Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

KKGator comments on Nov 4, 2018:

To me, family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. I don't have any problem writing people off if I find their beliefs abhorrent. Whether it's politics or religion, I'm not tolerating the bullshit anymore. If anyone is supporting 45, or the republicans, I'm done with them. We are fundamentally ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@KKGator I think it's possible to persuade a few. Good on you for trying!

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

KKGator comments on Nov 4, 2018:

To me, family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. I don't have any problem writing people off if I find their beliefs abhorrent. Whether it's politics or religion, I'm not tolerating the bullshit anymore. If anyone is supporting 45, or the republicans, I'm done with them. We are fundamentally ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@KKGator This is not going to be easy or quick. Climate change may have to become more severe before people acknowledge that is real. When they finally do, we need to remind them who was right all along and who was lying to all of us.

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

KKGator comments on Nov 4, 2018:

To me, family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. I don't have any problem writing people off if I find their beliefs abhorrent. Whether it's politics or religion, I'm not tolerating the bullshit anymore. If anyone is supporting 45, or the republicans, I'm done with them. We are fundamentally ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

However you don't have to tolerate Trumpism to understand it, or pity the fool who embraces it, or educate him/her. For this last part you can start by working around the edges, establishing a set of facts that everyone can agree on. Then move on from there. We will need to bring as many of these folks over to our side as we can if we are going to move forward.

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

TampaHeathen comments on Nov 4, 2018:

You will feel much better after the midterms.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@Blookie I hope you are right.

AP fact check: President Trump’s rhetoric and the truth about migrant caravans | PBS NewsHour

Infoguy211 comments on Nov 4, 2018:

I truly hope Cheeto Hitler meets a dictator's end. He certainly deserves it.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

They strung Mussolini up. And he at least made the trains run on time. More than Trump has achieved.

It has been reported that 80% of Evangelicals are expected to vote for Republican candidates.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

We should not be surprised when people who believe in literal interpretations of a jumble of internally contradictory fairy tales (I mean the Bible) also show willingness to swallow the wild conspiracy theories of demagogues.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@nicknotes God is just dog spelled backwards. ?

Here we have huge, angry mobs of Pakistanis calling for the death of a woman who has been found not ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

We could have that kind of shit right here in a heartbeat. What is the difference between the USA and Pakistan then? Average educational level. And I'm talkin about liberal, secular education, not that Sunday school bullshit. If Betsy De Voss and the evangelicals have their way, they will drop all ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@Veteran229 One of the more egregious errors of the left has been this call to do away with the ICE. If there ever was a dog whistle, that is one example. It's so ludicrous that I wonder if it is actually trolls posing as Democrats just looking to stir up trouble.

Alot of people hate me. i hate alot of people. seems fair to me then again i have a heart of stone

KKGator comments on Nov 3, 2018:

I looked up what a "total edge lord" is supposed to be. How fucking pathetic. Grow up, get a job (do some manual labor), and stop playing video games.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

I had to look up "edgelord" too. The guy does have some growing up to do.

Here we have huge, angry mobs of Pakistanis calling for the death of a woman who has been found not ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

We could have that kind of shit right here in a heartbeat. What is the difference between the USA and Pakistan then? Average educational level. And I'm talkin about liberal, secular education, not that Sunday school bullshit. If Betsy De Voss and the evangelicals have their way, they will drop all ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@Veteran229 It's true both the left and the right have got their issues. But I think the "conservatives" are more prone to promote conspiracy theories and outright lies. Maybe they do it in response to perceived excess in "liberal" values.

Alot of people hate me. i hate alot of people. seems fair to me then again i have a heart of stone

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

Well that sounds like a drag. Hate is such a useless expenditure of mental energy. Who are you? Donald Trump?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@DaringDavid You presume to know a lot about me. If you have read all of my 500+ comments on this forum then you have scratched the surface, barely. The way you talk, throwing labels around, sounds just like a troll. Slow down cowboy. Take a few deep breaths.

Alot of people hate me. i hate alot of people. seems fair to me then again i have a heart of stone

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

Well that sounds like a drag. Hate is such a useless expenditure of mental energy. Who are you? Donald Trump?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@DaringDavid I do not hate Trump. I despise him. There is a difference. Hate consumes the hater. I feel about Trump the way I feel about dog shit on my shoe. I just want it cleaned off so I can forget about it and move on.

