I am not sick of hearing about racism.

Stephanie99 comments on Oct 9, 2018:

I took my kids to an indoor activity group a couple of times and my son wasn't comfortable there because they were the only white kids. We lived in a racially mixed community in which they were comfortable. This was in a neighboring community. Just like the only black kid in an all white school ...

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@Stephanie99 i wish i could say nah, isolated incident, but i can't say that because it happened twice, which is still not a lot of times, but it's twice more than it used to, and twice more than it should. g

Christianity is what happens when a girl really sticks to her story.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

i don't think even jesus, if he existed, said he was the son of god. there is, and was even back then, an old jewish expression "oh, he's a real son of god" indicating a very pious man. paul, proselytizing to the greeks (already very unjewish and therefore unjesusy -- jews don't proselytize!) ...

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@RebeccaD723 yes, duh, we know he wasn't the son of god. i didn't say he was. but there's no "the end" about your theory. in fact your theory presumes that jesus existed at all, and that mary existed at all. that's kind of a big, unproven presumption. if we accept that he did, and she did, then it presumes she was raped and not just adulterous. the motivation to make up a story would be just as great. now, even if there was no mary and no jesus, later on SOMEONE believed these people existed, and paul was one of them. he is known to have gone to greece and greeks are known to have believed in gods raping human women and producing demigods, real sons of whichver god. and we also know that this expression, "a real son of god," existed at the time. so the theory that whether or not there was a jesus, paul told the greeks there was a jesus, used the expression "a real son of god" to mean that jesus was a pious man, got taken literally, and that the story of his divine birth began there rather than with a desperate lie from a mary who may or may not have existed. your theory is not impossible but it is by no means "the end" and it isn't even the likeliest scenario. g

Would you or wouldn't you?

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i will have to answer this question soon. my endometrial biopsy isn't until the 17th. i've been trying to answer it in advance and i can't. g

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@alanalorie thanks -- i went in to get the biopsy and the doc said why bother, let's just operate, so i have surgery in november. g

In Defense of Santa Obviously Santa Claus isn't real, yet you'd be very hard pressed to actually...

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

you can write and post letters to the devil if you want. that doesn't make him real. st. nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers, isn't he? does that make it a sin for christians to shop for christmas presents at malls or other retail outlets? i am asking in sincere ignorance, for i have ...

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@johnprytz you sure read a lot of crap into what i say. when did i even intimate anything remotely like that? you sure you've been reading MY comments? g

I am going to be traveling to London for the first time in April.

webbew1 comments on Oct 10, 2018:

London is a hell of a lot of fun, but it's expensive. Take LOTS of cash, or you'll be broke before you even leave the airport.

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

you don't necessarily need lots of cash. i've told you already about the half-price theatre ticket booths in leicester square. there are some reasonable indian restaurants around, or were when i was last there, which reminds me, also in l square there used to be a wonderful inexpensive mexican buffet restaurant and a godawful chinese takeout. things have changed, though, that i know. oh, i said don't take tours? i meant bus tours. definitely take a walking tour or two! there are all kinds, but my favorite was the dickens walking tour. venerable stage actor edward petherbridge used to conduct that one, but i don't know if he still does. they are not terribly expensive, either. don't stay in a hotel -- the affordable ones will be outside the city, and not interesting at all. stay at a bed and breakfast right in the city. eat a hearty breakfast and skip lunch and you will be able to afford an evening meal. i used to stay at the abingden (or abingdon?) until i discovered the dorms. don't shop at souvenir shops. they sell crap and you'll waste your money. the flea markets have interesting stuff and you can get bargains. walk around! london has fascinating architecture and it's not all famous. g

Quite the sausage fest in here, huh fellas? Lol how’s everyone doing?

LiterateHiker comments on Oct 10, 2018:

What the heck is a sausage fest? It sounds like slang for a penis. Ugh. Not a good first impression.

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

it means the poster can't see the women here, which is very odd, since we're here, and we are not amused. g

Atheist dogma

mordant comments on Oct 8, 2018:

{shrug} In my experience none of these things accurately describe what most atheists think. Theism and religion are clearly not the same thing and in my experience most atheists comprehend this. You can have religion without deities (many kinds of Buddhism or Taoism for example) and you can ...

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@JoeChick your response does not seem to relate to what i said. i believe there are no gods based on a lack of evidence for any gods the same way i believe there is no tooth fairy. i am not unsure about the tooth fairy. i can't prove she doesn't exist. i'm STILL not unsure about her. i feel the same way about god. if you don't find that logical, maybe that IS the way logic works and the problem is with your understanding of it and not with my statement. i think it would be not only illogical but dishonest to say that i am unsure about god just because i have no proof of the negative that no such figment exists. and i don't consider that arrogant, either. you disagree with me for reasons you have not made clear, and that's fine. you don't have to clarify. i'm not THAT interested in why you disagree. i'm really not. feel free if it turns you on, but don't bother for my benefit. g

Would you please all contribute to a thread about how to have a conversation?

GreatNani comments on Oct 8, 2018:

It helps if you can even pretend to be interested in something I am interested in. :)

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@GreatNani well, yeah! even if you have no interest in common, it never hurts to listen. it's rude not to. g

Would you please all contribute to a thread about how to have a conversation?

