Every society can be described as a struggle for power among several groups (example: the ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 17, 2022:

To answer your question, IMO there is no absolute morality. It is whatever the group says it is. I think that we could approach something like a universal morality if everyone was well educated in science, and we let science provide a baseline for our understanding of nature. For instance, in trying to decide when a fetus becomes a human being, you might apply a criterion that can be objectively measured. You might say higher level consciousness is a requirement for humanity, rather than some dubious proposition of a Creator's holy spirit entering the zygote at the moment of fertilization. Consciousness can be measured; holy spirit cannot. Sadly, we are a looooong way from universal science literacy.

For those of you who will be skipping going to Church for the umpteenth time, just remember what ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 17, 2022:

With Cristian nationalists, it's the politics in the driver's seat. The religion is just a way to draw people in, give them an identity.

How does belief in the existence of a genocidal maniac in the sky make you a good and moral person?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 17, 2022:

It's complicated. 😂

Edmonton church fined $80,000 for obstructing COVID health inspections

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 17, 2022:

Good! Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of crazies.

Religion offers simple solutions for simpletons, faith is required but free thinking (really ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 17, 2022:

The tattoos look like a child drew them. Talk about desecrating the temple!

Yesterday I altered this shirt. How did I do?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 15, 2022:

It's good...you will make a fine bishop in your purple shirt 😂

To a degree I do have some sympathy with the religious fundamentalist and literalist.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 15, 2022:

I don't agree that moderate religious sects are more "shallow, narcissistic, dishonestly cherry picking, manipulative, self serving, and corrupt" than fundamentalist ones. I think it's the other way around.

Female pastor's pro-LGBTQ views censored in book about female pastors

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 14, 2022:

This instance of censorship illustrates the weakness of the more "conservative" elements of the religious community's position, and their own tacit acknowledgement of that weakness. They know their position cannot stand up to scrutiny or comparison with alternative ideas. In the marketplace of ideas they are losing customers. So instead of modifying their thinking they double down on dumb, and react by stifling dissenting voices. It's pathetic.

One tiny bright spot re: the hard-core religious strict-constructionists: it appears to me that they...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 14, 2022:

Uh, that is not progress if they think the Earth is only 6,000 years old. That's knuckle-dragging, backward, flabby thinking. That's intellectual malpractice. That's pathetic.

Why Religion does more Harm than it does Good in this World [youtu.be]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 13, 2022:

Dennet and Hitchens: a pair to draw to 😎👍

Ten thousand atta-boys are wiped out with one aw-shit! Christians believe God created the ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 12, 2022:

The James Webb space telescope just started delivering its first images of deep space. It's already seeing over 13 billion years back in time.

A Christian hate group says it's a church. Why does the IRS agree?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 12, 2022:

The recent revelations about Jim Comey and Johnathan Wray both being subjects of the same type of deeply invasive IRS audit (the odds against this happening at random are astronomical) indicates that Trump used the IRS to go after his political opponents. If the Service can be used (abused) like that, then maybe somebody inside is taking kickbacks in exchange for favorable treatment.

Was Sophia A. Nelson persecuted for her Christian faith?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 11, 2022:

Not having read the Post piece, I can at least say that the friendly atheist has this right about Christian nationalists: they use Christianity as cover for their own bigoted views, which, by and large, are not reflected in the teachings of Jesus. I would add that Christian nationalists do not express these views merely to participate in free and open exchange of ideas. Their ultimate aim is to gain power, and use that power to undemocratically subject others to their will. Christian nationalists are, in essence, fascists.

Was Sophia A. Nelson persecuted for her Christian faith?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 11, 2022:

The New York Post is a perfectly good paper... for lining a bird cage 😂

I am an astrophysicist. I am also a Christian. - Big Think

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 11, 2022:

There is really nothing special about being both a Christian and a scientist. As the author points out, Galileo was both. And so is Kenneth Miller, professor of biology at Brown University. Doctor Miller is both a mainline, mass-attending Catholic, and an evolutionary biologist. He testified as an expert witness (for the plaintiffs) in the Dover, Pennsylvania trial where parents of high school students sued the school board for trying to insert Intelligent Design (Christian dogma masquerading as science) into the biology curriculum. F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that a sign of a first-rate mind is the ability to simultaneously hold two opposing views. From the outside, such mental gymnastics may seem extraordinary. The outsider may only see the stark dichotomy, not the fine-grained details. But the holder of opposing views is intimately familiar with all of the subtle nuances that make the balancing act possible. For him/her, it is second nature.

