Some of the replies to my posts have led me to ask this question. Is this a religious hate group?

FearlessFly comments on Oct 24, 2019:

Which of the abrahamic religions (and perhaps many others) does **not** think "my group is better than yours" (and better than the other religious groups) ??

FearlessFly replies on Oct 24, 2019:

@RMNODDING Are there ANY ideas that you might consider "not worthy" of your notion of respect ? In particular, have you considered the 6 I listed below ? ? ?

The FTC is holding hearings on whether or not to continue to allow DRM and EULA's.

Seriousreason comments on Oct 23, 2019:

For the members like me in the cheap seats... Excuse my ignorance but could you kindly elaborate what the DRM & EULA,s acronyms stand for.. Thank you . 🤔 You link kinda explains the aforementioned. But a layman's explanation would help my understanding..

FearlessFly replies on Oct 24, 2019:

@Seriousreason There are plenty of previous "groups of countries" 1) roman empire 2) british empire 3) soviet union 4) ottoman empire 5) organization of american states 6) NATO (current) 7) . . . others I missed

The FTC is holding hearings on whether or not to continue to allow DRM and EULA's.

Seriousreason comments on Oct 23, 2019:

For the members like me in the cheap seats... Excuse my ignorance but could you kindly elaborate what the DRM & EULA,s acronyms stand for.. Thank you . 🤔 You link kinda explains the aforementioned. But a layman's explanation would help my understanding..

FearlessFly replies on Oct 24, 2019:

. . . good ol' wikipedia :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-user_license_agreement

I would like to propose that religion (all religion) is a form of psychological abuse.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 22, 2019:

Atheism is a religion like **not collecting stamps** is a hobby.

FearlessFly replies on Oct 23, 2019:

@attila Whoa, are you saying that a **lack of belief** is a **belief** ? (oxymoron). IMO most atheists don't assert "there is no god". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_of_theistic_probability

Trump Calls Impeachment Inquiry A 'Lynching' [npr.org]

Senex comments on Oct 22, 2019:

Isn't that cultural appropriation?

FearlessFly replies on Oct 22, 2019:

Which is more likely : a) further solidifies his base b) increases the possibility that fewer african-americans will vote for him c) both of the above d) none of the above

About that photo you just posted .

Cherie4444 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Now if we could just get tRump to stop using Prince. 🙄

FearlessFly replies on Oct 21, 2019:

@Cherie4444 I think the ruling was a good decision. altschmerz accusations were "hate speech", "above the law", and "Nothing to do with the law", which I questioned. Even the npr article reported "The judges are not deciding whether the social media companies are bound by the First Amendment". If the DOJ ("exploring next steps") appeals, perhaps SCOTUS will decide that.

Tesla Sentry Mode makes vandal internet famous [electrek.

Robecology comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Excellent. I just "discovered" Sentry mode....and my car is even telling my I have "Four sentry reports"....but I still don't know how to access them! I'll be asking this question on the FB group "Tesla owners worldwide"....

FearlessFly replies on Oct 20, 2019:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/29/tesla-model-3-keeps-data-like-crash-videos-location-phone-contacts.html

About that photo you just posted .

Cherie4444 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Now if we could just get tRump to stop using Prince. 🙄

FearlessFly replies on Oct 20, 2019:

@altschmerz On the one hand, you claim "tRump is above the law", then later claim "Not that it has anything to do with law". Are you 'trolling', or just "speaking with forked toungue" ?

About that photo you just posted .

Cherie4444 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Now if we could just get tRump to stop using Prince. 🙄

FearlessFly replies on Oct 20, 2019:

@altschmerz Correct me if I'm wrong, "hate speech" on twitter is not illegal (as opposed to copyright infringement). Isn't twitter (I don't participate) allowed to set its' own policies ? https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/10/15/under-pressure-suspend-trump-twitter-restates-that-world-leaders-dont-always-have-follow-its-rules/

About that photo you just posted .

Cherie4444 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Now if we could just get tRump to stop using Prince. 🙄

FearlessFly replies on Oct 20, 2019:

@altschmerz Which twitter (**actual**) illegality are you alleging ? [citation needed]

THE CONCEPT OF NOTHING.

Joanne comments on Oct 20, 2019:

I can imagine a time when our universe did not exist: no time, no space, no matter--nothing; but, there had to be energy. As I understand Lawrence Krauss's "A Universe From Nothing" he is showing that "nothing" powers the universe (no god necessary) and not that there was "nothing" prior to the big...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 20, 2019:

He also argued that sum total of all positive/negative charges/energies is **zero** -- to support his "from nothing" claim.

