Benthoven's Profile

Daily exercise

Benthoven comments on Jun 16, 2018:

I've had to get creative about how I exercise since I hate it so so much. But I get a lot of exercise jumping to conclusions. Or Making mountains out of molehills. Or pushing my luck. Some days I climb the walls, and occasionally I'll go on a fishing trip: fishing for compliments. I throw my weight around a lot (and that's become a bigger deal). And finally, I wrap it all up at the end of the day.

Favorite Song

Benthoven comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Sigh!

Equal work for equal pay

Benthoven comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Not all men can lift the same weight. Some women are stronger than some men. Some men are better built than other men, including taller, huskier, more muscles. As far as I can tell, it should just come down to the person who's most capable of the job.

Should public nudity be legal?

Benthoven comments on Jun 16, 2018:

For me it's all about hygiene. I have no idea how clean people are and how well groomed.

What would you consider to be your deepest fear?

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I'm a gay man who spent most of his life in various forms of Reparative Therapy. So my deepest fear is two-fold: 1.) That now that I'm out I'll ever get laid, and 2.) When I die, I'll reincarnate as a lesbian.

Be kind to other human beings.

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

As long as their behavior and beliefs are benign, I absolutely agree. But they're very concerned about how other people live... so much so that they're willing to bring real harm to those who disagree with them.

Let's talk pet peeves! Here are my BIG ones! ---People who talk on their cell phones while ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I don't pet my peeves. They bite.

Just to be clear, I'm stealing this poll question from the Today show.

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

Keep the vacation. The last thing we want to do is give mass shooters more opportunities.

Would you remain friends?

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I'm glad the number of people that would not remain friends was low. As people of reason, we need to be able to use reason, and it's unreasonable to run away from people who think differently than we do. There are ideological issues that may dampen that friendship, but that wasn't part of the question, so some are saying that for no other reason than a difference in ideology they would 'divorce' their good friend.

Favorite Band/Musician?

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

Alas, I have to say, it's these guys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL93BV9uTAM

My fitness goals is to get down to the weight I lied about on my driver's license.

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I wouldn't mind getting to a weight I could actually lie about and people would believe me.

Does observation alter an event?

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

For us, yes. The actual event, I don't think so. Especially since every event we're seeing milliseconds after it actually happened.

My grandfather used to get up and deliver milk to people’s houses in a horse drawn cart every ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

We all need purpose in life.

Let's pretend we're wrong and a supernatural diety shows up on earth! What three questions would ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I'd ask only one question! Where the F$#K have you been while you're planet nearly destroyed itself.

Eternity or nothingness

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

For all we know they could be the exact same thing.

Ya know, cleaning the pool would be so much easier if I had that "walking on water" thing.

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I think there's a algae that will let you do that.

Suicide, a luxury of the affluent countries.

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I think you're extrapolating a lot out of the data that isn't there. What controls were run? What were the reasons for suicide listed? In China, for example, is it money, or does the government come down on your family if you do? Does the fact that the Chinese are overwhelming Buddhist and believe in reincarnation have anything bearing on people's life-and-death decisions? Do the Chinese have easy access to guns the way Americans do? Did they actually use the word 'luxury' in the study?

Does anyone else have a hard time with fiction?

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

It's a human thing. we need to tell stories. It's what we do.

Aren't we all free thinkers"

Benthoven comments on Jun 14, 2018:

Friend: (Realization) Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Ben: Come on dude, we both know I'm not thinking.

I need a snappy comeback to "have a blessed day"

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Well, there's: "You're not the boss of me..." "Why yes, blessed are the gays..." "Who told you about my baby oil?" "I will if you will, and we can compare notes..." But in all seriousness, why? Is this the hill you want to die on?

Here is a challenge.

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

My five would be: The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Pilgrim Withdraws: The Rebuttal to Pilgrim's Progress by Benjamin David Dracula by Brahm Stoker Spanish Made Easy by David Reilly

Ok, be sensitive because I am talking about someone I love very much.

