If anyone out there is also a vegetable gardener, I would be glad to share or trade tips and ...

Rugglesby comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I am a keen gardener of all sorts, I am in the subtropics do herbs, citrus, even coconuts and grapes, so quite diverse, also run our local community gardens. Love to swap notes

wordywalt replies on Jan 18, 2018:

In Florida, I grow 3 gardens a year. In the spring, I grow green beans, potatoes, yellow crookneck squash, and tomatoes. In the summer I grow a variety of southern field peas called acre peas. In the fall and winter I grow cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, ,and carrots. When I lived in Kansas I also grew butternut squash and acorn squash..

I know there are many other choices.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Both theocracy and Marxist socialism are to be avoided at all costs. The European model of non-Marxist socialism, however, is a productive model that benefits a much greater percentage of the population and bestows and protects civil rights.

wordywalt replies on Jan 18, 2018:

@JWDiaz And, you are dead wrong. Right now, European social democratic countires are more democratic and more economically stable than American under the idiot Trump and today's morally bankrupt Republicans.

I know there are many other choices.

Naeem comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I never saw anything wrong in Socialism, just check Sweden and Germany and see for yourself! Socialism is not communism.

wordywalt replies on Jan 18, 2018:

Absolutely correct!

HHS Announces New Conscience and Religious Freedom Division | HHS.gov

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

The new HHS division should be challenged in court.

wordywalt replies on Jan 18, 2018:

@DobbinPitch Try the federal distreict court system first

Southern Vocabulary When I first got to the South, I had what was called a Yankee accent and ...

josh_karpf comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I have a possibly Southern vocabulary question I've never found an answer for online. "Painted windows" was once mentioned in a teen guide published by the Church of the Nazarene, to which my college girlfriend, also an atheist, had belonged when growing up. She came to our school, in part, to ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 18, 2018:

Sorry. Never heard that expression.

Southern Vocabulary When I first got to the South, I had what was called a Yankee accent and ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Having grown up in south Georgia and north Florida,. I grew up with all of the southern expressions. I particularly liked the colorful -- and often profane -- but very expressive sayings like "as useless as the tits on a boar hog or "it come a toad-strangler" (heavy rain)."

wordywalt replies on Jan 18, 2018:

@JustLuAnn Yeah! Or "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."

How do you deal?

kmdskit3 comments on Jan 17, 2018:

@MsOliver has an excellent idea. Also the ACLU. Looked up where Fort Madison is. Good luck.

wordywalt replies on Jan 17, 2018:

The ACLU is a good suggestion But, be prepared for the possibility that your agency head may try to find any escuse to give you a hard time. But, if her or she did, you would have vcalid grounds for a lawsuit. You just have to ask yourself if you are up to the challenge.

If you could live anywhere in the world except your homeland, where would that be?

AtheismIsLife comments on Jan 16, 2018:

Germany. I lived there before. I would, again.

wordywalt replies on Jan 16, 2018:

I also loved the city of Berlin. Die 3 Jahren da weran unter der besten mines Lebens.

Why are some people habitual liars in life?

azzow2 comments on Jan 15, 2018:

In physiology 101 one of the first thing that I had learned is that lying is a sign of intelligence because it is a creative concept.

wordywalt replies on Jan 15, 2018:

I have had 8 psychology classes and I have never heard such a thing!

I tend to be overly honest; that often makes people uncomfortable.

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

Reaching out requires one to make himself or herself vulnerable -- taking a risk in exposing things about ourselves to others. Some -- no, many people lack the self-confidence and inner strength to do that. And, there are sociopaths out there who will ake advantage of anything you reveal.

wordywalt replies on Jan 13, 2018:

@silverotter11 Aggressive, derogatory, unprovoked slammers like you.

I tend to be overly honest; that often makes people uncomfortable.

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

Reaching out requires one to make himself or herself vulnerable -- taking a risk in exposing things about ourselves to others. Some -- no, many people lack the self-confidence and inner strength to do that. And, there are sociopaths out there who will ake advantage of anything you reveal.

wordywalt replies on Jan 13, 2018:

@FrayedBear My problem? What problem. I was simply commenting on the issue, not myself, and you decided to personalize your remarks inappropriately.

The Internet, and subsequent social media platforms that evolved because of it, create a huge ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 11, 2018:

The impact remains to be seen.

wordywalt replies on Jan 11, 2018:

@Hominid You are right. Let's hope that it is a temporary phenomenon abd that people wise up.

First Israel deported a convert from Kenya.

wordywalt comments on Jan 6, 2018:

Israel is in danger of becoming a racist state seeking ethnic purity -- and a state characterized by aggressive nationalism.

wordywalt replies on Jan 11, 2018:

@HeathenFarmer Intelligent leadership in a country would break the cycle.

Why We Must Elect Oprah in 2020 in Order to Advance the Radical Leftist Feminist Agenda. - SciBabe

Adforwifey comments on Jan 10, 2018:

Why would I! After all the election fraud perpetrated by the DNC against Sanders. And Russiagate which is pure fiction.

wordywalt replies on Jan 11, 2018:

@evestrat NO. I just like the idea. My preference really would be a ticket of Warren and Biden -- either one at either post. They have zeal, experience, and a real concern for our country and people.

