Ok... maybe the guys can answer this. What's the deal with the dead fish?

FvckY0u comments on Aug 22, 2022:

I'll attempt to answer. Maybe it's one of the few pictures they actually have of them smiling. Perhaps catching and holding a dead fish is a simple value they hold that evokes a happy emotional response. Goes much to the previous comment by @AnneWimsey What does it mean beyond that? Well it...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 22, 2022:

I'll just have to wonder what AnneWimsey said, as there has been a block between her and me for years... Personally, I have no interest in fishing or hunting, so a woman who is into either would have to go without me, and I would be totally fine with that, no resentment or jealousy. Same if she doesn't share some of my interests...

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 22, 2022:

@AlbertSchepis Thanks Al... Standing by your partner in sickness and terminal illness is the sign of a real man, instead of this asshole..

Ok... maybe the guys can answer this. What's the deal with the dead fish?

BitFlipper comments on Aug 22, 2022:

People of both sexes like to include photos of the things they have accomplished. Women inexplicably include pictures of their offspring.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 22, 2022:

@BitFlipper Yup, lots of denial and hypocrisy there. Still, I'm glad you pointed it out to them, even if it has no effect..

Ok... maybe the guys can answer this. What's the deal with the dead fish?

BitFlipper comments on Aug 22, 2022:

People of both sexes like to include photos of the things they have accomplished. Women inexplicably include pictures of their offspring.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 22, 2022:

Esp. in my local dating pool, where women are not nearly as independent as those from the coasts. They show their kid pics all the time, like trophies, same as the guys showing their fish, their vehicles, their boats, etc. Same as the women, look what I made, caught, bought, achieved, etc. The women in my dating pool that include all the kid pics are ones I stay completely away from, because to me they clearly have no identity or balance or independence in their life, other than their role as a mother and grandmother, so I don't want them for dating. Since more likely than not, they are more interested in just an escort for their visits to family than any relationship with a new partner that involves much time alone as a couple. Personally, I am put off by all that stuff, as I judge or value people based on the quality of their relationships and their character, not how much stuff they have or what they have achieved, at least when it comes to friends and a potential partner. I know I am very different and out of the mainstream in that way, even in my own family, as my now dead parents and my siblings are like most Americans, valuing material things and achievements way more than relationships.

Saying your anti mandate, is like the same as, saying your anti vaxxers.

Garban comments on Aug 20, 2022:

Did someone hold you down to give you your “mandated” shot or was it like Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins chasing you in a helicopter with a tranquilizer gun?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 21, 2022:

@puff I got vaxed completely voluntarily, because I have a heart condition and am in my 60s. And I got Covid before vaccines were available. So I got the Regeneron immuno therapy treatment and am damn glad I got it, on the advice of my doctor. I later got my first vaccine shots as soon as I was eligible for them. I got Covid again this summer, but I am still glad I got both the Regeneron and the vaccine, because otherwise, with my heart, I was very afraid of ending up dead or in the hospital. I have suffered no heart damage so far from my first Covid episode and will get another scan of my heart soon, after having one after the first episode. I know the vaccine will not prevent me from getting Covid, but I am very glad that it kept me from getting seriously ill this second time, same as how the Regeneron kept me from getting more than mild symptoms and took away my fever immediately, besides shortening my illness. I believe in science, not anti-vax conspiracy theories.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 20, 2022:

@creative51 So I guess my late wife, who I was with for 22 years, wasn't interested in me and that I'm still an asshole when I stood by her and looked after her the last six years of her life with dementia? What the fuck do you know about me? Why should I think you're the kind of man who would stand by her after she got dementia? I really doubt it, considering how little heart you seem to show here.

Been on this site for several years.

AlbertSchepis comments on Aug 19, 2022:

I wrote a long response to your diatribe but am over-writing it with this. You goaded me into defending myself but I don't need to answer to your baiting except to say that while I admit I've made a comment or two that this site has disappointed me in a few ways and you may be referring to me as ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 20, 2022:

@creative51 Listen asshole, you don't know anything about me, have never met me and can't prove anything you have bashed me for. By the same token, I have never met you and have no proof whatsoever about any of your claims to be so successful and superior to me with women and relationships in general with them. For all any of the rest of us here know, you are lying thru your teeth and blowing smoke up our asses, all for your childish amusement. Your behavior here shows you to be an immature asshole, and none of the women here are impressed with you, except MsHoliday, who appears to be as fucked up as you. Albert has you pegged completely. I've seen phony guys like you my whole adult life, kissing up to women and playing the sensitive, superior nice guy, and it's all an act, that most women, sad to say, buy completely, until they try to date you. Then they see who you really are, a fake, manipulative selfish actor feeding his own ego..

Texas will force schools to display donated 'In God We Trust' posters

LucyLoohoo comments on Aug 20, 2022:

I've lived long enough to find little surprises me....but.....the brazen arrogance of these damnable XTIANS is overwhelming. Wonder what our ''unbiased'' SCOTUS will say?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 20, 2022:

I think we already know, see my comment above..

Texas will force schools to display donated 'In God We Trust' posters

phoenixone1 comments on Aug 20, 2022:

Seeing as how TAXPAYER FUNDING paid for the school building...that would mean that donated or not...TAXPAYER FUNDING IS ENDORSING RELIGION...same thing as Judge Moore trying to put the 10 Commandments IN THE COURTHOUSE here in Alablamama...UNCONSTITUTIONAL...this BULLSHIT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. FFRF ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 20, 2022:

It's only unconstitutional if the current SC says it is, and they don't...

George Carlin - Saving the Planet - YouTube

Betty comments on Aug 20, 2022:

Wisdom in comedy. :)

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 20, 2022:

In his later years, he became more than a comedian, more like a social commentator and a prophet.

The Texas Christian Taliban are at it again.

DenoPenno comments on Aug 19, 2022:

In which god do you trust? People in your schools are from all over and their gods should get mention or display as well. If you do not think so, then let's go to court about this.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 20, 2022:

Unfortunately, if it goes to the SC, they will lose, at least for now.

What if President Obama had tried to issue a blanket declassification order?

racocn8 comments on Aug 19, 2022:

For MAGAs, defending Trump and normalizing the double-standard provides yet another way to 'own the libs.' Shoving dishonesty in the left's face is more juvenile defiance and aims to copy Trumps malignant narcissism. When they talk about IRS going door-to-door with AR-15's, that is dog-whistle ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

You spelled it out, they are privately asking how soon the can start openly hunting the Dems and libs, since they already know the cops and military would stand aside at best, and more likely assist them, same as the Klan back in the South during the old days..., which is the kind of state they want to have here, nationwide....

Alex Jones Dumping Trump for Ron DeSantis in 2024 Presidential Race InfoWars host and conspiracy ...

glennlab comments on Aug 19, 2022:

I hope they all go down in the same boat

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

Me too, but I'm a born pessimist, so I won't be holding my breath on it....

