AstralSmoke?

hankster comments on Apr 23, 2018:

I don't know if she does or not.

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 23, 2018:

@FortyTwo doesn't, but it's probably a fairly good guess.

AstralSmoke?

bingst comments on Apr 23, 2018:

Talking to yourself?

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 23, 2018:

Unfortunately, more and more all the time. I thought I'd share.

Carl Sagan's Thoughts About the Illegality of Cannabis

JackPedigo comments on Apr 20, 2018:

You do know it is legal in this state? We have a woman on island that is doing a brisk business in medicinal marajuana. She just gave me a tincture to help with a stomach issue I am having.

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 21, 2018:

@JackPedigo and I hope it stays that way!

Carl Sagan's Thoughts About the Illegality of Cannabis

JackPedigo comments on Apr 20, 2018:

You do know it is legal in this state? We have a woman on island that is doing a brisk business in medicinal marajuana. She just gave me a tincture to help with a stomach issue I am having.

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 20, 2018:

It's still a federal crime.

We may not know the purpose at the time but it will resinate after the fact.

AstralSmoke comments on Apr 18, 2018:

It sounds a bit like predestination, which I don't but into, but I agree that each person who is a part of our experience is a learning experience.

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 18, 2018:

@mistymoon77 It's difficult to edit the people you meet. It's after you get to know them that the pruners come out. But yes I agree, you have to keep the pruners sharpened.

Bicycles: When did you learn to ride?

Stevil comments on Dec 18, 2017:

I peddled drugs for Ridgedale Pharmacy, till I started high school. I live in McDonald Tn and Work in Chattanooga. When it's warmer I will Drive to the Ooltewah Wal Mart. Park my truck there and ride the last 12 miles to work. Got run off the road by a girl in a black Honda Civic trying to take ...

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 15, 2018:

Dang drivers.

Energy practitioners

AstralSmoke comments on Oct 31, 2017:

Theoretically, I believe that energy cannot be created or destroyed. This has always been difficult for me to wrap my head around though. So, where does this energy come from and why is the amount fixed? I'm not a physicist and my lacking knowledge is a hinderance. There is so much energy in the ...

AstralSmoke replies on Apr 15, 2018:

@NothinnXpreVails. I took that class but unfortunately remember very little.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

tsjames comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Awful!

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I understand your disdain for this question if it were asked in a church or other religious gathering place. But it's not, it is asked on an agnostic site by an atheist.

Study: Moths Can Remember Caterpillar Days : NPR

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 9, 2017:

Wow, I never knew they made soup. And reassemble in 5 weeks!

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Thanks.

Sex: Eyes opened or Eyes closed

TiminusMaximus comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I chose “other” because sometimes I like to ruin the mood by going cross-eyed. ;)

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Good answer.

Hotwired Responses

TommyMeador comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I haven't noticed that. Can you give any examples?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

@VictoriaNotes I always appreciate your comments.

Hotwired Responses

TommyMeador comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I haven't noticed that. Can you give any examples?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

@VictoriaNotes I apologize for making your brain hurt and not offering a flotation device. I'm not expecting anyone to crawl into my head. I don't want them there. I re-read my post and it still seems straightforward enough to me. Maybe that's the problem.

Hotwired Responses

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 9, 2017:

There are several people that I can count on for giving an honest reply. Disagreeing or agreeing with me doesn't matter; we try to understand each other's point of view. The original question is a why question and I haven't figured out why the original why question bothers me so much, but I will.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

@MrLizard my response @twshield is getting closer

Hotwired Responses

MrLizard comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I think you are being somewhat misunderstood. However: Use of the words, "hotwired" and "for Christ's Sake!" can easily be taken as somewhat of an attack, in this context. I took it that way until I saw some of your comment responses. We ALL need to remember to be precise when posting and ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Thank you MrLizard. You're usually one I can count on.

Hotwired Responses

sassygirl3869 comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I try not to focus on religion except to explain how I became a freethinker.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I agree. There are so many other things of importance to focus on.

