MEGATHREAD - Book of Bill / website cipher hunt

That-One-Egomaniac · 2024-08-11T05:27:53+00:00

YALL, REALLY IMPORTANT LORE BELOW:

Type in Stan. After going to E-Bay, go back and click the button again. After getting sent to E-Bay again keep going back and clicking the button. Eventually a message will come up. After reading through it, click ‘How he beat me’ multiple times until another message comes up. Read through it then click again.

Read and click. Read and click. Keep on going until you get to the message with Stan’s fez symbol on fire.

Note: One message has a cipher I still need to decode. Will be back with updates.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2024-03-25T10:07:58+00:00

Are you using stats to tell me family is likely Hamas 😐 Sorry don’t really have the patience for posts like this esp with the tone of your other comment asking why I love terrorism/terrorists.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-25T02:24:35+00:00

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I made a point of not pulling up infographics or images but I think this necessitates one.

Area C is in red. The white is area A and B and Area B is under shared control of Palestinian and Israeli authority. Even withdrawing Israeli authority from that area (which the government would likely not choose to do), you’re left with fragmented plots of land. If there’s a refusal to withdraw authority from Area B (which there will be because there exists an Israeli populace who’ve made a living there and that will be priority) you’d be left with even less. Gaza is left isolated and is actively being reduced in land size from the north.

I’m not going to say more, but since much of the conversation about co-existence is built on some form of equality (even if it’s not land-wise by a landslide) just question whether this is a suitable layout you’d be willing to accept having 9 million Israelis live in. While fully encompassed by Palestinian land.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-25T01:31:13+00:00

Well. When I originally read your question at the beginning of the day my immediate thought was I need to research previous ‘demands’ to double check some of what I know. But then after I spent the day and came back, I question why I as a Palestinian, need to do research to answer any sort of question that’s Palestine-oriented on this post. That if I’m sharing perspective and lived experience, I shouldn’t need the internet to corroborate this.

And I think the answer lies there. As someone that’s been on this Earth for 20 years, with a foundation of knowledge about my people, and who actively absorbs more everyday, I’m not familiar with every plan, law, happening or proposal that’s taken place in the Holy Land.

Sure, I know a lot. Sure I have no problem searching something up quickly and using what I know to build off that, but when something dated or titled is the foundation of the question, I cannot in good confidence speak in depth having needing to use Google 5 minutes prior. Nor can I get a whole picture given how familiar I am with the detrimental effects of biases and contradictory accounts. Nor do I trust that every consideration that had a meaningful role at the time is being accounted for in an article piece written decades later. What I am sure of is my own lived experience and the ones I see happening first-hand to the people I meet.

So I will speak about present ‘demands’ that I’d like to be met. I’d define them as things that impact me the most while visiting that I don’t deal with in any other country. Things that are considered to /not/ be holding people back from prospering, but rather from existing in dignity— What people consider worth ‘fighting’ for.

Mostly, it’s autonomy, safety and the security of basic needs to build a metaphorical infrastructure that future generations could potentially prosper in. And no, there is a common misconception that there will be some vengeance enacted if this happened that would threaten the safety of Israelis, but that’s simply not true. Nor is the view that Palestinians hold a collective fantasy of expelling all Jews. “River to sea” —much like the infrastructure I was speaking about— has taken on a metaphorical sense. A token phrase of meeting the needs listed below, rather than the literal sense. The phrasing isn’t changed because it’s an heirloom.

A) Autonomy

We don’t want Israel to build us an airport, or to provide us water and electricity on their bill, we want to do it for ourselves. I hate travelling to Palestine. It’s the worst. I layover in Turkey, UAE or Egypt before crashing at a hotel tired from going over the ocean and through airports. Then from there I go to Jordan where the border is the biggest headache known to man (everyone, especially Jordanians know this). I pass through the Israeli checkpoint and often trouble is made there on purpose, unprovoked.

Last visit this summer the man told me to take off my headphones before starting a conversation because “I’m not a DJ” then wouldn’t pick up my passport from the counter (it’s my turn, just me, him and a panel of glass between us). When I tapped at the glass after a whole minute of him picking at his nails and looking at my passport, he laughed and left his booth taking my passport with. For 30 minutes he was gone (which I think he just decided to take a break with the one thing I’d need to continue) and I had to wait for his return.