Meet The Linux Desktop That Will Embarrass Windows 10 And macOS in 2020 [forbes.

ScubaWags comments on Oct 20, 2019:

If you want to trust an OS developed by the Chinese government.

FearlessFly replies on Oct 20, 2019:

Individual mistrust (of an OS) is one thing, collective mistrust is another. Isn't that a good reason to disallow the 5G communication infrastrucure of Huawei into the US ? "Huawei 5G Technology: Is It Coming To America Despite Trump;s Blacklist? [forbes.com]"

Right-to-Repair q:415857

jerry99 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

I just wish they'd let us replace the batteries on our cell phones and iPads!

FearlessFly replies on Oct 19, 2019:

That would be nice, but I (and I suspect plenty of others) would like to repair anything and everything that we are capable of -- or have some-other-capable person to repair them.

The Most Important Right-to-Repair Hearing Yet Is on Monday [vice.

GreenAtheist comments on Oct 19, 2019:

Sounds like corporations have more rights than real people AGAIN

FearlessFly replies on Oct 19, 2019:

Since Citizen United, corporations **are** people. ! On the other hand . . .

It's just so fucking funny to watch this brainless Twit with a trespassing and burglary arrest ...

FearlessFly comments on Oct 17, 2019:

"convicted felon" ??? [**citation needed** !!]

FearlessFly replies on Oct 18, 2019:

@St-Sinner "When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible" :D

NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics [newscientist.com]

Triphid comments on Oct 15, 2019:

Here we go yet again. One scientist starts to think OUTSIDE of the box and some less than brave fool suddenly screams " You'll be void the Laws of Physics." In my opinion ALL the so-called 'Laws' ARE merely man-made devised/man-made to say the very least and are based solely upon the limited ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 18, 2019:

@Triphid pardon me for being pedantic, photons are both particles and waves . . . https://plus.maths.org/content/physics-minute-double-slit-experiment-0

It's just so fucking funny to watch this brainless Twit with a trespassing and burglary arrest ...

FearlessFly comments on Oct 17, 2019:

"convicted felon" ??? [**citation needed** !!]

FearlessFly replies on Oct 18, 2019:

@Captain_Feelgood Call me a skeptic, I'm generally 'happier' to "believe _nothing_ of what I HEAR and only half of what I see". I (and perhaps others) will carefully consider the veracity of your posts/comments in the future.

It's just so fucking funny to watch this brainless Twit with a trespassing and burglary arrest ...

FearlessFly comments on Oct 17, 2019:

"convicted felon" ??? [**citation needed** !!]

FearlessFly replies on Oct 18, 2019:

@Captain_Feelgood So far, I read arrest(s), misdemeanors, (potential felony charges) **dropped**. Have I missed felony **convictions**, or are you engaging in hyperbole (which could possibly be construed as libel) ??

Good news, Agnostics! [pewforum.

t1nick comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Some background on the Pew Resesrch Center since we commonly hear about their research, but may not anything about them. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 17, 2019:

It is my experience that websites (or entities in general) do **not** tend to be totally up-front about negative aspects of themselves. I follow the "sugar coating leads to truth decay" 'philosophy' :) "The Art of The Steal (2009) This documentary might change your view(s) of the Pew Charitable ..."

The Navy's Patent for a Compact Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is Wild [popularmechanics.com]

GreenAtheist comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Do the taxpayers and Navy really own this patent or is it somehow promised to murderers like Tepco or GE ?

FearlessFly replies on Oct 17, 2019:

I could be wrong, but I don't think the government is allowed to hold "intellectual property" (I'm pretty sure that is true for copyrights).

Deepfakes: For now women, not democracy, are the main victims [zdnet.com]

Fernapple comments on Oct 17, 2019:

It was bound to happen in the end. The other thing that could suffer is the internet itself, and all its users.

FearlessFly replies on Oct 17, 2019:

Seems it happened "in the beginning" also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf

Are your 'friends' tracking your convesations ? [xkcd.com] :D

LetzGetReal comments on Oct 16, 2019:

Not out of the realm of possibilities... It is mind boggling. And not just your "friends". One woman remarked (on another NPR show), that Alexa was playing a questioning guessing game with her daughter and asked if her father had the people vaccinated in their home. ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 16, 2019:

I have, and do wonder. I am somewhat assuaged by the Privacy policy (link at the bottom) which strikes me as better-than-most (I **do** read them), but not totally convinced.

