Along with the arrival of spring, we all move back outdoors and catch up with the neighbors.

This weekend one conversation went on a hard tangent, since this neighbor was in a religious mindset. He went on about the signs of the times, the return of Christ, and how our nation is going to be brought to its knees.

I looked at him and said that civilizations in general collapse after they become high and mighty, and get stuck on their superiority. It has happened over and over again over thousands of years, and it may be no different for the United States or any other country for that matter if we do not watch our P's and Q's.

But this lead me to this observation as I thought upon what was said.

What is with humankinds infatuation with doomsday stories and claims, can we just not learn to get on with it and yank our heads, and leave all this death and destruction crap behind us?

It’s like predicting someone’s death. If you do it long enough you are guaranteed to be right eventually.

I swear some people must get an endorphin high from pessimism. They take a grim “I told you so” satisfaction in the supposed imminent Venezuelization of the US. They think we are already in a deep recession, and simultaneously complain about not being able to fill jobs because nobody wants to work. They appear to hold both these thoughts with no apparent cognitive dissonance. Amazing.

Or, in other words, "I'm righteous, I'm going to survive the Apocalypse, all those other people won't."

I knew an ex-JW who told me they would pick out houses, cars, etc. currently owned by rich people that would be "theirs" after the Apocalypse since they would be one of the chosen 144,000 or whatever.

I will repeat what I have said elsewhere.

The 144,000 must be descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel. 1,000 from each tribe. And they must be MALE, so if you are female you can forget it.

AND they must be virgins. So if you have ever had sex, you can forget it. read the Book of Revelation. It's all there.

Even with those restrictions, I'm sure those 144,000 slots were filled up a long time ago.

So most of us can just forget it.

which is something of a relief.

Speaking of relief, the Relief Mine, in Salem Utah, which plays a HUGE role in the end of the world, is having its annual stockholders' meeting in a couple of weeks. But if you are not a stockholder, you can forget it.

Some people believe in salvation by grace, some believe in Salvation by works, some believe in salvation by being one of the 144,000.

But the way I was raised, all you need to be saved is stock in the Dream Mine.

Sounds like the American Way of Salvation to me. Stock in a mine will save you.

I may start a thread on the Dream Mine, in the hopes of exorcising some demons that just won't leave me alone.

On the other hand, maybe if I shut up about it, they will go away.

> I may start a thread on the
> Dream Mine, in the hopes of
> exorcising some demons that
> just won't leave me alone.


Go for it!

I do love me some Koyle!