"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 29, 2019:

Boy, do I miss her.

My post of a few days ago garnered a fair amount of commentary.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 28, 2019:

Reread my comment then. There was no such assumption in my statement.

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

What hath we wrought?

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

"My grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her home town .. a German soldier shot her dead in her bed. My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza. The present Israeli government ruthlessly and cynically exploits the continuing guilt from gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians." ~ Gerald Kaufman MP

"When you get older, plainer, saner Will you remember all the danger We came from?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Quite a story of serendipity (same way I discovered her). I was listening to an LP set on YouTube to find more stuff to link here. This song came on. Had been looking to find out who and what it was for sometime (only heard on radio once with no back announce). A lyric search didn't help cause I misheard the chorus. Turns out, LP is doing a Beyonce cover. I would have never known because I don't follow Beyonce as talented as she is. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L6X0PqIWfzQ

Does anyone want a date with me?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Would not be the pits, I'm sure.

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

“Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.” ~ Primo Levi -- Auschwitz survivor

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

MURDER (immoral and unjust killing) as COVER (diversion of focus) for THEFT (taking what is not yours) and OPPRESSION (bullying people for your own gain) is NOT *self-defense* (legitimate force for one's own protection)! It's a WAR CRIME (with no statute of limitations - one day you will be brought to justice)! ~ LanceThruster

How do you feel about people?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

As others mentioned... some at least. Alan Watts once defined 'cosmic consciousness' as "the feeling that you live people, but can't explain why." Vonnegut commenting on Twain, from: https://imagejournal.org/article/kurt-vonnegut/ "Vonnegut declared himself “a skeptic of the divinity of Christ…confirmed of my skepticism by Mark Twain in my formative years.” He then cited these words of the author as “a profoundly Christian statement, an echo of the Beatitudes:” -- When I find a well-drawn character in fiction or biography, I generally take a warm personal interest in him, for the reason that I have known him before—met him on the river…. -- “The river, of course, is life,” Vonnegut said. “Mark Twain is saying what Christ said in so many ways: that he could not help loving anyone in the midst of life.”"

"When you get older, plainer, saner Will you remember all the danger We came from?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2019:

There's also some really great interviews of her online. Will link when able.

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

"Prominent human rights advocates and scholars have argued that the killings of Palestinians and their forceful expulsion from mandate Palestine in 1948, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, and the violence and discrimination directed at Palestinians by the Israeli government have violated a number of human rights protections contained in international human rights law, genocide being among them." https://ccrjustice.org/genocide-palestinian-people-international-law-and-human-rights-perspective

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

And to those who might ascribe these views somehow to anti-Semitism, these people certainly get it. ----- : Holocaust survivors and their descendants accuse Israel of ‘genocide’ More than 300 Holocaust survivors and their descendants have condemned what they described as Israel’s 'genocide of Palestinian people' in an advert in the New York Times https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/holocaust-survivors-and-their-descendants-accuse-israel-of-genocide-9687994.html

I think im the only athiest in my entire country lol

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I think she's in the US now, but French porn actress Rebecca Lord was being interviewed (Howard Stern?) and talked about how miserable the RCC made her growing up. She was very cool and outspoken.

Yesterday at work I received a totally inappropriate compliment from a regular customer.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Not that "inappropriate" should be encouraged, but as the joke goes, the difference between flirting and harassment is if you like it.

"When you get older, plainer, saner Will you remember all the danger We came from?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H345E5F9HPE

"When you get older, plainer, saner Will you remember all the danger We came from?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

That's how I felt when I first heard this song. Luckily it was on KCSN in the car so I was able to look up the artist on their online playlist when I got home. kcsn.org They are great for online listening and have no commercials outside of inhouse promotions and acknowledging benefactor sponsorship.

Solid Chat Saturday! - The Jimmy Dore Show - YouTube

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Great show. Abby Martin is on as well.

Seems Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who was forced to resign as head of DNC for rigging primaries, is at ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

There's a line from one of the mob movies. "We didn't think of it as stealing. They were just holding what was ours in the first place." That pretty much explains our foreign policy.

Seems Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who was forced to resign as head of DNC for rigging primaries, is at ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Boy howdy! "Get some, GET Some!!"

Seems Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who was forced to resign as head of DNC for rigging primaries, is at ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

She is VILE!

What sort of horrible person threatens to kidnap someone's therapy dog?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

FYI - this is worth checking out. - Randy Credico Exclusive Tell-All with Abby Martin on Wikileaks & Roger Stone - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PCCEeK0cofs

What sort of horrible person threatens to kidnap someone's therapy dog?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Kidnap and kill, IIRC.

