I had no idea of his power!

Robecology comments on Sep 23, 2019:

He's perhaps the most intelligent, progressive, provocative pope they've ever had. He works hard to fulfill the vows to serve... He's a critical link between the #religulous of the world and us scientific/agnostics... He's one of us....disguised as a religious leader. ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 23, 2019:

And is that good or bad.

Why why why do religious people think they can make a believer out of an atheist?

NoMagicCookie comments on Sep 22, 2019:

Why? Because they have been indoctronated into a faith based cult that does not sceptically / logically evaluate reality. Instead of my wand I usually respond with: I find your assertion laughable as I value demonstrable truth. Demonstrable means you can demonstrate and test a truth claim ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 23, 2019:

Sounds like hard work but I may give it a try.

Interesting Things That Don't Exist Physically - Language is imaginary.

Fernapple comments on Sep 22, 2019:

No don't agree, love can not be none existent , because as you say, " produced by the cumulative effects of physical, chemical, and psychological responses in our bodies." And the cumulative effects of physical, chemical, and psychological responses in our bodies, are real, therefore love is real, ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 23, 2019:

@adaptable1958 It is not easy to tell the two apart. Love for example is as said, " produced by the cumulative effects of physical, chemical, and psychological responses in our bodies." . And so likewise is pain, so here is a simple experiment. Go to church sit in a pew for half an hour and pray to the imaginary god that one of your arms should fall off. Then go home put your gas stove on, turn the flame well up and lay your hand on top of it for half an hour, it will not hurt since pain is imaginary, if god and pain are both the same you should still have two working hands.

Louie, my charge for the weekend.

Fernapple comments on Sep 22, 2019:

I hope he takes you somewhere nice and gives you lots of healthy exercise.

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

@Jolanta He will look after you well then.

Interesting Things That Don't Exist Physically - Language is imaginary.

Fernapple comments on Sep 22, 2019:

No don't agree, love can not be none existent , because as you say, " produced by the cumulative effects of physical, chemical, and psychological responses in our bodies." And the cumulative effects of physical, chemical, and psychological responses in our bodies, are real, therefore love is real, ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

@adaptable1958 Yes but there are two different levels of organization devised by the mind,because many of our imaginary systems are not real but are metaphors for things which are real, like love, money and inches, but some are metaphors for things like god and art which are not real in any sense. It is important not to mix the two up.

Perhaps sometimes you can do great things with just one plant.

Cutiebeauty comments on Sep 22, 2019:

Beautiful plant but what's that white on the ground, sand? Looks nice

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

@Cutiebeauty There are also boats, lifebelts, surf boards, a pond which is trying hard to be the sea, an old rusting anchor, beach huts and a lifeguard tower, shown.

A great (IMHO) video on the "dreaded" populist phenomenon. [youtube.com]

Marionville comments on Sep 22, 2019:

Spiked is a dedicated platform to bring an extreme, anti-EU agenda into the public domain. I therefore have no desire to comment. It is funded largely by the Charles Koch Foundation...it’s sinister tentacles reach everywhere.

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

I did not vote brexit and can not really comment on the US , but I do think that the labeling of those who did, with the rude names such as xenophobic and racist, has been a deplorable show of prejudice and name calling, which does reflect very badly on the remain side. I am sure that some of the brexit voters were both, but the reaction certainly exposes the fact that real unthinking contemp for the majority does exist in the political establishment, and to a degree justifies the wish of many voters for a more civil world and an end to class prejudice, which was no doubt expressed in the vote.

Perhaps sometimes you can do great things with just one plant.

Robecology comments on Sep 22, 2019:

I concur with the beauty of a monoculture border...but that spike is definitely not Verbena bonarensis. If you google it and type in images...you get things like this; ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

No it is not total monoculture, there is a bit of laburnum a spike of Echium and one or two other bits. I did think of editing and adding 'mainly' to the first line. But then I thought, no leave it simple and you might catch a pedant. LOL

Perhaps sometimes you can do great things with just one plant.

Cutiebeauty comments on Sep 22, 2019:

Beautiful plant but what's that white on the ground, sand? Looks nice

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

Yes sand, its a pretend beach, though it is twenty miles from the sea.

A great (IMHO) video on the "dreaded" populist phenomenon. [youtube.com]

MattHardy comments on Sep 22, 2019:

I'm not sure how I feel about flyover images of my home town being captioned "deplorables"

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

You would like a stronger word used ?

They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, ...

mcgeo52 comments on Sep 22, 2019:

Could be right, I'm not really sure.

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

@mcgeo52 I think there is some truth in that, certainly that the main point about money is security. There was I remember a stat. produced a few years ago looking at income and happiness, which found that money is important to happiness for poorer people, but that extra income did not have any effect on people's happiness when they passed £15,000, (about 17,000 dollars) per year.

Wheelin' it in the MC - Part 1 - Street Photography 9 is in the suburb of Royal Oak

Fernapple comments on Sep 21, 2019:

Love the second one, that is a very cool lady.

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

@Lincoln55 Yes it was the bike that made her look cool, looks like a comfey one too.

Maybe this describes your views on things.

Geoffrey51 comments on Sep 21, 2019:

I love the use of “inhuman” rather than the expected “in human”. Gives a completely different spin. Nice one!

Fernapple replies on Sep 22, 2019:

Thank you.

Name something absurd about religion that you can't believe people actually believe it.

Fernapple comments on Sep 21, 2019:

The talking donkey who could see invisible angels.

Fernapple replies on Sep 21, 2019:

@silverotter11 Yes a lot, but though the donkey in Shrek was very funny, it was not nearly as funny as Balaam's.

