Paul4747's Profile

They held my ex mother in law's funeral at the church. ?

LenHazell53 comments on Sep 6, 2018:

Mormon Funerals are like this, they invite in as many non Mormon relatives of the deceased and instead of eulogising the deceased spend an hour talking about how only good Mormons will see them again in the highest of the three Mormon heavens so convert now and be a family for eternity. Disgusting ...

Paul4747 replies on Sep 7, 2018:

Three heavens? That's a new one on me. Thanks for that. Who makes this stuff up...

The truth about Kaepernick kneeling (stolen from FB) It was US Army veteran, Nate Boyer, who ...

St_Bobby comments on Sep 6, 2018:

What is Things they don't care about on Foxnews for 500

Paul4747 replies on Sep 6, 2018:

Also in that category, Inconvenient Truths

This is apparently my year for losing people.

Besalbub comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Your a good man Paul my mother in law was a bitch and her own children were glad when she died . She would have been a trump supporter .

Paul4747 replies on Sep 2, 2018:

Wow. But thanks.

America's Real Economy: It Isn't Booming

TheGreatShadow comments on Aug 31, 2018:

Thanks Obama!

Paul4747 replies on Sep 2, 2018:

@EMC2 Middle class spending and middle class income is the basis of the economy. The right doesn't get it. I don't begrudge people getting wealthy ,but if they do it by paying minimum wage and no benefits, grinding the work force down to get every dime of profit they can... I object. A rising tide should lift all boats.

America's Real Economy: It Isn't Booming

TheGreatShadow comments on Aug 31, 2018:

Thanks Obama!

Paul4747 replies on Sep 1, 2018:

@Druvius Are the Democrats ever in charge long enough to reverse the trend? I mean a control of both houses of the Legislature, plus the Executive. And now it seems as though the Judicial is set to be solidly conservative for the next 20 to 30 years at least. Americans seem to want their government divided or right wing, for some reason which I can't fathom. They've been boondoggled repeatedly for "cultural" reasons into voting against their economic interests. It's the "Family Values" thing. As for Chomsky, he's an idealist who has a great distaste for capitalism itself. I only have a distaste for capitalists like the Walton family and their ilk. Chomsky's ideas about a voluntary anarchist economy are all well and good, until you get to the point where someone has to shovel the shit. Then you're going to have a big circle of people all saying "Not it!"

America's Real Economy: It Isn't Booming

TheGreatShadow comments on Aug 31, 2018:

Thanks Obama!

Paul4747 replies on Sep 1, 2018:

@Druvius I'm curious who you're quoting there. I won't argue that wealth has been accumulating upward under all administrations. I would argue whether both parties were equally facilitating that process or not. Under Republican administrations, the top tax rates declined markedly, and there's been a corresponding urge to cut programs that assist those at the bottom of the heap. Democrat administrations have had the opposite priorities. Thing is that the Republican party has a very very effective propaganda machine, particularly since the advent of cable news, which is very good at portraying all tax cuts as being good for everybody- regardless of their actual effects- and at fooling people into thinking they belong to the richest 0.2% of Americans (those who would benefit from the elimination of the estate tax). It's also very very good at spreading myths about the undeserving poor and welfare queens making tens of thousands a month in fraudulent payments. Whereas the Democrats frankly suck at making their programs appealing to the very voters who would most benefit from them (which is to say, 95% of the public).

America's Real Economy: It Isn't Booming

TheGreatShadow comments on Aug 31, 2018:

Thanks Obama!

Paul4747 replies on Aug 31, 2018:

Since 1970, when the President was Nixon (R ), we've had Ford (R ), Carter (D ), Reagan (R ), Bush (R ), Clinton (D ), Bush II (R ), Obama (D ), and now Trump (R ). I count 6 Republicans in that list and only 3 Democrats. The decline in middle-class waged has been going on for a long, long time. You can't blame Obama solely, and you sure can't blame the Democratic Party.

This is how I feel lately bouncing around between 1st, 2nd and 3rd shifts.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 31, 2018:

I'm trying to cut down on caffeine personally, I feel like I'm very slow getting up in the morning. Then again you have to expect that on a Monday I suppose...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 31, 2018:

@Minta79 Wait... someone just told me, it's not Monday. It's Friday. Guess I better drink some coffee after all.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Trajan61 comments on Aug 28, 2018:

The US would have likely been a lot better off today had John MCCain been elected in 2008. However Trump has done a good job so far undoing the damage done by that idiot Obama.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 30, 2018:

@Trajan61 You mean, Trump has decided that the polluters should run roughshod over the EPA like they did during the Bush administration, and shady financial deals should again be completely unregulated by the SEC? That megacorporations should pay a lower tax rate than family breadwinners? I agree, that is his point of view, and big business surely likes this kind of talk. So there has been a temporary economic bubble. But small businesses (the backbone of the economy) and the middle class are getting the same screwing-over that they've gotten by every Republican since Reagan. And serious economists (those not in the administration) are warning that this growth is going to trickle out, the tax cuts are shooting the deficit sky high, and our long-term growth will be maybe 3%, with a national debt that our great-grandchildren will be paying off if they're lucky. You keep right on kidding yourself that Trump gives a shit about you or anybody that even *looks like* you, though. Trump is a malignant narcissist with no actual grasp of business principles. He thinks going bankrupt to get out of paying his bills is a "victory"... well, guess what, we as a nation can't default on our debt without the world economy going belly-up. And the only people he gives a damn about are his cronies, his family, and the people that are temporarily useful to him. (And I'm not too sure about his cronies, his family, or those other folks when it comes to crunch time.)