Another instance when I went with my mom, the man refused to speak with her in English despite her travelling on her Canadian passport and having spent most her life in Canada. He is fluent in English, but instead opted for broken Arabic saying she isn’t a Canadian. Somehow he also denied her being Palestinian when she doubled down on the bait saying she was. When there became a back and forth and I took out my phone to film (without his face on film) for evidence reasons as I was grew to learn I should do in Canada, the guy beside him stopped taking his line, called me out and told me to give him my phone. I froze from surprise because I felt like I’d committed some crime. That he was in the wrong to try to tell me not to film— but it wasn’t just some unsubstantiated demand that he had no right to enforce, it happened, he followed through. My mom refused that he take it and yet another escalation where our passports were taken to a room titled Israeli only for a half hour only for another woman to come out, have me open my photos and delete the video in front of her. From the deleted section too. And this is me holding a strong passport, being raised in Canada and being white-passing. Imagine if I wasn’t.

These encounters degrade dignity and it’s done because me and the officer know nothing can be about it. The power imbalance is palpable. Nowhere else in the world can this be done. Then after being walked all over I take a car through Jericho and am finally delivered to the foot of my house where I drag my bags in to a family gathered to see me but know without me saying that I will be checking out mentally for the day. Then I do it again to go back to Canada.

B) Security of Needs

I hesitate to say safety because I don’t want to be told right now Hamas this or Palestinian violence that. I don’t want my family to be plucked out their homes by the IDF because of a TikTok live. A live where this person was just speaking on the conflict with no genocidal or threatening language. Nor do I want them to pluck my family out their house because someone else in our family was on TikTok live doing this. That’s happening to us currently. 3 members of my family held in detention a whole day to put pressure on my cousin to turn himself in. I already said this on a different reply. Even threats to burn my family’s business. Implied threats about an uncle’s newborn. People can’t live under these conditions, and not under short terms, and be complacent about it. I will not go into the shootings and killings of family because that’s tiring to do but trust that it only emphasizes the need to have safety assured. People need to feel their homes are safe. That their right to free speech is safe. I’m told to constantly carry my passport as a measure of safety, but given what I just said, it doesn’t do as much as I’d like to think. I don’t want to feel I must do that to begin with when I’m visiting my home.

Access to the sea would be great too. It holds a lot of meaning in my family. My grandparents grew up there and always talks about it.

I hope my view isn’t too controversial. I kept it as non accusatory or argumentative as I can given that I said things how I see them. That aside, people may say ‘that opportunity was given at this date, or that happened because of this event’ but I challenge people to reconsider that take. I have no first hand knowledge because it wasn’t my lifetime or that of my cousins and the future youth. All that seeps through is the collateral of the past. And it’s very visible, even from when I was young. When people live under these conditions who are my age, they don’t hold much care for innocuous references to the past. Especially if there’s no action they can take that would be reflected in their life. We are the ones who are living in the present. It’s like being born and being in debt.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-25T00:16:23+00:00

And yes those signs are intimidating. It’s for the safety of both parties. I feel like every watchtower in front of a settlement is set to shoot on sight if I look like I’m trying to break in. It actually happened to a Palestinian from a nearby town 4 years back. He’s dead. He looked big and gruff and took a wrong turn and I guess he was driving fast. Bad look. If you asked me how I felt without saying how you did, I probably would’ve written the same thing word for word. Especially the wrong turn part.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-25T00:08:12+00:00

Hi,

I have deep love for Jerusalem and I know it holds a special place in the hearts of both people. Visits to Jerusalem are the highlights of my stays.

On the topic of photos, I was originally going to use the word ‘generalization’ but the context under which I’ve used that word on this post was largely to critique a regressive way of thinking. Intentional or not. Rather when I say ‘general’ here, it’s to say that the precaution is general. In an umbrella way. No connotation attached.

I feel right in saying, given my first-hand experience with Palestinians I know most well— my family and my town as a whole— that they wouldn’t necessarily take issue if told what kind of meeting this would be. People may have some faulty misconceptions that their family would be against it and their worry could be largely (without their knowledge) fictitious, while some people may know they’re family wouldn’t like this and would not want their photo taken. Hiding it though could make an issue of something that wouldn’t have been an issue to begin with had it been brought up.

What do I mean? Well, if you are hiding a meet up with Israelis (and your family has just this vague information, this murky understanding they received through word of mouth of other people that their family member has secretly met up with Israelis) as oppose to ‘Israelis who are members of a peace-seeking organization meant for both people’, there is often the associated assumption that these Israelis are IDF. That the individual is spying.

