We're not out of the woods.

Organist1 comments on Jul 1, 2022:

No, we are most certainly not out of the woods yet!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 2, 2022:

@Organist1 I feel you sister.

Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses may get access to elders' files on them

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

The idea that a Christian church would keep records on people seems to run contrary to its supposed core principle of redemption and forgiveness. If they really believe that, why keep files on people? Well, there is a possible explanation: maybe its all about money. 🤑💰

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 2, 2022:

@ErichZannIII Note to self: never join any organization where signing a non-disclosure agreement is a prerequisite.

We're not out of the woods.

Organist1 comments on Jul 1, 2022:

No, we are most certainly not out of the woods yet!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 1, 2022:

I like your hopeful "yet." 😎👍

Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses may get access to elders' files on them

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 1, 2022:

The idea that a Christian church would keep records on people seems to run contrary to its supposed core principle of redemption and forgiveness. If they really believe that, why keep files on people? Well, there is a possible explanation: maybe its all about money. 🤑💰

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 1, 2022:

@ErichZannIII When I wrote "Christian" that included the LDS. In the case of Scientology, it's definitely about money. In fact, it's definitely about money for the Christians too.

Mr. Attorney General, ITMFA!

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Too funny! But I have no faith in Merrick Garland, or the Dems, having the balls to make it happen...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 29, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin The ACA passed the Senate 60-39, which was the minimum required. There had to be Republican votes. No Republicans were ever going to sign on to Medicare for all. Not ever. If you think that they ever were you are living in a fantasy world. As for indicting Cheato, frankly I think you are too pessimistic. Time will tell. Stay tuned.

Mr. Attorney General, ITMFA!

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Too funny! But I have no faith in Merrick Garland, or the Dems, having the balls to make it happen...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 29, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin Ahhh, well, Medicare for all was never going to happen under Obama. Not because he didn't want it, but because there just never were the Republican votes for it. But Obama did get the next best thing, or at least something good passed, and now 14 million people who didn't have health insurance AT ALL now have it. It's a big deal. We are both old enough to remember Tricky Dicky resigning the presidency. That was a first. What Cheato did is far worse and is also a first, and we are seeing the evidence of his guilt in these hearings. Stay tuned. Done Cheato will be indicted.

It's speech that should be protected just as much as Christian prayers, right?

of-the-mountain comments on Jun 28, 2022:

When actual history is probably stranger than the fairytale religious deceitful dogma pushed for the last two thousand years!!!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 29, 2022:

I would not go that far.

It's speech that should be protected just as much as Christian prayers, right?

p-nullifidian comments on Jun 28, 2022:

In this fictional story, it would seem more likely that Joseph was the father. The authors of Matthew and Luke go to great lengths to trace Jesus’ supposed genealogy back to David, beginning with his father, Joseph.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 29, 2022:

The Bible has gone through several rounds of translation. From Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English, German, French, etc. In one of those early translations, I think it was the Hebrew, Mary was described with a word that means "young woman." And apparently that word was translated as "virgin." And it's been downhill ever since. 😂

Mr. Attorney General, ITMFA!

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 29, 2022:

Too funny! But I have no faith in Merrick Garland, or the Dems, having the balls to make it happen...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 29, 2022:

I know you don't, and I understand why you feel that way. We in this country have a really bad record of holding powerful people to account. But this time it might he different. I hope I'm not Charlie Brown and the Select Committee is not Lucy and Cheato's indictment/conviction is not the proverbial football. 😂

Greta Thunberg on Twitter: "If we delay emission cuts we “will miss a brief and rapidly closing ...

Reignmond comments on Feb 28, 2022:

Greta is just a little kid who has learned to parrot 1960s enviro-rhetoric. She knows nothing. Listening to her is like getting your education from memes. Go to the actual science.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 29, 2022:

@ChestRockfield Excuse me, I misspoke. The airline passenger's carbon footprint from one flight LA to Paris is about one third that of a US motorist from one year of driving. Average miles driven: 11,500 Average miles per gallon: 22 11,500 mi ÷ 22 mph = 523 gal 523 gal x 19.6 lbs CO2/gal = 10,251 lbs CO2 = 4.6 metric tons CO2/year/US driver CO2 per passenger on a flight from Los Angeles to Paris: 1.6 metric tons The average US driver's annual carbon footprint is about 4.6 metric tons CO2. The carbon footprint of each passenger on a fight from Los Angeles to Paris is 1.6 metric tons. 4.7 tons CO2 ÷ 1.6 tons CO2 = 2.9375

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Constitutional originalism does not address the simple reality that times change and conditions differ. And, while the framers were exceptionally smart, they could not foresee all the changes that would take place two or three hundred years down the line. To remain relevant, interpretations of the ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 28, 2022:

@lerlo OK anything not specifically addressed in the Constitution is automatically left to the states to decide. I get that. When Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, and Barret stated in their confirmation hearings that Roe was "settled law," implying that they would respect stare decisis and let Roe stand, was that a lie under oath? Can they be impeached for that?

