Religion without belief — Most Japanese reject religious belief while embracing multiple forms ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 1, 2022:

I think it is possible to enjoy religious, or secular, rituals without believing or adopting the religion associated with them. Rituals by themselves can involve only some sort of mental discipline or meditation, without any religious or spiritual belief. I have known so many Unitarians who are Atheists that still love things like yoga, tai chi, or Buddhist meditation. All of those are about mental or physical discipline and ritual, without needing to get into any religion or belief..

Mo Brooks Says Guns Needed in Case Government Ever Turns 'Dictatorial'

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 1, 2022:

Most attempts? Shit, how many left wing attempts can anybody name? And don't count the 60s radical groups, because they were not interested in a dictatorship, they wanted some sort of socialist democracy. Hell, the main radical group was even called Students For A Democratic Society... To my knowledge, all the movements toward a dictatorship in the US have come from the right, including the coup attempt that was plotted against FDR, that very few Americans seem to know about... or Nixon's plan during Watergate to hold onto power with a military coup...

A really sad group. Sorry they have to be associated with him.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 31, 2022:

Need to remember there are lots of centrist, corporate Dems that are just as spineless, except when it comes to serving their corporate donors.... or supporting tax cuts, or military spending, or unneccessary wars or fascist laws like the Patriot Act or the NDAA...... it goes on and on.......

Looks are not deceiving

TomMcGiverin comments on May 31, 2022:

Yeah, but she owns the libs and is so hot-looking, that she's the right wing male's wet dream... Kind of a blonde, stupider, trashier version of Sarah Palin...

Mo Brooks Says Guns Needed in Case Government Ever Turns 'Dictatorial'

TomMcGiverin comments on May 31, 2022:

First off, we already have a fascist government that is run by corporations and an oligarchy, it's just that most Americans are too blind and brainwashed to see it, and most of the rest of the public is either demoralized and has given up on democracy and even on voting. The minority of Americans who are gun nuts and right wing fascists think they will be able to win a civil war against the cops and the military, but they are wrong to think they could win an actual serious war with the authorities, because they would still be outgunned and defeated by superior communications and organization. But what I'm more afraid of, is that the right wing militia types will not need to win such a civil war, all they would need to do is to start one and show they were serious and determined to win it, followed by mass defections and then support, or at least neutrality, by all or most members of the police and military. If that happens, it won't matter after that if most Americans still want elections or don't support the right wingers cause. We will be occupied and elections will no longer happen. And the majority of Americans left under hostile occupation will be unarmed and unsupported by the remaining cops and military. Game over for good.

From our Role Reversal Department:

TomMcGiverin comments on May 31, 2022:

I guess this is an appropriate post for this forum category, as it falls under the abusive relationships between pols and most of their constituents...

Damn they got his description down pat.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 31, 2022:

He is a gold-plated asshole. If he or De Santis get elected prez, I may re-think my position on political assassinations.

Another one of my posts from Facebook, covering some of the most revulsive bible verses .

TomMcGiverin comments on May 30, 2022:

Same way women who were too outspoken or exercised any of their power were burned as witches back in colonial days of the US. Both this and the OP's other post about slavery are about the use of the Bible for social control of groups the rulers wanted to oppress.

THIS, is the essence of Capitalism...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 30, 2022:

The tragedy is, it works, and always has. Capitalism has always benefited from racism, that's why Marx called racism something based on "false consciousness", rather than an authentic sense of class consciousness.

Sorry, I'm on a tear this morning.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 30, 2022:

First off, I agree with your attitude. We are all individuals, in each gender. Hard as it is to do, with all the rejection and disappointment that teaches us in the dating game to be wary of red flags and negative patterns in dating and messaging behavior with online dating, we still need to approach each new person with a clean slate and not project or hold the bad behavior of others in their gender against them when we connect with a new person on a dating site. As for someone saying they "know how to treat" all potential dating partners of that gender, etc., that kind of statement is overly smug and arrogant because not only are they claiming something without first providing you any proof of its being true, at best it only means they have learned how to treat a limited number of people "right" or "well" prior to you. Personally, I would never believe myself to be an expert on how to treat women as dating partners or mates, since my experience is so limited, having had only one long term relationship. I got that one right and I was lucky that I found a great match for me in a dating pool that is now largely incompatible with me. I have enough humility to realize that I beat the odds in finding her and am sad that it may not happen again in my life with someone else. She died and I am widowed at a bad age in a bad dating pool for me. I learned how to make it work with one unique woman and hope I get that chance again. At best, I do believe that I know how to treat most women, at least the ones that are compatible with me, better than most other men, mainly because I am one for one on successful LTRs in my relationship history (rather than a history of divorce or several failed LTRs), but that doesn't count for much in the dating game, as first of all, women connecting with me on a dating site have only my word on that, and secondly, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, with both men and women, looks matter way more than character or personality, or relationship history or relationship skills, in who people choose to actually meet and get to know from a dating site, And if you continually get polite replies from people on dating sites, but they choose to bench you and just trade messages with you while instead choosing to meet other people that are their first round picks for meeting in person and dating, it won't matter how great a person you are or how well you do relationships if your looks are too average or unimpressive to get chosen for meeting and actually spending time together. Because only meeting and spending time with someone will give you the chance to actually impress them with your inner qualities. Round and round it goes....