The Texas Christian Taliban are at it again.

Redheadedgammy comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Fucking bullshit! Now every other religion should demand displays of their gods or motto’s. I’m so sick of these religious nationalist assholes pushing their bullshit on everyone else. If we have one we should have them all so these flaming assholes won’t think they are so special! 😡

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@Redheadedgammy That's the whole point, isn't it? They only want religion in the public sphere if it's THEIR religion, not some other one.... and they have zero tolerance for other religions or lack of....

The Texas Christian Taliban are at it again.

Redheadedgammy comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Fucking bullshit! Now every other religion should demand displays of their gods or motto’s. I’m so sick of these religious nationalist assholes pushing their bullshit on everyone else. If we have one we should have them all so these flaming assholes won’t think they are so special! 😡

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

We need those statues of Satan and Buddah in those schools! I just hope some of the kids have the balls to vandalize those posters, but I'm sure those schools have more cameras than you can shake a stick at and they will expel anyone who tried it, as well as prosecute them,.....

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@AlbertSchepis Thanks again, and yes, he doesn't know me at all. If I were the asshole he claims that I am, I would not have had my 22 year relationship with my late wife, the last six years of which were spent looking after her and watching in horror as she lost who she was and then died of dementia. It was my only LTR, leaving me one for one on successful LTRs, and I will put my relationship track record up against anybody else's on here. So who is he to bash me as an asshole who deserves to be alone the rest of my life due to supposedly only my fault? I doubt he would have stayed by my wife and supported her thru her dementia, besides always being faithful to her our whole relationship, if he had been in my shoes...

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@AlbertSchepis Did you also notice how he got MsHoliday to join in the piling on and bashing me? You nailed it on his tactics and goals, and she is a bitch to have piled on with him against me. I haven't blocked her yet, but only because she hasn't replied to my justified confrontation of her. She is a perfect example of the sisterhood on here that love to male-bash and blame all men for the bad behavior of other women in the dating game. I wish most women on here would have the honesty and guts to stand up to her and her kind, supporting me, instead of staying silent on the sidelines or joining with guys like creative51 in the bashing of men like me who share honestly about the dating game. It really is a gender double standard here on Agnostic, because nobody has ever seen me reflexively defending my whole gender when a woman would post about guys being assholes in the dating game. No, if anything, I would almost always agree and sympathize with them, believing them and accepting them as honest and credible. So why can't most women do the same on here? My guess is that they instead prefer a very selective, self-serving view of feminism in which past injustices by some men deserve to be avenged by present harsh treatment and unsympathetic/unsupportive treatment of all men to get even for it. And that kind of revenging against a whole gender, including strangers who have never done anything personally to them, or, for all they know, never personally done wrong to any woman, is not fair or right, and just plain stinks. Or I could be reading too much into why so many women on here seem to have this negative attitude towards most men, and rather than some twisted form of feminism, it may be simple misandry, as racocn8 has suggested in the past.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@MyTVC15 No, if we lose our democracy it will be because the Dem Party betrayed, sold out, and abandoned the working and middle class long ago in favor of their corporate donors, which set the stage for Trump's election to the White House, and then his followers staging an insurrection that he got away with, because the Dems wouldn't play hardball to nail him for it. They are the ones to blame, not progressives who supported Bernie, as I know that if Bernie had been nominated, he would have won in 2016, and the working class would have returned to supporting the Dem Party, and Trump would have faded into history. There has been tons of evidence that if Bernie had been nominated either time, that many working class voters would have voted for him, instead of Trump, if they had been offered the choice, but since they didn't have it, they went with Trump since he at least was willing to lie to them and appeal to their working class grievances regarding the economy, while neither Hillary nor Biden did appeal to their grievances or have any credibility with them. The Dem Party leaders, the corporate Dems in congress, and the Dem Party loyalists will be to blame for losing our democracy, not the progressives, as the former groups are who made it possible for Trump to win the working class white voters away from the Dem Party, who they used to support before Trump and esp. before the 90s...

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Testing my 10 image limit.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles I agree with all of them, they say it beautifully how we are lied to and filled with bullshit about the Dems and how America has been brainwashed regarding progressive pols.

The 'blasphemy' of Beth Moore crushing on Jesus because of grapes

Beowulfsfriend comments on Aug 19, 2022:

All I have to say, for what ever reason....... "She's a witch! Burn her! She turned me into a newt."

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

"Then why don't you look like a newt?" " I got better.."...

I’m scratching my head on this one.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Finally an answer. We're just not good enough.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@Apunzelle Like Sticks always said, regarding men and women, it goes both ways... But in this case, it does prove that the odds and stats, overall, really favor single women over single men these days, esp, in the upper ages like mine, until you get to the 70s or older, where there begins to be more of an even ratio of single women to men in the dating game. And overall, men will always outnumber women in the population of singles wanting to date and partner, because in general men are much more dependent on dating relationships to be happy, and more interested in dating than women, esp. when they reach 50 yo.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Finally an answer. We're just not good enough.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

That is the bitter truth these days. So many single women in my and your age group, esp., have given up on dating and relationships, dropping out of the dating game, for various reasons. That leaves those women left, esp. in the 50- 70 age group, having the pick of the litter. So if those women are at least average looking, 6s and 7s, they can be very picky and get away with it, still having plenty of men to choose from, while men in those age groups who are 5s and even 6s in looks, have way too much competition, so their options are either settling for dating 4s and 5s, or just sitting on the sidelines being passed up, not because they have poor relationship skills, etc., but because they simply don't stack up against the competition, by being rich or good-looking enough. The bottom line ends up being that most of the actual online dating ends up being between women who are 6s and 7s dating the men who are 8s and 9s in looks, getting used for sex and not being able to land any of those men, who are not interested in long term relationships anyway, and then, after being dumped by the men and spoiled by the sex with great-looking men, they return to the single life unwilling to ever settle for an average-looking man again for dating. And so the average looking men sit alone waiting for matches that never come. I can only imagine who bad it is for the below average-looking men and women, as their only hope is for the opposite sex singles to lower their standards enough to date someone a couple points below them, which almost never happens...

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

BDair comments on Aug 19, 2022:

There is little chance that Biden will survive his current term without serious cognitive issues. There is almost no chance the DNC will run him in 2024.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@MyTVC15 I'm not a Dem, I'm a proud socialist who has gotten sick of having no representation in DC and being told for decades to hold my nose, be patient, and wait for the right time, which never seems to arrive, for the Dems to change and do the right thing for the masses, while being vote shamed into voting Blue No Matter Who. Fuck the Dem Party, it needs to be blown up. I am not a Repub sympathizer, as I hate both major parties equally. The Dem Party needs to die and be replaced, as it will never change the way it needs to. I see the big picture, way more than the Dem apologists and party loyalists, who can't see or don't care, how their party has moved to the right of even Nixon. And the Dems have been hurting the country for decades, starting with the Clintons, not us progressives. None of this is conspiracy theories, these are simply facts, that you don't want to hear...