Hotwired Responses

twshield comments on Dec 9, 2017:

lol well people are bitter with religion and its followers. Perhaps after the wounds heal.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I understand what you're saying and you have a good point. I'm referring to interpretations of words. Words that are alive and sometimes have multifaceted meanings, but words nonetheless that become flat and unacceptable. They seem to be stripped down to only one often negative meaning. And this meaning is the one that pops into responders heads, although this stripped down version is the version used by a group that very few on this site approve of.

Hotwired Responses

btroje comments on Dec 9, 2017:

maybe its hard to be original?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

That's a very possible answer.

Hotwired Responses

TommyMeador comments on Dec 9, 2017:

I haven't noticed that. Can you give any examples?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I won't give you any specific examples. When a question is asked and can be interpreted in different ways according to your 'beliefs', often times it is interpreted with Christian values implied. I would think that being on an agnostic/atheist site would lend itself to NOT thinking in a religious way. Am I expecting too much?

Hotwired Responses

MsOliver comments on Dec 9, 2017:

Well, we're so sorry our rhetoric does not meet your high standards, perhaps you can find some other people with your philosophical views, start your own site, and hangout with them there, since we don't meet with your approval?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Thanks for your reply. I didn't mean it as an attack. If you view it that way, please check your motives.

Hotwired Responses

VictoriaNotes comments on Dec 9, 2017:

Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, did ya?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Think I went to bed on the wrong side.

As an atheist, I don't believe in an afterlife, reincarnation etc.

SKDeitch comments on Dec 9, 2017:

Well, that is demonstrably true in a thermodynamic sense. Being well remembered isn't actually living on. A picture, a historical legacy, a fond memory....those all belong to the living.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

'Still glowing', that's the important part!

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Dav87 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction"

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Well, me as well. But I find myself wondering how the two intertwine. If they don't, then we are on the wrong search track, or maybe we just haven't reached the junction yet. And to carry your brain=computer theory a little further. Every brain is wired a little bit differently from the others and our experiences continue wiring it more differently or what we perceive as more similarly to our environment as we develop, possibly to our deaths. And I don't define 'cause' and 'reason' as necessarily having the same meaning.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

PBollinger comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I have to disagree. What reason is there behind earthquakes, tsunamis, famine, plague, etc.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

I respectfully disagree @half_assed. Tectonic plates move is a reason. Why do tectonic plates move? Another reason. etc. Same with weather patterns, virus reproduction, etc.

If you could were offered free lessons in a subject of your choice, what would you want to learn?

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Skydiving and three lessons would about do it.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Nope, I didn't say that.

Help pick a design for our T-shirt!

Buddha comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Maybe lettering on the sleeve..

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 9, 2017:

Works well with long-sleeved.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

resserts comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Causality exists, so in that sense I agree, but people generally mean there's some predefined meaning or agency in how the universe unfolds, and I see no evidence to support that.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

There is no god question. Intent from another person that causes something to happen to you. I don't think its 100% random. I apologize for my stubbornness.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

nipoleon comments on Dec 8, 2017:

It would be better to say " cause " instead of reason. Reason implies Gods reason and that doesn't necessarily mean it's about you.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

I'm sorry that the language has eroded so. Reason is a legal term also. There are reasons you get up and go to bed. There are all kinds of reasons for reason to be a fine word. And in my very narrow point of view, reason has nothing to do with god.

Turkey or Ham?

Maya405 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Chicken.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Goose!!