Novak Djokovic returns to great form by winning his 21st grand slam.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 11, 2022:

@Castlepaloma implies that the USA is trying to force tennis jock Nadal to be vaccinated. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We in the United States, like Australia and many other countries have merely presented Nadal with a simple choice; be vaccinated against COVID-19 or don't enter our countries. It is entirely proper that sovereign states should seek to protect their citizens from a highly contagious and deadly virus. And with hundreds of millions of people having already had the shots, there is ample data showing that they are both safe and effective. There is no good reason not to have the shots. Requiring vaccinations for international travelers is nothing new. It has been standard practice for nearly a century. Nadal seems to think that the rules should not apply to him. He tried to game the system and lie his way in to Australia, and they, to their credit, were having none of it. We should do the same. Anyone who does not respect our rules should be barred from entry. To capitulate to Nadal would be the ultimate tail wagging the dog. The United States government does not buy into your wacko conspiracy theories, Mr. Nadal. Respect our rules or fuck off. As for @Castlepaloma, you are free as a US resident to remain here and refuse vaccination. There is no law against being an idiot. However, don't try to export your idiocy to Australia. They don't want it.

Forbidden

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 11, 2022:

What a profound and beautiful quote. Thank you for posting it.

I am ready for this summer to be over.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 10, 2022:

Best of luck beating the heat. Condolences on the loss of your sister. Speedy recoveries to you, your grandson, and your dawg. I wish I could tell you that the climate will be better next year, but that would be a lie. I wish I could tell you your sister is in a better place, but you know that would be a lie too. However, you and the kid and the dawg will have better days. That ain't no lie. Peace!

Anti-LGBTQ writer claims she's being "silenced" for her Christian faith

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 10, 2022:

You're right, it has nothing to do with Jesus. She is just taking a page out of the Done Cheato's playbook. It's DARVO tactics: Deny/Distract Attack Reverse Victim & Offender

PA State House GOP Silencing Freedom of Speech

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 9, 2022:

This just goes to show how fundamentally weak Republicans perceive themselves to be. They know that they cannot prevail in a free and open exchange of ideas. They must use force in order to "win." How ironic that Pennsylvania, where our democratic republic was born, may be precisely where it dies.

What part of separation of church and state do these cretins not understand??? [yahoo.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 9, 2022:

Mastriano is a dangerous demagogue who, if elected governor of Pennsylvania, says he will sign a bill enabling the state legislature to decide which electors will vote in the electoral college, regardless of the will of Pennsylvania voters.

Churches closing their doors in record numbers

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 9, 2022:

I wish this news was as good as it sounds on the surface. Unfortunately, the closure of many small churches is mirrored by the expansion of attendance at mega churches. I'll be happy when they're all closed down.

Activist Asks To Lead Satanic Prayer At FL High School Football Game | Miami, FL Patch

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 9, 2022:

Yes, we did see this coming 😂 If the District does tell Stevens to "kiss off," then I hope he sues their butts into oblivion. This action needs to be repeated ad nauseam until the Bible thumpers get the message, until they are on their knees begging for a wall of separation between church and state.

Writer of obituary in Florida Times-Union speaks up | firstcoastnews.com

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 8, 2022:

Not being acquainted with either of the parties, I can't say if publication of the harsh obit is a fair assessment or not. However, I generally deplore any whitewashing of the past; it just doesn't help forward movement. Better to tell it like it is (or was) and let the chips fall where they may.

Churches closing their doors in record numbers

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 8, 2022:

The headline sounds better than the reality. As small churches close attendance at mega churches has risen. I'll be happy when they're ALL closed down.

Medical ethical questions arising from political bans on abortion Post by Rebecca Solnit ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 7, 2022:

She's asking the sanctimonious "pro-life" pricks to actually think, to consider a host of real possibilities. This is undoubtedly too much for their poor brains.