For the extreme gothic enthusiasts.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 30, 2022:

For me, any color will do, as long as it's soft enough...

Just in case you wanted to know what "Olly olly oxen free" meant. [en.wikipedia.org]

TomMcGiverin comments on May 30, 2022:

Not exactly one of the burning ?s in my mind...

Reading so much on this site, I have become interested in why a culture of fear and hate seems to be...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 29, 2022:

It's probably no accident that theocracy and capitalism go hand in hand. I think that in the US, religion is used and promoted by the capitalist ruling class to discourage the people from ever thinking of supporting socialism or revolting against the system here. It's a distraction against class warfare and class consciousness among the peasants and it also encourages obedience to authority, which also comes in handy to the ruling class and the system here.

How DISGUSTING! And out there right now, is some girl saying, "Yes! Oh course I'll go with ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 28, 2022:

If the poster of the thing is named publicly and they get death threats, I will not feel sorry for them. They better hope nobody comes after them... That is just really sick, hateful shit... Just wait and see, if the kid gets death threats or his family is harassed, the kid's parents will go public and issue a fake apology on TV, not because they are sorry or think he did anything wrong, but just to stop the harassment. That is the standard practice when those kind of folks get what's coming to them...

I was communicating with a guy from a dating site.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 28, 2022:

Sounds like the guy is more than a bit thin-skinned and defensive, all red flags... I don't mind or resent the ?s at all, and am glad to give an honest answer, since anything else is not only unethical to me, but will not change the outcome later of the woman rejecting me for being deceitful. My only beef is how many women reject men for what seems to me to be a foolish reason regarding social status in their working life. But classism is as American as apple pie and baseball and people do have their right to reject others for dating based on their own standards, foolish and unfair or otherwise.

I was communicating with a guy from a dating site.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 28, 2022:

As Bugs Bunny used to say, "What a maroon...". Now you've got me curious what his unusual username was.... As for the ? about his work before retiring, I get asked that ? most of the time by women on Match, since I don't list anything about that in my profile. Some of the women, like you, are asking it out of idle curiosity, while others are very serious about wanting to know what I did for work or a career before retiring. The latter group always end up rejecting me, usually very soon after I give them an honest answer, which I always do, because they are what I and my therapist call " status seekers", in other words, they will only date a man who has had, by their standards, a "successful" career in something white collar, high income, and high social status. Not that any of that should really matter at my age, as long as I have enough money to be able to travel and afford to pay my own way for the kind of entertainment and meals they would like to share, etc. No, the real reason these women are so hung up on the man having had the "right', high status career, is so he can be bragged about to their friends and family as a good catch and also fit in with her friends and family socially and status-wise. And, after eliminating lots of good men who are on the same level as them financially, and probably compatible in all other important ways, these women wonder why they are still unhappy and alone... In my mind, someone who is overly concerned with finding a high status partner is just setting themselves up for grief, because a large % of men who are high status with their careers, carry with them a lot of arrogance and selfishness, because of their high status in society, and they tend to not make very good partners when it comes to compromising in a relationship or treating their partner as an equal, being faithful and loyal, etc.. When you choose to date mainly or only the alpha male, don't expect to be treated very respectfully by most of them...

Alert for Twitter Users: Calling MTG a skanky whore will get you suspended. That is all.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 27, 2022:

Well, in a court of law, the truth is always a viable defense, not so much with social media bannings. I don't do Twitter, and on FB I limit my insults to other members, not public figures, so I've never been sanctioned, not that it would bother me. I'm not that active on FB, mostly just use it for messaging other members who are friends, and following the local karaoke show listings, as well as the Unitarian church I have some connection to.

Arizona lawmaker Rick Gray: Atheism caused the shooting in Uvalde

TomMcGiverin comments on May 27, 2022:

What an ignorant, deceitful ass!