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles, @MyTVC15 Bernie was way ahead of Biden before the SC primary and he was polling better against Trump too, compared to Biden. But then Obama got on the phone to all the other Dem candidates, got them all to drop out and throw their support to Biden, except for Warren, who stayed in until after SC's primary to make sure she kneecapped Bernie there, and also Covid hit and that shut down all campaigning for the rest of the primaries. If Warren had not sold out and done the right thing as a true progressive, instead of a fake one, she would have dropped out then too, and threw her supporters to Bernie, but she didn't, so Biden then became the front runner over Bernie, but only because of the collusion of Warren, Obama, and the DNC all working together to screw Bernie over again. Biden's candidacy was dead after the Iowa primary, but then all the above parties conspired by the time of the SC primary to rig it so he got the nomination over Bernie. Jim Clyburn was also instrumental in smearing Bernie, along with the corporate media, to imply Bernie was racist and to persuade black voters to support Biden over Bernie in the last set of primaries before Biden became the front runner. If Warren had dropped out earlier and Bernie picked up just her supporters, he would have creamed Biden in the primary race.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles That really is all they have these days, campaigning on the slogan of "We're not the Repubs", rather than on substantive policy differences on economic, foreign policy, or health care, environmental, military, or tax policy.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

BDair comments on Aug 19, 2022:

There is little chance that Biden will survive his current term without serious cognitive issues. There is almost no chance the DNC will run him in 2024.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@MyTVC15 People from the left have been talking about Biden's dementia long before the right wing pundits did. Are you going to accuse them of being pawns or dupes of the right wing?

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

DenoPenno comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Since the VP choice is up to the Biden Team I'm not going to waste time or energy trying to convince anyone that the choice should be anyone else. What's the point? As time goes on I find more and more that people want to believe that if the election winner was not their choice then an instant ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@DenoPenno The problem is that both parties, deep down underneath all the culture wars and identity politics, serve the same donor class, but on the surface too many people see the major parties as being way different, when they really aren't on the deeper level. I will not go into what's wrong with Harris as far as her background when she was AG of California, that would be a whole discussion in itself. I fully agree with your last few sentences.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles So true. Both times Bernie ran, he polled better against Trump than any of the Dems running then. In fact, those polls always showed him beating Trump in a two man race. I have no doubt he would have beat Trump both times, so your point is proven, as far as I'm concerned. The liberals I know who keep saying Bernie would have lost the general election seem to keep ignoring this fact.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles They could have, but they didn't...

Online dating app story.

MsHoliday comments on Aug 15, 2022:

So, did you out him?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@MsHoliday I don't agree. Bad behavior is bad behavior, regardless of marital status. Yes, she does have the right to change her mind about who to date, but she didn't have to lie to him with a lame excuse. She was being a douche, just like him. I see you are just another member of the sisterhood that excuses all bad behavior by women in the dating game. Reply to me and I will block you. I've had enough of your double standard, hypocritical bullshit and male bashing on this site. You also posted a laugh emoji and an attaboy to someone on a thread here recently for them trolling me and bashing me, so I already know you are one of my haters on here.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

DenoPenno comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Since the VP choice is up to the Biden Team I'm not going to waste time or energy trying to convince anyone that the choice should be anyone else. What's the point? As time goes on I find more and more that people want to believe that if the election winner was not their choice then an instant ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@DenoPenno It's supposed to be, but there are always loopholes to end up spending it on other things and personal use. Besides, the campaign finance laws have been mostly gutted by the Citizens United SC decision and even before, they have not been enforced that much anyway, certainly not much after that decision.. The bigger point is, that even if the Dems lose the presidential election in two years, which they will, and also lose control of both houses in congress by then, as I also think they will, all those Dems in congress will still mostly have their congressional seats and perks, even as the minority party. And their kids will still go to Ivy League schools, and the Dem pols and their kids will still have access to all those cushy jobs in government, the corporate world, think tanks, and careers as lobbyists after they leave office. So who cares if they are out of power in DC? They certainly don't, because they will still be on the gravy train, with their kids, for years to come, as the people they have served, their donors, will take good care of them and their kids after they leave office and reward them for all their favors while in congress. All those later rewards for them and their kids, are contingent on them serving the agenda of their campaign donors and preventing any kind of progressive legislation or policy by the party. That is the real purpose these days of the Dem Party in DC, to prevent progressive legislation and policy while serving as the fake opposition party to the Repubs.. All the culture wars shit and identity politics is just a distraction from their real purpose and agenda. That is true with both major parties.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

BDair comments on Aug 19, 2022:

There is little chance that Biden will survive his current term without serious cognitive issues. There is almost no chance the DNC will run him in 2024.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles His decline is pretty fucking obvious from the way he does fewer actual press conferences than Trump, as far as actually taking and answering ?s. He can read off a teleprompter, but he can't think and answer ?s he is not expecting, so that's why they protect him from it. Frankly, I'm amazed he's made it this far into his term, as the dementia was apparent to me during the primaries, but it's likely they didn't put him on the heavy duty dementia meds until after he won the election.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles The Dems have not run a progressive for prez since 1972. Much has changed since then and the surveys of voters that only look at policies, not labels or political parties, show most Americans are way to the left of the Dems in what policies they support. So how the hell can anyone honestly say that a progressive like Bernie could not win? They can't because it's never been tried since 1972 and the media keeps saying he can't win just because they don't want him as prez and so they beat it into people's heads until it becomes conventional wisdom, etc. Yet, he still remains the most popular pol in America most of the time. What does that say? To me, it says that people really don't care about the socialist label on him and that the media is lying to serve their own agenda. The only way to prove he can't win is to actually try it and see what happens. Hell, I think he could have won in the past as a third party candidate if he had done so and been able to get into the presidential debates, even tho the corporate media would have done everything possible to defeat him in a general election. I wish that any liberal who says Bernie wouldn't have won the last two times, really needs to read Chomsky's book Manufacturing Consent. They might learn something about how the corporate media, the Dem Party, and public opinion actually work in America and then they would maybe wake up and realize they have been deluded and lied to by and about the Dem Party and Bernie's viability as a prez candidate. But they will never even read the fucking book in the first place, because they prefer to keep their delusions and dismiss anything by Chomsky or any other radical, as too radical for them to be credible, etc. So they prove, in their own way, that liberals can be just as tunnel-visioned and deluded as Trumpers...

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

BDair comments on Aug 19, 2022:

There is little chance that Biden will survive his current term without serious cognitive issues. There is almost no chance the DNC will run him in 2024.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@WilliamCharles And once they take him off that program, if they ever do, he will decline much more rapidly. I know, my late wife had dementia and I learned a lot about all kinds of dementia from that experience. If you put someone on anti dementia drugs, the drugs only slow the symptoms and effects of the dementia, but the disease still progresses inside their brain, and if you take them off the drugs, their brain turns to mush really fast. and they die fairly soon after.