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Constitutional originalism does not address the simple reality that times change and conditions differ. And, while the framers were exceptionally smart, they could not foresee all the changes that would take place two or three hundred years down the line. To remain relevant, interpretations of the ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 27, 2022:

@Alienbeing ✔️✔️

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Constitutional originalism does not address the simple reality that times change and conditions differ. And, while the framers were exceptionally smart, they could not foresee all the changes that would take place two or three hundred years down the line. To remain relevant, interpretations of the ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 27, 2022:

@Buck ✔️

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

KKGator comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Alito cited some bullshit 16th century English dude as some sort of "explanation". Along with a lot of other bullshit. Fuck the 6 justices who ruled to strip basic rights from Americans. They're all liars and scumbags. I hope they die painfully, and soon.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin Roberts voted in favor of Citizens United, one of the worst decisions ever.

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Constitutional originalism does not address the simple reality that times change and conditions differ. And, while the framers were exceptionally smart, they could not foresee all the changes that would take place two or three hundred years down the line. To remain relevant, interpretations of the ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

@Buck Yes, amendments may he made, but it is extremely difficult. Can you see an amendment legalizing abortion passing in today's polarized political environment?

We need to understand that Ukraine was NEVER a willing part of Russia.

racocn8 comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Yeah, Putin wants Ukraine back under his thumb, but more than that, he wants it's resources. It's all about the oil.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

The sunflower oil.

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

KateOahu comments on Jun 26, 2022:

They are not. They are “Originalists”. And their assumptions about what was originally intended are wrong. They want to take away civil rights of a vast group of people, especially non-binaries. Women need to stop this shit.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

@LucyLoohoo Warren Zevon got it wrong when he wrote "Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun." This implies a political conversion, when what really happened was Stockholm syndrome.

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 26, 2022:

Maybe those assholes have no right to breathe. Color me not sympathetic if any of them are assassinated, not that it will ever happen. They have too much security provided them by now, and anyway, the left gave up violence decades ago, unlike our own modern domestic terrorists on the right.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

Let's not forget that it was liberals who won the Civil War and WWII. Standing up for democracy is a liberal project.

The Justices that overturned Roe are “Constitutionalists.

racocn8 comments on Jun 26, 2022:

This is NOT about abortion. It was never about Pro-Life, which is obvious. This was ALWAYS about having a dog-whistle to mobilize fascist Christian voters. And NOW, that has morphed into a culture-war sledge-hammer. The fascist Christian judges have openly admitted they intend to undo every ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin Right on. Hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does I'll be right there with you.

Might as well enroll him/her/them in paramilitary training while we're at it.

ChestRockfield comments on Jun 26, 2022:

We're about to have a whole ton of extra kids no one wants, so maybe they're counting on one problem solving the other?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

That's dark and twisted, but the scary thing is that doesn't sound so far-fetched. (Soilent Green is people!)

Was there a pro-choice rally/protest in your town today?

Mofo1953 comments on Jun 25, 2022:

This is Floriduh, De Santis passed a anti protest law.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 26, 2022:

@Mofo1953 It won't pass muster

Was there a pro-choice rally/protest in your town today?

Mofo1953 comments on Jun 25, 2022:

This is Floriduh, De Santis passed a anti protest law.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

@twill @Mofo1953 https://www.npr.org/2021/09/09/1035687247/florida-anti-riot-law-ron-desantis-george-floyd-black-lives-matter-protests

I see the corruption of Christian immorality being the order of the day for the SCOTUS for the ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 24, 2022:

Yup. precedent means nothing anymore, as those fucks lied thru their teeth during their confirmation hearings..

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin I actually find the law a very interesting field of study.

Was there a pro-choice rally/protest in your town today?

Mofo1953 comments on Jun 25, 2022:

This is Floriduh, De Santis passed a anti protest law.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

What? Any such law is / would be unconstitutional.

Was there a pro-choice rally/protest in your town today?

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 25, 2022:

There was a rally in Omaha yesterday, however I was visiting my new granddaughter who was born yesterday. I will be at future rallys. Her reproductive health is now at risk because of the a--holes of the Republican party and warped Supreme Court justices. I don't want some man making decisions about...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

Congratulations! 🎉🍾🥂

SCOTUS: Supreme Christian Overlords Terrorize US.

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 24, 2022:

Gilead, here we come! Right about now, I wish I were a lot richer, a little younger, and knew a compatible Canadian woman that I could marry for immigrating there, with an agreement to be able to easily divorce later if it became adventageous for either of us. Canada is looking really good right ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

Having lived most of my life in California, Canada would really take some getting used to. The loooong summer days and winter nights, the cold,....I know I would enjoy the northern lights....

SCOTUS: Supreme Christian Overlords Terrorize US.