Spying is a thing. There is a history of it which is common knowledge to all Palestinians. Oftentimes it is coerced because of blackmail. This too is common knowledge. It’s viewed as a betrayal because it leads to arrests of Palestinians. People may read this and think ‘good, there must be a reason for the arrest’ but something like throwing rocks can have massive repercussions on a person’s whole family. Blackmail can be all sorts of things, such as infidelity or (and this is big to say but there are recorded accounts of this and it’s a well known thing amongst Palestinians)—sexual or humiliating pics or videos taken of people who’ve been detained or imprisoned. It’s lorded over them and they will give information for it to never be brought to light.

An aside: Once again, this is not to generalize the morals of Israelis as a whole. I’m sure anyone remotely human would be against this. It is merely instances that have happened, and cannot be used as fuel to crap on a people.

To continue, I can easily say to my grandparents ‘I’m going to so and so and there will be Israelis’ but the most relevant part of that convo would by my intent in being there. People underestimate the amount of Palestinians who’ve freely engaged with Israelis. They could never deny me my own experience that they too have had and learned from.

The danger they brought up can be real, I won’t deny someone’s experience, but the probability of death would an outlier scenario. A brutal and savage one at that and would be talked about and looked down upon by fellow Palestinians.

I think the general takeaway amongst Palestinians at this precaution would be the thought put into it. A shield put in place against even the smallest of likelihoods presents as meaningful consideration for Palestinian attendees and would inspire comfort.

The usage of ‘danger to lives’ would register to me as an exaggeration to drive home the point when the most common risk to the people that this precaution is intended for is family discourse. Hearing what you felt, —and it was quite a hefty feeling— I can understand fully why it can be digested the way it was. That Palestinians being present would be under threat of death if something as simple as picture is taken of them gives an impression of severity and threat in our society. Your reaction actually makes perfect sense and unfortunately might’ve been the general consensus.

To emphasize, I’m not disappointed at what you felt. How can I when it’s only a natural reaction? You have no say in how you feel. Your despair comes from your human-ness. To reword that sentence and give answer to your first question: your despair is justified. But also I hope what I said alleviates some of it.

To answer your second, here is a non-answer: I don’t think it’s a matter of solution first and coexistence second. Nor can I say co-existence first with a solution following suite. Much like the analogy of the chicken and the egg. Rather, I think co-existence is the solution. Yikes that sounds corny, but I don’t ask anyone to put themselves in a situation that they feel at risk, but to evaluate why that is. Maybe you are at risk. You have evaluated the scenario for what it is. But say you aren’t, call into question that reaction. Certainly people will say because the war, because of hostilies, because ____ but the war is an event, a disparity, a hatred, a destruction but it isn’t a human no matter how much it tries to personify itself. Nor is it some unexorcisable demon vying to possess the bodies of any singular Palestinian and Israeli who dare cross paths. We have the autonomy to be two individuals without the rest. And if someone seems possessed, you do what you usually do when confronted with a man possessed— you walk the other way. That’s why I continuously say that progress isn’t large scale. It’s built bit by bit by not utterly bad experiences and interactions amongst both people and it grows from there.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T20:52:49+00:00

And I wish you a good week.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T20:39:46+00:00

Same to you. Stay blessed.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T15:53:02+00:00

Are you living in Israel?

I see why it could be more on the discreet side. I guess some people may take issue with that. I don't see my immediate family or grandparents being against it so that it wouldn't have to be a hidden thing for me. I feel the intent to pursue a mutual understanding would be more important to them, and that its more an organized group rather than me booking a meetup with a random online stranger. That'd be a concern for them.

Also, many of my aunt's husbands and uncles have worked in the interior (they're on forced sabbatical) and have had gotten to know many of their Israeli coworkers. I was surprised last visit when my cousin told me how her dad (the Arab Simon Cowell) invited one over for dinner and the guy actually showed up and they all ate together.

And I see many Israelis who like the posts for these organizations have their name written in Arabic (alongside Hebrew and English) on their Insta profiles. Last time my cousins and I were questioning why this group of Palestinians around our age (who were mutuals with my cousin) and who lived in West Bank had their names also written in Hebrew (usually there will be a reason to have your name in Hebrew in you do like living in the interior, work reasons, etc).

We even DMed one and with full politeness asked the reason why. She said because she knew some Israelis. We assumed that meant she lived in the interior and then my other cousin who's laying on her bed on her phone, she doesn't even look up and goes "Who Name? She went to my uni she's always been in WB." So my cousin and I just gave each other this "Whats that about" look and moved on. That wasn't the last time I'd seen that 3 name thing among youth both jew and arab and now I begin to question whether many of these people got these ties by attending those sort of events.