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

i used to teach a journalism class, in english, to very uninterested and not-very-bright young japanese women. i gave them an assignment to do in class one day. in their teams (as they were too shy to do anything alone) they wrote three questions to ask me, as if interviewing a subject for an ...

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@The-Krzyz you'd have gotten an a plus! g

The real Donald Trump tweet: The paid D.

A2Jennifer comments on Oct 9, 2018:

He can’t fathom anyone doing anything for any reason other than money.

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

@bingst actually, no, not most. but all republicans, for sure. that's a lot, of course. we can change that SOON. g

Would you please all contribute to a thread about how to have a conversation?

GreatNani comments on Oct 8, 2018:

It helps if you can even pretend to be interested in something I am interested in. :)

genessa replies on Oct 10, 2018:

i would hate that! i'd rather just find out we have nothing in common than have someone pretend. g

We need Universal Healthcare.

242Foxtrot comments on Oct 9, 2018:

Socialism!!! No, wait. Communism!!!! What was I supposed to say? I was just discussing this the other day with a coworker (the one in the office that is relatively clueless) and he want on and on about socialism. Going so far as to say it equated with totalitarianism, and after I pointed out ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

fried locusts on shit, without toast, and calling it black angus and idahos. it's amazing -- well, it used to be amazing; now it's hardly surprising -- that so many people don't know the difference between an economic system and a governmental system. and economic systems tend to be a bit flexible, too. you don't have to say "okay now we're socialist, so we have to do this and can't do that." g

Atheist dogma

mordant comments on Oct 8, 2018:

{shrug} In my experience none of these things accurately describe what most atheists think. Theism and religion are clearly not the same thing and in my experience most atheists comprehend this. You can have religion without deities (many kinds of Buddhism or Taoism for example) and you can ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@mordant i am afraid i am fine with the shortcut. i claim no proof but i really do believe, for all intents and purposes, cut however shortly, that there are no gods. i cannot truthfully say i have no beliefs about god. if some will characterize me as arrogant for that, all i can say is that i've been called worse for less cause! :-)) g

Atheist dogma

mordant comments on Oct 8, 2018:

{shrug} In my experience none of these things accurately describe what most atheists think. Theism and religion are clearly not the same thing and in my experience most atheists comprehend this. You can have religion without deities (many kinds of Buddhism or Taoism for example) and you can ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@mordant that live and let live things seems hard to come by lately. g

Atheist dogma

mordant comments on Oct 8, 2018:

{shrug} In my experience none of these things accurately describe what most atheists think. Theism and religion are clearly not the same thing and in my experience most atheists comprehend this. You can have religion without deities (many kinds of Buddhism or Taoism for example) and you can ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@JoeChick it isn't logically untenable unless you are required to prove everything you believe. i can't prove that this isn't all a dream either, but i more or less believe my life is real and the people around me are real. if you have a certain degree of certainty, and there is no contradictory evidence, and lots of evidence, even if not proof, that you're right, you can say "believe" and not be guilty of a thought crime. g

Super glue original use was a battlefield surgery. Why is it sold as a fix all glue?

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

wd40 works great as a lubricant, not a personal one of course, but for stuck metal objects. g

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@azzow2 too expensive and yummy to waste on such things. g

Atheist dogma

mordant comments on Oct 8, 2018:

{shrug} In my experience none of these things accurately describe what most atheists think. Theism and religion are clearly not the same thing and in my experience most atheists comprehend this. You can have religion without deities (many kinds of Buddhism or Taoism for example) and you can ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@mordant i tend not to be involved in such debates. most people i know have no desire to debate in favor of the existence of a god, and i have no need to convert anyone to atheism (not a religion!) anyway! the extent of my interest in what other people believe is defined by how difficult they want to make the lives of others who feel differently. g

The Mandela Effect is such a ridiculous problem for the human brain.

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, that's not the only reason one shouldn't perceive humans, or anything else, as designed, but if you go with the idea that there is a god and that humans are made in that god's image, then that god has a design flaw, which makes the god imperfect, which makes the god rather useless as an object...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PolyWolf oh okay you get the whole story, then! i was spy-mad. my folks knew it. there were two new spy movies just coming out and my birthday coming up, and they asked me which i wanted to go see before my birthday and which on it, for they also wanted to see both. i chose the ipcress file for the pre-birthday outing and the man who came in from the cold for the birthday present, before which we went out to a chinese restaurant for dinner. i guess it wasn't such a good dinner, because i puked my way through the movie and had to be taken home. to this day i haven't seen the ending. g

Quick question.

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

since i don't drink alcohol myself, why should i think ill of someone else who doesn't? the people of whom i think ill are the pushers: aw come on, just one! one won't hurt you! come on, party pooper! dontcha wanna have a good time? well, yeah, but i can have a good time without alcohol, and ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@Marcie1974 hmm, i have a different take on it. it's a control thing. drinkers don't trust nondrinkers and think anyone who's in a clearer state of mind is trying to take control; drinkers also sometimes like to control others, as many addicts do. this goes double if the pusher is pushing a woman. g

The Mandela Effect is such a ridiculous problem for the human brain.

