PayPal Sailors

[anjou]

I admire the rhetoric of humility. People like:

Dali Lama, Mandella, Ghandi, John Fire Lame Deeretc.

It puts everything in perspective, the way it should be.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

3. Think of it this way....you wouldn't go to a shopping mall for 4-5 hours just to by a pair of skivvies.......I have to be careful here.....I went shopping with a girlfriend for a pair of jeans.....6.345 hours later we went back to the first store....she bought the jeans there.....It was the....most....mind....and....foot....and.......as s numbing experience I can remember. Oh and the drive to the mega-mall-from-hell was 90 minutes one way

She must be pretty special huh?

Does she have a "button"?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by anjou

Whats the real reason behind this thread?
Is it envy? Are you jealous that you have had to work hard, save your pennies and spend them very wisely to reach your dream, then a couple of kids happen along, who never had to save, plan, go without for years to get the same place as you?

Life is like that all over.

I did it my way

They saved and planned.
He just found a way to make a lot more money faster than you or I.
Sure I am jealous - he is smarter than I am.

Yep, life is like that all over.

I am doing it my way too. Doing the best I can.

[jkd]

Originally Posted by Ram

Yes whats the point of this thread?

I consider it an exercise in modern anthropology of the cruising sailor.

The internet has changed the way societies function in so many ways. I am trying to come to grips with a medium that is rapidly changing our perceptions.

Many here seem to have no problem with giving money to like minded folks for 'entertainment' but from reading past threads, the line is drawn at giving (or associating with) the 'floating homeless' in their broken down boats that blight the landscape of their favorite anchorages. I am simply asking folks here to offer an opinion on whether this is true and where the 'new' line is in the age of the internet. Or is it even a correct perception on my part?
Are the floating homeless less entertaining?
Are those that don't specifically have a need, more or less deserving of funding even if they are accomplishing nothing extraordinary?
I know that online books are available one chapter at a time from some authors. Is this the sole motivation to support those that blog for money?

I thank all that have posted so far.

John

[anjou]

John
I dont think most people see it as 'floating homeless' but begging.

If they were genuine homeless and needed a handout for the basic staples of life like food and shelter then many of us would chip in, but for them to use that assistance to jollie round the world when many others have worked and saved many years to enable them to do the same, its what we call in UK taking the piss.

That, I believe, is the point being made here.

Maybe the self sufficient believe beggers who accept assistance should show some restraint and humility, not live it up.

Just a thought.

[speakeasy]

Moral superiority, self-proclaimed and at the expense of others, is so unattractive, don't you think?

[rallyman1122]

Originally Posted by jkd

I would like to know what others think on this. Am I just a dinosaur with old fashion tastes and out of the loop with new communications structures?

John

You dont like it? Don't contribute. Who made you the moral conscience of the forums?

[Adax]

Hmm,are we talking about general generosity now or calculated asking for money to do something you could not afford to do,something only of benefit to yourself ,without thought that someone had to make that money you receive? I liken it to inviting yourself to my dinnertable every day,when you have a perfectly stocked fridge at home, just not what you want.

General generosity is what this world needs more of and you cannot have any idea how grateful I am currently to some people.The circumstances are not mine to tell, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they can count on my help if ever needed.

I think what I object to is funding "me" exercises ."I need to do this before I reach 3.5 years and therefore you have to help me".

To me it reflects a sign of our times and possibly a reason why we are in more of a mess than we should be as a society . "Gotta have it now" mentality in short.
Thinking further would we be a better society,if we had not discovered the benefits of our flexible plastic friend and still had to save for what we want?

PS : I am generalising and not referring to any forum member or their efforts .

[Ram]

Don't contribute, if you dont want, im not sure why this would bother anyone.

[jkd]

Originally Posted by speakeasy

Moral superiority, self-proclaimed and at the expense of others, is so unattractive, don't you think?

Obviously I have misspoken for you to have interpreted it this way. I apologize.

What I'm trying to get at is; Where as individuals, do you draw a line (if any) between someone doing 'advanced marketing' (as David O Jersey suggests) of a story or panhandling.
Personally I find it rather vague.

John

[Adax]

Ram,

of course.Goes without saying. Goes without saying that I am free to open a blog and ask someone to finance whatever . I am just wondering if it does us good as a society,what individuals we create.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Adax

Ram,

of course.Goes without saying. Goes without saying that I am free to open a blog and ask someone to finance the purchase of my diamond tiara as I have always felt incomplete without it . But am I really being helped with such a contribution or is just my ego being fed ?

The Ego is always hungry!

[Ram]

Here’s a story that may be relevant
in 1995 my woman was teaching Yoga out of our home, and after a year or so she had a nice following, (she was a well known person in the field) one day she came to me with an idea that she wanted to open a yoga center, I said you’re going to need about $20k where you going to get it? She said she would send out a letter to all her students and ask them to give what they could- I laughed and remember saying if you get the money I will build the place- I thought if she was lucky she would get $500. 1 month later we had received over $18 thousand USD!!
and it blew my mind- I started work right away , by the way most of the checks were $1000 or $500 each,these people really wanted this!

[Adax]

Ram,haha indeed it is always hungry.
Glad you received the money for the centre .Generosity at its finest and a contribution to local sociallife ,amenities etc .

[Reckless]

Originally Posted by jkd

Obviously I have misspoken for you to have interpreted it this way. I apologize.

What I'm trying to get at is; Where as individuals, do you draw a line (if any) between someone doing 'advanced marketing' (as David O Jersey suggests) of a story or panhandling.
Personally I find it rather vague.

John

You can draw the line at anytime, sometimes I have people ask for change, I say no sorry, other times I will, other times I will go buy a slice of pizza for the person if they asked for change for food. It does really depend on my mood for the day, time ext. If I read a website, that provides me entertainment, and I read that these people have moved back to dry land to save up enough to continue their trip, and I got entertainment value from reading about there trip. I can decide to contribute or I can decide not too.

There are no set rules, or criteria.