Disclaimer: This is not for kids. It’s for adults who think about weird shit all the time or some of the time, or occasionally… either way, not for kids. There’s a lot of swearing. And it ain’t for hate-addicts or trolls either. If you’re just here to chill and listen to some weird shenanigans, well stick around mates. We also talk about some isms – like racism, a bit of mild violence speak, etc. It’s minimal.
Also, Heads up, Transcripts are auto-generated and can come off fucked up or just plain wrong. They’re usually alright, but sometimes they’re so bad they have to be skipped.
NEW EPISODE EVER THURSDAY EVENING
Host & Co.:Jess Gilley & Spencer Vann
The ShortMerc (00:28)
Goat noise. That’s the random cut markers goat noise. So I mean, Chris was actually making goat noises, but we don’t have to do all of that. Now, man, LinkedIn is I’m trying to also work on the gross verbiage of LinkedIn, because like I saw this ⁓ translator that took regular speak, which was like this guy saying I got a job or whatever. And ⁓ then it can.
Spenceroni (00:29)
Go noise.
on it, okay.
You
The ShortMerc (00:55)
I am enthused to announce that I have accepted a position and I was like, my God, this is disgusting. No, not at all.
Spenceroni (01:06)
Yeah, I am so
excited to announce that after years of working and putting in the hours, the opportunities have surfaced.
The ShortMerc (01:16)
Yep. Yep. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly that. Now I’m… I understand the dichotomy of its importance and its absurdity. Put it in those means.
Spenceroni (01:25)
Yeah, it
is sometimes like a necessary, I don’t know if I want to call it an evil, but like it is sometimes kind of a necessity. It’s it is odd just the world of like professionalism in general and just like the weird thin line sometimes between like being honest and sincere with yourself versus like, I don’t know, like what am I trying to say? Like the
The ShortMerc (01:50)
Ha
Spenceroni (01:51)
The culture of it sometimes requires like, not a facade, but like a ⁓ different version, an airbrushed version of yourself. Yeah.
The ShortMerc (02:02)
Yeah, whole new persona.
It’s like you have to become LinkedIn, Spence, LinkedIn, Jess, LinkedIn. It’s like, hello. You know, it’s crazy though. When I was back in grad school, I actually got graded on professionalism. Yeah, like, and I was fucking great at it. My professionalism score was at 100 and then I had one bad day and missed one assignment and dropped down to 98.5 and I’ve been pissed about it ever since.
Spenceroni (02:08)
Right.
Really?
Yeah.
Yeah, I can tell you’re clearly- you’re clearly over it.
The ShortMerc (02:30)
It’s like,
yeah, you know, I’m not mad about this and it’s only been 13 years. I don’t, I’m, I’m fine. I’m not pissed off about the fact that it dropped because I had one bad fucking day and missed fucking assignment turn in by like literally 15 minutes. I’m so mad.
Spenceroni (02:39)
you
If you just turn your webcam right now like on your wall, it’s just written like 1.5 % 1.5 % 1.5 % just scratched in over and over again That’s so funny
The ShortMerc (02:52)
Yeah, on all of the walls everywhere. just at this point, it’s just a mural of no.
Yeah, man. But today, I think we’re going to we’re going to hit up on some parallels, like the things between I think you and I were starting to have this conversation via text and then life slapped the shit out of both of us. But the difference between like science and spirituality and parallels there and all of that.
Spenceroni (03:18)
Hmm. Absolutely.
The ShortMerc (03:22)
that funness. know I sound so enthused. This is me excited. For those listening at home, I am super excited about this topic, but I don’t sound it. There’s nothing I can do about it. You’ll get used to it. Bye.
Spenceroni (03:29)
Mm-hmm.
I’ve known
Jess for a few years right now and I’m honestly, my jaw is agape seeing how excited she is right now.
The ShortMerc (03:39)
Yeah, super, ⁓ ex-
super serial-explated, okay? ⁓ no, but I love this topic, because I- I love really messing with people’s heads about the difference between fucking spirituality and science, and I think it was- it was Disney, Marvel movies, Thor, mostly. We do not own those. Again, this is the disclaimer. We’re just talking about them. yeah, same here. I would be not in the same shith-
Spenceroni (03:52)
Mm-hmm.
I wish I wish I owned those.
The ShortMerc (04:07)
boat that I’m in right now. But I digress. I love the fact that they were having an argument about a soul forge versus a molecular whatever whatever whatever and Thor was just like it’s a soul forge and she’s like yeah it’s a molecular whatever whatever whatever and it’s like how it’s the same thing like when people say no you have to do this spell work to get this thing and then other people are talking about affirmations and mantras and then other people are just talking about no just discipline and psychology and so you know it’s all
Spenceroni (04:08)
you
Hmm.
Mmm.
The ShortMerc (04:35)
The same? What if I were to tell you it’s the same damn thing?
Spenceroni (04:37)
Yeah.
Yeah,
I think it’s really interesting too. I mean, I think I remember it was a conversation we had again, maybe about like a month ago. And we were talking about, I had heard this somewhere, I forget where, but I was talking about how like,
Talking to people and words like you’re just casting spells constantly ⁓ Like in the sense of that like what you can say something you can move air it, you know creates a Hit someone’s ear. It’s registered as information and communication and it affects somebody right like that is like what is a spell like it’s it’s a I mean, I don’t know. I’m not like a perfect ⁓ I’m not a Harry Potter head, right? I don’t I don’t know the
The ShortMerc (05:13)
Mm-hmm.
Hahahaha
Spenceroni (05:25)
Exact, you know what defines a spell but I would say it’s something to the effect of a collection of ⁓ Either words or energy that like are then, you know thrust from one party to another to affect it in some some sort of way and I just think that that’s Literally what communication is but then on top of that
You can also break it that down on the scientific level. it’s like, it’s all magic and science is the same shit.
The ShortMerc (05:53)
Right, and then I mean, like, even
if you look into, and I’m not wicked or anything, I’m spiritual, if anybody wants to slap a label on it, I’m an ominous, I think everybody’s a little bit right and everybody’s a little bit wrong. But like, if you look at a lot of the religions or even spiritual practices, which they’re not the same thing, but that.
Spenceroni (06:05)
Yes
Mm-mm.
The ShortMerc (06:16)
use
spell work and stuff like that. They’ll tell you, you have to set an intention. You have to be mindful of when you decide to set this intention. You have to be careful of the words that you use. You know, you can’t just be like, hey, so I want a chocolate chip cookie to fall out of the sky and hit me in the face. It’s like, do you understand the physics of getting hit in the face by a chocolate chip cookie? Like, you know how fast that thing is going and you want it to actually make contact with you? Like, be careful what you ask for. ⁓ It’s much the same though. It’s like you…
Spenceroni (06:23)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah
Right. Right.
The ShortMerc (06:45)
And they’ll tell you too, like you have to have certain elements involved, which if you think about the body, it’s like, well, you’ve got air and they’ll tell you you need air. You’ve got water, which is pumping through your veins. You’ve got the heat, which is keeping you alive with that body temperature. You just fall below 98 degrees and see what happens to you.
Spenceroni (06:52)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. ⁓
The ShortMerc (07:05)
Like, you’ve got all of these elements, you’ve got the intention, you’ve got the communication, and I feel like so many people are like, no, that’s just bullshit, that’s, you know, it’s, it’s hokum, it’s whatever you want to call it. And then at the end of the day, especially with quantum mechanics coming up and which just so everybody knows, I’m not a quantum physicist or anything, I’m just a quantum nerd. I just geek out over these things that make me smile on the inside. But thinking about things like, ⁓
Spenceroni (07:16)
Yeah.
Yeah. ⁓ Right.
The ShortMerc (07:33)
entanglement theory, you know, the operation of enacting something on one thing in one place and having something similar of the same genetic makeup, having a reaction in a different place, seeming to be two different molecules, but the same. It’s fucking wonderful is what it is. But people would say, no, that’s like telekinesis or, you know, that’s like it’s no different than I have ball here and I squeeze this ball and there’s a ⁓
Spenceroni (07:45)
That’s interesting.
