Actually more than 3 frozen

RussRAB comments on Jan 21, 2022:

Yep! Sometimes I just need a reboot to start it all over again.

Within the last 3 weeks or so a lifelong friend of mine died suddenly (my religious friend) and now ...

RussRAB comments on Jan 26, 2022:

When my mother died, I planted a tree in her honor. It wasn't anything she asked for but a tribute I decided to do on my own. I kind of understand the desire to have the elements of my remains recycled. I have always enjoyed plants and animals, and the thought of "pushing up daisies" appeals to me.

May have already happened, but if not, it will

RussRAB comments on Jan 28, 2022:

No problem! Just play that song backward.

It has been a long time

RussRAB comments on Jan 28, 2022:

Well, my beard got that long ...

Spring's just 2 months away

RussRAB comments on Jan 29, 2022:

I can hardly wait.

What the fk?

RussRAB comments on Feb 6, 2022:

I think it more than I say it. Not certain exactly why that is. I guess I have a reputation because I find others often apologies when they swear around me. It doesn't bother me when they do and I often say, "It's OK, I know what that word means."

All this talk about Phil, but no one is talking about Pete

RussRAB comments on Feb 6, 2022:

Pete appears to be perched atop a pillar of ice.

We can only hope, I'll even spring for some one way tickets.

RussRAB comments on Feb 7, 2022:

I would just LOVE to see them go.

No sense of humor, that

RussRAB comments on Feb 7, 2022:

What!? The Mrs. didn't like being depicted as a plucked headless fryer?

Yeah it was cold.

RussRAB comments on Feb 7, 2022:

That ... I've never witnessed.

Even if they are transplants.

RussRAB comments on Feb 7, 2022:

50 years ago as boy scouts, my brother and I had a subscription to Boys Life magazine. The magazine had a feature page of jokes scouts had mailed in. The joke we still quote today was a definition of a sweater: Something you wear when your mother gets cold.

Is morality objective or subjective?

RussRAB comments on Feb 11, 2022:

I did some research into marriage conventions when same sex marriage was an issue in the US to see how it was considered in other cultures. What I found even beyond marriage was eye opening. In history and in various cultures, I believe there is nothing we consider to be immoral that wasn't either routinely practiced or considered perfectly acceptable within another culture at some time. The ancient Greek regularly practiced pederasty and a whole code of conduct developed around the practice. Sex with a youth's mentor was considred amoung some Greeks to be a part of a young man's education. Amoung one of the arctic cultures, it was acceptable for a man to have sexual relations with his neighbor's wife. They also found it acceptable for the neighbor to kill the man if he kept the wife for too long. Polygamy is well documented in history and is still practiced in various places today. The opposite where a wife has more than one husband isn't nearly as common but is a practice. Among certain people in the Himalayas, brothers most commonly share a wife when this arrangement is practiced. Amoung an Amazonian tribe, a woman is expected to have several husbands. The reduce jealousy, her husbands are expected to be from different age groups, and she could be criticized if she bares too many children from any one of her husbands. In Asia, a subculture of people had no institution of marriage. Clans were organized around completely maternal familial lines. Women would accept a lover who would father her children, but the head of the child's clan - one of their maternal uncles - would become the child's effective father figure. About the only prohibition I didn't see that was acceptable was theft, but then I wasn't specifically looking to find information on this subject and the things I found were related to either marriage or marriage like institutions. My conclusion was that although we have an accepted code of conduct to define morality in the West, none of the things we find immoral are absolute. Other cultures for better or worse have incorporated behaviors we have traditionally found immoral including sex with children, adultery and fornication, homosexuality, murder, etc.

Did religion give an advantage to pre-industrial revolution societies?

RussRAB comments on Feb 14, 2022:

The industrial revolution occurred relatively recently. I think religion probably had a unifying quality that likely served as a survival advantage in a much earlier time. It may well have served as a government system setting laws and standards in the abscence of any other system functioning in that capacity.

Got to get your priorities in order

RussRAB comments on Feb 17, 2022:

Tucker Carkson had a meltdown on his show over the greem M&M becoming "less sexy". I didn't know anyone really got all excited over animated candies in high heel boots ....

I'd call him princess, just to fuck with everyone

RussRAB comments on Feb 22, 2022:

Or perhaps because he just ate the princess?

I identify as agnostic but I can’t imagine not celebrating Christmas.

RussRAB comments on Feb 23, 2022:

I believe the holiday of "Christmas" is predated by other celebrations that occurred at this same time of year and contain many of the same traditions that the Christmas holiday adopted. The fact the the name got changed fo Christmas is inconsequential. What real significance does setting up an evergreen in our homes and decorating it have to Christianity? That Christians may have assigned significance is again inconsequencial. So, why should you or anyone else who leaves Christianity behind have to abandon traditions and celebrations that predated Christianity? Rather, do what the Christians did ages ago and reformulate the holiday to suit your current needs and desires. As much as Christians would like to believe otherwise, they don't own the holiday - they didn't invent it, they only adopted it and reformulated it for their needs and desires. I believe there are probably far more fundamentalist Christians in America who refuse to celebrate Christmas because of its pagan origins than non-Christians who don't because of its association with Christianity.

The times are changing and not always for the better, but at least safer most of the time

RussRAB comments on Feb 23, 2022:

I did insist on everyone using seat belts, but the bubble wrap was just way too expensive.

This is what my Shiba Inu is like when he moults. 😅

RussRAB comments on Feb 23, 2022:

Shiba Inu's must be related to Pomeranians. I can't believe how much hair I get in the brush from my Poms.

A compliment, I think.

RussRAB comments on Feb 24, 2022:

I'd rather be old and still alive than not. 😉

Great exercise and mental workout.

RussRAB comments on Feb 24, 2022:

40? I don't remember that happenning at 40 .... perhaps my memory was going then?

Crazy mega-church pastor Greg Locke now publicly calling for the public outing and public punishment...

RussRAB comments on Feb 27, 2022:

And I thought the era of Salem and what happened there was well behind us. SMH

Scary and eye-opening.

RussRAB comments on Mar 1, 2022:

"Reynolds: So, similar to Hitler, he’s using a sense of massive historical grievance combined with a veneer of protecting Russians and a dismissal of the rights of minorities and other nations to have independent countries in order to fuel territorial ambitions? "Hill: Correct. And he’s blaming others, for why this has happened, and getting us to blame ourselves. If people look back to the history of World War II, there were an awful lot of people around Europe who became Nazi German sympathizers before the invasion of Poland. In the United Kingdom, there was a whole host of British politicians who admired Hitler’s strength and his power, for doing what Great Powers do, before the horrors of the Blitz and the Holocaust finally penetrated. "Reynolds: And you see this now. "Hill: You totally see it. Unfortunately, we have politicians and public figures in the United States and around Europe who have embraced the idea that Russia was wronged by NATO and that Putin is a strong, powerful man and has the right to do what he’s doing: Because Ukraine is somehow not worthy of independence, because it’s either Russia’s historical lands or Ukrainians are Russians, or the Ukrainian leaders are — this is what Putin says — “drug addled, fascist Nazis” or whatever labels he wants to apply here. "So sadly, we are treading back through old historical patterns that we said that we would never permit to happen again. The other thing to think about in this larger historic context is how much the German business community helped facilitate the rise of Hitler. Right now, everyone who has been doing business in Russia or buying Russian gas and oil has contributed to Putin’s war chest. Our investments are not just boosting business profits, or Russia’s sovereign wealth funds and its longer-term development. They now are literally the fuel for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine." American business interests have fueled the rise of China as well. Companies that have maximized profits by using cheap Chinese labor (at the expense of American labor) have funneled funds to make China the force it is today.

Patrick has it going on

RussRAB comments on Mar 5, 2022:

Just where is Lwaxana Troi when you need her?

I really stuck my feet in my mooth

RussRAB comments on Mar 7, 2022:

I find that saying "Oops! Let's try that again" (as I turn bright red in the face) works wonders so I can return to a favorite place. You may have other reasons not to return to Subway, but if you really want to, turn over in places like Subway tends to be rather high. New staff won't know who you are.

Time to play

RussRAB comments on Mar 10, 2022:

The last frame should say something like, "Help me?! I just want your attention so we can play ...."

Enough of this false positivity

RussRAB comments on Mar 10, 2022:

And there have been answers that fit that description ...

I continue to work on the best method

RussRAB comments on Mar 10, 2022:

I wonder if the Smithsonian has one for sale ...

You can keep your tuducken, I'll have of these with a side of slaw.

RussRAB comments on Mar 10, 2022:

What would you cook that in .... and for how long??

One of my friends, Ezriel Wilson, currently has an art fellowship at UT-Arlington Tx.

