Author Topic: Fireworks: Two Different Times  (Read 2823 times)

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Offline 85 Day Jerk

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« on: July 05, 2007, 07:02:08 AM »
Last year I saw the fireworks in St. Pete Florida.  In more ways than one too.  I considered myself fortunate to live downtown, just 5 blocks from the water where they blow them off.  Every year, my neighborhood would be invaded by the mongrol hordes of thrillseekers from all over Pinellas County.  They would park anywhere they could and if you left your space in the street to go somewhere, chances are you had to park damn near 7 or 8 blocks from where you lived once you got back.  The crowds were just that bad.  For myself, I had hit the bigtime.  I had a private space in a tow-away zone, lived on the second floor of a nice apartment building and had my own balcony space.  My view of the fireworks were only partly obscurred by trees and one highrise.  I sort of miss it, but one thing I do remember is that the crowds were unusually ignorant, bold, and retarded last year.  When it came time to go home, the fuckin people ran stopsigns in mass, drove blocks and blocks the wrong way up one way streets, and at one point, refused to yield to Emergency Vehicles that were trying to get back to the station for shift change.  St, Pete Police had to arrest 3 drivers in front of the wives and kids, force the cars onto peoples lawns, and then clear the streets to let the Fire Trucks through.  

As much as I miss St. Pete and all my friends, I certainly DO NOT miss living in such close proximity to out and out ASSHOLES of that magnitude.  Even though the economy in Cleveland Tennessee is reminiscent of St. Pete in the late '80's, the people are a vast improvement over the gimme gimme selfish jerks I left behind.  The 4th of July here was kind of weird.  They blew the fireworks off on Tuesday night so as not to interfere with Wednesday night church services.  Fireworks of pretty much all kinds are legal here too.  I splurged and bought a box of 4 Killer Bee mortars, 5 boxes of Big Bangers, (they'll blow off a fingernail no problem!) and a 12 pack of bottle rockets.  I'll probably still have some left when New Years rolls around.

I spent the 4th at my dad's house in Chattanooga.  He's got a nice house way up on a ridge above Lake Chickamagua.  He's 67 now, so I help him with his yardwork and his back yard is about a 35` slope that ends in a small creek.  I missed seeing him crash his riding mower through the fence last year.  He had the fence removed and that took all the fun out of watching him mow the back.
We got on the computer and I showed him this Hovercraft lawnmower thats made by Huesqvarna, and he just might try to get one.  Then in the spirit of "One Upsmanship" he actually fuckin found a website that was showing the World Premier of a freaking Robot Lawnmower, that is completely programable and automatic.
Jesus, he has enough toys as it is!  After a way cool dinner, shortly after my stepmom got home from work, we finished up watching the new Scorcese movie "The Departed."    About halfway through it, I heard something that sounded like someone walking around on the deck outside.  This really freaked me out, since the decks are 15 feet off the ground.  Both parental units were dozed off, so I got up and investigated.  It turned out to be shock waves from the fireworks going off down on the lake.  My getting up woke them, and they managed to stay awake for the rest of the movie.   It made me realize just how old we are all getting.  It makes me realize there really is'nt all that much time left, really.  I'm just glad that I managed to find the strength and resolve to forgive them for the whole Straight bullshit and everything that came with it.   Now while you may be able to pick your nose, you can never pick your relatives, so you just have to make the best of it.  Take care everybody, and if you are gonna still be blowing off firecrackers, remember to use a punk (an incense stick works best) because cigarette lighters have a bad habit of burning the whole damn fuse at once and then BAMM! Then you wind up with the nickname "Lefty."     85 DJ
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Inside a warehouse behind Tyrone Mall
we walked in darkness, kept hitting the wall.
I took the time to feel for the door,
I had been \"treated\" but what the hell for?

Offline Anonymous

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2007, 09:02:03 AM »
Hey dude are you loco? Go get some help!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2007, 09:10:49 AM »
thats not nice pedro dude!    i was wondering 85 how you forgave your parents? did they appologize? did they now know what else to do with you b/c you did do drugs? do they realize now straight was in fact a cult? and whats 85? is it the number of days you spent inside? 85 days would be easier to forgive than 2 years plus.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Froderik

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2007, 11:19:27 AM »
Jerk- next time you're in Chattanooga, ask around and see if someone remembers a local band called Boondoggle. They put Lungfish up at their house back in the early 90's (I roadied for them). Sean Meadows, their bass player, later became Lungfish's bass player.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline 85 Day Jerk

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Boondoggle, 85, and Forgiving
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2007, 02:49:16 AM »
Hey Alex, I ate at a way-out Pizzeria called the Magic Mushroom in downtown Chatt and remember seeing a flyer on the wall somewhere.  This was a few blocks from the river, and the pizza place is in the original Chattanooga Coca-Cola factory from the 1900's.  I think the band is still together.