Ha ha ha!
The ShortMerc (07:58)
thing inside of it that’s telling that ball over there that it’s being squeezed and that’s reacting like it’s the same thing it’s the same thing
Spenceroni (08:03)
Mm-mm.
For sure. Do you think that like part of the when you talk about people who you know, whether it’s in a Harry Potter as setting or in a religious setting or or what have you do you think that people have an issue with the concept of like magic in because it a lot of times people’s interpretation of what magic is relies on this idea of like it’s just unknown.
The ShortMerc (08:31)
Yeah, I think so. I think so. And I think just the way it’s been perceived over the years of like, you know, you’ve got your fairy grandparent, like, fairly odd parents, your fairy… Yes, your fairy grandparents. You know, exactly. But like, you’ve got your fairy ⁓ godmother. There we go. That’s the fucking word I’m looking for. But you’ve got…
Spenceroni (08:39)
Fairly grandparents, get me my pills.
Yeah, yes, yes.
The ShortMerc (08:56)
That person, you’ve got wands, you’ve got all of these high-pitched magical noises, like, they make it a farce. It’s kinda like the whole Alvin and the Chipmunks thing. If I saw three Chipmunks singing at me, I think one I’d wonder what the fuck kind of weed I was smoking. ⁓ Or if somebody laced my bourbon or something. My scotch isn’t actually scotch, it’s ketamine. like, it’s farcical, but if we ever act- because I mean, if you think about it-
Spenceroni (09:03)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Right,
The ShortMerc (09:25)
Technically those animals could sync up in such a way that it could appear to a human that they are indeed singing together I mean how many videos do we see about that, but it’s so farcical that one it doesn’t freak us out You know unless we’re actually thinking about why is this happening? And Two we’re trained to look at it like that would just be wouldn’t that be the bee’s knees that would just be slapping and hilarious like
Spenceroni (09:31)
sure.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yeah. ⁓
The ShortMerc (09:50)
things like that, and think it’s the same for magic and even just spirituality in general, you know, talking to the imaginary space guy with the long beard. But then you look at that and it’s like the depiction of… I’m gonna get slammed so hard for a lot of this. The depiction of like traditional Western Christian God is very similar to that of Odin, to that of Zeus, to that of, you know, various other gods and godlings throughout history. So it really makes you wonder and…
Spenceroni (09:54)
Mm.
Right.
Mm. Mm, mm.
The ShortMerc (10:17)
And I mean, in the same vein, the Nords were pretty smart. They just adapted with whoever was in charge, seemingly, at the time, so that they didn’t lose out on their actual spiritual practices. So, like, I do think people have been conditioned to look at spirituality and magic and things like that and think of it as kind of farcical and whimsical and like, well, science is improving it. I’m sorry, but…
Spenceroni (10:23)
Mm-hmm.
I’m
Yeah, that’s cool.
Right.
The ShortMerc (10:45)
I’m allergic to trees. I can take a tiny pink pill and all of a sudden the tree stuff outside stops making me want to die. ⁓ Like, if that’s not magic in a pill, don’t know what it is.
Spenceroni (10:51)
Right, right, right.
Right? Yeah.
And well, and also like, conversely too, like I feel like when people talk about science, I feel like there’s also, okay, disclaimer, I’m not like an anti-science person. there’s a lot of, I trust science, da da da da da. But I also think that people view science as like the
The ShortMerc (11:10)
Ha ha ha!
Spenceroni (11:18)
be all and all like it’s like it like it’s it’s backed by science it’s it must be correct like there are have been developments in science in the last like hundred years that previously like for hundreds of years were treated as fact and just proven wrong recently I I just think that the we should continue to pursue the sciences obviously I mean just as a human race continue to learn from it and trust it but I also think we
The ShortMerc (11:22)
Mm-hmm.
Spenceroni (11:45)
can’t go too far and this actually kind of applies to like religion and spirituality too. We can’t go so far to think that we’re like, I’ve always thought there’s a level of arrogance to human beings of like, ⁓ I get it. I understand how this whole insane thing we call the universe and life. ⁓ I get it now. I understand how it works. Like I think there’s almost like a level of like arrogance to that, whether it’s through religion or science or whatever.
The ShortMerc (11:57)
Yep.
Spenceroni (12:12)
So I think that, like, it’s to me, the thing with the sciences is like, yes, continue to learn and trust and all that stuff from it, but you also can’t- it’s just interesting to me- what is the point I’m trying to make? I just think that there’s sometimes a level of like- yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think that there’s a certain point at which though-
The ShortMerc (12:27)
keep going, keep learning, keep exploring
Spenceroni (12:37)
it’s a little bit dangerous where you’re like, ⁓ there’s where you where God damn it. Where where you believe that it is the be all end all it’s the science said yes end of conversation and people will will just close it off there and I think it’s sometimes that can be a little dangerous. I guess it’s maybe the point.
The ShortMerc (12:45)
Ha ha!
Like,
it’s incredibly dangerous and people do the same thing with religion. We see how well that’s worked out for us. Like, sorry guys, Shop Dog has decided he wants my attention.
Spenceroni (13:06)
Right.
The ShortMerc (13:13)
Alright buddy, go lay down. Thank you. Good boy. Yeah, I know you do. Like, tell me about the science that said it was okay to cut off my nuts. But yeah, no, I think it is very dangerous when people look at anything, like, through that lens of like, I know everything about everything and that’s just it. Because one of the things that makes science science is understanding that you don’t know everything.
Spenceroni (13:16)
he’s like I have something to say about science
Yeah.
Right.
The ShortMerc (13:41)
That’s the whole point of its exploration, its documentation, research, repetition, and then replication after a while once the repetition yields results. Like that’s when you know that for like, this is a brick wall, I’m not gonna get into a fight with a brick wall because science has shown me that meaty flesh is not gonna win against rocks. It’s just like, that carbon, I’m not Superman. I’m not Goku.
Spenceroni (14:02)
Right.
Right, totally. Yeah.
The ShortMerc (14:08)
Like shit,
I’m not even Krillin, like I’m gonna get hurt on that whole thing.
Spenceroni (14:12)
Exactly.
Well, and you know, what’s really crazy too is like I saw this a little while ago, like an Instagram reel, because that’s where I get my information education, like a true scholar. But there was, there was, excuse me, this reel that talked about how, ⁓ you know, molecules and atoms and stuff, there’s, you know, when you put your hand on a wooden table, your hand can’t go through it.
The ShortMerc (14:21)
Yes.
Spenceroni (14:37)
although there is technically space between all of your molecules and everything. And they’re like, so scientifically, like, why is it that that can’t happen? And the answer, you know, the answer, they’re like, we don’t fucking know.
The ShortMerc (14:50)
What? And that’s the funny, that’s
the funny thing about it is if you think about it, it’s about a compression and an unseen barrier. Then there’s the energy frequencies that are being created by the molecules bouncing back and forth between that barrier space, which is you. I mean, it really makes you think like if some part of my anatomy wasn’t working correctly or just worked a little bit differently and this table had an iota of space more in between the molecules, would I phase through it? Like.
Spenceroni (15:04)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Totally.
The ShortMerc (15:18)
Like that’s the thing, but the funny thing is, is the reason you can’t go through the space is because of energy and density. Which going back to earlier, that’s the same thing that they bring up with with magic. It’s just energy manipulation and how the different waves and frequencies form into each other for an effect that you potentially want. But what they don’t talk about is like, all right, so say you cast a spell to, I don’t know, find the most incredible rocks you’ve ever found.
Spenceroni (15:25)
right.
The ShortMerc (15:46)
The thing about spirituality and just like with any type of flowing energy or any type of whatever is it’s going to choose the path of least resistance whether you want it to or not. ⁓
Spenceroni (15:57)
Podcast over. We just covered it all.
The ShortMerc (15:59)
Bang. That’s it.
Parallels, just be okay with them. They’re gonna happen.