Christian activist: I 'pray with' Supreme Court justices ruling on my cases

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 7, 2022:

If her claim of praying with the justices is true, she (Nienaber) is self-aggrandizing. Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins? If not, she is a liar. Either way she's a sanctimonious a-hole.

[onlysky.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 7, 2022:

This story was posted by @Xenoview yesterday. (Not that there is any harm in posting it again.) Very sad. Some people are too stupid to have children.

What will this so called Conservative Court do if a case on creationism appears on their docket?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 7, 2022:

I would have to have more details before making a prediction.

The Nightly News | George Carlin | The Smothers Brothers Show (1975) - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 6, 2022:

Today we could really use a WIN (whip inflation now). 😂

Three monkeys of Religion

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 6, 2022:

One enviable thing about our simian cousins: they are not beleaguered by religion.

I live in Southwestern Ontario Canada.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 6, 2022:

Very sorry to hear of your town's troubles. As far as letting the dumbass run his mouth in the town council, it's a shame that people had to be subjected to a lot of drivle. However, you might take solace in that if you give these assholes enough rope, they often hang themselves. Letting them drone on may just turn people off. Just trying to see the glass as half-full. 😂

DeSantis signs Bill into Law making students and faculty profess their religious and political views

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 5, 2022:

This is scary. Religious affiliation should be nobody's business. It shouldn't matter. Somebody needs to challenge this law in court. Next thing you know, they'll be requiring a DNA test to determine your racial "purity." DeSantis is a fucking Nazi.

Twelve religious group members arrested over Australian girl's death [bbc.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 5, 2022:

Sounds like many other cases of Christian Science medical neglect. I wonder if they are beginning to put 2 and 2 together and question if there is a God, or at least why the supposedly omnipotent deity chose to ignore their prayers. Well that may be giving them too much credit.

The Catholic church is dictating reproductive health care — even in blue states | Salon.com

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 5, 2022:

Same old shit from the same men who sexually abused countless thousands of altar boys. They certainly have got a lot of nerve to speak out on any matters relating to sexuality or reproduction. That anyone gives them any credence at all is astounding.

Highland Park Shooting: Person Of Interest Robert Crimo Went To Trump Rally Dressed As "Where’s ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 5, 2022:

The guy is obviously a cipher with the rim knocked off. What adult man dresses up as Waldo? He is emblematic of the disaffected, alienated, frightened, frustrated, angry jerk-offs that are attracted to Trumpism.

Highland Park Shooting: Police Have Arrested A 'Person Of Interest' After Mass Shooting

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

Pretty stark contrast. And people say blacks are overreacting. Ugh!

"I don't want to see religious bigotry in any form.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

Too late Billy Boy; it's a done deal.

Bill Maher Has a Different Take on White Privilege | Howie Mandel Does Stuff 69

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

I couldn't listen to all in one go...I'll come back to it later. But as far as pot goes, I'm like Bill: long time user but not addicted. It's just something I enjoy occasionally.

How religious groups compare on religious knowledge

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

That's so funny! 😂😂😂

"I urge Americans to remember that the breed of Christian Fascism we are up against is an apocalypse...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

Tru dat. They are even breeding herds of cattle with just the right color (red-brown) needed for the Revelation prophesy to be realized.

10 Scriptures That Show The Bible Is Mythology

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

There is good scholarship indicating that these stories were never meant to be taken literally. That they often are nowadays is a testament to the unfailingly brain-dead hard work of fundamentalist sects.

What ban? Generations-old fireworks stands still draw customers.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

Where others see pretty lights in the night sky I see heavy metals polluting the environment. Red: Sr - Strontium Orange: Sr - Strontium, Na - Sodium Yellow: Na - Sodium Green: Ba - Barium Blue: Cu - Copper Purple: Sr - Strontium, Cu - Copper Greys and White: Ti - Titanium, Zr - Zirconium, Mg - Magnesium

My latest rant.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 4, 2022:

I agree that progressives are about moving forward (with the greater good in mind), but conservatives only only want to maintain the status quo insofar as it means them personally holding on to power and money. Ultimately they are not really "conservative" because they are willing to destroy anything and everything up to and including human civilization and all living species on Earth including our own in order to achieve their aims. I do tend to vote FOR candidates, hoping that this time I will not be disappointed. But then my dear old dad didn't used to call me "Charlie Brown" for nothing. 😂