Today's hike: environmentalists vs. callous hicks

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 31, 2018:

The photo of the guy with the water buffalo seemed a bit out of synch with the rest of the spread. (?)

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 1, 2018:

@PalacinkyPDX Donald Trump Jr is a wanker for sure. Any who gets their kicks by killing is. But some do it to put food on the table, as their ancestors did for thousands of years. And in areas where the top predators have been eliminated a little thinning may be the next best thing to maintain biodiversity.

The Destructiveness of Fundamentalist Capitalism [counterpunch.org]

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Oct 31, 2018:

Interesting. My biggest concern with placing too much weight in this article's main thrust is that in the U.S. right now, every ideological purity test argument that potentially fractures cooperation between vaguely left-of-center neo-liberals, as they've been dubbed (and who gets lumped into that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 31, 2018:

Yes it's scary. It make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Reminds me of the 60s but less hopeful, more hard-edged now. We better be united on the left, or else.

Today's hike: environmentalists vs. callous hicks

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 31, 2018:

The photo of the guy with the water buffalo seemed a bit out of synch with the rest of the spread. (?)

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 31, 2018:

@LiterateHiker I'm not against hunting if it's well regulated and done in an environmentally sound and respectful manner.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

@Robsweapon We have had a few good ones: Washington, Lincoln, FDR. And some mediocre ones: Johnson, Reagan, Bush I. And some bad ones: Nixon, Bush II. But the present ass-bite is really FUBAR. what a waste of orange skin.

How is it that there are still so many people who think global warming is a hoax, or that it is not ...

powder comments on Oct 29, 2018:

The problem with renewable energy is mindset. Governments are only interested in producing industrial amounts of power ie produce a product that can be sold and taxed. But renewables can power individual households eg no sales and no tax revenue. This is how to use renewables, break up monopolies ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

Unfortunately, what governments are interested in doing is too much influenced by the fat cats. That has to change.

How is it that there are still so many people who think global warming is a hoax, or that it is not ...

TheAstroChuck comments on Oct 29, 2018:

To your first question: how is it that so many people think it's a hoax. Just look at how many people still cling to the idea of an all-powerful god, who takes an active interest in them despite the tremendous progress in science. The strong tendency to select some facts and reject inconvenient ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

Certainly we will have to reduce our energy consumption. We waste a hell of a lot of energy now. I think there may be a happy medium where we generate all we can cleanly and assiduously conserve without too big a drop in standard of living. That is, if we don't have catastrophic climate change to deal with at the same time. It's looking more and more like we will though.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

@Robsweapon Mr. Mueller is playing his cards pretty close to the vest. What we have seen so far is pretty damning. I look forward to the final report. ? The US has done some reprehensible things around the world. I don't like it but that doesn't mean I want to see my country's elections influenced by a naked mole rat like Vladimir Putin.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 29, 2018:

@Robsweapon The indictments of the Russians certainly count. How ridiculous to claim they don't. A schoolyard tactic that will not fly in this forum. The Russian acts of war upon this nation are well documented and the participants are equally well known. It is what we call "evidence." The only person with security clearance who denies this is the beneficiary of that act of war, the current occupant of the oval office.

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

The technology to solve climate change already exists. What we lack political will. If cannot get it together then I think history will conclude that the "Greatest Generation" will have been followed by the most abjectly craven, civically retarded, piss poor generation. That is, if anybody is still ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 29, 2018:

@callmedubious I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately what people think about the causes and effects of climate change has real consequences. We don't have a lot of time to make some radical changes in how we generate electricity and power our transportation. If we don't act soon, feedbacks in the natural system will kick in and effectively take away our ability to avoid the worst effects of a w warming atmosphere and oceans. The fossil fuel industry been spending a considerable amount of money in their effort to cast doubt on climate science. They fund think tanks and private laboratories staffed by people with real science credentials. These few scientists (they comprise only a small fraction of the scientific community) have found for themselves a path of less resistance. They earn generous salaries and in return they cherry pick data and provide biased interpretations which get published in slick formats that to the lay person seem like legitimate science. Of course no scientist would be fooled by the propaganda, but it does not matter because they are not the target audience. The game is to sow doubt among the general public, and thereby achieve the overall goal of continuing to sell lots of fossil fuels to an energy-thirsty society. The people behind all this are the owners of large, multinational corporations with profits in the hundreds if billions if dollars annually. They are old farts, and they know they won't live to face the consequences of their actions. They are not interested in seeing their profits vanish. So they spend a fraction of their wealth on profit insurance by buying off a few scientists and media outlets and lobbyists on K Street. The latter outnumber the members if Congress by five-to-one, and often write the bills that are introduced on the floors if the House and Senate. Business friendly bills that relax environmental regulations and generally make it easier to make money. It all about money.