Name something absurd about religion that you can't believe people actually believe it.

Fernapple comments on Sep 21, 2019:

The talking donkey who could see invisible angels.

Fernapple replies on Sep 21, 2019:

@silverotter11 Numbers 22:21 the story of Balaam.

I must get something off my chest: when I post and express a closely held opinion here on ...

Fernapple comments on Sep 21, 2019:

Look, just see offensive evil creeps like me as a challenge, turn it round on them lead them by the nose to the flaws in their logic. And if they block you for being really nice, count it as scoring a point. But unless they are threatening never block them, don't give the the satisfaction, but even ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 21, 2019:

@Winkiedink54 Will try harder.

Climate Change: The Trouble With Trees [youtube.com]

Robecology comments on Sep 20, 2019:

So #1. Earth is only 30% land. #2. Only 25% of that land is covered with forests; for a total earthly percentage of 7.5% CO2/O2 exchange. Even is we allow for 50% of our land coverage to become more forest-covered...that's still only 15% of world-wide total oxygen production. #3. Oceans cover ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 21, 2019:

@Robecology Yes but sorry while I agree that population is by far the main issue, and the main issue in all environmental damage. (If there were only ten thousand of us on the planet, it would not matter a bit what we did.) Things like global warming can not be tackled by any single approach, we have to totally commit and address it on all possible fronts as hard as we can, using every tool to hand. Even then we will almost certainly fail but there is no excuse for not committing fully.

Climate Change: The Trouble With Trees [youtube.com]

Robecology comments on Sep 20, 2019:

So #1. Earth is only 30% land. #2. Only 25% of that land is covered with forests; for a total earthly percentage of 7.5% CO2/O2 exchange. Even is we allow for 50% of our land coverage to become more forest-covered...that's still only 15% of world-wide total oxygen production. #3. Oceans cover ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 20, 2019:

Very true, but it has to be said that no one answer is enough, we have to do everything we can. Though trees are one of the small things.

How do you feel about light hearted things in the garden.

Cutiebeauty comments on Sep 20, 2019:

I like it... Looks interesting.... We should always have fun with the things we love...

Fernapple replies on Sep 20, 2019:

True.

Many of us pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that we hurry past it.

AnonySchmoose comments on Sep 20, 2019:

Thought provoking quote.

Fernapple replies on Sep 20, 2019:

@Marionville Pleasure is just warm sunshine. ( Mind you you probably have to come from the British Isles to understand why.)

Many of us pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that we hurry past it.

Cutiebeauty comments on Sep 20, 2019:

Oh yes.... And so many miss out when they pull out their cellphones and start taking pictures of everything! They see nothing...

Fernapple replies on Sep 20, 2019:

Yes I agree, you can make photos or you can make memories, so often people are so busy doing the first they forget to just look, smell, feel and listen.

IF YOU SAY YOU "BELIEVE", IS THAT ADMITTING YOU DO NOT KNOW, & IS KNOWLEDGE EVEN POSSIBLE?

Fernapple comments on Sep 19, 2019:

Simple there can never be absolute certainty of truth from either, you can only make approaches to the truth and try to find the closest position you can. Which usually means that which is supported by the most evidence and most resists disproof. That is why science works by disproof. If I throw ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 20, 2019:

@Remiforce You should put the last line into the quotes group page.

There are no clouds in my coffee, Carly, but the black glass top of my desk is full of them.

Justjoni comments on Sep 19, 2019:

Love this

Fernapple replies on Sep 19, 2019:

@TheoryNumber3 No the bins add something, they make a pattern and carry the black of the coffee cup through. Though you could have cropped the street out for more impact.

Do we need religion to provide a sense of justice?

WilliamFleming comments on Sep 17, 2019:

From a cosmic perspective the concept of justice is meaningless, however, in our daily lives the concept is socially useful. If you are playing chess you have to go by the rules of chess, etc. I think for some strata of society religion does provide a useful guide. For others prison is the guide....

Fernapple replies on Sep 18, 2019:

@WilliamFleming Of course but isn't our sense of justice just a tool for living in a group too. The fact that it can be distorted by cultural programming, does not affect its basic primal nature.

Do we need religion to provide a sense of justice?

WilliamFleming comments on Sep 17, 2019:

From a cosmic perspective the concept of justice is meaningless, however, in our daily lives the concept is socially useful. If you are playing chess you have to go by the rules of chess, etc. I think for some strata of society religion does provide a useful guide. For others prison is the guide....

Fernapple replies on Sep 18, 2019:

@Remiforce Sorry but you need to do a search on animal morality, there are hundreds of studies out there on the instinctual origins of morality and especially a sense of justice. It does not start with human culture. But even so whether it starts with human culture or in our animal natures, it certainly does come before religion, religions claims to have created morality and justice are no different from the claims it once made that it could bring the rains, just a way to get money and devotion out of people for pretending to provide what was theirs to start with.

A party from the county gardeners trust was the last group visit of the year to the garden ...

dede18 comments on Sep 17, 2019:

please tell us, is this a public garden which you're responsible for? it looks pretty big! but also, I don't see any autumn colours yet ... too early?

Fernapple replies on Sep 17, 2019:

It is a display garden attached to a plant nursery, we do tours for groups for publicity and raise money for the village bowls club by doing teas for them in the garden. The autumn will be here soon but the colours don't start until October usually in this part of the UK. On good days it is still warm to sit out, but the nights are getting colder, I shall close the business down for winter at the end of the month.