An open letter to white evangelicals: We’re done with you.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 3, 2022:

I heartily agree with the author's viewpoint. However, there is one correction I would make. While it's true that 85% of white Evangelical Christians voted for Done Cheato in 2016, the people we really have to worry about are the Christian Nationalists. The first thing we need to know about them is that their emphasis is on nationalism, not religion. In fact Christian Nationalists come from every Christian sect: Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical. They are not devout believers; their main interest is in gaining power. Christian Nationalists are ready, willing, and able to cynically misinterpret biblical scripture in any way they feel it will serve their purpose to gain power. Christian Nationalists have infiltrated all levels if government; they populate think tanks, political action committees, corporate boards, non-profit and for-profit organizations, universities, the military. They aim to make America into a white Christian theocracy, and that ain't no multicultural democracy. 😳

Letters From An American 07/02/2022

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 3, 2022:

The USA is a great experiment. It's worth doing, even if it occasionally blows up in our faces. Keep on keeping on.

Coverture: The Word You Probably Don't Know But Should | National Women's History Museum

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 2, 2022:

Thanks for the history lesson and new (to me) vocabulary word! 🙂

Our minds manage to distract us from the terrible reality by filling our lives with stories about ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 2, 2022:

The elites are counting on our perpetual distraction so they can rape the Earth and amass fantastic wealth.

A wise man once said If you choose to play chess with a Bantam Cock, be prepared for him to not ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 2, 2022:

That's why this is only one of two social media sites that I regularly visit. The other is a dating site where I swipe left way more than right. 😂

"For the message of the 'magical sleigh' is foolishness to those who are 'not getting toys' but to ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

Yup. Welcome to the American theocracy.

WHO: COVID-19 cases rising nearly everywhere in the world

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

It's endemic now, and will be with us going forward. We'll probably need a new shot every year. And this is not the biggest thing we have to worry about. There are much worse pathogens lurking in the environment. And climate change is not only a threat multiplier, it can wipe out most of our biodiversity. Mass extinction is a real possibility. Have a nice day!

Falling into the (non) religious trap?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

If secularism is evidence-based, and dedicated to free thinking and open discussion, and always shining a light on hypocrisy, as I think it generally is, then there should no problem. The traits mentioned above make make secularism self-correcting. Sure, mistakes will be made, but things will also get back on track.

University Club rejected over fears it could 'summon Satan' to an Australian university ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

"The many fooleries of wise men makes a great show." -- Wm. Shakespeare

Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses may get access to elders' files on them

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

The idea that a Christian church would keep records on people seems to run contrary to its supposed core principle of redemption and forgiveness. If they really believe that, why keep files on people? Well, there is a possible explanation: maybe its all about money. 🤑💰

Maybe that church is on to something:

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

Time to look for another job, or get into a different line of work 😂

A liberal friend of mine posted this on her FB page today, and while I'm not religious, I thought it...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

Using someone's own words or ideas against them is a perfectly valid tactic, but let's be clear. Just because you point out their hypocrisy by citing their words or ideology does not necessarily mean that you accept that ideology in its entirety. You can agree with the "love thy neighbor" part while rejecting the omnipotent sky daddy part. Just because you see the value in everyone doing their best to appreciate the good in others does not mean you have to betray your own capacity for critical thinking and turn a blind eye to the many inconsistencies in the God hypothesis, principal among which are the facts that [a] there is no independently-verifiable evidence for God's existence, and [b] if such a being did exist then the shocking and continual suffering of innocents in spite of His purported omnipotence would indicate that He is a cruel and sadistic son of a bitch and therefore not worthy of worship.

Are the recent hepatitis cases in kids associated with COVID-19 or the COVID-19 vaccine?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Not surprised that people are spreading unfounded rumors that the thing that can best protect kids from the thing that make them more vulnerable to hepatitis is the thing causing the hepatitis. 😂

Clarity for fall: We're getting an Omicron booster

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Looks like I'll be getting a second booster in August or September 🙂

LAPD OFFICERS BEAT TO DEATH A FELLOW OFFICER (When will it ever be enough?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Sounds like a code red.