Former Trump Press Secretary’s Sister Launching Dating App for MAGAs Former Trump Press ...

MyTVC15 comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Does that mean that the rest of the dating sites will be MAGA free????

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@MyTVC15 I am glad you have those standards on men and politics. Frankly, I am starting to get so cynical that I wouldn't doubt that there are some liberal women who would still date a guy who was a Trump supporter, as long as he seemed compatible in most other ways and was hot enough looking. I am starting to believe that women in my dating pool who are 6s and 7s in looks are becoming or have become out of my league for online dating, since there are so many more men than women in my local Match dating pool. And as a result of that, the women in that above group for looks are probably only ending up dating the men who are 8s and 9s in looks, thinking the guys will stay with them and want a relationship with them, when the reality is, those guys are only using them for sex and then moving on to the next woman in their level of looks. Or maybe it might even be that those women aren't really after a long term relationship, despite most of them saying so in their profiles, and they are very content to just have some fun and enjoy some great sex for a while with these men. Either way, it leaves average looking guys like me out of luck and on the sidelines most of the time, unless we settle for only dating women who are 4s and 5s in looks. And round and round it goes... I have even heard there are studies that have validated this trend of the women in that group chasing the great-looking men, getting used and then spoiled by the great sex, then ending up with no long term relationship and becoming lonely and unhappy, because they will no longer settle for an average looking man after the studs. Guess they can only blame themselves... It's a sad and vicious game...

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Biden only ran reluctantly in 2020. And with his record of accomplishments he can retire with honor. Hopefully he will endorse Gavin Newsom as his successor. Not that I don't think Harris couldn't do the job; I'm sure she could. But getting her elected might be a stretch. And the stakes are so ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

Trust me man, you care way more about winning fed elections than the DNC or the party ever will....

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The video clip was edited to make her look bad. I can identify at least two cuts in the tape, the first more obvious than the second. So much for the veracity of Sky News.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

@puff Harris is a liability for them, but they really don't care, since, as I said above, winning elections are beside the point to the DNC. She serves a purpose as an identity politics symbol for the party, but that's it.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

DenoPenno comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Since the VP choice is up to the Biden Team I'm not going to waste time or energy trying to convince anyone that the choice should be anyone else. What's the point? As time goes on I find more and more that people want to believe that if the election winner was not their choice then an instant ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

I think the Dems will lose the presidential race in two years, no matter what, and deservedly so. We could have had Bernie for two terms, but they never allowed it, so they deserve to be out of power again, not that they really care about that. Ever since the DLC was established, all they have cared about since in fed elections is just about raking in all the corporate campaign money they can get. Winning elections is beside the point to them.

If Biden runs again in 2024, will he keep Kamala Harris as his running mate?

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 19, 2022:

Biden's only purpose was to kneecap Bernie after the young lions all crashed and burned. Establishment Dems proved they would rather lose with a corporate Dem than win with a progressive. They could have locked up the engaged youth vote for years to come. Instead they shat the bed with Biden. I ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 19, 2022:

I wish more so-called liberals would wake up to the reality of what you say about the Dems. I am so fucking sick of their self-serving denial of it simply because they either can't stomach the idea of socialism or because they are too goddamn selfish to ever support socialism, thinking that it would somehow prevent them or their kids from becoming rich someday. But the young people have woke up to this scam and do not trust the Dems at all to do anything for them, after they saw how Bernie really supported things that would benefit them and inspired lots of support for him among young people, then he was defeated and they saw how Biden had no interest in helping them like Bernie would. So the party has probably lost the young people for at least the foreseeable future. They will just give up and sit out elections. And who can honestly blame them for not voting blue?

Former Trump Press Secretary’s Sister Launching Dating App for MAGAs Former Trump Press ...

MyTVC15 comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Does that mean that the rest of the dating sites will be MAGA free????

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Well, we can only hope, but I won't hold my breath. In my local dating pool, I don't see them as competition, since I would never date any of the women who would want them. I've heard from a lot of women on Match in my local dating pool that they run across a lot of them, but they see those guys as mostly an annoyance, and reject them out of hand. So if the ones in my area did move to that site, it would save some women a lot of annoyance, but otherwise, nothing would change.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Nice to see I'm not getting the usual male-bashing, blame on me personally for my dating woes, and the other shit I would always see in discussions like these from Deb57, Gwendolyn 2018, and other women on here. Finally, the truth about how online dating is way more stacked against men finally is ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle I don't agree with Millenial bashing either, but I have had some bashing from them towards Boomers in general or even me for being a Boomer, but not on here. I understand and agree with their bashing of my generation in general, because it's mostly true, esp. about the older Boomers, most of whom had it pretty good in their youth and adulthood, and as a group, most of them did sell out and vote selfishly and foolishly for Reagan and other Repubs, after leaving behind the counterculture and hippie trends. But I never did sell out or start voting for Repubs or even corporate Dems. So I have always been on the right side and that of the underdog and the masses, not my own self interest. So while my generation may have been guilty of screwing over the Millenials, esp. the Boomers who got into politics or running corporations, individually my hands are clean and I accept no blame for my generation.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Nice to see I'm not getting the usual male-bashing, blame on me personally for my dating woes, and the other shit I would always see in discussions like these from Deb57, Gwendolyn 2018, and other women on here. Finally, the truth about how online dating is way more stacked against men finally is ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle A big part of why it's not happening here this time is that, by now, there are blocks on the site between me and Deb57, along with some other people, mostly women, who would bash and blame me in the past whenever I honestly shared about my dating woes and talked about the bad behavior and attitudes of women I encountered in online dating. Some people just can't either stand to hear bad behavior on the part of their gender or else they enjoy blaming the victim. Those members here that would bash me are no longer able to see my comments here, so they haven't flocked to the thread to bash and blame me.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u True, that would be getting off topic.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u Philosophy and introspection? Sounds like what a wise old guy long ago told me was more like, " Hi-ho fuckaround". But I get your point and appreciate your concern and support.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u I get your point and I am grateful that I was lucky once, but based on my family genetics, I may live another 25 years or so, and I want to be lucky again, so to speak, rather than go it alone. My father was only widowed for the last six years of his life, after my mother died. He seemed to be ok with that, but my stretch looks to be a lot longer, and frankly, I feel emotionally unable to face that prospect of being alone for the rest of it. I will likely kill myself before being alone that long. These last five years have been tough enough emotionally... I hope you find the kind of woman you want and have the relationship with her you have been seeking..