MizJ comments on Jun 24, 2022:

They can have Florida

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

Shouldn't Georgia be colored blue too?

SCOTUS: Supreme Christian Overlords Terrorize US.

Shaggy2018 comments on Jun 24, 2022:

If we had a President with any balls he would be trying to expand the Supreme Court and pack it with liberal democrats. Democrats need a new candidate for 2024!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

I feel your frustration but there ain't a damn thing the president can do about it if Manchin and Sinema won't agree to changing the filibuster rule.

I see the corruption of Christian immorality being the order of the day for the SCOTUS for the ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Jun 24, 2022:

Yup. precedent means nothing anymore, as those fucks lied thru their teeth during their confirmation hearings..

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

Lawyers know how to lie and get away with it.

I see the corruption of Christian immorality being the order of the day for the SCOTUS for the ...

racocn8 comments on Jun 24, 2022:

If you look at Europe, their history of state support for religion often generated contempt and derision, pushing people toward being secular. Let's hope that pattern holds.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

@anglophone The trend toward secularism among younger people is a good sign. I wish we were not leaving them such a fucked up country and planet. They've got an uphill battle ahead.

I see the corruption of Christian immorality being the order of the day for the SCOTUS for the ...

bklynite53 comments on Jun 24, 2022:

And the won’t be happy until they turn america into a theocracy.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

@anglophone The fucking Christians invented sectarian warfare.

I see the corruption of Christian immorality being the order of the day for the SCOTUS for the ...

Mooolah comments on Jun 24, 2022:

Impeach the 3 liars in SCOTUS for contempt of Congress & purgery!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 25, 2022:

You didn't actually believe that shit about "settled law" did you? 😂

With the recent SCOTUS ruling on New York's concealed carry law, it looks like we are going to see ...

Trajan61 comments on Jun 24, 2022:

I consider it to be positive. New York will have to respect the 2nd amendment for once. Just because you carry a loaded firearm for self defence doesn’t make you a criminal.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

I don't think the majority opinion is constitutionally valid. A well-regulated militia armed with muzzle-loaders is a far cry from average Joe armed with a semiautomatic pistol and multiple 14-round magazines. That being said, if California's concealed carry law is repealed then I will be strapped just like everybody else.

With the recent SCOTUS ruling on New York's concealed carry law, it looks like we are going to see ...

rainmanjr comments on Jun 24, 2022:

It's not a positive one but we will have to do the negative for any chance of reaching the positive. Not enough death, or intolerable conditons, have occurred. This is why I say putting a few AR-15's in each classroom and/or installing a gas release and issuing gas masks, is necessary. The outrage ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

On the basis of the 2nd Amendment text alone, IMO, the SCOTUS decision is deeply flawed. But if California's concealed carry law is repealed then I foresee times when I will carry. Hopefully I will never have to draw.

With the recent SCOTUS ruling on New York's concealed carry law, it looks like we are going to see ...

Barnie2years comments on Jun 24, 2022:

The old west was a perfect example. Shootouts at high noon, bar brawls that turned into street shootouts, posses turned into lynchings. There was a reason larger cities banned the carry of weapons, we seem to have forgotten what it was.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

There was a time in Japan when samurai always carried their swords in public. They eventually banned swords in public because of all the bloodshed.

With the recent SCOTUS ruling on New York's concealed carry law, it looks like we are going to see ...

yvilletom comments on Jun 24, 2022:

I think it’s a positive development. We build jails and prisons, hoping we won’t fill them. More of us will start “packing heat”, also hoping. Nature doesn’t give us certainty.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

Yeah I'll be packing too, and hoping never to unholster it.

What is a civilization worth?

yvilletom comments on Jun 24, 2022:

When enough people, more than the idealists among us, feel the effects they will pay attention. Do what I wasn’t smart enough to do, be ready to organize them.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

The way things are going, it won't be long now.

Well hell... Will they outlaw cigarettes next? How about ice cream? Beer? 🙄 [forbes.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

IMHO, this is a legitimate action on the part of the FDA. Juul has not provided evidence that its products are safe. This is especially relevant because the flavored products are designed to appeal to kids.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

@Captain_Feelgood You're right, I don't have evidence that Juul designed their product specifically to appeal to kids. What we can say, however, is that the product does appeal to kids, and the product contains very high levels of nicotine, which makes them very addictive. And there is some data indicating that the "flavored" additives are hazardous to human health. So again, it seems to me that the FDA has taken a legitimate action consistent with their mandate to protect the public from hazardous foods and drugs.

“The pathetic thing that grows out of this condition is called faith: in other words, closing ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

There are places for faith, but a supposedly omnipotent sky daddy who allows 4th graders to be gunned down in their classooms is not one of them.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 24, 2022:

@mrdunn I don't disagree with the general thrust of the Nietzsche quote above. Faith can be a corrupting influence. But if that was all he ever wrote on the subject then he obviously did not treat the subject comprehensively.