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

From my LanceThruster profile at Mondoweiss.com "I grew up with the conventional wisdom believing that the Israelis were the "white hats" and that the Palestinians/Arabs/Muslims were the "black hats." After 9/11, I wanted to know more about the conflict in the ME. I came to the realization that the narrative was totally one-sided. I largely credit many outstanding Jewish voices (my close friend Bernie the Attorney for one) for opening my eyes. I see on a daily basis the efforts by Zionists and their stooges to dismiss truth-tellers in the most reprehensible manner, up to and including threats of violence. Truth needs no army of thugs to establish it; only lies need enforcers."

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Bertrand Russell got it. From: http://normanfinkelstein.com/2012/12/20/bertrand-russell-on-israel-and-palestine/ Bertrand Russell on Israel and Palestine On December 20, 2012 Bertrand Russell’s Last Message By Bertrand Russell This statement on the Middle East was dated 31st January, 1970, and was read on 3rd February, the day after Bertrand Russell’s death, to an International Conference of Parliamentarians meeting in Cairo. ----- : "The latest phase of the undeclared war in the Middle East is based upon a profound miscalculation. The bombing raids deep into Egyptian territory will not persuade the civilian population to surrender, but will stiffen their resolve to resist. This is the lesson of all aerial bombardment. The Vietnamese who have endured years of American heavy bombing have responded not by capitulation but by shooting down more enemy aircraft. In 1940 my own fellow countrymen resisted Hitler’s bombing raids with unprecedented unity and determination. For this reason, the present Israeli attacks will fail in their essential purpose, but at the same time they must be condemned vigorously throughout the world. The development of the crisis in the Middle East is both dangerous and instructive. For over 20 years Israel has expanded by force of arms. After every stage in this expansion Israel has appealed to “reason” and has suggested “negotiations”. This is the traditional role of the imperial power, because it wishes to consolidate with the least difficulty what it has already taken by violence. Every new conquest becomes the new basis of the proposed negotiation from strength, which ignores the injustice of the previous aggression. The aggression committed by Israel must be condemned, not only because no state has the right to annexe foreign territory, but because every expansion is an experiment to discover how much more aggression the world will tolerate. The refugees who surround Palestine in their hundreds of thousands were described recently by the Washington journalist I.F. Stone as “the moral millstone around the neck of world Jewry.” Many of the refugees are now well into the third decade of their precarious existence in temporary settlements. The tragedy of the people of Palestine is that their country was “given” by a foreign Power to another people for the creation of a new State. The result was that many hundreds of thousands of innocent people were made permanently homeless. With every new conflict their number have increased. How much longer is the world willing to endure this spectacle of wanton cruelty? It is abundantly clear that the refugees have every right to the homeland from which they were driven, and the denial of this right is at the heart of the continuing ...

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

"As the Arabs see the Jews" by His Majesty King Abdullah, The American Magazine November, 1947 "I am especially delighted to address an American audience, for the tragic problem of Palestine will never be solved without American understanding, American sympathy, American support. So many billions of words have been written about Palestine—perhaps more than on any other subject in history—that I hesitate to add to them. Yet I am compelled to do so, for I am reluctantly convinced that the world in general, and America in particular, knows almost nothing of the true case for the Arabs. We Arabs follow, perhaps far more than you think, the press of America. We are frankly disturbed to find that for every word printed on the Arab side, a thousand are printed on the Zionist side. There are many reasons for this. You have many millions of Jewish citizens interested in this question. They are highly vocal and wise in the ways of publicity. There are few Arab citizens in America, and we are as yet unskilled in the technique of modern propaganda. The results have been alarming for us. In your press we see a horrible caricature and are told it is our true portrait. In all justice, we cannot let this pass by default." http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/kabd_eng.html

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

“We came and turned the native Arabs into tragic refugees. And still we dare to slander and malign them, to besmirch their name. Instead of being deeply ashamed of what we did and trying to undo some of the evil we committed … we justify our terrible acts and even attempt to glorify them.” — Nathan Chofshi; Russian Jewish writer who migrated to Palestine in 1908. He witnessed the expulsion of the Palestinian Arabs and wrote critically about it as late as 1959.

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

"The trick of declaring war against the armed resistance and then attacking the resisters’ unarmed kin as well as the sur­rounding population with the most gruesome products of Death-Science; this trick is not new. American Pioneers were pioneers in this too; they made it standard practice to declare war on indigenous warriors and then to murder and burn villages with only women and children in them. This is already modern war, what we know as war against civilian populations; it has also been called, more candidly, mass murder or genocide. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that the perpetrators of a Pogrom portray themselves as the victims, in the present case as victims of the Holocaust. Herman Melville noticed over a century ago, in his analysis of the metaphysics of Indian-hating, that those who made a full-time profession of hunting and murdering indigenous people of this continent always made themselves appear, even in their own eyes, as the victims of manhunts. The use the Nazis made of the International Jewish Conspiracy is better known: during all the years of atrocities defying belief, the Nazis considered themselves the victimized. It’s as if the experience of being a victim gave exemption from human solidarity, as if it gave special powers, as if it gave a license to kill." Fredy Perlman from his essay, “Anti-Semitism and the Beirut Pogrom” – http://libcom.org/library/anti-semitism-beirut-program-fredy-perlman

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

There's an author on C-SPAN3 right now who's said little to nothing to this point about Palestinians with regards to Israel (though I did break away for a bit to make lunch - recording so will rewatch). James Loeffler - "Rooted Cosmopolitans: Jews and Human Rights in the 20th Century"

Beats green ham and eggs, to be sure.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Though despite my comment in the OP, the illustration shows the ham is already green as well.

