Yeah, that whole documentary about them I saw 6 months ago was like something that blew my mind. That’s how I remember them. Just peaceful people chanting in public with their veils and what not. I’m fascinated by how there’s a temple near you of them! Some of them kept faith and continue their dedication to whatever they dedicate themselves to? I remember a loooong time ago when I was 12 I said to my mother in a heated argument, “I’m going to run away and join the Krishna people from the mall!” She won the argument (because age and wisdom) but I gave her a run for her money because she saw the same movie I did by John Waters.

They were so sinister, but back in the 80s they were just randos. There’s a documentary out there about their cult. Really weird, from my perspective, because when I was like 9 years old, I thought it might be nice to be like them at the airport runnning around with a tambourine. I’m so glad I wasn’t. Anyway, look it up and read about them. Then, question everything. The Krishna people, in a nutshell, were worshipping a huge drug lord and it was a mafia, that brainwashed them. Back in the 80s, and even 70s, they were just hippy dippy people. John Waters even made a film about how the daughter wanted to run away from the mother to join the Krishna people. Hare, hare krishna!

some people aren’t, and they like the taboo feel. really, don’t try to educate me. I know all about it. Try, instead, to be less blah. We’re not talking about “some people” we’re talking about men who are really into their penises. Your public service announcement, while making me yawn, also makes me think that you’re really not paying attention to what I’m talking about at all! These people I’m talking about are not gay, or questioning, or curious, or obsessed over their sexual orientations. They’re heterosexual. Heterosexual men enjoy their own penises. Your “intervention” is kind of stupid and uncalled for here. I’ll gladly talk to you about gay rights or whatever, but this is not the place. Biologically, I’m explaining, being a man and having a penis, you basically have an easy target to get some dopamine. We are formed this way. More women might like to chime in on this conversation. Are they getting easy dopamine hits off their clits? Were they raised to do this by their parents? No. Women are still subjected to shaming for sexual pleasure. Men, on the other hand, are encouraged to be aware of their pleasure organs. I really wish I could delete your bullshit comment. It has nothing to do with what I’m talking about.

I am 100% on board with this. I mean, Israel even gets to be on Eurovision, or anybody that wants to join Eurovision. Eurovision proves that we continentals are really flexible when it comes to the Eurovision. I’m just on board with the original comment about bringing the liquor and making our own country. I’m just so wondering where can we go? I want to be on board. Should we create a mailing list? I want to be on my own and happy, drinking with my fellow left-wing Europeans who are ready and willing to just be free and happy and not worry about what we have to say in public about people. Like, for example, I’m from Spain. Vox is mentally retarded and nostalgic for Franco and people like them here. What the hell? Fucking Spain has been free from Franco for like over 40 years, and I have to mingle with stupid assholes that are nostalgic for him? No thank you. I’d much prefer live in another country. That I made myself with people who are not nostalgic for fascism. You’d think people might learn some shit from history or whatever the fuck. They don’t seem to. Some of them get all nostalgic for Franco. Fuck my life.

Also, I did not mention force. I very much expressed my desire to take anything over passively. Andorra, shopping. Monaco, gambling. No military. Just sphere of influence influencing and boom, over time, we got them taken over gradually and peacefully.

OK, so we’ll all go to San Marino. I was basically throwing out some ideas. It’s a brainstorm, not a contest. San Marino is kind of dear to my heart, anyway, because of reasons you mentioned, which I know well. Also: we need to do it now, because later we’ll all be starved to death in concentration camps.

I think you want to be right, but you should probably prove yourself right by signing up for a bateworld account and see for yourself. You’re probably meaning well, being a happily married, hetero male, and don’t want to believe that some of the hetero males you wave to as you drive past them, some of your cousins, or even your favorite co-worker with a wife and five kids, are probably on that web site jerking off to it. *edit: also, the web site has been making money for over 20 years. It’s always been chock full of married straight males.

I said take it over, not obey the monarchy. The comment I’m replying to suggests creating our own country that is free of fascism. I proposed these two places because they are small and easy to take over peacefully by means of shopping and gambling. Ever hear of passive territorial expansion? That was my idea. You don’t seem to indicate another place for us to go to that would be better, geographically speaking. Maybe an island? Maybe Ibiza? That would be cool. I wonder if you were a boring child. No imagination. I also wonder if you didn’t understand my comment. I was like suggesting territorial takeover. Last time I looked, pretty much the entire European continent is occupied. Forming a new nation within Europe involves taking over a place. I picked a couple of small, easy to take over places with shopping, drinking and or gambling. And all of this is just silly, anyway. Reality must strike. This lovely plan ain’t happening. The future is quite bleak.

It’s more valorized than you think. There are places on the internet that are very social and masturbatory. Check out bateworld. If you’re single and are a male looking for a male, be prepared to be disappointed chatting with hetero males that are married that get off on jerking off with other men behind their wives’ backs. That’s pretty much a major sector of the population on bateworld. I’m kinda gay, but I surmise that the hetero world and marriage makes the sex for the hetero males kind of boring. I can’t say why, I’m trying to figure it out. A survey, if you will. Basically, I predict that the end result to my survey will be: men really like their dicks because major dopamine. Men get bored with their wives because whatever reasons I don’t know about. Men like their own dicks and somehow society has taught them to like their dicks so much, to the point that they often send dick pics via SMS or Whatsapp. So then they start liking other dicks? Explain to me, the gay man, why hetero men enjoy seeing x-rated pornography where the dick is larger than the hole that it is penetrating. Is it connected to the dopamine? Anyway, bateworld seems to prove that men migrate towards jerking off as a dopamine hit and men in particular are very interested in socializing with other men in need of the dopamine hit, all the while getting off on the taboo against masturbation. Me, being kinda old, I remember the good old days when you went out drinking with high hopes of having your penis touched by another person, if only briefly. 2024 is a new world, in which men are seriously confused about dicks and dopamine.

There are no Krishna people, either. Does anyone else remember seeing them outside the Boston Public Library in Copley Square back in the early 80s?

That is so not true! My German office mate from way back would drink ANY beer. And he was super fun. As a matter of fact, one time he brought Bud Light to a party I threw. He had issues with green peppers, though. Used to say, “Did you know that green peppers are just unripened red peppers?” I don’t think that’s a German thing. I think it was a him thing.

This could work. We could maybe take over Andorra or Monaco. They wouldn’t mind because we will seduce them by being either A) shopaholics in Andorra or B) gambling addicts in Monaco. It could be like this big European Vacation that never ends (eat your hearts out, Griswalds).

I loved this novel. Like I said before, I love books that play with narration. I remember being so thrown off track by all the narrative voices and especially the cat! It’s not just a story to read, it’s a marvelous game to play while reading!

I’ve just started A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I saw it on the shelf at the library yesterday and said, “Hmmm, I remember when this came out and I forgot to read it.” So, 24 years later I’m finally reading it. So far, it’s really good. I enjoy books that are playful with the reader, self-aware narrators, etc. and this one starts that way right off the bat. You’re even invited to send your copy of the book back to the publisher in exchange for something else! It’s truly a heartbreaking story but with a huge sense of humor. *edit: Well, I finished AHWOSG faster than expected because I couldn’t put it down all weekend. I’ve started two more: Salem’s Lot by Stephen King and About Grace by Anthony Doerr.