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, that's not the only reason one shouldn't perceive humans, or anything else, as designed, but if you go with the idea that there is a god and that humans are made in that god's image, then that god has a design flaw, which makes the god imperfect, which makes the god rather useless as an object...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PolyWolf sometimes i learn these things from trivial pursuit; that one i already knew, though, having seen the film so many times. sometimes trivial pursuit gets things wrong, though! one question was about a 1955 film i recognized through rather freakish circumstances, having seen it, or part of it, new, in the movie theatre, on my 13th birthday, a day i also got food poisoning. that was 1965, not '55. i knew the card was wrong. i had a hard time convincing my guy richard though. don't believe everything you read, i warned him! g

The Mandela Effect is such a ridiculous problem for the human brain.

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, that's not the only reason one shouldn't perceive humans, or anything else, as designed, but if you go with the idea that there is a god and that humans are made in that god's image, then that god has a design flaw, which makes the god imperfect, which makes the god rather useless as an object...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PolyWolf how many napoleons ARE there, i wonder? yes, one has to rely on real memories and sometimes backup, too. oh here's one! humphrey bogart saying "play it again, sam" in casablanca! he didn't say it. g

The Mandela Effect is such a ridiculous problem for the human brain.

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, that's not the only reason one shouldn't perceive humans, or anything else, as designed, but if you go with the idea that there is a god and that humans are made in that god's image, then that god has a design flaw, which makes the god imperfect, which makes the god rather useless as an object...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PolyWolf that's weird. i have a memory i know isn't real too, but i don't know if anyone else shares it. there was a movie called carry on nurse, from the carry on series of course, and at the very end (pun intended as you'll see) of the film, a guy is having his temperature taken but instead of a thermometer in his ass, he has a daisy. i remember this from my childhood! only it's not there. there is no way that movie ever actually showed a daisy sticking out of a guy's butt. that just wasn't done. now i find out from wikipedia that it was a daffodil, which isn't a huge thing, since i might not have known the difference as a small child, but how is it that i remember SEEING it, rather than remembering its being implied? here is the scene. i guess my imagination just filled in the blanks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfKE7I-UtlA g

‘Something doesn’t smell right’: The curious timing of Nikki Haley’s exit - The Washington ...

Secretguy comments on Oct 9, 2018:

or maybe https://www.businessinsider.com/nikki-haley-resign-investigation-flights-free-private-jets-2018-10

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@Secretguy of haley? by whom? and why would anyone investigate a trump appointee for ethics? none of them has any! ah okay now you have pasted the whole article, for which i do thank you. wow. you'd think nikki would know better. guess not! g

Should healthcare providers be required to accept Medicaid/Medicare patients?

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

yes. you know who doesn't take that? cancer centers of america. they spend a LOT of money on tv advertising, and you know who watches a lot of tv? old, disabled people like me, who can't really get out and do much else, and are on medicare and medicaid. so we see, gee, there are all these new ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@bingst if they didn't buy all that air time, and hire all those actors, they could afford to do pro bono work, or its medical equivalent. g

‘Something doesn’t smell right’: The curious timing of Nikki Haley’s exit - The Washington ...

Secretguy comments on Oct 9, 2018:

or maybe https://www.businessinsider.com/nikki-haley-resign-investigation-flights-free-private-jets-2018-10

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

sorry, i can't read business insider. can you summarize? g

‘Something doesn’t smell right’: The curious timing of Nikki Haley’s exit - The Washington ...

PolyWolf comments on Oct 9, 2018:

I was pretty curious about that as well. It definitely feels odd.

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

either she quit because she developed a conscience (man, those things take a long time to grow!) or he fired her because she developed a conscience. g

You know when those cute little baby goats start jumping for no apparent reason other than the sheer...

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

wear pajamas? g

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PolyWolf they make the cutest little maaaaaa maaaa maaaa sounds too! every time i see this i ask richard "can i have one?" and he rolls his eyes. i ask him just so i can see him roll his eyes. g

You know when those cute little baby goats start jumping for no apparent reason other than the sheer...

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

wear pajamas? g

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PolyWolf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN50R3gycgo g

Atheist dogma

mordant comments on Oct 8, 2018:

{shrug} In my experience none of these things accurately describe what most atheists think. Theism and religion are clearly not the same thing and in my experience most atheists comprehend this. You can have religion without deities (many kinds of Buddhism or Taoism for example) and you can ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@mordant atheism CAN be the belief that no gods exist. that is one of its two definitions, the other being that it is the lack of belief that any gods exist (tiny distinction). that still doesn't make it a religion, nor is a definition the same as dogma. but you're talking with one person and you said "so many" in your post. i realize one can be a lot when you're embroiled, but seriously, i don't think most atheists even think about it enough to join this site, or seek out sites like this. there is no atheist dogma. atheists are defined by the definition of the word and may have other stuff in common, or not, but there's no atheist bible telling us what atheists can eat or wear, or marry, or believe about anything else besides the existence or nonexistence of gods! i think PEOPLE can be dogmatic, and atheists are people, but i don't see atheists as PARTICULARLY dogmatic about atheism. sometimes i wish more atheists knew how to spell atheist, though -- have you noticed that a lot cannot? rofl! g

What is the most important goal every person should have?

weeman comments on Oct 9, 2018:

be kind where possible

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@weeman i cannot argue with that. i just don't see it as a goal, any more than breathing should be a goal (unless you have a respiratory ailment). g

What is the most important goal every person should have?

weeman comments on Oct 9, 2018:

be kind where possible

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

that's a low bar. not a goal really. a modus operandi. everyone should be kind. then maybe they should set a goal lol. g

Have we ever had a President that was as easy to get terrible pictures of as it is with Trump?