Should Facebook Ban Campain Ads ? [techcrunch.com]

LucyLoohoo comments on Oct 15, 2019:

OK..I have a contact who's well-placed at FB. He thinks this is all about greed. The pustule spends a lot of money on ads and, trying to verify which are true--which untrue would take a ton of time and money. Very disappointing...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 15, 2019:

Am I not correct in thinking that Facebook **has a LOT of money" ? !!! Why should *anyone* --- and especially campaigns -- be allowed to promote fake news ?

NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics [newscientist.com]

Triphid comments on Oct 15, 2019:

Here we go yet again. One scientist starts to think OUTSIDE of the box and some less than brave fool suddenly screams " You'll be void the Laws of Physics." In my opinion ALL the so-called 'Laws' ARE merely man-made devised/man-made to say the very least and are based solely upon the limited ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 15, 2019:

@Triphid It is **not** just them. Are you not aware of all the scientists and experiments that convince (most of) us of what is right (and not) about their ideas ? Magnetism IS A FORCE, gravity is a curvature of spacetime, **not** an attraction. If those links I provided don't convince you, I wont' continue to attempt it.

NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics [newscientist.com]

Triphid comments on Oct 15, 2019:

Here we go yet again. One scientist starts to think OUTSIDE of the box and some less than brave fool suddenly screams " You'll be void the Laws of Physics." In my opinion ALL the so-called 'Laws' ARE merely man-made devised/man-made to say the very least and are based solely upon the limited ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 15, 2019:

@Triphid You might convince Isaac Newton, but **not** Einstein. :D

NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics [newscientist.com]

Triphid comments on Oct 15, 2019:

Here we go yet again. One scientist starts to think OUTSIDE of the box and some less than brave fool suddenly screams " You'll be void the Laws of Physics." In my opinion ALL the so-called 'Laws' ARE merely man-made devised/man-made to say the very least and are based solely upon the limited ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 15, 2019:

Gravity is **not** "attraction/reaction between two or more objects", it is not a 'force' at all. It is a curvature of spacetime. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/question2322.htm https://www.livescience.com/21457-what-is-a-law-in-science-definition-of-scientific-law.html

Catholic Church bribes victims of abuse to shut up about it.

Aquaeyes comments on Jul 15, 2019:

I REALLY dislike to be referred to a site that demands a subscription to read ab article. Copy paste.

FearlessFly replies on Oct 15, 2019:

@UrsiMajor Isn't cut/paste a blatant copyright violation -- not fair use.

Pumpkin pie season is upon us.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 15, 2019:

mmmmmmmm -- my fav, especially with 'whupped' cream !

FearlessFly replies on Oct 15, 2019:

@Tinocca I resemble that remark :D (Groucho)

Trump Bans Everyone From Testifying In Impeachment Investigation

t1nick comments on Oct 14, 2019:

Here is some background on PoliticusUSA: We explain and analyze the news that matters. PoliticusUSA was founded in February of 2008 by Jason Easley. PoliticusUSA is fiercely corporate-free political news and analysis. We have grown into being White House and Congressional credentialed ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 14, 2019:

While I concede that it is not a bad idea for a website to post info about itself, I also don't think that whatever a website claims is to be taken as "absolute truth". I advocate this browser extension : https://www.newsguardtech.com/ Journalists rating journalism -- who better to do so ? (maybe there are others)

Apple Told Some Apple TV+ Show Developers Not To Anger China [buzzfeednews.com]

Killtheskyfairy comments on Oct 13, 2019:

China is a huge market so best not piss them off😱

FearlessFly replies on Oct 13, 2019:

I have often 'believed' that it is better to be pissed-off than to be pissed-on ! :D

The Whole Republican Party Seems to be Going to Jail Now

FearlessFly comments on Oct 11, 2019:

"The Whole Republican Party" ? Hyperbole much ? !!

FearlessFly replies on Oct 12, 2019:

@snytiger6 Its' hyperbole, I'm not exagerating :) https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-hyperboles.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbole https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hyperbole

I am always annoyed when people describe "Atheism" as a belief when it's anything but.

nastynifty comments on Oct 6, 2019:

Agnosticism is the scientific stance. Scientists admit that there are things that they don't know. That's ok. When you say you are an atheist you are conceding to know the answer without evidence , which is definitely not a scientific approach.