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Trajan61 comments on Aug 28, 2018:

The US would have likely been a lot better off today had John MCCain been elected in 2008. However Trump has done a good job so far undoing the damage done by that idiot Obama.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 30, 2018:

@Trajan61 President Obama inherited not only Bush II's recession, but the tax policies that in part caused that recession. The debt was incurred largely due to diggin out of that recession. And yet under Obama the *deficit* went DOWN. But don't take my word for it- here's Business Week (from a 2012 article). "Say the words "budget deficit," and Republicans and Democrats begin screaming at each other about who's to blame. Republicans howl that the deficit is President Obama's fault, because he has exploded government spending and failed to fix the economy. Democrats roar that President Obama inherited a catastrophic economic mess, that this mess will take time to clean up, and that our massive deficit is therefore President Bush's fault. So, who's right? Let's start by looking at the deficits under Presidents Bush and Obama. Then we'll figure out what has caused them. Finally, we'll assign some blame. President Bush, you will recall, **inherited a budget surplus** (the first in decades). Then, hit with a recession, he took the budget into deficit. *Then he cut taxes, growing the deficit to $400 billion a year.* Then, the economy boomed between 2005 and 2008, reducing the deficit to $200 billion a year. Then, the financial crisis hit, and the Bush deficit ballooned to $400 billion again. In early 2009, **President Obama took over, amid the worst recession since the Great Depression**. Obama signed an $800 billion spending increase at the same time that GDP and tax collections tanked. *The combination of these two factors--growth in spending and a drop in revenue--exploded the deficit to $1.4 trillion.* In 2010 and 2011, the economy and tax collections improved modestly, and the deficit shrank to $1.3 trillion annualized. So, what actually caused these deficits? Republicans howl that President Obama has exploded the size of federal government spending in his short tenure as President, and it is true that he has increased it. But *President Bush actually increased federal spending by more than 2X as much as Obama has*. So it is unfair to lay the explosion in spending at the feet of President Obama: **Both presidents are responsible.** The increase in government spending, meanwhile, is actually NOT the only factor that has caused the deficit. The other factor--equally if not more important--is the fall-off in government revenue (tax receipts). This second and larger factor can be blamed on two things: First, the Bush tax cuts, which reduced revenue, and, second, the weak economy, which reduced the incomes and capital gains upon which most federal taxes are based. President Bush cut taxes in 2001 and 2003. These tax cuts hit federal revenue, while federal spending growth continued apace. This combination ballooned the deficit in the early ...

Are we all basically selfish apes?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Von Neumann and Morgenstern's *Theory of Games and Economic Behavior* https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.215284 suggests that behavior is much more subtle than the either/or model you propose... as does Richard Dawkins' *The Selfish Gene*. There are times when it pays to be altruistic...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 29, 2018:

@Aristopus Yes and no. Helping the entire group contributes to the survival chances of our offspring as well, since, if the group perishes, everyone's offspring dies, whereas success for all is success for our offspring. Dawkins himself later wrote that he should have picked a better title than "selfish", since it seemed an endorsement of Social Darwinist thinking.

Can someone explain golfing to me?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 29, 2018:

I always have a great time, provided I can get around the windmill in less than 2 strokes. Some courses have a giant turtle or something, those are always nice to look at.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 29, 2018:

@Qualia Like a statue of a turtle. :)

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Trajan61 comments on Aug 28, 2018:

The US would have likely been a lot better off today had John MCCain been elected in 2008. However Trump has done a good job so far undoing the damage done by that idiot Obama.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 29, 2018:

I had something in my eye there for a moment, I thought you wrote "Trump has done a good job so far undoing the damage done by that idiot Obama". I'm pretty sure history will record "Obama did a great job undoing the damage done by that idiot Bush (with the Republican party fighting all the way), and then Trump sent us back into record deficits in a record short time". https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/business/trump-corporate-tax-cut-deficit.html

Are you in favour of a revolution?

alanalorie comments on Aug 19, 2018:

I think that trying out limits and limitations on donation on spending for an election would allow a more leaders to be elected that otherwise would not be qualified to run based on their merit and prevent some of the problem we that happens when leaders win because of lobbyist and unethical gotten ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2018:

Don't forget the mind of Sir Terry Pratchett as well. Although technically his Patrician of the City of Ankh-Morpork was only a Nearly-benevolent Dictator, but in effect it was the same thing, and he worked out better than any other ruler before him. The trick was that he actually was selfless, loved the city and sacrificed every waking moment to keeping it running. You won't find that in a real person, unfortunately.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

LucyLoohoo comments on Aug 27, 2018:

(I'd bet money that Sarah Palin was expecting a call from the groper's team, wanting to run her again as VEEP. She and the groper have that same mindless arrogance and narcissism.)

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2018:

As hard as she promoted him, yes, probably. And then she would become another one they would point to and say, "Look! Trump is pro-women! LOOK how many women are on the team! STRONG women! It's a YUGE team of women!" Total change of subject... I don't know a damn thing about fashion, but is it just me, or does Sarah H. Sanders (Trump spokes-tool) (and I ask this without personal criticism, she can wear what she wants, it just puzzles me) wear a lot of really ugly clothes? With the puffy shoulders? Maybe it's the only way she stays safe from being groped...?

So here's an interesting thing.

RavenCT comments on Aug 27, 2018:

https://agnostic.com/levels Points explained. You should be an 9 who has watched other 8's make 9! lol It is silly after a certain point. I'll enjoy 9 like I did 8. After that it's legend though! lol Or maybe a Tesla! ;-) We don't know yet....