“The pathetic thing that grows out of this condition is called faith: in other words, closing ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

There are places for faith, but a supposedly omnipotent sky daddy who allows 4th graders to be gunned down in their classooms is not one of them.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 23, 2022:

@mrdunn You got this right: I have faith in myself and others to do the right thing in certain situations, and that that faith is not unqualified or absolute. As for other legitimate objects of faith, you would be right to conclude from my example of drivers following the rules of the road, that I feel a certain amount of faith in the rules themselves is justified. And in the engineers who designed the cars and the highway, and the contractors and laborers who built them. In other words, a certain amount of faith that rules or laws are wise, and that professionals will adhere to the standards of their profession, is justified. This qualified faith is underpinned by faith in the general intention of most people to do good and failing that, in a system of justice to hold them accountable for negligent or criminal behavior. None of these is perfect. Not the people, not their physical productions, not the laws, not the institutions. But they are a hell of a lot better than anarchy and chaos.

“The pathetic thing that grows out of this condition is called faith: in other words, closing ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 23, 2022:

There are places for faith, but a supposedly omnipotent sky daddy who allows 4th graders to be gunned down in their classooms is not one of them.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 23, 2022:

@mrdunn Are you trying to put words in my mouth? I did not say I had faith in any power, natural or supernatural, to prevent all random acts of violence. My point was that either this purported omnipotent being does not exist or He is a cruel son of a bitch. As I said, I think it is reasonable to have faith in some things. For instance, we can usually have faith in our own powers of observation to determine if it is safe to cross the street. Every time we get in a car as a passenger we place faith in the driver to observe the rules of the road. When we drive on an undivided highway with two-way traffic we take a leap of faith that oncoming drivers traveling in the opposite direction will not cross into our lane. Obviously such faith is not always rewarded with a safe trip. Faith does not come with guarantees. There are other legitimate objects of faith, but none of them are supernatural.

I don't worry that some may have so far managed to tune out the hearings.

Mooolah comments on Jun 22, 2022:

Keep 'em ignorant. A method the xtian church uses.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 22, 2022:

Fox actually carried the 4th hearing, so that's progress. And I have been hearing reports of people who were, up until the last few days, ardent Trump supporters are now saying they can no longer support him. Cracks are appearing. The dam is breaking.

Sotomayor warns Supreme Court ‘continues to dismantle the wall of separation between church and ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 22, 2022:

The court had a choice between favoring one of two elements of the First Amendment separation of church and state: the "government shall make no law establishing a religion" clause, or the "government shall not infringe upon the free expression of religion" clause. Establishment versus infringement....

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 22, 2022:

@HankSherman Oh I do realize, but that is just part of their sky daddy delusion.

These dirty cockroaches have names: 🪳 Donald Trump 🪳 Steve Bannon 🪳 Roger Stone 🪳 Rudy ...

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 22, 2022:

And a supporting cast of hundreds of thousands slimy worms, aka as your neighbors.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 22, 2022:

At least the Faux News viewers among them.

This post is a combination of science, philosophy, and music: Every bit of matter and energy in ...

Mcflewster comments on Jun 15, 2022:

Although we may not know precise locations, that was the point in my college course at which probabilities of finding a position of matter were introduced, and at that point my mathematical abilities got off the bus, so I cannot help much. I just like the idea of no beginning and no end. I am sure ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 22, 2022:

@Mcflewster We needn't worry outs over the end of the universe. Our species will have gone extinct loooong before that.

The microbe behind the baby formula recall can be benign—or deadly

Beachslim7 comments on Jun 20, 2022:

You don't really believe this shit do you? Hyperinflation in Venezuela no food. Not hard to put 2 and 2 together . USA spends 40 percent of what they spent from 1776 to 2020 I one year= inflation and food shortages. It's the same shit that happened in Venezuela

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 21, 2022:

@Beachslim7 Are you off your meds?

The microbe behind the baby formula recall can be benign—or deadly

Beachslim7 comments on Jun 20, 2022:

You don't really believe this shit do you? Hyperinflation in Venezuela no food. Not hard to put 2 and 2 together . USA spends 40 percent of what they spent from 1776 to 2020 I one year= inflation and food shortages. It's the same shit that happened in Venezuela

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 21, 2022:

@Beachslim7 Well that was another string of emotionally-charged nonsequitters, Slim. Please do us all a favor and take some time to develop a cogent argument.

The microbe behind the baby formula recall can be benign—or deadly

Beachslim7 comments on Jun 20, 2022:

You don't really believe this shit do you? Hyperinflation in Venezuela no food. Not hard to put 2 and 2 together . USA spends 40 percent of what they spent from 1776 to 2020 I one year= inflation and food shortages. It's the same shit that happened in Venezuela

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 20, 2022:

Not sure how that relates to C. sakazakii, but we don't really have hyperinflation here in the USA. It's a little high right now, but it has been higher and the sky did not fall.

