Stories That Make You Shake Your Head At The World

[5fouls]

17 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

I know...

Addressing mental health is important. My wife and I take our granddaughter to the Aquarium in Downtown Houston occasionally, and the tent city under the I-45 underpass grows exponentially every time...

Very sad... 

It's important to point out that it's not homeless people living under an overpass that are committing these mass shootings.  Knife attacks and general assaults, sure, but not mass shootings.  

[IUFLA]

13 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

It's important to point out that it's not homeless people living under an overpass that are committing these mass shootings.  Knife attacks and general assaults, sure, but not mass shootings.  

True, but again, even from my first post on this the subject I'm speaking of is mental health and how it's basically being ignored.

Citing the tent city near the Aquarium was only to demonstrate that the problem is growing, not shrinking...

I understand what some of you are tacitly trying to get at, and that's fine...

 

[MoyeCowbell]

14 hours ago, Drroogh said:

Going to have to build on this for those that have never been exposed to it in the extreme that I have! My friend is a 2nd grade teacher. She told me the story of a boy she felt she was finally getting through to. Suddenly, the switch turned off!! 

Worse than having no one in the family to help him learn his family and friends turned on him!! You think you’re better than us?

Peer pressure!

 I don’t know the solution but most of our so called experts and worse politicians don’t even know what the problem is!

Good point. This is something that might be hard for some to fully grasp, but is still very real: social peer pressure.

I experienced it growing up in Southern Indiana. Both of my parents went to IU and I grew up in classic 90's middle class fashion. Nothing flashy, but I was provided for. We were able to travel and experience different places/things and that cracked the door open to the world for me, and made me want to see more of it. It also gave me ambition to want 'better', whatever that was.

And yet there was a pervasive mindset in the community that 'better' was elitist and in turn, negative. As if it's rude or disrespectful to want 'better' because that would reflect back on those who don't have it (but might want it). The "preppy" kids would be mocked because they had a two-parent household and were somewhat comfortable. The "fringe" kids that wanted to experience things outside of the county/area were questioned. The whole framing of success was skewed in such a way that if you weren't blue-collar and 'gettin' it out the mud' you weren't real. That always bothered me.

Misery loves company. And the more united people can be in their own plight, the better they feel about themselves. Maybe it's a survival tactic. Maybe it's something else... but it stinks that so many want to bring others down to their level, rather than just letting them rise on their own path.

[Lostin76]

2 minutes ago, MoyeCowbell said:

Good point. This is something that might be hard for some to fully grasp, but is still very real: social peer pressure.

I experienced it growing up in Southern Indiana. Both of my parents went to IU and I grew up in classic 90's middle class fashion. Nothing flashy, but I was provided for. We were able to travel and experience different places/things and that cracked the door open to the world for me, and made me want to see more of it. It also gave me ambition to want 'better', whatever that was.

And yet there was a pervasive mindset in the community that 'better' was elitist and in turn, negative. As if it's rude or disrespectful to want 'better' because that would reflect back on those who don't have it (but might want it). The "preppy" kids would be mocked because they had a two-parent household and were somewhat comfortable. The "fringe" kids that wanted to experience things outside of the county/area were questioned. The whole framing of success was skewed in such a way that if you weren't blue-collar and 'gettin' it out the mud' you weren't real. That always bothered me.

Misery loves company. And the more united people can be in their own plight, the better they feel about themselves. Maybe it's a survival tactic. Maybe it's something else... but it stinks that so many want to bring others down to their level, rather than just letting them rise on their own path.

It’s definitely a thing. As another Southern Indiana kid (🙌🏼) just desperate to get out of my small town I was often made fun of or mocked as “too good for us.” Joining the military was okay in everyone’s eyes, but college? That was questioned. I was the first person in my family to go to college. And got a lot of, “why would you want to do that?” 

I’ve also received a lot of blowback for living in Brooklyn. Doesn’t really bother me. I’m not less “real,” b/c of where I live or what I do. But I am a more complete and better person for the experiences. Some people think it’s okay to insult my choices or make fun of where I live, but if I were to turn around and do the same to them, then those are fighting words…

[Seeking6]

20 hours ago, Lostin76 said:

Great example of little things at the local level that can impact people. Fresh, healthy food and exercise would be a great start for people. That’s the exact type of work I’ve been supporting in Population Health for decades. It can and does work locally. We have one of our faculty who has partnered with barbershops in Harlem to talk about blood pressure and colorectal cancer with their patrons. Hugely successful, b/c these dudes might not trust doctors, but they do trust their barber. 