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2018:

The Tesla is a legend, only seen in pictures, never in person. (Also, didn't they have a thing where they caught fire at one time? So the Tesla is the new Pinto....)

So here's an interesting thing.

Qualia comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Why do you want to lose that lovely red star Paul? Getting to 8 from 7 takes awhile. The only change I've noticed with being at 8 is the color of the star turns brown. lol I even deleted some of my comments to see the red again, but briefly. Just post like crazy, that shirt will be on its way. ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2018:

@Qualia Nice And yet eye-hurting :D

So here's an interesting thing.

Qualia comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Why do you want to lose that lovely red star Paul? Getting to 8 from 7 takes awhile. The only change I've noticed with being at 8 is the color of the star turns brown. lol I even deleted some of my comments to see the red again, but briefly. Just post like crazy, that shirt will be on its way. ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

@Qualia I didn't realize you could change the backgrounds. I only see stars when I bump my head anyway...

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Zeromonster comments on Aug 26, 2018:

And yet he remained a member of a party that ushered in the scumbag Trump.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

@Zeromonster Thank you. I find it hard to blame a principled moderate Republican for staying in his/her party despite the radicals... since I, as a moderate Democrat, am in the party of Feinstein and Sanders. (Who I somewhat agree with and somewhat disagree with, but dang it, we need to be more moderate to attract the electorate. Especially give up on the "assault rifle" nonsense. That's the single issue that turns off most voters in the middle of the country.)

So here's an interesting thing.

Qualia comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Why do you want to lose that lovely red star Paul? Getting to 8 from 7 takes awhile. The only change I've noticed with being at 8 is the color of the star turns brown. lol I even deleted some of my comments to see the red again, but briefly. Just post like crazy, that shirt will be on its way. ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

I think the red star indicates hemorrhoids. Severe irritation of some kind anyway. Or else it's a subtle implication that I'm supposed to be a Socialist of some kind. I need some cortisone or something to get my star back to a normal healthy pinkish color...

Simultaneously Fighting for Secular Government and LGBTQ Rights - TheHumanist.com

jlynn37 comments on Aug 18, 2018:

VOTE in the Nov. elections. That is the only way things will either change or continue as is. This USA will be what the MAJORITY of VOTERS want it to be.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

Except if the electoral college fucks it up again. Don't have to worry about that this year, at least.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Shmoe? How about schlemeil?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

"Schmuck" ?

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

josh23452 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

As a Navy vet myself I find it disgraceful the way that some folks talk about the guy...Especially when I hear my fellow vets/active duty folks talking down to the man.... I'm not saying you can't disagree with the man or pop a joke or two but many attack him for his time as a POW... ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

@josh23452 I still have my field manual somewhere. In my current job there's a constant (although extremely low) possibility of a hostage situation. We train for it, in theory. Once in a great while we stage a simulation, and a few people are simulated hostages, and others "rescue" them. The main idea is not to get taken in the first place. But if it should happen, we have guidelines on how to survive it and what to do while it goes on. You just have to hope you'll do the right thing.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

GipsyOfNewSpain comments on Aug 26, 2018:

I don't care what republiKKKans think. Dead or alive.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

@GipsyOfNewSpain Lifelong Democrat, since I voted for Mondale in 84. I'm not the one trolling here.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Zeromonster comments on Aug 26, 2018:

And yet he remained a member of a party that ushered in the scumbag Trump.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

Sometimes you just weather the storm and hope to bring change from within. I can't count how many asshole bosses I've outlasted. Every time I try to educate the new guy when he gets there... and hope he or she listens to me this time around.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Nevermind345 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

John Mc Cain will never define what DJT is a Republican. John Mc Cain never defined himself as a 'Repulbican' but as a RINO. John had as much baggage as 45 did and to include Politicians of All Parties. They are all Prostitutes to their elected offices who will leave their electorates under the ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

Number one, yes, I'm a veteran... which, strictly speaking, was irrelevant to my post, but never mind. (No pun intended.) Number two... don't believe everything you read in the papers. In 2004, when John Kerry was derided during the Republican convention (by no lesser of a luminary than formerly distinguished Democrat and sellout Zell Miller- rot in hell, Zell) for voting against a laundry list of weapons and aircraft and ships that were being used in the Iraq war, .McCain once again came to an "enemy's" defense and explained that he had voted against all the same things- because they were included in bloated and ridiculously expensive appropriations bills, full of pork for individual Senators' home states, and rightfully deserved to be voted down. Both Kerry and McCain then voted for new, clean bills that funded the needed items and nothing more. I haven't researched more than superficially, but I feel confident in saying that McCain's No votes on veteran's issues are more in that vein. If a bill funding a veteran's center is also laden down with $10 billion to promote the coho salmon, I expect a responsible legislator to vote it down- then vote for the veteran's center alone. But in our age of Gotcha politics, it's the no vote that will get the attention. As for being a "RINO"... if you're going to apply a litmus test to your party, you'll end up with a much smaller party. From where I sit, your Rhinos are the only kind of Republicans I can stomach.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

GipsyOfNewSpain comments on Aug 26, 2018:

I don't care what republiKKKans think. Dead or alive.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

I object to your characterization (insinuated by your misspelling) of all Republicans as racists. You have no evidence for such a sweeping assumption. There are people of goodwill in all parties, independents, and non-voters. Only by reaching out will we rescue America from what we're becoming- a divided nation where we talk only to ourselves and categorize everyone else as an enemy. John McCain was as honorable and decent as any human being could be. Regardless of political party and regardless of anything else. And he was certainly no racist.