The microbe behind the baby formula recall can be benign—or deadly

BufftonBeotch comments on Jun 19, 2022:

Interesting. Lived in a house with well water and I had been raised on well water. My kids had drank well water. My husband at the time was on city water all his life and he became really miserably ill. Even after going to bottled water it turned out the water used for ice was still doing it. ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 20, 2022:

@BufftonBeotch Drank from a garden hose? Oh Hell yeah!

The microbe behind the baby formula recall can be benign—or deadly

BufftonBeotch comments on Jun 19, 2022:

Interesting. Lived in a house with well water and I had been raised on well water. My kids had drank well water. My husband at the time was on city water all his life and he became really miserably ill. Even after going to bottled water it turned out the water used for ice was still doing it. ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 20, 2022:

When I was a kid my family lived in a rural area and we got our water from a well. The water tasted great but at one point we noticed the taste was off. Long story short, a rat had somehow gotten in under the well head and had fallen into the water below. No one got sick, but the thought of that rotting rat body in our drinking water still turns my stomach. 🤣

I had a feeling the J6 hearings would blow the Done Cheato's sedition conspiracy wide open, and ...

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 19, 2022:

I feel a small kernal of hope growing that there will be a favorable outcome and that the tide is slowly turning.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 19, 2022:

@rainmanjr tiered voting., AKA instant runoff voting... and there's also another term for it. Whatever you call it, I like it! 😎👍

I had a feeling the J6 hearings would blow the Done Cheato's sedition conspiracy wide open, and ...

Barnie2years comments on Jun 19, 2022:

You have more faith in justice than I do. The hearings are great and they have already bumped the numbers who believe Trump was lying up 10% over the numbers before the start of the live hearings. By the same token, Trump picked candidates are winning primaries in many Red states and the line up ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 19, 2022:

You're right: Republican primary candidates are falling over each other trying to be the bigger Trump sycophant. But that is to be expected in primaries in gerrymandered districts. The big question is, can they win in a general election? That 10% figure you cited is huge.

What does liberalism mean to you?

TheInterlooper comments on Jun 18, 2022:

If you oppose liberty, you are not a liberal. Modern "liberals" sacrifice liberty for (what they believe is) the common good at every opportunity. I agree with Spike, libiralism has been hijacked by authoritarians. Modern liberals have no problem using the power of the state to force people to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 19, 2022:

I think you are referring to neoliberals.

I had a feeling the J6 hearings would blow the Done Cheato's sedition conspiracy wide open, and ...

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 19, 2022:

I feel a small kernal of hope growing that there will be a favorable outcome and that the tide is slowly turning.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 19, 2022:

@Druvius I don't know if it's optimism so much as belief that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one (an idea popularly known as Occam's razor), and in the case of Done Cheato the simplest explanation is that he is a crook and a liar. I think fence-sitters will come to see that as a trial unfolds.

I had a feeling the J6 hearings would blow the Done Cheato's sedition conspiracy wide open, and ...

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 19, 2022:

I feel a small kernal of hope growing that there will be a favorable outcome and that the tide is slowly turning.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 19, 2022:

@Druvius I think you are forgetting the powerful effect that putting Done Cheato on trial would have. Trumpists may ignore the Select Committee hearings, but I think they will tune in to a trial with rapt attention. And the same testimony and witnesses they dismiss now will be right in their faces. Sure, there will always be a hard core that will never accept reality, but I think they will turn out to be a smaller group than they appear to be right now. The white supremacists and white Christian nationalists were already among us before Cheato's rise, and they will still be here after his fall. But putting him on trial will be a defining moment. As the American public comes up to speed on the facts of the case it is going to become increasingly difficult to argue in favor of "witch hunts" or a mythical "deep state." So far, the right has been loudly voicing their opinions while the left has been quietly gathering evidence and building a case. Now the whole discussion is shifting; the center of gravity is moving to the left. Stay tuned.

I had a feeling the J6 hearings would blow the Done Cheato's sedition conspiracy wide open, and ...

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 19, 2022:

I feel a small kernal of hope growing that there will be a favorable outcome and that the tide is slowly turning.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 19, 2022:

The dam is breaking and Done Cheato is right downstream 😂

The official first day of summer 2022 is Tuesday, June 21.

AnneWimsey comments on Jun 18, 2022:

Got the pool up & running, it has dropped to 59 degrees here, 50 expected by morning....how am I doing.....

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 18, 2022:

Sounds like you're doing fine as long as it's 50 Fahrenheit and not 50 Celsius 😂

The official first day of summer 2022 is Tuesday, June 21.

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 18, 2022:

Grandson had a Tball game today, these kidlets are 4 years old. They did not want to play today, way too hot and humid. That "game" ended after 30 minutes, no one was having a good time. Then grandson wanted to go to the playground, and his dad sighed and said OK. Kidlet wasn't on the playground for...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 18, 2022:

I guess we will just have to learn to adapt.