? marysalt ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 28, 2018:

Call me credulous but I don't see a problem here. You think it's a case of too good to be true?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 29, 2018:

@skado Thank you!

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 28, 2018:

@Robsweapon For evidence on the Russian role in the election just look at Mueller's long list of indictments, guilty pleas, prison sentences.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 28, 2018:

You suggest a conspiracy between the DNC and media...where is your evidence? You say we have gotten what we deserve in Trump. That may be true, but the way we got him, by having a hostile foreign power tip the scale in Trump's favor, was not asked for or deserved. It was as act of war.

? marysalt ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 28, 2018:

Call me credulous but I don't see a problem here. You think it's a case of too good to be true?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 28, 2018:

@skado Apparently I am clueless. What are the clues?

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

The technology to solve climate change already exists. What we lack political will. If cannot get it together then I think history will conclude that the "Greatest Generation" will have been followed by the most abjectly craven, civically retarded, piss poor generation. That is, if anybody is still ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 28, 2018:

@callmedubious Dude, your comments reveal a serious lack of science literacy. Where are you getting your information? The right wing propaganda echo chamber at Fox News is not providing you with good information. If you want the straight dope on climate science I suggest you start with NASA, then check out NOAA, and don't forget the EPA. The scientists there are just regular people who put on their pants one leg at a time, like you and me. They go to work and do their jobs and ideology plays no part of their final conclusions. They just try to get the science right. And they do a pretty good job.

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

The technology to solve climate change already exists. What we lack political will. If cannot get it together then I think history will conclude that the "Greatest Generation" will have been followed by the most abjectly craven, civically retarded, piss poor generation. That is, if anybody is still ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

@callmedubious The scientific community has long since reached consensus on this issue: the current warming anthropogenic, meaning human-caused. Our burning of fossil fuels is producing about 100 times more CO2 than the greatest natural carbon dioxide source, which is volcanoes. It is an amount far beyond what the natural carbon sinks can absorb. So the greenhouse gas accumulates in the atmosphere, and the more of it there is the less heat escapes into outer space.

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

The technology to solve climate change already exists. What we lack political will. If cannot get it together then I think history will conclude that the "Greatest Generation" will have been followed by the most abjectly craven, civically retarded, piss poor generation. That is, if anybody is still ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

@callmedubious The phenomena you mention are not responsible for the current warming.

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

maturin1919 comments on Oct 27, 2018:

I, on the other hand, believe it naive to think we can't clean up our own messes. I do it every day. Hell, half of the week I'm cleaning up two other people's messes. I also take issue with the notion that an entirely rational species wouldn't be able to solve these larger problems. An entirely ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

@Triphid Everybody has the opportunity to act rationally every day. No excuses!

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

maturin1919 comments on Oct 27, 2018:

I, on the other hand, believe it naive to think we can't clean up our own messes. I do it every day. Hell, half of the week I'm cleaning up two other people's messes. I also take issue with the notion that an entirely rational species wouldn't be able to solve these larger problems. An entirely ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

Unfortunately we are NOT a rational species.

So what are you going to be for Halloween?

DenoPenno comments on Oct 24, 2018:

I think I will just be myself and keep my porch light off. Why not? I live here alone.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

That's what I usually do these days. I don't particularly want to encourage people to knock on my door. Especially not after dark.

So what are you going to be for Halloween?

silverotter11 comments on Oct 24, 2018:

One of the chorus from Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

I love RHPS!

So what are you going to be for Halloween?

Silver1wun comments on Oct 24, 2018:

My usual costume is as an 'old white man'. This year it will be a hospital gown. The surgeon gets to wear the mask. ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 27, 2018:

It's good that you can laugh about it. Good luck!