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u Nope, I only need or want the woman to share at least some of my interests, and vice versa. My late wife and I shared most of the same interests, but by no means all. She had friends she would share some of her interests with that I didn't have and vice versa for me with my friends. I have never supported that whole joined-at-the-hip type of relationship, and that is not what my marriage was. And even if a country music-loving woman could go hear that music with other people instead of me, it would likely eventually become a source of conflict and resentment on her part, for me not going with her. I would rather avoid that whole prospect, since music is really big to me. My late wife would go to some concerts without me, of music she liked and I didn't, with friends of hers. But she was an unusually open-minded and tolerant person, who didn't grow up around here, where country music is so ingrained in the mainstream culture and social life. So most women who love country music would really resent you not sharing that with them and going with them to hear it. To them, it would be akin to refusing to visit their family with them. And I would gladly date someone who was moderately religious and tolerant enough to be ok with my being Agnostic, but practically speaking, based on my experience with online dating and my local dating pool, women who are strongly religious are very rarely willing to accept dating a man who isn't religious, no matter how open-minded and accepting he is of them. It just doesn't happen and it would rarely ever work out. And those strongly religious women have little incentive or need to be tolerant or open-minded about religious differences, when they have so many other men to choose from that match them on religion.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u Yes I would run away, because I promise you that the woman would insist on me going with her at least some of the time to country music concerts, and I would refuse to do it, so it would become a big conflict. Same with her almost surely wanting to play country music in the car or the house when I am with her. And I can't fucking stand hearing that kind of music whenever I have any choice in the matter. You may not realize that music is way more important to me than it is to you or even most people. It is my biggest passion in life. And I hate country music not only for the nasal singing voices as well as the twang in the instruments and voices, but also for the culture and values that most of the songs promote, regardless of what values or culture the woman herself might share with me. Most of them promote redneck culture as well as droning on and on about the superiority of rural life, which I find really boring and annoying, glorifying mindless drinking, bashing higher education and anything intellectual or politically liberal, etc., since I strongly disagree with those viewpoints. I just find the music offensive, not only for its style, but what it promotes, at least in my mind. It's like asking a black person to be comfortable with watching a movie promoting the Klan...

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u I have only a couple dealbreakers on my end, or, as you would say, fucks that I give, regarding dating. I won't date a woman who is a big country music fan, or a conservative, or a daily smoker. I think those are reasonable dealbreakers, and like everyone else, I want someone who is physically attractive, at least to me. But even tho those are my only big dealbreakers or expectations in dating, I have little success in my local dating pool, more because of the three dealbreakers that the vast majority (about 80%, I have found) of the women in it have. Namely, that men need to be religious, have kids, and drink moderately or more, so the man will fit in with the drinking habits of the woman and her friends. How is one supposed to find someone compatible going up against those three dealbreakers, no matter how open-minded and tolerant I am about those differences between the women and me?

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The 62% stat sure seems correct to me, as I have tested my local dating pool on Match by making up a dummy female profile with similar traits to mine, and then doing a search on the site. I found that there were two to three men on the site for every woman on the site in my age group and local area....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle I noticed from your profile that you live on the east coast, and I think that makes a ton of difference, socially and culturally. My Iowa farm-raised women, as most of them are, are much more conservative and traditional-minded about dating and meeting men. And are thus much less likely to feel comfortable with meeting men in the grocery store or live music concert and feel safe and comfortable about meeting and getting to know the man thru that and proceeding on from there.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

Castlepaloma comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Men are thing oriented Women are people oriented The rest is 95% luck.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Very broad generalizations, but there is some truth in it.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The 62% stat sure seems correct to me, as I have tested my local dating pool on Match by making up a dummy female profile with similar traits to mine, and then doing a search on the site. I found that there were two to three men on the site for every woman on the site in my age group and local area....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle Agreed, some times it truly does feel that way, like there's no way to win with the dating pool that is there in my area, and with most of the women that would be my type, choosing to either avoid online dating or not being willing to give men a chance who approach them in public. Maybe I'm being too stubborn, maybe not, but I am not willing to join a Christian church and fake it to meet single women, nor am I willing to volunteer, start working again, or join a bunch of groups just to seek out these women who are only comfortable meeting men thru friends, work, or church, and who are unwilling to use dating sites. There are probably not that many out there anyway, and it would likely end up being a lot of wasted time, doing things that I would not enjoy, just in the hope that I would be in the right place at the right time when the right woman just happened to show up there. And even then, I would have to make the first move, in my local social environment, and then risk getting shot down in front of others. Frankly, all of that kind of stuff has made me very unsympathetic to women who refuse to join dating sites and yet, at the same time, they bitch about how they can't meet any good men or the right kind of men thru their organic networks for dating. They have no idea how good they have it compared to what men like me must go thru in trying to meet someone compatible, esp. since in my local area, men are expected to make the first move all the time, whether on dating sites or in public. Who wants to make all that effort for so little chance of success?

Just a thought, Bernie Madoff defrauded an estimated 65 billion from clients who he told would make ...

BDair comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Madoff swindled the other white collar criminals, and they did not like that.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Austin-Cambridge Thanks.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The 62% stat sure seems correct to me, as I have tested my local dating pool on Match by making up a dummy female profile with similar traits to mine, and then doing a search on the site. I found that there were two to three men on the site for every woman on the site in my age group and local area....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle Thanks, but no thanks. I don't cook and am not going to go trolling for single women at grocery stores, like in some TV sitcom. I really doubt it would work in my area, since even when I used to approach women at live music concerts, in bars, parks, or wineries where the bands would play, chat them up, and even give them my card with my contact info, nobody would ever offer to give me their number or call me back, because, as some of the women would admit later when I ran into them again, that they just aren't that comfortable with meeting men in public like that who are strangers, and then contacting them by phone or the men calling them, to go from there. These were all women who said they were single, BTW, but they also would say they aren't willing to use dating sites. Women from bigger cities or outside the Midwest are probably more comfortable with meeting men at music events like that, but that does me no good with the women here who are more traditional and conservative about that stuff. So how the hell are they supposed to meet single men? Well, they seemed to be saying they were pretty much willing to leave it up to fate and either meeting men thru friends, church, or work. So that eliminates me from the networks they meet single men thru. No wonder I can't find anyone compatible from Match, because the women who seem to be my type, from liking the same music as me, are never going to end up on a dating site and I am not part of any of their networks that they are comfortable meeting men from, such as Christian churches. As for approaching women at music events, which I won't do anymore, or meeting them at grocery stores, I don't enjoy public embarrassment, and if I'm going to get it, I would rather suffer it privately thru online dating sites than publicly get shot down.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Geez, the article was little more than a blurb. You're right, Druvious, this was embarrassing for something in a magazine.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Thanks for posting the full text of it, but I did read the whole article, and it still seemed more of a blurb than something of substance or depth.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle I think the points you make in your comment are very sound, regarding both unrealistic expectations and non-negotiables, which I call dealbreakers, as well as preferences, which include age, distance, and looks.

Just a thought, Bernie Madoff defrauded an estimated 65 billion from clients who he told would make ...