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

resserts comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Causality exists, so in that sense I agree, but people generally mean there's some predefined meaning or agency in how the universe unfolds, and I see no evidence to support that.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Casualty seems so casual. Do you not think intent is possible?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

resserts comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Causality exists, so in that sense I agree, but people generally mean there's some predefined meaning or agency in how the universe unfolds, and I see no evidence to support that.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Ok, try this. Read it in a way that you believe it to be true.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

PBollinger comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I have to disagree. What reason is there behind earthquakes, tsunamis, famine, plague, etc.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Tectonic plates, weather patterns, viruses, etc.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

BucketlistBob comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Oh brother... Sometimes i think so for ( ME ). Then I think about the bad things that happen to people. Why would there be a reason for all that fire distroying homes in California. And this line of thinking going on and on. Given into reason means something is controlling our lives. Who knows. I ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

The fires are possibly caused by someone throwing a lit cigarette out of a car window. Why did that house burn and that one didn't? The dynamics of fire, wind, and fuel. Things we have measured before or don't know to measure. I'm a little disappointed with you boys. Why would I an atheist on an agnostic site want to talk about anything but what is real?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Joanne comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Sure, everything happens for a reason. It isn't a self-aware reason or a reason with intent--but mindless cause and effect.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

I agree with you mostly. I've asked for advice from @Atheopagan about psychology and physics. Maybe he can clarify better.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

MixtapeChick comments on Dec 8, 2017:

By supernatural design- no. By natural consequence - yes.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

What sort of natural consequences are you referring to?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

BucketlistBob comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Great question brother. A lot of feedback.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Thanks for the encouragement. (:S)

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

resserts comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Causality exists, so in that sense I agree, but people generally mean there's some predefined meaning or agency in how the universe unfolds, and I see no evidence to support that.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

I know we don't know each other very well resserts backward, but I'm not a general people. I was just trying to pry into your head a little bit.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

RichardRaiment comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I am confused by some of the posts on this thread. When the Faithful posit that everything happens for a reason, ergo nothing happens without a reason, it is usually part of a particular agenda. An airliner crashes into the ocean, 'God' wanted to take the lives of those killed in the crash, whether...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Yes, Richard, you are 100% correct. Now, take a deep breath and think about where you are. I don't normally respond to religious questions and I definitely am not going to post one. Please save your response for the correct post.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

LeighShelton comments on Dec 8, 2017:

everything happens for a reason.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

A man of few words.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Skyfacer comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Maybe I am a fatalist

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Is the sky falling?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

DharmaBum50 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Again, that depends on your definition of "reason." When a program came on in which a clip of Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign speech was played, for example, in which he asked me if I was doing better than I was four years previously, I was spinning my wheels in Louisville KY, working a dead-end ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

That's quite a story. Bravo for climbing out of your box! It's amazing what happens, the unexplained things when we change our environment. Unfortunately, I can't make my brain think infinitely small, but it amazes me as I think about all the movement that is happening all the time.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

MrLizard comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Yes. But I don't think there's any intelligence behind it, leading you in a particular direction. It's like luck. Random. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's not. We generally only remember the events that are extremes.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

random reason, has a good sound.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

skado comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I think nothing happens without a cause. We add the reasons after the fact to help give it meaning... which we legitimately need, and benefit from.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

If we add reasons 'after the fact', how is that not embellishing?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Atheopagan comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Yes, everything happens for a reason. And that reason is physics and/or psychology. There is no "cosmic plan".

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Can you apply Newton's Third Law to psychology? This is a real question. I was trying to think of a good reply to @Dav87.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Dav87 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction"

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Yes, Sir Newton.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Maya405 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

The statement needs modification: 'There is nothing that happens without a cause.'

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Maybe a cause and effect?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Hellbent comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I wouldn't say "reason". I think the word is meaningless in this context. I'd say that nothing happens without a huge number of dependent, antecedent causes (which we are never likely to identify). But then, I'm that boring old man in the corner of the bar that others are wary of being trapped by...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Ok, fair enough. The way I read it, and I know everyone can read it differently, is 'reason' Is a cause and effect. Example: If I scoot a chair across a wood floor. The reason the chair is where it is is because I pushed it there. The same reason the scratch marks are on the floor. That's the way I read it.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

tsjames comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Awful!

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

What is awful?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

Hellbent comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I wouldn't say "reason". I think the word is meaningless in this context. I'd say that nothing happens without a huge number of dependent, antecedent causes (which we are never likely to identify). But then, I'm that boring old man in the corner of the bar that others are wary of being trapped by...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Doesn't every cause have a reason for existence?