BREAKING Pipes bombs to the Clintons, Obama, Soros, AND the White House.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 24, 2018:

It's not enough to suppress the liberal vote? They gotta commit murder too? Fucking imbeciles! We know it is Vladimir Putin's ardent wish that Americans fight each other. I would not be surprised if Russia is not somehow involved.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 25, 2018:

@powder The facts speak for themselves. The Russians continue to spend millions on their propaganda to sow division in the American body politic. It is very plausible that the jerk(s) who placed the bombs were influenced to some degree by the Russian smear campaign. Remember the ass-bite who who shot up the DC pizza joint because he thought Hillary had a pedophile dungeon in their basement? (Nevermind that the establishment does not even have a basement.) Where do you think he got that notion? Russian propaganda! If someone acts because they believe someone else's lies, well the liar bears responsibility. The really scary thing is that the American President is apparently in the thrall (or the pocket) of Putin, and cannot bring himself to defend the country that he "leads." There is no downside for Putin, so the attack continues.

So good people of the universe, how do you all handle the assumption from Christians that you ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 22, 2018:

I don't think there is any point in disputing the idea that a guy named Jesus lived and gave some pretty good talks. When it comes all the claims of supernatural acts, that's where I demand independently-verifiable evidence. Put up or shut up. What? You don't have any? Well that is revealing...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 23, 2018:

@Minotaur80 True dat.

Who are Donald Trump's role models?

patchoullijulie comments on Oct 21, 2018:

Trump!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 22, 2018:

@HankSherman He reminds me of Mussolini. He may yet meet the same end.

A complaint I have since adopting an agnostic position is that too much of the atheist/agnostic ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 17, 2018:

Well I really try to keep things in perspective. We are in a fight for the future of the planet; a choice between mass extinction and the end of our civilization or telling the fossil fuel industry and their mealy-mouthed minions in the usurper Administration that they can shove their coal-fired ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 17, 2018:

...to their childish beliefs better fucking wake up and smell the methane.

What happens after a human being dies?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Knowing that this is all there is makes it that much more precious. Also, the realization that my own being is the result of a pulling together and organization of a collection of atoms guided by a genetic program, and the knowledge that these atoms come from rocks and water and trees and ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 15, 2018:

@JimiYugo Yeah I will miss them. ?

American Christians Are Special?

Freedompath comments on Oct 13, 2018:

I would say that Christians have the upper hand. They have the powerful religious leaders promoting their cause. And they keep at it! I get the feeling that a non-Christian practicing person is unacceptable!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 14, 2018:

It is their aim to make uncomfortable anyone who does not conform to their belief system. Failing that, they may simply kill those who fail to get in line. The history of Christianity is a history of torture, murder, and genocide.

Validity of a theory

TheAstroChuck comments on Oct 13, 2018:

In the realm of science, Karl Popper is completely incorrect. Once a well-established scientific theory has withstood the test of time, it is proven and can never be shown to be wrong. Such theories include Newtonian laws of force, Newtonian gravity, Darwin's evolution, Maxwell's electromagnetism,...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 13, 2018:

Thank you! High praise considering its source.

Can timestamps be displayed on posts? They can be in GMT. Please?

IamNobody comments on Oct 12, 2018:

At times I wonder what Admin reaction really is when requests are send out. I figure he gives all serious consideration, based on what I have seen but, does he laugh at times? Or face palm? Offset? ... Well, he is human too, right?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 12, 2018:

Do not look behind the curtain! Lol

Today marks my 1 year anniversary of joining this site.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Off the top of my head I cannot say when exactly I first signed up here. Is that kind of information recorded and accessible?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 10, 2018:

Ha! I just found the date of my matriculation: February 2018. Now where did I see that? Lol

THE HAUNTED MANCHIN - Why doesn't Joe Manchin just take that final step and officially register...

ProudMary comments on Oct 6, 2018:

I will not be able to hold my nose and vote for him.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 6, 2018:

Are you a voter in his state?

That spiritual feeling.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

The invention of gods begins with people's natural tendency to personify inanimate objects. Little kids automatically treat dolls or action figures as living beings. And even adults refer to boats as "she" while cars and trucks can be either gender. In prehistory the wind blew hard and lightening ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 5, 2018:

@L-squared Well-said!

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

evergreen comments on Oct 2, 2018:

A trio of sex partners. 2 men 1 woman - I think

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 4, 2018:

@A2Jennifer I do the finger sign but I don't see the connection with a threesom.