Not everybody wants thoughts and prayers after a disaster - CNN

WilliamFleming comments on Sep 17, 2019:

An offer of thoughts and prayers is nothing more than a simple expression of sympathy and support. IMO if such expressions seem offensive the offended parties are having irrational thoughts. Perhaps they are insecure in their unbelief, or they are thinking that they’ll be swamped in a sea of ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 17, 2019:

A bit rough, after all they may not mean it. LOL

There may NOT be life on other planets

Fernapple comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Your headline should read " intelligent life" not just life, since that is what you are talking about, that is not a very intelligent headline. The rest is very interesting, pity that spoils it. Though it has to be said that there may be more than one genetic route to high intelligence, and there...

Fernapple replies on Sep 16, 2019:

@JeffMesser Yes I have often thought that, that is why even microbes on Europa, or fossils on Mars would be so interesting, because we could possibly learn if they had any convergent evolution with our microbes, and if they use the same or similar DNA codes, or even RNA , or something quite different.

There may NOT be life on other planets

Fernapple comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Your headline should read " intelligent life" not just life, since that is what you are talking about, that is not a very intelligent headline. The rest is very interesting, pity that spoils it. Though it has to be said that there may be more than one genetic route to high intelligence, and there...

Fernapple replies on Sep 16, 2019:

@JeffMesser Exactness is not a property, but a quality, and being stuck means failing to advance to higher qualities. I am sorry we got off to a bad start, and so I will man up and admit I was a bit quick to critic a small fault, because it was late at night and I was washed up and grumpy. I should know better, I learned early not to post or comment when drunk or worn out, because standards tend to be high on this site. Now are you man enough to admit that your intro. was a bit sloppy, and then we can move on ?

Politics have no relation to morals. - Niccolo Machiavelli

Freedompath comments on Sep 15, 2019:

I see that now...but I once thought it has something to do with ‘serving the people.’ How can you ‘serve the people,’ without morels? I feel angry when I am ripped of, physically or mentally!

Fernapple replies on Sep 16, 2019:

A nice serving of morels, fried in a little butter, will certainly keep most of the people happy most of the time.

I thought that being the people you are, you would like to see a photo of a ruined church.

Justjoni comments on Sep 15, 2019:

How magnificent! Closest thing in North America is likely Anasazi ruins such as Mesa Verde, in terms of age. Really no comparison.

Fernapple replies on Sep 15, 2019:

I would though like to see the Anasazi ruins, they are certainly on my bucket list.

Watching Secrets of the Dead on PBS, it about a complete Bronze village in the Fens of England.

Dhiltong comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Human intelligence probably hasn’t changed in millennia, just our accumulated knowledge.

Fernapple replies on Sep 15, 2019:

There is some evidence which says that our brains started to decline after the advent of agriculture.

Just a thought that I've had since I was young trying to understand the rotation of the earth, and ...

Rob48 comments on Sep 14, 2019:

I have no understanding of the math or physics that might apply to time travel, so I can't address that portion of the post. However, I've always wondered what the explanation is for the fact that we sense none of the movement of the earth, even though, as you state, it's rotating at nearly 1000...

Fernapple replies on Sep 15, 2019:

@Winkiedink54 Thank you. I never taught although I do do some public speaking.

Don’t be afraid of words. Be afraid of hubris.

Fernapple comments on Sep 13, 2019:

At first it would seem that the vital question is not whether you call it god or nature, or if you call nature god, but whether it is in any meaningful way intelligent, or if nature/god is just an unthinking series of mechanical accidents. But then you have to say that even that question, even if...

Fernapple replies on Sep 15, 2019:

@skado Sorry although it does relate to the post where you quoted. “What is God’s nature?” It was mainly triggered by your last reply to TheMiddleway.

Famous writers and their odd ways of writing: writers -- 9/12/19

Fernapple comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Sad they don't mention one of the commonest, going for a walk first, many used that one including Charles Darwin.

Fernapple replies on Sep 15, 2019:

@Julie808 Me too, they say that their is a real link between just the physical act of walking and brain function. Perhaps because, when we were hunter gathering, walking defined the working day, our brains are therefore programmed to change up a gear when they sense we are walking.

This occurred in a comment on another post, but I thought it worth quoting.

LimitedLight comments on Sep 14, 2019:

There's a video about this.

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@LimitedLight Thanks.

I thought that being the people you are, you would like to see a photo of a ruined church.

JackPedigo comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Another memory for me but with a different Abby. In 1989 my then partner, her parents and I were traveling along the East coast of England and found this place with it's magnificent Abby. Whidby Abby. Funny the big island to the south of is is Whitbey Island. Funny how life works. ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Rievaulx is only forty miles for Whitby, that area was the main cetre for Abbeys and monsteries in those days.

This occurred in a comment on another post, but I thought it worth quoting.

LimitedLight comments on Sep 14, 2019:

There's a video about this.

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Link ?

This occurred in a comment on another post, but I thought it worth quoting.

Killtheskyfairy comments on Sep 14, 2019:

All I can think is that the powers that be understand that religion is definitely the opiate of the masses and consider these con men as one of theirs.

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@LetzGetReal Perhaps I care, but righteous I hope not, I always wanted to be a bad boy, nearly made it too.

Sometimes I get nauseas to a point of vomiting when I contemplate just how much money has been spent...

IrishTxJudy comments on Sep 13, 2019:

But it wasn’t your money and the people who donated wanted their money to go to those things. Not much you can do about that. Yes I agree the money could have been better spent. I scratch my head when I see so called Christians giving money to the pastors of super churches. Don’t they see they ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@IrishTxJudy That is very true.

