the first step it's worse when you show up and don't really give enough of a shit for the thing you're showing up for.

For those that have built appropriate and strong lasting, healthy habits, it's really just a matter of showing up. Those with the most discipline spent the least amount of energy making their choices because their life and habits have been set up such that they naturally feel compelled to what they need to do.

I think there's another factor too for people that have trouble achieving their goals. Is this goal something you really want, what are your motivations, what are your current beliefs about yourself, what's the time you have available and what kind of the directions other external factors are pulling you in.

Achieving goals does require dedication and a definite amount of your willpower and probably a good chunk of your time. I am naturally motivated to push myself really hard. Hard enough that I don't properly notice when I'm tired, I notice when I'm tired when my body has almost no choice but to fall asleep. If you push yourself too hard, the path towards the goal, the gains, they're not enjoyable, not really, they are in a sense... empty and you continue to feel a burning need to go and get this next thing. At some point, you're gonna have to find some innate enjoyment, relaxation, or satisfaction in what you're doing, or it won't be sustainable. Willpower is limited, you need more than just that dedication and conscientiousness, at least eventually.

I wonder why so many people have something against mediocrity, it seems so many people are so very afraid of it, and yet it's something you can't truly escape. I think it has a beauty of it's own and it's essentially human. Each of us is mediocre in a lot of ways and we are all fools in many senses. The problem with a competitive mindset is that there's always someone better than is better than you at what you do or someone that will be better than you in the future. Even the exceptional cogs are replaceable in the human societal machine. If someone wants an uncomplicated life and a rather simple job I don't see any issue in that, nor do I per se see it as foolish, if it genuinely satisfies them, if it's really what they want.

What I dislike much more is people that are rusted in their ways, almost unmovable because of their long-term metaphorical inertia. People that never dared to look for what they really wanted, what really intrigued them. Those who never make us of any opportunities given to them, that is something I think is genuinely foolish, lame, pitiful and sad.

[BalalaikaBoy]

half of the people who tell me I'm "too materialistic" are drug-addicted hedonists who can barely (if at all) function in polite society.

ironically, their "spirituality" is actually a false spirituality. it's a spirituality predicated on escaping from the self and escaping from reality rather than mastering the self and accepting reality.

similarly, "materialism" is one of those vague words that can mean a million different things, but the way I see it, the aspect of materialism this is most obviously undesirable is an over-reliance on material goods in order to function. so...what do you think drugs are? do you really want to tell me you're more "spiritual" than me when you can't even sit still for 20 minutes without bombarding your monkey mind with stimulation?

what angers me about these people is that not only do many of them possess sharp minds, they often come from relatively privileged backgrounds which they do nothing to take advantage of. I'm amazed at the lengths many people go to to rationalize, avoid work and avoid even having a direction to begin with.

[BalalaikaBoy]

don't want me to shame people for being obese? fine, I'll shame them for SHITTY DIETARY PRACTICES.

"buh....but you don't know my diet bro?!"
you're right...and I wasn't talking to you.

"but I'm in the process of losing weight now! just because my diet is good doesn't mean it's going to work overnight!"
wasn't talking to you either, sweetheart.

if it doesn't apply to you and I'm not speaking to you directly....move on. if it makes you defensive because it actually does apply to you...good! now you can stop being a sorry ass and fucking change. if anything, your response should be "you embarrassed me on the inside and got me to change while sparing me the humiliating of calling me out in front of my friends".

[BalalaikaBoy]

Some people are slaves. Depressed not because they lack freedom, but because they have it. People who despise individualism and want to pull everyone into their collectivist orgy because they're too depressed to cope with being independent. They try to hide this in words like "acceptance", "tolerance", etc, but what they really mean is "we're all weak, and there is safety in numbers"

What a disgusting abomination. What a waste of the potential that God gave each and every one of us. Even being in the sight of such a person fills me with disgust. I am far from perfect, but I will never stop fighting to achieve my potential. I will never give into the hoards of envious leeches who celebrate mediocrity, ugliness and degeneracy.

[Animal]

Thank you.. my thoughts exactly. I've said similar things a lot recently.

[Animal]

I'm having trouble finding it - but recently I found a list written in the communist manifesto (in something like the 60s?) which was scarily accurate... many of the things going on now were on the list. In other words, all part of the plan. One of the things on the list was to destroy beauty and make things ugly. Like.. ripping down statues for instance. Modern art. The popular music industry. Etc.

[BalalaikaBoy]

I'm sick of all this moral highground used as a deflection against actually listening.

them: "I just don't understand how anyone can support Trump"
me: "opportunity zones, more manufacturing jobs almost immediately after he got elected, helped bring peace to the Korean peninsula"

a month later
them: "I just don't understand how anyone could support Trump"
me: "how about pulling massive numbers of troops out of the Middle East, less severe lockdowns, doing more than any other president to fight human trafficking"

another month later
them: "how is Trump's support increasing? it doesn't make sense"
me: "record low levels of black and hispanic unemployment, standing up to vicious Democrat doxxers, re-funding space research"

later:
them: "I just don't get it. someone please explain it to me"
me: