I am in the middle of a conversation with someone i know only slightly.

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

i don't know what time zone or even part of the world he is in but he just got online and responded to my request very grandly, saying he would definitely honor my wishes. i knew he meant no harm! g

Is It Time For A Serious Discussion About Execution for Treason if Mueller Proves Trump Committed ...

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

no. first of all, the death penalty is primitive and no civilized nation should have it. second of all, he loves his comfort and should be forced to live in a cell with no golden toilet but instead a big strong hunky horny cellmate. and third of all, executing him would make him a martyr in the eyes of the trumpkins. and FOURTH of all it wouldn't solve the problem, since the whole republican party is now just a criminal organization posing as a political party. lock them up! lock them up! g

I guess I’m trying to find a common thread with people on here that’s not necessarily faith ...

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

you can see that we have lots of categories; only one of them is religion. g

I just finished reading a book about women in ancient Canaan, and its fascinating how women were ...

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

hypatia was raped, mutilated and murdered by people not of the abrahamic religions. g

Yesterday we became the proud parents to a great cat.

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

he resembles my golde, who is getting old and bony. he has a different face but the same markings. how about clifford odets, who wrote a play called "golden boy"? or perhaps "joe bonaparte," the golden boy of the title (a musician turned boxer)? g

Good day everyone.

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

in our profiles it asks us, among other things, if we believe in tarot cards. i didn't check them as something i believe in, because the cards are just cards. however, they're a tool that somehow enhances the use of intuition (dumbo's feather, maybe). i happen to have a lot of intuition. i have read people's cards. i don't try to tell them what's going to happen in the near or far future; i can tell them more intuitive things, about their feelings, for example. one uses what one can. your friend's psychic was trying to do what cannot be done, and it made your friend happy. happiness is good but it's still silly. g

When the republicans own survey shows that a single payer health system is the lowest cost they are ...

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

the republicans, meaning those in power, already do understand. they don't care. it is not to their advantage to have everyone strong and healthy. strong, healthy people can afford to pay attention to the corruption around them and try to stop it. sick, hungry people don't always have the energy or means to do anything about that. when romney was running for president, his wife said something about "the nail lady." to people like that, we're all "the nail lady." we shouldn't even exist except to do mrs. romney's nails. otherwise we don't count at all. the republicans, meaning those who vote in the republicans in power, can't be taught this. they're brainwashed by the republicans they've voted into power. i am speaking as if the republicans actually GOT voted into power; gerrymandering and other voter suppression has caused them to gain power that they were not actually granted willingly. g

What is important to me, may not be important to you, but that doesn’t mean that I think any less ...

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

i can think of exceptions, though. for example, if human life is important to me and not to that other person, the one with the gun shooting up the school for example, i do think less of that other person. g

Healthcare

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

some of them do. that's why their children die needlessly. g

I thought this was satire at first but it seems not. [thelondoneconomic.com]

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

ugh. g

Sonseed - Jesus Is My Friend

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

hey. i just ate. that made my stomach hurt. g

“Facts” are a human concept. Prove otherwise.

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

why should we? what's the significance to our lives of your statement? "eggs taste good/bad/indifferent. prove otherwise." feh. g

What difference does it make for one to believe in the divine or not?

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

i can't help noticing that YOU'RE here. why are you wasting your time? by the way, most of us are not arguing for the existence or nonexistence of a god or gods. most of us are reading and posting in all KINDS of categories here, mostly unrelated to the existence of nonexistence of a god or gods. we're just doing it here instead of (or in addition to) elsewhere because it's a place we expect to be attacked less for being agnostics, atheists, freethinkers or whatever. yes, we talk about religion or lack thereof as well. we talk about cats, and recipes, too. what difference does THAT make? but we enjoy it. g

Getting a Real Education.

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

evolution is a rather complicated concept; look how many people think it means we were descended from monkeys (that's not quite it) and don't realize evolution is ongoing. little kids don't have a good grasp, either, on the concept of chance, or the difference between chance, randomness and accidents (that last having a negative connotation). they need to learn those terms and concepts before evolution is intellectually available to them. very tiny little bits of it certainly could be imparted along the way. for me the bigger concern is not that it's not taught early enough but rather that it's not taught at all in some schools, and that in some schools creationism is taught in science class. i am much less concerned about whether science of this sort is taught when a kid is six or 11 than what else is going into that kid's head, and whether evolution makes it onto the curriculum at all. g

I am located at the bottom of the Appalachian Mountains in west NC.