Many Libertarians point to 19th-century laissez-faire America as the supreme example of how well a ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Cash money having no value on a desert island, of course there was no income tax. The economy became one of labor and goods in kind. Yours is a false analogy of the most extreme sort. Furthermore, many Left libertarians would suggest that the Howells should distribute their wealth back to the ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2018:

@GlyndonD Left libertarians believe that, in a free market, people would voluntarily choose to cooperate more often than compete. Right libertarians believe that people would choose to compete more often than cooperate. Don't kid yourself, please, that the 19th century was any golden age. I presume, since you speak of laissez-faire economics, that you're speaking of the last third of the century, or the Gilded Age. While it is true that real income increased on average 60% during this time, there was also abject poverty, especially among the immigrants who came seeking work, and the concentration of wealth in the upper class was increasingly apparent. (Sound familiar?) This was the age when Herbert Spencer misappropriated Darwin's theory and proposed the idea of "Social Darwinism", claiming that the poor were actually a burden on the rest of society, and that giving them support actually weakened them... if they couldn't survive on their own, then they deserve to fail and die. (Again, sound familiar?) "The general population" is a misleading phrase, as is the "average" income. The average income between myself and, say, Donald Trump, is somewhere up in the low billions when you include tax options, probably. The 19th Century was no more a Gilded Age for all Americans than any other.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

josh23452 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

As a Navy vet myself I find it disgraceful the way that some folks talk about the guy...Especially when I hear my fellow vets/active duty folks talking down to the man.... I'm not saying you can't disagree with the man or pop a joke or two but many attack him for his time as a POW... ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

As he himself said, under torture, you do whatever you think will make the hurting stop. Who can realistically expect superhuman endurance out of a man who was held for five years? Who can say they did better? Who can say they would? Anyone who claims they wouldn't break in the same situation is a liar or a fool (or a foolish liar). Our culture is poisoned with fantasies of Rambo breaking out of his chains and killing the evil torturer. *IT WAS JUST A FUCKING MOVIE*. Everybody wants to be a movie hero, but real heroes are those who endure hell and do the best they can. Then on the flip side, we have Jack Bauer interrogating people by shooting their kneecaps off. Of course torture works! Just watch the TV! Except that it shouldn't work on Americans, because we're the good guys, and good guys are tougher! It only works on bad guys! They're such wussies!! I heard idiotic arguments like this all through the Gitmo and Abu Ghraib debates, and my response was always: You watch too much TV. I honor McCain most of all for standing up to Bush II and Trump on torture. Lesser men (ironically, supposedly Christians) think that we should take vengeance against enemies who torture Americans by torturing them in return. It's a truly decent human being who can suffer that hell and say, "I will not have anyone, even my worst enemy, put through that in my name."

So here's an interesting thing.

mordant comments on Aug 26, 2018:

The levels page is a bit unclear (to me anyway -- certainly not to any of the nice people who eagerly pointed out how dumb I am not to find it intuitive). It should really say "total points needed" rather than "what's needed", which could be taken as what is needed for that level. At any rate ......

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

I agree listing it as "total" would be much easier to understand. I thought my points displayed was what I'd accumulated since hitting 7, and was amazed at how fast I was moving up! I also notice that there are variable point values for posts, replies, etc. So it's impossible to know exactly how many new posts you have to make before gaining a level. If it were exactly 10 points, that would be simple. But it's 5-10, without an explanation of what determines how much the post is worth (not one I could find, anyway- I'm sure someone somewhere will point out how moronic I am by not finding it already). I just want one aspect of life to be predictable, even if it's only a website. :)

So here's an interesting thing.

Seeker55 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Somewhere on the site it shows you exactly what point level you need to reach each level and each level within a level and what point value you receive for different interactions. Why are so many driven by the points and levels? I come here to enjoy the community and the points/levels are of no real...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

If it didn't display the decimal point, it probably wouldn't irritate me to start with. Or if it were a progress bar instead. But showing progress, without showing progress, just adds frustration. It's probably because I play Dungeons & Dragons, I'm used to my experience points ratcheting up smoothly. The challenges there scale by your level, so it takes just a little longer to progress to higher levels. Here it takes much much longer because every post is still just a few points. Frustratingly, a variable number of points. Why have levels at all? is the question then.

Weed. For or against? Why? And where? How much? Just kidding. Thoughts on the subject?

GreatNani comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Why Not?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@GreatNani While it is true under Michigan law that marijuana is legal for medicinal use, it's not legal under federal law for any use. State employees can't violate federal law. That's just how it is. And while some can get away with it because they aren't in tested positions, I'm in a law enforcement career and subject to random testing. For that matter, pot is "legal" in the city limits of Ann Arbor, in the sense that the police, for years now, just won't bust you for it as long as you're over 21 I believe and in your private residence while you're smoking.

He had the good sense and the decency to resign.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Well, yeah, when it was clear they were going to kick him out...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@mcgeo52 As I said, I believe he was friends with Gotti. If not, still plenty of others he worked with to get construction done on his casinos. I don't know about a plea deal. Mueller has already said it's precedent we don't charge sitting Presidents. But maybe after an impeachment?

Weed. For or against? Why? And where? How much? Just kidding. Thoughts on the subject?

GreatNani comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Why Not?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Because I work for the State in a drug-tested position, is why not, and as long as it's a Federal crime, I can't come up positive in a random test. Otherwise, I might experiment once or twice to see what the big deal is. And maybe my ex-mom in law might get some relief from her chemo side effects if it were legal. But maybe not, because she's so straitlaced anyway.