BDair comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Madoff swindled the other white collar criminals, and they did not like that.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Yup, his sin was swindling other rich people instead of poor people, and the former is intolerable to the ruling class, so he got the book thrown at him, while fleecing poor people is customary with capitalism, so there is usually no penalty or punishment for it. So this double standard would suggest that Trump is also very unlikely to ever see prison for his crimes of fleecing his gullible followers.

Now that we are approaching the possible demise of Agnostic.

Theresa_N comments on Aug 18, 2022:

I say all of us of a progressive bent and agnostic or atheist set another place to congregate, hopefully advertisement free. I won't sign up for facebook unless I absolutely have to.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

There is already a FB group for people from here, but it is run by a woman who was banned from here and she is a power-mad dictator. So I would appreciate an alternative to her group on FB. She already banned me from her group, with no notification or explanation to me on her part.

Some of the best news in almost six years has come out in the last couple of weeks. 🙂

rainmanjr comments on Aug 17, 2022:

Forward Party might be the answer for Liz-type Cons and Dems who want new ideas. Hopefully that's a sizeable enough population to make The Party Of Death lose, consistently, until they die off (ultimately). Choke the beast.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Not sure I trust Yang enough to vote that way. Seems way too centrist for me.

Now that we are approaching the possible demise of Agnostic.

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 17, 2022:

I was promised a Thousand Year Reich!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

I believe Trump was under the same delusion, that he would rule the US for a thousand years...

Another story is about someone who I had met a few years ago on a dating app.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 16, 2022:

I wouldn't count on it. Once people leave this site, it's usually for good, since they realize that local dating options don't exist, and they usually come here, at least initially, for dating. If they don't decide to stay, after that, for the community, they aren't coming back. I suggest you stick ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

@Rickulous Sounds like a plan. If she made level 8, she clearly stayed for a while and participated a lot, but if she's been gone for over a year, I would still doubt she will return. Because for some time now, the site has no longer been sending out e-mails to members notifying them of someone messaging them. So unless she decides on her own to visit the site again, she will never see your message to her.

Lost password

TheMiddleWay comments on Aug 15, 2022:

Admin, like Elvis, has left the building. Don't get attached to this site because once Admin fails to pay the bills, the lights will be turned off with no warning nor acknowledgment for the time and dedication WE"VE put into this site. Though this is nothing new in social media: As it has ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

Won't miss you, but you're already blocked for me, except for here and General Forum. The admin. owes you nothing, since the site was always free of charge and we have been mooching off his dime all the way. When the site goes poof, I won't be surprised and have already collected phone numbers of a few members to stay in touch with them after it goes away.

Former Trump Press Secretary’s Sister Launching Dating App for MAGAs Former Trump Press ...

glennlab comments on Aug 15, 2022:

If it's invite only, where are they going to find their singles, unless it's like Sugar Daddies. Where the ladies are pros and the men are whatever as long as they can foot the bill.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

Probably better to just visit prostitutes, saves time and probably cheaper...

Online dating app story.

MsHoliday comments on Aug 15, 2022:

So, did you out him?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 16, 2022:

What about outing her, for the dishonest game player she is? You appear to act like only men behave badly in the dating game and deserve to be "outed" for such behavior. What about the woman in ? that the OP mentioned? Seems more than a bit hypocritical and discriminatory to me...

Online dating app story.

MsHoliday comments on Aug 15, 2022:

So, did you out him?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 16, 2022:

@Rickulous Sounds like the two of them might deserve each other...

Former Trump Press Secretary’s Sister Launching Dating App for MAGAs Former Trump Press ...

mcgeo52 comments on Aug 15, 2022:

Good to know about this resource should I ever decide to date outside my species.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 15, 2022:

Sorry to tell her, I only date humans.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:

I don’t believe it’s appropriate or honorable to terminate anyone from a group just because they have the power to do so, especially if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@p-nullifidian He says he was unable to read your comment you posted here today, so, after seeing your reply to me, I must assume that he blocked you.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:

I don’t believe it’s appropriate or honorable to terminate anyone from a group just because they have the power to do so, especially if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

Apparently there is a block between you and Garban, so he was not able to read your comment agreeing with me here. I'm curious if you blocked him or he blocked you. You may answer me here or in a PM.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

Garban comments on Jun 4, 2022:

Is the purpose of your post reconciliation or sympathy?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@Garban I think you should mind your own business regarding the health of others that are not your friend or soliciting your opinions on their health. As for the other guy I mentioned who commented here today on this thread, his name is p-nullifidian. and he agreed with me, saying he didn't think it was appropriate or honorable to terminate someone from a group just because the mod has the power to do so, esp. if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification for terminating them. Just because you don't like hearing what I have to say, does not make me unhealthy in any way. You have a pretty closed mind on some stuff, Garban. Either block me or keep your opinions on me to yourself, unless you just enjoy being a trolling asshole.. Maybe the other guy blocked you for good reason, as you were possibly trolling him while pretending to be a nice guy.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

Garban comments on Jun 4, 2022:

Is the purpose of your post reconciliation or sympathy?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@Garban It's two months old, but the other guy commented today. You gonna tell him to move on too? I'll do what I want, dwell or not dwell. What do you care, since your whole attitude is, "Shit happens, why care?". I wouldn't say I feel victimized, just pissed off that to this day, the group mods have absolute power to do whatever they want regarding their groups. I hate abuses of power, and continue to get pissed about it, whether it's here at this site or in DC with our well-paid whores in congress. You either continue to care about fairness or you don't, Garban. And you appear to have taken the jaded view that none of it matters anymore, so you may as well be consistent about it and not post any comments about corruption or unfairness in politics, since in your mindset, none of it matters, just par for the course, and inevitable, unpreventable, so why care or comment? You're not my fucking partner or my therapist, so I don't need your advice on what's healthy, nor do I care. I don't give a damn one way or another if you talk to Paula about it. It's also interesting that you don't address any of my arguments about your hypocrisy concerning unfairness.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

Garban comments on Jun 4, 2022:

Is the purpose of your post reconciliation or sympathy?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@Garban So if someone screws you over, can we expect that you'll just quietly suck it up and never take any action or speak up to assert your rights? I doubt it. I bet if you ever got screwed over, or had someone steal from you, you'd be contacting the cops immediately or maybe seeking a lawyer to sue them, rather than telling yourself, " There's a lot of unfair going on, etc.". I know the situations may not always be equivalent, but the principle still stands. You seeking action against someone, or standing up for your rights, would then make you a hypocrite, based on what you said in this discussion.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:

I don’t believe it’s appropriate or honorable to terminate anyone from a group just because they have the power to do so, especially if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

Thank you! Finally, someone else is ready to admit that doing so is petty and an abuse of their power. And for the record, her blocking of me was for an argument that was in a forum outside of that group and it had nothing to do with my participation in the group, as the group's discussions were all about politics, a topic on which she and I always agreed. The fact is, she couldn't stand the idea of letting me participate any longer in her group after she had personally blocked me on this site. Maybe the admin. should have considered that before giving moderators the power to terminate anyone from their groups for any reason, since not everybody is honorable or ethical enough to not abuse the power given to them. Instead, and more likely, by that time the admin. had decided he wanted out of having to moderate so much of the site and was merely glad to hand off the responsibility to the group mods, regardless of how they handled their duties. At least you have the guts to take a stand when you see something unfair happen on this site. The vast majority here are either too scared of conflict or flack from other members or else so cynical and jaded that they merely roll their eyes and say, " Well, shit happens and the world is unfair, so I'm content to passively observe it and approve of it by staying neutral on it", like Garban below here. I see that as a cop-out, not taking a stand is tacitly approving and supporting unfairness and people abusing their power.

