Random Thoughts

[Skitch]

I didn't understand this part. You mean the dealer had it hidden inside a Bible? That's a nice touch.

Yeah I had been trying to find weed all week and around 3-4th day a guy on the street in front of one (of a thousand) little storefront stopped us with a bible in hand, asked us if we heard the good word. Uh...yes? He then opened the bible cover and it was cut out and full of fat buds. We went inside, I threw him some cash, he put some handfuls on a paper placemat, folded it up, and we were on our way. We got some beer and papers and went back the hotel. Walked out to the beach from there it was after midnight. Sipping brews and smoked a fatty. We watched one of those massive cruise liners leave port. I mean, people, if you have never seen one of those damn things with your own eyes, they are overwhelmingly massive. Seeing it all lit up leave at night was amazing. Met the dog. He was cool as hell. Just chilled between me and my buddy, occasionally standing to put his snout in our face when we puffed so we obliged him. Tried desperately to remember enough spanish to shout after the dude running away that it wasn't our dog. And off they ran.

The next night we met a guy on the boardwalk who stopped us to tell us he just got out of a secret island prison as he pointed out the bay. Told us to watch our asses as we looked american. This stemmed from nothing. Dude stopped us to talk for like half an hour.

Every night got weirder. My identity got stolen at some point. They transferred thousands of their debt to my card (duh, so they're card info was on my statement). I was contacted by some government people. It was pretty big case of fraud as it had been part of a bigger legal issue. While all the debt was removed, the time it took to clear up didn't account for the late fees and over-the-limit fees that racked up and it was some grey legal issue (which essentially they all just said fuck you) and it took me years to pay off.

For the record, I cleaned up a year or two later and just stick to my lovely legal alcohol. I've been subject to random drug tests for the last 18 years (including both last two quarters, the mother fuckers) and have never wavered. Hell, I've advanced in the company to where I'm the person who distributes the random pulls lol.

[Grouchy]

¡ESE NO ES MI PERRO! ¡ESE PERRO NO ES MIO!

I'm curious why you gave up on weed.

[Skitch]

It destroyed my brother in laws and entire circle of friends lives (because it was a gateway thing for them....they went from there to meth), and I was at the same time faced with the decision of giving up the best job I ever had. I decided to keep the job. It was the correct decision by a thousand miles. I fully support legalization of mary jo wanna, even if its not for me at this time (though when I retire look out).

When I told (ex) BIL I was quitting weed and keeping job at company we both worked at, he told me "FUCK YOU, you are never welcome at my house again". Yeah it was not a fun time. I lost all my friends. No one came to my apartment for 6 months. May not seem like that big a deal but in your early 20s, the depression and loneliness was intense.

[Grouchy]

When I told (ex) BIL I was quitting weed and keeping job at company we both worked at, he told me "FUCK YOU, you are never welcome at my house again".

What the flying fuck? For quitting weed? It's not like you were telling him to quit. Maybe he freaked out because he thought you were going to report him? It still seems like an extreme reaction.

I actually asked because it seems to be something that people rarely feel the need to quit (I've never been a daily smoker but I have no intention of quitting smoking at parties and gatherings) yet two friends quit recently for entirely different reasons. One of them (who has farmed his own excellent weed for almost a decade) quit because he had a big incident of paranoia at a party at his own house and the other because he gets up very early in the morning for his teaching job and he was having trouble waking up - I still don't understand why he won't smoke on weekends, though.

[Skitch]

Mega reveal time...I come from the Amish. We come from the extreme conservative. EXTREME. And in the small community, every one spreads everything, and rumors and gossip are massive issues. So me "quitting" and keeping the job while half a dozen guys all teamed up to quit in protest of state law changing to require drug testing was equivalent to me narcing out on all my friends and family. No, it doesnt make sense. But if you grew up in Amish/Mennonite community, it would. They're the biggest hypocrites of all time.

[Grouchy]

No, seriously, that's cool that you were able to distance yourself from an extremely conservative and closed community. Lots of others surely couldn't.

[MadMan]

They weren't really your friends, then, Skitch. Life is full of some hard choices.

[Skitch]

Damn straight!

[Dukefrukem]

Wow Switch. Good for you!

[Irish]

When I told (ex) BIL I was quitting weed and keeping job at company we both worked at, he told me "FUCK YOU, you are never welcome at my house again". Yeah it was not a fun time. I lost all my friends. No one came to my apartment for 6 months. May not seem like that big a deal but in your early 20s, the depression and loneliness was intense.

Jesus, that sucks. I'm sorry, man. But good for you for sticking to your values when it got rough. That's admirable.

[Skitch]

Jesus, that sucks. I'm sorry, man. But good for you for sticking to your values when it got rough. That's admirable.

It was worth it. As time went on, I realized how toxic they were. Always stomping on an ideas or art or anything. Always a negative comment for anything you say. Thank Christ my sister left his ass in the dust.

[Skitch]

What the flying fuck? For quitting weed? It's not like you were telling him to quit. Maybe he freaked out because he thought you were going to report him? It still seems like an extreme reaction.