To the surviving people of Palestine; I am truly so very sorry that you, your families, your ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 26, 2019:

"If they come for the innocent without stepping over your body, cursed be your religion and your life." - Philip Berrigan

Ann Coulter continues to taunt Trump and she always gets under his skin! It'll be hilarious if he ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Will she be revising her next edition of "In Trump We Trust?" Subtitle: "E Pluribus Asshole"

I think it's time. I am heading to the hospital in a bit. Check you chumps later.?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 23, 2019:

"I met a man in Nigeria one time, an Ibo who had six hundred relatives he knew quite well. His wife had just had a baby, the best possible news in any extended family. They were going to take it to meet all its relatives, Ibos of all ages and sizes and shapes. It would even meet other babies, cousins not much older than it was. Everybody who was big enough and steady enough was going to get to hold it, cuddle it, gurgle to it, and say how pretty is was, or handsome. Wouldn’t you have loved to be that baby? I sure wish I could wave a wand, and give every one of you an extended family – make you an Ibo or a Navaho – or a Kennedy." ~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Four years ago today my dad dropped dead of a heart attack in his driveway, alone, putting away ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2019:

To all those part of my extended family, and those who have made me part of yours - thank you. Thank you most sincerely. Your words and warm wishes are undeniably comforting. Maybe more than you could possibly imagine. There is a closeness from seeing the world, and each other, through similar eyes. This is for you all. ----- "I met a man in Nigeria one time, an Ibo who had six hundred relatives he knew quite well. His wife had just had a baby, the best possible news in any extended family. They were going to take it to meet all its relatives, Ibos of all ages and sizes and shapes. It would even meet other babies, cousins not much older than it was. Everybody who was big enough and steady enough was going to get to hold it, cuddle it, gurgle to it, and say how pretty is was, or handsome. Wouldn’t you have loved to be that baby? I sure wish I could wave a wand, and give every one of you an extended family – make you an Ibo or a Navaho – or a Kennedy. " ~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Four years ago today my dad dropped dead of a heart attack in his driveway, alone, putting away ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2019:

This is what I read at my dad's memorial. It applies to all of you as well so I thought I'd include it here - --- Thank you for being here. I have attended these sorts of gatherings for others but this is the first time I have had to deal with a loss as personal as this one. My mother died before I turned two and our father raised us entirely on his own. We had sitters and live-in housekeepers while we were young, but in our later years, were ‘latch key’ kids before we even knew the term. All my good qualities are direct result of my dad and my flaws are entirely my own. He always took great joy in my successes and provided much support and comfort in the face of my many setbacks. For years I had realized that someday I would most likely face the loss of my dad, and wondered just how I would handle it. He was a wonderful father, friend and mentor, and it pains me deeply that he’s gone. But my strength also comes from him and is part of me. He was a man full of love - for me; my brother and sister, and everyone he came in contact with. He loved you all whether he met you or not because he knew that as my friends, you also looked out for me, and shared that love in your friendship. You could get an idea of who my dad was by his sisters and brothers and friends. They were funny and outgoing like he was. I remember how much he and my aunts and uncles made me laugh when they’d get together, and always felt close to those other members of my family. I would also like to thank his wife Kathy for the happiness she brought my dad all these years, and for bringing our two families together. It is a great comfort to know how much he was loved by you and all of your family. He was happy to learn that I was quoted recently in a book by my friend from the University of Texas. It read - “I see a pattern where the randomness of human actions can be directed through probability for an overall cumulative and positive effect. All throughout our society there is a butterfly effect that we are most always oblivious to…I guess my message is to go boldly forth and increase the peace and love and know you are not alone. You may not always be aware of the others choosing to follow this same path as you, but they’re out there, and they’re making a difference.” I thank you all for being part of that ripple effect. That simple act of looking out for each other is perhaps the most meaningful way to honor him, and it would bring him much joy to know that you lived your lives making a difference. Thank you all for making a difference in my life.