Don't know if this is real or not.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 27, 2022:

Sounds like the folks being harassed by the Abbott rep need to have guns and tell Abbott and his goons to bring it on. You will always have the law on your side, esp. in Texas, to defend yourself and your property.. Should have cellphone videoed this asshole while he was saying these things and then delivered it it the local media..

PSA - SNL - YouTube

TomMcGiverin comments on May 26, 2022:

I'm afraid it is true, and it explains a lot. The one part I differ with, is that I am always willing and glad to confront the stupid and point out their stupidity. I know some people might call that being mean, but it helps give my life purpose, and I enjoy it, so there! However, I am quite a minority in that respect, here in the Midwest, where Iowa Nice and enforced politeness are seen as mandatory, but I say, shove that! The stupid don't deserve to stay ignorant and blissfully comfortable with their stupidity. The mentally-challenged are a whole other story, and I do give them a pass. They are pretty easy to differentiate from the simply stupid. Besides the stupid being unable to get sarcasm, it's also clearly apparent that most Americans are too dense to even get nuance either...

Nothing can be done to prevent school shootings, but somehow this is the only country that has such ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

No shit.

Whoever gives aid and comfort to the enemy IS the enemy.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

No shit. By protecting those assholes, I consider the Repubs to be traitors to our country, as least when it comes to the welfare and security of the masses.

If we don't grapple with our bloody past, our future will look just like our bloody present.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

I have little doubt things will only get worse during the rest of my life, unless the masses wake up and start voting third party in fed elections to get us out of the corruption of the duopoly. And even then, if by some miracle, the majority of eligible voters did that, and managed to elect an honest, responsive federal government without the elections being either fixed by the major parties or ignored and overturned by the military in a coup or military crackdown, I don't know that the damage could still be undone. I therefore have no optimism about the future for peasants like us, whether it be on climate change, our corrupt government, or how we are treated by the rich and corporations.

'Most Responsible Kitten In The World' Found Watching Over Orphaned Litter | HuffPost Impact

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

Binx is a little black angel..

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

I've always pictured God, if there was one, as a cruel jokester, who created, sat back, and let humans be an ongoing experiment..

Many people (the vast majority IMO) are intellectual misers when it comes to political issues.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

The slave of tribal allegiances indeed. No wonder so many mindlessly vote for their tribe no matter how corrupt or deceitful their leaders are, and how they cheer for their tribe the same way as fans of a sports team...

Many people (the vast majority IMO) are intellectual misers when it comes to political issues.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

There are exceptions. I am very much a member of the progressive left, but I have little patience or support for most PC stuff, simply because I don't also support censorship and I see how PC is used not only as a weapon by people who easily take offense to any criticism or disagreement with them, but is also used as a way to distract or substitute for fighting for or supporting economic equality or reform. I hate how the Dem Party is always substituting PC and identity politics for actually fighting any class warfare for the masses, and most voters are too stupid to see thru that, continuing to vote blue no matter how much the Dems sell them out on economic issues.

Sorry about the dick pics.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

Of course, few of these conservatives would be willing to adopt a non-white child after the man was snipped, unless they went to China for a baby.

Perdue Ends GA Gov. Campaign With Racist Remark Against Stacey Abrams

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

Typical Repub, sore losers when they lose, arrogant, classless assholes when they win... They sneer, smirk, and snicker at the idea of winning or losing with class and dignity....

The same people who are always screaming about big government and insisting that the markets will ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 24, 2022:

And they're also the same hypocritical shitheads who say " Government should be run like a business"...

That's a sign I would stand behind.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 24, 2022:

Somebody buy that young man a meal in reward....

Tennessee to make key aspect of homelessness a felony.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 24, 2022:

Don't you think that is their intent all along? To return to the old days of workhouses for the poor and slave labor in all the prisons? Private prisons are already very profitable, so why not squeeze even more profit out of the poor and incarcerated? We peons have no other value or use for them, esp. ones who are too broke to spend as consumers. The dirty secret is the ruling class doesn't even need most of us as consumers anymore, because the top 15% of Americans in wealth spend enough to maintain corporate America's profits and revenue. The rest of us are no longer really required, as workers or consumers. So they would prefer us dead, esp. if we think of making any trouble for them by protesting or not cooperating with the system.

WTAF?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 24, 2022:

If they think God is in charge and can handle everything, then why do they think they need all their guns? Sounds more like they put their faith in the NRA and their guns than in their God....

15 dead in yet another mass shooting.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 24, 2022:

Nowadays the conservatives are so sick they don't even bother with the whole fake Thoughts And Prayers bullshit anymore. They are arrogant enough to not even fake sympathy or shame anymore no matter what they encourage..

Southern Baptist Convention leaders mishandled sexual abuse allegations, report says - CNN

TomMcGiverin comments on May 23, 2022:

Southern evangelical good old boys who hate women. So, what else is new?