So here's an interesting thing.

dalefvictor comments on Aug 26, 2018:

I am here to talk to people and get interesting ideas and have conversations. The point system is ok but that is not why I am here.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Right, I was just curious.

So here's an interesting thing.

IamNobody comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Different pace...I know, it feels like crawling.... You'll get there, don't worry about it too much

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Thanks, not really worried, it was just curiosity.

He had the good sense and the decency to resign.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Well, yeah, when it was clear they were going to kick him out...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@mcgeo52 Nah, he'll be calling for war Godfather style. You saw his interview? It was like watching Gotti. (Who I believe he was friends with, in NY real estate.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/08/23/fox-friends-nails-trump-interview-by-shutting-up/?utm_term=.bf05536091eb This is the highlight as far as I'm concerned: "People make up stories. This whole thing about flipping, they call it, I know all about flipping. For 30, 40 years I’ve been watching flippers. Everything’s wonderful and then they get 10 years in jail and they — they flip on whoever the next highest one is, or as high as you can go. It — it almost ought to be outlawed. It’s not fair. Because if somebody’s going to give — spend five years like Michael Cohen or 10 years or 15 years in jail because of a taxi cab industry, because he defrauded some bank — the last two were the tiny ones. You know, campaign violations are considered not a big deal, frankly. But if somebody defrauded a bank and he’s going to get 10 years in jail or 20 years in jail but if you can say something bad about Donald Trump and you’ll go down to two years or three years, which is the deal he made. In all fairness to him, most people are going to do that, and I’ve seen it many times. I’ve had many friends involved in this stuff. It’s called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal." That's a mob boss complaining. That's any Mafia don you care to name. Disgracefully, it's also currently the occupant of the Oval Office....

I've long wondered about this but finally had it confirmed after guiding someone to join this site.

Infoguy211 comments on Aug 25, 2018:

I'm also noticing that men are showing up under members. NO WAY am I interested in connecting with men. Wisconsin is also a long way from Southwest Michigan. There's a huge lake between the two states that can't be driven across.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

It's less understandable when they show up on Match, who seem like they've had years to perfect this. Unless those guys are listing themselves as something else expressly to match with men?

I've long wondered about this but finally had it confirmed after guiding someone to join this site.

mistymoon77 comments on Aug 25, 2018:

The miles are definitely not on target, it has some much closer than what they really are. There are going to be some calculations which don't fit completely which is understandable. But yes, googling things yourself is the only way to find out and perhaps mentioning that somewhere on here might ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

I agree the miles calculation is off by a mile. (Wait, is that a pun?)

Are we all basically selfish apes?

bleurowz comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Well, technically we're not descendant from apes, but apes and us are descendants from a common ancestor, so that would make us selfish whatever-those-where. Though I think we are both selfish and unselfish, with capacity for the best and the worst.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@Deanervin Good, now I have a scientific reason to hate those damn things. The only reason those things exist is because companies want to save money and buy a dryer once, instead of paper towels all the time.

I'm disgusted... Video shows Houston security guard ignoring police officers’ pleas for help

OpposingOpposum comments on Aug 25, 2018:

There is a serious question about the validity of police stops these days. With the extensive evidence of "driving while black" "cooking out while black" "existing while black"arrests and stops, public confidence in law enforcement is pretty low. If the officer was not in danger, I don't see a ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 25, 2018:

@OpposingOpposum Right.

I'm disgusted... Video shows Houston security guard ignoring police officers’ pleas for help

jondspen comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Well since the supreme court said cops don't have to come to your aid... Might not be right, but cops are reaping the rewards for their assholeness over the past 20-30 years. Wasn't this bad before....I seem to remember relationships with the community start going down hill in the 80's with the ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 25, 2018:

You're talking about this decision: https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-police-do-not-have-a-constitutional-duty-to-protect.html The court very narrowly struck down a lawsuit against a Colorado police department for failing to arrest the husband in a domestic dispute, despite a court order stating he would be arrested if he violated the protective order. She sued for the wrongful death of her children in a, to me, bizarre theory: "She argued that the order gave her a "property interest" within the meaning of the 14th Amendment's due process guarantee, which prohibits the deprivation of property without due process." In other words, the children were her property. I thought this thinking went out with slavery. Of course the police will come to your aid if they see you, 20 feet away, engaged in a life or death struggle. Don't be bloody ridiculous. All the Supreme Court did was reaffirm a principle of governmental immunity on very narrow grounds. Failure to come to your aid is not a basis for a lawsuit.

I'm disgusted... Video shows Houston security guard ignoring police officers’ pleas for help

OpposingOpposum comments on Aug 25, 2018:

There is a serious question about the validity of police stops these days. With the extensive evidence of "driving while black" "cooking out while black" "existing while black"arrests and stops, public confidence in law enforcement is pretty low. If the officer was not in danger, I don't see a ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 25, 2018:

Watch the video. The suspect attempts to get the officer's gun from his holster. That's a danger to the officer and to innocent bystanders, including the piece of crap security guard, if he succeeds and shots start flying. Regardless of the "validity" of being pulled over, you keep your hands in view and follow the officer's instructions. Police in this case were looking for a car in connection with another crime. This particular individual bolted and fled from his car when pulled over, which is pretty strong circumstantial evidence in my view that they had the car they were looking for. Question: if a 911 call is made describing a perpetrator in a crime as black (or white, or Hispanic, the example is valid any way you choose) driving let's say a red car going east, and police stop several individuals of that description in red cars going east within the next few minutes; is that racial profiling, or is it police work?