The official first day of summer 2022 is Tuesday, June 21.

racocn8 comments on Jun 18, 2022:

So in 2025, going naked??

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 18, 2022:

Maybe sooner than that 😂

The lack of night time cooling is a hallmark of global warming due to increased concentration of ...

HankHunter13 comments on Jun 16, 2022:

It has been over 80 degrees at 1am & 3 am, the last 2 nights, here in Cincinnati Ohio. It's still only Spring. We're in big trouble.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 16, 2022:

You said it.

The lack of night time cooling is a hallmark of global warming due to increased concentration of ...

Mooolah comments on Jun 16, 2022:

We could begin by ending the mowing of gargantuan lawns. Mowers pollute far more than our vehicles as they have no pollution prevention devices.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 16, 2022:

Not to mention the collosal waste of water those lawns represent (at least in the southwestern USA).

The lack of night time cooling is a hallmark of global warming due to increased concentration of ...

Gustav comments on Jun 16, 2022:

I have been wondering how cattle in the south are doing. Part of the problem is the market place that demands consistency. (Monoculture)

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 16, 2022:

Agriculture of all kinds is getting harder to do pretty much everywhere. If it isn't a drought then it's too much rain, or a warm spell followed by a killing frost. Southern England is a notable exception. They're growing wine grapes in Dover now, while that is becoming increasingly difficult in traditional wine provinces of France.

This post is a combination of science, philosophy, and music: Every bit of matter and energy in ...

Mcflewster comments on Jun 15, 2022:

Although we may not know precise locations, that was the point in my college course at which probabilities of finding a position of matter were introduced, and at that point my mathematical abilities got off the bus, so I cannot help much. I just like the idea of no beginning and no end. I am sure ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 16, 2022:

@Mcflewster There is no evidence of a previous Big Bang. I checked the numbers. 13.8 billion years is apparently the age of the universe. The CMBR temperature is about 2.75°K. So I was not off by much. 🙂 You may like the idea of an endless, cyclic repetition but there is absolutely no evidence supporting such a conclusion.

This post is a combination of science, philosophy, and music: Every bit of matter and energy in ...

Mcflewster comments on Jun 15, 2022:

Although we may not know precise locations, that was the point in my college course at which probabilities of finding a position of matter were introduced, and at that point my mathematical abilities got off the bus, so I cannot help much. I just like the idea of no beginning and no end. I am sure ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 16, 2022:

@Mcflewster I think the 13.7 billion figure comes from analysis of the cosmic background microwave radiation, which, if memory serves, is the about 3° K energy left over from the Big Bang. So that, apparently, is close to the actual age of the universe.

This post is a combination of science, philosophy, and music: Every bit of matter and energy in ...

Mcflewster comments on Jun 15, 2022:

Although we may not know precise locations, that was the point in my college course at which probabilities of finding a position of matter were introduced, and at that point my mathematical abilities got off the bus, so I cannot help much. I just like the idea of no beginning and no end. I am sure ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 15, 2022:

The universe apparently had a beginning (about 13.7 billion years ago) and will have a end some trillions of years in the future, when the last star has finally winked out and all matter has spontaneously converted to pure energy and disipated.

Enough with the phony sanctimony!

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 13, 2022:

Thoughts and prayers are easy. And ineffective but at least they can say they're doing something. Back in the day that I was a follower, I'd say I was praying. Sure, I'd pray because that was a fast way for me to fall asleep.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 14, 2022:

I listen to ted talks. They put me right to sleep. 😂

Ukraine War: President Zelenskyy Says The Russian Death toll Could Reach 40,000 In June

Gwendolyn2018 comments on Jun 13, 2022:

Ya know, though I gave this a thumbs up, I don't really like it. The 40,000 who have/will lose their lives will do so via blind ambition on the part of Putin and his cohorts. It reminds me on the WW I poem by the British poet Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est": Bent double, like old beggars ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 13, 2022:

@Gwendolyn2018 One of my great grandfathers was a German soldier in WWI. He was killed by a bomb dropped on his camp by an Allied plane one day AFTER the armistice.

Ukraine War: President Zelenskyy Says The Russian Death toll Could Reach 40,000 In June

Gwendolyn2018 comments on Jun 13, 2022:

Ya know, though I gave this a thumbs up, I don't really like it. The 40,000 who have/will lose their lives will do so via blind ambition on the part of Putin and his cohorts. It reminds me on the WW I poem by the British poet Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est": Bent double, like old beggars ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 13, 2022:

@barjoe There are a few die-hard supporters of Trump/Putin here. I suspect that at least one, and possibly more are in the employ of the Internet Research Agency or their affiliates.