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

if you ever run into anyone taken in by this preacher, ask that person how many atheists have asked him/her for money. g

If you had to wear one outfit from head to toe every day for a year, what would it be?

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

the same one i almost always wear already: my birthday suit. g

Migrant Caravan...

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

we've done enough damage; a lot of what's going on in central america is the longterm result of our interference. since we're no good at cleaning things up and fabulously talented at screwing them up, we should stay out of it, BUT we should recognize that the asylum-seekers are in serious danger and need our help, not our fear or scorn. g

What was the final straw that made you finally leave your faith?

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

i never left my faith. i didn't have a faith, to speak of. judaism is not actually faith-based, not the way christianity is. it wasn't judaism that was the problem. i didn't even actually HAVE a problem. i just realized there were not gods, that's all. it wasn't the result of a trauma, or a deep-seated dissatisfaction, or anything like that. i wasn't raised religiously; we went to shul for weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs. i didn't know enough about it to be disillusioned or turned off or anything. in fact i'm still not turned off by it. i just don't happen to believe there are any gods, and i'd even go so far as to say i believe there are no gods. g

How do you handle negativity regarding your agnostic ideas?

genessa comments on Oct 21, 2018:

i don't encounter much offline. the worst i've had in recent years is being told atheism is a religion. feh. online, who knows what one will see, or who will attack one? i don't have ONE way of handling that; it's case by case. g

Hands Across America: Anyone recall that back in the day on May 28,1986?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i have no idea what of import happened on that day. i was in japan at the time, and i don't remember hearing about anything interesting on that date. g

Has anyone else crack open thier holloween candy that was ment for the kids?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

1. i am diabetic so i cannot eat candy any time of year. 2. children never come down my street so i don't bother buying any candy for them either. if they did, i would. they don't, so i don't. g

Believer/Non-believer relationships

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i am engaged to someone who believes in a god of some sort. i don't know what sort because he gets mad if i ask. he isn't by any means religious. we have everything else in common. we've been together 18 years (we'd probably be married but we're poor and disabled and would lose our benefits if we did marry). it's not a huge problem. if he gets too frisky about my being an atheist i just say "talking snake." g

Kids and God's questions

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

if he is old enough to ask, he is old enough to hear simple but honest answers. but if you are honest about all that, why is there an "our church" to ask about? g

Which do you think kills more people yearly?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

these things can be researched. polls are for opinions. g

Why are we here?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

don't YOU know? g

Ancient Aliens.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i can't watch stuff like that. it makes me so sad that it exists, especially on a network that used to have some value to it. did it get bought by religionists or something? you used to be able to see actual historical documentaries there. g

This was a letter to the editor in our local Syracuse, NY newspaper.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

ms hotaling is, what's the polite word for it? an idiot. g

What’s your “Woo”?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

my immortality. g

The following is supposedly an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry ...

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

silly and funny (and familiar -- i think i heard only the very last part before). note: jews do not believe that nonjews go to hell for not being jews. this makes judaism unique, in that aspect anyway, among the god-centered religions. just thought i'd mention it. the postulate DID say "most" and not "all" religions, which was good (and unusual). g

My family now knows that I don't believe in a God.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

that's how mothers are. actually life partners can be that way too. if they're mad, it's convenient to hold onto one thing you ever did "wrong" (whether or not it's actually wrong) because they think it strengthens their argument. it's natural, if she has become religious, for her to pick on your disbelief. i think the proper response is an eyeroll. g

If you are hosting Trick or Treat please think about the Teal Pumpkin Project.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

sounds like a good idea. no one ever comes down my street, though. g

When AI and Android tech gets sophisticated enough to mimic your dream partner what will happen to ...

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

you say WHEN, not IF. flawed premise, impossible to answer question. g

Do you think, private business should be allowed to sponsor the Police with private funds?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

why not? sponsoring is just making donations, right? if they expect something in return, that's wrong, but anyone can make donations to support the police; they have fundraising balls, right? so they do accept donations. g

Hi guys, I have a question.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i get them. i can hear them from across the room. g

With a dead fetus inside her body, a pharmacist refuses to fill a prescription to deal with the ...