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Your thoughts?

davtim68 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

YES, I am in control of my little part of the world that I share with the other inhabitance. Everything I do has a reason. NO, the cosmos has no reason for slamming me with outer space rocks.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

You got a rock in the head too!

Do unto others: What rights do animals have?

M121 comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Animals are animals..

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

And so are we.

Do unto others: What rights do animals have?

mt49er comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Unfortunately, much like slaves in the old days, animals only have the rights their owners provide for them.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

You're limiting your animals.

Do unto others: What rights do animals have?

resserts comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Good question, but I'll have to think about it for a while. I may need to reframe the question in terms of what human responsibility toward animals is, but I need to puzzle out some nuance first.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Take your time. ... ok, that's enough.

Is an 'open' marriage a marriage?

NerdyOkieDude comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Does the question express a bias? What are rhetorical questions?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

It sure is windy in here, isn't it?

What do you think?

RichardRaiment comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I'm sitting in front of my computer to type this, my significant other is upstairs in bed, the cats are sleeping, though Daisy will have half an eye open for when I go upstairs because she always comes to 'tuck me in'. There's half an inch only of red wine left in my glass. All facts, I think.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

@RichardRaiment There is no 'of course' with me. I'm wrong more than I'm right. I thought you were making a pun intentionally. I liked it.

Are you the type of person who is willing to give 'the benefit of the doubt' when your heart is at ...

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

No way!

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

On rare occasions similar to what @Arcosanti said, but extremely rarely.

Admin has asked me... about new ads for Agnostic.com

Kreig comments on Dec 6, 2017:

*An online community of free-thinkers and inquisitors. Great conversation, witty banter, and a chance to meet a like-minded someone if looking.*

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

@GeekLeen sorry about that green geek!

Theory of mind: the idea that not all knowledge is universal knowledge. Your thoughts?

silvereyes comments on Dec 8, 2017:

Not all knowledge is universal knowledge. But there are some things that are hardwired in. For example, smiling is universal. Empathy happens in the brain through mirror neurons. As we are a social species, we are hardwired to read others. Can it be used to predict what others will do? To ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Sounds like you are very educated in this field!

Theory of mind: the idea that not all knowledge is universal knowledge. Your thoughts?

resserts comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I'm not certain I understand the definition. Does this mean as opposed to a collective subconscious knowledge? If so, then I agree. I don't buy into the notion of a collective subconscious, and I think we know only what we've directly experience (whether from personal experience or from someone else...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

Check out my response. It might shine a bit more info on the subject.

Any Agnostic artists? What is your subject matter and preferred media?

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I'm an atheist artist, but I guess it's ok to respond. I'm a 3D artist dabbling with 4D. I've recently begun a new phase, I've decided to limit my materials. I juxtapose renewables with nonrecyclables. The piece I'm currently working on makes use of Okra fiber in paper castings (renewable) and...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

@MrLizard 4D is time. Similar to a movie, a song, anything that occurs for only a certain amount of time. 3D art that takes time into account.

Van Gogh or Picasso

xie_exi comments on Dec 8, 2017:

I think I identify more with van Gogh's life. Semi-related: had anyone seen the recent film "Loving Vincent"? It was the film made with tons of oil paintings to animate it. It was amazing, but very limited screenings (in my area, at least).

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 8, 2017:

No, haven't seen that one. Sounds interesting though.

Safe Spaces

SKDeitch comments on Dec 7, 2017:

None of the answers were satisfactory to me. We *need* to be challenged, even in those moments when we feel weak and vulnerable. Getting together with only the like minded to lie in a warm fuzzy pile makes us dull and stupid.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

This site hasn't affected you yet! (;))

Safe Spaces

wordywalt comments on Dec 7, 2017:

We should set universal ground rules for discussing and debating issues. Those ground rules should include he following" 1. When asked to do so, you will make explicit your unstated assumptions so that they can be examined. 2. You must support any assertion with proven facts and/or ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

You're no fun.