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, dubya usually had his mouth open like a dope, but he looks like einstein next to trump. g

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@patchoullijulie what they will one day realize is that the balls they have in their court are delicate. one swift kick and these longterm planners will be doubled over in pain. i can think of a more durable game plan.... g

Have we ever had a President that was as easy to get terrible pictures of as it is with Trump?

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, dubya usually had his mouth open like a dope, but he looks like einstein next to trump. g

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@patchoullijulie the scary thing is that trump isn't rock bottom either. who'da thunk? but mitch mcconnell is in charge of a good deal of what's going down. g

Quick question.

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

since i don't drink alcohol myself, why should i think ill of someone else who doesn't? the people of whom i think ill are the pushers: aw come on, just one! one won't hurt you! come on, party pooper! dontcha wanna have a good time? well, yeah, but i can have a good time without alcohol, and ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@MrChange oooh i don't like people who knock on my door morning on any topic. i don't do morning. in fact i don't answer doors unless i'm expecting a visitor or a delivery. random knockers are ignored. g

Have we ever had a President that was as easy to get terrible pictures of as it is with Trump?

genessa comments on Oct 9, 2018:

well, dubya usually had his mouth open like a dope, but he looks like einstein next to trump. g

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@patchoullijulie just when you think we've hit bottom, eh? g

I am not sick of hearing about racism.

Stephanie99 comments on Oct 9, 2018:

I took my kids to an indoor activity group a couple of times and my son wasn't comfortable there because they were the only white kids. We lived in a racially mixed community in which they were comfortable. This was in a neighboring community. Just like the only black kid in an all white school ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

well, exactly! and then there are the fools who will call you racist for mentioning it, for not mentioning it, and for talking about whether or not to mention it. you can't win; there will always be someone calling you racist, and that doesn't exactly help our efforts to get rid of actual racism! it did surprise me, though, the first time i was called racist, on facebook, by a stranger, because i disagreed with her about something and the topic was racism. i wasn't disagreeing about racism. i was disagreeing about her assertion that a certain candidate hadn't gotten funding from the democratic party because she was black. this is so easily disproven by the fact that the democratic party funds a whole LOT of black people, including black women; obviously there was some other reason that this woman hadn't been funded, if she really hadn't been. it wasn't necessarily her fault; it could be so many things, like she was one of 10 candidates in a race and the dems thought someone else was a better candidate, or would make a better public servant if elected, or that the dems had already spent all their money on that race, or that the republican in that race was so strong there was no use wasting the funds in that area to start with or... any NUMBER of things. so i looked her up and even she wasn't saying she wasn't funded because she was black. she was talking about the dccc's limited funds. just this one person on facebook was saying it was about race.. so i told her what i had found and she not only called me racist, she called me a white supremacist. (she went beyond that and speculated that i didn't know any black people, claiming i'd actually SAID that... how can people claim you say something you didn't when you're typing and everyone can see whether or not you said something? i don't know whether she was deliberately gaslighting me or just insane!) it was surreal, honestly, like telling someone you would like eggs for breakfast instead of cheerios and getting called racist for that. then it happened again. weird weird weird. g

What life-altering things should every human ideally get to experience at least once in their lives?

PBuck0145 comments on Oct 9, 2018:

Having and rearing a child.

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@PBuck0145 more like rear-ended them but yeah, until she stopped. anyway, even without that example, to say that everyone should have kids is ridiculous. some should, some shouldn't. g

In Defense of Santa Obviously Santa Claus isn't real, yet you'd be very hard pressed to actually...

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

you can write and post letters to the devil if you want. that doesn't make him real. st. nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers, isn't he? does that make it a sin for christians to shop for christmas presents at malls or other retail outlets? i am asking in sincere ignorance, for i have ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@johnprytz lol you did not mention rationality, or points, so i did not include them in my figuring. g

In Defense of Santa Obviously Santa Claus isn't real, yet you'd be very hard pressed to actually...

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

you can write and post letters to the devil if you want. that doesn't make him real. st. nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers, isn't he? does that make it a sin for christians to shop for christmas presents at malls or other retail outlets? i am asking in sincere ignorance, for i have ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

@johnprytz right. so the difference is you can have people go along with the delusion if you write to santa but not if you write to satan. but you can still do the latter nonetheless. g

Look at this despicable antisemitic crap.

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 9, 2018:

It just amazes me that these ridiculous, stupid and hateful old ideas still have traction. People want answers, and will embrace "answers" about life's problems that make them feel special, or better than others. They want to lay blame. What they don't want, or aren't equipped to tackle, are the ...

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

it's another corner of the same crazy quilt. g

What life-altering things should every human ideally get to experience at least once in their lives?

PBuck0145 comments on Oct 9, 2018:

Having and rearing a child.

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

most definitely NOT something everyone should experience. think susan smith; maybe she was gratified but her kids didn't do so well. and can you imagine if charles manson had kids? women still die of childbirth in this country. no, i don't think this is for everyone. g

Look at this despicable antisemitic crap.

