If I like a members post or comment they get points, hopefully, but do they still get points if I ...

stinkeye_a comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Occasionally I have wondered if someone gave the "angry" emoji-react to my content because they were upset about the subject material, or they were upset with me for sharing it. I've had a few tense instants over this, but I figure 1) it should be pretty easy to discern, via context, what is ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

That's great I seem to be doing most of those things anyaway, but it is good to have a second opinion. So far I nearly always us just "like" anyway.

I would like to invite everyone to join my Facebook group for our channel“Food Foresters”.

Fernapple comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Sorry don't really do FB if you have good content why not cut and paste it on to here, you will get a lot more genuine appreciation.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@Robecology, @Donto101 Good Well done.

I would like to invite everyone to join my Facebook group for our channel“Food Foresters”.

Fernapple comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Sorry don't really do FB if you have good content why not cut and paste it on to here, you will get a lot more genuine appreciation.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@Robecology If you think that, see my comment at the bottom of the page under Cutiebeauty's comment.

It has been a dry winter so far, but we did get a sprinkle of snow the other day, I turned the ...

MissKathleen comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Serene

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

It certainly was, thought there is a storm blowing up now.

Anyone know any good jokes? Or is everyone grumpy today? lol.

Amisja comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Feeling grumpy, a bit sad and a lot old.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

The seven dwarves and Snowwhite were in the bath feeling grumpy. But Grumpy got out.

Found in the garden today, hibernating ladybirds.

MissKathleen comments on Jan 27, 2019:

You’ll not have to worry about aphids when warm weather comes.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Hopefully.

I would like to invite everyone to join my Facebook group for our channel“Food Foresters”.

Cutiebeauty comments on Jan 27, 2019:

I only use this site... No FB for me... Thanks anyway

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Yes and not just the ethics of FB but the fact that it is so rambling, creaky and overcomplicated, takes ages to download, and is full of such a load of banal rubbish you have to trawl through. Plus they are now trying to replace email, I think the zook is trying to replace the web with the FB empire, the empire of idiot.

Its quite cold here now with a strong wind, so I spent an hour this morning hand weeding pots in the...

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Hmmm...if we don't have that exact weed here in Louisiana, we certainly have a variant of it. I think you just taught me the name of one of my most common weeds. Thanks! The internet just told its in the mustard family and completely edible, though the flowers are a bit bitter. Curse those ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Yes if it has the expolding seed pods it is exactly the same thing. If you want to be really safe, it is said that you should wear goggles when weeding it, because the fast flying seeds can get into your eyes to bad effect.

If I like a members post or comment they get points, hopefully, but do they still get points if I ...

Cutiebeauty comments on Jan 27, 2019:

All the icons give the same points... I generally think the like refers to the topic itself. Unless the topic is the ops opinion...

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@Cutiebeauty Have done. Thanks.

Its quite cold here now with a strong wind, so I spent an hour this morning hand weeding pots in the...

Cast1es comments on Jan 27, 2019:

If it's edible , grow it as a food crop , fertilize it , water it , eat it , and it will disappear .

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

That is one of life's great truths.

Found in the garden today, hibernating ladybirds. Hope they stay to eat the bugs next year.

Spinliesel comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Wow! I did not know they hibernated.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Well the common sort here in the UK do, they seem to like to cluster in high dry places like this, but I can not say what happens in the US. Though I would think that they would be worth looking for.

If I like a members post or comment they get points, hopefully, but do they still get points if I ...

Cutiebeauty comments on Jan 27, 2019:

All the icons give the same points... I generally think the like refers to the topic itself. Unless the topic is the ops opinion...

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

That seems to be most peoples thoughts, I just paniced because someone seemed to be getting upset about a "sad" , when it was one of the admittedly rare people I did not want to upset.

If I like a members post or comment they get points, hopefully, but do they still get points if I ...

Amisja comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Or you could reply Mr. Apple. I like getting replies from you

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Well that's nice (not very helpful) but nice. Will do both.

If I like a members post or comment they get points, hopefully, but do they still get points if I ...

ToakReon comments on Jan 27, 2019:

People use icons in different ways, and sometimes it's impossible to know what they mean. Example, the 'angry' icon - is it expressing anger at the comment itself, of anger at whatever the comment was about?

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Yes that's exactly the problem, we could do with some guidelines on use.

Its quite cold here now with a strong wind, so I spent an hour this morning hand weeding pots in the...

FrayedBear comments on Jan 27, 2019:

The serrated edge leaf lower left looks familiar.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

Yes looks just dandylion does it not. There are not many of those but often I just throw the plant, because sorting them out does too much damage.