New Rule: Along for the Pride | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

TomMcGiverin comments on May 23, 2022:

I'm so sick of liberals focusing on culture war stuff to the exclusion of any real effort to fighting class warfare against the rich and corporations, because doing so ensures that the working class will never side with people like me and instead will side with the theocrats. And that is how we will continue to lose not only elections but any coming civil war over the cultural issues, instead of the revolution, violent or peaceful, that we have been needing for decades, against the rich and corporations that run our government.

New Rule: Along for the Pride | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

TomMcGiverin comments on May 23, 2022:

So many truths...

Southern Baptist Convention leaders mishandled sexual abuse allegations, report says - CNN

TomMcGiverin comments on May 23, 2022:

And to think everyone thought this problem was limited to the Catholic priests....

I ditched my job as a priest to become a porn star at 83 - why I believe sex brings you closer to ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 23, 2022:

That is just too funny....

Who remembers "The George Carlin Show?" [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on May 22, 2022:

I do remember it and I watched some episodes of it. Stand up comedy was better suited to his talents and sense of humor than acting and the sitcom format.

I'm not anti union but I wish the discussion were about regulating employers and having a staffed ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 21, 2022:

I'm not surprised. Having a union at a workplace only gives the potential of better treatment, pay, and benefits for workers, it does not ensure it by itself. I worked a little over five years in a job that was represented by a public employees union, at a university, and while the union got us great contracts for pay and benefits, etc., it proved to be toothless when it came to mistreatment by management, including blatant favoritism of an employee who was a kiss ass and favorite of one of the supervisors. Nobody in management was scared of the union when it came to how they treated the employees represented by the union.

You think the West really cares about Ukrainian citizens?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 21, 2022:

I don't agree with you on much, but I do agree that every weapon used on people in other countries by our military eventually is used or will be used back home on its peasants who dare to dissent and protest. To the oligarchs here, we are all expendable, even if it means there is no one left to pick their cotton, so to speak, or be their personal servants.

@duchessa1 has blocked me after replying to a comment I made.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 21, 2022:

I know who you're talking about, and I have had that happen to me countless times on here. I wouldn't fuss about it. I block lots of members at the end of an exchange with them, but I usually post a comment saying that I blocked them, just so the observers understand why I can't see the other person's comments anymore and why I'm not engaging with them anymore.

Waiter! Bring me food! [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on May 21, 2022:

Impatient and greedy! Cats probably shouldn't get people food that often, but some of them would even eat lasagna...

Judge halts Christian-only prayer at Parkersburg (WV) City Council meetings

TomMcGiverin comments on May 20, 2022:

I can relate to this. In my city, the senior center used to say the Pledge Of Alligience once a week before everybody began eating their lunch. I always boycotted it and started eating, while refusing to stand like the other people. Also, every day they would have a Moment Of Silence before they ate, same thing, I boycotted that and began eating. Obviously the latter ritual used to be a moment of prayer before somebody bitched about it being religious so they changed it, but the ritual involved somebody saying sort of a blessing type of statement, so they weren't fooling anyone with the minimal change. I loved all the scorn I got for my stance, but these people need to move on and get out of the 1950s, even if that is when they were young and where they arrested emotionally, mentally, and culturally.

"the god of hot will never be woke" [whyevolutionistrue.com]

TomMcGiverin comments on May 20, 2022:

Good essay. I agree with all of it. We can't help who we are attracted to or not. The point is to still be kind and respectful to those we aren't, at least until they begin acting like an asshole or revealing that they are one. And I wholeheartedly agree with how the writer argues that no amount of PC garbage is going to change the fact that some people are born with more or less amounts of objective beauty and that those differences exist in the human population. And I particularly liked the line about how people who think that being significantly overweight is normal, need to get out of the US more, as I look around and am disturbed by how overweight most people are in my local area. I'm not saying everyone should look like the models, but clearly it seems like the majority of people in the rest of the developed world average healthier weights than Americans overall... And it's also true, that most women are not attracted the sensitive, woke, average-looking men in a social situation when there are other, hotter-looking men there who are not woke or sensitive, etc.. Well, maybe the minority of women there who are sapisexual, but nobody else.

Sorry about the dick pics.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 16, 2022:

I'm not a woman, but they all seem and look equally repulsive to me, and I agree, that we need more regulations of men's dicks, esp. if we are going to regulate women's bodies. How many of you are in favor of say, mandatory vasectomies for all men over a certain age? That might help things a bit in our over population and women having unwanted pregnancies. I might support it, since couples over a certain age could always adopt if they insisted on having kids in their families and the man is already snipped. And by the same token, they could just use a sperm donor and have the woman artificially inseminated. How would that be any less fair and reasonable than forcing all women to give birth to their fetuses?