We started volunteering and helping a church in a bad area of Indy. Teaching them not only how to shop, best cheap foods to buy,  but how to prep meals on the cheap....additionally we lobbed an email to our old AD Fred Glass who is now head of Gleaners and man they replied and stepped up big time with weekly food donations.

Another thing on the subject of grassroots helping. We've enrolled now over 50 people who were eligible for SNAP/Food Benefits and Medicaid. I always ask them why they didn't sign up before and they simply respond they just didn't know how to do it. Now we've shown them how to use their SNAP card to buy food off of EBT eligible items from Amazon....because 90% of them don't own a car. Now they can get stuff delivered straight to the door.

I guess my point is this. It's up to us to get this country straight again. One block, one neighborhood, town, city at a time because it's clear the national folks on both sides don't have an interest in helping. 

 

[MoyeCowbell]

12 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

It’s definitely a thing. As another Southern Indiana kid (🙌🏼) just desperate to get out of my small town I was often made fun of or mocked as “too good for us.” Joining the military was okay in everyone’s eyes, but college? That was questioned. I was the first person in my family to go to college. And got a lot of, “why would you want to do that?” 

I’ve also received a lot of blowback for living in Brooklyn. Doesn’t really bother me. I’m not less “real,” b/c of where I live or what I do. But I am a more complete and better person for the experiences. Some people think it’s okay to insult my choices or make fun of where I live, but if I were to turn around and do the same to them, then those are fighting words…

I know exactly what you're saying. It's just wild to me that such ambition/curiosity/dreams can be twisted and weaponized in a way.

I still have reverence for Indiana. Love Bloomington and still have many friends in and around the area. Often think what it would be like to have a house on Lake Monroe and just relax...

But I had to "get out". I wanted to experience the world, and am trying my best to do so. I've never felt that I was better than anyone, but I do feel like I'm better than that collective mindset. To me, that is a turnoff; a quicksand of negativity that I don't want to engage in. While I don't believe I'm elitist in any way, if that desire to want 'better' frames me that way, so be it.

The difference is, I want greatness for everyone. I don't mind -- hell, I encourage -- people to aim high (see my note to @5fouls and his daughter).

[Lostin76]

1 hour ago, Seeking6 said:

We started volunteering and helping a church in a bad area of Indy. Teaching them not only how to shop, best cheap foods to buy,  but how to prep meals on the cheap....additionally we lobbed an email to our old AD Fred Glass who is now head of Gleaners and man they replied and stepped up big time with weekly food donations.

Another thing on the subject of grassroots helping. We've enrolled now over 50 people who were eligible for SNAP/Food Benefits and Medicaid. I always ask them why they didn't sign up before and they simply respond they just didn't know how to do it. Now we've shown them how to use their SNAP card to buy food off of EBT eligible items from Amazon....because 90% of them don't own a car. Now they can get stuff delivered straight to the door.

I guess my point is this. It's up to us to get this country straight again. One block, one neighborhood, town, city at a time because it's clear the national folks on both sides don't have an interest in helping. 

 

THIS is the way. This is walking the walk. It is so hard to unlearn all of the stuff that food producers do and try to push on us. Just illuminating the way a typical grocery store is physically set up can be eye-opening to people and start them on their journey as informed consumers. I can’t like this post enough. 

1 hour ago, MoyeCowbell said:

I know exactly what you're saying. It's just wild to me that such ambition/curiosity/dreams can be twisted and weaponized in a way.

I still have reverence for Indiana. Love Bloomington and still have many friends in and around the area. Often think what it would be like to have a house on Lake Monroe and just relax...

But I had to "get out". I wanted to experience the world, and am trying my best to do so. I've never felt that I was better than anyone, but I do feel like I'm better than that collective mindset. To me, that is a turnoff; a quicksand of negativity that I don't want to engage in. While I don't believe I'm elitist in any way, if that desire to want 'better' frames me that way, so be it.

The difference is, I want greatness for everyone. I don't mind -- hell, I encourage -- people to aim high (see my note to @5fouls and his daughter).

Oh man, my love and reverence for Indiana is so strong. If anything I probably romanticize my small town Indiana upbringing to the nth degree. But, it’s such a huge part of who I am. 

