The "Something Can't Come From Nothing" Logic I recall having this conversation more times than I...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 9, 2018:

I like the response by cosmologists and quantum physicists. And as strange as it seems, it's actually a pretty valid way to describe the physics. "Something came from nothing because 'nothing' was unstable."

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 9, 2018:

"We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.” ~ Carl Sagan, Cosmos

Psychological Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives February 5, 2018 by Ed Brayton

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 9, 2018:

"Empathy only to their kin" sounds like a similar mindset to not caring about a particular disease unless they get it themselves.

If someone is dying and a bystander chooses not to help, should they be held responsible?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

Having taken first aid training, we learned California law doesn't require us to help, but we are actually legally liable if we begin assistance but then quit prematurely (without reason). In the example, there could be reasons for declining to attempt a rescue. One thing to remember in that scenario, if the person floundering panics and causes the rescuer to struggle, the person that can swim just allows himself/herself to sink, and that should cause the victim to let go.

Does the structure of American society lend to unhappiness or dissatisfaction?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

I think the aware among us realize we're surrounded by sociopaths and planet gobblers and, unfortunately, it takes its toll.

They say, "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

Perfect. I love it.

Seeing Inside the Sun - YouTube

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

On a somewhat related note, I saw this fairly recently and found it fascinating. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJQjjBR6PbY

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xyjOjT8d8RI

L.A. atheist humor...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

"Oldie but goodie. [m.youtube.com]"

Nudists?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

A girlfriend wanted me to go with her to a sun club, but we stopped dating before it ever happened. I'm hoping when I visit her in Vegas she still wants to try. She had breast reconstructive surgery and says it would help boost her confidence (she looks fine). I wonder if I might have a visible physical reaction when there. Sadly, another thing I've read is that family friendly clubs are hangouts for pedophiles. I think people, including children, should be comfortable with their bodies, but this disturbs me. It does, however, fit a pattern of people seeking to abuse children insert themselves in situations to be around them and gain their trust.

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

"Oldie but goodie. [m.youtube.com]"

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R66r_XMoDkk

Wolf Blitzer Asks an Atheist if She "Thanked the Lord" Oklahoma Tornado - YouTube

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 8, 2018:

On The Daily Show tonight, two of the guests from the new Clint Eastwood movie about the terrorism on the train in Europe said they felt God was looking out for them.

I posted this in response to a Jim Daly article at the Focus on the Family webpage shortly before ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

What blogs/websites have you been blocked/banned from and why?

Wabi-Sabi. Do you find beauty in imperfection?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

https://blog.sleepnumber.com/how-to-wabi-sabi-your-home-the-philosophy-of-imperfection/?acid=soc=Facebook-_-CORE-_-BlogTraffic-_-35-65HealthWellness=141695215 Interesting read with 2 other parts.

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

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

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

"If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers." [Steve Allen, quoted in 2000 Years of Disbelief, Famous People with the Courage to Doubt, by James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996]

Before you were born, you had no consequence on the billions of people alive throughout time.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

You live on in the memory of others.

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

To do list.

Before you were born, you had no consequence on the billions of people alive throughout time.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

Don't fear the reaper.

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

"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 Jr., Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 7, 2018:

Ever feel this way?

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMtP8xHi8k8

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Good advice.

Wabi-Sabi. Do you find beauty in imperfection?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

I like the repurposing aspect of Wabi-Sabi. Form follows function.

Fact-Checking 101: Threading the Fact-Checking Needle - Pro-Truth Pledge

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

"Let justice be done though the heavens should fall." John Adams, letter to Elbridge Gerry, December 5, 1777 Founding Fathers Quotes

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vPYN-hpF1hs

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jxo81Ok9Urk

Enjoyed this though I've never seen the Bojack cartoon.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U-BU1HEzIO0

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Remarkable man.

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Longtime favorite.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 5, 2018:

Speaking out, for starters. Encourage those making a difference, and each other.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Howard Zinn was a prominent Jewish American historian. "It did not occur to me--so little did I know about the Middle East--that the establishment of a Jewish state meant the dispossession of the Arab majority that lived on that land. I was as ignorant of that as, when in school, I was shown a classroom map of American "Western Expansion" and assumed the white settlers were moving into empty territory. In neither case did I grasp that the advance of " civilization" involved what we would today call "ethnic cleansing."....It was only after the "Six-Day War" of 1967 and Israel's occupation of territories seized in that war (the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, the Sinai peninsula) that I began to see Israel not simply as a beleaguered little nation surrounded by hostile Arab states, but as an expansionist power....I had long since understood that the phrases "national security" and "national defense" were used by the United States government to justify aggressive violence against other countries. Indeed, there was a clear bond between Israel and the United States in their respective foreign polices, illustrated by the military and economic support the United States was giving to Israel..."

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

R'amen.

Superbowl Sunday question

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I feel the national fixation on professional sports is somewhat embarrassing, but I'll meet with some friends for the food. I generally leave early if the game gets boring.

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

"Hello. I love you. Won't you tell me you name?" xD

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Palestine-Remembered/Story680.html Remember, Palestine had at one time willingly accepted these refugees.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

http://www.inminds.com/jews-of-iraq.html "I write this article for the same reason I wrote my book: to tell the American people, and especially American Jews, that Jews from Islamic lands did not emigrate willingly to Israel; that, to force them to leave, Jews killed Jews; and that, to buy time to confiscate ever more Arab lands, Jews on numerous occasions rejected genuine peace initiatives from their Arab neighbors. I write about what the first prime minister of Israel called "cruel Zionism." I write about it because I was part of It." ~ Naeim Giladi

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Perseverance...it pays.

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aKw5mbcE7VY

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mZnRe6e20xE

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TrfSfbW3DsA

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mOoDyaWlS6M

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=71r9jYpUn0M

Steve Martin once said that Atheists have no songs.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

This is practically an anthem. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Glob bless Ms. Betty Bowers.

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

So glad I posted this. Being exposed to some great new tracks (to me, at least).

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Bertrand Russell's words still echo today. http://wordsofdissent.com/bertrand-russells-last-message-on-the-israel-palestine-conflict/

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://www.haaretz.com/it-s-time-to-admit-it-israeli-policy-is-what-it-is-apartheid-1.5387843 Desmond Tutu saw it as apartheid (and he should know).

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Amazes me that all this sound comes from one guy (only slightly out of season). https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GC5zjaiyGAo

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2VtSoLhZxBE

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

For Superb Owl Sunday (I'm not big on spectator sports, generally).

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Worth the read. http://www.balfourproject.org/king-abdullah-1947/

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Instrumental versions count, too. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JYuOZnAqQCY

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Theologian: An uncommon individual who, though possessing finite abilities, has been called by God himself who, though possessing infinite abilities, requires the assistance of the former in explaining Himself to the rest of us.” [Translation: if God existed, theologians would be out of work.] ~ “Rev” Donald Morgan

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"The lesson is : Our God is vengeful! O spiteful one, show me who to smite and they shall be smoten!" ~ Homer Simpson

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"We are all wired into a survival trip now. No more of the speed that fueled that 60's. That was the fatal flaw in Tim Leary's trip. He crashed around America selling "consciousness expansion" without ever giving a thought to the grim meat-hook realities that were lying in wait for all the people who took him seriously... All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding for three bucks a hit. But their loss and failure is ours too. What Leary took down with him was the central illusion of a whole life-style that he helped create... a generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers, who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the Acid Culture: the desperate assumption that somebody... or at least some force - is tending the light at the end of the tunnel." Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

So this came up on my FB, and I thought it would be fun here.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"This needs to go on Instagram!"

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXZF60EPdM

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kOy6M_X2MO8 Does this qualify as an instrumental as it has vocalizations but no sung lyrics?