There may NOT be life on other planets

Fernapple comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Your headline should read " intelligent life" not just life, since that is what you are talking about, that is not a very intelligent headline. The rest is very interesting, pity that spoils it. Though it has to be said that there may be more than one genetic route to high intelligence, and there...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@JeffMesser No I am not close minded and myopic, but in whatever I do like exactness.

This occurred in a comment on another post, but I thought it worth quoting.

Killtheskyfairy comments on Sep 14, 2019:

All I can think is that the powers that be understand that religion is definitely the opiate of the masses and consider these con men as one of theirs.

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Why do es the truth make me feel sad ?

Lao-Tzu, from the Tao Te Ching Translated by Stephen Mitchell We join spokes together in a ...

Fernapple comments on Jun 27, 2019:

Every quarry is a cathedral in the negative. ( I like quarries. )

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@yvilletom With you there.

There may NOT be life on other planets

Fernapple comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Your headline should read " intelligent life" not just life, since that is what you are talking about, that is not a very intelligent headline. The rest is very interesting, pity that spoils it. Though it has to be said that there may be more than one genetic route to high intelligence, and there...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@JeffMesser Yes but you did not say, perceivable life, either. Sorry to be pedantic, but I have got used to arguments with theists, and I know that it is good practice to always be exact, because they will deliberately misunderstand, whenever they think that they can get away with it, even though that is very close to the well known fallacy. "I can't understand it therefore it is false."

Just a thought that I've had since I was young trying to understand the rotation of the earth, and ...

Rob48 comments on Sep 14, 2019:

I have no understanding of the math or physics that might apply to time travel, so I can't address that portion of the post. However, I've always wondered what the explanation is for the fact that we sense none of the movement of the earth, even though, as you state, it's rotating at nearly 1000...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Because everything is relative, and we are travelling at the same speed and we only percieve speed relative to other things passing us by, when I fly in a plane I do not sence movement if the window blinds are down. Although we do have a slight sensation of the earths motion because if you were to stand on a set of very accurate scales, then you would find that you are slightly less heavy at the equator than near the poles, due to the centrifugal effect.

Don’t be afraid of words. Be afraid of hubris.

Fernapple comments on Sep 13, 2019:

At first it would seem that the vital question is not whether you call it god or nature, or if you call nature god, but whether it is in any meaningful way intelligent, or if nature/god is just an unthinking series of mechanical accidents. But then you have to say that even that question, even if...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@skado This is the heart of the problem I have with this post, since the observation that there are real issues behind the mythologies of the gods etc. people created in the past, could not be more true. To the point however that it is banal if not almost tautological. Of course, people in the past were attempting to address problems with real things. What matters, and is interesting, however, is why the false answers people created for those problems, continue to persist, and why they persist even when completely discredited. The main reason being, that human culture is by its very nature ultra conservative and anti-progress, since the ideas which persist in it, are by natural selection, those ideas which are good at persisting despite being challenged by true observations. Human culture is indeed by its nature especially anti truth, since its main function is to protect people against ideas they find threatening. And since threatening lies are usually easy to disprove, even within the framework of other less threatening lies they are little true threat. The truth however is much harder to dismiss and therefore stronger more complex cultural traditions have grown up to shield against it. Human progress will always be blocked until all people realize that recieved culture is not somewhere to find truth.

Sometimes I get nauseas to a point of vomiting when I contemplate just how much money has been spent...

IrishTxJudy comments on Sep 13, 2019:

But it wasn’t your money and the people who donated wanted their money to go to those things. Not much you can do about that. Yes I agree the money could have been better spent. I scratch my head when I see so called Christians giving money to the pastors of super churches. Don’t they see they ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Yes they may have given willingly, but does that make it OK ? All religion is a confidence trick. Why is it that if someone sells you a car which does not exist, you expect them to end up in prison. But if someone sells you a date with an invisible friend in the sky, who does not exist, they are invited to help run the prison.

Sometimes I get nauseas to a point of vomiting when I contemplate just how much money has been spent...

ToolGuy comments on Sep 14, 2019:

Money is just a measure of transactions. It is not real. All money is debt.

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Money is an abstract measure yes. But that is not relevant to the issue, because all measures are metaphors, but that does not mean that what they measure is unreal. If I measure a piece of pipe and find it to measure an inch across, I can then go to a shop and be confident that a one inch end will fit it, even though the idea of an inch is only a metaphor of size. Ditto, money may be a metaphorical measure, but how much of it you have, can really affect your life in many ways, even how long that life lasts.

"I thought you were a Republican because you have confidence."

BrianFinn comments on Sep 13, 2019:

The sad thing is that a functional democracy really needs diversity in its political system - often that means two real political parties who can debate against each other to reach a compromise that neither truly likes but can live with so when control changes hands, policies remain in place. The ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@Sticks48 That's always the problem, when a party swings wide the moderates go, and then it just gets worse. Even worse than that though, you can then get the other party swinging even wider the other way in reaction, then a counter reaction, and ever wider swings of the pendulum until something breaks and one side sees no way out, except a violent coup, by which time the moderates have become demoralized and there is nothing in the middle to call for reason. This is how democracy dies.

Wanna join my gang?

Fernapple comments on Sep 13, 2019:

Wonder what the photographer was doing to attract such attention ?

Fernapple replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@LetzGetReal True I did look very carefully, but if it is photoshoped it was done by a master, so equally clever.