Did anyone see how Trump used this incident to justify his immigration policy?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Well of course. And blacks commit all the drug crimes and shoot at police in the cities, and all Asians do is steal intellectual property. But wealthy white guys are very good people, even if they commit tax fraud and bank fraud. Because they're supporters of Trump's.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 23, 2018:

@DUCHESSA I see... YOUR immigration was the good kind, but THIS immigration is the bad kind. No, I'm keeping my sarcasm right here. It's fully justified by your attitude. You're a nativist, only 2 generations removed at most from immigrant roots, and now you want to keep everyone else out. That "I've got mine" attitude is what made America what it is today.

Did anyone see how Trump used this incident to justify his immigration policy?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Well of course. And blacks commit all the drug crimes and shoot at police in the cities, and all Asians do is steal intellectual property. But wealthy white guys are very good people, even if they commit tax fraud and bank fraud. Because they're supporters of Trump's.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 23, 2018:

@DUCHESSA Whether he is or is not an immigrant is irrelevant. As much as his eye color or what he had for breakfast that day. I feel nothing but sorrow for the family of this girl, but their daughter's memory is now being used in a sick political game. If you have a pre-existing bias about immigration, this incident will confirm it. If you don't care one way or the other, it's irrelevant to the crime whether he was an immigrant or not. That's the fact.

Did anyone see how Trump used this incident to justify his immigration policy?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Well of course. And blacks commit all the drug crimes and shoot at police in the cities, and all Asians do is steal intellectual property. But wealthy white guys are very good people, even if they commit tax fraud and bank fraud. Because they're supporters of Trump's.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@DUCHESSA He stated an irrelevant fact, and will no doubt in future use it as part of his anti immigration line. The violent crime rate among immigrants, legal or not, is actually below average according to the studies I've seen. But you won't hear that from Trump.

I wonder if the site policy of not allowing new members to send message or to be SEEN by other ...

Stacey48 comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Yes, getting to know others and interacting within the topics is how it works. It cuts down on the cold calls, and those that are less likely to interact with the community as a whole. It's a lot easier to appreciate once you get to experience those, "you're hot, show me your boobs" PM's.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 22, 2018:

I've never had one of those... I guess that's understandable in my case.

This is exactly how I feel about my new friends at Agnostics.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 22, 2018:

There's a Michigan event? I'm in Michigan! Tell me more...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Qualia What Qualia said!!! And also, goodnight.

There were some rough days this last week.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 19, 2018:

You mean, checking for a pulse? I generally use my wrist... When my life seems meaningless, I open the bills. That always gets me back to work in a hurry. Nothing like a rent demand to put a spring in your step.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 19, 2018:

@tallgreentech Well, that is my general function hereabouts. And when I get depressed (and I had a bad bout coinciding with a major illness last winter) I find that having to get back to work tends to help snap me out of it. Getting out and dealing with people gets me out of the trap of sitting and continually sinking deeper into my own gloominess. It's a strategy called "fake it until you make it". And people do genuinely need me for things. Seeing the tasks I'm good at, and nobody else seems to know how to do, reminds me that I have unique attributes and gifts... and so do we all. Get out and exercise them. Whether at work or whatever.

Veterans for gun reform. [youtu.be]

Paul4747 comments on Aug 15, 2018:

But... but.... but..... *ALL* weapons are designed specifically to kill people, if you get right down to it. The first invention of firearms was for military purposes. Banning guns that look scary is not going to solve the problem. I don't know what's behind the recent increase in "mass ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2018:

@kmdskit3 I'm glad we have some common ground. I despise the NRA and think Charlton Heston is a pod person. (Is he still their spokesman even?) Their reflexive opposition to even registering guns or having a background check betrays their agenda. Their willingness to give a formerly A+ rated Democrat an E rating just for voting Yes on the Brady bill disgusted me. I favor sensible reform, registration, training, and background checks. But I don't believe controlling the technology is the answer. So much is out there now that banning certain types of guns will turn responsible gun owners into criminals overnight. It's a recipe for legal disaster. And it would prove the worst of the Right's predictions about liberals; that we're a bunch of "gun grabbers". I refuse to let that be true, as long as there's another solution. I respect your choice not to own a gun, I don't push my choices on anyone. I'm just explaining why I make mine. In my career I've met too many criminals and developed too grim an outlook on human behavior. Most people are decent by nature, but those that aren't, go very very bad. I am determined not to be a victim.

Veterans for gun reform. [youtu.be]

Paul4747 comments on Aug 15, 2018:

But... but.... but..... *ALL* weapons are designed specifically to kill people, if you get right down to it. The first invention of firearms was for military purposes. Banning guns that look scary is not going to solve the problem. I don't know what's behind the recent increase in "mass ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2018:

@kmdskit3 That's what I'm worried about. Other people's guns. They have them; I better have one. As much as you may wish to reinvent American culture, there will always be guns in America for our foreseeable future. We aren't going the route of Canada or Australia any time soon. Dealing with the nation we have, how do we tighten gun laws, improve background checks, get rid of the private transfer loophole, and enforce mandatory safety training standards before anyone can legally purchase any gun?

Are we living in an era of "post-truth" ?

Novelty comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Truth will come back in fashion as soon as enough people have their lives go down hill to loose faith in conservative delusions. Our current situation is magnified by the arrogance and heartlessness of people willing to lie on the world stage to support an agenda of isolation and totalitarian ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2018:

It's not about "white", it's about "wealth". The two do substantially overlap, but there are plenty of unprivileged white people as well. They are the ones who regularly get suckered by the conservative movement into voting against their own interests in the name of "family values", code words for "white Christians used to run this place"; but they're still not going to get any privilege at the end of the day.