Share with me some music.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-OZSY-b2IsQ

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"I'm going straight to hell, ain't nothing slowing me down." https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_rP2rofuqPE

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Most Zionists don’t believe that God exists, but they do believe he promised them Palestine." - Ilan Pappe

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

My Mondoweiss profile - "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."

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I would compare it to the theft of Native American lands in North America by what were essentially invaders. It matters not a bit if you felt the theistic beliefs of the indigenous people as being "correct" or not. They were being robbed, murdered, and systematically displaced (a genocide rarely talked about in the states).

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Rust never sleeps."

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I'll have to think a little longer for a song with a line that I pluck from it by itself, but I often share this song as an example of my worldview. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I don't consider this too harsh. The actions of the Israelis fits the UN definition of genocide.

There is no agnostic vs. atheist! The peeve I have...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

An agnostic is essentially a "weak" atheist by definition. I consider myself an atheist/agnostic in that I, 1) have no belief in any god(s) and, 2) I see no evidence either way.

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Any sailors here?

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Indeed.

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Deja vu, all over again.

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Will post a lot of my quotes as graphics because that's how they're saved.

Marijuana for recreational or medicinal? Dont be shy?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

My health insurance had run out so I got an MM card. I was amazed as to how many of my ailments it helped, sometimes more than the pharmaceutical drugs prescribed. But it should be legal regardless. And hemp industries should be encouraged. Corporate interests have a long, sordid history of kneecapping such ventures.

This could go for either gender. :) Just a great one liner, had to share

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

I miss Jeselnik's show. I preferred it to Jordan Klepper's "The Opposition."

I just had a long, stupid day. What do you do to unwind and relax?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

A certain level of righteous sulking can also be quite soothing.

Favorite quotes.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

This is my own (under my nom de plume). "People are =/= to their religion. I am most definitely an infidel in that I have no belief in any god or gods. A person’s individual godview is the most basic right possible that a human being can have. I personally reject Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (among others)…but do not reject Muslims, Jews, and Christians. A person’s religion and religious culture are most predictably based on their family of origin, where they were born (geography), and when they were born (I.e. no Xians pre-Christ). I stand with all people on the planet willing to work together as a species to live peacefully with each other and our environment. That does not change regardless of the actions of some who think their ‘godview’ justifies any number of horrible acts. I reject those who use such acts to demonize people who are damned for nothing more than ‘guilt by association.’" ~ LanceThruster

Politics Can Be As Bad As Religion.

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Re: #1 - In the current duopoly. factionalism is a plus because a winner-take-all system means that power comes from a 50%+1 breakdown of the vote. I would love to see some sort of IRV system if ballot integrity could be established. Also, gerrymandering and money in politics is warping whatever good is inherent in the democratic process. Imagine publically funded campaigns and free space in newspapers to outline policy positions at the very start of the campaign season. Imagine, say for the first week, the positions are essentially anonymous and even party affiliation free so people might better determine those views that are most in line with their own.

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Hope to see a lot of new ones, from thoughtful, comical, inspiring or heavy.

I just had a long, stupid day. What do you do to unwind and relax?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 1, 2018:

Find an attitude adjustment of whatever kind seems effective and appropriate be it a diversion (book, music, other entertainment arts) or an altered state (cocktail or other). I find those not god fixated seem more in tune with their moods and the big picture.

I must admit to a little surprise regarding the distribution, particularly the blue Pacific ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 1, 2018:

Much like with the Alaskan interior, I imagine the sense of rugged individualism includes foregoing any religious crutches.

Boyfriend is agnostic, I'm an atheist. How to cope with disagreements?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2018:

A "weak" atheistic (as opposed to "strong") is basically an agnostic. I consider myself both. I have 1) no belief in any god or gods, and 2) I see no evidence either way.

I was quite honored to be quoted in my online friend's book (under my web pen name).

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2018:

First post. Figuring out the formatting. My "I.e." does not show as written (still doesn't I might add).

Do most older men prefer a younger model?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2018:

I think there's a lot to be said for life experience. I also happen to find mature women in my age range most attractive.