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i have written about something similar: http://sh1.webring.com/people/wg/genessa/pharmacist.htm i wish i could say things have changed for the better since i wrote that, but it appears things are getting worse g

All religions have a set of beliefs.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i think that's total bunk is what i think of it. atheism isn't a belief system. there are no rules, no rule books, no churches. we meet here not to discuss the intricacies of atheism (there are none) but to take shelter from those who bother us with blessings, condemnations and, pardon me, ignorant assertions about atheism. first of all, even your assertion about religion is wrong. buddhism, for example, is a religion and it involves no god, hell or heaven. judaism, apart from folklore, has no heaven, hell or devil. are you saying judaism isn't a religion? so your definition is off. as for atheists, we do not have a SET of beliefs. an atheist is a person who either believes there are no gods or doesn't believe there are any gods, or both. that's IT. that doesn't make it a religion any more than being bald is a hair color, being celibate is a sexual position or vegetarianism expresses a favorite meat. g

What does it mean to be fearfully made?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

it means that the person making the claim 1. believes in a personal god, 2. considers that god to have created humankind, 3. fears that god and 4. probably has some delusional relationship going on with some purveyor of one interpretation of christianity, possibly a televangelist or local charismatic. perhaps this person is one of those i've met who think that the beach boys have signed a contract with the devil, and yes, that would be a literal contract signed on paper, possibly in blood, with a humanoid devil. who knows? you could ask the person whose profile you saw. you might get an amusing answer. you could share it here! g

No Jesus, no peace

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

NO, jesus! NOW peace! g

Abortions: should there be a time limit?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

if the child is old enough to drive, it's too late to abort. the time limits republicans are trying to impose actually can mean that a woman doesn't even KNOW she is pregnant until after the limit. viability is a good cut-off. if there is a limit, it should NOT be anywhere in the first trimester. any limit that is imposed should have exceptions made for the life of the mother AND the life/quality of life of the fetus. g

Emergency

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

is she italian or visiting italy? if she is italian, contact the nearest italian embassy and ask for help. if she is visiting italy, contact your embassy in italy (surely it has a website). if you have no embassy in italy, find the website of the italian city she was last seen in and ask them how to get help. g

Culinary Arts

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i don't see it moving.... g

Any diabetics here?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i don't know my aic because i have ptsd and cannot bring myself to let someone draw my blood. it's not JUST the ptsd either; my veins are small, and they roll. even experienced phlebotomists have trouble getting any blood from me, and if they manage, it just coagulated in the medium before the lab can do a thing with it. so that i don't know. i do test my blood glucose at home (not the same thing, i know) and have it down from almost 600 when i was first diagnosed to anywhere between 99 and 180 (if i've been careless). it's usually around 135. i use metformin and that's it, and i've never seen as ad for it. my glucose is better when i am careful about food AND exercise, but exercise is hard for me with fibromyalgia (and at the moment a weeks-long-and-counting bacterial illness). i do my best. g

What do you do to look better in photos? Apart from turning your back.

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i do absolutely nothing to look better in photos taken by other people. if i am taking a selfie with my computer and thus can see what i'm getting, i do move my face around to try to reduce the glare off my specs. i don't take the specs off, though. g

How does this work then?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

groups are nice but you can also browse individual posts among the categories, make posts yourself (they can be questions but they don't have to be -- share an article you found interesting, or an observation of your own, or something about yourself, or make a joke, or a political statement, or present a recipe... it's all up to you! people will probably respond to your posts (no guarantees lol). respond to the posts of others, or the comments of others on posts you find of interest. there is a whole lot to do here! g

Are there more members here who follow the Childfree way of living (which obviously also means ...

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

what is obvious to you certainly is not obvious to me. the fact that i do not choose to procreate has nothing to do with whether or not i choose to share my life with other species. i am child-free and live with the most wonderful cats and dog. my reasons for being child-free have no bearing on my petful lifestyle. g

If men could get pregnant would legal abortion be an issue?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

it would be rewarded! g

What do you think would be one change in the world that might break the back of most religions?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

brain surgery. g

hardblues69 anyone remember this parents telling us we could not shower if it was storming out?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

my folks never said that. now we turn off our computers when it storms -- well, i don't. i once had my computer turned off and a storm hit and fried the motherboard ANYWAY so now i think, what good will it do to turn it off? g

SHOULD WE RESPECT RELIGION? [barbara.smoker.freeuk.com]

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

why should we? g

Perhaps consciousness continues after physical death. If so, what then?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

i have carefully considered this, not right now, since this is not the first time anyone has asked this, and i cannot proceed because i disagree that perhaps consciousness continues after physical death. so the "if so" part makes no sense to me. i believe it is NOT so. but imagining for a moment that it WAS so, the "what then" is awfully general too. it is hard to give a serious response to a question that is based on a false statement. g

Do you believe that alien beings exist somewhere in this vast universe?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

they might be microbes. they're probably microbes. if they're not terrestrial, they're alien. g

The World's Newest Major Religion: No Religion As secularism grows, atheists and agnostics are ...