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I've had some significant losses over the years, and it's painful. But I know that some day I will be right there... "nowhere" with them, and that brings a very weird sense of comfort. But after my brother-in-law was killed last year, someone gave me a book that has given me some powerful tools to deal with grief... No god needed. That book is called, It's Okay that You're not Okay! https://www.amazon.com/Its-That-Youre-Not-Understand-ebook/dp/B073XXYKLP/

Meaning of existence

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I think meaning is something we have to give ourselves... and that's not easy. In fact, it's downright hard. It's at times like this I love to watch toddlers. They explore everything. They're curious about everything (yes that could get them in trouble), and they never question their right to sit in mom's lap or get dad to carry them (or to NOT take the lap). Life comes along and beats the snot out of us and we lose a lot of that, but I think we can get it back. One observation I've been making is how much people need each other. As I watch us isolate ourselves behind keyboards, I'm seeing more and more content coming out about how our 'loneliness' is killing us. We're herd animals, and with a few exceptions, we don't do well without our herd, or pack, or murder, or flock, or school... whichever we choose to belong to.

If religious texts or some forms of literature are deemed harmful, should they be locked away, ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Because of its history, burning books is something I could never do. No matter how much I hate the book, or how much I despise the content... burning a book, to me, means I've become like those who have stood against ideas.

How do you cope ?

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I keep thinking in the back of my mind... 'maybe we'll evolve... maybe we'll evolve.'

Suicide: a cowardly move? True or false?

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I'm not sure what the motivation for a question like this might be, but dealing with depression is a very difficult way to go through life. So in a since, both staying in... or choosing to leave... can both be 'acts of courage,' or even 'cowardice.' Though I would never call them that. Living and dying are both acts of courage.

What do you all think about Robert De Niro saying " Fuck Trump" on live television?

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I personally wish more people would say it. But reflecting HIS words. I wish more people would just quote the awful things this president has said about others back at him. As to the Korean Summit, Trump has already poisoned that well.

Where do you think we came from before we were born?

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Well, according to my dad we were at a picnic.

If a program existed, how many of you would be willing to take an immigrant into your home for how ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Alas, I live in a studio apartment, so the likelihood that I could pull something like that off is pretty slim. But if I could, I would gladly pitch in.

Why does there have to be a reason for everything? Is even asking the question paradoxical?

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

People say to me, "Everything happens for a reason." I correct them. "Everything happens."

Do you support Trump?

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I don't think Donald Trump is Satan, but Satan is the wind beneath Donny's wings.

To Block or Not Block

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I try to avoid it. If I'm feeling harassed, I definitely do, but if it's because I disagree with someone... I feel that's the whole purpose of this... to talk, agree, disagree, and expose ourselves to new ideas.

I laughed way too hard at this

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Hey, she DID ask.

Can humans think without language? Try it.

Benthoven comments on Jun 12, 2018:

In fact we do. We think with images, feelings, sensations, sensory awareness, and unsymbolized thinking. Words are just how we attempt to communicate those things with others.

Reddit Gave a Teenager With Autism a Shockingly Helpful Sex Ed Lesson - Tonic

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

Wow, that is SO not the Reddit I'm used to seeing.

How can I stop acting feminine/gay?

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

I grew up in Riverton, Wyoming, in the late seventies and early eighties. It was a dangerous place to be gay. When I noticed I was acting effeminate (mostly because people started to question me--and then threaten me), I picked some of the most ‘macho’ guys I knew of, and studied them. How they acted, how they carried themselves, how they interacted with other guys (and girls). And then I practiced, on my own, in front of a mirror. That I was a radio DJ in high school helped out with the voice. For that I would encourage listening to public speakers and immitating them (their tone, pacing, expression...). Now, that being said, I know where you’re at, and my heart goes out to you. You just want to be who you are, but that could cost your life—or at least create genuine physical and emotional pain. Do not, even for a moment, take on this exercise as “you.” You are an actor, playing a character, and when it’s finally safe for you, you can drop that role and go back to being the guy you always wanted to be. And reach out, like you’ve done here, to others. It’s my hope that you’ll develop some solid friendships to help keep you sane on this journey. And we can all hope for the day when this exercise is no longer necessary.

Ok kinda old and lame but it made me laugh.

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

They say the Universe will eventually collapse. No matter!

Ok kinda old and lame but it made me laugh.

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

Never trust atoms... they make up everything.

A question that I hope will not turn ugly as I truly don’t mean it to be.