"People no longer understand how hold a rational conversation.

David_Cooper comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Politics doesn't run on reason - it runs on momentum and brainwashing, dividing people into tribes which believe the other side is immoral so that they hate each other. That hate is there on both sides of any issue and it is used quite deliberately to hold people in their current camp.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@FrayedBear I changed "sad" to like on the like icon menu. I thought that was what you were saying, sorry if you meant something else.

"People no longer understand how hold a rational conversation.

David_Cooper comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Politics doesn't run on reason - it runs on momentum and brainwashing, dividing people into tribes which believe the other side is immoral so that they hate each other. That hate is there on both sides of any issue and it is used quite deliberately to hold people in their current camp.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@FrayedBear Do you think so, I often use it to comment on the content not the person posting it. In this case I would use it to mean that it is "sad" that people are sending out goons. I will check and see if it affects points. Have changed it for now.

"People no longer understand how hold a rational conversation.

David_Cooper comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Politics doesn't run on reason - it runs on momentum and brainwashing, dividing people into tribes which believe the other side is immoral so that they hate each other. That hate is there on both sides of any issue and it is used quite deliberately to hold people in their current camp.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@FrayedBear Yes that too.

Its quite cold here now with a strong wind, so I spent an hour this morning hand weeding pots in the...

Spinliesel comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Well, I was sure we don't have it, bur wikipedia says it grows all over the world. We are under several inches of snow right now, so no gardening for me , other than looking at the seed catalogs. Happy weeding!

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

It is most often a weed in pots, and I am told that it can be used in salads, so maybe I should eat it instead..

"People no longer understand how hold a rational conversation.

David_Cooper comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Politics doesn't run on reason - it runs on momentum and brainwashing, dividing people into tribes which believe the other side is immoral so that they hate each other. That hate is there on both sides of any issue and it is used quite deliberately to hold people in their current camp.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2019:

@FrayedBear Where you have any controling establishment in politics, religion or commerce, they will always promote hate of outsiders as a way to strengthen their own position. That has always been the way and it always will, all people in power know that fear is a way to control people and a way to get them to give you more power and wealth. That has happened since the begining of human culture when language first gave people the power to communicate ideas, it may well be happening more now, because we live in a time of relative peace and security, which makes it much safer for establishments to promote fear with less danger to themselves. If there is no immediate danger of triggering a shooting war which could cause them harm , the reigious and political establishments can promote hate as much as they like. Because if there is fighting on the streets, they can just retreat into their gated compounds.

I think I have figured out the big conflict with christianity

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Unfortunately his message, (if he existed ) was not just love and acceptance. That's just the religious cherry picking.

Fernapple replies on Jan 26, 2019:

@kauva That's fine, if you are happy cherry picking what you like from very doubtful sources, do so. I have never seen any benefit in it, nor do I regard my wants as a good guide to truth.

"I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.

Paul4747 comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I am too often aware of my own ignorance. It's probably too late for me to become a biologist, a physicist, a meteorologist, an oceanographer, a botanist, or any of the dozen things I wish I knew more about. But that doesn't stop me from picking up the tidbits of knowledge that I can find here ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 26, 2019:

Wide knowledge may be better than knowing a great deal about one small speciallity, there is something to be said for enjoying the benefits of science and letting the specialists do the work.

Wakey wakey

Carin comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Actually just going to bed....

Fernapple replies on Jan 26, 2019:

@Amisja You put a "U" in horse.

Hello Everybody.

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Welcome, sounds like you will fit in well here, if you don't like woo there are a few woo merchants on the site, but you can just ignore them, or they may block you which just means you don't see them any more, great. Check out the groups there is something for everyone and a lot of the site's life ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 26, 2019:

@JacobMeyers Wow. You will fit in well here.

I think I have figured out the big conflict with christianity

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Unfortunately his message, (if he existed ) was not just love and acceptance. That's just the religious cherry picking.

Fernapple replies on Jan 26, 2019:

@kauva What do you base your guesses on if not the book of lies ? I do not see that you would logically come to that at all from the book of lies, since the book of lies is he only source we have, you may take any part of the teachings out of it, and say that they are the "true" teachings. As I said, it can not even be regarded it as good evidence that he even existed let alone what he taught, and given the times I strongly suspect that the racism erc. is much more likely to be the teachings of an illiterate self appointed wandering priest.

I think I have figured out the big conflict with christianity

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Unfortunately his message, (if he existed ) was not just love and acceptance. That's just the religious cherry picking.