My godless Facebook friend is dying.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Thank you everyone for your warm and thoughtful comments. I did not upvote them individually as I was afraid that might seem a bit self-serving on my part. I was unsure if I would share this with her or not, but the opportunity presented itself. She said she got quite choked up and merely added, "You get me." She is still in the hospital and struggles with a will to live as she says she feels she has no "purpose." I simply listen and leave it at that. She said she is moved by your comments as well. Even my believer friends' prayers. My one believer friend thought I might be mocking her, but I told her that was not the case. I said people showing care and compassion is always welcome, regardless of what framework it involves. And as the saying goes with chicken soup, "It couldn't hurt." I have no particular insight into the ways of the universe. I'll also have you know she continues to kick my ass in Words with Friends. I'm lucky to maintain a 10% win rate with her, and I use an online cheat. I tell her she's a "berserker" (she truly is) at this particular word game. In sports, they'd say she was running up the score. She has no problem with that, often beating me by a couple of hundred points. There is no lead I can have that is too big for her not to come from behind. She is quite amazing. I chalk it up partially to her being a musician, as I feel their brains are wired differently. So our friendship and interactions take place as it always has... one day at a time. I am immensely grateful for every second of that time, and feel quite honored to be thought of by her as someone who brings joy and meaning to her life as well. I'm also quite certain that I would not like her letting me win either. That's not the way it's supposed to work.

Three shot to death; one hurt | News | avpress.com

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Update on the investigation. http://theavtimes.com/2019/01/17/three-dead-one-wounded-in-palmdale-shooting/#comments

Any members in the Gulfport Mississippi area?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 19, 2019:

Oh, my. Good luck to you. Hope you eventually find some like minded people nearby.

?‍♀️ununu?‍♀️nunun?‍♀️

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 18, 2019:

And the words "swims" upside-down is still "swims."

Being on this site over a year now it has become a part of my life.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 16, 2019:

I thought that somewhat in my local LA chapter of the Center for Inquiry (CFI-LA). I'm pleased to find more diversity here (including more young people on the whole)

On the other hand... ?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 14, 2019:

Part of the joys of simple and discreet contact when bonding in playfully intimate relationships. Hand holding so delicate it might just be a light grasp of a single finger. A casual touch on the shoulder. A hand placed innocently in your love's back pocket. A desire to establish some sort of continuous physical contact as a non-verbal message of tenderness towards the object of your affection, as well as the blissful contentment that same connection gives you.

Why indeed?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 11, 2019:

"Why are we in this world? Is there a presiding figure to make sense of all this, a god who in the end, despite making people suffer, wishes them well?" ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

It's very out of the ordinary for me, but I really need to be held today.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 11, 2019:

Hugs for whatever the reason for the need.

President Trump announces from the Whitehouse that he sticks to his promises and that America ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 11, 2019:

Set adrift on an ice flow. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zuQK6t2Esng

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 9, 2019:

Zuck don't care about bans or freezes He'll sell my data as he pleases Third parties pay top dollar for the list Point that out and you'll regret it You'll disappear because you upset it By speaking truth you'll make Boss Zuck quite pissed

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 9, 2019:

Oy gevalt!

Megumi Mesaku (missmegoo) playing wonderful reggae!! - YouTube

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 8, 2019:

Who she is - Miss Megoo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=01C0QUNqzwc

Often easier said than done.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 8, 2019:

"Be aware of this truth that the people on this earth could be joyous, if only they would live rationally and if they would contribute mutually to each others' welfare. This world is not a vale of sorrows if you will recognize discriminatingly what is truly excellent in it; and if you will avail yourself of it for mutual happiness and well-being. Therefore, let us explain as often as possible, and particularly at the departure of life, that we base our faith on firm foundations, on Truth for putting into action our ideas which do not depend on fables and ideas which Science has long ago proven to be false.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage Kurt is quoting his great grandfather Clemens Vonnegut.

Often easier said than done.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 8, 2019:

Much of the time at least.

Often easier said than done.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 8, 2019:

A house on fire indeed.

Megumi Mesaku (missmegoo) playing wonderful reggae!! - YouTube

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 7, 2019:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA

"You ever get the feeling the world's filling up with bastards?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 6, 2019:

Something that always comes to mind when the issue of our genetic ancestry is discussed. It has to do the the Machiavellian aspects of who we are that often come to the forefront. It's a quote from comedian Colin Quinn. He said it explains a lot to remember, "We didn't evolve from the tribe that starved to death waiting for their turn at the dinner table."

Well I am at 513 off level 8.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 6, 2019:

Excelsior!

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 4, 2019:

“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." ~ Frank Wilhoit

So, there's chatter (again) about members using profanity, and how it's "unnecessary".

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 4, 2019:

Damn straight.

So, there's chatter (again) about members using profanity, and how it's "unnecessary".

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 4, 2019:

How he describes being felled by sounds coming from someone's mouth.

So, there's chatter (again) about members using profanity, and how it's "unnecessary".