I’ve pretty much been single since my ex wife wandered off in 2009.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 16, 2022:

You need to keep an eye out for making duplicate posts, man. You ended up posting this three times. Need to delete the other two copies, maybe...

I am not a cyclist or a vegan, but I spent the afternoon at a brewery with both types.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 16, 2022:

You run into lots of them around breweries here, most of them are both types. And frankly, some of them can be pretty arrogant and snobby. Personally, I think a lot of these rec cyclists look pretty silly in their full biking gear, trying to look like participants in the Tour De France.....

I just deactivated my Match account with about two weeks to go.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 15, 2022:

As far as being a "leftover", I am guessing, until I hear from you, that you are referring to another member saying sometime ago that everyone on dating sites is like an item in a thrift store, leftover items that are sometimes great bargains, etc, but are usually untaken because there is something wrong, unattractive, or the person has issues that make them unsuitable for a healthy, working relationship. I can say that those labels and perceptions are probably true a lot of the time for people who are never married or divorced, because there are usually good reasons for people ending up in those categories. But people who are widowed, and have not been on the market for very many years after that, are probably more often than not, to be considered "bargains", or more likely to be more suitable or qualified to be good partners for a relationship that will work. Of course, that depends on the widowed person being done with their grieving and actually interested in trying again. I may be speaking out of personal bias, but I can't see how someone who has been widowed only a few years or even several years, and is genuinely ready and interested in another relationship, while attempting to meet people, is a "leftover" in the same sense as a never married or divorced person, because those people were clearly either passed up or rejected by someone, thru divorce, or by lots of people, in the case of the never married. And also, in my mind, if someone has reached their late middle age and never married or had any sort of significant live in relationship, that tells me that they probably have issues about commitment or being capable of doing a relationship well.

I just deactivated my Match account with about two weeks to go.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 14, 2022:

Do you mind saying your age? I can relate, as for the last two months on Match I was getting zero results from all the messages I was sending out to new women. But in the last couple days I connected with two women who seem like decent or good prospects to meet. So, it has always been feast or famine with online dating. I have a friend who is 71 and she too feels she may be too old for Match or really any dating site, so she just stays on there, but keeps her expectations really low. I do feel that after a certain age most people either give up and drop out from it or else they get treated as leftovers or undateable simply because they are still on the market at that age and haven't been taken. It sucks and is so unfair, esp. to people like me who are not taken more because we don't fit the local dating pool rather than being defective or dysfunctional. But people make their judgements anyway, no matter how irrational or prejudiced they may be. I think that traveling, if you are ok with going without a partner, is a great idea for older singles. Sometime the trips can be arranged where they have a singles group on there or otherwise, I have heard you can find trips thru Elderhostel or some group in your area to go with.

Hi! It’s been a while since I posted or commented— I got tied up with work and am in a ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 14, 2022:

Congrats! Goodness knows there is an overwhelming need out there for therapists and therapy, sexual or otherwise.

Hello 👋 heathens (my favourite people in the world 🥂 😆) what is your fave time of day?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 14, 2022:

Night time.

If budgets are moral documents, what does the US budget say about ours?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 14, 2022:

Because the MIC is the biggest lobbying group in our federal political system and war is very profitable, at least for an elite number of people in America. Providing for the basic needs of kids, or any other age group of Americans, is not profitable, in fact it would require the rich to pay more in taxes, which they have no interest in doing. Only a socialist type of government would put the needs of its citizens ahead of the military budget, and that ain't the American way...

I ended up indirectly blocking @FrayedBear by reporting him for a private message he seems to have ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 12, 2022:

Blocked him long ago. He's a troll and an asshole that is not worth ever engaging with. He will eventually become so isolated on this site that he will have no one to interact with except those who think exactly like him, if even them...

Their just aren't simple answers to complex questions no matte what you would like to believe

TomMcGiverin comments on May 12, 2022:

We all need to remember, tho, that half the people, logically, have IQs below 100 or average. They aren't as smart as most of us, as it appears that most people on Agnostic appear to be above average in intelligence, at least in my eyes, even most of the assholes on here. So no wonder we all feel superior in our thinking compared to most Americans....

Republican Tom Reed resigns from Congress

TomMcGiverin comments on May 12, 2022:

True, but the party difference is that the Repubs usually protect and rally around their sexual abusers, while the Dems usually condemn theirs and force them to resign. Which always leaves me wondering why so many women still vote for Rebubs. I guess they must be in denial, think it could never happen to them or their daughters, etc., or maybe they are just so cold-hearted they don't care about victims.