How did you come up with your profile name?

GareBear517 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

My name is Gary. Friends used to call me GareBear because of my size and my similarities to the characteristics of a gay subculture known as Bears, older, larger, usually hairy guys who are typically dominant. The 517 is an old street address.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

That's cool. (I'm beginning to dislike 'cool' again). What city was that in? Were you a biker bear?! I didn't know much about the local gay community here but loved going to the 'one' gay bar. It was the best place to dance. A lot of diversity as far as people go too.

Saw this on Facebook. I found it hilarious!

BucketlistBob comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Hmmmm.... I dont like all that i see and hear on the news. It's sad and they need to be punished. I think of the child that had to suffer though the act. It's awful. They put these offenders on the classified page to shame them along with letting you know who they are. Hmmm... an old friend of mine...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Wow, you've known too many people.

How did you come up with your profile name?

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

This is my story and I'm sticking to it. I happily started out as Edward59. I responded to posts etc., learned the site. One response I made was leaning slightly toward the sarcastic. Those that know me know it's a rare occurrence, but it has been known to happen. I was responding to one of ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

@silvereyes And such a nice story as well. (:))

Any Agnostic artists? What is your subject matter and preferred media?

silvereyes comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I like to draw. Hand draw; Adobe; Gimp Subject matter? Mostly cartoon. Although all of my restaurant receipts end up with a turtle on them. He's got a bubble he's in love with. His name is Norman.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

@silvereyes I should have written "just a writer".

Any Agnostic artists? What is your subject matter and preferred media?

silvereyes comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I like to draw. Hand draw; Adobe; Gimp Subject matter? Mostly cartoon. Although all of my restaurant receipts end up with a turtle on them. He's got a bubble he's in love with. His name is Norman.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

And all this time I thought you were a writer.

I used to have the cutest, most adorable birthday suit.

MartinL comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I'd like to upload an amusing country song on this theme called "I just don't look good naked any more" (unknown artist) but can't figure away of doing so. Try Googling it. :)

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

This is one rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9VtCcCPyfY=PLGMdLXx04sXwjPvGcWhN0RPrRh9qAdoYi

How did you come up with your profile name?

BookDeath comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I wanted DigitalBookDust but that was evidently too long for this site to accept. So just on a note of whimsy, I chose BookDeath instead. I'm a semi-retired librarian, so something book-related is a natural choice for me. (I've read 221 books thus far this year!)

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Wow, that's truly amazing! Librarians are cool.

What do you think?

VinceRichardson comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Yes its a good quote. The world is not what we think it is. We are being tricked in a way into seeing the world through a very narrow perspective,one in which our 5 senses play a major role. We could just exist in that world and be perfeclty functioning human beings,but my view is thatw e are ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

That is so cool. I almost understood it!

What do you think?

RichardRaiment comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I'm sitting in front of my computer to type this, my significant other is upstairs in bed, the cats are sleeping, though Daisy will have half an eye open for when I go upstairs because she always comes to 'tuck me in'. There's half an inch only of red wine left in my glass. All facts, I think.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

You had me until 'I think'. The red wine sound(ed) good.

How did you come up with your profile name?

btroje comments on Dec 7, 2017:

its my name

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Gottschee is what I came up with at Wikipedia. I'll have to learn more. I didn't realize there were any German-speaking people that far southeast. Thanks.

How did you come up with your profile name?

resserts comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I was signing up for a chat account (or message board or something) back in college during midterms and I was super stressed, so I chose "stresser" as my username. I continued to use it for other accounts, until it was already taken. So, I just reversed it. And now it's the username I generally use ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

That's cool. I've looked at your name every way but backwards. Another answered question in the wonders of life! Thanks.

Do you put lime in your coconut...lol

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Mine is probably a White Russian. Kool-aid has always been one of my favorites though.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

@BucketlistBob is really cool. He can fly! You should count your lucky stars @evestrat.

