Random crap with Uno.

[Buster's Uncle]

You know, the more interesting part, to me, of this isn't religious - it's "We recreated the deaths I'd witnessed in the house that year."  Does a lot to confirm what I've hypothesized about your Halloween hobby as a way for you to gain a sense of control/power over morbid things with which you, for obvious reasons, have issues.

-Way to love the afflicted on the part of the church community, though. 

[Unorthodox]

Yeah, that's how it all started.  Now it's just been my creative outlet for so long...and the whole special needs school thing, SOMEONE needs to give them a Halloween. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, I'm glad I asked; it's a more interesting story than you credit it being.  I don't recall you ever before mentioning finding dead people as a kid.  You've had an interesting life.

[JarlWolf]

I used to have a Muslim friend, big guy, when I was stationed out in Herat. He was part of the Afghan trainee program and he was just a grunt, and in Afghanistan it's a place of warlords and ethnic tribes: and people were and still are superstitious over there. He was of a different sect then the majority of folks (especially in the city) and he had a more... animistic approach to the religion I think is the word? He used to smoke hashish before his prayers. He helped me quite a bit with unwinding and relaxing, easing tension quite a bit. I'm not islamic nor did I smoke much, but I find lots that the truly spiritualistic people who have a fair share of wisdom and independence in life is people not part of organized religions. The guy I knew was a Muslim, but he was a Kurd, and a nomad at that. He said to me that Allah was found in all things, even pain and death, and its a lesson that he teaches to harden his servants so they become wiser and value life more, and so that they can walk the path.

I never caught on the religious belief of it, but his philosophy stuck. I don't know if he survived after I was pulled out or not, I'd like to think he's still alive.

And what you do for the Halloween festivities is admirable. I am not a religious person but I can tell you that you do have a bit of spirituality about you, and that's golden: most people don't really have spirituality, and most people mistake dogmatic belief for it. Spirituality is finding enlightened perspective through belief, and most people use religion as an excuse to shut away problems and blind themselves from other issues.

[Buster's Uncle]

Speaking of interesting lives:

You were in on the LAST imperialistic foreign adventure in Afghanistan?  Fascinating. 

I imagine you think about people never learning a great deal when the US imperialistic foreign adventure in Afghanistan makes the news.

[JarlWolf]

Its something I'd rather not talk about. The Americans are facing the exact same issues we did, except that they don't have it as terrible as we did. (not that I am saying they have it easy either mind you: Its just different when your enemies are literally being funded by a world power.)
Afghanistan is hole that the United States and other nations are throwing their men to suffer and die in. That country is too divided for Capitalist Democracy to work, the same as it was for Socialist Democracy. What that country needs is a strong regime that can unite the tribes and install its authority so there can be a transition to peace. And ironically the Taliban were the closest thing to that: as repressive as they were. Before people can achieve stable freedom they have to have a peaceful home, you cannot make decisions together if you are at each others throats. And coming into a country to subjectively place a government on them is only going to unite them against YOU. And its a damned shame because so many young me and women are sent to die and linger in that hole still it disgusts me. So I am going to divert the subject before I get angry in my posts. (Not angry at any of you its just a subject that makes me relatively pissed and discontent.)

Edit: And with that its a slow steady transition: I heard news of the Arab spring and there was moronic CHEERING of rebels on forums and blogs and all this other [nonsense]- Its all just going to be full circle revolutions. You cannot have stable democracies, installed by military autocrats, and keep a nation united. The Americans learned that in their revolution, The Soviets as well. After their revolution they had to deal with loyalists and become repressive to extents, and on the Americans side they butchered and suppressed various native groups to unite their country and colonize. I am not saying atrocities are justified mind, but its a no brain conclusion that you need security and control of a situation before you implement freedoms and choice: One has to build a foundation if they are going to create a magnificent home, and without a foundation it all comes crumbling down.

Alas I am going to shut up for now. I am going to go to sleep shortly, I'll speak with you all later, dasvadanya.

[Buster's Uncle]

I'd say you're more than entitled to feel that way.