Comedian Steve hofstetter is my answer to George Carlin.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 11, 2022:

He is very quick-witted and smart, that's why he is so good with the hecklers. That is probably his best part of his comedy. He's almost as funny with them as Jordan Keppler is on The Daily Show where he shreds the idiot MAGA people at Trump rallies with most of them having no idea how idiotic he makes them look.

A rural Kansas town voted to remove "In God We Trust" from police cars

TomMcGiverin comments on May 10, 2022:

Sounds like the Bible thumpers will unite and try to get this reversed.

Idaho lieutenant governor wants harshest US abortion ban

TomMcGiverin comments on May 9, 2022:

They are the strangest creatures of the right wing. No empathy or sense of solidarity. They either want to be men or they think they are the same as men...

Mister stayed out all night Saturday night doing cat stuff.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 9, 2022:

Poor kitty's all partied out, just like hoomans...

Sorry to inform all of Sassygirl3869 friends that she had passed away on May 1st, 2022 the ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 8, 2022:

I am sad to hear that. I liked her and have missed her on this site.

And so it begins … the first stage of Canada opening its doors to Americans fleeing a ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 8, 2022:

Well of course. The Handmaid's Tale was written by a Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, and in the novel Americans, esp. women of childbearing age, were fleeing to Canada for freedom, the same as runaway slaves from the South before the Civil War. It's not much different, being a slave or a woman treated as a breeding mare by the state, you cannot be free in any state or nation that controls your body.

George Carlin

TomMcGiverin comments on May 8, 2022:

Duplicate post, Vicky.

Indiana Republican Wins Primary Despite Being Jailed on Murder Charges - Rolling Stone

TomMcGiverin comments on May 8, 2022:

Only in hick states like IN can a wife-beater or wife murderer get elected to office.. Unfortunately, Iowa isn't much better.

Anyone who says the Supreme Court is not a political institution is supremely deluded.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

You can probably count Roberts in there with the other five, but they won't need his vote anyway to abolish Roe.

This is funny...and I'm from the area that he represents--couldn't move away fast enough.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

I've always said that with those puritanical Repubs, behind closed doors, their kink is usually way more twisted than the Dems... BTW, Larimar, is MO really that much of an improvement on IN?

My wife asked if she could have a little peace and quiet while she cooked dinner.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

I used to regularly do that when my wife cooked in our old house, since the alarm would always go off if smoke built up in the kitchen.

Liberals are not looking to dominate anybody. We just want fair treatment for EVERYBODY.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

No shit. But conservatives feel they should be able to dominate over everyone else and that equality or even trying to achieve it is wrong, silly, and unpatriotic. And they try to justify their viewpoint with religion and a bogus argument that Social Darwinism is the natural order of things.

Here are two more.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

Because they would rather have all that than a socialist like Bernie in power. Also don't forget to credit Barry The Liar (Obama) for his role in making sure Bernie never got nominated either time.

With capitalism, all things are for sale . . . . even the TRUTH!

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

So, what else is new?

If Republicans have their way,...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

Yup, queer and transgender people are the next targets, followed by interracial marriage. The goal is make marriage only between straight folks of the same race and to return women to before they could vote or have any other rights, like owning property, having credit, etc. Reproductive rights is the first crucial step to returning women to the property of men or maximum dependence on men.

Maybe being guilty of murder doesn't disqualify you from holding office when you are a republican?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

There is no shame anymore among Repubs. You don't need to qualify as any kind of decent human being anymore to get their votes...

They never said they would never change the law...so did they really lie?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 7, 2022:

Ever since Robert Bork got rejected for the court, the Repub nominees for the court have just gone ahead and lied in the confirmation hearings about their views. Since none of them ever suffered consequences for it, and the Dems kept confirming them, why should they stop doing it? The whole confirmation hearing process is a sick joke. The nominees lie, the senators posture and sometimes lie too. The whole thing should just be done without a hearing and just be a straight vote, since the senators already have ample opportunity to talk to and investigate the nominees before they vote on them. The hearings are a waste of time and the public would have more respect for the process if they just had the vote without them.

Has a Christian ever said any of these frustratingly dumb things to you?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 6, 2022:

The only time in recent memory was at a bar in my town during a karaoke show. I was chatting with a couple that were being friendly to me and sitting at the next table over. I disclosed that I have been widowed for five years, and the woman said that "God has a plan for you and maybe it will include another marriage" or something to that effect. It really pissed me off, first, because she arrogantly assumed I shared her beliefs, and secondly, why should I or anyone have to be content with the plan of some deity for me to either be alone the rest of my life or have another partner? I implied to her that I don't share her religious beliefs and that I have been on Match for three years now, with no luck in finding another partner, to which she said, "Maybe God doesn't intend for you to be married again", or something like that. I told her I will make my own future as much as possible within my control and that I didn't appreciate her lack of empathy, which was probably too big or intelligent a word for her to understand or know.....