Spenceroni (16:03)
Yeah. No,
I, I, I, yeah, no, I find that stuff infinitely interesting. I think one thing I’ll share too with the, with the audience at home listening is, the, some of like my background, I guess, like kind of coming into these concepts, which I find super interesting. So for context, I grew up in a very Catholic household.
The ShortMerc (16:17)
Yeah.
Spenceroni (16:29)
So for probably the first 18 years of my life, it was like, I’m talking like didn’t miss a single Sunday, like went every single Sunday, did all the Sunday schools. Like my mom was a religious education teacher, like the whole thing, right? And so it was, was a lot of that was kind of a part of my life for a long time. Now, currently I’m, I’m, you know, 30. ⁓ I kind of am on my own journey and trying to figure out.
The ShortMerc (16:39)
Dang. No.
Spenceroni (16:57)
how exactly I view the world in terms of that kind of space and whatever but yeah. But yeah. I was very lucky though in that my both of my parents but I think a lot about my mom specifically because she was somebody who was very curious about the world and like looked at had a period in her life where she looked at different religions.
The ShortMerc (17:01)
Naps. Little snaps.
Spenceroni (17:25)
and kind of like studied them and whatever. And she landed on Catholicism. But the very interesting thing is that she was never, I remember she shared a meme on Facebook one time. This is so corny, but it’s the best where it was like, it was like religion and then science. And it was that, do you remember that old taco like shell commercial where it was like the little girl and it was like pork, porkade? Yeah, yeah. It was, that was like a meme format for a while. And my mom was like, yes, like
The ShortMerc (17:45)
Yeah, por que no los dos. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Spenceroni (17:53)
Her whole thing was like these two things coexist. She was like, in fact, they need each other. Like, and that was something she always kind of like instilled. It wasn’t just this blind, like God made everything and you just need to believe in that above all else. You know what I mean?
The ShortMerc (17:59)
Yes.
Yeah, and see, I grew up Southern Baptist and stopped going to church at the tender age of 14 when I went, no. No, because I also went to some of the religious schools. And let me tell you, some of the Southern Baptist people are the worst I have ever experienced in my fucking life. And I’ve had Nazis on my caseload.
Spenceroni (18:21)
⁓
Damn, damn, that’s bad.
The ShortMerc (18:27)
Yeah,
it’s bad and that is the whole God will smite you if you think wrong like I’ve been baptized three times They tried to drown me twice like it just it just did not stick among some other ⁓ fateful things which will be a season three conversation topic, but ⁓
Spenceroni (18:34)
Hmm whoa
The ShortMerc (18:44)
like looking at that and it was very much so like God does this everything in your life that happens is because God God God God God and I’m like I have a question do we have a name for this particular God because there are endlessly many of them and I’d like to make sure if we’re having conversations it’s the right one and they’re like Yahweh and I’m like I don’t think you quite understand the words that you’re saying considering that’s not an English word and you are speaking to me in English so I think there might be something of a disconnect here
Spenceroni (18:59)
Yeah.
Hmm.
Right,
right.
The ShortMerc (19:11)
somewhere
so maybe we just figure all that out and then getting into more of the scientific bits. mean, I remember I had teachers that I’m pretty sure they thought, they might still think because I kind of dropped off the face of the planet, ⁓ that I was going to go into some type of chemical weaponry because I was asking a, yeah, like because I was asking questions about interactions and gamma, but truly I’m just a fucking nerd.
Spenceroni (19:27)
It looks interesting, like as a career? Wow.
I-
well also, I just need to go back to what I just said. Probably, I- better a career than doing that as a hobby. That might be a little red flaggy.
The ShortMerc (19:41)
Yes. Yeah, no, I
just, you know, it was all really expensive back then. It was already a red flag just walking into like a hardware store being this complexion in the South. It’s like, what are you doing? Like, no, I’m not. Sorry. My bad. I just want to know where the chlorine is. Why? Because I have a pool. I’m sorry. But, ⁓
Spenceroni (19:47)
Hehehehehe
you
Yeah, that’s funny
The ShortMerc (20:05)
Yeah, no, some of them were just like, wait, why are you asking about the interactions of gamma radiation and the effect of decay on human beings and other malian species? I’m like, because I’m genuinely curious if a gamma, like some type of gamma ball exploded now, what would happen to us versus all of those other little animals and stuff out there? Like, I have questions. of course, in the Christian schools, was like, will answer those questions. And I’m like, oh.
Spenceroni (20:12)
Mmm.
Mm, right. Mm-hmm.
The ShortMerc (20:32)
Alright, so let me pose this like, what if, and again, I’m not Christian or anything, I’m spiritual as hell, but subscribe to none of it. Like, what if you, teacher person, that I’m asking this question, are supposed to be answering this question because God said so? And they’re like, no. Like, you could also just say, don’t know, and we can explore this avenue together, which could also be, no.
Nah, got- Alright, cool. We won’t do that. I’ll just- You’re going to hell. Okay. I’m going to hell for asking about gamma radiation, which is natural, by the way. So, yeah.
Spenceroni (20:58)
Hehehehehe
Right. Right. Yeah, like
the- the kind of, again, like the religious equivalent of the whole, like, the science thing of just, because science, and if not, you stupid, you know?
The ShortMerc (21:17)
Yeah,
exactly. like, so there’s one, there is one avenue that I have found that actually matches up a lot with the way that I think, and it’s hermetics, which people are like, hermetics? That’s just Hermes. And I’m like, not that, don’t think of the guy with the glasses and the caduceus and the cool little wing shoes. Think of the crazed asshole who might’ve also been the Egyptian god who might’ve also been the guy with the asshole shoes. But
Spenceroni (21:25)
Hmm. Hmm.
Interesting. Tell me more
about this.
The ShortMerc (21:43)
It’s one, what people would consider the holy book, which there is no holy book, it’s just a statement on a rock. the rocks are called the emerald tablets, in which he essentially says, as above, so below, as within, so without. That’s it, motherfucker disappears for the rest of history after that. And people have tried to figure out what it means. even now, looking at science and replication of human cells, like biology, and then you look at
Spenceroni (21:57)
you
Yeah.
The ShortMerc (22:11)
⁓ the cosmos and cosmology and stuff like that and you watch how stars are reproduced it’s like it’s very similar like looking between the two it’s a very similar concept or how your brain is a giant piece of meat full of electricity that’s just bouncing around and which makes no damn sense and honestly you should be electrocuted hands in and I know that there’s some electro conduction whatever and stuff fluid
Spenceroni (22:14)
Mm-hmm.
Sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The ShortMerc (22:38)
But I mean, you think about that and it’s just like, well, I mean, it’s like when conditions are right in the weather versus the conditions are right in your head. And if the conditions in your head are correct, then your body will operate correctly. then hopefully, and then you’ll, ⁓ you can actually put things like thoughts of, Hey, what if I wanted to have a conversation with my buddy, Spencer sound guy? Cause I’m sorry, that’s just who you are forever. Great. But what if I wanted to have a conversation with him?
Spenceroni (22:50)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
I’ll take it.
The ShortMerc (23:06)
about parallels and I want it to be across a podcast, but we’re in two different locations having this conversation. And I want it to make people actually think about, well, I know that this is ⁓ a thing, but it could also be this thing. And the energy in my brain is going, that’s a great idea. And just, and it’s allowing me to speak. mean, granted I’m speaking half in sound effects, but you know what I mean.
Spenceroni (23:26)
Right.
Yeah. No, it’s, it’s super, it’s super wild. One thing I want to like ask you about, like I’ve, I’ve found with specifically when you said the ads above so below, like to me, it feels like across so many specifically. Actually.
The ShortMerc (23:33)
Yeah, so…
Spenceroni (23:51)
I going say specifically religions, but honestly, it even kind of goes into the sciences as well is like, there’s always this like, I guess the term would be what dichotomy where it’s like two and it’s going to be very ignorant because I don’t know what I’m talking about, but like yin and yang. Yeah. Yeah. You have like things like yin and yang or you have things like, you know, heaven and hell, or you have things like fucking, well, I guess there’s neutrons too, but I was going to say electrons and protons. Like, you know, like I feel like there’s always this kind of
The ShortMerc (24:03)
It’s exploration.