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

@Trajan61 Oh give me a break! Please!

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 2, 2018:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

@HippieChick58 Do tell! ?

Truth as such has no value in itself.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

The only thing wrong with the opium addict is that they might fail to notice the house burning down around them -- and that their own belief system, which encourages rejection of science, is literally throwing gasoline on the fire.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

@Matias The vast majority of climate science deniers in the US are religious folk; evangelical Christians who also support Trump and his hollowing out of the regulatory structure that would place limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 2, 2018:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

Apparently Urban Dictionary has had the threesome definition posted since 2008. It has gotten over 5000 thumbs up! Why am I always the last one to find out? Now all I need to do is learn what thumbs up really means, lol!

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

evergreen comments on Oct 2, 2018:

A trio of sex partners. 2 men 1 woman - I think

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 2, 2018:

@t1nick I just want to know what the phrase is commonly taken to mean.

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

evergreen comments on Oct 2, 2018:

A trio of sex partners. 2 men 1 woman - I think

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 2, 2018:

You had heard the phrase used that way before these confirmation hearings?

If roads,police, hospitals are social projects why shouldn't health care, social security, and ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Indeed, why not? Well the rich and powerful in this country have been wildly successful at controlling the terms of debate. They have appropriated the mythologies of rugged individualism and manifest destiny and woven them together with the Christian ideas of original sin and puritanical zest for ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 29, 2018:

@stinkeye_a Sounds like we share some heroes! :-)

I am going to the truth truthfully, and I know that it will find me someday .

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I'm not 100% sure, but think I get where you are coming from.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 29, 2018:

@belfodil I would not presume to tell your story better than you can tell it yourself.

Senate Republicans will not allow the FBI to investigate the serious, numerous, and credible ...

Bierbasstard comments on Sep 28, 2018:

A simple Yes or No question that he danced around.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 28, 2018:

The Republican Committee members turned the proceedings into a partisan rant against the Democrats, complaining about how the accusation should have come out earlier (though they never explained why the rush). And in the process Ms. Blasey Ford was reduced to a pawn in a political hatchet job. The GOP members tried to discount her testimony and her experience, (Lindsey Graham put on an especially disgusting performance). But in the end Kavenaugh is damaged goods. I have zero confidence in wisdom and jurisprudence.

Senate Republicans will not allow the FBI to investigate the serious, numerous, and credible ...

Beowulfsfriend comments on Sep 27, 2018:

He definitely stumbled over trying to say I welcome an investigation and not asking for one. He instead did things like attack the "left wing conspirators" out to get him. That in itself should disqualify him as he has shown he is not an unbiased justice.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 27, 2018:

Good point! He's as partisan as they come.

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

bigpawbullets comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Apparently, this is an ongoing problem:

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 26, 2018:

@bigpawbullets I'm referring to the Elizabeth Warren as Pocahantis thing. I believe it fits the description.

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

bigpawbullets comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Apparently, this is an ongoing problem:

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

That's classic race-baiting, and it's just rude, obnoxious, and disrespectful. Come on man, grow up.

Can the Kavenaugh nomination survive the allegations of sexual misconduct?

snytiger6 comments on Sep 25, 2018:

I think either way, republicans will lose votes. I think Kavanaugh will survive and be appointed, even if I think he is a lyign piece of shit who regardless of current allegations, he lied to the Senate in his interviews when he was appointed as Federal judge

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

Every Republican will have to vote to confirm. Meanwhile, the list of accusers grows. This could get interesting!

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@Trajan61 Yeah right! And those witches are pleading guilty or being found guilty by jury trial right and left. A very successful witch hunt I would say. And with the cooperation of the minor witches the top witch will soon go down in infamy. Yay!!!?

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Having the FBI look into the allegations against Kavenaugh would qualify as an appropriate check. I wonder why Mitch McConnel and Charles Grassly are so reluctant to go there.

Can the Kavenaugh nomination survive the allegations of sexual misconduct?

HippieChick58 comments on Sep 25, 2018:

I hope that it does not survive and I hope the Gross Old Pricks are voted out of office! Vote EARLY and Vote Often!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

Right on sister!

Bret Kavenaugh has opined that a President cannot be questioned, much less indicted while in office.