Funny how that works

TomMcGiverin comments on May 6, 2022:

That would be pretty embarrassing to them...

Mrs. Betty Bowers the best Christian. [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on May 5, 2022:

Best portrayal of a smug, self-righteous, prissy, religious bitch since Dana Carvey's Church Lady on SNL.

"I want a world where the democrats will put somebody up there worth voting for!" Lt.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 5, 2022:

Actually doing something, would be too displeasing to their donor class...

"I want a world where the democrats will put somebody up there worth voting for!" Lt.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 4, 2022:

Bless ole Frank Drebin, Leslie Nielson's dim-witted detective! I miss him, but as usual, he may be a nitwit, but he stumbles upon the truth sometimes, just the same.... Bernie is about the only person in congress who regularly speaks the truth about what's wrong, too bad he isn't really serious about radically changing anything. I lost my faith in Bernie after he gave up so easily this last time when he had Biden practically beaten and then sucked up to the Dem leadership, all for the mostly symbolic chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee, but no real power like Schumer or Pelosi in DC. We needed a third party from him a long time ago and now it's too late for that to happen and save us. As usual, the Dems are too little, too late, because who really thought they ever cared in the first place about poor or colored women and girls? I know I never thought they actually did, beyond the posturing and grandstanding of The Squad.....

Relationships are very difficult for me.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 4, 2022:

I'm a fairly empathetic person, but I honestly have nothing for you, as I just can't relate to that much difference between us regarding the BDSM and being so introverted on top of that. I wish you the best, tho I suppose living in TN doesn't help you find connection easily with compatible women.

Wish I lived that fairy tale.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 4, 2022:

It's an amusing take on the whole conflicts of the sexes thing, but fortunately reality is not so black and white as this scenario. Reality is more like, the guy went on after being rejected by the princess and he dated some other women here and there, some happily and blissfully, some not so much.... later on he got older and started feeling somewhat lonely, sad or empty that his dating relationships never worked out to any LTRs of more than a few years, and he began to worry that he might end up old and alone for the final decade or two of his life, while at the same time age had begun taking a toll on his health. He then ends up in his mid sixties, bald, and merely average looking, and realizes that he is no longer that attractive to most women and now gets almost no replies to his first messages to women on online dating sites. And then he spends the last decade or two of his life alone and wishing he had more friends or had ended up with a life partner that would still be with him at this stage. The end.... and unfortunately, I share way more of that story regarding my later life than I wish was true. I did end up with a life partner for about two decades, but then she developed dementia and died... The parts of the tale about male freedom and having more money and stuff from not being married has some truth to it, but, like the commenter below me said, there is a tradeoff and to me, that tale is not worth the end result of being alone in old age...., so, even when I was young, I tried to find a life partner thru my dating, rather than just indulging in hedonism and the Don Juan lifestyle promoted in the tale.....

The Supreme Court's Roe ruling could backfire on conservative Christians - YouTube

TomMcGiverin comments on May 4, 2022:

Of course there will be, but if the Repubs are able to restrict voting enough among colored people, it won't be enough to matter in who controls the fed government. That's been the whole plan for some time now.

Head-snapping hypocrisy 😵‍💫

TomMcGiverin comments on May 4, 2022:

When you're a Repub, you're exempt from hypocrisy...

They lied. [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on May 4, 2022:

The Republican nominees have always lied during confirmation hearings ever since Bork, so what else is new? That's why the hearings, for decades, have been nothing but a show for both parties to posture with.

Problem: the GOP/Trump Cult has hijacked our country. Solution: vote Democratic!

TomMcGiverin comments on May 3, 2022:

It's not going to happen soon enough to help those who need abortions, but my prediction, as it has been for years, is that if abortion is outlawed with this court decision, it will result in tons of women suddenly becoming one-issue voters, on the side of the Dems because of abortion. The same thing happened to the Dems with the South after civil rights laws were passed in congress. The bigger problem is that, with all the voter restriction laws being passed by Repub-controlled states that will suppress the voting of colored people, the increased votes of women for Dems may not make any difference in who controls congress or the WH... The Repubs have been preparing for this for quite some time, and the timing of the SC finally overturning Roe v. Wade is probably because they now feel they have the voting laws rigged enough that a female backlash against them will not matter enough to change who controls the federal government.