RussRAB comments on Mar 14, 2022:

Will her show be open to the public? It would be fun to attend.

Blimey, the sparrows haven't even finished with their "morning farts" and already I have 4 Magpies, ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 16, 2022:

About 4 years ago, my wife gave me a good sized bird feeder for Christmas. We filled it and hung it outside our window. Lots of different birds came to feed from cardinals and blue jays to juncos and white wing doves. Often, the branches around the feeder was full of birds waiting their turn at the seed, and the ground underneath had several cleaning up any seeds that fell there. Eventually, we had another bird visit our yard , but they weren't after the seed - they wanted the seed eaters. On several occasions, we found spots where a hawk had caught one of our other visiters. Most often they were the doves that were targeted. Because we had small dogs who were pups, we decided to not fill the bird feeder. No sense in attracting something that might decide on red meat one day when they can't catch poultry.

Seems like all the loud mouthed ones fit this.

RussRAB comments on Mar 17, 2022:

Actually, These two elements would appear to be common companions - almost as if they belong together.

Anybody get pinched today? On this holy day of St 's day. [elitedaily.]

RussRAB comments on Mar 18, 2022:

They still have us working at home and I had no reason to go out. Living alone ... I had to pinch myself. 😉

A very good example of how our founding fathers really felt about religion and fairness.

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2022:

The books I've read about the Founding Fathers and the writing of the Constitution have said they were essentially all believers but that they were nearly all rather irreverent. Jefferson perhaps more than most, but Washington was as likely to go hunting on Sundays as he was to attend church services. This is not so surprising since they were some of the best educated people in the 18th century America and greater education tends to promote greater irreligiousity.

Who messes their year book with sharpies, when you can just pot it over them?

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2022:

If I had hair like that in my High School picture in my year book ... Of course, it wouldn't be quite the same since I am a guy ...

She's going to have her hands full with this .

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2022:

Anyone see the movie 'Role Models' with Paul Ruud and Sean William Scott?

My new dating profile. Do you think it will work?

RussRAB comments on Mar 23, 2022:

You would appear to be more than a little prickly.

History needs to be taught with all its beauty and warts.

RussRAB comments on Mar 23, 2022:

The warts are as important to be taught as the beauty. We can't learn what to avoid to keep from getting the same warts over and over if we refuse to acknowledge and learn about the warts.

I miss having a garden but at least some of my houseplants are blooming to make up for it.

RussRAB comments on Mar 30, 2022:

That is beautiful.

It is getting chilly

RussRAB comments on Apr 12, 2022:

Did you believe no one could discern your gender without getting naked?? Hopefully, they can tell now that you are .... 😉😉😉

I live in Southwestern Ontario Canada.

RussRAB comments on Jul 6, 2022:

There is a church Pastor in my local area that was showing up at local city counsel meetings saying gay peple should be convicted and executed with a bullet in the back of the head because of the Bible. The church was forced to leave their original location because that city had ordinances against hate speech, but they just moved to a nearby small city which didn't have such an ordinance. This Pastor showed up at that city's counsel meeting again advocating killing gay people. The problem is that we in the US now have a hostile Supreme Court US willing to target this minority group led primarily by a member of another traditionally oppressed minority on the court. He has put his opinion in writing with the court's removal of women's reproductive rights explicitly saying the should take on (target and go after) the rights of gays along with other reproductive rights and family planning. It is a travesty that our legal system in the form of the Highest Court in the land feels so free to limit liberties of certain citizens. It is essentially against the spirit of the founding of this nation. It doesn't matter that traditions didn't allow same sex couples to marry or for racially mixed couples to marry. We have often broken with tradition - right from our founding - to expand the freedoms and liberties of our citizens, and not to restrict them to oppress certain segments of our population - much less to go killing them because of a warped religion which wants to institute archaic blood lusting laws from several millennia ago.

[wapo.st] Glad to know Mike Flynn had to pay money back!

RussRAB comments on Jul 9, 2022:

Wish he had gotten what he deserved from pleading guilty the first time.

I'm not sure when they quit, who else still has some of these cans around?

RussRAB comments on Jul 9, 2022:

I'm old. I admit it. Just not in the head.