[Unorthodox]

Well, I'm glad I asked; it's a more interesting story than you credit it being.  I don't recall you ever before mentioning finding dead people as a kid.  You've had an interesting life.

I don't specifically avoid mentioning it.    

He said to me that Allah was found in all things, even pain and death, and its a lesson that he teaches to harden his servants so they become wiser and value life more, and so that they can walk the path.

I never caught on the religious belief of it, but his philosophy stuck. I don't know if he survived after I was pulled out or not, I'd like to think he's still alive.

And what you do for the Halloween festivities is admirable. I am not a religious person but I can tell you that you do have a bit of spirituality about you, and that's golden: most people don't really have spirituality, and most people mistake dogmatic belief for it. Spirituality is finding enlightened perspective through belief, and most people use religion as an excuse to shut away problems and blind themselves from other issues.

I don't know that I'd say I was spiritual, per se. 

Just touched by a child.  Halloween, for me, really went through a big metamorphasis about 8 year ago, meeting a little girl, overhearing her comment on "another house I can't go up to", where I had the classic gags with a strobe going.  I offered to turn it off, she didn't want to 'ruin it' for her siblings.  Made her a promise that night to fix it for her, and make it bigger and better. 

Nothing was better than seeing her that next year.  She had been in a depression for the season until she saw me setting up, her parents were concerned I had forgotten.  The following year, we started bringing in her school.  Yeah, I get 1000+ people each year, but I do it for ~24.

AFAIK, I'm the only dedicated epilepsy safe haunter around.  Even epilepsy organizations think I'm crazy to even attempt such a thing (I asked around for advice the first couple years).  If I ever make my own house, it will be safe as well.  Yeah, she died a few years back, but I like to think she still stops by every year, just to see how it's going. 

[JarlWolf]

I'd say its a happy haunting then. You serve her memory proud by doing that, crazy or not you have my respect.

[Rusty Edge]

Well, I'm glad I asked; it's a more interesting story than you credit it being.  I don't recall you ever before mentioning finding dead people as a kid.  You've had an interesting life.

He told the murder- suicide story before, I can't recall if you were Omni-present at the time.

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm not very forgettable, but I must not have been around for that, 'cause it's not very forgettable either.

[Unorthodox]

Not sure WHERE it was either.  Might harken back to the poly or MZO days last time, who knows. 

[Rusty Edge]

It was at WPC Off topic.

 Why the subject came up...   It might have had something to do with me mentioning I was squeamish and Uno listing why he was desensitized to such things( which included ambulance or first aid work, too ), or it could have been some other discussion. That could have easily occurred with a discussion about other haunts, horror movies,  etc.   I'm thinking it was mentioned twice in Off Topic.

Well, Buncle, maybe you were temporarily banned at the time. I'm better at remembering " I read about this before" than I am remembering even which year something happened, or when I read about it.

Of course there were plenty of other times when they had technical issues, and not everybody could  access the site.

[Buster's Uncle]

I've never been banned there.

[Unorthodox]

Ambulance AND first aid work.  Former job (production) required a trained person on staff all shifts, I was young and figured the extra $/hour was good.  Didn't foresee the perk of seeing what a 12 ton press does to someone's arm.  I'm freakishly calm in such circumstances now, it actually creeps people out.  Got to CPR a few weeks ago, even, with the boss (hEt) who works in the NICU.  Funny how everyone else around just freaks, we just go to work. 

I do appreciate not having the license anymore though.  Might be a state law, but while I had it, good samaritan no longer applied, and if I was around something I was required to help and open to lawsuits.  Sued 5 times in the 8 years I had that damn license, my favorite being the drunk neighbor that blew his own leg to shreds and sued me because he lost the leg.  Sure I saved his life, but ya know, that don't count. 

Ironically, my training is among the reasons I departed Boeing.  Their safety person and I did NOT see eye to eye on a lot of things.  Most famously I "Ruined" the companies safety record when I insisted a coworker go to the doctor.  Yeah, she had 3 broken metacarpals, but "it could have waited until after work".  He stripped me of my first aid certification.  Year later, I got in trouble for driving a coworker to the hospital.  Sure he was having a stroke, but I wasn't certified to diagnose that.