PolyWolf comments on Oct 8, 2018:

That's horrible. Is there anywhere you can report it? Please stay safe, we need you.

genessa replies on Oct 9, 2018:

fortunately i did not receive this aimed personally at me. i saw it on facebook and at that time it was posted to show how dreadful it is, just as i am posting it here. so there is nowhere to report it. but you are right, it is horrible. the source is a horrible entity and this is horrible output from it. g

I just heard a little mozart in a tv commercial and it was nice to hear mozart but not THAT way.

memorylikeasieve comments on Sep 18, 2018:

What was it an ad for? Also, damn, but I miss being able to sing that aria.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

well it took me all this time to see/hear the ad again but finally i heard those tones and quickly turned to the tv and could see it was a car ad. but there was no speaking and i can't see very well and the print was small! which car was it? FINALLY at the VERY end, i could just barely make out the suburu logo. so it's a suburu ad. g

I am not sick of hearing about racism.

Stephanie99 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

We are all racist. It's part of the normal human tendency towards tribalism.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Stephanie99 oh, i'm not like that lol. i remember when i first went to work for the department of justice. there were four employees who sort of took me under their wing: a middle-aged white woman from alaska, very politically and socially conservative; a young white man somewhat older than i (in my mid-20s) but not much; a black women who was about my age; and an older white man who soon vanished from the group because he was laid low and eventually defeated by cancer. so these kind people adopted me and i became closest to the two who were closest to my own age. i have two stories to tell about them that are pertinent to our discussion. one is that when i first started, things were hopping to the extent that nobody could find the time to get me a desk or give me anything to do, so i sat for a few days in a chair in the front office of my boss' boss' office, reading magazines. i habitually read the new yorker and that week's issue featured a substantial excerpt from james baldwin's then-newest book, the devil finds work, which wasn't even out yet. it was (to simplify) about how baldwin felt when he saw black people on a movie screen, and why he couldn't identify with them but instead identified with bette davis, joan crawford and the like: white women instead of black men. as i was reading this, my new friend, the only black person in the quartet, walked into the room. i looked up and asked her how she felt when she saw a black person on the large or small screen. "do you feel like 'oh look, that's me!' or 'oh that's not real, people i know aren't like that,' or...?" i don't remember her answer because what i do remember was the look of shock on her face. no one had ever asked her that before. in 1976 one wasn't supposed to NOTICE that some of us were black or white or asian or whatever; it was rude! well, too bad; i knew i was asking something important and not derogatory. i just wish i could remember what she said! she wasn't mad -- but it sure threw her for a loop! the other is that one day, maybe a year later, i found myself alone with the younger white man. we were in washington, d.c., of course, that being where the doj is housed, and he said something about d.c. being "chocolate city." this time i was the dumbfounded one. he worked with black people, he was friends with the aforementioned black woman, how COULD he say that? it wasn't a matter of being p.c.;' there was no such concept back then. what struck me was his assumption that i would be okay with his saying that because my skin isn't dark. us, them. this time i don't remember what i said. it may have been something like "how can you SAY that?" i hope i said something like that. no, i'm not colorblind, and i don't think people should be colorblind. i ...

Good Day Good day.

Lincoln55 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

@genessa the poem I enjoyed. The opening confused me

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Lincoln55 oh yeah for sure! g

Good Day Good day.

Lincoln55 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

@genessa the poem I enjoyed. The opening confused me

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Lincoln55 :-)) g

Good Day Good day.

Lincoln55 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

@genessa the poem I enjoyed. The opening confused me

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

better now? :-)) g

Good Day Good day.

TheDoubter comments on Oct 8, 2018:

may you find that gift soon

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

i have :-)) g

I am not sick of hearing about racism.

Stephanie99 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

We are all racist. It's part of the normal human tendency towards tribalism.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Stephanie99 i didn't pretend it wasn't so. having unintentional biases does not make someone a racist, and it specifically doesn't make someone a racist to disagree with something someone says about black women. that is a ridiculous reason to cry "racist!" we are NOT all racist, and that's not pretending that we have no biases. there IS a difference. i am not pretending ANYTHING. g

I read somewhere that it took a team of people FOUR months to finally settle on a look for the new ...

Marionville comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Didn’t watch it....I always thought it was supposed to be for kids....at least is used to be when my boys were young. They used to watch it on a Saturday while I was making our evening meal.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

yep it started out as being for kids, in 1963. it has long since grown up. g

I am off work until Thursday. Anyone else ever had pneumonia?

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

i have had it many times, and don't be silly, it only takes five week. isn't it a drag? i may have walking pneu right now. i'll find out tomorrow when i walk my butt over to the doc. drink lots of liquids! hot honey lemonade DOES help. g

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@GreatNani it's just lemonade made with lemon juice, water, honey instead of sugar, and you heat it up. g

Atheism and the Universe

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

arrogant indeed! why, next you'll be telling me the sun doesn't revolve around the earth! g

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@starwatcher-al on their little footsies! it's a sign! we're all going to die! g

Saw this on my feed and dear lord.

AnneWimsey comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Get off your butt & vote! Acting as if "4 more years" is inevitable makes it happen! Not vot ing is Acceptance & approval of this crap! Oh, and donate to the ACLU!