Yeah.
Polarity. Yeah. Yeah, there’s there is always a polarity because I mean these things exist and it’s the multiplicity of reality. I’ve just said so many comic book words I’m losing my brain right now. But it’s like the multiplicity of reality like these two things must exist so this spectrum can exist for whoever it needs to exist for but then that starts to roll into the infinitely many realities.
Spenceroni (24:21)
Polarity. Beautifully. Beautiful word. Perfect.
Mm-hmm.
Ha ha ha.
Mmm.
Right.
The ShortMerc (24:48)
theory and you know like multiverse theory like the multiverse of multiverses of continued infinite just existence. ⁓ I think the polarities may even just be as far as we were able to understand them for as long as we could understand them. I’m not saying they don’t exist because they have to exist in some way shape or form but I think it also shows you like two different I don’t want to say ends but points on a spectrum that are so
Spenceroni (24:51)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Right.
The ShortMerc (25:17)
vastly different but could potentially be made of the same stuff. You know? Like that’s kind of how I feel about all of that. And the thing about it too is that, and what people don’t realize is that Hermetics is also very scientific as well as spiritual, which is why I love it so much, because the guy is just kind of like, listen, this is how it is. Be okay with it.
Spenceroni (25:20)
Yes.
Mmm.
Right, right.
Yeah, no, that’s huge. think I think that to me, it’s just very interesting that to me, the fact that there are echoes of the polarity and so many things just across the world, both of human constructs and in nature to me, signals that that is at to some degree.
even though we might never be able to truly understand it, points to some greater truth of something.
The ShortMerc (26:05)
Yeah. Yeah,
absolutely. it’s like when people ask, you know, do you believe in good and evil? Do you believe it’s like, but yes and no. I mean, it’s it’s kind of all perspective. It’s all exactly. So what I believe in is existence and nonexistence. Which people are like, the fuck kind of answer is that I’m like, well, I mean, you think about it. I mean, they’re going to exist or I’m not going to exist. That’s something that I can say has a that’s that’s a pretty blanket objective terminology like I exist or I don’t.
Spenceroni (26:21)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, no, totally.
The ShortMerc (26:36)
Like, I either exist
or I don’t exist. Not, I exist to some people, like that’s just, that’s also a truth. And to some people, I’m not a real person. Like, also a truth. But to me who is right, like, but I exist. There’s no quite, like you can, you can debate it all day long and it’d be hilarious if you were debating and I was sitting in the audience just going, but I’m right here. But then you know that there’s going to be a percentage of people who still wouldn’t believe it. They’d be like, no, you’re not real.
Spenceroni (26:48)
A relative truth. Yeah. Right.
Yeah, right.
The ShortMerc (27:04)
hahahaha
Spenceroni (27:04)
Right, right.
kind of sounds, it almost reminds me a little bit of the, what is it, like tree falls in the woods? If no one’s around to hear it, did it make a sound kind of thing?
The ShortMerc (27:09)
Yeah.
Yeah, and the answer is yes, and also no. Like, that’s what I love about Parallels. Like, I think not enough people really dive into them, because I mean, they can be little scary. They unravel a lot of things for folks. They’re just like, no, I can’t think about that, because then my reality will be just garbage. And it’s like, no, it won’t, though. Your reality will expand. Yeah, there’s going to be new challenges. But honestly, it’s like playing the first round in Mario.
Spenceroni (27:28)
Yes.
Such a point.
The ShortMerc (27:41)
over and over and like you’re good at it be done with it like go back when you need it but like explore you know go see some other things out there. ⁓
Spenceroni (27:42)
Yeah.
Right.
That’s
a fantastic point. And I think that even kind of ties into earlier, like what we’re talking about, like you’re saying about people being so stern and what’s the word? Is there a term, what would be the word here? I I wanted to say unbudgingly and I feel like that’s not a word.
The ShortMerc (28:05)
I wanna say like, immutable? That’s one word that could mean that my brain thesaurus is like, now you can go fuck yourself, you only deposited two cups of coffee today.
Spenceroni (28:08)
immutable. I like that.
Sure. How about, how
about we invent the word on budgingly for, for this sake of this example. I yes. Yes. That’s perfect. It sounds like a and rap. but, ⁓ yeah, I think that that ties in cause I think there is, people.
The ShortMerc (28:22)
Yes. It sounds like begrudgingly. You’re begrudgingly unbudgingly, okay?
Hahaha!
Spenceroni (28:39)
Get like that whether it be with the sciences or religions or whatever perspective they’re defending Exactly because of what you just said and it’s because it’s it’s very fear It’s very fear oriented um, and I think that I know for me, especially in my Early to mid 20s again with my background of growing up in a very catholic household. I had to
I allowed myself to go, okay, let me just step away from this and operate under the assumption. Let me almost try to like clean slate my mentality on how I’m like viewing the world and religion and all this kind of stuff. And it was scary. It was super scary because it’s like, it’s like a comfort. It’s a comfort thing, certainly, like to have something like that, especially when you’ve grown up with it. And
⁓ that’s there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but I think that it does often push people to be afraid to get out of their their own comfort zones, but after allowing myself to explore and be freaked out and have certain nights where I’m literally laying in bed going, holy shit, this is all so scary. I don’t understand any of this. And eventually allowing myself to get to a point where
The ShortMerc (29:55)
Yeah.
Spenceroni (30:01)
You know, I have my own kind of perception, understanding of it and allowing, but allowing myself to live in that fear and accept that fear. realizing it’s not about combating the fear, it’s about accepting it and working with it. ⁓ And not trying to alleviate, or I guess you’re kind of alleviating it, but you’re not trying to defeat it. You’re not trying to destroy the fear.
The ShortMerc (30:23)
Yeah, or you’re not trying to distract yourself from it. It’s like you’ve accepted that this fear is this is a natural part of it like fear
Fear mongering is not okay. I hate it when people fear monger. Don’t do it. It’s bad for you kids. ⁓ But yeah. I mean to be fair, I’m gonna go ahead and shameless plug real quick. If I saw Jimmy the Butcher looking at me, I’d be fucking terrified. a heads up. I’d be like, I don’t know why you’re staring at me, but I didn’t do it whatever it was. And.
Spenceroni (30:33)
Yeah.
Right? I’m looking at you, Jimmy. I know you’re listening right now.
Yeah
The ShortMerc (30:58)
in the same vein, that kind of fear is to help protect you from potentially violent situations. That’s not to mean that, you know, you’re going to get into these situations by believing something different than what you were raised on. Like, you also have the choice to not engage in stupid acts of like, don’t kick Jimmy the Butcher in the nuts and you might survive. Like, kind of feels like that’s a given there. But I think people don’t
Spenceroni (31:04)
Mm.
Hmm.
Right.
Yeah, I don’t know.
The ShortMerc (31:27)
have the same respect for fear that they should either. I’m not saying that you should bow down to it, but if it’s going, I’m scared, this is your opportunity to go, let’s walk through this together and figure it out. You know? Yeah.
Spenceroni (31:38)
I fucking love what you just said, a respect for fear.
That’s so good and such a real thing.
The ShortMerc (31:46)
Yeah,
I feel like people take respect and then they’re like, no, I have to just bow down to it. I didn’t say you have to submit to fear. I you should just respect it because it’s got a place. Fear has a place.
Spenceroni (31:55)
right.
Yeah, fear certainly has a place and it certainly has a I think fear can be can be a motivating thing in a positive way. I think it also can be a motivating thing in a very negative way. But it’s all about how you how you, you know, position yourself with it. But I, I, again, I’m just obsessed with our respect for fear. That’s so beautifully put. Put that on a bumper sticker. Put that on a t shirt and sell it.
The ShortMerc (32:08)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
You
Thank you, Thal. There you go. I will.