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

Based on the only conservative I’ve conversed with on this site, maybe they don’t… maybe they’ve bought into the conspiracy as a way to protect… well… that’s the part I haven’t figured out. Racism? Bigotry? Misogyny? This guy likes to blame Hillary and Obama for pretty much everything, right down to the Great Ice Age. Although, to be honest, I can’t tell if he’s really just a troll or if he is what he claims to be. He strikes me as a troll. He sounds like a troll.

If you had a nonreligious close friend who decided to become a believer and practice their faith ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

That being said, if he becomes a fundamentalist “believer,” it’s him (and/or his new friends) who are going to make that decision, way before I have to worry about it.

Science is not an ideology. Science is an epistemology.

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

It's more of an 'observation.'

I Love This Sign at NYC Subway Station

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

I love the way New York is ramping up for Pride. This strikes me, as the first time since I've been here, that they're really started to agressively encourage (is that an oxymoron?) cooperation among each other.

As a non-believer, do you have difficulty (internal conflict?

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

I look at it like... "It's an event first..." put on by a group of people. If these people are genuine, and do good things for others, then I'm happy to support them. If they break out in prayer in the middle and try to convert me... then I'm likely to walk away.

I'm sick with the flu. Send prayers my way

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

I must apologize. I sent a couple of prayers over yesterday, but they got lost and refused to ask for directions… don’t even get me started on what they said to me when I offered them my GPS… Anhoo… they called… and they’re lost. I’ll send over a couple more in a couple of days. That’s when I get prayed. It’s prayday.

Do you refuse to attend religious ceremonies of family and/or friends?

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

Why would I refuse to partake in a celebration of life simply because I wouldn’t celebrate that way?

This reminds me of the waste of time it is to argue in those that don't believe in climate change.

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

If this were a logical or evidence-based discussion, we wouldn't be having it now.

How do YOU cope?

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

My brother-in-law was one of the sixteen maries killed over Mississippi last year, and it has been brutal. When friends ask how I'm doing, I tell them, "I'm riding the wave. When it's up, I'm up. When it's down, I'm down. When it's crashing... then I hang on for dear life." There's nothing more that I can do. A friend of mine gave me this book, and it was a great help. It's called, "It's Okay that You're not Okay," and it has some powerful insights into grief and we can integrate it into our lives while allowing it to be what it is. https://www.amazon.com/Its-That-Youre-Not-Understand-ebook/dp/B073XXYKLP/

Do you believe in luck?

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

I absolutely believe in "luck." Sometimes things just happen... nobody knows why. It's not a 'spiritual' thing, it's just a life thing. It was luck that got us to this point in our evolution. All kinds of crazy luck.

Love old books, I have a book; Harper's Family Library-lTitle: Family Library .

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

I've moved so many times in my life that I finally got rid of all my books. I had boxes and boxes and boxes... The Kindle is so much easier to move.

You would think by now I'd know which posts on Twitter to walk away from so I don't see stupid shit ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 10, 2018:

Actually, God doesn't knit. You're thinking about the Fates... And they are nasty with those scissors. But I usually respond: "God is the greatest abortionist of all time. He kills more 'unborn' babies than abortion does. According to the CDC, in the United States alone, 24 thousand babies die before birth. And the same number of babies die during their first year. So how about this… When God stops aborting children, then we will.

Is there anyone here who isn't "into weed?"

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I'm betting that it's a high (pun reconized) average.

Do you ever wake up with an odd thought in your mind and wondered where did that come from?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I wake up from dreams where all I remember is one line, or part of a line, and I'm saying the weirdest things. Once I rememer saying in the dream: "Is it still racism even if I AM in a hurry?" Another time I woke up with: "I’m so tired! Jesus ain’t knocking at my door. Hear that sound? That’s the sound of my doorbell not ringing." One night I dreamt white text against a black background: “When Jesus was 100 years old, his disciples were still alive. And the ape slapped his ass.” To this day I don't know if the ape slapped his own ass or Jesus' ass... or Jesus' donkey. It's all so confusing. They've stuck with me for some reason. Maybe because they were just so weird.

What song gets you in a good mood?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

This collab between Lonely Island and Michael Bolton also picks me up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY

What song gets you in a good mood?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

This Supernatural parody lightens my mood a little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCZy8cAgBlM&t=348s

What do you miss about being a kid?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Mostly going to my grandparents' house on Flathead Lake in Montana. We had so much fun with my grandparents.