Hi fellow non-believers, It appears that I am the oldest person in the room, possibly by a quarter ...

tsjames comments on Jan 10, 2018:

@wordywalt is 80, I think.

wordywalt replies on Jan 10, 2018:

Mu tupo. I'm 80, noy 70.

Hi fellow non-believers, It appears that I am the oldest person in the room, possibly by a quarter ...

tsjames comments on Jan 10, 2018:

@wordywalt is 80, I think.

wordywalt replies on Jan 10, 2018:

Yep, I'm 70. Will be 81 in April.

Silence is a political stance. It is a full throated endorsement of the status quo.

wordywalt comments on Jan 8, 2018:

Hear! Hear! Any person with any semblance of a moral backbone MUST speak out against Trump and today's morally bankrupt Republican party!

wordywalt replies on Jan 8, 2018:

@GreenAtheist "Spoke with forked tongue" is not an insult? Your words speak for themselves, and speak for your incivility.

Silence is a political stance. It is a full throated endorsement of the status quo.

wordywalt comments on Jan 8, 2018:

Hear! Hear! Any person with any semblance of a moral backbone MUST speak out against Trump and today's morally bankrupt Republican party!

wordywalt replies on Jan 8, 2018:

@GreenAtheist Why do you feel the need to insult? The user of unprovoked incivility only demeans himself.

Patriotism and religion have many similarities in the way they are practiced.

wordywalt comments on Jan 8, 2018:

What you describe is blind, irrational patriotism -- an extreme position which is harmful to both people and to the nation and what it stands for. I consider myself patriotic: I served in the military. I value most of the principles on which this nation was founded. I vote and pay my fair ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 8, 2018:

@Benmonk Your statement did not say that it was describing dysfunctional extreme patriotism, but to paint all patriotism with the same brush.

I have noticed a significant positive correlation between the religious (beliefs not supported by ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 7, 2018:

It is not just fear. "True believer" evangelicals see Trump as a vehicle to advance the coming of the kingdom of God. The irony is that they would sell their souls to support an evil man to promote the coming of the kingdom of God.

wordywalt replies on Jan 8, 2018:

I am not sure I would say that. I think that they have simply staked so much of their lives, energy, and beliefs to the dogma that they believe they must do everything they can to make sure that their pipedream comes true.@BitFlipper

Your thoughts on gun ownership?

wordywalt comments on Jan 7, 2018:

I would go further and say that no private citizen should own a pistol, assault weapon, or semi-automatic weapon. The only real purpose of such weapons is killing people. I am an Army vet and fired "expert with the M-1 Graand rifle. I also own a shotgun and a lever action rifle.

wordywalt replies on Jan 8, 2018:

@BamI proudly stand by what I said.

Silence is a political stance. It is a full throated endorsement of the status quo.

wordywalt comments on Jan 8, 2018:

Hear! Hear! Any person with any semblance of a moral backbone MUST speak out against Trump and today's morally bankrupt Republican party!

wordywalt replies on Jan 8, 2018:

@GreenAtheist It was not Carter, but Reagan. Reagan increased the national debt hugely over any previously levels.

Trumps first year

HippieChick58 comments on Jan 7, 2018:

He is a dangerous immature twit and an embarrassment to the US.

wordywalt replies on Jan 7, 2018:

You are being generous to Trump.

Trump defends his sanity amid questions about his mental state - CNNPolitics

Stevil comments on Jan 7, 2018:

I don't think he's crazy insane or anything near it. He is a master at rallying his troops. I think he has done what he set out to do so far. The bullshit about building a wall was just hyperbole as was most of his campaign promises. He has provided Tax breaks for him and his cronies. We keep ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 7, 2018:

@Stevil It is hard to underestimate Trump. But, if we want to get rid of him, we do have to understand him. He is an absolute egomaniac. His style is a total adoption of the behavior or Roy Cohn -- his late vicious and totally unethical lawyer. Cohn's style was, if anyone opposed him or anything he did or wanted, was to mount an all-out vicious, cruel (and often dishonest) frontal attack by any and all means possible to make that opposition extremely costly and painful. If you will note, he recently said, now that he feels threatened, "Where is my Roy Cohn That is all that a person needs to know about him, as that is all there is to Trump.

Trump defends his sanity amid questions about his mental state - CNNPolitics

Stevil comments on Jan 7, 2018:

I don't think he's crazy insane or anything near it. He is a master at rallying his troops. I think he has done what he set out to do so far. The bullshit about building a wall was just hyperbole as was most of his campaign promises. He has provided Tax breaks for him and his cronies. We keep ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 7, 2018:

@Stevil That does not say much for the intelligence, morality, or temperament of his supporters.

Trump defends his sanity amid questions about his mental state - CNNPolitics

Stevil comments on Jan 7, 2018:

I don't think he's crazy insane or anything near it. He is a master at rallying his troops. I think he has done what he set out to do so far. The bullshit about building a wall was just hyperbole as was most of his campaign promises. He has provided Tax breaks for him and his cronies. We keep ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 7, 2018:

You greatly overestimate Trump's intelligence, sanity, and morality.