Random ramblings of an Atheist

Nakedterror comments on Sep 13, 2019:

Your post was well written, for sure. Nicely put. I had a very similar journey to atheism, and I'm only "out" to my wife. I grew up in the church, don't really feel like I had much choice in the matter, but I was into it! I liked feeling like I was doing things the right way and Gods way was the ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 13, 2019:

We are here and listening.

Probably not habitable by humans due to a much greater gravity.

KKGator comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Humans are a horrible species. We don't deserve another planet. We don't appreciate the one we have.

Fernapple replies on Sep 13, 2019:

@MojoDave I do not think that it is a given that global warming will drive humans to extiction, we are too good at surviving. I think it most like like that most of the other species will go extinct, but a few humans will cling on in some isolated pocket where there is a local miroclimate and a cave or two to hide in. Hence one reason why the lss of species diversity is important. Many things may drive us to extinction, for example, the long term effects of living dependant on technology, which will in the end cause a loss of most useful survival functions. We will loose our social skills, become more aggressive, sexual dimorphisim will increase, inteligence will decline, and we will become increasingly dependent on technology, until one day the machies break down or go on strike, and then we die because we on longer have the power to mend them. The old si-fi idea, of super inteligent machines one day turning on us violently is not needed, (As The Terminator. ) all that happens is that they just stop feeding their by now helpless dependents. There are lots more reasons, I just throw this one out for fun.

Probably not habitable by humans due to a much greater gravity.

KKGator comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Humans are a horrible species. We don't deserve another planet. We don't appreciate the one we have.

Fernapple replies on Sep 13, 2019:

@yvilletom, @MojoDave Yes I am aware of that, note my use of "long" and "short" term

Probably not habitable by humans due to a much greater gravity.

KKGator comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Humans are a horrible species. We don't deserve another planet. We don't appreciate the one we have.

Fernapple replies on Sep 13, 2019:

@yvilletom It is a purely sentimental and cultural cost, not rational at all, to a degree. But accepting that natural selection took place in the past, does not mean that it will always be the only driving force, it was itself an emergent property, which came from the earlier direct cause and effect laws of physics, and from it emerged human culture, from that technology, and from that science and philosophy. The universe does not have to be limited by evolution by natural selection, nor does it have to be the final end game of history. For example we could ourselves now take over our own evolution by selective breeding, and almost certainly as the horrors of eugenics fade from memory we will do so , because it is hard to stop people doing anything that technology enables them to. And yes, I am aware that on a big astronomic time scale natural seletion still works in the end.

Someone quoted this to me today, though who said it first he did not know.

Remiforce comments on Sep 12, 2019:

The person I needed to meet when I was younger would be a lot wiser than me. He would be a lot more compassionate also. I don't know if I would have listened to such a person when I was younger. I would probably think he was a sanctimonious old fart

Fernapple replies on Sep 13, 2019:

Yes, it does say "try" to be.

" Anyone who tries make a distinction between education and entertainment, doesn't know the first ...

yvilletom comments on Sep 12, 2019:

Walker implies that he knows much about both. I taught adults and found that caring brought better results than entertaining.

Fernapple replies on Sep 12, 2019:

I have never taught, but I do public speaking, which is entertaining of course. Yet the most common good thing I here is. "We love your talks because you alway have such enthusiasim. " Yet I could not enthuse without I cared, or care without learning, so maybe they are not two different things.

Someone quoted this to me today, though who said it first he did not know.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 12, 2019:

"Be the person your dog thinks you are." ~ J.W. Stephens

Fernapple replies on Sep 12, 2019:

If only.

How do you answer the question often put by theists, that a view of a purely material world where we...

Flowerwall comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Where is the poetry from ?

Fernapple replies on Sep 12, 2019:

@Flowerwall Not at all that was not the meaning, perhaps it is not as plain as it should be. The point of the poem is about what we owe to evolution, not a creator. Especially how instincts for appreciation and a concept of beauty, pleasure and happiness are gifted to us as a result of all the creatures before who died or lived, because their instincts told them to go the wrong way or the right. Imagine a young creature out wandering alone for the first time having left the nest, in search of a home, it stands on a hill top and looking out it sees two valleys, does it go to left or right ? Being an uneducated animal, it chooses which way to go, based only on which valley seems most beautiful to it. And over the years, every one of our millions of ancestors, must have made dozens of such choices. And every such choice would have been rewarded or punished by natural selection, with longer life and more breeding success, or poor breeding and earlier death, each therefore affecting our DNA, gradually refining our emotions and instincts. So that now we only have ideas such as beauty, which is our instinctive feeling for goodness, because of the pains and deaths of all those before us.

Probably not habitable by humans due to a much greater gravity.

KKGator comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Humans are a horrible species. We don't deserve another planet. We don't appreciate the one we have.

Fernapple replies on Sep 12, 2019:

@MojoDave Yes, and I know that in the long term the earth will probably recover, but what will the cost be to all the other species in the short term ?

How do you answer the question often put by theists, that a view of a purely material world where we...

Flowerwall comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Where is the poetry from ?

Fernapple replies on Sep 12, 2019:

@Flowerwall Thank you.

"And as the windshield melts And my tears evaporate Leaving only charcoal to defend Finally I ...

EricJones comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Weapons don't care who they kill, and we're all just as dead.

Fernapple replies on Sep 11, 2019:

Weapons also create a power inbalance and also distance the user for the reality of their act. How many would murder if they had use their bare hands to do it.

How do you answer the question often put by theists, that a view of a purely material world where we...

Flowerwall comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Where is the poetry from ?

Fernapple replies on Sep 11, 2019:

Sorry to say its me.

One thing that I have noticed is that people seem to be a lot less DIY these days than when I was a ...

