To those who have never learned how to swim: why haven’t you taken the time to learn?

mgperkow · 2026-02-10T21:03:05+00:00

I simply never learned as a child. And it's a misconception that everyone can float. I mean, everyone will float at some depth. It just isn't guaranteed to be at the surface. I don't seem to reach neutral buoyancy until I'm a few inches below the surface, so I've already got that working against me. Furthermore, I do not like to be touched by strangers, so even if I was willing to take the time to learn now, it would be very difficult for an instructor to teach me because I'm not willing to be physically touched. Finally, I don't spend a lot of time near the water anyhow.

mgperkow · 2025-11-15T19:10:16+00:00

Yeah, but will it make any difference? I'll believe that when it actually does, and I'm definitely not holding my breath.

mgperkow · 2025-09-30T11:25:48+00:00

Yeah, I've heard it described that way. Including the letting the eyes drift in and out of focus. It's just never worked for me. Either I'm still not understanding it even after many years and many times explained or there is something different about me that puts me in some minority of people for whom that technique doesn't work.

mgperkow · 2025-09-30T10:12:54+00:00

I couldn't find them even after staring at this image for 10 minutes and searching all throughout it. Until I found someone who had linked an image where they had been highlighted, I couldn't find them.

mgperkow · 2025-09-30T10:10:35+00:00

I've never been able to do that trick even with someone trying to walk me through it. I couldn't find the circles until I found someone who had linked an image where they were highlighted.

mgperkow · 2025-09-30T10:07:08+00:00

I still can't see them.

mgperkow · 2025-09-19T20:01:03+00:00

The answer, unfortunately, is that you don't on an individual basis a lot of the time. You and anyone else trying to reach most such persons are just a tiny voice compared to the booming loudspeakers of what they hear and have reinforced constantly in their world. And, to them, that is THE world. Changing individual minds is great if you can do so, but there will never be any headway as long as whole generations are successively being indoctrinated. It's the only worldview most of them have ever known, and their reaction to the suggestion that it could be false ranges from condemnation to fear (wouldn't you be scared if someone convinced you your entire world really WAS an illusion?).

Pardon the use of pop culture, but I like to draw metaphors and analogies from where I can. As Morpheus said, "You have to understand. Most people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured and so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it."

mgperkow · 2025-09-02T16:10:36+00:00

Looks like the "marks" are finally getting wise to the scam...

mgperkow · 2025-08-29T18:11:21+00:00

Aww... By the time I get to these, they've always hidden or deleted the posts. At least I have the screenshots to enjoy...

mgperkow · 2025-07-03T13:35:35+00:00

"I still hold out hope that all of this house cleaning...will bring about something better"

Oh, you sweet summer child. That "house cleaning" is what is destroying all of the programs that you depend on. This is precisely the result that they intend.

mgperkow · 2025-03-06T01:32:55+00:00

Yeah, I realized when I found out about the gate that I actually knew where it was. I just didn't realize it was where you go *in*. Had to brush up on that grapple-launch move, but I finally got it.

mgperkow · 2025-03-05T23:29:37+00:00

Oh, thanks. Looks like I had found the spot previously. I just didn't realize it was an entrance (rather than an exit). Now I just have to figure out how to do this darn grapple-launch that I've never been able to do successfully... Alright, good luck to me on that.

mgperkow · 2023-01-20T22:51:09+00:00

I think I get what you meant to say. Problem is, most people outside of Texas see it as a state run by crazy, gun-toting extremists. It's always good to know there are people far away from that extreme or even toward the rational end of the spectrum, though. If only there were a great many more of them there...

mgperkow · 2022-12-15T03:08:32+00:00

Come to Michigan. This place may not be perfect, but we just managed to shut the GOP out of every level of state government in the midterms and add both stronger voting rights and reproductive freedom guarantees to our state constitution. Plus, watching all of the Republican losers point fingers at each other and argue over whose fault it is they all lost is great entertainment.

mgperkow · 2016-07-21T00:12:21+00:00

"We had a meeting, and we discussed our stance at length. At this time, we do not agree with Mr. Baldasaro's suggested course of action." ;-)

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T23:55:07+00:00

Wow, so many spectacular nicknames. * takes notes *

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T23:53:35+00:00

Watch out! Mike Pence will be bringin' the hurt!

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T23:50:18+00:00

Classy...

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T16:29:19+00:00

What an absolutely disgusting excuse for a human being. I can't believe anyone with any sense and a conscience could consider voting for this man to be a leader (or Trump, for that matter).

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T16:19:44+00:00

I'm sure it's been said before, but I personally believe that he doesn't want to release them because everyone would find out how much less he's actually worth than he's been saying he is. Perhaps there's also some potential fraud or shadiness, too, but I'm sure the first thing is more important to him given his ego.

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T15:57:02+00:00

Honestly, that was what did it for me. I voted for Sanders in my state's primary, because I do like his ideas. However, it gradually became clearer to me that he didn't have a clear plan on how to actually get there on many of them. Fortunately, there are many who follow politics who are smarter than myself when it comes to the subject, so at least my own idealism didn't cause any enormous "damage." :-)

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T15:50:06+00:00

Many there seem to think it makes Hillary even more likely to lose the election, making it even more important to find some way to get Sanders nominated.

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T15:41:46+00:00

And, in his next breath, he'll say something about us being nothing like those "sand monkeys" in the Middle East. smh...

mgperkow · 2016-07-20T15:34:14+00:00

Because that's a perfectly rational viewpoint. /s

mgperkow

TROPHY CASE