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

RussRAB comments on Jul 11, 2022:

If these Christians really want to see what "being silenced" is, they only need to take a look at the criminal charges Russians face today mentioning terms like "War", "invasion", and mentioning any criticism of the Russian war on Ukraine. NPR had a story this evening concerning the pop music industry in Russia which has not been as quiet about Putin's war and attempts to steal more territory from Ukraine. Concerts have been cancelled for fear of criminal charges. Some artists have been outspoken - many outside Russia - while others have been silent. The contrast makes claims such as this one here made by these American Christians appear completely ridiculous.

Enough already. Put him some place that doesn't have internet access.

RussRAB comments on Jul 13, 2022:

I'm impressed! I could never stand to get through even 1 - right from the very beginning. Of course, I never thought much of trump before he was president. He was always a pompas ass con man who got away with crap because he had money.

It’s not really about whether you consider yourself an atheist or a theist.

RussRAB comments on Jul 13, 2022:

I think your comments underscore why I prefer the term agnostic to atheist to define myself. The term seems to leave the door for new evidence and reconsideration. I have heard many who use the term atheist to describe themselves who basically hold the same basic views I do in regard to evidence, and I recognise that since I have no particular belief in any diety, I am technically atheist. I feel less inclined to accept the rigid definition I feel are indicated in your statements and feel that your comments verge on a kind of false dichotomy where more possibilities exist when the definitions aren't nearly as clear cut as you say.  Lots of conceptions of Gods exist. They are typically personifications of humanoid characteristics. Even those who believe in incorporeal God(s) assign them human like emotion and desires. Believers in one conception of God(s) often are like the atheist with regard to all other conceptions of God(s) - they don't believe in that other system. But not finding a particular system convincing isn't the same, imo, as believing in a system, especially when the evidence for the system is at best flimsy, perhaps contrived, or unsubstantiated. Rejecting poor evidence and refusing to accept the resulting system isn't the same as believing poor evidence and dedicating oneself to it. Your observations about tribalism is on point - this, I think, is part of the nature of the human condition. It is important to at least attempt to remain open to new evidence and new interpretations. At the same time, there is so much nonsense that comes from certain of the religious trying to convince and control as many people as possible that staying open to them means a lot of wasted time and energy. Shutting out nonsense isn't the same as those who generate nonsense in attempts to exert influence over others. I don't believe we see this same generation of nonsense from atheists that we see coming from religion.

We've all seen th stories about shoplifting, why haven't we seen the stories of corporate greed and ...

RussRAB comments on Jul 14, 2022:

Who reported the 1 story? I guarantee it wasn't Newsmax, OAN, or FOX who refused to broadcast the public Jan 6 hearings. It isn't an excuse, and the Walgreens stealing millions from employees is likely complicated and and not "sexy". NPR had a report about Tucker Carlson's story about how Hungary's Viktor Orban is maligned and victimized by the west. Carlson was able to make his highly slanted and dishonest report because Orban's actions were difficult for most Americans to understand and the details took much longer to explain than most news reports would hold the average Americans attention. So Carlson was able to say what he wanted regardless of how false it was with minimal pushback. The reason was that to correct him required lots of time that most Americans wouldn't be expected to understand.

How many can you get correct without looking?

RussRAB comments on Jul 19, 2022:

Probably none since I can't see the clues unless I look. 😁 Beyond that, I got books.

Not sure what it was...

RussRAB comments on Jul 19, 2022:

Hmmmm, he doesn't look all that different ....

Memorial service Labor Day, BBQ will be served.

RussRAB comments on Jul 19, 2022:

I am so glad we don't eat dog in this country ....

“Human beings have a strong dramatic instinct toward binary thinking, a basic urge to divide ...

RussRAB comments on Jul 21, 2022:

I'd would agree with this statement. I see a likely survival advantage of creating loyalty to the survival of one's tribe, clan, country, etc. - even to the point of being irrational. Prejudice is a natural consequence of this occurance. It doesn't make prejudice cny more just or desirable is a greater sense, only that it is natural occurance which under certain circumstances provide survival advantages. Concerning conflict, human being love certain aspects of conflict. Sports are all about confluct but contained within certain parameters. Some might be more difficult to recognize, but others are very violent and are known to draw blood. Boxing and other combat sports as well as sports like American and worldwide football are well known for violent contact in the course of play between opposing team members.

You have to video it for it to count, ER bills alone are not enough.

RussRAB comments on Jul 22, 2022:

This is why women tend to live longer than men.

Kentucky judge slams 'theocratic' laws in ruling protecting abortion rights

RussRAB comments on Jul 24, 2022:

The Satanic Temple is advancing the notion of a religious exemption for having an abortion, but not everyone believes their efforts are helpful. https://jezebel.com/satanic-temple-abortion-rights-religious-exemption-real-1849073332

Old saying, different portrayal.