Sticks48 comments on Sep 9, 2019:

You can't work on todays cars. I don't even recognize anything under the hood of a car. Do you know how many computers are in a car now?

Fernapple replies on Sep 10, 2019:

You can get the hood up. Wow.

Just looking for rational friends.

Fernapple comments on Sep 9, 2019:

Yes certainly, this site has a map feature.

Fernapple replies on Sep 10, 2019:

@Berzerkershaman Then sadly it looks like you will have to keep looking. Good Luck.

Shakespeare, "First we kill all the lawyers"

Freedompath comments on Sep 9, 2019:

That would not suit me...as it is difficult to keep up with all the laws! Shakespeare is not living today among all the manmade laws! What we need is greater accountability for non-ethical and immoral character.

Fernapple replies on Sep 10, 2019:

I think he meant that when the lawyers go the laws do too.

Shakespeare, "First we kill all the lawyers"

Freedompath comments on Sep 9, 2019:

That would not suit me...as it is difficult to keep up with all the laws! Shakespeare is not living today among all the manmade laws! What we need is greater accountability for non-ethical and immoral character.

Fernapple replies on Sep 10, 2019:

@Remiforce On of the few laws that have been taken of the legal books in the UK in recent years, was one which made it illegal to bring multiple lawsuits against one person as a form of harassment. We are now of course I suppose, to trust that the lawers have so much integrity that they will not allow that to happen, however profitable it would be for them. LOL

How would you reply to a theist who says, "You send yourself to hell"?

skado comments on Sep 9, 2019:

When religious metaphors are taken literally they send us to silly places; sometimes dangerous places. But when seen as symbolic imagery, many of them contain deep wisdom. We often do “send ourselves to hell” but not after we die. We do it daily while we’re alive. It’s human nature to ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 10, 2019:

@skado Very interesting. Have to go now but will try to reply when I can.

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

Triphid comments on Sep 8, 2019:

Are you going to 'serve' the Vicar with a nice side dish of salad and fava beans perhaps....LOL.

Fernapple replies on Sep 10, 2019:

@Triphid Its C. of E. vicar of course, so almost without flavour at all.

How would you reply to a theist who says, "You send yourself to hell"?

skado comments on Sep 9, 2019:

When religious metaphors are taken literally they send us to silly places; sometimes dangerous places. But when seen as symbolic imagery, many of them contain deep wisdom. We often do “send ourselves to hell” but not after we die. We do it daily while we’re alive. It’s human nature to ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

@skado True. And I am sorry to say that perhaps the only real meaningful difference between us, as often happens is mainly the use of a word, since I would always choose myth and would choke at using the word religion for fear of promoting or it. Yet I have to say that I am not a culturalist and do not believe that there is any way to reform any culture, only the promotion of science, which I define as anti-culture offers anything worthwhile. Since the problem with culture is that there is nothing inherent in it which, leads to truth, metaphors may be truthful, but they are just as likely to be untruthful, the only thing which an idea requires to be favoured by culture, is that it is attractive enough to get itself propogated and to survive the natural selection which removes ideas which do not appeal, and that sadly tends to favour bad ideas, I do not therefore think that culture can be redeemed.

How would you reply to a theist who says, "You send yourself to hell"?

skado comments on Sep 9, 2019:

When religious metaphors are taken literally they send us to silly places; sometimes dangerous places. But when seen as symbolic imagery, many of them contain deep wisdom. We often do “send ourselves to hell” but not after we die. We do it daily while we’re alive. It’s human nature to ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

@skado Good answer thank you. And yes I too have found such metaphors in writings common to all humanity, and enjoyed the study of some of them. Especially the classical Greek and Roman stories, but the all important distinction is that those come to us from a dead culture, and are usually classified as myths, and it is very important to make that distinction between the two, since it would be impossible to promote any part of a living culture in any way without endorsing that culture. St Augustine took the bible as a deep metaphor in his personal view, and yet his influence on theology was used to justify much literalism, and many of the crimes against humanity committed by the church. While Christianity remains a living religion it is dangerous in the extreme to glorify its mythology, without using the myth word rather than religion. Especially so when there are plenty of other and often better mythologies to mine. Moreover the fact that a metaphor is part of a collective conciousness does not mean that it is good or leads to good conclusions. In the Oedipus myth for example, Oedipus slays his father and then goes on to commit incest with his mother, fathering children who are destined to great misfortune, the central metaphor of the story being that one crime or sin places a permanent stain on the person which leads to other crimes and can be inherited, and there is no doubt that idea is a fundamental part of the human mindset to which we all instinctively respond. Yet that does not make it a good idea. And when people talk of religion rather than myth, there is a real risk of dignifying such ideas, with a name which many people revere. Nor is it true to my mind, this is more oppinion than history, that all collective conciousness and common myth comes directly from human DNA, that ignores the fact that culture alone, will and can have a creative impact. The idea of inheritance for example is a common cultural idea, yet except at the most basic level, it could not have existed in precultural species, and therefore the over reverencing of culture even as a whole can and does promote many errors.

Since there has been some discussion lately regarding profile pics.

bobwjr comments on Sep 8, 2019:

Cool 😎 this is better for me lol

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

Yep. I use a cute picture of the younger me as an icon too.

Would the discovery of living beings on other planets make earth's religions irrelevant?

WilliamFleming comments on Sep 9, 2019:

Why might life on other planets make religion irrelevant? I don’t see how it would in the least.

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

Two ways at least. First if it is intelligent life it could have its own views on god or not. And second because for anti-theists it would be another thing, like micro- organisims causing disease that the all knowing god forgot to mention in his sacred writings. But they will not worry a theist, see my comment below.