As far as the 85 goes, that is how many days out of 98 spent on First Phase that I was a full time fucking jerk.  People that knew me on my program can attest to this.  I was cutting edge, and responsable for some of the changes that came later.  Do'nt hate me, but I was one of the reasons they purchased them god-awful blue chairs.  When I got there in the summer of '78, we had free standing black plastic metal frame Samsonite rental chairs.  They fit on racks, 70 chairs to a rack, so you could tell how big the group was simply by counting how many full racks were left minus 1000 before open meetings in the old Milton Roy Building in St. Pete.

The black chairs were actually pretty comfortable, but since they did not interlock, I found ways to create alot of mischief.  My favorite was to quietly fold up the chair behind someone who was standing up and relating, hold it back aways and watch the person fall on their ass when they went to sit back down.  They were also real handy during "Homes" rap to throw across the room when people told me I was'nt ready for Talk & Responsabilities, but the absolute best was to fold one up during those Love Raps where everybody closes their eyes and just fling that fucker towards the ceiling as hard as I could and watch everyone just about shit themselves when it came crashing back to the concrete floor.  I was a jerk for 85 Days out of 98, henceforth the user name.

As far as forgiveness goes........what do you benefit from by hating?
Holding resentments only hurt yourself.  If someone throws you in a pool and you dont know how to swim, thrashing and gnashing cussing and yelling aint gonna save you.  You'll end up tired and drowned.  Relaxing, and thinking things through, keeping a cool head and accepting the situation will find you floating instead.  Then, you can find a way to the side and pull yourself out.  This is sort of how I dealt with my parents.  I guess you can relax in the fact that yeah, I'm still bitter, but it's like these fucking gas prices, you got no choice but to give in.  Hating your parents is like trashing your car, and riding around on bicycle with a peace sign painted on your face.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2009, 06:26:23 PM by 85 Day Jerk »
Inside a warehouse behind Tyrone Mall
we walked in darkness, kept hitting the wall.
I took the time to feel for the door,
I had been \"treated\" but what the hell for?

Offline Anonymous

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2007, 11:34:13 AM »
thanks for your reply 85...so i should thank you for raising hell and not giving in..i guess you werent restrained for hours on end, sat on by 5 fat people or put in an isolation room where there was blood and urine splattered all over the walls...this is what happened after you...we had old church pews with faded yellow burlap appolstry stappled underneath and some would pick the staples out and carve on themselves all day (you know those 16 hour days, never to see the sunlight, no windows)...no one ever did anything except 'stand them up' (not that they would stand) once in a while to scream at them, it was very disturbing and unsanitary...among other repressed feelings...
anyway its been 20 years for me and its not that i hate my parents at this point in my life..its just that we have nothing to say to each other.. there is nothing there..it would be like trying to draw from an emty bank account..noone put anything better than that trama in??? so i do not need that! i would have liked it to be different but it is what it is...just wondering what the context of someone having a 'relationship' with their parents were? well i wish you well and your aging parents and happy to hear the compassion and understanding you have...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Woof-a-Doof

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2007, 10:51:33 AM »
Quote from: ""Guest""
thanks for your reply 85...so i should thank you for raising hell and not giving in..i guess you werent restrained for hours on end, sat on by 5 fat people or put in an isolation room where there was blood and urine splattered all over the walls...this is what happened after you...we had old church pews with faded yellow burlap appolstry stappled underneath and some would pick the staples out and carve on themselves all day (you know those 16 hour days, never to see the sunlight, no windows)...no one ever did anything except 'stand them up' (not that they would stand) once in a while to scream at them, it was very disturbing and unsanitary...among other repressed feelings...
anyway its been 20 years for me and its not that i hate my parents at this point in my life..its just that we have nothing to say to each other.. there is nothing there..it would be like trying to draw from an emty bank account..noone put anything better than that trama in??? so i do not need that! i would have liked it to be different but it is what it is...just wondering what the context of someone having a 'relationship' with their parents were? well i wish you well and your aging parents and happy to hear the compassion and understanding you have...


Guest---there is this idea that the treatment (sic) endured by folks that went thru Straight Inc prior to your incarceration was less than what you endured. The implication is that you and people locked up with you, had it far worse than those locked up earlier. To me this entire line of thinking is flawed. Not only do I think the reasoning behind the thought process is fucked, but it creates a seperatist kind of environment. It turns the discussion into Us-vs-Us instead of Us-vs-THEM. It creates an atmosphere not unlike the times back in the day. Turn Us against ourselves, then watch the entire group of people rip each other to shreds like some demonic cancer gone awry.

Fact; we were all abused in some way, shape or form...physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually. The extint of that abuse was tolerated and encouraged by a sick/twisted idea. That abuse did indeed increase as time went on, but check your history. Straight Inc, where ever you might have been, did not just up and become a violent, abusive environment. There was no time in Straight Inc history that fear and hatred did not exist. Elements of fear and general distrust of everyone was the common  denominator...every day. When other elements, George Ross/Miller Newton where introduced to the shit pile it would be less than the truth to say that the abuse wasnt ratcheted up considerably.