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

no we're not. it's happening and i don't think any of us are against it, but we're TRYING to diversify? raise you're hand if you're trying to do that.... g

Exactly what I been telling people ?

genessa comments on Oct 20, 2018:

not us, apparently! g

I found a level two profile with a pic proven to be fake through reverse image.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

if it's not a famous person and thus obviously not a claim to BE that person, and it's not a pet, same thing, then yeah it should be reported. g

Quote of the day: "Blind believe in authority is the greatest enemy of truth." Albert Einstein

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i'm sure that would be "belief," not "believe." yes, of course. but the key word is "blind," not "belief." it is okay to believe what you're told when you've checked it out, especially if you trust the particular purveyor (but still verify, because even good people can make mistakes). the meaning isn't to distrust all authority just for BEING authority. of course these days, with who's in power, that can fly too. g

Which of these, if any, have you added to scrambled eggs?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

all of the above, which is not a voting option. cucumbers do best in southeast asian cooking. the spicier the dish, the more welcome the famous coolness of the cuke. g

What the fuck have i done?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

next time, if there is a next time, make them fire you. you will be able to get unemployment benefits. meanwhile, apply for social security disability, and make sure you have a ton of documentation -- and patience, because almost everyone is turned down the first time. DO appeal if you are turned down. if the appeal goes wrong, reapply it may take a few times and it may take years but it's worth it. have you tried job counseling, to help you determine what kind of job you could better tolerate and succeed at? even a low-level (a matter of opinion of course) job can be something to be proud of and take an interest in, and to try to do well. but if you take on jobs you know you can't do, the failure will turn you bitter. who needs that? g

How to have a bit of ' innocent' harmless fun with Mormon Missionaries, Aussie style and it works ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i don't answer my door unless i am expecting someone, but i have been approached by mormons on the outside, asking me, with those horrible smiles, whether i have ever heard the story of joseph smith. my response is "yes, i have. have you heard the one about the rabbi?" and then i tell them the longest chassidic story i know. (i can provide that if you need it. it's a pretty good story, too!) g

Walking past a Planned Parenthood in Philadelphia twice yesterday .

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

think the best of people. maybe she was religious and from a religious family BUT praying for the courage to go in and have a pap smear or other cancer screening, or a pregnancy test, or prenatal care, or a flu shot, or even (in some tiny percentage of cases) an abortion. on the other hand, maybe she was a brainwashed fanatical idiot. g

What would you consider "The meaning of life" to be?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

forty-two. there is no single meaning of life. the question is kind of meaningless itself. is it meaning as in definition? even that can be questioned, which is why we sometimes say "life as we know it" -- there might be something else that qualified as life if only we loosened our definitional requirements. or is it meaning as in purpose? well, it's either purpose as in someone's purpose, someone outside of ourselves, and that would be a deity of some sort, someone with agency at any rate, and like most of the folks here i disbelieve in any such thing. or it could be one's own purpose, which obviously means that the meaning of life differs from person to person and maybe even moment to moment. or by meaning do we mean something to do with cause and effect? example: her not packing a lunch today means she will be hungry. using "meaning" to denote cause and effect generally blurs the issue somewhat (not in my example of course!) so... 42 is as good an answer as any. g

I've finally given some responses to the people who responded to my not thought out post about ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

when i was sick and recovering from surgery in brooklyn, new york, my best friend told me he wanted me to come live with him, and he would take care of me. i went to california to live with him. i didn't know he was multiple (and i had clues, too, but that's another story) until the day his alter beat me up. i left but had only enough money for one night in a hotel. a friend found me a spot in a shelter for abused women, which is not what i was, actually; the incident had been a fluke. for a couple weeks, i was homeless, albeit in a shelter. what if my friend hadn't found me the spot in the shelter? i'd have been on the street. i am not lazy or stupid. i think, from this post, you know that homeless people can become homeless so many ways, but mine was so weird and seemingly random i thought i should share it. g