HippieChick58 comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Jeebus! Jayzus! FML. Yes there is a problem the size of Texas.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

Good to hear from you HC!

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Your belief that it does not matter who is in charge is not supported by evidence. History shows that individuals in positions of power can have enormous influence, for good or ill. And who sits on the Supreme Court is a matter of great consequence. Likewise who occupies the oval office. If you really think none of it matters, why did you bother to vote at all?

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Oh things have changed alright. The rich have gotten a fat tax break, global warming has gone from theory to in your face reality, the country has doubled down on debt, and the military budget has ballooned. And the guy you voted for is pushing hard in favor of all of that. Way to go dude. (Sarcasm intended.)

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets So you enjoy seeing the air and water polluted, the rich get richer while the middle class gets shafted, the racists and bigots feel empowered, women denigrated and abused with impunity, and malignant foreign powers install a puppet in the Oval Office? Really? Were you dropped on your head as a child?

Anyone else feel isolated?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 24, 2018:

I am joined with the few friends I have first by mutual interests such as sailing, mountain biking, similar political views, and similar tastes in music. What keeps these relationships going is that we not only share experiences but we learn from one another, we help each other realize our goals, we...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 24, 2018:

No church wanted or needed thank you very much!

Did (a) god create humans

Marine comments on Sep 18, 2018:

If evolution was taught better we would have more atheists

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 23, 2018:

In some cases the teacher never gets the opportunity to teach the science of evolution. The parents get wind that the teacher is enthusiastic about the subject and pull their kid out of the class. Or the kid acts out and gets referred to the counselor or assistant principal with the same result. And sometimes they attack the teacher directly on some fabricated charge in order the get him/her to shut up or, even worse, fired. I have seen all of the above in my own classroom (and have so far survived it) so I know whereof I speak.

What happens after a human being dies?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Knowing that this is all there is makes it that much more precious. Also, the realization that my own being is the result of a pulling together and organization of a collection of atoms guided by a genetic program, and the knowledge that these atoms come from rocks and water and trees and ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 23, 2018:

@JimiYugo I will miss any of my people who die before me, but after I'm dead I won't think about it at all. I won't think about anything. Period.

Ed wheelen, a good friend of brett kavanaugh's, speculates all over the public place that ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 21, 2018:

It is not likely that she would make up the story and less likely that she would mis-identify a person she was already acquainted with.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 21, 2018:

@genessa And all the stress and flak that goes along with publicly going up against the big bucks of the old brigade.

I could use some words of wisdom, friends.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 20, 2018:

It sounds like you would be better off biding your time for now. Don't make waves when there is nothing concrete that you can point to. Work on personal relationships. Don't get flustered or angry. Keep your cool. Document everything noteworthy, but keep it private. Don't email on sensitive issues ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 20, 2018:

And even then, think twice before hitting "send."

I am agnostic and I am dating a mormon. Is this a recipe for disaster?

Reaver85 comments on Sep 19, 2018:

More tha likely most mormons are pretty dense in the head and are blind followers to their beliefs not to mention a little looney. Also depends if they're mormons or ladder day saints

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 19, 2018:

@zarathustra13 Yep.

Smearing the victim has begun! Do you know she knitted, and wore (gasp!) a pink pussy hat for a ...

wordywalt comments on Sep 18, 2018:

The positive thing about the Kavanaugh accusation is that no matter what happens, Republicans are going to lose. If Republican politicians try to smear Dr. Ford, they they will appear to be heartless and conscienceless charlatans. If they try to use political maneuvering to alter the process, ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 18, 2018:

Man, you sad it! "...they value political power over the well-being of our country and its people." I couldn't agree more. And remember that political power is used to gain advantage for the rich. The goal is concentration of wealth in a tiny elite segment of society.

Smearing the victim has begun! Do you know she knitted, and wore (gasp!) a pink pussy hat for a ...

William12354 comments on Sep 18, 2018:

Now she has to relive her trauma in front of the world ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 18, 2018:

She apparently is no shrinking violet. It could be that she is doing something both brave and valuable to the nation.

Smearing the victim has begun! Do you know she knitted, and wore (gasp!) a pink pussy hat for a ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 18, 2018:

I believed Anita Hill then and I believe Christine Blasey Ford now.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 18, 2018:

Note the irony of belief in the non-believer! Actually it would be better to say I am inclined to accept Ms. Blasy Ford's version of history as closer to the truth than Mr. Kavenaugh's. We have yet to hear her testimony before the juducial committee. Evidence must be examined.