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@josh23452 oh indeed! g

"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness"

Marine comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Right now the Dems need a bunch of candles and I do not see any rising to the demand

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Marine oh especially not dogcatcher! g

Let us not shelter our Shoah.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

i just realized the video never showed up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ybXkZaMfA g

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Lincoln55 even mine? :-)) thank you! g

"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness"

Marine comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Right now the Dems need a bunch of candles and I do not see any rising to the demand

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Marine that's what i thought, but i found... you're talking about democrats, right? ned lamont. ah, ganim, that's the former felon. nope, felon's not in the running. lamont is the dem candidate. g

Let us not shelter our Shoah.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

i just realized the video never showed up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ybXkZaMfA g

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Lincoln55 ah okay. well, meryl streep i'm not, but hopefully it isn't too distracting. g

Saw this on my feed and dear lord.

AnneWimsey comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Get off your butt & vote! Acting as if "4 more years" is inevitable makes it happen! Not vot ing is Acceptance & approval of this crap! Oh, and donate to the ACLU!

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

i will butt in and mention that although i lived in japan i voted in presidential elections nonetheless. not having an american address i am pretty sure i didn't get to choose the whole slew of candidates, nor vote in primaries, but i did my civic duty as i was permitted and it was a joy. g

Sometimes i see questions here about "do atheists or .

hrichardson8 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Anytime someone says "all [x] [y]" where [x] is a subset of people in modern society and [y] is a verb that not all people do, that statement can be immediately thrown out as false. Whether its "all black people eat fried chicken" or "all atheists eat babies", it's all demonstrably and ...

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

generalities are always false lol but that is true of statements. with questions the issue gets more complex because there are belief systems that have rules, and asking about atheism as if it's a belief system is going to result in silly questions. all black people don't do or believe the same thing because being black isn't about what you do or believe. catholicism, a belief system, does have prescriptions and proscriptions, and asking the same question about catholics may betray ignorance but... okay, let's say someone asks "do catholics use birth control?" that is a reasonable question, even though the answer might be "theoretically, no" because not all catholics practice. "do black people use birth control?" is sillier but still might be a sociological question, badly phrased; "do as many black people use birth control as nonblack people" might make more sense. "do all black people eat fried chicken" plays on a stereotype but at least it's just a question! it still has the false assumption that all black people eat the same thing, not unreasonable if being black was ONE cultural thing, but it's not! the questions about atheism makes the aforementioned assumption about atheism, which would be a reasonable assumption if atheism were a religion. so the querying party starts off thinking something untrue about atheism, and isn't asking about it, but rather asking something else about it, something that can't be answered directly because the assumption itself is false. g

Saw this on my feed and dear lord.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

just what we need -- division. it isn't white supremacy to kneel just because some black people also kneel. it's a good peaceful protest. it's not copyrighted. and who is this bishop anyway? i am guessing he does not represent the feelings of most black people (and some black people ARE women!)...

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@josh23452 hahahaha! g

"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness"

Marine comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Right now the Dems need a bunch of candles and I do not see any rising to the demand

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Marine what state? g

"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness"

Marine comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Right now the Dems need a bunch of candles and I do not see any rising to the demand

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Marine who is that candidate you mentioned? did the primaries turn out that badly? i voted in mine. i got my way in ALMOST all of the races, and i can live with the candidate in the one where i didn't get my way. g

Saw this on my feed and dear lord.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

just what we need -- division. it isn't white supremacy to kneel just because some black people also kneel. it's a good peaceful protest. it's not copyrighted. and who is this bishop anyway? i am guessing he does not represent the feelings of most black people (and some black people ARE women!)...

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@josh23452 for that matter, we shouldn't vote, because that's been done before too! hey, stop that guy over there; he's breathing! i was breathing FIRST! g

"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness"

Marine comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Right now the Dems need a bunch of candles and I do not see any rising to the demand

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

you don't? look again -- look on your ballot. vote. g

Is any one seeing signs of being hacked in the big Facebook debacle?

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

no. i get private messages all the time warning me about it and they all say "forward this to all your contacts," which is the sure sign of a scam. some of my friends have had their pages cloned, to be sure. it's easy enough to detect and report. as for hacking, i see very little of that, ...

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@IAJO163 of course it gets hacked. everything gets hacked. but i have a LOT of facebook friends, hundreds, and when they get hacked, they post that, and i am not seeing any more signs of it than i ever did. no more, no fewer. it's just as it was as far as i can tell. so if anyone wants to avoid being hacked or thinks they have been hacked, they can report it to facebook, they should change their passwords for sure, but living in fear is kind of useless! g

Is any one seeing signs of being hacked in the big Facebook debacle?

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

no. i get private messages all the time warning me about it and they all say "forward this to all your contacts," which is the sure sign of a scam. some of my friends have had their pages cloned, to be sure. it's easy enough to detect and report. as for hacking, i see very little of that, ...