Ukraine War: President Zelenskyy Says The Russian Death toll Could Reach 40,000 In June

Gwendolyn2018 comments on Jun 13, 2022:

Ya know, though I gave this a thumbs up, I don't really like it. The 40,000 who have/will lose their lives will do so via blind ambition on the part of Putin and his cohorts. It reminds me on the WW I poem by the British poet Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est": Bent double, like old beggars ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 13, 2022:

Thanks for Owen's poem; I had not read it in many, many years. (Back in high schooI, I was taught that it was "the greatest" lie. Even today I would say it's certainly a contender for number one.)

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

Druvius comments on Jun 12, 2022:

On the one hand, Trump in jail would be fine by me. On the other hand it might well inspire his supporters more to get him reelected by fair means or foul. Scary times.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 13, 2022:

@Druvius Good point! But hope springs eternal 😂

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

jlynn37 comments on Jun 12, 2022:

I have no interest in the play by play of this shit show, I am only interested in the final outcome. Https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/society-of-spectacle

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 13, 2022:

@silverotter11 Trump himself is a crashing bore.

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

phoenixone1 comments on Jun 12, 2022:

As much as we would all like to see him behind bars...Garland will not go after tRUMP with "he said...she said"...unless you get a video of him "ordering an election overthrow"...it just "AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN". Trump has been very careful with his speeches(if you can call them that 😂). He never ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 12, 2022:

You got that right: "He is a slimey WEASEL...but he is unfortunately very good at it." But it is worth a try. Give it to a jury. Let them decide.

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

silverotter11 comments on Jun 12, 2022:

When trump announced he was running in 2016 I was stunned how little people here on the west coast knew about his crooked financial dealings. That he is a liar, racist, etc. and how many around the area in Kittitas County supported him. Stupid, stupid people.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 12, 2022:

Watching and listening from California, I knew what a shit-heel he was. I didn't know as much as I know now. I never thought that he could get elected president either. 😂

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

Organist1 comments on Jun 12, 2022:

This is a direct challenge to Merrick Garland: Do you have the guts to do it? You have the evidence.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 12, 2022:

I hope he hears you!

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

Druvius comments on Jun 12, 2022:

On the one hand, Trump in jail would be fine by me. On the other hand it might well inspire his supporters more to get him reelected by fair means or foul. Scary times.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 12, 2022:

Maybe so but fear of a backlash on the part of a snotty and stupid crowd is no reason to not pursue justice.

Jan. 6 panelists: Enough evidence uncovered to indict Trump.

jlynn37 comments on Jun 12, 2022:

I have no interest in the play by play of this shit show, I am only interested in the final outcome. Https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/society-of-spectacle

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 12, 2022:

There's where we differ. I find the details very interesting.

President Biden urges Congress to pass bipartisan gun framework: '

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 12, 2022:

This bill obviously does not go far enough, as President Biden said. It seems that the sponsors of the bill think that the baby step this bill represents is better than nothing. I disagree. I think that it will only serve to temporarily let the Republicans off the hook for their lousy anti-gun ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 12, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez Closing loopholes is exactly what I meant when I said "universal" background checks. I probably should have been more explicit. 😎

George Carlin | The Smothers Brothers Show (1975) - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 11, 2022:

This clip is funny, but it's not his best work. I prefer his later stuff, when he really tears into religion and politicians.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 11, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin Yeah, you can't say "the 7 words you cant say on TV" on TV. 😂

Let's be very clear about one thing: if you want to find American supporters of PUTIN's illegal ...

FrayedBear comments on Jun 7, 2022:

An interesting point that the "ketchup coated frisbee" raises. Can genocide be committed against fascists? I don't think so as they are not their own nationality or ethnicity as are Jews, Cambodians or Ruandans. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-11108059

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 11, 2022:

@FrayedBear Too many times to list here. But thank you for tacitly acknowledging that Putin's invasion is illegal.

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@CourtJester https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArmaLite_AR-15 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAT

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@CourtJester All your specious arguments are just so much wind. The AR15 is a weapon of war, was designed for that purpose, and has no place in civil society (except as "special weapons" used by SWAT teams).

The "good guy with a gun" argument in (in)action.

JonnaBononna comments on Jun 10, 2022:

The Uvalde police department is the poster child for defund the police.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@JonnaBononna And that wording is a typically stupid Democratic misstep which plays right into the hands of the right-wing extremists. And they have used it to great effect, painting the left as soft on crime. Fox viewers never get into the nuance of "defund," i.e. help police by removing some of their burden. All Fox viewers hear is "the lefties want to do away with the police." And now it doesn't matter how many times Joe Biden says he doesn't want to defund the police; they don't believe him. They believe Tucker Carlson.

Trying to rationalize their censure of Lyn Cheney for her participation on the Select Committee, the...

David1955 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Sorry to say, but I don't think of this will make any difference. Come November they'll vote like droves for the Trumplican Party, then again in 2024, then it's all over folks. 4 years of Trump corruption and incompetence, and about 75 million voted for him in 2020 -- more than 2016. (So, who's ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

I sincerely hope you are wrong.