But, I always wanted to see a lot of the world (joined the Navy, and promptly went NOWHERE besides Great Lakes, IL, San Antonio, TX, Charleston, SC, and finally Bethesda, MD). But that experience made me hungry for more cultures, sights, and adventures. I don’t know why that would ever be a bad thing - to experience other cultures, or be open to other cultures. 

But that’s now apparently a fault according to many. 

 

[Seeking6]

Man just got word today. This is a long connection but my wife's cousin has a daughter who went to school K-12 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She's a student down at IU but was a life long best friend of Brian Fraser. One of the victims in Michigan St shooting. By all accounts the kid was the best of the best the nice of the nice. 

Such a shame that hits a little closer to home. 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Seeking6

[mrflynn03]

I'm not an expert but how many of you have really dealt with mental health issues?

I'm an alcoholic. Been sober off and on the last couple years. I suffer from depression, OCD, anxiety ect.  Everyone in my family, sisters, cousins, in laws , are addicted. Heroin, meth, alcohol.  The common denomitor is abuse. Mental and physical.  

I used to be a pill popper too, shrooms and cocain. 

Having a strong mother is what kept me and my sister's on the straight and narrow.  A bomb ass grandpa and a couple teachers helped too.(Mr Wilkins and Mr Watkins)

 

 

[mrflynn03]

8 hours ago, IUFLA said:

True, but again, even from my first post on this the subject I'm speaking of is mental health and how it's basically being ignored.

Citing the tent city near the Aquarium was only to demonstrate that the problem is growing, not shrinking...

I understand what some of you are tacitly trying to get at, and that's fine...

 

People don't give a shit about about mental health.  If they did then that's where the money would flow. If people cared they would fund mental health services instead of paying for people to get their tits and dicks cut off.

[MoyeCowbell]

1 hour ago, mrflynn03 said:

I'm not an expert but how many of you have really dealt with mental health issues?

I'm an alcoholic. Been sober off and on the last couple years. I suffer from depression, OCD, anxiety ect.  Everyone in my family, sisters, cousins, in laws , are addicted. Heroin, meth, alcohol.  The common denomitor is abuse. Mental and physical.  

I used to be a pill popper too, shrooms and cocain. 

Having a strong mother is what kept me and my sister's on the straight and narrow.  A bomb ass grandpa and a couple teachers helped too.(Mr Wilkins and Mr Watkins)

 

 

I know you've written about your abuse on here before, and I'll reiterate my condolences to you for the pain/trauma that you've experienced. Never want to wish that on anyone. With your "off and on" I certainly hope that you are able to find balance, peace and clarity so that you're not on the pendulum of extremes. Glad you have a support system to help.

49 minutes ago, mrflynn03 said:

People don't give a shit about about mental health.  If they did then that's where the money would flow. If people cared they would fund mental health services instead of paying for people to get their tits and dicks cut off.

I would counter this. I think people do care about mental health and the negative stigma of what 'mental health' means has started to wear away. People -- like yourself -- are willing to discuss and talk about it in a way that shines light on a topic that wasn't previously in the public favor. Your willingness to share your vulnerability and trauma is something that wasn't prominent or encouraged years ago. That in and of itself is progress and proof that people give a shit.

Sure, we can also discuss the allocation of funds from both the public (federal, state, local level) and private sectors, but even with all of the resources, it still takes work. Time and energy. There is no quick fix. What we experience, whether it's in our formative years, or through intense traumatic events, takes time to process, work through, and (hopefully) overcome.

It's the old adage that you can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. It comes down to the individual and their desire to work through their issues.** 

**Of course, the spectrum of mental health issues is waaaaaay too long and complex for this forum/topic. There are a wide range & severity of conditions that cannot be 'fixed' but merely handled.

[Lostin76]

2 hours ago, mrflynn03 said:

I'm not an expert but how many of you have really dealt with mental health issues?

I'm an alcoholic. Been sober off and on the last couple years. I suffer from depression, OCD, anxiety ect.  Everyone in my family, sisters, cousins, in laws , are addicted. Heroin, meth, alcohol.  The common denomitor is abuse. Mental and physical.  

I used to be a pill popper too, shrooms and cocain. 