I actually asked because it seems to be something that people rarely feel the need to quit (I've never been a daily smoker but I have no intention of quitting smoking at parties and gatherings) yet two friends quit recently for entirely different reasons. One of them (who has farmed his own excellent weed for almost a decade) quit because he had a big incident of paranoia at a party at his own house and the other because he gets up very early in the morning for his teaching job and he was having trouble waking up - I still don't understand why he won't smoke on weekends, though.

It was absolutely an extreme reaction. I laughed at first because I thought he was joking. He turned and looked me in the eye and restated it. I could see he was livid. Also, he wasn't like this because of weed. I knew him sober. He was always a supremely toxic loon, as perfectly raised by his lunatic family. He told my boss he didn't care if he paid him 50$ an hour he would never quit smoking. He was a very angry moron, it had nothing to do with my boss, state of Ohio changed their laws.

My boss is far and away the best I've ever had, and weed was less kind to me than some whiskey. Headaches, paranoia...it stopped being fun for me. I know my experiences with it have maybe been extreme (I could on and on and on about shit I saw partying in the Amish community), but I've kept a level head about weed I think. Its wrong its illegal.

[Grouchy]

I'm of two minds here because I think those drug testing laws are obviously wrong and immoral but on the other hand there's no question that the guy was a loon. Maybe he could have opted for a more diplomatic solution and made an informal deal with his boss or simply asked some friend to piss in a jar for him. Still, it's not wrong for him to take the high road and make a stand. It's definitively wrong to get angry with you for doing whatever works best for you.

(I could on and on and on about shit I saw partying in the Amish community)

My curiosity knows no end, so I'll keep asking until you tell me to stop.

[Irish]

You've probably already seen these, but I thought it was pretty cool --- now streaming at https://www.criterionchannel.com/ :

[

Show Spoiler

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[bac0n]

Very cool!

[Skitch]

I'm of two minds here because I think those drug testing laws are obviously wrong and immoral but on the other hand there's no question that the guy was a loon. Maybe he could have opted for a more diplomatic solution and made an informal deal with his boss or simply asked some friend to piss in a jar for him. Still, it's not wrong for him to take the high road and make a stand. It's definitively wrong to get angry with you for doing whatever works best for you.

I'm all for legalization, but I don't think that will change that certain jobs require sober people and testing. I don't think thats going anywhere and I'm not really against that. Its not like we were managers at walmart or something, if we fuck up our jobs people can die. Pilots, medical personnel, utility workers...some jobs need to be stringent imo.

My curiosity knows no end, so I'll keep asking until you tell me to stop.

Basically they party until someone ODs. Then they take them to ER, the "lightweights" go home, and rest continue until dawn.

[[ETM]]

It's almost 4AM, I can't sleep because I'm sick, but it's all good because a friend from Japan just managed to get us tickets to the Ghibli museum in Tokyo.

[Wryan]

This last page has been a real roller coaster. Thanks for the interesting read, Skitch!

[Grouchy]

Understood. I was picturing an office job or something like that.

[megladon8]

So I know I’m late to the game on this one, but why is Cardi B getting a free pass after openly admitting she drugged and robbed men?

Not only a free pass, but some of her fans are painting her as some Robin Hood of sex workers.

I hate to “go there”, but if a man said he did these things, he would be publicly crucified (and rightly so).

[Irish]

Men do say these things --- in hip hop lyrics --- and they're celebrated for it.

I don't understand why people (eg: reddit) pillories her when she isn't really doing anything differently from male rappers --- talking a bunch of shit to mold their public image.

[Wryan]

She said it on like an instagram story or something tho right? Not in a song, where you could sorta claim it's semi-fictional or a put-on to shine up the bad girl image or something. I think she's pretty clearly in the wrong, not just for having done it but for looking back on it with obvious fondness. Also, isn't drugging someone and robbing them pretty predatory behavior? Others have tried to frame this as "she was poor and had to do what she had to do" but, uh, no thanks on that one.

EDIT: Where's number8 to take up the sex worker cause? I have a feeling most would not approve, surely? I admit I don't know the milieu very well tho.

[megladon8]

Men do say these things --- in hip hop lyrics --- and they're celebrated for it.

I don't understand why people (eg: reddit) pillories her when she isn't really doing anything differently from male rappers --- talking a bunch of shit to mold their public image.

Like Wryan said, she didn’t say out in lyrics. She said it on social media and as a “hey I did this!@

[Irish]

Like Wryan said, she didn’t say out in lyrics. She said it on social media and as a “hey I did this!@

But the end result is the same, I think --- somebody copping to (alleged) crimes to get press & attention. I don't understand why anybody would beef about Cardi and not be upset about all the other shit rappers say.

[Irish]

She said it on like an instagram story or something tho right? Not in a song, where you could sorta claim it's semi-fictional or a put-on to shine up the bad girl image or something.

I don't think the specific context makes a whole lotta difference, because her public image is a form of fiction. Celebs use interviews & social media to burnish and enhance their image. I wouldn't take anything they say about themselves to be literal truth.

Besides which, plenty of male musicians have talked shit in interviews, or threatened violence against a rival, and didn't garner this weird attempt at public shaming.

I don't see Cardi's adventures as very far removed from something like Hunter S Thompson's rampant drug use in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas or William S Burroughs' rolling drunks in Junky.