Should football be banned in U.S. High schools?

sassygirl3869 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I am a major NFL fan. I love the game of football. My High School back in the 70s never had a team-rumor was a boy was severely injured-now safety equipment has improved substantially years later. Now I believe they have a football team. Go New England Patriots. Gillette Stadium is 15 minutes ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

@bingst I love it when you talk dirty.

Should football be banned in U.S. High schools?

RollyRules comments on Dec 7, 2017:

My neighbours 10 yo son has had four concussions...He can not play contact sports again until he is 24+yo... Next injury would likely kill him... Seriously folks? Football? What a stupid fucking sport Boring as shit too

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

@BucketlistBob I hadn't realized how many head injuries there were in soccer until I had my kids play one season at the Y. There weren't head injuries there, but as I become more aware of the sport I learned and heard more about the sport. My kids don't play soccer anymore. They swim.

Do you put lime in your coconut...lol

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Mine is probably a White Russian. Kool-aid has always been one of my favorites though.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

At least I'm in good company.

How did you come up with your profile name?

btroje comments on Dec 7, 2017:

its my name

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Sounds very French.

Should football be banned in U.S. High schools?

resserts comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I think football, at every level, should be replaced by sarcastaball.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

I love it. I want to try out. Bet you can't be too old for that sport!

We meet in real life. How do you greet me?

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I really thought this was a post about how we would greet each other the first time we met. A little disappointed, but I'm in the stream now so will go with the flow. First time meeting: Probably a handshake unless they're giving off some highly receptive signals. With that said, I've had a ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

@silvereyes I went with the one in bold print. I think you used the title just to pull people in. (;)) It worked, but I'll be more skeptical next time.

What is friendship?

resserts comments on Dec 6, 2017:

There is a wide range of what fits within friendship, but I think it's commonality at its core. Partly proximity, at least in some cases, but largely based on interests. Good friendships go beyond that, where people feel some responsibility and obligation to one another. That's all I've got on the ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

My dad used to tell me if I find 5 good friends, I was doing ok.

Corporal Punishment

AMGT comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Some of you are for corporal punishment only under the most serious circumstances.. I don’t understand :/ If it’s shown that it does not work to achieve the preferred outcome AND it comes with emotional/mental health risks, why use it at all?

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

I'm only speaking for myself. I'm trying feverishly to curb my son's hitting phase. Hitting is something I don't tolerate and is impossible to correct if you (the parent) is hitting. Patience is key to disciplining. Sometimes I lose my patience.

Time's Person of the Year 2017: The Choice

CuriousCreature comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I like the choice, but Time should change the name of the award. Groups of people are not a person.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Corporations are considered one person, why can't women?

Art as protest: What are your thoughts?

Hope4Zoe comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Yes!!! “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” Banksy And, "The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke." Jerzy Kosinski There is art and then there is craft. Art tells us truths that we otherwise may not perceive. (Paraphrasing Picasso)

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Very nice breakdown, Thanks.

What is your story "best time of my life"?

BucketlistBob comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Best time of my life when I sat amongst some of the most talented pilots I've ever seen and i was accepted as one of them. This was in 2006 at wachula airport in Florida. It's called Bensen days. I was a full respected gyropilot. With all rights to fly at this occasion. I did. It was something I ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 7, 2017:

I'll have to look it up. Do you have the link?

Let me add one admonition to all of us (which I did follow and served me well) about relationships:...

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 6, 2017:

But I'm attracted to crazy.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

Maybe crazier than me is minor on the crazy scale. It's a turn on.

What makes you leery about someone?

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Being human

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

It might not appear so, but I'm keeping my guard up.

Corporal Punishment

markdevenish comments on Dec 6, 2017:

yes was spanked with hard objects which I now consider to be over the top. a smack to the side of the head when in the middle of something totally stupid is never amiss. If you're around enough to watch them grow you shouldn't need to do anything after age 7 as they will know what is right and what ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

My kids must be the exception.