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 3, 2019:

I thought we ignored those trying to add too many things to be treated as sacred. Human language is pretty damn diverse. Let people choose their own associations based on their comfort levels.

We still need an inclusive word for both (all? - not there yet, not by a longshot)... menwo?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 3, 2019:

"Be aware of this truth that the people on this earth could be joyous, if only they would live rationally and if they would contribute mutually to each others' welfare. This world is not a vale of sorrows if you will recognize discriminatingly what is truly excellent in it; and if you will avail yourself of it for mutual happiness and well-being. Therefore, let us explain as often as possible, and particularly at the departure of life, that we base our faith on firm foundations, on Truth for putting into action our ideas which do not depend on fables and ideas which Science has long ago proven to be false.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage Kurt is quoting his great grandfather Clemens Vonnegut.

I highly recommend this book.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 2, 2019:

Something that always comes to mind when the issue of our genetic ancestry is discussed. It has to do the the Machiavellian aspects of who we are that often come to the forefront. It's a quote from comedian Colin Quinn. He said it explains a lot to remember, "We didn't evolve from the tribe that starved to death waiting for their turn at the dinner table."

Will happen, happening, happened.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 1, 2019:

So it goes.

Will happen, happening, happened.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 1, 2019:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lBpRof_kmCE

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

"Climate change and species extinctions are accelerating even as societies are experiencing rising inequality, unemployment, slow economic growth, rising debt levels, and impotent governments. Contrary to the way policymakers usually think about these problems, the new report says that these are not really separate crises at all." https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/43pek3/scientists-warn-the-un-of-capitalisms-imminent-demise?utm_source=mbfb=IwAR3LXZXFMZlz_zjkQDGY0MVuC0pDCNVBVzzChi_mlacg8E8QnITczf3Qq-M

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

Or let someone else do the heavy lifting... or just fiddle your way through our death spiral. Your call. I don't have any kids so technically I've got no skin in the game. But I care about everyone else's kids, and the rest of the life on the planet. As has been noted, you can choose to look away, but you can no longer say you did not know.

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

The unbroken chain of plunder is startling. ----- : "The United States has been at war every day since its founding, often covertly and often in several parts of the world at once. As ghastly as that sentence is, it still does not capture the full picture." https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/11/23/thieves-like-us-the-violent-theft-of-land-and-capital-is-at-the-core-of-the-u-s-experiment/

Don't you hate it when they kill an animal in a movie and it's not necessary for the story?

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

I always wondered if "A Perfect Storm" had that ASPCA disclaimer at the end credits (No animals were harmed in the making of this film). Fake fish?

Killer cover versions. Bonus points for live.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HUKqI-s9_8

The Death of Facebook | How Social Media Ripped Apart a Generation - YouTube

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

This highlights why the gatekeeping by Facebook concerns me so. As far as people being disconnected, I think there are a number of factors, but think of social media more an amplifier and resonator than a cause. ------ : Facebook's Secret Censorship Manual Exposed as Platform Takes Down Video About Israel Terrorizing Palestinians https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/12/28/facebooks-secret-censorship-manual-exposed-platform-takes-down-video-about-israel?fbclid=IwAR2f9rUZBcORGxnfVccZG0h8ScFfr49LhEQqZm-FhHhXCheAVtBUr1OSaxY

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 30, 2018:

This highlights why the gatekeeping concerns me so (and what @lerlo could not comprehend for some reason). ------ : Facebook's Secret Censorship Manual Exposed as Platform Takes Down Video About Israel Terrorizing Palestinians https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/12/28/facebooks-secret-censorship-manual-exposed-platform-takes-down-video-about-israel?fbclid=IwAR2f9rUZBcORGxnfVccZG0h8ScFfr49LhEQqZm-FhHhXCheAVtBUr1OSaxY

[facebook.com]

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 29, 2018:

Well, Gary did fuck up if he voted Hillary. The site does seem infested with Trumpanzees. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1eq0X4qDlR0

The perils of dating sites? Kazoo Solo! [m.youtube.com]

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 29, 2018:

She is so exquisitely melodic. Love her harmonies.

Christmas Eve 50 years ago the famous earthrise picture from Apollo 8 was taken.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 26, 2018:

Seems the Up Goer Five actually works as advertised.

Christmas Eve 50 years ago the famous earthrise picture from Apollo 8 was taken.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 26, 2018:

Seems the Up Goer Five works as advertised.