Is "loss aversion" a Fallacy ? - Scientific American

Paul4747 comments on Aug 14, 2018:

Authors are seldom right to that extent.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 15, 2018:

@Wurlitzer I.... will try to remember that. Good point. The same goes for conspiracy theorist questions, as in "Did the government pay Lee Harvey Oswald and 7 Cubans to kill JFK?" (I just pulled "7 Cubans" out of thin air, but that's how conspiracy theories work too.)

God hates porn?

AdorkableMe comments on Jul 24, 2018:

There would be a lot of peeking through my fingers if I was God. You can't unsee that shit!! ??

Paul4747 replies on Aug 15, 2018:

@Diogenes I'm good with that.

Well the fencing isn't exactly going as well as I hoped! The walls uneven and the drill bit is too ...

azzow2 comments on Aug 13, 2018:

When I had seen fencing was thinking that is novel does she use a long or short epee?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@Josephine "As you wish."

Well the fencing isn't exactly going as well as I hoped! The walls uneven and the drill bit is too ...

azzow2 comments on Aug 13, 2018:

When I had seen fencing was thinking that is novel does she use a long or short epee?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

Fencing you say...

So much for clearing the national debt.

Novelty comments on Aug 13, 2018:

It's not as if everyone wasn't warned over and over. When this ends for better or worse his supporters, many of which supported Bush, will treat him the same way they do Bush. Every conservative Trump supporter that I've spoke with dismisses Bush as being on the same team as Clinton now because he ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

Wait a minute... a "real" Republican like Reagan? The man who pretty much *invented* deficit spending? supply-side economics? trickle-down theory? quadrupled the deficit? cut taxes and increased spending both? Want to know where Bush and Trump came from? It's Reagan's fault.

Do you go through phases with stand-up comics?

Novelty comments on Aug 13, 2018:

Comedians are like toilet paper, when they're fresh and new they're awesome, but then it's time to move on to the next. This isn't just about a routine, sometimes we get to know a comic well enough to know what they're going to say next and that's when I move on.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@Mortal Certain human beings, maybe. You don't work where I work. Maybe 1 step removed from toilet paper.

Let the controversy begin!

Akfishlady comments on Aug 11, 2018:

2% of a vote. Maybe you should pick on the libertarians they got 7%. Still doesn't hold water.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

In the 2000 presidential election in Florida, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 537 votes. Nader received 97,421 votes in Florida (and Pat Buchanan and Harry Browne received 17,484 and 16,415 respectively). It is INCONCEIVABLE that any of those 97.421 voters would have gone for Buchanan. I suppose there's an outside chance that *every single one* would have either stayed home, or voted for Browne. But only 538 would have needed to vote for Gore to change history. Yeah. Nader had 0 chance to win the election except in his own mind, he was a protest candidate, and every one of his votes was a protest vote. Except those voters probably didn't believe (just like the protest votes in 2016) that the Republican was actually going to have a shot at *winning*. This is why the far liberal Left are idiots. They (note, I'm keeping this impersonal) would rather register their discontent that actually have a President who supports their agenda. Even 90% of the agenda. 75%. 65% not good enough? They refuse to vote for anyone who doesn't support it *right down the line*, ban guns from day 1 and dismantle corporate America. But the Left is NOT going to win without coalition politics. The middle is where you run from and it's where you govern from. It's where the majority of the people are. The Left can be a fringe movement, argue with each other about which candidate is liberal enough, and watch our rights disintegrate under a Republican onslaught and a Conservative court, or we can join together, compromise, and run the fucking country for the next 30 years.

Get Them To Hell Out Of Power.

rogueflyer comments on Aug 11, 2018:

For those on the other side of the pond. Teresa May is a conservative but is that also a Tory? Sorry we're having to deal with trump. I should pay attention to what else is happening in the world.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@Sticks48 I was just referring to.... I mean, imagine waking in the night and finding Bill and Hilary smiling down at you. Not as scary as Tony and Cherie Blair (British PM) but still.

False flags, true believers and trolls: Understanding conspiracy theories after tragedies - The ...

powder comments on Aug 12, 2018:

False flag is a military tactic, nothing conspiracy about them. Bay of Tonkin perhaps the most famous one that's been admitted. https://m.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2008-02/truth-about-tonkin When a crime is committed you look for "who benefits?". This is why I am extremely skeptical of ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2018:

Agreed that governments do lie, especially intelligence agencies. That's what we pay them for. However, the Gulf of Tonkin attack was admitted by General Giap after the war's end. The first attack, that is. There was no second attack. And Johnson, like Bush II, was interested only in hearing reports that confirmed his view of reality. American ships' presence in another nation's sovereign waters was a deliberate provocation to attack, not a false flag operation. As to the Russian case, well, Putin obviously benefits if he is perceived as able to attack dissidents, flamboyantly and with impunity in foreign countries. Putin is operating a Mafia nation, and he's the Don. His motivation is to intimidate his political opponents, and I'd say he's succeeded quite well.

Get Them To Hell Out Of Power.

rogueflyer comments on Aug 11, 2018:

For those on the other side of the pond. Teresa May is a conservative but is that also a Tory? Sorry we're having to deal with trump. I should pay attention to what else is happening in the world.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2018:

Tories are the British equivalent of Republicans. With a tradition of frightening female party leaders going back to Margaret Thatcher. (Not that Hilary isn't also a little scary from time to time.)