Anyone else think of his site as a secret society? :P

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 17, 2018:

Yeah, secret except for the flashing neon sign AGNOSITIC.COM in the clubhouse window. If it were secret, we wouldn't have a steady trickle of believers sneaking in here intent on saving our souls. But we do, though they don't get very far, poor frustrated bastards, lol! ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 17, 2018:

@goldenvalleyguy I have not had the displeasure of hearing Mr. Osteen, but I know the type: sanctimonious prick in a suit. He is not worthy of your attention. Ignore him.

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 17, 2018:

@tshaaj Likewise bra.

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@tshaaj Heaven, Hell, Xanadu, Valhalla, Nirvana, Zion, Hades, Utopia, Arcadia, Shangri-la, Tartarus....it's many names for the same fiction.

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 16, 2018:

There is no evidence of a spirit outside of the sum of the neurological activity that takes place in our brains. When we die, that activity ceases. The atoms that make up our bodies return to abiotic reservoirs where they may remain indefinitely until other organisms, typically autotrophs (plants, ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@tshaaj Not 100%. More like 99.9999%

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@micktoz I only ask because it was they who said that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42. ?

I wonder if someone driving a VW bug knows that they're starting fist-fights wherever they go?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 16, 2018:

I'm afraid I don't see any reality in this statement, or get it if it's meant as a joke.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@Bierbasstard Ahhh, I see! Thanks! (I own a 2013 VW Beetle, btw.)

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

Are you any any chance a Tralfalmagorian, or have you been hanging out with Tralfalmagorians?

Capitalism works on much the same principle as evolution.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 12, 2018:

With the understanding that capitalism, as it is practiced in various countries, can look and behave very differently, what principles of capitalism do you associate with evolution?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@pnfullifidian I had a similar thought: just as a termite mound is an artifact of nature, so is a city, and the economy that built it. If one day we nuke ourselves to kingdom come, an extra terrestrial observer might say he had witnessed the conclusion of a wholly natural process.

Capitalism works on much the same principle as evolution.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 12, 2018:

With the understanding that capitalism, as it is practiced in various countries, can look and behave very differently, what principles of capitalism do you associate with evolution?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 13, 2018:

I think he is referring to what Charles Darwin called natural selection. Or what Herbert Spencer called "survival of the fittest."

To the tune of Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

No SUPERSTITION in the classroom...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Heathen1997 No, you are right...dark sarcasm...lol

To the tune of Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

No SUPERSTITION in the classroom...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Heathen1997 I think it goes, "No dark-star chasm in the classroom."

Can science and religion be reconciled?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Usually in a reconciliation one or both parties change their tune to come into agreement. Science and Christianity can reconcile by simply having all Christians admit that none of the assertions in the Bible relating to the natural world can be taken literally, and admitting that everything since ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@TheMiddleWay It is certainly good news that only 25% of Christians now believe in literal interpretations of the Bible. However, that's still 65 million people. Still way too many!

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

Dietl comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I don't think it is justified to assign a probability to an unfalsifiable claim like "God doesn't exist". I think it is unreasonable to believe in God, because it is special pleading if you don't also believe in an infinite number of other things. We should use Occam's razor and so on, but that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Dietl By the way, about special pleading: we only have one proposition before us at the moment. If we render a judgement on the likelihood of that one thing, we are not automatically responsible for rendering judgements on something else. We can take everything on a case-by-case basis. For instance, if you want to talk extraterrestrial species, then we can roll out the Drake equation and roughly calculate their existence without considering a host of other things.

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

Dietl comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I don't think it is justified to assign a probability to an unfalsifiable claim like "God doesn't exist". I think it is unreasonable to believe in God, because it is special pleading if you don't also believe in an infinite number of other things. We should use Occam's razor and so on, but that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Dietl We have the human propensity for inventing gods, the biological basis for the religious experience, the suffering of innocents, AND a complete lack of independently-verifiable evidence of existence. I think this is sufficient information for the individual to make a determination of probability. If that turns out to be one in ten or one in a billion, that's alright. As long as the probability is not zero, one is on solid ground. One does not take on any special responsibility for proving anything. It is simply a judgement call, the kind we make every day when we cross the street.