FearlessFly replies on Oct 10, 2019:

@nogod4me I think a few (not me) atheists do make that (level 7) claim. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_of_theistic_probability

What is your favorite "meaning of life quote"?

FearlessFly comments on Oct 9, 2019:

"Sugar coating leads to truth decay" :) https://www.wakeuplaughing.com/ (with apologies to Lawrence M. Krauss, "A Universe from Nothing") :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aYcAhuLkzs

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

nothing more -- or should I say, more nothing :) "nothing . . . according to Gahan Wilson "

What is your favorite "meaning of life quote"?

Joanne comments on Oct 9, 2019:

"42"

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

@Grecio https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/42

Surprise surprise the US again plan to abandon their useful idiot allie, the Kurds.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 8, 2019:

Can you provide a credible source that supports the idea that the Kurds will join Assad ? Isn't it more likely that Assad will (gladly) stand-by while Turkey 'removes' the Kurds from Syria? And/or if Turkey is not completely successful Assad will (possibly with Russian assistance) complete the ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

@powder, @Beowulfsfriend . . .returning from my local library, I read virtually the same 'Assad reached out' report in the Star Tribune (dead-tree version), I haven't found it online.

What is your favorite "meaning of life quote"?

Joanne comments on Oct 9, 2019:

"42"

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

The "universe and everything" ? ? ? How dare you "contradict" my nothing-ness post !

Hope I'm not reposting this - Warren's new plan! [theguardian.com]

FearlessFly comments on Oct 9, 2019:

Isn't "ambitious" a bit of an understatement for a $3tn plan ?

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

@Allamanda Eisenhower (a republican) coined that phrase. I doubt that the military industrial complex is **partisan**.

High-Energy Award: Lithium Batteries Win 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry [scientificamerican.com]

AnneWimsey comments on Oct 9, 2019:

But...haven't they been around for over a decade? Is there a new application or use?

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

It is the first time the peaceful Nobel Prize committee has awarded a prize for a salt and batteries. :D

Surprise surprise the US again plan to abandon their useful idiot allie, the Kurds.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 8, 2019:

Can you provide a credible source that supports the idea that the Kurds will join Assad ? Isn't it more likely that Assad will (gladly) stand-by while Turkey 'removes' the Kurds from Syria? And/or if Turkey is not completely successful Assad will (possibly with Russian assistance) complete the ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 9, 2019:

@Beowulfsfriend A cursory search on npr.org did not find an article to confirm that, perhaps you could provide one.

Surprise surprise the US again plan to abandon their useful idiot allie, the Kurds.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 8, 2019:

Can you provide a credible source that supports the idea that the Kurds will join Assad ? Isn't it more likely that Assad will (gladly) stand-by while Turkey 'removes' the Kurds from Syria? And/or if Turkey is not completely successful Assad will (possibly with Russian assistance) complete the ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 8, 2019:

@powder Which part of politics is **not** about debate ! ?? secular ? here is a different take on that : https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/assads-secular-sectarianism/

Surprise surprise the US again plan to abandon their useful idiot allie, the Kurds.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 8, 2019:

Can you provide a credible source that supports the idea that the Kurds will join Assad ? Isn't it more likely that Assad will (gladly) stand-by while Turkey 'removes' the Kurds from Syria? And/or if Turkey is not completely successful Assad will (possibly with Russian assistance) complete the ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 8, 2019:

@Beowulfsfriend serious question, how do you **know** it ? (citation needed) I can't make sense of your notion. Assad hasn't prevented the Kurds from controlling that (not small) portion Syria. He wants to regain control. What would make him think that he and the Kurds can prevent whatever the Turks might do ?

Judge Threatens Betsy DeVos With Jail In Student Loan Case

sassygirl3869 comments on Oct 8, 2019:

She is the most unqualified Secretary of Education. LOCK THE BITCH UP!!!!!!!

FearlessFly replies on Oct 8, 2019:

don't sugar-coat it, tell us what you really think :D

[scroll.

FearlessFly comments on Oct 8, 2019:

I have at times contended that beauty is in the eye of the beerholder :D

FearlessFly replies on Oct 8, 2019:

@Gawd . . . only if you have been drinking your beer out of a "Grecian Urn" (Keats)

Put the REAL criminals behind bars . . .