How do you feel about people saying "I'm proud of my heritage", "I'm proud of being British", etc.

wordywalt comments on Jan 5, 2018:

What the person proclaiming pride in one's heritage is doing is saying indirectly that he or she identifies with the values and beliefs of that culture. . When an American southerner says the he or she expresses pride in his or her southern heritage, he or she is says (in a masked manner) that ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 5, 2018:

@BenPike The courtesy you mention extends primarily to fellow whites who are not outwardly of different political or religious beliefs. And, some of the people you mention for their gentility have no tolerances for people who look different from them, or who show cultural differences. Louisiana has been noted for its political corruption since the days of Huey Long and that corruption extends down to the local level. It is not uncommon for local school board members and county officials to be indicted for bribery and fraud. Further, educationally, Louisiana's public schools have always been among the bottom tier of states in terms of student achievement and graduation rates. That has been the case since the Civil War. Finally, Louisiana sold out to petroleum interests long ago and that control remains. As a consequence, Louisiana has suffered hugely from oil=related industry pollution. Those are facts.

Congratulations to @atheist, who posted enough philosophy during his New Year's recovery to join ...

atheist comments on Jan 4, 2018:

How come no one has told me to, 'get a life'? :)

wordywalt replies on Jan 5, 2018:

@MsOliver Thanks for your compliment.

Congratulations to @atheist, who posted enough philosophy during his New Year's recovery to join ...

atheist comments on Jan 4, 2018:

How come no one has told me to, 'get a life'? :)

wordywalt replies on Jan 5, 2018:

@atheist I'll add my picture if you will. But, in my case, who wants to see an old fart 80 years old?

Marijuana for recreational or medicinal? Dont be shy?

wordywalt comments on Jan 3, 2018:

No. I tried it several times over 40 years ago and did not like its effects.

wordywalt replies on Jan 4, 2018:

@Neraven I believe that there is merit in controlled medicinal use of marijuana in cases it can help pain. As far as tax revenue, that is blood money, just like revenue from cigarette sales and alcohol sales. We do not need another escape mechanism.

What are views on nationalism? Do you think it is as dangerous as religion and god?

PeppermintDreads comments on Jan 2, 2018:

Abso-fucking-lutely! Look what’s going on here. I am ASHAMED and EMBARRASSED to be American.

wordywalt replies on Jan 2, 2018:

I am ashamed the Trump is the President of the USA and of the increasing moral turpitude of the Republican party. Still, I am damned proud to be an American. We don't give in to that crap. We fight for what we believe to be right!

Nobody is laughing at the Religious Left in 2017 – ThinkProgress

DannyLandrum comments on Jan 1, 2018:

Well in order to discuss Charlottesville, let's start off by agreeing upon basic, proven, demonstrable FACTS, so that we'll know whether we're all interested in real, intelligent conversation or just more silly partisanship: There was in fact violence "on ALL sides", indeed - Trump got that part ...

wordywalt replies on Jan 2, 2018:

Fellow, your absurd rant nears no semblance to either reason or reality Further, your rambling, unlinked, unsupported stroll through fantasy land also bears no resemblance to good writing.

Why don't churches have to pay taxes?

BobFenner comments on Jan 1, 2018:

Mmm; see the US Constitution... the deal that was made.

wordywalt replies on Jan 1, 2018:

The US Constitution does NOT say that religious institutions are not to be taxed. There is no such provision.

Do you like guns?

haslr comments on Dec 15, 2017:

I'm all for restricting hunting, some animals are in danger of extinction as it is but i"m all for using guns for self defense

wordywalt replies on Dec 30, 2017:

@Harleyman Don't be so dismissive of how other countries solve their problems. Sometimes they do it better than we Americans do!

I cannot lie, I am a Bibliophile

wordywalt comments on Dec 30, 2017:

I could not agree with you more! I only wish that my vision were good enough to allow me to read as much as I did for most of my life.

wordywalt replies on Dec 30, 2017:

@GoldenMean Have tried audio books and enjoy them, but most of my reading was in the non-fiction areas, and a lot of the books I would want to read are not available in audio=books that I can find.

I cannot lie, I am a Bibliophile

wordywalt comments on Dec 30, 2017:

I could not agree with you more! I only wish that my vision were good enough to allow me to read as much as I did for most of my life.

wordywalt replies on Dec 30, 2017:

@MsOliver I might try it. I have tried large print books, but they don't solve the problem. My macular degeneration leaves me with a blind spot in the center of the field of vision in both eyes, and causes distortion in other areas of the field of vision -- which combine to make reading a struggle.

Is the second amendment an antique?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Today's interpretation of the 2nd amendment is an abomination. Three will always be a need for a WELL-REGULATED state militia, and a need for shotguns and rifles in small towns and rural areas for hunting for food, getting rid of dangerous or destructive animals, and for limited self protection. ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 30, 2017:

@Nilkin67 Australia's recent experience proves otherwise. How can you discount that?

Does the lack of beleif in an afterlife bring you fear or comfort?

jwm03h comments on Dec 30, 2017:

You are assuming there is no after life. Which is an unknown for me, certainly there isn't a heaven or hell, but I have no idea how I got here , and before I was born I didn't exist, so if I got here when I didn't exist before, how do we know it can't happen again?

wordywalt replies on Dec 30, 2017:

Huh?

Do men need 'sexual harassment' training? Agree? Disagree?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

No. I don't think that most man need sexual harassment training, as they really already know what it is. I think that what is needed is stricter enforcement..

wordywalt replies on Dec 29, 2017:

@RobAnybody If you think sexual harassment training is going to change that behavior and culture, you are dead wrong. If it is as deeply embedded in the culture as you assert, the practice will perpetuate itself unless it becomes abundantly clear that there WILL be a price to pay.