Is there a tactful way to let the Ex know you're dating? :|

evergreen comments on Jul 25, 2018:

I'm wondering how you would feel to hear that your ex is dating ? It doesn't seem that you need to explain yourself - as dating is a very natural progression once someone is single again. There's just no need to rub it in her face, if you do find a compatible woman - right ? Good luck !

Paul4747 replies on Aug 9, 2018:

@LionMousePudding Not at all, as long as she's content. That's all she seemed to be seeking when we were married, contentedness. I need actual happiness, which I guess is a subtle distinction. The difference between needing to get out and do things with someone, or stay in and do things, versus just sitting at home in your separate areas night after night. So if she's content, then I'm glad for her.

Sexual Compatibility - How better to phrase it?

itsmedammit comments on Jul 22, 2018:

Guess I'll be the old fashioned person here. I'd like to get to know someone a bit, like probably in person, before discussing sexual preferences. I mean, seriously, I'd like to find out if someone is compatible in so many ways that can only be determined by getting to know someone. If the ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 5, 2018:

@itsmedammit Thank you. I think in retrospect we weren't compatible to begin with, she's from a very traditional religious family and at a certain point I think she felt a wife becomes a "mother" and that's when those kind of goings-on are supposed to stop. She was a homemaker and mother and companion, but no longer a lover. I saw what you were getting at, hopefully you understand what I mean when I say it's probably not at all like that for most people. Simply stating that sex is an important part of life and explicitly something we expect in a relationship. I think that's why most people who check that box do so, it's certainly my reason.

Sexual Compatibility - How better to phrase it?

itsmedammit comments on Jul 22, 2018:

Guess I'll be the old fashioned person here. I'd like to get to know someone a bit, like probably in person, before discussing sexual preferences. I mean, seriously, I'd like to find out if someone is compatible in so many ways that can only be determined by getting to know someone. If the ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 5, 2018:

@itsmedammit It's definitely something I need in a relationship. If I'm not in a relationship, I do without, but it's on my mind that I'm doing without. Worst of all was being in a marriage and doing without, because my ex, after 10 years, plainly said she had no interest whatsoever in sex anymore. But she would lay down for me whenever I wanted, which was... depressing. She would let me "have my way" out of obligation, because I was the husband, was the message that came across. I became depressed and eventually more or less impotent because my wife wanted nothing to do with me physically. Not just sex, almost any form of physical affection other than a ritual goodnight kiss. So where I stand is that anyone interested in me needs to know that I consider sexuality and physical closeness a vital part of a relationship. I might as well get that out front, I figured.

Trump’s ‘bizarre’ voter fraud panel found none, former member Matthew Dunlap says - The ...

JanGarber comments on Aug 4, 2018:

Voter fraud has never been a genuine problem in this country.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

It may have won Illinois for Kennedy, and hence the election. There is good evidence that Joseph Kennedy used his connections to bring in a sizable graveyard vote for his son, especially in Chicago. But there were very likely equal shenanigans on both sides in all elections, it's only the winner that is looked at.

[yahoo.com] Fuhrer Trump Attack's LeBron James' Intelligence With Racism

Paul4747 comments on Aug 4, 2018:

Truthfully, reading James' posts, he doesn't strike me as incredibly intelligent either. Two highly conceited men flaming each other. Now, where in Trump's post did he refer to anyone's race?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

@sassygirl3869 I realize this, but where in the post itself? I'm not challenging your overall assertion, simply that this isn't a great example. Criticizing someone of another ethnic group does not, in and of itself, make you a racist. If it did, then I myself could be called a racist just for saying all these years that Dennis Rodman is an overrated publicity-seeking yellow-haired clown. Sort of the Trump of basketball. Also, please don't invoke Godwin's Law. Only the Nazis were Nazis.

Why QAnon is so scary - The Washington Post

I_dont_know comments on Aug 4, 2018:

So they believe he's NOT being investigated by Mueller? Wha? It seems incongruent.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

Trump is so brilliant, in their mythology, that he's just pretending to be investigated in order to mislead the conspiracy. Or set up a counter conspiracy, or something... You can't really understand conspiratorial thinking until you understand it's a whole world view in which surface "facts" are just a misleading smokescreen, and the "real truth" is the property of the conspiracy theorists.

Christian reasoning.... sigh

Partyhawk comments on Aug 4, 2018:

I'm confused, which God is that?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

Looks vaguely like Chuck Norris, doesn't he...?

Talk of blessings is taboo on this site. But sometimes, the crime is worth the pun-ishment.

Partyhawk comments on Aug 4, 2018:

We have zombies here. They're worse.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

Compare *Zombieland* to *Twilight* I'll take Zombies for $500, please, Alex

Talk of blessings is taboo on this site. But sometimes, the crime is worth the pun-ishment.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 4, 2018:

Toto: Keeping Africa vampire-free since 1982

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

@ejbman I had not even considered that. You're right.

Truth doesn't matter anymore. [washingtonpost.com]

powder comments on Aug 3, 2018:

All politicians lie. That's why we have media and journalist, to catch them out. The media, Washington Post, are guilty of reporting these same lies without checking. WMD anyone? Remember the missile strike on Syria because of an alledged gas attack? Before an investigation ie checking? What did ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 4, 2018:

@powder Unfortunately the America of our youth (what I'm guessing was your youth, anyway) was not so different under Reagan/Bush. Reagan is what made Bush II and Trump possible.

Why are the Republicans hiding past records of SCOTUS nominee Kavanaugh?

starwatcher-al comments on Aug 3, 2018:

Because if it all gets out and it's shown that he's soooo far right even some of them will puke. If he gets confirmed it will put this country back 75 years and we all had better just hop on the first ship to Mars.