Can Secularism Answer These Question? Yes. - Viced Rhino [youtube.com]

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

the rhino visual is nauseating me, literally. the narrative is right on, though. the gentleman pictured in the video is an idiot. small quibble: secularism doesn't answer anything except the question "do you believe there are any gods?" and that answer is, of course, "no." it is scientists (people) not science (a study) or secularism that answers these questions. in this case it's the rhino guy who, as i say, is very bright but has a weird idea about what would make an interesting (or even tolerable) visual to accompany his voice. g

Does slavery legal in islam?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i know some muslims. they not only do not have slaves and are not slaves, they would not have slaves if offered. slavery is acceptable in the ancient texts of ALL god-centered religions. look at modern practice and also look at WHERE -- in the sudan, light-skinned sudanese enslave the dark-skinned ones, and sudan is an islamic nation, but islam is a religion, not a form of government, so the word "legal" doesn't apply. are you speaking about the western world? no, muslims in the western world don't have slaves. g

Where should I go?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

if i were able to live anywhere at all i would have multiple homes, but dream on, right? most of mine would be in big cities. but the one small town i would love to live in is madison, new jersey, a small university town known (as certain other cities also are) as the city of roses. it is within shouting distance of new york, but is a legitimate small town. i haven't been there for decades, though. g

Probably the worst sound I've ever heard is whomever is outside of my apartment singing into either ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

oy. it doesn't sound good. but i can beat it for worst sound. cats puking, especially when you know they're on your bed. i speak from experience. g

Me in my Hippy days.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

me and a friend playing air basketball back in the day. g

Do you feel more accepted when you label yourself, for instance as Agnostic, Atheist or Spiritual, ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

labels can be handy. one doesn't have to behave a certain way because of them. as for acceptance, that is of no concern to me at all. if i express who i am accurately, be it through a label, a long explanation or my behavior at any given moment, then the people who accept me are likely to be people i WANT to accept me. i don't say who i am in a way calculated to promote acceptance. being oneself is hard enough without adding to it an attempt to be who someone else might like one to be! g

Every year at Christmas I strongly consider leaving the Christian world for somewhere the holiday ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

since i am not christian, christmas is always an unpleasant holiday (and season, getting longer and longer) for me. i don't care if it is commercialized or religious; i just don't want to be anywhere near it. but where did you have in mind to go? i lived for 10 years in japan, NOT exactly a christian nation, but that part of christmas you hate so much is pretty big over there too. g

What do other nonbelievers think of a freethinking Buddhist ?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i can't say, as i don't know what buddhist philosophy entails (i am not entirely unfamiliar with it; some of it, if i recall, made sense, and other bits didn't really, and i am not talking about the mystical aspects either). but i don't demand that everyone believe as i do. i demand that people respect each other, even if they don't respect their beliefs! g

How do you guys deal with trying to hide your true feelings about God.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i have never hidden my feelings or beliefs. (i've also never been christian.) it sounds as if the people with whom you're friends aren't just church-going but deeply, deeply involved in having a relationship with a fictional character. i wouldn't presume to tell you with whom to be friends, but i have to ask you, if that's all they talk about, to the extent that it's hard to have a conversation without "god" coming up, on what basis are you friends? i know in your community your selection may be limited and you may have to choose between people with whom you have nothing in common (which doesn't mean you don't care about them, or that they don't care about you) and being lonely... well, it's a tough situation, i realize. if they're REALLY your friends, will they drop you if you say "i love you guys and i love coming to church for the community spirit, but i really don't have the religious convictions you have, and i am not seeking to have them. i like being me. can you like me for myself?" g

Your thoughts on extraterrestrial life. Possible, probable, impossible?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

it is extremely likely that there is life elsewhere in the universe. it is extremely unlikely that it looks anything like us. if it has visited us, it has most likely done so riding on a meteor while it was still pretty small; there is no reason to think that a life form with agency took a little trip out our way. evolution would occur elsewhere in a completely different manner from the way it happened, and continues to happen, here because conditions would be different even in a goldilocks zone, and as the narrator of the science channel tv show to which i fell asleep this morning noted, the universe plays by strict rules but chance is a big factor too. the dinosaurs died because of the rules (you can't find food, you die) but the reason they couldn't find food was the aftereffects of that big ol' meteor, which hit us by chance (determined by its rules). that combo, rules and chance, mean that life as we know it is unlikely. life we don't know... yeah, almost certainly! g