I will. It’ll be on the lemon steam store in about 45 days. That’s my turnaround time for new products right now. 45 days. Just give me a minute. But yeah, I feel like because I mean, I haven’t had the sweetest upbringing we have and it just is a thing. And I mean, there have been several, several times when I have been terrified myself.
Spenceroni (32:31)
I love that.
That’s… that’s great. That’s great.
Yeah.
Mmm.
The ShortMerc (32:51)
several things, you know, moving up here from Florida without a penny to my name, quitting jobs just because like I needed to quit them. Like at that point it was it was fear versus fear and I had to choose the one path that was the least detrimental to, you know, my existence. ⁓ Because the fear of am I going to be able to support myself? Not if you don’t have money coming in, but then also if somebody doesn’t stop riding on my fucking nerves.
Spenceroni (32:56)
Yeah.
Yes.
The ShortMerc (33:18)
I know I’m not gonna have the ability to control myself soon, so I’m just gonna walk the fuck away and be done with this and I’ll figure the rest of it out. I mean, in that regard, fear is kind of like that, hey, caution flags, like you have to choose one of these roads, neither one of them is great, but let’s choose correctly.
Spenceroni (33:21)
Right.
Totally.
Right.
The ShortMerc (33:35)
And I mean, even in learning, like you learn to be afraid of something because it might hurt you or it’s scary or like it causes your adrenaline to jump, really it’s preservation of this system and the self. But when you learn how to approach fear without being so fucking afraid and like manic, like Ashley likes to say cat at a swimming pool.
Spenceroni (33:41)
Mm-hmm
Oh sure, yeah yeah yeah.
The ShortMerc (33:59)
you’re fine on the edge of the pool but because you saw your reflection realize it was water you freaked the fuck out now you’re in the water it’s like i’m afraid of falling in but i’m not gonna let that stop me from walking on the edge like i know i’m fine and it’s like let’s just keep going let’s just keep moving you know we can do this there are going to be times when it fucking stops you but at the end of the day then it gives you something else to look at and make a decision do i want to live at this point like am i comfortable here is this where i need to be or
Spenceroni (34:04)
Right. Right. That’s funny.
Right, I love that.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
The ShortMerc (34:27)
is this fear teaching me that I need to just not just fucking nut up but just take a second and like analyze you know do that science exactly it’s the same I tell people the same shit about anger they’re just enraged they’re like so you’re you just get angry at the drop of a hat and I’m like no what I’m always enraged so I’m always annoyed like hands down I’m just living in in this rage and that’s just where I live but you don’t
Spenceroni (34:35)
Right. And work with it. Yeah.
Yeah.
The ShortMerc (34:54)
notice it like you don’t always know that I’m enraged you don’t always know that I’m living you know annoyed or anything like that because to me that’s just it’s tools and fuel you know it’s not something that I’m gonna sit here and and stew in or agonize over it’s something that I’m going to take and use to go explore my spirituality figure out maybe the things that triggered the anger in the first place you know ⁓ which anger and rage to me are not the same things but
Spenceroni (35:04)
Right, right.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Yeah.
Sure.
The ShortMerc (35:23)
We’ll get into that another day.
But yeah, like I don’t, I’m not looking at it going, I’m enraged, I’m gonna just lash out all the time. I’m looking at it going, okay, I know I’m angry, but that means that my body’s probably gonna be a hell of a lot stronger for certain things that I need to get done. You know, I’m gonna be a lot more focused on getting X, Y, and Z done. I’m not chasing the relief away from the anger or the relief away from the rage.
Spenceroni (35:47)
Mmm.
The ShortMerc (35:48)
I’m taking it and I’m using it, I’m utilizing it, which is something you can do with fear. It’s an energy and it’s got something to tell you. So listen, what the rage tells me is I cannot sit on my hands. If I see something that is a problem, I need to deal with it. And that’s kind of my core as a person. I don’t sit there and go, somebody else will deal with it. No, I’m gonna fucking deal with it. I’m gonna deal with it as best I can. And if I can’t deal with it, then someone else, I guess, can deal with it.
Spenceroni (35:51)
Yes.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Yeah, well,
totally. I think I think it’s also huge that like, so like, I mean, full transparency is something that I’ve definitely struggled with in the past and continue to work on is like, ⁓ whether it was anger or, or,
frustration, a repression of that. like, I like that you’re working with it and working through it and, and all that kind of stuff. Cause a lot of people can result to just kind of like, all right, I’m going to, I’m going to keep it chill. And you don’t realize you’re building this really dense hard ball inside of you, you know? And, and then at some point you reach a certain point where the
body reaches a certain age where you’re like, ⁓ I can’t even like front anymore. And you’re like, wait a minute. You wake up one day and you’re like, why am I such an angry fucking person?
The ShortMerc (37:03)
When did
I become this angry dickhead?
Spenceroni (37:07)
Literally, right? So I
and that for me, definitely with some anger and also definitely with ⁓ anxiety. Like I reached a certain age where I was probably about 25 and I started having like chronic panic attacks every single day, multiple times a day. And when I say
like panic attacks. I mean, like full blown panic. Like I know the difference between feeling kind of anxious and having a panic attack where you’re like, I’m having a heart attack is what it feels like. And yeah. And like I would have multiple of those a day. And it was like so awful. And I was like, what, like what changed? Like what’s happening? And I realized that I had just gotten to this point in my life after so many years that I had been repressing and working and just
The ShortMerc (37:38)
Yes, it does.
Spenceroni (37:58)
making it a dense little ball inside of me. But the funny part was that I had not identified myself as an anxious person, but then after reflecting and looking back at my own childhood and thinking about the way I used to deal with things and the way that I used to actually feel and function, I was listening to the world’s perspective of me, which was, he’s so chill.
Meanwhile, internally, I was rattling the entire time, but I was keeping a good front and I realized like, ⁓ I’ve always been super anxious. And I’m like, that explains why I used to throw up all the time at school.
The ShortMerc (38:36)
Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, that’s a dichotomy
though. Like on the outside, you’re presenting at this chill, relaxed, like, nah, it’s just Spence. like, he’s the most… But on the inside, like… Right. Like, yeah, dude, you okay? Did you eat something weird? But like on the inside, you’re like, you have storms just roaring and ripping and running and, and, ⁓ I hate that phrase. But I can’t stand that phrase. I can’t believe I just said that. But…
Spenceroni (38:46)
He’s just chill but has a bad stomach. Yeah.
Right.
Is, may
I ask why really quick? I don’t want to.
The ShortMerc (39:06)
It’s an artifact from a time when I wasn’t as cohesive in control as I am now. And then later over drinks I will tell you the entire story. But yeah, it’s the same thing. On the inside you’ve got all these storms just fucking you up left and right. It’s just kind of like I’m anxious about this and I’m anxious about that.
Spenceroni (39:15)
Understood. Okay.
Love it. Love it.
The ShortMerc (39:32)
And your body chemistry is on top of it too, just going, yeah, Spence, we’re anxious about, and like, what about this? And that person over there said something and it looked like they might have said it and it’s in the cadence of your name. They might be talking to, and like, are you actually good enough to do this? And could you do this? And it’s just, but you on the outside, you’re just like, hey, now everything’s good to go. And it’s what, and conversely, when I was going through school, I was known as the weird kid and the scary one.
Spenceroni (39:35)
Mmm.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Totally.
Mm.
The ShortMerc (40:01)
Probably the suck up to some people, but to those people who go fuck yourself, I was trying not to like, put a power drill through your face, so fuck off. Like, I had no idea growing up that I had ⁓ intermittent explosive disorder, like, IED was a thing, like I have PTSD, I have a lot of things, I got a lot of trauma, yadda yadda. I got many alphabets, it’s like after you’ve had a Scrabble game for too long and you’re missing like some of the-
Spenceroni (40:04)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Hmm.
Mm-hmm lot of letters lot of ⁓
The ShortMerc (40:29)
They’re really important things for the rest of the shits there. Yeah. So I’m a mixed up bag of Scrabble letters. And what I used to do is like, couldn’t, I didn’t understand, you know, the, the adrenaline just fucking rushing through my body and, and spiking things. And like the fact that the body could react faster than I could catch up. And if you know me and you know the processing speed and
Spenceroni (40:31)
That’s so funny. ⁓ my god. That’s funny.