A Facebook friend of mine put up a Bowie fan page and invited me to join.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 26, 2018:

This was one of the hubs. http://stardustkid.blogspot.com/2011/02/rodney-bingenheimers-english-disco.html?m=1

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 26, 2018:

"Neoliberalism as economic theory was always an absurdity. It had as much validity as past ruling ideologies such as the divine right of kings and fascism’s belief in the Übermensch. None of its vaunted promises were even remotely possible. Concentrating wealth in the hands of a global oligarchic elite—eight families now hold as much wealth as 50 percent of the world’s population—while demolishing government controls and regulations always creates massive income inequality and monopoly power, fuels political extremism and destroys democracy." https://www.truthdig.com/articles/neoliberalisms-dark-path-to-fascism/

Chris Hedges is a national treasure. [truthdig.com]

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 26, 2018:

Hear what Hedges has to say about the surveillance state hobbling the ability of (real) journalists to hold the corrupt and powerful accountable. Assange and Wikileaks is pretty much the last line of defense. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=noizPcFyG6I&t=4s

Assange's threat to the Corporatocracy's MSM PR machinery is something they can't allow.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 26, 2018:

Hear what Hedges has to say about the surveillance state hobbling the ability of (real) journalists to hold the corrupt and powerful accountable. Assange and Wikileaks is pretty much the last line of defense. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=noizPcFyG6I&t=4s

Christmas Eve 50 years ago the famous earthrise picture from Apollo 8 was taken.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Now we're getting somewhere! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FzCsDVfPQqk

Christmas Eve 50 years ago the famous earthrise picture from Apollo 8 was taken.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Now we're getting somewhere! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FzCsDVfPQqk

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Misdirection has always been useful to the criminal classes.

Overdue. I'm ready.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

I had my glasses knocked off and smashed. I hope that counts. ?

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

And the reason I said it might get lost in the Politics section is that for the short time I've been here, I don't see many real lively discussions on politics occurring. Discussing political issues without someone appealing to their particular invisible buddy is a welcome change, and one that should not be regarded lightly. In the demon haunted world, we still have regressives wanting to put "IN GOD WE TRUST" goddamn everywhere!

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Maybe you wise folks singing the praises of the current model can address the issue of externalities and how much profit is made by passing the costs for the deleterious effects of their production onto the public.

Exploitation and Expropriation, or Why Capitalism Must be Attacked with Equal Force on Every Front

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Well, at least it served my purpose of sparking discussion. I'll think more about your comments before I reply. I feel his take on the historical abuses is largely unassailable, and that our current model is unsustainable without widespread suffering for all except maybe a select few.

Having survived several crazy days working long days at the bookstore.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Looks like a labor of love. A peaceful night to you all (not a creature was stirring, not even a lab...)

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 24, 2018:

Still trying to get any sort of feedback from Facebook without success. Not even a mustachioed guard opening up a peephole of the Emerald City gate to say, "Go away, the Wizard cannot see you today!"

[m.youtube.com]

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 24, 2018:

??????????? The season's upon us, it's that time of year Brandy and eggnog, there's plenty of cheer There's lights on the trees and there's wreaths to be hung There's mischief and mayhem and songs to be sung There's bells and there's holly, the kids are gung-ho True loves finds a kiss beneath fresh mistletoe Some families are messed up while others are fine If you think yours is crazy, well you should see mine My sisters are wackjobs, I wish I had none Their husbands are losers and so are their sons My nephew's a horrible wise little twit He once gave me a nice gift wrapped box full of shit He likes to pelt carolers with icy snowballs I'd like to take him out back and deck more than the halls With family like this I would have to confess I'd be better off lonely, distraught and depressed The season's upon us, it's that time of year Brandy and eggnog, there's plenty of cheer There's lights on the trees and there's wreaths to be hung There's mischief and mayhem and songs to be sung They call this Christmas where I'm from My mom likes to cook, push our buttons and prod My brother just brought home another big broad The eyes rollin' whispers come love from the kitchen I'd come home more often if they'd only quit bitchin' Dad on the other hand's a selfish old sod Drinks whiskey alone with my miserable dog Who won't run or fetch sure he couldn't care less He defiled my teddy bear and left me the mess The season's upon us, it's that time of year Brandy and eggnog, there's plenty of cheer There's lights on the trees and there's wreaths to be hung There's mischief and mayhem and songs to be sung They call this Christmas where I'm from The table's set; we raise a toast, the father, son, and the Holy Ghost I'm so glad this day only comes once a year You can keep your opinions, your presents, your happy new year They call this Christmas where I'm from They call this Christmas where I'm from ???????????