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@IAJO163 you will note that the people telling you that are all using the same words. they're forwarding a hoax message that doesn't even apply to them. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/got-another-friend-request-facebook-warning/?utm_medium=social=facebook g

Why do you think the religious right are so intent on forcing their agendas on others???

buck1977 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Their delusion of superiority. Same reason liberals do it.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@buck1977 you're funny -- but not funny enough to warrant any more of my attention. i generally find it useless to communicate with people who assume i am lying to myself. "got it" -- no, honey, missed it by miles. what an ass. g

Why do you think the religious right are so intent on forcing their agendas on others???

buck1977 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Their delusion of superiority. Same reason liberals do it.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@buck1977 it doesn't make me the least bit uncomfortable, so your understanding is incorrect. you don't know me one bit, and you're avoiding my quite nonpartisan suggestion. what are you hiding from? i'm not lying to myself. i have nothing for which to be forgiven and i am certainly don't care enough about you to worry about whether you want to be forgiven. be a fool. that's your business. i won't further interfere with it. g

Why do you think the religious right are so intent on forcing their agendas on others???

buck1977 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Their delusion of superiority. Same reason liberals do it.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@buck1977 oh, so you're NOT actually interested in who votes for what, just in slamming liberals without any basis. okay. g

Why do you think the religious right are so intent on forcing their agendas on others???

buck1977 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Their delusion of superiority. Same reason liberals do it.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

oh give me a break. liberals do it? you're not paying attention. do you actually know how people vote? congress dot gov is nonpartisan and records the disposition of every bill, including the complete text, the summary, who sponsors it and who votes how. you may wish to check out who is pushing what on whom. g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

memorylikeasieve comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Dehydration.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

nope. urine is clear. i am guzzling water like mad. for SURE i am not dehydrated. my guy was in the hospital TWICE in the last month for that because he doesn't listen to me when i say drink, drink, drink! well, i listen to myself! i might have the plague, but i'm not dehydrated :-)) g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Captain747ex comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I'd say you're probably congested and the body is working to expel the mucus.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Captain747ex i tell you, it's kicking me right in the throat! g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Captain747ex comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I'd say you're probably congested and the body is working to expel the mucus.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Captain747ex i would give it a nice kick to send it on its way if only it had a tushie! g

I am not sick of hearing about racism.

Stephanie99 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

We are all racist. It's part of the normal human tendency towards tribalism.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

i disagree. we're all prejudiced but not necessarily racist. and some prejudices are okay. i am terribly prejudiced against nazis and i do not feel my prejudice is unjust. g

"In God We Trust" Any of you find it offensive or maybe just wrong that this "motto" is on U.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

it is offensive and it's ridiculously unconstitutional. i would not count on the current supreme court to change it though. g

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@lerlo they probably missed a missing article. g

"In God We Trust" Any of you find it offensive or maybe just wrong that this "motto" is on U.

genessa comments on Oct 8, 2018:

it is offensive and it's ridiculously unconstitutional. i would not count on the current supreme court to change it though. g

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@lerlo they don't forget. they don't care. g

Sometimes i see questions here about "do atheists or .

weeman comments on Oct 8, 2018:

and eats babies whilst having sex with the devil dont forget that bit its in the sign up leaflet

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

don't be silly. you have to reach the third circle to do that! g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Bendog comments on Oct 8, 2018:

You've been eating dragons?

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Bendog i am too tired to make chicken soup. i made a wonderful matzaball soup a week and a half ago. g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Bendog comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I had walking pnenomia for three months. You sound like you may have it.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Bendog oy, scary! g

Let us not shelter our Shoah.

Lincoln55 comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I had to look up the Kegara. Your words cover a lot of ground and a lot of emotions. Raw emotions. Does this mean you are feeling better? Ask and it shall be delivered. Thank you.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

lol it is an older video but i felt well enough to go fetch it and my words as well. my hair is much longer now! g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Bendog comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I had walking pnenomia for three months. You sound like you may have it.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

oh i've had that before. this is close but not quite as bad (yet?) g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Bendog comments on Oct 8, 2018:

You've been eating dragons?

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

no but i feel as if they've been eating me! g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

PalacinkyPDX comments on Oct 8, 2018:

If you cough up a rusty or browish color, that can potentially be a sign of bacterial infection in your lungs... much more serious. What you're talking about... normal congestion.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

i am glad to hear it. and i see my doc on tuesday, just have to hang on until then. living on ibuprofen for the throat pain and headache, and sudafed so i can breathe. i still stopped breathing twice so far. i have asthma. it complicates thing. g

"In God We Trust" Any of you find it offensive or maybe just wrong that this "motto" is on U.

TheGreatShadow comments on Oct 8, 2018:

The "In God We Trust" has been on US coins since the 1860's.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

no, that was ike's doing, in the 1950s. it was part of his way of combating the red scare, the scariest, reddest part being the soviet union's official atheism. g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Captain747ex comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I'd say you're probably congested and the body is working to expel the mucus.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Captain747ex thanks. i'm already a bit better than i was friday. but of course i am impatient and want this gone gone gone! g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Captain747ex comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I'd say you're probably congested and the body is working to expel the mucus.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@Captain747ex okay so i had to look it up. the color apparently IS significant. still, not everything i read agrees on what could cause phlegm; one source says bronchitis or pneumonia. another says maybe even a cold. i am not expecting anyone to play doctor here but if someone IS a doctor, or is unlucky enough to be experienced in this area (as a patient), that would be cool.... g

Let us not shelter our Shoah.

powder comments on Oct 8, 2018:

Shoah? Is this a reference to the doco on the holocaust?

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

no, it's a reference to the holocaust itself, not to the documentary of that name. shoah means the holocaust. g

Okay i know this isn't the mayo clinic website but does anyone happen to know what it means when you...

Captain747ex comments on Oct 8, 2018:

I'd say you're probably congested and the body is working to expel the mucus.