Hello, Atheists and Agnostics.

wordywalt comments on Dec 28, 2017:

the vast majority of people don't agree with your premise because it is not true. Capitalism run amok is a big problem, but it does not have to be that way. If you are espousing some form of Marxism, you are just as deluded as religious zealots. You are making the huge reasoning error of ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 29, 2017:

Alas, you are wrong again. I studied American intellectual history, including social movements, while in graduate school. Again, I hope that you are not advocating anarchism --it has never accomplished anything except chaos and destruction.

Hello, Atheists and Agnostics.

wordywalt comments on Dec 28, 2017:

the vast majority of people don't agree with your premise because it is not true. Capitalism run amok is a big problem, but it does not have to be that way. If you are espousing some form of Marxism, you are just as deluded as religious zealots. You are making the huge reasoning error of ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 29, 2017:

@blend Just as you said, you do not know me, either. No, you may not assume that I am a supporter of unbridled capitalism. I support social democracy in the European model. When responding to my remarks please make the time and effort to read exactly what I SAID, SO THAT YOUR PRESUMPTIONS DO NOT TAKE COMMAND.

For the people who have children, did you raise them not to believe?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

I raised my daughters to make their own decisions about religion. They knew that I did not believe in any religion;, but they always had the freedom to attend a church if they wanted. Both considered it, but are not atheists.

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

Hello, Atheists and Agnostics.

wordywalt comments on Dec 28, 2017:

the vast majority of people don't agree with your premise because it is not true. Capitalism run amok is a big problem, but it does not have to be that way. If you are espousing some form of Marxism, you are just as deluded as religious zealots. You are making the huge reasoning error of ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

@wordywalt Excuse me, my mistake. I wanted to say that deluded does not mean delusional according to the dictionary.

Hello, Atheists and Agnostics.

wordywalt comments on Dec 28, 2017:

the vast majority of people don't agree with your premise because it is not true. Capitalism run amok is a big problem, but it does not have to be that way. If you are espousing some form of Marxism, you are just as deluded as religious zealots. You are making the huge reasoning error of ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

@wordywalt And, by the way, the dictionary definition of deluded is "led from truth into error" NOT deluded. Please be accurate in your review of language.

What is intuition?

silvereyes comments on Dec 28, 2017:

An instinct beyond reasoning and analytical thinking. I don't think it's a psychic power at all. There is more going on in our minds and bodies than we consciously process. I think intuition falls into that category.

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

I don't think it is instinct, but a learned way of processing information . Three are probably four or more different information processing styles which people may develop naturally. One of those styles, in particular, leads one to be more intuitive in the sense that I use the term.

Dogma

wordywalt comments on Dec 28, 2017:

I define dogma as an enshrined body of ideological beliefs; which is considered beyond challenge by the :priests" and true believers" in that ideology. Frequently, as in the case of religion, that dogma forms the basis for a total system ideology which purports to include and explain everything.

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

As to the other part of your question, morality and ethics make a subjective choice to form the core of the moral or ethical system. Actions and decisions can be judged objectively as to how well the consequences of those support the core choice. As an example, I believe that the support of human dignity and respect for all and the promotion of human and environmental well-being are the core of my moral code. My actions and decisions can and should be judged as to how well they support the attainment of those goals.

Would you buy 'Made in America' even when it would be more expensive than a comparable product?

wordywalt comments on Dec 28, 2017:

It would depend on the quality of the product and on the reputation of the American company for being a caring employer and a responsible public citizen.

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

@atheist Too many of our upper class and upper middle class do expect that.

I think atheists are tolerant of the religious. Why aren't the religious tolerant of atheists?

9gello comments on Dec 27, 2017:

I know tolerant Christians.

wordywalt replies on Dec 28, 2017:

I am married to one.

World's First Sex Robot: A good or a bad idea?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Predict that the company selling them will fail, quickly.

wordywalt replies on Dec 27, 2017:

@Maya405 I do not understand how any human would want to have sex with a robot. It is he emotional intimacy with another human being that makes good sex so enjoyable.

Is dating, long-terming, or marrying out of the question for you with a religious person or persons?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

No. My wife of many years is a devout Catholic. We simply agree that each has the right to his/her own beliefs and there are no conversion attempts from either side. Other than religion, we share many values and beliefs.

wordywalt replies on Dec 27, 2017:

@SteveGee Rarely. She never asks about my absence of religious belief. We might discuss ideas from a program on religion on PBS os something like that.

Are New Religious Movements evidence of a traditional religions resurgence in the modern era, or a ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

New religious sects and cults have arisen and died out throughout human history. People feeling themselves inadequate will probably continue to make the same mistake again and again.

wordywalt replies on Dec 27, 2017:

To whijit: Yes, religion is a response *although an invalid one) to worry about the unknown and about a feeling of powerlessness.

The only responsibility business has to society is to maximize it's own profits. Agree or Disagree?