Mm-hmm.
The ShortMerc (40:57)
And you know, my claim to fame is I process incredibly fast and unfortunately for me and the rest of the world, I’m very smart. So when the body is reacting long before I have the opportunity to actually do something, let alone the body being a teenager going through all the shit that it’s going through and then I punch a hole in a fucking wall, I’m like, I don’t know what happened. I just know I’m in trouble. Shit.
Spenceroni (41:02)
You do.
Yes, you very much are, yes.
Yeah.
The ShortMerc (41:23)
And ⁓ I can see everything fine, my breathing is very slow, I’m very mellow, but for some reason people are running.
Spenceroni (41:30)
Mm. Mm.
The ShortMerc (41:31)
Alright, so you know, and I had these blackouts through probably up until a few years ago. I don’t black out as much anymore, but like I didn’t know what was going on. People are like, you’re so angry, but then you actually get to know me and I’m probably one of the most chill laid back people you can get to know. Like I’ve
But on the outside, I’m scary looking and terrifying, but I’m like, okay.
Spenceroni (41:54)
I’ve ⁓
worked with you in a professional setting. I’ve also, you know, just been straight up friends with you for a handful of years now, I think. How many years have we known each other? I’m trying to think. Three? That’s fair. So.
The ShortMerc (42:06)
Let’s say three. Three sounds good.
Spenceroni (42:12)
You know, I’ve seen you frustrated at things before or like getting kind of like pissed off at things I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you like explode. I guess would be the maybe the phrase but ⁓ Yeah, you you’ve always given me such a chill aura like you vote like you’re you’ve never I don’t know like even when I see you get to those frustrated places it’s never it to me it’s never read as like
The ShortMerc (42:23)
Yeah.
Spenceroni (42:36)
shit, like like my internal anxiety starts rattling. I just start puking everywhere.
The ShortMerc (42:44)
I mean, it’s not like I wouldn’t be like, I’ll be right back. I’ll get the cleaning supplies. We’ll clean the shit up. But I mean, like, yeah, it’s and that’s something like I had to fucking work on real hard. So while I’m also being portrayed on the outside is like this angry neurodivergent black woman who people are just like, you think you’re on, you don’t, you know, you you just want to keep things the way you want to keep things. I’m like, no, I keep things very close to the chest, but I’m open to exploring.
Spenceroni (42:48)
Yeah, right, right.
The ShortMerc (43:09)
Like it takes a lot for people to come in here and explore that with me. Like I tell people I’m friend level 11, because I always look pissed off and like I’m going to kill something, but I’m pretty chill. But also I will eat you with the dry. Like my favorite thing to tell my friends is you fucking idiot. I love all my friends. Like if you’re my friend and you hear me say fucking idiot, just like, Jess is just concerned that I’m being an idiot. Let me go.
Spenceroni (43:09)
Mm-hmm.
Yes. Right.
The ShortMerc (43:34)
But if you hear it in public, like I remember at the moon market, the poor chick at the front, would, like, I was screaming, you fucking idiot, the thing. She was like, and I’m like, no, they, it’s fine. They know, listen, don’t worry about it. I’m not talking to you. I’m not talking to you. But like, I know that doesn’t help my image on the outside, but also it just kind of is what it is. It’s, it’s that dichotomy of both things can be true of like, I, yeah, I can flip on you in the drop of a hat.
Spenceroni (43:41)
Yeah.
They get it. Right, right.
Yes.
The ShortMerc (44:02)
and I try not to. Like I do the best I can with what I’ve got. And I think honestly I think that’s all we can do so roping back into fear it’s just like don’t be afraid of somebody like me just have a conversation. You know you might find out that I believe very clear I am what what did they used to fucking call me the warmongering hippie?
Spenceroni (44:07)
100%.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
The ShortMerc (44:25)
like yeah I’ll knock your jaw loose and like dislocate every fucking joint in your body but then I’ll also go get you an ice pack and put it back and make sure you’re fine I guess but I would really rather just sit around and have these conversations like exploring the parallel I think that exploring parallels is very important like there is a parallel here there’s also a dichotomy and an intersection like all of the things that are happening in this conversation none of this should make any sense
Spenceroni (44:33)
Right.
Right, right.
Mm-hmm.
The ShortMerc (44:55)
Like it is chaos embodied,
Spenceroni (44:55)
Yeah, it is.
The ShortMerc (44:58)
it’s still creating something that I would think both of us can converse about and hopefully somebody else out there, it’ll help click with them so they can, I don’t even wanna say awaken something or anything. I just think people need to hear these things.
Spenceroni (45:15)
Yeah, or at least like just consider a different perspective even if they don’t end up like agreeing or connecting to it just being like, ⁓ that was interesting and practicing that skill of like, you know, parsing through different perspectives and that individual trying to get a better in turn getting a better sense of where they feel like they sit in their perspective, you know
The ShortMerc (45:21)
Right.
Right, I mean, because we all have places that we belong, like from spell work that’s energy coming out of your chest. I mean, again, it’s the same thing, but it’s like if you talk to a plant nicely, it’s going to grow a certain way. If you scream at the plant and you’re just like, you’re fucking piece of shit, it’s probably going to turn into the most wild, poison ivy thing you have ever seen. But like, it’s the same fucking thing. It’s the same thing with conversations. It’s the same thing with getting to know people. You know, it’s the same thing with
Spenceroni (45:48)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The ShortMerc (46:02)
talking to people who come from vastly different backgrounds and shit like that. mean, like the parallels we could draw even between you having a more, I don’t want to say normal, like not okay. Like normal adjacent, like close to right.
Spenceroni (46:05)
Mm-hmm.
You could say that you could call it normal. That’s fine. It’s fine. Sure. Like not like closer to something you would see on ABC family, like
in the early 2000s, late 90s.
The ShortMerc (46:29)
Right, like you
had more of the ⁓ ideal how not to fuck up a kid. Like that, that experience. like we we mesh on a lot of things. Like I might not have the same. So what do you mean you used to go out to go see movies with your friends? That was like ⁓ you have this much time. We know the runtime and the but it’s like at that point, no, fuck it, I’m I can’t talk in the mood. Like I’m just going to go do homework. Like things, things of this nature like.
Spenceroni (46:34)
Sure, yes, that’s fair. That’s a fair statement.
Yeah, yeah, not even gonna go do that. Right.
The ShortMerc (46:58)
but we can still find common ground to collaborate, to chill, talk about things that are fucking crazy.
Spenceroni (47:05)
And there’s fear going into that some in a lot of those conversations in those places, especially when you’re talking about talking to people, talking to new people about those things. And, again, to bring it back, it’s just like, it’s, but it’s about working with that fear to overcome that. then you, you know, make these kinds of connections. I think some of the conversations you and I have had.
The ShortMerc (47:09)
yeah.
Spenceroni (47:24)
in the past. mean, even this is a great conversation right now. But I think some of the conversations you and I’ve had, like, for me have been some of the most truthfully, like, intellectually stimulating conversations I’ve had over the last, like, you know, eight years or so, like, whatever, you know what I mean? It’s it’s the conversations we have are the concepts and the things we talk about. And I’m not I don’t I want to make sure I’m not coming off right now. Like, we’re so smart. I’m so glad we can have these conversations that other people can’t like.
The ShortMerc (47:49)
Alright,
let me just, for those who think we’re so smart, I fell off a toilet yesterday, so… And I was not asleep, I just missed.
Spenceroni (47:56)
I’ve also
had equally stimulating conversations talking to people about woodworking. You know what I mean? Like it’s anything. It’s not, it doesn’t have to be, you know, about a larger than life kind of conversation, but I’m saying the types of conversations we have are so fantastic. And it’s nice because I know that when I have these conversations with you, that you’re just as willing and okay to approach.
The ShortMerc (48:05)
Yes.