For many evangelical Christians, God and guns are inextricably linked

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Hypocrisy is a Christian trait. It is dyed in the wool.

It's speech that should be protected just as much as Christian prayers, right?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 28, 2022:

As a high school biology teacher I frequently drew a sharp distinction between science and religion, i.e. that the former is built on objective, reproducible, and independently verifiable evidence, while the latter is not. The curriculum included a broad range of sub-disciplines within biology, including ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, anatomy, physiology, cytology, cell division, cellular energy, and biochemistry. The underlying theme, the "connective tissue" that brought it all together was darwinian evolution, which I folded into every instructional unit, if not every lesson. There was overt pushback by some students, who would sometimes claim that God was the Creator, or it was God's will, or some such nonsense. I always welcomed such comments because they gave me yet another opportunity to wheel out more evidence and challenge anyone else to do the same for the religious argument. Students often tried to get me to state outright what my beliefs were. They would ask, "Don't you believe in God?" My reply was always the same: "They pay me to teach you science, not my beliefs." This disappointed those who wanted to see me paint myself into a corner. They could never get me to say anything that I could not defend as a legitimate part of a science curriculum. Some churchy parents were so frustrated by my teaching their students Darwin's theory that they had their kids pulled from the class. Others turned other methods, including encouraging their students to disrupt class. This made a challenging job even more difficult, but I felt it had to be done my way. In fact, I would often tell myself that this job is not worth doing without executing a full-court press against the kind of flabby thinking typified by religious belief. Over time I was moderately successful; I did reach a few people. But in addition to teaching many facts which some students found objectionable (that humans are animals; that we are products of evolution; that we share ancestors with hedgehogs, fish, salamanders, worms, and bacteria; that the atoms making up our bodies have been recycled many times through the biosphere, and have been incorporated into many other organisms that lived and died before us; that we are all destined to die, and there is no evidence that we go to "a better place;" that we depend on a healthy biosphere for our continued existence; that our current fossil-fuel dependent way of life is putting the students and their future children's and grandchildren's and, in fact, our entire species' existence in grave danger, etc. etc.), I and my colleagues had to deal with a rising tide of general dissatisfaction with economic and social conditions as well as proliferation of increasingly sophisticated personal communication devices. So-called "smart"...

The Supreme Court rewarded religious coercion by a Christian football coach

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 27, 2022:

It's nakedly unconditional. It's disgusting. 🤮

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Constitutional originalism does not address the simple reality that times change and conditions differ. And, while the framers were exceptionally smart, they could not foresee all the changes that would take place two or three hundred years down the line. To remain relevant, interpretations of the document have to evolve.

New Rule: I Want My Lawyer! | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 26, 2022:

It's true that the Republicans are, and have been for decades now, better at messaging and staying focussed on a small set of goals (mostly owning the libs; they aren't actually FOR anything). As for Maher's last word, on building the case against the Done Cheato, that's exactly what the Select Committee is doing. And so far it is devastating. Halfway through the hearings and it should be obvious to everyone that Done Cheato is guilty of defrauding the United States. However, in classic style, many MAGA hatters have tuned the proceedings out entirely and are sticking by their tribal affiliation. Pity. They are in for a huge surprise when Done Cheato is actually indicted.

Pastor Column: Bible tells truth about dinosaurs - Morrow County Sentinel

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 25, 2022:

Speaking of death, that pastor is absolutely brain dead.

SCOTUS: Supreme Christian Overlords Terrorize US.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 25, 2022:

SCOTUS: Silly Christians Overestimate Their Useless Sanctimony

DYLAN, LENNON, MARX & GOD: Book Discussion with Jon Stewart PhD

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 25, 2022:

Rock music can be a vehicle for just about any message you care to send.

Was there a pro-choice rally/protest in your town today?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 25, 2022:

I needed to clear my head, so I sailed my boat out on the open ocean and grooved on the vast expanse of sea and sky. ⛵

Radical Religious Regression

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 25, 2022:

"Interesting" times. 😐

George Carlin about abortion and 'the sanctity of life'. - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 25, 2022:

Delicious irony! 😂

Good. Lauren Boebert's restaurant in Jeopardy after landlord pulls their lease [salon.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 24, 2022:

Hopefully more Coloradans will turn LB's picture to the wall.

