Idk, my amethyst doesn't do this... Update? Maybe update android too.

Yep.

Fascism and communism are basically the same thing. The ideological difference is only the scope - they were literally the same movement before the first communist congress, in which two divides occurred - the anarchists broke off and became their own thing ; and socialism roughly split into national socialism vs international socialism.

Further differences developed, like the appeal of fascism as a reaction to "bohemianism" - that was the actors and rich people of 100 years ago promoting gay, pedo, and drugs. That's how Bavaria ended up in Germany - Nazism was appealing because they promoted themselves as opposed to communism. Communism was spreading via bohemianism, which is international socialism. But that opposition didn't change the fact that they were the same movement, just using different tactics.

Which, super simplified, is just the next iteration of legislatures ruling the country. Councils replacing markets, always trying to solve the problems it creates by making the council bigger and more encompassing.

I should nomad around Europe... Idk why I haven't done it yet

I should return to basics, for a morale boost. Honey and raisins, I can't F that up

Plum brandy... My mouth waters just reading that. And I'm reminded again that I should do a new brew... My last mead was very disappointing, and haven't tried in months

🍻

I'm actually kind of embarrassed by how simple the explanation is... In retrospect, it doesn't seem to warrant a month of consternation.

Sounds like I'd love Serbia. Or hate it. One of the two.

But big Yes to your last sentence - a lot of stories are like that. Some people only read the story and miss the forest for the trees. But its written that way on purpose

No, different story. That was given as a parable - this one is in Acts, so its assumed the parables are over, but I'm not so sure they are

Much much muuuuuuch too obedient. I like politeness, though.

Which reminds me of the subtle art of saying "okay," which I observed and learned in China. Disagreement just never goes over well east Asia, but that doesn't mean people always obey. They say, "okay," while just still doing whatever. Its like a nonchalant GFY in real life. Its kinda cool, imo.

I finally understand the meaning of Acts 5 (at least some of it - these things seem to always be layered)

Here's a link - it's the first part, with Ananias and Saphira that bothered me.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/acts/5.html

Unfortunately, the Bible is not a completely self referential language. The OT might be, if you know the ancient Hebrew alphabet, but the NT seems to require more input from external sources. The notes in my study bible are spectacularly insufficient.

In this case, I found the answer in a tarot card. Before you scoff, let me explain. But read the first part of Acts, first.

That done, spend a minute thinking about how ridiculous that story is. Those two people were believers. Killing them is the furthest thing from merciful, in this new religion preaching love and charity and healing. Being dead is the opposite of health and killing is the opposite of charity, so you can see why this story is a problem. I was only partially able to rationalize it by recognizing that God is not subject to human ideas of morality - but that was an insufficient rationalization.

The story gives a hint : the opposites represented in the man and woman, as well as the more blatant opposite in God killing while using healing to build His church. That's probably why the story of healing Mary comes immediately after the story of Ananias and Saphira. Polarity is supposed to smack you in the face here.

Enough explaining, here's the tarot card that told the story :

As you can see, the Six of Pentacles shows a rich man giving to two poor men. The scales in his hand are balanced, showing justice. Justice isn't fairness - its balance, things being in their place. It can also simply indicate a scale for doing transactions. Notice that the rich guy isn't pouring himself out - he's giving what he can afford to give, probably keeping a tight ledger. Just like the couple in Acts 5... Notice also that the two subservient men do not appear chaffed by their subservience. Their relationship with the rich guy is in balance. It doesn't matter if you identify with the giver or the receiver : overall, the card means that you get what you are able to receive.

Now look at The Star, trump # 17 - which, at least in this case, represents the opposite of what the Six of Pentacles represents :

This one is much more obvious in meaning. The vases pour out water endlessly. Its not measured - its infinite. The water represents Spirit, and the feet on both land and water represents union of spirit and matter. (Side note : etymologically, "matter" comes from the same root as "mother" ; likewise, the Spirit is more of a father) The nakedness of the woman fits well with the nakedness of Adam and Eve - knowledge of good and evil is the natural consequence of naming all the animals, or dividing the non discreet state of being (unity) into discreetized language. Genesis is like a jackhammer of redundancy...

But back to the card, you can see the same message we (hopefully) receive in church, which is that the Spirit is like a cup overflowing (ironic insert : Nietzsche talked a lot about the overman being like an over full lake). That metaphorical cup slowly drains itself if you never pour it, but refills itself infinitely if you pour it out. Thus, the more you give of yourself, the more you receive. Its true, but charlatans depend on your misunderstanding. So, pour the water/spirit/yourself out freely. The water/Spirit is life.

If you measure it and account for it, you receive only what you are able to receive, which is not life, but separation.

The bird in The Star card may be another hint, in the same general direction : Thoth, an Egyptian god, was represented by an ibis, and Thoth gave humanity language. And you could explain the card as representing the outpouring of creative energy after the fall of The Tower, which might point back to the fall in Eden. Tarot teaches a recurring story...

A lot more can be said, especially about the meaning and purpose of the Fall, which then can lead into the meaning and purpose of "evil" - but we've gone far enough for one day. And anyways, my finger gets fatigued by tapping my phone so many times.

Acts 5 is solved! Hurray! It only took about a month...

#tarot

I'll refrain from giving it a "god" or "bible" hashtag - they want so badly for it to all be literal, it won't help anything...

I find their weirdness endearing. Occasionally scary, but mostly endearing

Thanks, reading it now

They've been fascist, by any definition, for decades.

When I went there, I saw dozens of police in full riot gear doing something in formation. There were no riots or protests while I was there. Pure scare tactics.

The Chaebols are a few families that own everything in the whole country. Oligarchs. State and corporate power merged into one thing : fascism.

The economic situation when I was there was bad - imo the worst I've seen anywhere, but I have different priorities than most people. People are locked into debt and life isn't affordable. Its the usual fiat disease, but exacerbated by strict cultural expectations.

One of their recent presidents - Moon, iirc - was a for real communist and agent of North Korea. He's on record promising to destroy South Korea and merge it into the north. Not the other way around. And he was the highest "elected" official. The Koreans I met were not fans of North Korea - I do not believe a guy like that could be elected. That means there is genuinely a conspiracy within their government to betray their country. That pres may be gone, but he didn't get there without backers.

I can partially understand, though. SK is awesome for a foreigner, but being trapped in that country as a citizen would be bad. Not as bad as NK, though.

The house was the bankers' dream. Fake American dream. Before that, the American dream was owning land.

MADGA

mmm yum yum

Pics?

GM ☕

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