Stevil comments on Dec 26, 2017:

in the united States a corporation has the same rights as an individual, according to the supreme court. So if this is the case they should also have the responsibility to be a good citizen. a mom and pop local business is always a part of the community. The profits if any will be reinvested in the ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 26, 2017:

I agree. The problem is that the Supreme Court decision on the issue was intellectually, constitutionally, and morally wrong. A corporation is not a person or a voter. Treating a corporation as a person in political speech issues actually gives its investors and mangers added speech rights which the individual citizen does not have. The decision was fraud on behalf of he culture of greed.

Happy holidays heathens!

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Call yourself a heathen if you want, but not others. We are agnostics and atheists -- not crude, uneducated and unintelligent people. Heathen is a derogatory term.

wordywalt replies on Dec 26, 2017:

Regardless of the dictionary definition, when most religious people use the term, they intend it in a derogatory manner. I would rather not use the term under any circumstances.

"Politics" is a genteel filthy word with teeth.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Thank today's Republican ideologues for the divisiveness and incivility in our politics. Up until Newt Gingrich and his extremist cohorts from Texas our parties were able to work together and get things done. They led a movement that has poisoned our politics. Incidentally, I was somewhat ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 26, 2017:

Are you saying that I am an ideologue because I say -- with accuracy -- that the Republican party has veered far to the right/ and has become much more rigidly ideological? That is rather twisted logic. What you call populism on the part of democrats I call a valid attempt to recover and reassert democracy. Any attempt to denigrate such a movement makes it appear that you might be elitist in your world view, favoring stability over progress.

"Politics" is a genteel filthy word with teeth.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Blame the total lack of civility on reactionary right-wing and inflexible ideologues in the Republican party. They have decided that they will use big money and any dirty trick they can create to cram their agenda down our throats. They do not really want to rule. They want to obstruct and to ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 25, 2017:

I agree, rabbibubba. We need Democratic political figures across the country demonstrating persistent righteous zeal -- constantly!! They all need to relearn an old lesson from Huey Long: "every once in a while, you got to stir up their bowels and let 'em know they are alive!" We need all the Elizabeth Warrens, Bernie Saudners, and Kamala Harrises we can get -- and then some. They need to grow some moral and patriotic gonads and put them on display constantly..

I see people who are atheist or agnostic have a prejudice in their mind to almost everything! Do you...

Paul628 comments on Dec 25, 2017:

I don't know how someone could prejudge both sides of the same arguments over **every** subject.

wordywalt replies on Dec 25, 2017:

I do not see that anyone in this dialogue has said that anyone could.

I see people who are atheist or agnostic have a prejudice in their mind to almost everything! Do you...

WilliamLee comments on Dec 25, 2017:

There is prejudice in everyone, regardless of whether they are religious or atheist. Most of that comes from socialal indoctrinations. Some heave more prejudices than others. One of the worst prejudices is the one against those who are prejudiced! Think on that.

wordywalt replies on Dec 25, 2017:

By prejudice I mean a predilection toward or against any person or object not totally grounded in facts.

Is the second amendment an antique?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Today's interpretation of the 2nd amendment is an abomination. Three will always be a need for a WELL-REGULATED state militia, and a need for shotguns and rifles in small towns and rural areas for hunting for food, getting rid of dangerous or destructive animals, and for limited self protection. ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 25, 2017:

Still, I think you are focusing on the wrong thing. I repeat: We need to ban private access to all automatic and semi=automatic guns of all sorts and of all pistols (as those are the real threats to public safety) and to repeal both open carry and concealed carry laws

Too many public schools are very poor.

MsOliver comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Yeah, I was with you on this post @Gary4234, until your snide little remark about "teachers lacking expertise" I have a fucking MASTERS degree, asshole and a natural tendency to teach that dates back to tutoring in high school. But teaching the way I know I need to and the way I was trained to is ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 21, 2017:

I agree with Ms. Oliver.! It behooves you to know what in the hell you are talking about before shooting off your mouth and blaming the wrong people.

Too many public schools are very poor.

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Thank Republican state governors, bureaucrats and legislators for that. In recent years they have decimated public education. As a retired educational leader, I can state with absolute certainty that the 1970s and 1980s were a time in which a major emphasis on improving teaching, learning, and ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 21, 2017:

William_Mary: It was not the Democrats in states like Kansas and Wisconsin that slashed educational funding, eliminated school improvement programs and their funding, totally eliminated iinservice training for teachers to improve their instruction based on research on effective teaching, stopped funding innovation programs , etc. etc. Such Republicans have set their states back 49 years in every sense and they don't give a damn, so long as they can berage that they have cut taxes and programs..

How do you deal with people who don't respect facts in a discussion?

Gatovicolo comments on Dec 17, 2017:

Question their intelligence.

wordywalt replies on Dec 17, 2017:

No. Take the high road. Walt away with dignity. They lose.

What if paradoxes and singularities are nature's way of saying magic is real?

kiramea comments on Dec 17, 2017:

I personally believe that magic is science that hasn't been discovered yet.

wordywalt replies on Dec 17, 2017:

If there were a logical or scientific explanation to be found, it was never magic -- simply an unexplained event.

Is Fox News becoming the Secretary of Propaganda of the Trump Admin?

wordywalt comments on Dec 17, 2017:

What do you mean "becoming"? It was from the very moment that Trump appeared on the political scene.

wordywalt replies on Dec 17, 2017:

Harleyman, "methinks thou protesteth too much.!"