Spenceroni (48:22)
fearful, oriented topics, and you also, I also know that I have a trust that you trust me that I’m coming from a good place.
The ShortMerc (48:33)
Absolutely,
man, and I trust that you would tell me if you weren’t like I I value your opinion I love the way that you see the world like you see the world in a way that I cannot and for those of you who are like You have a whole bunch of different perspectives. You know who you are John ⁓ Like yeah, but those are my perspectives those are the others perspectives like my perspective is very much so war-torn and like broad like it’s it’s rugged it’s
Spenceroni (48:37)
Right.
Ha ha!
The ShortMerc (49:00)
crazy but also I understand that there is a place for civilized main just conversation like we can do that too and I love the way that you and I go at you know these these types of topics and this shit that we bring to it he’s like I wouldn’t have thought about and especially like if you see the two of us ⁓ like I’ve seen people at coffee shops staring at us like what the fuck ⁓
Spenceroni (49:14)
Mm-hmm.
Ha ha!
We have matching
haircuts though.
The ShortMerc (49:28)
Yeah, we do. This is the Shaved Head Club, so, you know,
you have to be cool to be in this club. But like, it’s fucking phenomenal. And I love that you bring a whole new site. Like, there is some things where you’ll bring in like Nintendo systems on top of like some Socrates levels. And I’m like, hold on a second. Did you just equate Donkey Kong to the existence of a temp? And I’m just like, OK, wait, back up, back up. This is.
Spenceroni (49:33)
That’s right. That’s right.
The ShortMerc (49:55)
Now I can see this happening, but now I’m building a story around it. Now I want to know more about it.
Spenceroni (49:55)
you
I was literally
about 15, like 20, 30 seconds ago. was about to, you were talking about like, like (being) very like war torn And I was like, my life I would describe as like being one of the Koopas that got jumped on in the shell. And then the shell got kicked around and it’s just bouncing everywhere. Like I was just about to use that. So that’s just such perfect timing.
The ShortMerc (50:04)
Yeah.
Hahaha
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I mean, these, and again, but we live in this weird spectrum, and I’m not talking about like a line that you just put in a slider on. I mean, like the visual, crazy, wobble wobble vibrational spectrum of whatever this universe is. And we can find a way to take the oddities of everything that we talk about and draw from our own parallel lives and bring it together and then communicate.
Spenceroni (50:48)
Right.
The ShortMerc (50:49)
on this like synergistic almost level. And I love that. I think we need more of those conversations. So to my fellow outroverts or outroverts or whatever dialect says we should call that, come forth and let’s have these conversations. I think we need to have more of them. But yeah, I think these are the things that we need to be bringing up with each other. Because I think once we start attacking, you know,
Spenceroni (50:52)
Yes.
Literally. Yes.
The ShortMerc (51:14)
the perception of fear, the perception of parallels, perception of, well, it’s this versus that, the fact that it doesn’t ever have to truly be this versus that, except for fascism, you can go fuck itself six ways a Sunday. Get the fuck out of here. Intolerance is not okay. That is not okay. Unless it’s like an engineering structure, then you need a certain level of intolerance so that it doesn’t cave in on itself. But that’s when it’s okay.
Spenceroni (51:17)
Mm-hmm.
⁓ Get out of here!
What about my
lactose intolerance?
The ShortMerc (51:41)
I mean, I don’t that’s between you and your body. Yeah, there you go. Perfect. Make sure you throw some cheese off to the side. Have a giant piece of like yogurt, cheesecake, everything you can. Anything you can possibly imagine. But I think like these things, broken it all back or are super vital to either. Here comes the hippie. But healing the human condition, because we have gone so far into the like.
Spenceroni (51:43)
Okay. Like hold BRB, gonna go grab a cup of milk real quick.
I
The ShortMerc (52:09)
Fuck you, it’s me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. I think these are the things that make you realize, yeah, it’s me and it’s us. It’s we, we, we, we, we, we, we, no, I’m not French. these, I love this shit, man, and I love that you were able to bring, you know, the magic and the Harry Potter, and I’m not a Harry Potter fan at all, so that’s like, that’s another just lovely thing.
Spenceroni (52:16)
Yes. Right.
Me either.
Yeah
The ShortMerc (52:36)
I love that you were able to bring all that together and kind of stamp it for people who don’t think about, you know, the cosmos in terms of radioactivity and like what’s going on in yourselves. And honestly, what that Hermes guy was actually looking like. I kind of want to find him in the non-physical afterverse is what I’m going to call it. You know, when you die the afterverse, which is embodying everyone’s afterlife.
Spenceroni (52:56)
love that.
Well, can I- I was wondering, I was thinking about this earlier, so when I was talking earlier about like kind of being in like my early to mid-twenties and kind of like clean-slating myself and like just saying like, okay, let’s explore and try to figure out what’s going on here. The- I- I have- Okay, the-
The ShortMerc (53:15)
Mm-hmm.
Spenceroni (53:20)
opening line to this would be, I do believe in God, but not in the traditional sense of like a dude with a big white beard.
The ShortMerc (53:30)
Great.
Spenceroni (53:30)
I believe in like a just all encompassing power to the universe. And the way that I was the thing that clicked for me in believing in that was when I started to read and watch videos about the fourth dimension. I was like, because like the idea and I’m to do such a terrible job. I’m going to botch this. But like the idea is that like, ⁓ you know,
things can exist on an X and Y axis. And you know, that’s the, I believe that’s the second dimension. And then it’s like, you add in the Z axis. Now we’re entering the third dimension. And then the next dimension is like time. And it’s this idea that like, if you were like, if you can almost think of it like frames of video or frames of like animation where it’s like, if every instance, like every single moment,
The ShortMerc (54:04)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Spenceroni (54:25)
was like connected in a large timeline of like snapshots. The way that they visualize it is almost everything looks like a giant worm. Like everything’s like built of these like tubes that interconnect. I’m botching the shit out of this, but the idea, yeah, yeah.
The ShortMerc (54:42)
⁓ Yeah,
it just reminds me of the Eternal Serpent.
Spenceroni (54:46)
Yeah, okay. And the the idea being like, matter cannot be created or destroyed. It’s just like it changes, right? And time is infinite. Therefore, like with all of these kind of like interconnecting frames and moments, if time is going to go forever, and then every possible combination of everything will happen at some point. And I’m like,
okay, so this giant interconnectivity of infinite possibility, I’m like, that’s God. Like, it’s just it’s just like moving energy. Like the difference is just that like, we’re able we are all God, but we’re just able to perceive ourselves like individually.
The ShortMerc (55:17)
Hahaha
And so like you said a couple interesting things one of them I mean you saw a lot but one of them was the whole ⁓ Matter can’t be created or destroyed but depending on the school of Scientific terminology that you come from its energy that can’t be created or destroyed not matter But then there are there are some that would argue that matter just transmutes into some other form of matter that then continues to persist until it doesn’t persist anymore
Spenceroni (55:31)
Yes.
Mm.
⁓ okay.
Yeah.
The ShortMerc (55:54)
and then
the whole web thing. So again, I’m going to go all the way back to the Nords, which hilariously is where a lot of my DNA comes from, like way back in the Viking times. ⁓ Explains my obsession with hammers. But there’s this concept of weird, like, it’s W-Y-R-D, which is the universal connectivity of all things and every energy and every possible outcome that could
Spenceroni (56:01)
Mm. ⁓
Okay.
The ShortMerc (56:19)
potentially and possibly and does exist. Because, like many older cultures, they believe in interconnectivity of all things. Almost as if that is how it works, because that makes the most sense. But then, you know, when you’re talking about, ⁓ like, God and all of those things, it’s just, it’s what people bring to, you know, these different terms. Like, I call it weird. I am a big
Spenceroni (56:29)
Yes.
Yeah. Right.
Right.