Anyone have anxiety?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I carry Valium with me whereever I go, just in case. I never know when things are going to get crazy. I've had almost every test on my heart that they have, to show that it's not the heart, but when things go crazy, they go crazy. That they have medicine for it now is such great news. I can't imagine what life would be like if they didn't have anything.

Give me your best quote people.

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Another quote from Supernatural is when the Angel Castiel suddenly appears in the room and has this conversation with Sam: Castiel: [Appears in the motel room] I got your message. It was long your message. I find the sound of your voice grating. Sam: What's wrong with you? [Castiel wobbles] Are you... drunk? Castiel: No! Yes. Sam: What the hell happened to you? Castiel: I found a liquor store. Sam: And? Castiel: And I drank it!

Give me your best quote people.

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

This is a quote from the TV show Supernatural. Bobby's wife comes back as a zombie, and they have to kill her. That's when Bobby says: She was the love of my life. How many times do I have to kill her?

Meaning of existence

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

42

I think I am completely insane, but maybe not?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I used to work product support at Microsoft in the OLDEN DAYS when Windows for Workbooks was still a thing. I got a call from a lady in Atlanta, already pissed for having to sit so long on the phone. She didn’t want to give me her name, her product number, even product she was calling about. But she called in on our Microsoft Office—so I asked her… “Are you calling regarding Microsoft Office?” [Pause] “I’m in Atlanta!” “I understand,” I responded. “But what product are you asking help for? Is it Microsoft Office?” “I just told you, I’m in Atlanta, I don’t work for Microsoft…” “The…software…package! Microsoft…Office…Suite: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint…” [Pause] “Oh! Is there someone else there I can talk to?” I could have transferred her, and I was so pissed that I thought about it. But then I thought… ‘I’m going to make her deal with me despite her attitude.’ So I told her, “You’re welcome to hang up and call back in, but I’ll be happy to help you with your issues if you wish to continue.”

What do you like to do that is traditionally considered feminine?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Make out with men.

Does living in a community with limited diversity affect our viewpoints?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Absolutely. It's exposure to other’s ideas, traditions, religions, heritage… that allow us to be ‘human’ in the first place. When you’re unable to recognize humanity in any other form than the one that looks and acts and thinks like you… you’re one-six-billionth of a person.

Here’s an easy quiz: if a theist told you “I believe in god because my faith provides me with an...

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

That's why I beleive in Allah!

If god is so great, why did it give me the ability to cook, but NOT to grow the damn herbs. Oregano?

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Maybe he wanted to, but when he handed it to you you got sidetracked by a squirrel. ;)

We are slowly appreciating over the last year that lying under oath was an Obama-administration ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 7, 2018:

That's a lot of conspiracy theories all in one place. Not sure why you're posting about Obama now (unless you're just trolling) since he's not in power anymore. But your mancrush on Obama is rather sweet.

Vatican declares it’s now OK to play sport on a Sunday (as long as you don’t miss Mass)

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Are they saying it's "okay to pleasure yourself"?

These Clever Illustrations Of The 'Same' Words Should Help You Differentiate

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Brilliant.

Ruin a first date in 4 words

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Mom thinks I'm hot!

Why do you think it is that we only see middle to upper middle class in church and never see lower ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

That's because today's Republican/Conservative Jesus HATES poor people and does everything in his power to keep them away.

So, am I sitting here typing right now due only to an utterly improbable sequence of events that go ...

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

There was a lot of intention that went into computers. Our infrastructure is a result of humans looking for ways to communicate to each other. We wanted to fly, to understand our universe, to study other planets... That's all taken work; intention; cooperation; and quite a bit of resistence from life itself.

Do you REALLY look like the pictures you put up in social media?

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

I know I don't look like my pictures. I've been posting the cast of Supernatural, and in my wildest dreams couldn't look that good.

How many people have you blocked?

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

I only block someone if I feel I'm being harassed. To that end, I've only blocked a handful of people in my social media career. I find it interesting, though, that more blocking goes on on this site than on Facebook. Makes me wonder what's going on.

If you could only choose one: happiness or knowledge?

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

I'm not sure you can have both. Knowledge brings with it 'awareness' and knocks down our superstitions and tears up our comfort blankets. Knowledge by its very nature seems to bring a certain amount of discomfort...

What do you think?

Benthoven comments on Jun 5, 2018:

That's right up there with walking on water.

Home-made Ginger, Honey and Lemon Kombucha.