How is the concept of "business days" relevant anymore?

Remi comments on Sep 9, 2019:

Right? And why does it take 9 days to get my money back when they over charge me but heaven forbid I'm late with a payment?

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

Nine days, you are lucky I have had them take nearly a year with me. Think there may be something called bank interest involved. LOL

How would you reply to a theist who says, "You send yourself to hell"?

skado comments on Sep 9, 2019:

When religious metaphors are taken literally they send us to silly places; sometimes dangerous places. But when seen as symbolic imagery, many of them contain deep wisdom. We often do “send ourselves to hell” but not after we die. We do it daily while we’re alive. It’s human nature to ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

How do you know that it was not originally intended ? People who use religious texts as metaphors are welcome to do so, personally I think that there are better texts to mine for such wisdom, but you are welcome if you wish. However to see them as "originally intended" in any way, supposes an almost psychic understanding of the minds of people long dead, and is an example of the "golden age" fallacy. The one thing that we can say for certain about people in the past is that they were in no way different from us, except perhaps in their lack of education in spheres such as science. Most, if not nearly all, texts written by people today, including those ill educated in science, are not intended as meaningfully metaphorical. Especially not in gutter press red top publications, from the equivalent of which the bible almost certainly obtains most of its content, ( That is not a pychic judgement, the trashy content betrays that.) and which the Koran then plagiarizes. The golden age fallacy is one of the main pillars of literal belief, and by supporting, it even to justify metaphorical interpretations, a great deal of support is given to those who use biblical literalism to promote misunderstanding and the exploitation of others, by lending weight to the stupid idea, almost universal among believers, that old texts are in some way hallowed and therefore better than modern writing.

I know someone (I have been distancing myself from) who is a Trump supporter.

Fernapple comments on Sep 8, 2019:

The basic illogic of. "Not every stamp collector is in the stamp collectors club, therefore I oppose the stamp collectors club." Should tell you everything you need to know about the true motivations of this person, and the quality of thinking they are usually exposed and accustomed to in the ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

@powder You are doing a good job of playing devils advocate, and I am glad that you do. And I do agree that many on the left are inclined to use shouting down and, holier than thou, to quell debate. Especially because that is encouraged by the left wing of the political establishment, which uses political correctness as an attempt to appear to have the moral highground in all things, since it thinks that if it appears to hold that, then its failings, greed, coruption and self interest, which equal or even exceed those of the right wing political establishment, will be screened from view. However it has to be pointed out that a community is not the same thing as an organization like PETA. Since it does not have the hard edges impossed by the need for actual membership and active joining, and may at times define a small inner group but at other times may extend to embrace all, including even the family and friends of the community. To say, do not support the LGBTQ community, is not therefore the same as saying, there are groups within the LGBTQ community with political views which I do not support.

I know someone (I have been distancing myself from) who is a Trump supporter.

Fernapple comments on Sep 8, 2019:

The basic illogic of. "Not every stamp collector is in the stamp collectors club, therefore I oppose the stamp collectors club." Should tell you everything you need to know about the true motivations of this person, and the quality of thinking they are usually exposed and accustomed to in the ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

@powder Yes, by all means you may read my comment, with the direct quote, "do not support", in it instead , if you wish. I am equally happy with it that way. I made little attempt to be exact with the quote since I was more interested with what was to be read between the lines.

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

Triphid comments on Sep 8, 2019:

Are you going to 'serve' the Vicar with a nice side dish of salad and fava beans perhaps....LOL.

Fernapple replies on Sep 9, 2019:

THat's a thought. And I have a nice bottle of red wine too.

If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life. - Plato

EyesThatSmile comments on Sep 8, 2019:

My father’s words were “education is one thing that others cannot take away from you”.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

I have also heard it said, that, it is the only thing of value you can escape a shipwreck with.

The Music of All Time is a Duet Between Order and Disorder - Aeon Essays

Fernapple comments on Sep 8, 2019:

Woo. It says. "Somewhat surprisingly, nature not only requires disorder but thrives on it. Planets, stars, life, even the direction of time all depend on disorder." No neither correct nor a surprise.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

@Tomfoolery33 No, but I do know that physics are determinist in most issues above the quantum level, and that order and disorder are just a subjective human concept anyway. Information and enthopy are part of physics yes, but not order and disorder.

The reasons that the sun never sets on what was once the British Empire: 🍷👌😎

Petter comments on Sep 7, 2019:

Which is why, today, Britain's favourite dish is curry, hotly pursued by Oriental tale-aways, both of which have displaced fish and chips.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

@Petter If you go back far enough yes.

The reasons that the sun never sets on what was once the British Empire: 🍷👌😎

Petter comments on Sep 7, 2019:

Which is why, today, Britain's favourite dish is curry, hotly pursued by Oriental tale-aways, both of which have displaced fish and chips.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

@Petter That was invented in Belgium and brought here by the Flemish weavers. We can't take credit for that either.

The reasons that the sun never sets on what was once the British Empire: 🍷👌😎

Petter comments on Sep 7, 2019:

Which is why, today, Britain's favourite dish is curry, hotly pursued by Oriental tale-aways, both of which have displaced fish and chips.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

@Petter Pie has a lot to answer for too.

A picture from the beautiful town in Guimaraes, where Portugal was born

Fernapple comments on Sep 8, 2019:

Envy. I am stuck here in dismal Britain, with the winter coming on, and I would give almost anything to stand on that paving and look at that blue sky for just ten mins.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

@Paddypereira Enjoy your hols. and don't worry about me, I will be off soon.