RussRAB comments on Jul 26, 2022:

NO! Nature can't be as restrictive about sex as churches are ....

Prayer as supplication, not as schoolhouse wedge | Nebraska Examiner

RussRAB comments on Jul 26, 2022:

While this Christian praying coach is being protected by the SCOTUS, I am reminded of the preacher whose church in located in a nearby city - close enough to accidently pass by when driving to the store or to a local park - who said during a nearby city council meeting that gay people should be rounded up, convicted, and executed with a bullet to the back of the head. This coach who is praying after football games could be a member of this church or one like it. Like it or not, the Christian admonition to pray is no more biblical than the passages in Leviticus calling for the death penalty for all sorts of infractions - disobecient children, adultery, same sex relations, among many many more. Only a certain cherry picked version of Christian traditions can be thought to be encouraging.

A Gen Z shock: Among Zoomers with no religion, women outnumber men

RussRAB comments on Jul 27, 2022:

I think it is interesting that the difference between the %'s from about age 45 or 50 and older is fairly consistent. I agree with the suggestion that more women are leaving religion because of the inherent sexism and subjugation of females within Christianity (and many other religious traditions). Women have more than earned their equality in American society (not to say more isn't needed to be done - like a major change in the SCOTUS) and religion generally speaking has not kept up.

It's berry season in Wasilla Alaska... first Raspberry picking a little over 8 lbs...

RussRAB comments on Jul 30, 2022:

Great! You have a good yield. My blackberries are surviving the drought here, but they yielded only a handful of berries this year. Next year may also be sparse because of this summer's heat and no rain. I set up a drip system which is why I have anything at all.

Tons of questions here, what are yours?

RussRAB comments on Aug 8, 2022:

Is dad reading the paper up side down? Also, are there any utensils on the table besides knives?

Some changes are coming

RussRAB comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Hmmm ... Was that the Lady taking Liberties, or someone else?

[wltribune.

RussRAB comments on Aug 9, 2022:

This link is to an article I read during my exit from Mormonism. The story was particulatly vile because it illustrates Mormon thinking that put children and others at risk from predators. The molester had confessed and repented so those who knew his history would not reveal this history even when it allowed the molester access to a child. It's the kind of BS this religion (and others with similar doctrines and traditions) are subject to. This is why the Mormon church filed a Friends of the Court brief defending the Catholic church during the latter's sex abuse scandals of the last decade or so. http://lanternproject.org.uk/library/abuse-and-the-churches/abuse-and-the-mormon-church/child-abuse-in-mormonism/

Answered: How do white nationalists worship Jesus since Jesus wasn't white?

RussRAB comments on Aug 10, 2022:

Reality doesn't matter to white nationalist Christians. So long as it makes them feel empowered and superior. Then the rules don't need to apply to them.

There are plenty around, so i won't have to go to the store.

RussRAB comments on Aug 23, 2022:

I once heard a rumor that in certain Asian neighborhoods in California some restaurants were cited for serving stray dogs and cats. I also read an article in a science magazine that once when Paris was under siege (I think by Nepoleon but it was long time ago I read the article) and the citizens survived by consuming their pets.

The Babble is the word of God

RussRAB comments on Aug 24, 2022:

Thought for the Day? Or Words to Love By?

Sometimes you just have to reduce it until it becomes ridiculous.

RussRAB comments on Sep 3, 2022:

No, no, no! The biscuit would have been cooked .... just like Jesus' goose was on the cross ....

Atheist take marriage seriously.

RussRAB comments on Sep 4, 2022:

When I was leaving Mormonism, I found a board for exMormons for support. A repeated theme amoung quite a few former member was that the temple marriage ceremony felt to them more like they were marrying the cgurch more than each other, and they felt that the church was constantly in the middle of their marriage between them and their spouse. I don't recall the ceremony all that well to be able to say that this was how I felt about it, but I did experience feeling that I needed to be more authentic after leaving religion. I no longer needed to have my thoughts and actions filtered through for imagined church approval. The bulltin board also had posted an article or two of studied which found that the more strict a religion was corresponded with higher divorce rates.

If Jesus had been beheaded

RussRAB comments on Sep 7, 2022:

Beheading doesn't take long enough and isn't painful enough. God needed the long draw out torture to satisfy his blood lust. Paying for everyone's sins had to make people feel as guilty as possible to keep them in line.