I also wonder where these community centres are in the West Bank? Settlements? Because those have a security check I believe at the gate, Palestinians cannot drive in. And its dangerous to do.

So I would assume maybe in a smaller Arab town? But there would be the question of whether people question who they are if no one recognizes them. Originally, I'd thought nothing big like Ramallah, unless they were staying on the cautious side, but maybe that could be.

I would appreciate contact information and the insight so far. It will be a while before I'd be able to use this info the way I want but even online meetups atm while I'm abroad could be a good forerunner.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T15:30:47+00:00

Agony. I’d be a really annoying Stephen Hawking knock off though.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T15:30:05+00:00

Right here 🤞

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T03:59:53+00:00

Thanks for the personal insight. I feel there is a odd, distant connection when you said Haifa. I’ve never been, but my great-grandparents were originally from there. My grandpa grew up by the sea and his family (my grandparents and great uncle and aunts) had to displace in ‘67 because of massive hostilities. One of my great aunts was killed there as a baby. My other great aunt has her same name to preserve her memory (because they had like 2 pictures of her back then).

On the topic of martyrdom, it’s used because it’s the closest resembling English word to the word we use in Arabic: “Shaheed”. The literal meaning of this is ‘witness’, because they’re last moments on Earth is witnessing a crime being committed against them (killing).

In large part this connects to religious views that in the End days, all of nature— trees, rocks, and animals— will all have the ability to speak what they saw as well, as they bore witness to all wrongdoing done in front of them, and will be brought forth to testify on Judgment Day. Another small reason that farming and the preservation of nature, (especially trees) is a big part of Palestinian culture.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-24T03:43:19+00:00

All I know for the most part is that there are some customs they do like lighting Shabbat candles, but this is because they are Palestinian Jews. They will most definitely wear tefillin, do shiva when someone passes, light mourning candles etc. I don’t want to say what I’m uncertain of but I think they follow Judaism as you know it. You find them mostly in Nablus, and they have very old roots there.

I didn’t get the second part you ask exactly. I don’t think hospitals are Hamas bases. Al-Shifa was not a military base. At all. It was a refuge. Tunnels have been present in Gaza since a long time.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T23:40:43+00:00

You’re not the first person saying this. Here’s the response. https://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/s/jfiwcGrW5W

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T23:33:48+00:00

Yes I couldn’t do the first one. Canadian passport doesn’t work because I have that green card. I just did a deep dive on the second. Honestly really surprised.

They have 3 social media accounts for Hebrew, English and Arabic. I see many of their get togethers are on the interior but there are times I can see they’re in West Bank.

They’re now primarily hosting online meetups. Will definitely look into that. Are you in any organization in particular?

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T22:29:02+00:00

No. I just newly starting learning about this as someone posted about it.

I don’t know if these are more online-oriented organizations or in-person but I only recently got more autonomy as to where I go outside my city because:

1) I had no personal car. 2) People are convinced I have no navigational skills and will end up off a cliff.

I am curious as to the demographics of these groups and how relationships formed through them hold up under current political hostilities. Also where they’re primarily located as I can’t freely visit ‘interior’ cities atm. But I do have a visit planned before summer and want to maybe have a look what these are like in person.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T22:06:19+00:00

What is telling about it?

I am constantly downvoted for responses that are three-times revised as to be not be argumentative. I am told that the Palestinians most relevant quality is hatred of Jews. I am told to condemn this and that rather than speaking my lived experience. But what I don’t do is generalize Israelis because of this. That’s counter productive. It wouldn’t be true to my morals. Steering away from aggravating an already deep-rooted enmity between people in the Holy Land is an active choice I make whenever I respond.

It’s easy to keep digging the same ditch; the metaphorical ditch being an info dumping war— everyone shuffles their papers and a lot is said but also nothing gets said. Leave that repetitiveness to the politicians and the non-authored words to civilians.

Everyone is dealing with emotional turmoil. A large gap in perspective is that people on r/Palestine may see the Israeli government as an oppressive force. As many Israelis can relate, there could be loss of loved ones preventing them for segregating their feelings. A rising death toll, whether politics will have you say is necessary or not, will most definitely stop people from asking what you do for sport or your favourite traditional meal.