Top 10 places to find Jesus?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

1. In an unmarked grave outside old Jerusalem (?) 😂

Mosquitoes came to eat jesus, them bloodsuckers.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

Whatever Jesus might have said, We The People are not turning the other cheek to the evil Done Cheato. We resist his malevolence and fight to put his royal orange ass in stir. 😂

Lauren Boebert's Shooters restaurant kicked out after new landlord cites "moral" imperative: report ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

From the arrival of the earliest humans on earth to the present ,God has always been a human ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

I think for the earliest humans gods stood in as explanations for misunderstood natural phenomena (e.g. thunder and lightening). It probably was not long before someone figured out that they could use people's beliefs to manipulate them. And religion was born. 🤣

“The pathetic thing that grows out of this condition is called faith: in other words, closing ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

There are places for faith, but a supposedly omnipotent sky daddy who allows 4th graders to be gunned down in their classooms is not one of them.

Well hell... Will they outlaw cigarettes next? How about ice cream? Beer? 🙄 [forbes.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

IMHO, this is a legitimate action on the part of the FDA. Juul has not provided evidence that its products are safe. This is especially relevant because the flavored products are designed to appeal to kids.

BA.4/5 is sweeping the globe YLE 06/22/2022

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

We probably should just get used to the idea of getting a covid shot every year, just like we get a flu shot every year. The good news is that RNA vaccines can, by editing the code, very easily be adapted to combat any new variant that comes along. And they WILL keep on coming. 😎👍

Border Protection's Big Drug Bust Got the Opposite Response It Wanted

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

The War On Drugs was conceived by Richard Nixon. That should be a indication of its efficacy and usefulness to society.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Thinks Elon Musk Is Black, SLAMMED After Calling Tesla Founder ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

Lets not forget that our species evolved in Africa, so technically ALL humans are Africans. 🤣 Which does not let DeSantis off, because though it's true that Musk's recent ancestors were South Africans, the Florida's governor is still a fucking troll. 🤣🤣

Rent: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

Greedy landlords are certainly a problem, but the real villain here is the corporations that are buying up all the properties.

Can we as a society please stop using the term "religious education"?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

So what you're saying is that the term religious education is an oxymoron. Okay!

I first thought: "Why would you attack people doing yoga?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

I don't know what was in the minds of these Islamists, but I would guess that they associate yoga with Hinduism. And we all know about the violently antagonistic history between Moslems and Hindus in India, which led the the bloody partition of the Indian subcontinent. It's just one more example of religious sectarianism, and the violence that so often accompanies it.

Sotomayor warns Supreme Court ‘continues to dismantle the wall of separation between church and ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

The court had a choice between favoring one of two elements of the First Amendment separation of church and state: the "government shall make no law establishing a religion" clause, or the "government shall not infringe upon the free expression of religion" clause. Establishment versus infringement. There is a natural tension between the two. Predictably, given the makeup of the court, they chose to focus on the proscription against government infringement on religious liberty. I think this is a shame. Religion does not deserve such obsequious consideration. In fact, I would argue that the state has a genuine interest in protecting the public from religion. Religion promotes intellectually flabby habits of mind, discourages critical thinking, and has served to induce a sizeable minority of the electorate to believe the lies of an obvious grifter who threatens to overthrow our democratic government in favor of theocratic fascism. It is no coincidence that the wacko belief in a stolen 2020 election shares space in otherwise empty heads with belief in a supposedly omnipotent sky daddy who allows innocent school children to be gunned down in their classrooms.

The Supreme Court has just handed down a decision in Carson v.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 21, 2022:

Good fences make good neighbors. There goes the neighborhood.