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@CourtJester The AR15 was specifically designed for the military. You're just making yourself look silly (or disingenuous) by trying to deny it.

The "good guy with a gun" argument in (in)action.

of-the-mountain comments on Jun 10, 2022:

THis time the obstructionist regressive republican fascists can not lie and hide the fact anymore that the overtly over militarized police do not protect us or serve us anywhere in this country!!! The police seem to only protect and serve the wealthy and their corporations!!! Funny how they ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

Yet the Republicans in Congress are sticking with their brain-dead "good guy" argument, augmented with nonsense about too many doors.

The "good guy with a gun" argument in (in)action.

JonnaBononna comments on Jun 10, 2022:

The Uvalde police department is the poster child for defund the police.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

There will always be a place for good policing. But too much has been piled on their plate. For instance, we should not be trying to solve problems stemming from poverty, lack of education, and mental illness by sending in guys with guns. The Uvalde Schools Police obviously need new leadership.

Let's be very clear about one thing: if you want to find American supporters of PUTIN's illegal ...

FrayedBear comments on Jun 7, 2022:

An interesting point that the "ketchup coated frisbee" raises. Can genocide be committed against fascists? I don't think so as they are not their own nationality or ethnicity as are Jews, Cambodians or Ruandans. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-11108059

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@FrayedBear If that were true (it us not; Russia annexed Crimea in 2014; Putin has said in so many words that his intention is to erase Ukraine and make their land part of Russia), Russia would still have no business meddling in an internal conflict of a sovereign nation.

Trump's niece called it.

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Like, why didn't we have some sort of warning...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

Well there was plenty of reason to distrust every word he says. Decades worth of scandal and mendacity. But he was always consistent in playing to a certain fearful white slice of society.

Trump's current mentor is Vlad the Invader.

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Yep, thanks to Donnie Boy, they think it is.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

There was a rabid dog inside a cage. Trump opened the gate and beckoned it out.

"legitimate political discourse"

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Ain't that the truth.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

They truly dishonor all the brave people who have fought and died to defend our Constitution and our country.

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@CourtJester I'm saying that a car is not a weapon of war. And an AR15 is. And people have legitimate reasons to have cars. And even if an AR15 can be put to a legitimate use, society would be much better off without them. (And really, killing a wild pig would be better done with a hunting rifle. Rounds from an AR15 fragment and cause excessive tissue damage. Not something you want to do to game that you intend to eat.)

According to the GOP, this is "legitimate political discourse."

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

You can't have "discourse" with those who refuse to listen.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

Tuning out the facts is easy when your go-to font of disinformation (Faux News) refuses to air the factual account of what happened (the Select Committee's findings in their investigation of J6).

Trying to rationalize their censure of Lyn Cheney for her participation on the Select Committee, the...

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Thank goodness she has more balls than the rest of the Rethug party put together.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

And to think that a spineless worm like Kevin McCarthy remains in a Party leadership role while she is censured. It's grotesque.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows witnessed Trump's sedition first hand.

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 10, 2022:

We live in "interesting" times. Stressful but interesting.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

Not half as stressful as it will be if Trump and his co-conspirators are not held accountable for their attempted coup. If they skate, then J6 was just a dress rehearsal, and they will try again, and possibly succeed next time.

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@CourtJester Oh so now you're saying that because you can also kill other things besides humans with it it's not a weapon of war? 😂

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@CourtJester "can be used as" ≠ is

Can't y'all, Americans, mind your own business and leave each other alone instead of getting in each...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 9, 2022:

A majority of white folks in America are culturally dextrous, accept diversity, and want to see multiculturalism work. But, unfortunately, we have a large minority who have allowed themselves to be whipped into a froth of fear over a mythical "great replacement." The social and economic conditions ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@twill Not socialist enough, unfortunately. But there is still hope.

Unfortunately, we currently have minority rule.

CourtJester comments on Jun 10, 2022:

Or better yet…. Let’s take the cars away from sober drivers to reduce drunk driving incidents

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

You are drawing a false equivalency. A car is not a weapon of war. People have a need for transportation. They don't have a need for weapons of war. Go try and sell your false equivalency to the parents of the slain Rob Elementary School kids, whose bodies had to be identified by DNA analysis. I dare you.

Joshua Knobe - What is Intentionality?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jun 9, 2022:

So our sense of morality can affect or perceptions of intentionality. Interesting. I will try to remember that next time I have jury duty. 😂

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@rainmanjr Similar to what Churchill said about democracy: its a terrible form of government, but it's better than anything else out there.

You often get the apologists, asking for disproof of some vague, often deist, god concept.

Matias comments on Jun 10, 2022:

That's the reason why, whenver I've talked to theists in my adult life, the first thing I asked was: What God are we talking about? Pascal made the famous distinction between "the God of philosophers" and "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (of course he prefered the latter). In many ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jun 10, 2022:

@Matias Facebook? Yuck. Sounds like you're looking for trouble 😂