Is a dress code banning "Satanism" a form of religious discrimination? - YouTube

KKGator comments on Aug 13, 2022:

Most of these school boards aren't populated with intelligent people.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 13, 2022:

Ideally, school boards should be an equal mix of parents and people who are either current teachers or retired teachers, so that way you get a balance of both people with kids who are outside the school system and people who have been inside the school system.

Here is an interesting question (probably asked by an American person) and a few Brits responded.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 11, 2022:

I wish the US was much more like the UK in these ways. It sounds so much more sensible and civilized.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 11, 2022:

@Ryo1 Well, we can always hope, but I won't count on it.

Who was it, Donald. Hilarious ad by Lincoln Project!!!!!! [youtube.com]

Beowulfsfriend comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The only thing they got wrong....... "Your father would be ashamed." That cretin would have only been ashamed that Donny got caught.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 11, 2022:

That is true of all Repubs, the only shame they ever feel is about getting caught at their misdeeds and crimes. That is why Nixon was treated as a disgrace and erased from the memory of the GOP, not for what he did, but because he got caught and was punished by having to resign. If Nixon had gotten away with everything, he would still be celebrated and treated as a hero in the GOP.

I went on a date with a Christian.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 9, 2022:

For those of you keeping score at home, SeaGreenEyes got tired of picking on me, and leaving Sofabeast curiously unaddressed, in our long argument. She never answered any of my ?s to her about what her own dating preferences or dealbreakers might be, if she were still interested in being in the ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 11, 2022:

@Ryo1 So easy to say, when you're not the one getting trolled. I'll give it more weight when it comes from someone willing to stand up for me. Seems like nowadays nobody has the guts to do that on here.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 I'm done feeding the troll.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@BitFlipper Depends, if this were some kind of caring and supportive community, it would be helpful, but this group, as a whole, is anything but that. Hence, that is why we no longer see open, honest sharing on it from the members. Everything shared about dating has to either be all positive, sunny, etc. or else funny and silly, because anything else simply won't be accepted or supported by the community that is still left here. So much for community and connection. It's like living in my critical, toxic family that I grew up with. The idea of this still being a healthy, caring or connected community is a sick joke.. So before the OP tells me to leave, I'll just say that I won't, because I don't want to give you the satisfaction of it. And there are no grounds you can get me banned on, even if the admin. were still around and wanting to get involved in that sort of thing.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@BitFlipper Thank you, Dave, for admitting what I have been saying. I have been sharing those kinds of things here and you can see how I have been bashed for it, mainly by women, because they simply don't want to admit that kind of behavior happens with their fellow members of the sisterhood, so to speak. And then besides them, we get male assholes like this guy, who simply enjoy feeling superior to other guys and putting them down too, just for the fun of it, I suppose.

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 FU, no translation needed, in English.... Nobody is taking a side with either of us, so you may as well drop it, you're not impressing me or anybody else here.

Simmering Threats of Violence Dominate GOP Circles Over FBI Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’ Right-wing ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Aug 10, 2022:

These fools may try to organize here and there, then the police and Feds will move in and arrest them all for sedition. These Rambo morons are so delusional!!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

I wish you were right, but I have little confidence the feds and cops, esp. the cops, will actually end up doing that. There are too many sympathizers, or even MAGA members, in those two groups.

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 Boring, try not repeating yourself..

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 Give it a rest, you sarcastic asshole.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

Do you agree that the hostile and critical reception that people get here on the boards, esp. if they are men, and dare to share anything that is not humorous or silly, has ruined honest and open discussion about dating here?

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 I won't, but you can look this up from The Simpsons......" Get bent"...

I went on a date with a Christian.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 9, 2022:

BTW, you ended up with a duplicate post. Might want to delete one of them.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@Sofabeast It's the site's system, it happens a lot, by accident. The person posting it is the only one who can remove the duplicate post, because the admin, had been gone for a long time, and they won't remove them, so the poster needs to clean up the mess, so to speak, these days.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

linxminx comments on Aug 9, 2022:

I started teaching back in 1989, high school level. Every football coach I know and worked with led the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the team. Converting the football players to christianity has been happening for years, so this is nothing new, except maybe they are flaunting their ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Not just high schools, but also colleges and publicly funded universities.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

GrooshStar comments on Aug 9, 2022:

And they call everybody else "groomers". They are the ones doing the grooming. I'm their own mind it's ok though, because it's for christianity.🤢🤮

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@GrooshStar No worries, I make embarrassing typos all the time, both on this site and in messaging with people on Match.com and FB. That is why I do my best to go back over everything I write, even after I send or post it, and try to find and correct any typos. There always seem to be some, no matter how careful I am the first time I write them. Maybe I just try to type too fast, that's why I prefer face to face or voice communication.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

Sorcha comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Try that in the neighborhood where I teach. We have a huge Muslim population.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Do many of them play American style football? Now that would be funny to watch him pull that bullshit there... If it was a soccer coach, he would be up the creek, since all the best players around there are probably Muslim kids. Unless, of course, he didn't care at all about winning. And some high school coaches don't....

‘Hamilton’ Team Protests After Church Production Adds Christian Themes

The-Krzyz comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Jeez, people: Write you own darn musical, if you have to, but don’t “cheapen our currency” with your propaganda. Sheer opportunism.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@Beowulfsfriend I get that, but even organizations doing parodies need to pay royalties and get permission to perform something like that. I know, because a local theater group here in Iowa did a musical parody of A Chorus Line, in which the writer and lyricist used songs from the former musical with new lyrics, satirizing the Iowa Democratic political caucuses in 2020. And the group couldn't even videotape it and put it on You Tube, without getting sued, because the rights holders wouldn't allow that. And they did have to pay royalties, even tho they only used some of the songs from the original.

And SeaGreenEyes just blocked me, after attacking me on a thread about dating and what issues, ...

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Sometimes it’s good to step back, and just breath for a little while. Come back after a few hours or days and ask yourself, “how could I have handled this better?”

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Think what you like, I have no regrets... I am fine with it, if I wasn't, I might have blocked her, but I never did, so maybe it's more about her...

Any update on when activation emails will back online?

skado comments on Jul 25, 2022:

I don’t have “inside information” but I have been here since near the beginning, and it appears to me that this site has been, for most practical purposes, abandoned by its originator to run mostly on automatic. I don’t expect to see activation emails return. And I don’t know that they ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

True. I just come back, log onto the site and see what alerts are waiting for me.