The reasons that the sun never sets on what was once the British Empire: 🍷👌😎

MissKathleen comments on Sep 7, 2019:

The cuisine? You really think it was the cuisine?

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

No I really think it was irony.

The reasons that the sun never sets on what was once the British Empire: 🍷👌😎

Petter comments on Sep 7, 2019:

Which is why, today, Britain's favourite dish is curry, hotly pursued by Oriental tale-aways, both of which have displaced fish and chips.

Fernapple replies on Sep 8, 2019:

And fish and chips was a take-away brought here by Italians.

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

Marionville comments on Sep 7, 2019:

You’re looking good! 😁

Fernapple replies on Sep 7, 2019:

Yes the plastic surgery was worth every penny.

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

Rob48 comments on Sep 7, 2019:

I hear the vicar prefers apricot brandy to tea.

Fernapple replies on Sep 7, 2019:

Sadly they usually do. LOL

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

Hicks66 comments on Sep 7, 2019:

What is that? A scare-vicar?

Fernapple replies on Sep 7, 2019:

"Crow" old name for a preist. Still doing its job. LOL

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

IAJO163 comments on Sep 7, 2019:

I think I'd get shot at. lol. Congrats!

Fernapple replies on Sep 7, 2019:

Yes, sorry it is a little bit less dangerous over here in the UK, we sometimes forget how lucky we are.

Now at last I can have the vicar to tea, because finally I have something really suitable to wear.

Killtheskyfairy comments on Sep 7, 2019:

Why have the vicar for tea? Doesn’t sound like fun to me? Are you a masochistic glutton for punishment?

Fernapple replies on Sep 7, 2019:

No I want to see if i can convert him, plus his wife is very cute.

IS DONALD TRUMP EVIL?

Fernapple comments on Sep 6, 2019:

IT says. "A toxic narcissist has an elevated state of grandiosity. A sociopath has no empathy or concern for others & is highly manipulative. An anti social personality is destructive & has no regard for established social norms." So how does that make him different from anyone who runs for public...

Fernapple replies on Sep 6, 2019:

@Remiforce Yep I think that is about right. Having said that I doubt orange one has the personal charm that the other three monsters you list were famed for.

Scientists identify the genes linked to left-handedness

MarkiusMahamius comments on Sep 5, 2019:

A series of new studies show that left-handed people are more likely to suffer from learning disabilities, stuttering, migraine headaches and, according to the latest findings, autoimmune diseases, like ulcerative colitis, myasthenia gravis and celiac disease, in which the body attacks its own ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 6, 2019:

@LiterateHiker I thought you suffered from arthritis, that is one surely ?

Eat your hearts out, peons.

vjohnson51 comments on Sep 5, 2019:

How do you get one of these?

Fernapple replies on Sep 6, 2019:

@vjohnson51 Yes but they do promiss to delete it afterwards.

Not a question

Rodatheist comments on Sep 1, 2019:

You are right. It does not allow for editing of pictures other than the square, which is just a way to limit the size of the file. Perhaps you would want to edit the pictures with another program or application before uploading them here. Ok, so, what else have you not been able to do in this site?...

Fernapple replies on Sep 5, 2019:

I often post none square photos, and have never had a problem, I think that it must depend on the device.

Had to go out on business yesterday, and on the way back I called in at P's Garden.

dede18 comments on Sep 4, 2019:

what a lovely place to visit. Is that penstemon peeking over the shoulder of the sage? the hot pink and the sage green complements each other so well ...

Fernapple replies on Sep 4, 2019:

Yes I thought the colours worked well, but I am not sure what the grey plant is, it may be one of the sages, but it certainly is not the common grey sage.

Had to go out on business yesterday, and on the way back I called in at P's Garden.

Allamanda comments on Sep 4, 2019:

Certainly very lovely, and none of that feeling of being 'contrived'!

Fernapple replies on Sep 4, 2019:

Yes, it is an old garden she is restoring and some of the features are only a year or two old, but they look like they have always been there.

Had to go out on business yesterday, and on the way back I called in at P's Garden.

Shouldbefishing comments on Sep 4, 2019:

I would trade homes with "P" in a heartbeat!

Fernapple replies on Sep 4, 2019:

You are not the only one.

I do not think many here really care what happens to their remains after they die.

graceylou comments on Sep 3, 2019:

I would prefer to just have my body left out there in my woods or fields for scavengers. But my parents want all of us to be cremated at death and our ashes buried in the family burial plot. Ugh no. Why bury ashes??!??!! If I were to have my ashes scattered, may be among my previously passed pets in...

Fernapple replies on Sep 4, 2019:

@graceylou You are lucky.

I do not think many here really care what happens to their remains after they die.

graceylou comments on Sep 3, 2019:

I would prefer to just have my body left out there in my woods or fields for scavengers. But my parents want all of us to be cremated at death and our ashes buried in the family burial plot. Ugh no. Why bury ashes??!??!! If I were to have my ashes scattered, may be among my previously passed pets in...

Fernapple replies on Sep 4, 2019:

Yes I would like to be left out for eating too, but I don't think its allowed here. Sad.

Update on the guy from the dating site: he got back to me twice! Here is our last conversation.

Fernapple comments on Sep 2, 2019:

Funny saying he was well read, because he does not write like someone who is well read. Perhaps he just reads Christian pamphlets.

Fernapple replies on Sep 3, 2019:

@Gwendolyn2018 I am quite sure that is the truest thing a pastor ever said. And no one knows the bible like an atheist/agnostic.