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE AMERICAN MEDIA AND THE TERM "FAKE NEWS"

wordywalt comments on Dec 17, 2017:

We started on that path when Roger Ayles invented Fox "News" and its format. Ayles admitted that the was a great admirer of Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's film propagandist. As an admirer of the Nazi propaganda operation and of the tactic of "the big lie" (if you repeat an outrageous lie often enough...

wordywalt replies on Dec 17, 2017:

In addition, in recent years Russian intelligence services have flooded the U.S. and Europe with false stories or "fake news" both to try to create confusion and to undermine public considence in the media. After the term came out, the totally dishonest and morally bankrupt Trump operation jumped on the term, using it to imply that all news not in favor of them and their actions is "fake." They are simply trying to cover up their misdeeds and trying to continue to erode public trust in our legitimate media. Trump's entire cabal are TRAITORS to our democracy

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

wordywalt comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I have often thought of writing a book entitled "Suwannee Spirits" about the culture of that area of north Florida in which I grew up, and describing he unique individuals who populated that poor, rural, somewhat wild area. If I ever get around to completing it, it will be somewhat in the mode of ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 17, 2017:

If you liked THE YEARLING, you should read CROSS CREEK and a collection of her short stories called GAL YUNG'UN. Her characters were real uneducated Florida crackers whom she actually knew. They were real. I have known a number of north Florida crackers very much like them.

Who really created Terrorism? Anyone?

Unicorn1824 comments on Dec 16, 2017:

The PLO started what's considered modern terrorism.

wordywalt replies on Dec 16, 2017:

Mot at all true! There are many, many instances of terrorist movements in the modern world since the 1930 even Zionist terrorist who blew up the Star of David hotel in Palestine long before the PLO existed.

Do you like guns?

zanyfish comments on Dec 15, 2017:

I'd like to vote, but the options are somewhat "all over the place" since they are not mutually exclusive, so I'm not sure how anyone could select one option. You're also "leading the witness" with the way the question is phrased :)

wordywalt replies on Dec 16, 2017:

Lancer, your statement that an armed society is a respectful society is pure fiction. It is a society with a constant undercurrent of violence and aggression, a society where a combination of fear and violence rule.

I believe in freedom of association, be that the intoxicated(drunk), racial heritage, religion, sex...

Lancer comments on Dec 15, 2017:

Well in order for human beings to continue to commit violence against one another, it is necessary for us to create ways in which we can differentiate each other and divide society into groups. Without division we won't have conflict. Only the true intelligent humans can put aside their ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 15, 2017:

There will always be destructive, self=centered people who cannot be trusted. We will always need legal and moral checks and balances to protect ourselves from them.

I've generally regarded agnostics as atheists who want to keep their options open.

wordywalt comments on Dec 15, 2017:

I think that most agnostics are simply not sure, but also unconcerned (don't know and don't care). However, from the post on this site, I would bet that most ofus are our and out atheists, not agnostics.

wordywalt replies on Dec 15, 2017:

E echo ViuctoriaNotes' accepeting remarks.

What has been the most difficult death you’ve experienced and how (if at all) did that loss change...

VictoriaNotes comments on Dec 15, 2017:

It was the suicide of my partner/husband. He was 29, I was 27. A few years before he died, he sustained a traumatic brain injury from a car/train accident, which later caused major depression, non-convulsive temporal lobe seizures and eventually bipolar disorder with symptoms of hyperreligiosity. I ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 15, 2017:

That had to be hard.

With the new year approaching and a new year, new you attitude, what changes do you feel would ...

Maya405 comments on Dec 14, 2017:

If i smoked a bit less.

wordywalt replies on Dec 14, 2017:

It's hard. I smoked from 1 - 3 packs a day for well over 40 years. Today, I wish I had been able to ramp up my courage to quit long before I did. Quit 21 years ago, but not before it contributed to heart problems and COPD. If you can make yourself quit, you will thank yourself later. Not preaching. Just encouraging you to try hard to make the rest of your life livable == while you can still make a difference.

Should the U.S. have "Vote by Mail" in every state?

wordywalt comments on Dec 13, 2017:

Of course. Voting should be made as easy and convenient as possible. In many European countries, voting day is a national holiday or on a Sunday when most are not working.

wordywalt replies on Dec 13, 2017:

Incidentally, I don't know what voting laws are in your state, but I have been voting by mail for 17 years, simply by asking for an absentee ballot. I just renew the absentee request by e-mail every election. They never asked why I need an absentee ballot, and I never gave them a reason If they ever ask for a reason, I will happily say that I will be out of town on election day

Irt's a great start! Roy Moore got his ass handed to him in spite of bigots, evangelicals, ...

sassygirl3869 comments on Dec 13, 2017:

Let it continue into November 2018-then we can start impeachment proceedings.

wordywalt replies on Dec 13, 2017:

Let us join arms and sweep this country in a wave of righteous indignation and sweep the bigots, Republicans, evangelicals, and Trump out of office in 2018!!

Irt's a great start! Roy Moore got his ass handed to him in spite of bigots, evangelicals, ...

SKDeitch comments on Dec 13, 2017:

Crowing about "getting his ass handed to him" in an election this close is, at the risk of my atheist cred, hubris. Take the win, but don't pretend it was a landslide. Alabama is still Alabama.

wordywalt replies on Dec 13, 2017:

As a native southerner, I can say with certainty that what happened last night was progress, and that we need to build on that progress.