Art as protest: What are your thoughts?

Buddha comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I love art to be used for anything !!!!

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

Toilet paper art.

Art as protest: What are your thoughts?

Castlepaloma comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Art works better than words. Art is the most influential tool throughout human history crossing all cultures and groups.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

I'm not sure how this subtopic went from 'art is influential', to hanging man, to a silver lining. I feel like there is a lot being said 'between the lines'.

Art as protest: What are your thoughts?

farmboy2017 comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Art has the power to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

What's your reference?

Art as protest: What are your thoughts?

resserts comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I think art as a whole should be subversive and provocative and a protest. It should challenge perception and authority and tradition. It should evoke deep emotions, often conflicting and tumultuous. If it's not doing some combination of these things, it's less art than mere design or pretty ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

I see 'art' as speaking its own language and it can convey meaning on multiple levels depending who's there to 'translate'. I agree with @resserts, if it's 'art' in the full sense of the word it must break some sort of boundary. Be defiant, be provocative, be subversive. Otherwise, it's only copying.

Do you believe in love.

Maya405 comments on Dec 5, 2017:

‘Bait’ I found a love nest nestled deep in my mind And then the bird flew away, leaving unhatched eggs in an uncovered bowl of straw https://gandholi.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/bait-by-fauzia-rafique/ ..

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

I'm not sure about the funny part. The image of eggs in a nest? That seems like they're still more vulnerable. Or, it's supposed to be ah, that's so cute? I'm also not sure about the title 'Bait". Is the 'ah, that's so cute' the bait?

Do you ever feel lucky or unlucky?

ErichZannIII comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Sometimes. Luck is a fickle mistress and can be there for you one moment and gone the next. You can find a 50 dollar bill lying on the ground and then the next, step in a huge pile of dog crap.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

Maybe not, but I don't consider shit on my boots as bad luck. Just caused by not watching where I'm stepping.

Do you believe in love.

Maya405 comments on Dec 5, 2017:

‘Bait’ I found a love nest nestled deep in my mind And then the bird flew away, leaving unhatched eggs in an uncovered bowl of straw https://gandholi.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/bait-by-fauzia-rafique/ ..

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

ludicrous in that it's all in her mind?

Do you ever feel lucky or unlucky?

ErichZannIII comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Sometimes. Luck is a fickle mistress and can be there for you one moment and gone the next. You can find a 50 dollar bill lying on the ground and then the next, step in a huge pile of dog crap.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

I've stepped in dog poop and never gotten $50. Should I look harder?

Admin has asked me... about new ads for Agnostic.com

silvereyes comments on Dec 5, 2017:

One suggestion that just occurred to me is quotes from author's out of copyright (due to being dead for a long time). Like Mark Twain. Or Philosophers like Epicurus. Put it on a pretty picture. Add a comment at the bottom in the vein of "meet others who don't believe at Agnostic.com..." Or ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

@silvereyes I thought that was Dr Susse.

What are you rated?

TommyMeador comments on Dec 6, 2017:

For the movie to be interesting the camera would have to be inside my head. At different times in my life I could hit all those ratings and maybe some ratings that haven't even been thought of. But right now you would be bored to death watching me staring at this screen and puffing on my pipe.

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

That's a great idea about implanting the camera. Can we do that?

Do you ever feel lucky or unlucky?

TommyMeador comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I am amazed at my life. I know that ultimately, I can't take credit for it. It just fell in my lap, so to speak. I don't know of another word other than luck to describe it. How could I have possibly come from where I was to where I am now, physically, emotionally financially and spiritually? That ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

I believe!

Do you ever feel lucky or unlucky?

resserts comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I think there's randomness, and that's not an even distribution across the population so some people will experience more random fortunes and others more random harms, but I don't believe anyone is inherently lucky or unlucky because that implies that there is fate pulling us forward (rather than ...

AstralSmoke replies on Dec 6, 2017:

The wise one, well spoken.