THE OTHER SIDE.

RussRAB comments on Sep 11, 2022:

No one knows exactly what happens when someone dies. Lots of conceptions and beliefs have developed in difference places and at various times. My mother's death was my first accute experience of someone dying. It felt at first as if she had gone away similar to when my parents went on a vacation or when I lived in a different city. I can understand how someone with different perspectives or different views of reality might decide this means the dead individual is still present somewhere. I have also experience "hearing" my parents voices in my head after they had died. I interpreted it as my internalized experiences from my past and the natural processes all humans (and possibly other animals) experience in learning, but another could interpret this as the dead person actually speaking to them and perhaps protecting (or torturing) them from somewhere beyond the other side of death. It is a matter of perception, interpretation, instruction, and belief. No one knows what happens when someone dies. Plenty people pretend to know, but it is belief only. Death is the end of life. During life, we experience the end of phases of our lives followed in its continuity with a new phase. To apply this experience to death, we might expect that something comes after the end of life.

I can so relate to this meme.

RussRAB comments on Sep 13, 2022:

I went through a period of time when I memorized hymns. I no longer remember all the word but the tunes will still get stuck in my head sometimes. When it happens, I try very hard to drum them out. The most effective is to replace it with another song.

I'm not going to comment on her politics, I'm not going to comment on her lifestyle choices, but I ...

RussRAB comments on Sep 13, 2022:

And she is likely to be reelected for another term. Ugh!

Let me know when the Chucky jokes get old.

RussRAB comments on Sep 15, 2022:

Now that Mama is to be laid to rest, Charles is free (for the first time in a long time) to express his true feelings.

From the mouth of babes

RussRAB comments on Sep 16, 2022:

Well, he didn't hear it from the new baby ....

The Ginkgo in the garden now is just coming up to full colour, I hope this weeks winds are not going...

RussRAB comments on Oct 24, 2018:

Beautiful! Fall colors aren't as vibrant in Texas as I remember as a kid growing up in Ohio. Something I miss.

How to reply when someone says 'have a blessed day'

RussRAB comments on Oct 24, 2018:

I've found the "Have a blessed day" comment to be annoying, but I try to keep it in context of just a form of wishing someone well in a different way. I've thought of saying something like "Thanks, may your day keep evolving" or something along that line, but I typically just say "Thanks" or nod and smile.

How can I find more local friends with more in common?

RussRAB comments on Oct 28, 2018:

Have you considered looking into a Unitarian Universalist church? I understand they are generally accepting of diverse beliefs/disbeliefs. I also understand there could be differences from one congregation to another, so one might not fit your needs as well as another might. Good luck to you. I hope you find what you are looking for.

I keep hearing now that caffeine is now cool among Mormons, ur, I mean among the Church of Jesus ...

RussRAB comments on Oct 31, 2018:

A long time ago, I sat in a priesthood meeting in California wdhen we had a visiter from Utah. Someone memtioned the ban on cola drinks and the visiter just about lost it. In a very loud voice, he claimed there was no problem with caffienated soft drinks. He said Pres. Kimball was asked about coke and pepsi and Kimball responded by saying something like he didn't know why anyone would consume these drinks; they took all the bad things in coffee and tea and put them in cola drinks. The Mormon (sorry, everyone knows who Mormons are and it's a lot shorter to write) faithful took that comment and added it to their list of Word of Wisdom banned substances. I prefer Dr Pepper or Ginger Ale myself, and I could care less what anyone thinks about it.

Religions vs Cult

RussRAB comments on Oct 31, 2018:

I did a bit of reading on cults since I seem to have had a bit of an affinity for controlling groups. Steven Hassan and others have said that there are a number of characteristics of cults. A controlling cult does not need to posses all of these characteristics but rather just a combinaton of 3 or 4 of them minimum. My interpretation is that each characteristic a group has is one greater degree of being cult-like the groip is. So an organization that has only 1 characteristic is probably OK for the most part but those that have 4, 5, or 6 are best to stay away from.

Welcome Russ

RussRAB comments on Oct 31, 2018:

Thanks. It's good to be here.

A simple truth.

RussRAB comments on Nov 4, 2018:

My dogs have taken a sudden interest in my garden. I did spread a bit of fertilizer for spring bulbs which is low in nitrogen. Has anyone had their pooches interested in their soil ofter fertilizing? I thought perhaps a new smell may have attracted them, or something? Anyone know if fertilizer is particularly harmful to them? They want to dig and lick at the dirt.