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 23, 2018:

I felt this belonged in the main discussion proper though it is essentially a reply to an assertion lerlo made. I will deal with lerlo's scurrilous and defamatory characterization of me later (one made exclusively on the information I provided in my post). This man's profile says he's a lawyer and a former prosecutor, yet doesn't seem to have much of a grasp of facts. As my lawyer friend Bernie the Attorney has observed in similar situations, "the person is either stupid or a liar, and you usually don't rise to that level being stupid." As stated by lerlo - "You probably think Israel forced out the palestinians when they really left assuming the arabs would win and they were wrong." This is a reference to the claim Christopher Hitchens debunks in a critique of something Elie Wiesel wrote. ------ From: https://www.thenation.com/article/wiesel-words/ In a propaganda tour of recent history, he asserts that in 1948, "incited by their leaders, 600,000 Palestinians left the country convinced that, once Israel was vanquished, they would be able to return home." This claim is a cheap lie and is known by Wiesel to be a lie. It is furthermore an utterly discredited lie, and one that Israeli officialdom no longer cares to repeat. Israeli and Jewish historians have exposed it time and again: Every Arab broadcasting station in the region, in 1947 as well as 1948, was monitored and recorded and transcribed by the BBC, and every Arab newspaper has been scoured, and not one instance of such "incitement," in direct speech or reported speech, has ever come to light. The late historian and diplomat Erskine Childers issued an open challenge on the point as far back as the 1950s that was never taken up and never will be. And of course the lie is a Big Lie, because Expulsion-Denial lies at the root of the entire problem and helps poison the situation to this day. ----- So, getting back to the original intent of my sharing what took place with my Facebook account, it has to do with a few key elements... facts, smears, and control of the narrative through gatekeeping and various forms gatekeeping can take. And ironically, deconstructing lerlo's unsupported smears will help illustrate that. My guess it that maybe his time as a prosecutor got him used to being a bully of sorts, as having the power of the state carries some weight, regardless of one's own level of competence. I would also guess he's likely a bit too cowardly to address the points I'll be raising in regards to his initial comment, possibly pretending it's beneath him to deal with it, but I could be wrong. Maybe he'll choose to keep digging the hole he's already in. [To be continued. My Chrome crashed and I initially lost what will follow]

What would an intelligently designed human actually look like?

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 22, 2018:

There's a question that occured to me from my feeding of the local crows and ravens. I give my meat scraps to the neighbor's dogs, but not the ham (not good for dogs). I wanted to make sure the cooked ham and fat was OK for them (it was, they make it disappear). Read the reason why scavenger birds species can eat rotting flesh is because of the acidic nature of their intestinal tract and microbiomes. - https://www.livescience.com/48899-vultures-bacteria-microbiome.html - Since most evolutionary paths involve some sort of trade off, what might get sacrificed/lost (or gained even) had we evolved to digest putrid meats?

Pretty much...

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 22, 2018:

In discussions/debates with religionists I like to point out to them that "my God says so" is not an argument, and an argument *plus* "my God says so" is not a better argument. That is in addition to the veracity of their claim that they can accurately discern and convey the will of their respective gods. It is worth remembering for instance, that the bible was used to both defend and condemn slavery.

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 22, 2018:

A point I think might be being missed here by some is what I wrote elsewhere regarding the whole debate over the MSM, so-called "fake news," and social media platforms. "It's why we (as a nation) can say we're outraged over supposed Russian meddling while being puppetmasters on a scale the public is largely oblivious to. It's how we can point fingers at other nations being the greatest threat to peace and murderers of innocent people with a straight face. Gatekeepers are the name of the game, and this becomes even more crucial as traditional sources of information are bypassed as being biased and unreliable if not outright propaganda predominantly. The most common challenging tactic of an opposing view is a blanket dismissal of a particular outlet ignoring whatever elements that are valid and deserve examination. Hence RT being panned as nothing more than an arm of Russian propaganda though journalists such as Chris Hedges do shows. It now gets a disclaimer for reliability whereas, for instance, the Washington Post or the New York Times does not. Whatever Rachel Maddow broadcasts is treated as somehow sacrosanct by some though any agenda MSNBC owners GE might have is not considered. The same goes for any of the other corporate owners of media outlets. It's not only Rupert Murdoch using his echo chamber to his own benefit. But yeah, ~5K of Russian social media ad buys gummed up the works for these multi-billion dollar empire conglomerates (not). Zuckerberg took their money, and is now taking heat for it. Mostly kabuki theater as the dog and pony show to further restrict content begins. 1984 meets Brave New World. Data mine as the metrics are perfected to pacify the masses, and ensure that the Ministry of Truth has final say as to the official narrative acceptable to disseminate." To pretend that speech you disagree with is an acceptable casualty when silenced ignores the whole point of free speech, or the strength defending it demonstrates.