Letters From An American 05/19/2022

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 21, 2022:

There are still over 700 Confederate monuments in the US, not including all the roads, schools, and buildings that are named for Confederate figures. These monuments need to come down, and these names need to be changed. People who made war against the United States in order to preserve the institution of slavery should be roundly condemned, NOT celebrated. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/us/confederate-monuments-removed-2021-whose-heritage/index.html

Krystal Ball DOMINATES Bill Maher's Show With Facts - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 20, 2022:

I had not heard of Krystal Ball before, but I look forward to hearing from her more in the future. She's good! 😎👍

The microbe behind the baby formula recall can be benign—or deadly

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 20, 2022:

Looks like here is another reason to favor breast feeding over formula (for those women for whom breast feeding is a viable option). What I would like to know is, does the colostrum contain antibodies that can protect a newborn from C. Sakazakii? If it does, then that would be yet another advantage to breastfeeding, since the bacterium can apparently be found in so many places in the environment.

Number of Americans who believe in God dips to new low: Gallup | who13.com

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 18, 2022:

I bet that many people who say they believe in God have not thought deeply about it and are just repeating something they have been conditioned to say. They want to be with the majority, whatever they say, and are just going with the flow, afraid to be outside the mainstream.

What does liberalism mean to you?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 18, 2022:

What does liberalism mean to me? Off the top of my head, I'd say 1. rule of law 2. due process 3. democracy 4. freedom of speech 5. freedom of/from religion 6. right to privacy 7. free enterprise 8. regulatory framework 9. environmental protection 10. social safety net 11. multiculturalism 12. egalitarianism Not necessarily in that order. 😎

Elderly porcupine at Oregon Zoo takes daily walks to ‘stay sharp’

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 15, 2022:

Well that is quite the quill thrill 🤣

On the one hand, there's a belief system based upon nothing more than faith but on the other hand is...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 15, 2022:

Nice summary of the choices. Love the sea stack! 😎👍

Well this is a sobering, and sadly reasonable, prediction.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 15, 2022:

It's important to note that Thorpe, while accurately summarizing the current bleak state of affairs, does not take a definitive position on the future. Instead, he hedges his bets. And rightly so. No one knows what the future will bring. Personally, I think the future will continue to be a lot like the present: precarious, muddled, strident, full of potential for both good and ill. But what do I know?

Marjorie Taylor Greene argues global warming is actually good for us [ca.sports.yahoo.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 15, 2022:

FFS! LMAO @ MTG 🤣

Christians believe in the miracle of the virgin birth : The Holy Spirit inseminated Mary and she ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 15, 2022:

The scientific revolution was definitely NOT a miracle. The progression of human thought and learning towards a logical, self-correcting, and fact-based investigation of nature emerged as a result of the evolution of a big brain with massive problem solving capacity. The scientific method evolved for reasons similar to why the brain evolved: because they both have adaptive value. They both increase the survival probabilities of individuals. And this revolution is not even complete (yet). Rates of scientific literacy are still low in many places around the world (e.g. Texas, Alabama, etc.).

Shit birds and scumbags [apnews.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 14, 2022:

Pathological priests, corrupt clergy, ridiculous religion.

Ukraine War: President Zelenskyy Says The Russian Death toll Could Reach 40,000 In June

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 13, 2022:

Only 3 months into this war and Russia already has way more casualties than the USA suffered in 20 years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

George Carlin On Dogs - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 13, 2022:

🐶 convenient gas leak scapegoat 😂

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 12, 2022:

...enough to indict, convict, and jail for considerable length of time.

President Biden urges Congress to pass bipartisan gun framework: '

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 12, 2022:

This bill obviously does not go far enough, as President Biden said. It seems that the sponsors of the bill think that the baby step this bill represents is better than nothing. I disagree. I think that it will only serve to temporarily let the Republicans off the hook for their lousy anti-gun control stance while doing nothing to protect kids in schools or the general public. What is needed is a whole suite of gun control measures, including raised age limits for legal purchases, universal background checks (including juvenile records), red flag laws, stiff penalties for straw buyers and possession/manufacture of untraceable guns, a national ban on assault rifles, caps on magazine capacities, mandatory safety training, safe storage requirements, and repeal of laws protecting gun manufacturers from liability for bad outcomes stemming from their marketing practices. We should have all that AND the other, peripheral items like more funding for mental health and better school security. In my opinion, Democrats are committing a tactical error by not holding out for a bill that will actually have a meaningful effect on gun violence in America. And let's face it: even if such a bill were to pass today, it would still be years, maybe decades before the violence dropped significantly. There are already more guns than people in this country, and guns are durable items. We have to be prepared for the long haul.