Do your dogs love snow?

RussRAB comments on Nov 4, 2018:

Mine haven't seen a good snowfall yet. They loved the rain, though, and something tells me they will love snow too.

What is the most laughable story in the Bible?

RussRAB comments on Nov 10, 2018:

I think some of the most laughable parts of Christianity don't necessarily come from the Bible, but from interpretations of the Bible by some Christians. One guy for another forum was convinced that a description from Ezekiel of gyroscopes was proof of aliens. He was also convinced that Bigfoot was real and the reason we couldn't find any solid evidence for it was that God was holding it in reserve for some role during the apocalypse. A TV preacher I heard a very long time ago (like the 1970's) was interpreting Revelations and the return of Jesus. The passage he read said that everyone would witness Jesus' return, and so he reasoned that the only way this could happen was if the whole earth turned inside out and the surface of the earth would face some great cavernous center where Jesus could return and all the world could see him all at the same time.

'Sweet Kate' Spiderwort. Do you prefer foliage or the flower?

RussRAB comments on Nov 20, 2018:

Beautiful shade of blue violet. Spiderworts volunteered in my yard here in Texas. I moved a couple into the garden. It's a plant I probably wouldn't have selected until I had one and have enjoyed them.

Stephen King ✔ @StephenKing Trump condones murder, then explains it's okay for his daughter to...

RussRAB comments on Nov 21, 2018:

If Trump wants to lock up Hillary Clinton for her e-mails, he also would need to go after the whole of the W. Bush administraton. They used a private e-mail server provided by the RNC. When e-mail records wre sought for investigations into the Iraq war, there were hundreds of thousands that had been lost - most from the time leading up to the start of the Iraq war. Well after Bush was out of office, these e-mails turned up, well after it mattered a great deal. When did the law pass requiring that all official government e-mail go through government servers? It may have been prior to Clinton's private server, but operational tradition more or less looked the other way. The situation with Ivanka, however, is different because her use of one was after the rules had been tightened and the GOP made a huge deal out of Hillary's e-mail. Btw, Trump is known to regularly conduct official government business on his personal cell phone. He has been advised that this phone is not secure and subject to being hacked, but he continues to use it anyway.

I'm thinking of spring and these came up while browsing my photos.

RussRAB comments on Nov 23, 2018:

I am partial to the hyacinth, although, I would have both in my garden except the tulips don't get enough cold in Texas to bloom more than 1 year. The hyacinths also seem to dwindle over time but they return for a good long time. The heat here is very hard on most garden plants.

This is my mini Stone Henge created in 2010.

RussRAB comments on Nov 25, 2018:

What a creative idea.

Evening Primrose with Dianthus and an ant.

RussRAB comments on Dec 4, 2018:

I love these flowers. Here in Texas, the Showy Evening Primrose are shades of pink to almost white. They grow wild along the roadways. I was able to get a couple established in my garden. I'll have to post pictures when they bloom in the spring.

Can compost get too old?

RussRAB comments on Dec 10, 2018:

My grandfather used horse manure on his gardens. He said it was never good until it had aged several years. Overall, compost is good for your garden, but it can also have a short term negative effect of binding up nitrogen. I don't recall the details, but nitrogen generally needs to be "fixed" into a form that plants can use. Legumes are good for this fixing of nitrogen. I just remember being advised by a horticulturalist to mix a nitrogen fertilizer when using compost on tbe garden.

CONTROL IS A "DELUSION" [youtu.be]

RussRAB comments on Jan 13, 2019:

The creation of God would be in the hope of an ultimate controller of our universe and prayer would be the hope of being able to access a bit of this ultimate control for our own benefit. The delusion of control isn't absolute since we do control a number of various aspects of our lives; but it is very limited. Ultimately, powers within the universe are much greater than the control we are able to exert.

Well now I have another reason to hate the steaming pile of Mormon Hypocrite mouth diarrhoea David ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 5, 2019:

I wonder what some of Matheson's former patients have to say about his change. It must be terribly difficult having a therapist tell you how you have to surpress certain basic feelings to then have him decide he is OK being gay himself and having same sex relationships. I think it's actually a more sensible place for him to be, but he has messed with lots of gay people's heads.