I just got off my 3 day Facebook block for a one word comment () defined by vocabulary.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 21, 2018:

Lerlo - since the law is your field, I'll offer this. from: https://www.religiousleftlaw.com/2017/10/the-palestinian-struggle-for-self-determination-the-right-of-resistance-to-occupation.html "Speaking of the Palestinians, it’s useful to remind ourselves that, under international law, in the words of Richard Falk, “Palestinian resistance to occupation is a legally protected right,” one that arises in the first instance from two documents: the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Fourth Geneva Convention and its subsequent protocols. As argued in a couple of articles Falk co-authored with Burns Weston, “Israel’s failures as a belligerent occupant to abide by international law amount[s] to a fundamental denial of the Palestinian right of self-determination, and more generally of respect for the framework of belligerent occupation—therefore giving rise to a Palestinian right of resistance.” In short, Palestinians have an inalienable moral and legal right to resist an illegal and violent military occupation. For its part, Israel has reacted to all manner of Palestinian resistance, be it violent or non-violent, with routine reliance on “excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force, including the apparent targeting of civilians and children [as well as torture and various forms of “collective punishment].” Both the creation of “facts on the ground” (e.g., ever-expanding settlements) “and the use of such force … constitute repeated and fundamental violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, violations that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Here's a person with a good grasp on life, the universe, and everything (and has paid the price for ...

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I even like his locking horns with Christopher Hitchens, who he considers a formidable opponent. I had the good fortune to meet Hitchens several times at various skeptics conferences. I agree with him quite a bit but was also concerned about the value of going to war based largely on a fear stoked about Islam's danger to the civilized world. People who hate without a rational outlook towards the dreaded other were more than happy to pile on. I compare it in a sense to thinking that the truth of the beliefs of Native Americans bears any relation whatsoever as far as justifications with regards to the horrible crimes being committed agains them by those out to takeover their territory. That is not to say I share Hedges' views on an all powerful being (though he himself has pretty much fallen away from mainstream xiananity as practiced), but one cannot deny his humanist bona fides. As Malcolm X said, "I am for truth, whoever tells it."

Some sort of cosmic convergence as I found it on a Friday! ?

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 21, 2018:

That being said, I once communicated telepathically with my dachshund Willy when friends and I were hiking with him in an extremely altered state. When I noticed he would come to me by just thinking/calling him with my mind, I told my companions who were in an equally altered state about it. I then proceeded to test my hypothesis. To my amazement it worked and they confirmed it. Other skeptics I've shared this with tend to doubt it, with the usual alternative explanations that occured to me as well, but I/we had set up the test conditions with as much precision as we could muster considering we were otherwise just enjoying our mindless fun. It didn't make me some sort of true believer set on a path of awaking the masses, but it certainly seemed to defy conventional explanations. Like I've said using the example of alien visitations to Earth for instance, it only has to be true once to be true even if all the other claims of such are bogus. I like the scientific rigor debunking usually involves such as asking what is the medium for transmission. And then I think about Arthur C. Clarke's observation about any sufficiently advanced technology appearing as magic. I think some of the capacities of living things and the human brain are not yet fully understood. Just recently I saw some talks given by lawyer and activist Daniel Sheehan who talked about the possibility that some modes of perception might evolve in the same way that eyes evolved resulting in perceiving a particular segment of the energy spectrum with a previously unknown clarity. Maybe time will tell.

"The whole “fighting climate change” frame rests on the assumption that opposition is the best ...

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 20, 2018:

"A protest demanding the salvation of the earth does not need to be for or against anybody’s team. It needs to be for all of humanity. Our identity does not need to be one corrupted team or another, or even the whole 4 percent of humanity in this country. It needs to be everybody in this species, in other species, and the ecosystems on which we all depend." ~ David Swanson https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/what-should-we-do-instead-of-bombing-yemen-not-bomb-yemen-by-david-swanson/

Assange's threat to the Corporatocracy's MSM PR machinery is something they can't allow.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 19, 2018:

Ted Rall was vilified by supporters of corporate Democrats early on in the Obama administration for telling a little too much truth. Still he persisted. And this is a sad and revealing example of what that gets you these days. ----- "What these august guardians of the Fourth Estate are not as eager to talk about is how, when it comes to a little-known law with a massive effect on libel and defamation law, respectable print institutions like the New York Times are on the same side as such exemplars of yellow journalism as the National Enquirer." https://www.opednews.com/articles/1/What-Do-the-NY-Times-and-L-by-Ted-Rall-Anti-slapp_Lawsuits_Litigation_National-Enquirer-181218-806.html

Helping one another

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 18, 2018:

There's the element of self-satisfaction. Acts meant to reinforce one's own feelings of being a good person.

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 18, 2018:

For Penny Marshall. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VcI4Qrh9MzA

A bittersweet anniversary today.

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 18, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VcI4Qrh9MzA

You know, it's really unfortunate that all politicians aren't required to be musicians in order to ...

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 18, 2018:

Very cool. This is a slightly different sort of collaboration but what a result. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w7HJZPlJn_U

You know, it's really unfortunate that all politicians aren't required to be musicians in order to ...

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 18, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KqbGfWngzCk

Emily Dickinson’s Electric Love Letters to Susan Gilbert – Brain Pickings

WilliamCharles comments on Dec 18, 2018:

I can't ever see the words "electric love" without this coming to mind. Poor Topsy. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ypqSHg1YvZA