I think I have found a new item to eat with eggs in the morning.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

stop it. you're making me hungry! lox. lox makes me so happy! but here is a fast meal i sometimes make when i'm tired: i cut turkey bacon strips into quarters and arrange them around the inside edge of a bowl (it's actually a tortilla-warmer). i butter-spray and slightly salt the bottom of the bowl, then slice some brussels sprouts and place them in the center, and spread them out so there is a well in the very center. in the well i put one or two eggs, and top them with grated parmesan cheese. nuke for three or four minutes depending on your microwave's strength and how firm you like your eggs. the bacon crisps up great! g

What is the most embarrassing style you've ever worn/had?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i was not allowed to choose anything about my own appearance until i left home for college. i had to have short hair (i wanted long). i had to have white sixties-style glasses with pointy (though not quite horned) rimmed plastic glasses (i wanted round ones that didn't stand out against my face). i had to have polyester clothes, which made me itch (i liked granny dresses). when i left home, i let my hair grow and no razor or scissors touched it for five years. i looked like cousin itt. and guess what? i'm not embarrassed! i still like that! g

Which was your first cell phone? ( mine was 16) ??

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

five here. i have upgraded a couple times since then lol. g

Skip The Lines, VOTE EARLY

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i always get an absentee ballot. i have already voted! g

Hello I am single ?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

hello! may i offer some advice? look at what people have posted and respond to some posts. maybe make some thoughtful posts yourself. you'll get to know people and people will get to know you that way. then you'll stand out more than, say, just by announcing that you're single. g

I lost my first friend on here - they blocked me without telling me why, even after we'd had many ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i am sorry to hear it. maybe they did what is so easy to do: say why and then block, which means you can't read what they said and thus learn why! but it still sounds odd. g

Do you read your horoscope? Do you do it for fun or do you take it seriously?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i don't. i have written funny ones, though. g

I couldn't access this site yesterday until late in the evening.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

it went down for me, also for almost a whole day, last week as well as yesterday. g

The legal drinking age

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

if you can vote (and serve in the military) at 18 and drive at 16, you should be able to drink at 18 but not drink and drive at any age. g

FAKE SERVICE DOGS: Know anyone who does this S? STOP THEM! NOW! [facebook.com]

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

look at the comments on that facebook post. people are taking using an incident, ONE incident, of an improperly trained dog (whether fake or not i cannot determine by the description) to rail against emotional support dogs, who DO have a place in the world and are not fake! if someone puts a service dog vest on a nonservice dog, i think that is a crime and it can be reported. i don't think this is a common practice, any more than robbing banks is; when it happens, yeah, the perp needs to be caught, stopped and punished. but to pretend that whole bunches of people are doing this (it's NOT rife) and that emotional support dogs are fake service dogs is just out of line. g

I dislike men with beards. How about you?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i do not judge people by their facial hair. i might judge the facial hair itself, but the facial hair itself would have to be pretty darned strange for me to judge its wearer by it (yes, if a beard was dyed purple and knitted into a sweater that would give me pause about the guy's mental health). my honey bunny happens to be a bearded man. g

Do only humans have a soul? What is a soul? Would you ever trade yours for anything?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

you need to ask what a soul is BEFORE you ask whether only humans have them, and you need to establish whether souls exist at all before asking if they have market value. i have never seen one on ebay, myself. g

I'm not a lesbian.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

there is no political party or movement called lesbian. lesbian is a word with a definition. it means a woman who prefers sleeping with women. if you don't like the word, fine and dandy, but redefining it as a political term in order not to call yourself a word you don't like seems a little odd to me. you have a right to be odd, if you want, and you have a right to call yourself whatever you want (i can call myself a sofa), but those to whom you make the declaration have a right to laugh or react in some less-than-believing way, since, by definition, dear, you appear to be a lesbian (and i do not fit the definition of sofa, despite what all my cats think). g

How will you vote in the mid terms?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i have already voted, and i voted democratic where a party was involved. it is important for me to stop what i consider a criminal organization from running the country... into the ground, and that means having the majority in congress and flipping states blue or keeping them blue. as for local seats, i vote by people... but all the people i like are democrats. this is one of the ways one begins to identify with a party: when you see that the people running from one party all believe in the same stuff you do, and the other people don't. it's not a matter of choosing the people because you follow the party line. it's a matter of choosing the party because of the people in it. g

Sure am glad this group isn't for Quantum Lepers, because I wouldn't be able to join (not that ...