FearlessFly comments on Oct 7, 2019:

This might be a popular meme (there is a group for that), but it is hard (for me) not to notice that no actual evidence of banker/politician crime has been provided here so far (I'm not trying to imply that no evidence exists),

FearlessFly replies on Oct 7, 2019:

@LetzGetReal . . . perhaps I should -- open mouth, insert foot. I don't (pay to) subscribe to any newspapers (or news websites) so I didn't read the FT article. I do peruse multiple dead-tree versions of them most days at the library. I read the Forbes article -- very good, but I can't say any of it wasn't already known to me. Wouldn't it be fair to say that no *actual* crime (and again I'm not asserting in any way that no crime(s) occurred) was alleged in it -- even though I would hope for it ?

I just got into a debate with someone about Jesus' crucifixion being God's Will, hypothetically.

basher comments on Oct 3, 2019:

This is why i always thought Judas was a good guy. it never made sense to me that anyone should hate him or that he would be in hell. i actually believed he went to heaven when i was still christian.

FearlessFly replies on Oct 6, 2019:

fyi: http://www.bartdehrman.com/the-lost-gospel-of-judas-iscariot/

Learning from my mistakes. Takes a lot of work not to fall in the pit

mordant comments on Oct 6, 2019:

Wisdom does not come 100% from "mistakes". But even if it did, I wish that we could give ourselves permission to MAKE mistakes. To take a more experimental approach to life, so that we could accept whatever outcomes occur -- "good" or "bad" -- as data, and steer from that. To regard unwanted ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 6, 2019:

I have heard "Experience is what you get when you are *not* getting what you wanted" :D

Heat wave: Record heat scorches South, heads for Midwest, Northeast [usatoday.com]

Robecology comments on Oct 1, 2019:

This "blip" in the weather won't impress the climate deniers....and shouldn't even be pointed out by the Climate change believers. The bigger picture is the frigntening one. Remember; Weather is the local, temporary conditions. Climate is the much longer, seasonal, average conditions, over a ...

FearlessFly replies on Oct 1, 2019:

Those interested in Science should be quick to point out that **weather** and **climate** are distinctly **different** !

Are we all born bad?

desertastronomer comments on Sep 30, 2019:

Sam Harris on "Free Will" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCofmZlC72g&t=2721s

FearlessFly replies on Sep 30, 2019:

This is a counter (others as well) to Sam's fairly one-sided position(s) : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11976774-who-s-in-charge-free-will-and-the-science-of-the-brain

Mathew Green : Looking back at the Snowden revelations : [blog.cryptographyengineering.com]

LetzGetReal comments on Sep 30, 2019:

One of my favorite humans today, a great whistle blower. Posted numerous URL regarding Mr.Snowden.

FearlessFly replies on Sep 30, 2019:

@LetzGetReal This is almost but not-yet an all-encompassing alternative. It has hardware Kill Switches for camera, microphone, WiFi/Bluetooth, and baseband (and lots of other good features). https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

Welcome @EricTrommeter, Welcome to the first g:18 member.

FrayedBear comments on Sep 29, 2019:

Welcome to @FearlessFly. Please come in and tell us about your passion(s) so that others will know of them and be able to share. Please golden star this post so that you are notified of the arrival of new members.

FearlessFly replies on Sep 30, 2019:

I am passionate about injustice, critical thinking (avoiding logical fallacies), software freedom (GPL).

True or False: No One Can Make You Feel Anything?

NoPlanetB comments on Sep 27, 2019:

False. They only way others cannot make you feel anything is if you never have an emotional investment in your relationships. That's almost impossible to do unless you are a psychopath. Any emotional invest in others demands a certain amount of vulnerability that puts your feelings at risk. The ...

FearlessFly replies on Sep 29, 2019:

I agree with Rob48, I try to avoid using the word "make" in this context. I think I and others can, at times, influence the emotion(s) of others. But I cannot MAKE anyone love/hate me. I will take responsibility for my own emotion(s). I do not give control of my emotions to anyone else. I do not accept responsibility for the emotions of others (I don't think that makes me a sociopath). I contend that words matter (and intentions are not always transparent/clear), why not choose the words that make the most (or at least more) sense ?

Did you hear about the two Iowans that died while ice fishing ?

Lilac-JadeCanada comments on Sep 26, 2019:

Is that a disguised Canadian joke? Hahahahaha......

FearlessFly replies on Sep 27, 2019:

. . . could be. For me, it is more like "how to talk mini-soatan, ja-sure yu-betcha" :)