Having a strong mother is what kept me and my sister's on the straight and narrow.  A bomb ass grandpa and a couple teachers helped too.(Mr Wilkins and Mr Watkins)

 

 

Much respect to you for dealing with this. That is a lot of factors to navigate and escape from. I’ve never had any major mental health issues, beyond a fairly addictive personality, LOTS of drugs when younger (weed, acid, any pills, meth, cocaine, you name it). The military helped me escape that part of my life. Never dealt with any type of abuse in my own family, but my best friend and I used to have to hide under the bed or in the closet when his Dad came home drinking. 

That used to terrify me and I still think of to this day. I never knew how my friend handled it back then. Turns out he didn’t very well, b/c he killed himself shortly after high school. 

Glad you had/have some people in your life to help you, brother. 

As an aside, I will say that some of my time in the Navy was as a Psych Tech. Saw some really scary things and also saw a lot of young people totally ruined by overly aggressive treatment/medication regimen. I’m still haunted to this day by a very young and beautiful Marine, who was totally taken advantage of and ruined. To watch such a beautiful person just stare at the wall drooling b/c of her Lithium dose was really hard. She ended up “dating” one of my coworkers. Went to a party of his and she was there totally trashed and living with him. The dude had treated her on the ward and now he was living with her. We had a pretty quick/ugly parting of the ways that night. 

[Reacher]

Some answers coming out... Train was too long, too heavy, not inspected enough and a wheel bearing may have caused it-

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-norfolk-southern-excess-size/

https://www.ntd.com/ohio-train-may-have-burned-for-20-miles-before-derailment-video-shows_901530.html

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Reacher

[Lostin76]

28 minutes ago, Reacher said:

Some answers coming out... Train was too long, too heavy, not inspected enough and a wheel bearing may have caused it-

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-norfolk-southern-excess-size/

https://www.ntd.com/ohio-train-may-have-burned-for-20-miles-before-derailment-video-shows_901530.html

 

 

Saw somewhere that the train company people did not show up for the town hall. Not a good look for them to try to hide. 

[Drroogh]

2 hours ago, Lostin76 said:

Saw somewhere that the train company people did not show up for the town hall. Not a good look for them to try to hide. 

Buttigieg wasn’t there either.

[Lostin76]

1 hour ago, Drroogh said:

Buttigieg wasn’t there either.

Was he scheduled to show up like they were though?

Doesn’t matter really, this would be on his watch and he needs to have a better response than a Twitter post. 

[Drroogh]

3 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

Was he scheduled to show up like they were though?

Doesn’t matter really, this would be on his watch and he needs to have a better response than a Twitter post. 

Or FEMA turning down requests for assistance saying it’s some other department?

[Lostin76]

2 minutes ago, Drroogh said:

Or FEMA turning down requests for assistance saying it’s some other department?

That’s obviously wrong. But you act surprised that the govt doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to? It’s broken. The a#$holes we foolishly elect have broken it and they don’t care as long as they get paid and have their pension for life. 

[Drroogh]

13 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

That’s obviously wrong. But you act surprised that the govt doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to? It’s broken. The a#$holes we foolishly elect have broken it and they don’t care as long as they get paid and have their pension for life. 

No I get it that the govt is broken and agree with you. Worse than the elected we foolishly elect are the bureaucrats we don’t have a say about!

[Lostin76]

Just now, Drroogh said:

No I get it that the govt is broken and agree with you. Worse than the elected we foolishly elect are the bureaucrats we don’t have a say about!

Totally agree with you. Mayor Pete does not seem like a great pick so far. 

 

[Drroogh]

8 minutes ago, Lostin76 said:

Totally agree with you. Mayor Pete does not seem like a great pick so far. 

 

Yeah having formerly lived in South Bend Mayor Pete doesn’t give those that voted for him a good look.

[Reacher]

This was pretty funny

 

 

[Reacher]

Hobby balloon shot down? 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-hobby-club-fears-balloon-shot-down-usaf-report

[Drroogh]

1 hour ago, Reacher said:

Hobby balloon shot down? 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-hobby-club-fears-balloon-shot-down-usaf-report

I’m sorry, but those hobbies and you are trying to take advantage of a very serious situation. There’s a reason that I no longer am able to communicate with my Russian friend!

[NotIThatLives]

11 hours ago, Reacher said:

Hobby balloon shot down? 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-hobby-club-fears-balloon-shot-down-usaf-report

Was the said hobby balloon club members all Chinese immigrants? Sorta joking.