‘Hamilton’ Team Protests After Church Production Adds Christian Themes

The-Krzyz comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Jeez, people: Write you own darn musical, if you have to, but don’t “cheapen our currency” with your propaganda. Sheer opportunism.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Some might call it censorship or being overly-controlling, but I think the creator of a theater work deserves to have some control over how their work is performed, and if the changes made are drastic enough to defame the spirit and message of the work, then the creator, or whoever controls the rights to it, are justified in taking action against the violator by suing them or prohibiting performance of the work, under pain of lawsuit if they defy that order. You shouldn't be able to just pay a royalty fee, mangle up the copyrighted work any way you want to, and then perform it under the same name as the original work. Because doing so would be sort of like throwing all the civil law about defamation out the window.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

GrooshStar comments on Aug 9, 2022:

And they call everybody else "groomers". They are the ones doing the grooming. I'm their own mind it's ok though, because it's for christianity.🤢🤮

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

No shit. It's ok to be a pedophile coach, as long as you're part of their tribe and identify as a Christian, even if the label is just a front or pose. I think you meant to say, "I'm sure in their own mind.....".

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez And yet you say nothing about Sofabeast feeling the same way about country music and dating..... You level all the criticism at me and are too chickenshit or whatever, to take him on as well.... I don't judge, label, and attack you, just for feeling different about country music and my dating preferences, I just ask for the same treatment from you. Why don't you try dating a Trumper? Or someone who is a cop that is also a right winger and opposed to civil rights or colored people? Or are you too close-minded, by your standards, to be able to handle that?

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez I don't want to debate you either, and I won't, but you seem to want to debate me. You have the right to your opinion, but you have no right to tell me what to think about my music tastes. Music is very important to me, maybe not to you, but it's my life, not yours, and you are not the person who would have to live with hearing music you hate as part of the relationship deal or have to settle and try to make it work in a miserable situation. I notice how you never responded to my examples of other reasonable and common dealbreakers most people would have in the dating game, so instead you just resort to name-calling and labeling, calling me close-minded, etc., and implying I am a hypocrite. My friends all agree with me on this and most of them, unlike you, apparently, feel music is very important to them and they too would not date someone with very different tastes in music. And also, all of my longtime friends here in Iowa hate country music just as much as I do, even if that makes us outliers here. So quit hating on me and acting like I am some mentally ill freak. It's also interesting that the OP, sofabeast, has the same dealbreaker and hatred of the genre, regarding country music, yet you don't go attacking and labeling him.... Is it something personal you have with me, SGE, or is it you lack the guts to go after him too? As I have said before, the only three things I am not so open-minded about on dating, are country music, politics, and smoking. And the fact is there are plenty of people out there in the online dating game who are just as selective about who they will date regarding those three issues, if not a few or several other issues as well. So how dare you label me as so extreme when you are not out there in the game and with any recent knowledge of what is common and what is not regarding online dating and the existence of dealbreakers among singles? I am done with you now. I won't block you, because we do agree on politics and you do post some good stuff on that. But knock off the judgement and criticism of my dating choices, because you don't seem to have the guts to date anymore, much less post any of your recent experiences with dating here, unlike me, and open yourself to the judgement and criticism of others about it, so STFU! I've lived in Iowa my whole fucking life, where country music has always been omnipresent, and I've always hated it. I can't get away from it at karaoke shows here, so I am always being exposed to it over the last 30 years, even as you say it has changed, morphed, and it has always sucked, in my ears, in fact, it's been getting worse with the new things of bro country and the popularity of Toby Keith and all the other redneck, racist, and nationalistic country songs that spew the same ...

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez I think you are misinterpreting my position on country music. I am willing to date someone who simply likes country music, but not someone who only likes it or likes it way more than any other genre. Because someone with that kind of musical taste would not only want me to go with them to country music concerts, which I never would, they would also want to play country music in the home or car when with me, and I simply can't stand that genre. So it would never work, same as dating a conservative. Politics and music are just too important to me, so neither type of difference would work, dating a conservative or a country music lover. And I honestly don't think I am alone in feeling that way regarding music and politics as it concerns compatibility for dating or a relationship. I like several genres of music, and country is the only kind I just can't stand. In fact, I like about all other kinds, except maybe hard core rap. Opera and classical I can take or leave, and for those last two I would be fine going to a concert sometimes. Would you expect a liberal to date someone who watches Fox News all the time? Someone who is childless and not interested in kids to date someone who is very family-oriented and wants to visit their kids and grandkids with the guy a couple times a week? Someone who is a non-smoker to date a daily smoker? We all have some dealbreakers, and music just happens to be my biggest passion in life, so dating a country music lover would be unworkable. Now that I have clarified things some more, I am interested in your reply.

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez Amazing that it wasn't an issue for either of you. I wish I could find someone so open-minded and tolerant among the Christian and Catholic women in my dating pool, tho of course, they would also have to be compatible on all the other stuff. A tough combination to find.

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@Sofabeast Trust me, the country music dealbreaker makes me way more undateable here than where you live. My state is in the middle of the heartland of America, where country music is king and the state fair, which starts this week, is dominated by country music for all the entertainment during the fair. The only part of the country where I would be more undateable is the South, where country music is about all the music at most nightclubs or bars, except for in the larger cities. The three dealbreakers, on the women's end of the matching, on which I am fairly open-minded and tolerant, for what little that is worth, are that they only want family men with kids (I am childfree by choice), guys who are religious, and men who drink moderately or more (I am a non-drinker).

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

I totally agree. I wish more women in my dating pool thought like you. They appear to be so damned demanding and picky, requiring the man to be completely like them in all respects, more like a male clone of them rather than a partner. I can honestly say I am not nearly that demanding, since I only have three dealbreakers on my end: No conservatives, no country music fans, and no daily smokers. Everything else has some wiggle room and flexibility on my part, which I think is way more reasonable and open-minded than most of the women I encounter in my online local dating pool.

Has anyone else's manual dexterity started to go?

BitFlipper comments on Aug 8, 2022:

Miraculously, I'm 69 and can still type almost as fast as people talk.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

My typing speed is still ok, using my laptop keyboard, but if I tried to use a smartphone and try to learn how to text with my thumbs, it would be a disaster. I am way too clumsy to type with my thumbs and the keys on a phone are way too small for me. So I'll stick to my laptop for internet and use the much larger keys. I need to either communicate using voice on a phone or on the laptop by typing. This is why I really have no motivation to get and use a smartphone. I would rather just use a tracphone and make voice phone calls when I'm away from home. And as far as using a smartphone to look up stuff away from home, like locations of stores or directions when going somewhere, I can look up that stuff before leaving the vast majority of the time or get directions from someone else. Which is very rare, unless I'm far from home and in a strange city.