The ShortMerc (56:45)
weird person in so many ways. ⁓
But then, you know, you would call a god or, you know, some people would call it the universe or energy. And here’s another fun thing that they’ve been looking at is the existence of time as it as it exists. Like now they’re looking at time and saying, well, you know, it changes throughout different places in the universe speculatively, speculatively, of course, but ⁓ they’re
Spenceroni (57:02)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
The ShortMerc (57:13)
thinking that maybe now it’s the bass of the planet and its pull and the void around it that creates time and time’s perception, which then means time in the universe is not actually time. It’s just continued existence and experience. So then it really makes you sit there and think about it and go, so I’m basing my entire life off of time and FOMO and all of these things. When really it’s the vibrational energies and the energies in the web and the creation that like
Spenceroni (57:25)
Mm-hmm. Wow.
Right.
The ShortMerc (57:41)
And I don’t mean creation in the like, God sat in the beginning, like not any of that, but like the creation of thought, the creation of thought form, the manipulation of energy. Like, and that’s what we all do every day. The conversations we have, the actions we take, the things we believe, the rituals we perform day in and day out, you know, whether it’s just making that cup of coffee in the morning or if it’s actually going to, you know, your house altar and.
Spenceroni (57:44)
Right, right.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
The ShortMerc (58:07)
in a prayer or leaving an offering and then fucking off for the rest of the day. Like, it is what it is, but that’s your experience to have. Like, that’s your thing to do, you know? That’s your contribution to the existence. And I’m gonna say this too, everybody has a right to exist, but that doesn’t mean you have a right to exist without consequence. Yeah, there it is. Right.
Spenceroni (58:11)
Right, right.
Uh-huh.
Mm-hmm.
Sure, ooh yeah, I like- I’m like, there’s the other t-shirt right after the- the respect for fear one.
The ShortMerc (58:34)
But like, that’s the thing, there’s this web of interconnectivity that we all are a part of one way or another, whether we want to be or not, and people who say, you know, spell work versus mental work versus all this other stuff, all they want to do is influence that web one way or another.
Spenceroni (58:39)
Mm-hmm.
Yes, it’s all it’s all it’s so funny how much everybody like more or less has the same goal, but it’s just so it’s just so fractured and in people’s perspectives, but it’s like at the end of the day, I believe most if not all people have like the same goals in mind, whether they even know it or not.
The ShortMerc (58:57)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yeah man, like that’s the beauty of this kind of like mentalist journey. It’s fucking wonderful to just jump into the fact that, so you call it God and I call it this other version of existence that also has to exist because it has to and I’m gonna quote Morpheus again, what happened happened and how do you know it was supposed to happen that way? Because it could not have happened any other way because it happened.
Spenceroni (59:35)
Right, right.
The ShortMerc (59:37)
That is a version that must persist. It has to be there. And its opposite also persists. And you just need to be okay with the fact that both also exist. It’s an endless cycle because the web has continued forever. It does not stop. Except for the universe where it does stop. And I don’t want to go there.
Spenceroni (59:40)
Right.
Yes.
Yeah,
and yeah, I think I find all that very interesting and I constantly find myself flip-flopping between using the term God or sometimes I’ll just say the universe.
The ShortMerc (1:00:09)
Mm-hmm.
Spenceroni (1:00:09)
I’ll be like, the universe didn’t want me to do that or, or, you know, or God wanted me to do that or the universe wanted me to do that or, or whatever. And I just think, I don’t know, like, I like your use of the term like web, because I think that’s another great way to like describe it. I, it’s, I really do truly believe that it is just like all one giant. I definitely have heard this before. It’s all, I think it was Pete Holmes. Do you know Pete Holmes? The standup comedian. Okay.
The ShortMerc (1:00:16)
Yeah.
I do not. I do not, but
I feel like I should.
Spenceroni (1:00:37)
you would really, I think, actually enjoy a lot of his stand up because he talks about things like this. And ⁓ one of the things he says is just like he’s talking about the existence of God. he’s like, said, ⁓ the world is just one giant thing thinging itself, I think is the way he says it. And he talks about how like that is just God and how we are all God. It’s and I just like the phrasing, one giant thing thinging itself.
The ShortMerc (1:00:42)
Okay.
Yeah, you know,
I would have to agree it is one giant thing thing itself made of many other tiny things singing themselves, which then I’m going to shout out to all my other plural system individuals out there because that’s a whole different ideology. think maybe even that I’m not sure this is a chicken or the egg conversation. What came first? The parallels ⁓ of being singular inside of a plural system and looking at the world of singular individuals inside of a pluralist system or if, you know, being
Spenceroni (1:01:21)
Mm.
The ShortMerc (1:01:32)
the way that I am helped me see that or that helped me see the way I am. Like I’m over here like which version is it but then at the same time I don’t fucking know and I’m just I’m okay you know what I’m okay with that just be okay with it.
Spenceroni (1:01:37)
Yeah.
Right. Just be okay
with it. Be okay with the fact that you’re never gonna have all of the answers and the fact that this shit’s scary as fuck. Yes. Yes.
The ShortMerc (1:01:55)
It is, but it is so much fun.
Like, find it. This is everybody’s homework. Find a buddy and just talk about random shit. Just do it.
Spenceroni (1:02:05)
What would
be a good, I’m trying to think of like a good metaphor here. What’s something that is incredibly scary, but fun to do. That’s like simultaneously fun and scary. I’m trying to think of like something to compare it to. Excuse me. What is scary about that?
The ShortMerc (1:02:17)
eating Pop Rocks in the 90s.
Pop Rocks? My god, they just explode in your face like it’s compressed air inside of a rock hard candy that just…
Spenceroni (1:02:29)
Wait, but I don’t- can’t picture someone like with their hand trembling like, ⁓ shit!
The ShortMerc (1:02:35)
What the-
the joke is that like back in the day they used to tell us the pop rocks were just gonna explode in our stomach and we’re all gonna fucking die. And I mean they might have maybe possibly, I don’t know, I’m not a food chemist, but yeah that was the thing. It wasn’t just a little like crackle like, ooh that feels cool. It’s just like, no they’re gonna pop in your fucking stomach you’re gonna die.
Spenceroni (1:02:40)
Really?
Yeah.
Okay,
I remember hearing that if you- was like if you drink soda and pop rocks. Yeah.
The ShortMerc (1:02:58)
Yeah, that was the later 2000s version and then we all did it because we were assholes. And then we decided
to put Mentos in soda, which was a bad idea because Mentos are gross in soda. They’re great by themselves. They don’t stick them in, like, no.
Spenceroni (1:03:08)
yeah.
Right in the diet
soda and then you know viral youtube trends of
The ShortMerc (1:03:17)
Yeah,
yeah. I mean, what else was fun with I’d say rollercoasters, but that’s a traumatic memory.
Spenceroni (1:03:24)
Okay,
I’m sorry about the traumatic memory, but that’s actually such a good metaphor for this. That’s perfect. It is a roller coaster. It’s fucking scary, but it’s fun.
The ShortMerc (1:03:30)
Yeah. I mean, even.
And even the traumatic memory, I mean, I didn’t die, I just almost died. ⁓ Yeah, no, they just they put me next to someone who was a little too big for the seat and did not secure my thing. it was that, you know, several G’s going through a tube with the screaming green meanie. I was like, cool, I’m going to die here today. But I didn’t.
Spenceroni (1:03:39)
Yeah, that’s not I don’t love that for you.
Ha!
The ShortMerc (1:03:56)
So, you
know, that’s that was the thing. It was great. was fun for everybody else. Terrifying for me. But for everybody else. But yeah, so I’m going to actually wrap it right there. So this is this I think is a great place to send people off thinking about how they’ve now been not strapped into roller coasters. And if you are like me, then I would love to hear about it. ⁓
Spenceroni (1:03:58)
Yeah.
Hahaha!
That’s wild.
Mmm.
Yes.
The ShortMerc (1:04:21)
But this is Spencer Soundguy, appreciate you spending the afternoon, evening, whatever fucking time of day it is, because I live in a cellar. ⁓ Yeah, man, it’s fun. You’ll be back, don’t worry. You’ll get in the fucking van. ⁓ That’s what’ll happen.
Spenceroni (1:04:28)
Thank you for having me on here.
Hell yeah. Alright. There we go.