Intuition versus rational decision making: "analysis paralysis" overthinking and putting off a ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 12, 2017:

Intuition is not picking randomly. It is using past experience to shortcut the full blown rational process. Good intuitive thinkers have honed the process fairly well. Intuitive thinking often does help in problem solving.

wordywalt replies on Dec 12, 2017:

People who study information processing styles state, and I think correctly, that intuition is usually more than simply a gut feeling. It a hunch or a hypothesis which pops up in one;='s awareness from somewhere in the person's past experience without the person knowing exactly -- at the time -- where it came from. It is not a wild stab in the dark, not a sudden flash of insight from nowhere, nor a divine revelation Know your terms and use them correctly.

Ran across the following on the Occupy Democrat's site: DONALD TRUMP: .

MsOliver comments on Dec 12, 2017:

And despite all of that, our lazy, ineffective, bought and paid for Congress is going to let him stay in office as long as possible because if they ever manage to pass legislation that completely screws over 99% of the nation they know he'll sign it and make their corporate sponsors happy. The only...

wordywalt replies on Dec 12, 2017:

I hope you are wrong. I believe that Meuller's charges will be so strong and shameful that they will convince some spineless Republicans to finally do the right thing to avoid being swept out of office in 2018. In any case, I sincerely believe that there is a strong chance that so many people will be sufficiently angry with Republicans for their absolutely immoral stances that Democrats will regain control of the House. We'll see. The order of the day is a tidal wave of righteous zeal condemning the Republican loss of any moral core!!!

Disagreements in believers and non-believers relationships. What's your experience?

MrLizard comments on Dec 11, 2017:

My experience was similar to @wordywalt's - but not so severe. I was married 31 years to a very intelligent idiot who rediscovered god, Jesus and her pathway to heaven. She never expected not tried to convince me to convert, but was disappointed that I could not see God helping us when I won that ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 11, 2017:

Yes, you are better of without her. Sorry that you had to endure that.

I have so far handled my wife's religiosity well.

wordywalt comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I would say to her, if she were my wife, " You assume that morality is grounded solely in religion and only Christians can be moral. I reject that, I believe that all people can and should always act in a moral manner. And, by a moral manner, I mean always treating others with full dignity and ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 11, 2017:

She mist have reached a point that she was not comfortable with. That is often the point at which one doubles down.

Sometimes I feel Like My Life is a Causality Loop!

wordywalt comments on Dec 11, 2017:

I hope that you are not becoming depressed. Those are the kind of thoughts I sometimes had when I was depressed.

wordywalt replies on Dec 11, 2017:

Seek out people you trust and spend time with them doing things you value. MAKE TIME for that! If you don't, that burnout can turn into depression.

Are there any agnostic Trump supporters?

SamL comments on Dec 11, 2017:

There are Trump supporters here. As to whether or not they enjoy logic and reasoning your guess is as good as mine.

wordywalt replies on Dec 11, 2017:

That is impossible.

Are there any agnostic Trump supporters?

twshield comments on Dec 11, 2017:

There are alot here trust me...lol

wordywalt replies on Dec 11, 2017:

I don't know about you, but Trump DAMED SURE is!! Before Meuller is finished he will never be able to lift his head in public again. I simply do not understand how any rational and moral person can support such an egomaniacal, lying, and morally bankrupt sociopath -- and probably a traitor to our country .

Political Blindness

snytiger6 comments on Dec 4, 2017:

The problem is they simply don't listen. I tried to point out to my brother, who lives in Kansas, that under the tax bill just passed, he wont' be able to deduct repairs if another tornado comes through and takes out his house and/or out buildings again (his out buildings and chicken coop were ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 10, 2017:

I have 2 daughters and 3 grown grandchildren still in Kansas. I'm proud to say that , while I always gave them the freedom to make their own choices. they are all a chip off the old block politically and theologically/

Please read the following and pass it on as widely as you can if you agree.

NerdyTeacher comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I disagree. The most likely outcome is that the Republicans reap the benefits of men (and the women who love these men) being scared by the current crusade against harassment and supporting anyone who validates their fears. A major reason Trump won the Republican primary is due to the right being ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I don't really want to silence he right. I want to EXPOSE the right to the light of day and make them so ashamed they will have difficulty responding.

Please read the following and pass it on as widely as you can if you agree.

KLMFTFW comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I so enjoyed reading your piece. As a feminist for over 50 years, I had become SO disheartened at the small steps forward in women's issues. We STILL make less money than men; we are still grossly under-represented at higher levels of corporations; we are often ignored in meetings; we are not ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I understand. Join the movement. Help make it happen!!

I'd like to know what you folks think.

wordywalt comments on Dec 9, 2017:

Those people are so emotionally insecure that they need to be guided and bound by dogma which tells them what to do and provides them with a false sense of absolute certainty. hey have chosen to be addicted.

wordywalt replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I agree wholeheartedly!

Is it strange that I morn the loss of animals more than people?

webbew1 comments on Dec 9, 2017:

The most important lesson our pets teach us is how to say goodbye. It makes sense that one would mourn their loss more deeply. It prepares us for when the humans in our life depart and helps us to better face our own impending death.

wordywalt replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I am a cat lover. My last two cat best friends lived over 15 years and I loved them both in my vegetable garden. I like the idea that some of their molecules are now a part of me.