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

well yeah, i knew THAT, but the different colors of mucos actually mean something. g

Has anyone ever quit their job to follow their dream? Got any tips or precautions?

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

stupid question i know, but there's no way to go halfway with this? take a hiatus or temporary cut in hours with the current job and do your startup too? i have not done this, no, so i am in no position to give advice. i've quit jobs recklessly with nothing lined up, and i took a change leaving a...

genessa replies on Oct 8, 2018:

@PolyWolf glad to help, even by accident! g

I just left Christianity, and they talk a lot about this "darkness" that Jesus delivered them from.

gearl comments on Oct 7, 2018:

I would assume they are talking about John 8:12 which states: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. To Christians if you don't accept Jesus you walk in darkness. With recent events unfolding as they have I see it as the direct ...

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@BongoCat oh dear, i must disagree. you can and must be both... as long as you don't consider "the other" to be human. g

I just left Christianity, and they talk a lot about this "darkness" that Jesus delivered them from.

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

in judaism, you cannot be delivered from a darkness of that sort because, for one thing, there isn't any -- no original sin, and no concept of someone removing from you the sins you've committed, either by confession or by dying on a cross for you, for example. also no fear of hell (except in ...

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@BongoCat actually i think it was during their religious training. g

The problem with freedom is that when you give it to people they use it to do anything they bloody ...

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

freedom isn't something you can give another person, unless you mean quite literally unhandcuffing someone or letting someone out of captivity in your basement. a good deal of freedom is internal. g

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@LenHazell53 yeah maybe we'll pick up on it some day. but you know, it doesn't have to be a basement.... g

This idea that because white men get what they want, men in general do, is wrong and IMO, dangerous!...

Deanervin comments on Oct 7, 2018:

Indeed white folk do have supremacy but there is a layer above of financial supremacy that not all whites are privvy to.

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@redbai that's right, any time i disagree about anything to do with racism, i am denying or downplaying racism, which makes me a racist. that's simplistic... and wrong. but as i said above, knock yourself out. believe what you will. i do not care what you think of me. g

This idea that because white men get what they want, men in general do, is wrong and IMO, dangerous!...

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

white supremacy and patriarchy are not mutually exclusive. white supremacy's being a huge problem doesn't mean patriarchy isn't also one. g

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@redbai you think i give half a shit what you think of me? you wanna believe i can or can't or will or won't, or do or don't, just knock yourself out. g

The king can do no wrong? oops... wrong! g

TheGreatShadow comments on Oct 7, 2018:

Our emperor has no clothes, and doesn't even realize it.

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

you'd think he'd at least feel a breeze, eh? g

I am very afraid that even though many of us hope for and expect a blue wave in November, the ...

powder comments on Oct 7, 2018:

You are paranoid. If you're worried about foreign interference, there are many tails wagging the American dog before Russia. Saudi Arabia, Israel for starters. Accusations against Russia concern using social media to influence voter sentiment. There is no claim they directly hacked voting ...

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@powder yes,i said all that, sure. i don't know what the hell YOU were reading but it sure wasn't anything i wrote. "got it"? not by a mile. but go on, keep saying stupid stuff. it makes you look... well, stupid. it's late and i have to make dinner. dinner is rooted in reality. your words are not. g

I just left Christianity, and they talk a lot about this "darkness" that Jesus delivered them from.

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

in judaism, you cannot be delivered from a darkness of that sort because, for one thing, there isn't any -- no original sin, and no concept of someone removing from you the sins you've committed, either by confession or by dying on a cross for you, for example. also no fear of hell (except in ...

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@BongoCat particularly the native americas-americans, via the blankets. that wasn't just the spanish. but hey, they liked to burn people up too (and beheadings were cool; columbus' guys liked to behead random islanders). g

Will this finally put and end to guilty by accusation? Not likely. The mob is to stupid.

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

are you talking about kavanaugh? he wasn't guilty by accusation. he appeared to be guilty (there was no actual investigation much less a trial) by virtue of the evidence, including but not limited to the fact that ford gave her information to her repesentative before kavanaugh became the nominee; ...

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@PolyWolf lol i just might! though i am not even yet sure that's what this is. i honestly do NOT know which this post meant, of the two possibilities i presented! i wasn't being critical when i said it was unclear. the poster just left it unclear. g

This idea that because white men get what they want, men in general do, is wrong and IMO, dangerous!...

genessa comments on Oct 7, 2018:

white supremacy and patriarchy are not mutually exclusive. white supremacy's being a huge problem doesn't mean patriarchy isn't also one. g

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@redbai i don't have to demonstrate a damned thing. your saying what you said doesn't make anything so either. jump through the screen and teach me. feh. this is quite tiresome. i have nothing to prove to you. g

I am very afraid that even though many of us hope for and expect a blue wave in November, the ...

powder comments on Oct 7, 2018:

You are paranoid. If you're worried about foreign interference, there are many tails wagging the American dog before Russia. Saudi Arabia, Israel for starters. Accusations against Russia concern using social media to influence voter sentiment. There is no claim they directly hacked voting ...

genessa replies on Oct 7, 2018:

@powder omg how naive! look, i don't have time to write the length of tome it would take to counter this, so wrongheaded it is. bask in your ignorance. you're not my responsibility. maybe when i get over this flu thing or whatever i've got. and maybe not. g