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

Dietl comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I don't think it is justified to assign a probability to an unfalsifiable claim like "God doesn't exist". I think it is unreasonable to believe in God, because it is special pleading if you don't also believe in an infinite number of other things. We should use Occam's razor and so on, but that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 8, 2018:

If we look both ways before crossing the street and see no bus coming, we have not proved that there is no bus. There could be a bus but our eyes or our mind might deceive us. Or there might be a new kind of bus that is stealthier than those we are used to. In looking, all we do is determine the probability that there is/is not a bus. And then we step off the curb and into the crosswalk. We trust our very lives to this assessment of probability. It is no small thing.

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

mordant comments on Sep 8, 2018:

The other way out of that particular thicket is just to hold no belief either way, because the reason science can't address it is that the Abrahamic god and heaven are non-falsifiable. Science does not need to address it; one just doesn't believe *or disbelieve* the unsubstantiatable. I think ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 8, 2018:

I'm not sure there is a difference between active disbelief, or even militant disbelief, and simple lack of belief. In other words, active disbelief is not belief in nonexistence. Rather, it is vociferous withholding of belief. It has been so long since I read Dawkins that I cannot remember his precise position on this. Speaking for myself, my active, at times militant disbelief is in celebration of the human logical faculty and freedom to choose rationality over superstition.

Me and Mrs. Jones

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 2, 2018:

What does it mean to you AMGT?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 2, 2018:

@AMGT I second that emotion!

Big oil asks government to protect it from climate change

xenoview comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Make the oil companies for the damn walls.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 2, 2018:

...pay...

How does this Joseph Campbell quote tie in with your atheism/agnosticism? Or not?

Matias comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Life itself has no meaning and no other goal than death. Therefore "feeling alive" always implies the absurdity of being alive as a conscious and thinking being.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 2, 2018:

Having a goal or purpose is something that goes along with higher-level consciousness. Organisms like grass and flatworms do not have goals. People do, because it is something we invent with our prodigious amount of extra analytical capacity (at least in comparison to the blade of grass). That we invent our goals or sense of purpose does not invalidate them. They are still meaningful. Perhaps even moreso BECAUSE they are our own inventions.

Pillow talk: ever discuss academic subjects?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 31, 2018:

I once gave a dissertation on rogue waves in a water bed.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 31, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck We boxed the compass...and compassed the box! ?

To paraphrase the question that was posed to one and all, "What are your plans for the weekend?

ProudMary comments on Aug 26, 2018:

I was reminded that alcohol is a depressant.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 27, 2018:

I am usually very moderate in my alcohol consumption. I only had about three beers all weekend.

Do you think that information can be destroyed, or do you think that it is a permanent component of ...

Humanistheathen comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Your question is like the Zen proverb of wondering whether a tree makes a sound if it falls in the woods with no one to hear it. For Information to be "hard coded" into the fabric of the universe you would need an Imnutable past present and future, and a permanent observer or chain if observers....

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 22, 2018:

That Zen puzzle went through my mind too when I read the post. I think you have the right answer to it. ?

Why are Fox News viewers less well informed than people who do not watch any news?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Fox is so irresponsible; craven; cynical. It's malpractice.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@mcgeo52 If they call themselves Fox News then they are guilty of false advertising.

What are the current theories related to the creation of the universe?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 21, 2018:

The Big Bang Theory is definitely a theory of the origin of the universe. I eschew the word "creation" in this context; it has too many religious undertones.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@gater If the theory is correct, the universe is 13.7 billion years old. That's a long time, but a long way fro forever.

Just as an FYI: I am in the process of moving to England to teach.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

I was under the impression that math and science teachers are rather sought after here in the US. What specific area is your specialty? In what part of the US were you seeking employment? What grade level are we talking about?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 20, 2018:

@GinaMaria Damn good question.

Someday I'd like to plot out a massive road trip to visit some of y'all.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Hey your route doesn't include San Diego! What's up with that? ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 20, 2018:

@pepperjones Silly me. I look forward to your visit!

Is living together an acceptable alternative to marriage?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 18, 2018:

In California, after two years of cohabitation a man and a woman are considered to be common law spouses, and the same rules apply as is they were married.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 18, 2018:

@Marine True dat.