I dont think it's remotely cool to dismiss anothers abuse/neglect endured. To exclude anothers experience in this way is inconceivabe to me. It reminds me of a scene in the movie the Blues Brothers where the characters were all comparing meals in various jails and prisons...and then one said, "They are all pretty bad"...No Shit!

What happened to you 10 years or so after 85DJ and I were both incarcerated in Straight Inc is deplorable...no doubt. But what you may fail to realize is that we got there 10 years before you did, so we have 10 years more experience in carrying this shit. Cant speak for 85DJ, but for myself, those 10 years have allowed feelings that were once "repressed" in regard to the parents, to have fully manifested into hate, rage and distrust. I speak to them out of obligation. Thats my story...thats my legacy...and I attribute it to Straight Inc.

I remember the Black Chairs 85DJ mentioned, I recall blue ones as well. I also recall a time when we had something similar to church pews. They were wooden, they were linked together all in one piece and they sat maybe 6-8 people at a time. The laminated wood on the seating itself would become frayed and easily pulled out. I dont recall any self mutilation on the guys side, however when "motavating", these things slide like crazy on the floor that was covered in layers upon layers of fiber glass, also a favorite of the 'pickers' (this was back in the Morgan Yacht Building). I also remember"newcomers"and "the jerks" (including myself) always had the worst seating.

PS....Sorry for the shit you endured
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
What is right is not always popular...What is popular is not always right

Offline Anonymous

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2007, 04:53:35 PM »
i dont think we had it any worse or better from the begining of programs to the present..i am sorry if you picked that up in my reply to 85...ive gotten shit here about gt being life lite like it wasnt as bad and that is just completely wrong...however i will say that on some of the other posts for programs, people seem to be more coherent and are able to talk about there expierences earlier than lets say 20 plus years..of course we didnt have the internet like people do now..then you still get some of the people from straight saying it was good for them and how dare we bash straight? so everone is different but straight is no doubt about it an abusive cult and i feel bad for everone subjected to it!..i hope this clarifies what i wrote earlier..
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2007, 09:22:44 PM »
how many homosexuals can you fit on the head of a pin?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Froderik

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2007, 11:08:27 PM »
I give up..how many?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #10 on: July 09, 2007, 12:21:49 AM »
see guest and frod made my point incoherent straight vs whatever?  guess i just made the same point lol!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Froderik

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« Reply #11 on: July 09, 2007, 09:06:54 AM »
Quote from: ""Guest""
see guest and frod made my point incoherent straight vs whatever?  guess i just made the same point lol!

So how many homos can fit on the end of a pin?

How many straightlings does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #12 on: July 09, 2007, 10:20:22 AM »
ComO? whats u takin bout frodrick?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Froderik

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« Reply #13 on: July 09, 2007, 10:36:13 AM »
I don't know, I forgot.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline RTP2003

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Fireworks: Two Different Times
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2007, 10:51:29 PM »
Quote from: ""Woof-a-Doof""
It turns the discussion into Us-vs-Us instead of Us-vs-THEM. It creates an atmosphere not unlike the times back in the day. Turn Us against ourselves, then watch the entire group of people rip each other to shreds like some demonic cancer gone awry.

Fact; we were all abused in some way, shape or form...physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually. The extint of that abuse was tolerated and encouraged by a sick/twisted idea. That abuse did indeed increase as time went on, but check your history. Straight Inc, where ever you might have been, did not just up and become a violent, abusive environment. There was no time in Straight Inc history that fear and hatred did not exist. Elements of fear and general distrust of everyone was the common  denominator...every day. When other elements, George Ross/Miller Newton where introduced to the shit pile it would be less than the truth to say that the abuse wasnt ratcheted up considerably.

I dont think it's remotely cool to dismiss anothers abuse/neglect endured. To exclude anothers experience in this way is inconceivabe to me. It reminds me of a scene in the movie the Blues Brothers where the characters were all comparing meals in various jails and prisons...and then one said, "They are all pretty bad"...No Shit!




I tend to agree.


I understand that the Guest you were responding to wasn't actually implying the things you said, but you bring up some pretty good points.  I was in Straight during the reign of Dr. Dr. Rev.  V. Miller "Fr. Cassian" Newton, and yeah, it was pretty fucked up, to say the least.  However, it's got to be said that even if that particular sack of shit and his charming wife Ruthie, (who, I feel compelled to say, gives excellent rimjobs) were nowhere near Straight, it still would have been a fucked-up, abusive institution.  There is no such thing as a "better" Straight, a "nonabusive" Straight, a "kinder and gentler" Straight.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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