She shot a TEEN in the FACE.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 3, 2022:

I admit I have quite a temper about assholes on the road, but these days, when so many people are carrying guns and you have no idea who is and isn't among your fellow motorists, I am now very reluctant to express my anger towards other drivers. First, because I have no gun of my own in the car, and second, because even if I did, I am not willing to shoot it out with someone over their asshole driving behavior. Life is just too damned short and not worth the risk of a lethal duel.

Debate: porn does more good than harm Pre-debate poll.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 3, 2022:

My concerns with porn are two-fold. One is that it may lead to the exploitation of vulnerable people for the production of it. The other is that may sometimes lead to the user becoming so conditioned and dependent on it, that they are no longer able to function sexually with real partners in normal sexual relations. In other words, they become so conditioned to perfect, air-brushed fantasy photos and videos of their desired choice of sexual stimulants that real people and bodies no longer arouse them. While this may not end up affecting me, over time it causes real pain and suffering in the society in general as more and more people can no longer function with real people in sexual relationships. I guess that provides more job security for therapists......

"Decades of data suggest parenthood makes people unhappy"

TomMcGiverin comments on May 2, 2022:

No surprise. Having kids not only adds more stress to your life, esp. during the younger years, along with being financially costly, hence adding more stress and less freedom to your life. I made the right choice to be childless, but in my very family-oriented local dating pool, esp. among the women in my local area, it makes me practically undateable (along with being non-religious and a non-drinker), even in my early 60s, when it (having had kids or not) really shouldn't matter. Until the last few years, I have also always been too poor as an adult to afford to support kids, so there's that too.

How about we go after the exploiters instead of each other?

TomMcGiverin comments on May 2, 2022:

Because the exploiters are too rich and powerful to go after them with just small groups of us against them? To actually hold these pricks and bitches accountable and punish them, we would need a movement of tens of millions going after them. I don't see that happening in my lifetime.. But short of that, in the meantime, I would love to see some targeted assassinations of them.

She shot a TEEN in the FACE.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 2, 2022:

She should also be charged with attempted murder.

I can't keep track of everything/ everyone around here @ Agnostic.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 30, 2022:

I blocked that asshole a long time ago, but I see evidence fairly often that he is still posting comments on here. Join the club, he attacks everyone eventually...

Price fixing, monopolistic practices made them rich…

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 30, 2022:

Well duh.. We have inflation because there is no enforcement of anti-trust laws and hasn't been any for decades. So we have monopolization of most industries, therefore situations like Covid and the Ukraine war are used as excuses for price gouging by these monopolies. And our government won't do anything because they knowingly allowed this situation to happen by design with the bipartisan support for monopolies.

I do too but I work for a company that builds high speed trains, commuter trains and trams so ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 30, 2022:

That's just so anti-American (sarcasm)! Will never happen, as most Americans love their individualism and being able to drive their own cars like assholes. I never drive without running across assholes who insist on speeding, so those people will never give up their cars for public transit-too slow and boring for them- they love being in control of their vehicle and getting one over on the law by speeding and driving like the streets and highways are NASCAR, all about beating the other guy and getting there first.

GOP=Gullible Oblivious People.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 30, 2022:

They are useful idiots being used by the rich, but they are too stupid to realize it. Still, I enjoy confronting them and pointing it out to them every chance I get.. Most of the followers and voters who support them are, but not the leaders and pols in the party.

So I just got a penis enlargement.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 29, 2022:

Har-de-har-har...

Youth pastor who was "betrothed" to 14-year-old girl charged with sexual abuse

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 29, 2022:

From the look of his photo, I could see why he would have had trouble attracting a woman his own age.

My queen, my love

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 28, 2022:

Very elegant.

As a former patron and patient (as well as all of the women I dated) of Planned Parenthood, I am ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 28, 2022:

It seems that adoptive parents only want white babies, except for those that go to China for adoptions. As for which type of babies the church wants to be adopted, I suppose that makes sense that they only want kids to be raised Catholic, as far as serving their own agenda.

Once again, I've seen worse on dating sites.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 28, 2022:

From an Indiana man, I'm not surprised. Mike Pence country... And of course, his occupation is Trucker.... and he attended a private Christian school, instead of public school. And yet so many people say there is no truth in stereotypes, to which I say, bullshit, as every stereotype has tons of walking examples of them around. Which is why I hate it when PC runs amok...

Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump should have declared Marshall Tucker.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 27, 2022:

Always hated that band, as well as lots of other Southern Rock bands, almost as much as I hate country music. It's all about how those both of those genres glorify the whole redneck lifestyle and culture. I just don't want to hear about their shit...