In case you missed it on the main page! Is this not just stunning? [google.com]

RussRAB comments on Mar 2, 2019:

Beautiful! Here in North Texas, someone would seed the sides along the freeways with the state flower, Blue Bonnetts. We would gave these spectacular blooms that turned these areas along the roadside a gorgeous blue color. They must have stopped seeding several years ago because it hasn't been like this for some time. We still get lots of Spring wildflowers that bloom, just not much of the Blue Bonnetts.

Are you paying attention elders?

RussRAB comments on Mar 30, 2019:

There was a girl in High School who said her adult brother got really tired of answering the door to missionaries (Mormons and all others). To stop them, he started answering his door naked when he knew it was missionaries knocking. He wasn't bothered by them much after that.

Dedicated to the small dog lover

RussRAB comments on Mar 31, 2019:

I had a golden retriever and a cocker spaniel that would be more likely to lick an intruder to death before barking or biting them. I had a chihuahua mix that would bark and nip at the heals of family that didn't come over all that often. I had a schipperke owner tell me that her dogs wouldn't allow any intruders into her home. I would imagine a jack russell would be more than any intruder would want to deal with if the dog didn't think he belonged there.

Rhubarb Rhubarb was recently mentioned (I have 3 plants) and I learned some things today about ...

RussRAB comments on Apr 10, 2019:

It's odd they would declare rhubarb a fruit since it has none of the properties of fruit (such as seeds). I understood a controvery over whether tomatos are fruit due to sugar content. As for how it is used, i regularly see sweet potatoe pies around the holidays here in Texas, but as far as I know, no one thinks to try to call sweet potatoes a fruit.

AH the Mormon Church as always ready with an appropriate response to the tragedy in Paris, just ...

RussRAB comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Isn't it almost all made of granite? Only in inside will burn. This is also a show of the lack of faith Mormons have. They pay lip service to promises of divine protection - tithing to keep your individual finances stable, garments to protect your body from harm, etc. - but when push comes to shove, they want every bit of manmade safeguards they can get. Pay more tithes and offering to protect the temples with material fixtures, while members and their families are to depend on less reliable means of protections. (Sorry fof the rant).

When one of your neighbours gets a new doggy and everyday as you head out to get the elevator, you ...

RussRAB comments on Apr 17, 2019:

Certain breeds do better than others being left alone. I have 2 dogs so they can keep each other company.when we are away. One tends to be much rougher than the other and we were concerned leaving them together (go figure). So we keep them in separate pens indoors. At leadt tbey can see one another.

A fun afternoon with Moxie and Squill❤

RussRAB comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Ha! If these were my dogs sitting in a muddy puddle, they would be wanting to come inside right about now.

Baton Rouge, LA, what is this kinda-sorta dandelion wildflower?

RussRAB comments on Apr 20, 2019:

I love these flowers. They're so bright and beautifil. They grow wild here in North Texas and I have thought to try to cultivate them but have yet to try it. They are known here as a Texas Dandilion. The link is to the entry at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=pypa4

My Irish Irises enjoying a bit of sun, with Orange blossom shrub starting to bud...

RussRAB comments on Apr 20, 2019:

They are stunning.

Estranged from family members... anyone experience this?

RussRAB comments on Apr 20, 2019:

I don'think it is necessarily just when someone from a religious family becomes an atheist. I can think of examples of estrangement when one family member joins another religion not respected by the family of origin. I know of one family of Mormons whose daughter married a guy they suspect decided to join a polygamous sect after they had a half dozen kids. The parents don't speak with this daughter or communicate with these grandkids. They are all still technically the same religion, but not really. Polling data (from Pew I believe) has indicated that atheists were regarded less favorably than were Muslims post 9/11. They ranked either last or second to last of people of various beliefs when asked if they would vote for this person. The point isn't that atheists have anything wrong with them but that this belief system isn't regarded well just as the polygamous sect wasn't regarded well by the parents in the first paragraph.

“Stop taking my picture, I’m looking for a place to pee!”

RussRAB comments on Apr 27, 2019:

Just not on the roses, PLEASE!

I'm still trying to figure out what the massive trees planted around my home are .

RussRAB comments on Apr 27, 2019:

Do you have a picture or two of leaves and flowers? They might be easier to identify if we had something to match with.

The World's Ugliest Iris's.

RussRAB comments on May 17, 2019:

I've seen worse. The UC Riverside Botanical Gardens had an iris garden years and years ago. They had a variety that was a root beer brown color.Why, oh why?? I do like the sentiment you have associated with this flower, however.