Megachurch Pastor: ‘Woman Has No Right Over Her Own Body - It Belongs To God’

VictoriaNotes comments on Dec 7, 2017:

My hunch is it's just a matter of time before he's exposed for molesting an underage girl or boy in or outside of his church, or for dipping his wick with an adult woman who's not his wife or he's caught getting it on with men or all of the above.

wordywalt replies on Dec 9, 2017:

As a native southerner, you really understand the twisted love - hate relationship with sex in the evangelical church!

In todays society, if a man compliments a woman on her clothes, look or style is it sexual ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Depends on exactly what he says, how he says it, and the circumstances in which he says it.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

If you are not sure a good rule of thumb is "Don't say it!"

Is US Nationaism worst than Religion?

atheist comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Your parallel of radical nationalism with US culture has some merit & it does seem to be the trend. What needs to be done to prevent any country from embracing xtreme nationalism?

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Right now, with Trump, Bannon, the alt right, the evangelical Christians, and white supremacists in the picture, there is a real danger that our foreign policy will become aggressively nationalistic What to do about it: Impeach and imprison the entire Trump cabal. disgrace Bannon and the evangelicals, and stand up to the white supremacists.

Is US Nationaism worst than Religion?

wordywalt comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Aggressive nationalism is often driven by, or at the least aided by, total system political or religious ideologies , and/or by ethnocentrism (of which religion plays a major part in the false image of cultural superiority). Examples: the USSR, Israel, Iran, the British Empire, US foreign policy ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

There will always be a social structure. Let's work to make it a true meritocracy underlain by equal opportunity -- not an oligarchy, aristocracy, or kleptocracy.

It’s time to make national service a universal commitment

wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I agree wholeheartedly. As a person who served my country in the US Army, I believe that ALL young people should serve our country in some capacity -- military, forest service, Peace Crops, etc - for at least 1 or 2 years. It is a small price to pay for the privilege of living in our nation. ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

To ATCoffey: I salute you sir and wish that we had a damned sight more people like you in our country today. We need more people who understand that we stand on the shoulders of those before us who contributed to giving us the opportunities we have. We OWE them and we OWE our country. It is time to be a patriot, not an egotist.

The world is growing more and more disgusted with Donald Trump.

BucketlistBob comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I hope so. I agree with you but I'm like a penny in this billion dollar war going on.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Every penny, every action, every voice counts - but only if we act together. Stand tall, folks!!

What are some foreign words or phrases that you find funny?

wordywalt comments on Dec 8, 2017:

The German language makes compound words by forming them together in one long word. A German word I find funny because it is a perfect example of a German compound word is "aufeinandergestappelt" -- which means "stacked on top of each other. "

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

An even longer one is the "Donaudampffahrtschiffgescllschaftt" -- the Danube Steamship Trip Company.

Why isn't trump being called out for the treasonous, racist pig that he is?

sourceofdesire comments on Dec 4, 2017:

The deep state is more dangerous. The deep state controls almost everything after the JFK assasination, no matter who is the president. It is not like the deep state takes all the decision, rather it's like no one in the govt. can take a decision if the deep state don't want that.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

What in the hell is the "deep state". It does not exist. It is simply one of those weird conspiracy theories dreamed up by irrational people who do not have the sense to examine reality for what it is and act on it.

Can beauty, truth and goodness exist all within one entity? I assert that this is not possible.

GipsyOfNewSpain comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I will say is possible but in this days and times... beauty will corrupt you once you realize all favors you can get out of your beauty.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Your false assertion states, in effect, that beauty always contains its own inevitable seeds of self-serving immorality!! That is simply a misogynist stance.

Can beauty, truth and goodness exist all within one entity? I assert that this is not possible.

GipsyOfNewSpain comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I will say is possible but in this days and times... beauty will corrupt you once you realize all favors you can get out of your beauty.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

I STRONGLY disagree. .

Is anyone else sick of absurd conspiracy theories while there are actual conspiracies afoot such as:...

M121 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

We live in a age of misinformation and it all servers a purpose.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

What purpose other than distraction and misinformation?

Is anyone else sick of absurd conspiracy theories while there are actual conspiracies afoot such as:...

sassygirl3869 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Fox News would never report a story that threatened the status quo of the financial elite-mostly Republicans. Thats why MSNBC is my news of choice or CNN. Real News.

wordywalt replies on Dec 8, 2017:

I think that the most accurate and thoughtful news sources are NPR and PBS.

It is estimated that 4 percent of the population are sociopaths,and this personality disorder ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 7, 2017:

My first wife was a "borderline personality" -- very close to being a sociopath. The only thing that mattered was what she wanted when she wanted it. She had to be in control at all times, was constantly playing "mind fuck" games to maintain control. She could never admit that she was wrong about...

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

With my experiences, I really have empathy for you. I spend 30 years trying to make the marriage work, and it just got worse each year. I just finally gave up and left for my own sanity.

2018; What does the year ahead hold for you?

webbew1 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

2018 will probably continue to bring poverty and working twelve hour days, six days a week so I can continue to watch myself fall farther and farther behind. In other words, it'll be the same as 2017 was.

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

That's tough. Hang in there. man! Wish you a stroke of good luck!