Nathan_Jr

The website appears to be up now. https://ctcoftexas.com

“In our study, narcissistic children also felt more comfortable leading peers with low self-esteem.“ Easy prey. How can an NPD, finding himself dumbstruck at his good fortune of amassing such a large group of followers, find the most vulnerable among them? He might mandate his dupes to each write an autobiographic confession of their lives. Their personal histories will be safe in the lockbox. They could mail them to: The Teacher, P.O. Box… ** Never, ever, tell a narc a secret. NEVER. EVER.

Try this https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/opinion/naval-academy-speech-censorship.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BU8.ogZd.g8h66XEae4M_&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Ok. I'll try another way.

Bored enough to squeeze a figure of speech out of a mango - learned how (H-O-W) to do that from Bullinger. Midst the grind of my boredom, I read this little article by Ryan Holiday. I was reminded of you, Rocky. It fits the thread somehow. If not like a glove, then like a belt holding up the pants. You shouldn't hit a paywall, but if you do, let me know, I'll try to share it another way. Only if you're interested, of course. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/opinion/naval-academy-speech-censorship.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

It's not bragging if you could actually do it.

Had Ethelbert believed big enough to live long enough, he might have INVENTED the ice cream cone! Hey, I didn’t REwrite the book. Victor did. He also invented stuff. Speaking of silly, “four-crucified” is the preferred euphemism for all lies and bullsh¡t in my household. I’m really trying to watch my foul mouth, especially around my son. So, lots of spelling, abbreviating and saying “four-crucified.” (It’s been getting a lot of use in recent months.) Just last week my son was feigning a tummy ache to get out of going to school. I got him on the phone and said, “I’m calling four-crucified on this…!” He got up, got dressed, and went to school. I was so proud of myself for exercising such restraint that, well, gosh, I felt like could just jump over a barn.

Bullinger looked for figures of speech everywhere, and that's where he "found" them - EVERYWHERE. Bullinger could conclude an ice cream cone by way of the Boston Marathon.

There has been so much darkness in the world lately. So much anxiety and uncertainty. So much bullshonta. But one thing endures, Waysider - the light in your posts.

Thanks, Joe. This is so interesting. One day there will be no living direct connection to vpw. Someone will have been taught directly from Vern, who was taught directly from vpw... the apostolic succession. But won't this be the same "tradition" of "religion" they are always defecating on? Do they believe PFAL is the Word of God? Do they believe PFAL is theopneustos, as Mike does? Either by implication or direct teaching?

Welcome, Joe! It’s a rebirth. Hallelujah! You’ve got to know what’s available before you can get it. I’ll tell you what’s available: Peace, Love, Power, Liberty and Abundance like it hasn’t been known since… before you joined the cult.

Mmmph

Right. I was attempting to echo that sentiment at the end of my post. One needs to put in the work and be accountable. Nobody can do it by themselves, but no one can else can do it for you.

Right. When it's life or death, if a feather is required for life, let it be a feather. The language of the Twelve Steps is "a Power greater than ourselves.. God as we understood Him." The first time I got sober I was 21. Newbies were sometimes reassured that God could be a chair or a feather or whatever. That didn't make much sense to me, but we were also advised to "fake it until we made it." (I was in no position to judge.) At the time, I was deep in the study of non-theistic Eastern thought, so God was neither conceptual nor personal nor a box-bound, barn-jumping cookie Nazi, as I was later "taught." The Twelve Steps requires work. Honest, fearless, humble, personal, introspective work. Sobriety, like democracy, requires hard work to maintain. A feather without work is dead. I went to meetings for a year or two. As it has been said of TWI, I was glad to get in, I was glad to get out.

I don't know why I am reminded of this, but somehow, someway, I think it's relevant... Lately my som has had lots of questions about why the world is burning and about claims people make and about the manifestation of stupidity all around him. Kids at school regurgitating what they hear at home. His mom and her cult regurgitating what they hear in their echo chamber of mmmph. And he feels baited and tested and awkward. I tell him it's perfectly ok to say, "I don't know." Especially if you don't. That there is a certain power and liberty and freedom in letting go. That there is a deep knowing in the acceptance of not knowing. I tell him not everyone really cares about finding out if someone really can or cannot jump over a barn. I tell him most people just want to beleeve. To find out if someone is worth having a conversation with, ask them, "If you were wrong about xyz, would you want to know?" If the answer is, "But I'm not wrong," walk away.