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

oh well if there are quantum lepers they'd be welcome as long as they also leapt (and didn't touch anything)! g

Do you believe that racism and hatred is taught in childhood?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

since there is no such thing as race except as a social construct, which is something learned and not innate (that's why it's called a construct), racism is not innate. fear of the "other" -- not sure. some say innate, others say it's learned, but early. but regardless of what chickens do, human babies play happily with one another without regard for skin color until some grownup or unfortunately educated peer gets ahold of them and tells them whom to hate. g

American Culture

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

i can't speak for everyone but i know that while i am very willing to answer questions about american culture, i don't like speaking on the phone much, especially to strangers, no offence. this is a good venue, right here, for answering such questions. g

I just joined this site...And I don't get it.

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

what don't you get? this is a site with two parts. one part is the dating part. the other is the community part. in the community part there are categories for discussion. what makes this different from other social media and/or dating sites is that most of us are atheists or agnostics and we're tired of being on social media sites where people pray for us, tell us we're going to hell or otherwise bother us with religion. however, we don't sit around and talk about nothing but religion or gods or tooth fairies all day; we're just like anyone else in our interests, which are varied. snoop around and see what interests you! g

How likely?

genessa comments on Oct 19, 2018:

why would that be science's purview? what has it got to do science? and why would mankind disappear due to evolution? man will kill himself and the planet; that's not evolution. the dinosaurs' disappearance wasn't evolution either. g

What happened?

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

are you referring to the site's being down most of the day, the current world news, or the big bang? g

So I voted for Bill Clinton in the 90's.

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

why pick on clinton? did eisenhower not have a position of power over his chauffeur, with whom he had an affair? did jfk not screw everything that wiggled when it walked? no, one doesn't justify the others, but it is curious that congress didn't go after any of them... until clinton, and they worked hard to get the goods on him too. as for accusations of rape, i tend to believe the women... unless i can SEE someone working so hard to get the goods on a guy (and a woman -- the smear against hillary began long before the white house). logic. and if we are concerned about all of this is ANY way, why are we not focusing on someone who is not only currently in power and accused by, what is it, 19 women now? not of having a consensual affair in which the power dynamic may have been an issue, but of violent rape followed by threats, and surrounding himself with people who are an awful lot like him. is he not a more urgent consideration? or do we hearken back a bit in order to avoid dealing with that? g

Who's your Celebrity Crush or crushes?

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

i don't know who she is! i have had many crushes, so to speak, over the years. scott bakula was a major one. david tennant... yeah, i'm not over him yet! g

Little known fact: the most common compliment of my face is that I have "bathroom eyes".

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

i am not recognizing a leer.... g

Missed you folks. You're worth knowing.

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

was agnostic dot com down all day for you too? i thought maybe it didn't like me anymore! g

My new shirt from the Feminist Flea Market the other day.

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

a good concept. it should be taught in skooools! g

Hi just got a beautiful cat at the Mohawk-Hudson Animal Shelter in Albany, NY Today.

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

she is lovely and she resembles my dear tevye, too! g

Do you remember any day in your life when you didn't tell a lie, at least a white lie?

genessa comments on Oct 18, 2018:

of course i do. i lie so infrequently, even little white lies, that i must say most of my days go by without even one. i will lie if i am trying to organize a surprise party, for example. there is no percentage in lying, 99 percent of the time. besides, you have to remember what you said! it's safer not to bother. g

Suppose that what the Ukranian geneticist,Theodocius Dhubzansky, said is true: Any book on ...

genessa comments on Oct 17, 2018:

i don't know, just hearing it for the first time, that it's true. it sounds as if it might be generally true; i can't say whether someone before darwin might have been ahead of his or her time. darwin was certainly a gamechanger, though he didn't mean to be. i don't like to dismiss the entirety of human history though. g

If you think about thinking, what are you really thinking?

genessa comments on Oct 17, 2018:

i think my thinker ith thtuck. that thtinkth. g