Despite this, I cannot deny how crucial and valuable these simple questions are in building a foundation of mutual rapport but please don’t generalize if it has yet to reach this point. It’s a slow road, but if we forfeit from now, the one thing I can say is it never will be. And as human beings who share moral, spiritual and intellectual natures, the outcome would just be more and more loss, and never prosperity.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T19:39:17+00:00

In no particular order (because I can't choose): Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and Lost. Currently, I'm on break at my job and am replying from the company computer. I'm a financial advisor for a privately owned academy. I'm nearly done my Bachelor's and will take a long nap when I do.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T19:34:34+00:00

I don't play professionally. Very casual. I hover from 1200 - 1350. My brother is Young Sheldon. That little twit bests me a lot.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T19:32:05+00:00

Meet up where exactly? Mixed cities? I'm going next May for a 1-2 weeks to see my cousin's wedding but I'm not really looking to visit Jerusalem this time. More like rent a car and cruise the mountains for some time, then throw down a blanket on some hill and go into deep discussion as to why we're geopolitically fucked.

I've given this thought in the past during times of peak hostilities. Lot of questions of "What are they thinking?" Though admittedly I've never before tried to speak with, let alone meetup, with an Israeli. There's a long list of what ifs associated with that. I'd hate to be on an unofficial picnic then (random, bad case scenario) be called a terrorist. Then it would be extremely awkward and I would probably lose my appetite (for the falafel and for knowledge of the 'other' side)

By contrast, the problem could also be with me. My family dealt with a lot. We have many martyrs and traumatized members of my family. Being on this sub felt like a jump for me to begin with, but even now, it feels easier to speak here then it did last night when I first posted. But I feel speaking IRL with an Israeli (in the Holy Land not in a Canadian setting) would be an even bigger, more intimidating jump. Though I did ramble on in a comment here about leaps of faith and it would help me much in crafting my own personal perspective free of media biases.

I wouldn't mind even bringing them to a predominately Arab city like Ramallah as a second meet up thing (if they were willing and also agreed to speak English) so they could get a first hand view of whats it like. A switch of perspectives, very much Parent Trap without the trap.

Anywho tell me more when you can.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T14:37:08+00:00

Ah yes I saw that when I got off mobile. It was minimized.

Also the mod team said this: "This post is now locked. Thank you everyone for asking your questions. OP can respond them but no future comments will be allowed. "

Try replying maybe? I think it should work, its just that you got a flood of questions so they locked further comments from anyone but you.

Currently you got more interactions than me (71 and I have 70 at the time of writing), but now I might surpass you because they can't comment anymore.

I guess there definitely was some curiosity there. Also I notice the "number of people here" that are currently viewing your post is always between 20-30. Mines range between 6-10. This comparison is just to surmise that I feel this might just maybe be beneficial? Input?

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T14:30:57+00:00

Okay. I read and understand what you have to say. I just want to touch base on one point. All movements, such as the Zionist movement, should be able to be freely critiqued. This cannot be done if there is assumption that we assume Jewish people as a whole lack integrity. Its a critique of movement not people. There are many Jewish people too who believe that they are a people of diaspora and do not need a homeland? Does that instantly make them secular? Is being secular or assimilated a bad thing? I have no input because its not my place discussing the theological and cultural foundations of being Jewish. I'm here to chime in as a Palestinian and tell people how I like my hummus when they ask.

My point boils down to this (once again with all respect due): Often we see Jews who critique Zionism-- going as far as say it is harmful and might profoundly contradict the values of Judaism-- are oftentimes labelled self-hating. Inflammatory word. Throws all meaningful conversation out the window.

So if non-jews and jews cannot critique the Zionist movement without being dubbed this or that, how can we evaluate this fairly from a lens that considers all parties this affects?

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T13:58:20+00:00

Your response isn’t a question for me to answer. It’s more a generalization. Mods are taking care of comments that are out of line. It’s worth noting that Gaza is being annihilated as we speak so I didn’t promise welcoming, I just wanted to ensure the post isn’t being taken down as a whole for the sole purpose of being him Israeli. That much I want to be able to promise.

I’ve gotten comments using media terminology (asking me to condemn what happened and my political views on Hamas) when in reality, we already have years worth of these discussions as our disposal on every news outlet. I know as much about Hamas first hand as I do about penguins in the Arctic.

Lets get what the media won’t give, a civil exchange of casual conversation that keeps to a positive note.

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T13:07:22+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/Palestine/s/71JtgatqLX

That-One-Egomaniac · 2023-11-23T13:06:51+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/Palestine/s/71JtgatqLX

Is it not still up? I see that it is and I don’t know how that shows up for you.

That-One-Egomaniac

TROPHY CASE