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

@kauva No I think you will also find that he included, racism, religious bigotry, approval for the old testament laws, approval of slavery, anti investment and short termism, anti-trade, and approval of torture, and the belief in thought crime. Plus I am sure quite a lot of other things, but it is now late at night here so you will have to find them for yourself.

5 Reasons Going To Mars is a TERRIBLE Idea | Answers With Joe - Joe Scott [youtube.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2019:

A very good video, I am sorry to say that a lot of people seem to think naively that space travel is a lot easier than the reality. They should be made to watch a video like this about the difficulties of just getting to the next planet, let alone escaping the solar system, before they are allowed ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

@phxbillcee The obvious way to go about it would be to send robots first, to erect and crucially to test the environment.

It just occurred to me this morning that some names in the Book of Mormon may be coded.

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Neat it could be. He was a complete fraud, who must have known that it was silly to write a nineteenth century book in sixteenth century English. What God can not understand modern languages ?

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

@BestWithoutGods And of course that was a complete fraud, which made no attempt at traslation but simplty invented what the editors wanted as they went along.

[globalresearch.ca] Are most Americans aware of this and do they care ?

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

One of the problems with US and European intervention is that it is often short-term. Making large numbers of quick military strikes, which are presumably done to appear to be proactive and win approval from large numbers of voters at home, who a largely ignorant of international issues. Then ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

@Rob1948 Thats very true, the tit for tat use of third world countries and other weaker nations as proxy wars is a great evil of the day. But in democracies politcians want to pose as global statesmen because they, (perhaps wrongly) think that it impresses voters. While in the former communist world dictators want to distract people from domestic failings, and strengthen their grip on power, by pointing to, often quite unreal, foreign threats. So the game suits both sides and while the rulers of the super powers play games to win often trivial support at home, the weaker nations will continue to suffer.

The USA experience from a UK perspective.

linxminx comments on Jan 25, 2019:

I see it all the time, and not just in relation to debate about belief systems. When I started my current position, I was speaking with a colleague, and suggested that 1 current class in our degree program was an unnecessary class. Her reaction was complete anger, a shrill voice, and a 10-minutes ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

@Amisja Yes I had not thought of it that way, but it could be so. Although it follows after "life, liberty" which are more individual, and it was writen in an age when the main issue was the challenge to monarchy, and the basic idea that the happiness of kings and queens was the only duty of the state.

The USA experience from a UK perspective.

linxminx comments on Jan 25, 2019:

I see it all the time, and not just in relation to debate about belief systems. When I started my current position, I was speaking with a colleague, and suggested that 1 current class in our degree program was an unnecessary class. Her reaction was complete anger, a shrill voice, and a 10-minutes ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

Yes. Forgive me, I am an outsider too and you may think that it is not my place to comment, so I hope you take this in good part. But I have long thought that the phrase so deeply enbedded in US culture, "the pursuit of happiness" is too often misinterpreted by many as, "the entitlement to happiness", especially by vote seaking politicians, and that this engenders an immature world view in a lot of the population who view them as authority figures, and when that is seconded by many church leaders seaking to create devoted mind slaves. Then.....

WHAT'S YOUR ONE THING?

bigpawbullets comments on Jan 24, 2019:

See us (humanity) become a truly spacefaring species.

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

Sadly, I would not advise holding your breath.

I was just asked to approve a comment from a new member, as you sometimes are, so I did.

Redheadedgammy comments on Jan 24, 2019:

I will approve as long as the comment isn't rude or a word salad of nothing. LOL

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

It was word salad alright. But rude, who knows what it was.

[globalresearch.ca] Are most Americans aware of this and do they care ?

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

One of the problems with US and European intervention is that it is often short-term. Making large numbers of quick military strikes, which are presumably done to appear to be proactive and win approval from large numbers of voters at home, who a largely ignorant of international issues. Then ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2019:

@Rob1948 No, that in many ways is my whole point, since Russia and China do stay for the long term and that is the whole source of their success, even using far fewer resources. Often they simply wait out the West's interest and only begin after we leave and they have usually been there for years before.

Volunteering... it's an important community contribution. Do you volunteer and if so what do you do?

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

It is a bit limiting living in the country, but I find time to help with the village itself, help to run two sports clubs though I don't play much myself, I help to run a couple of gardening clubs, it was once three but I had to give one up because it was too far away. And I manage a couple of ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@mzbehavin Its not a great lot now really, but I will retire, all being well, in a few years, and then?

[globalresearch.ca] Are most Americans aware of this and do they care ?

Moravian comments on Jan 24, 2019:

Interesting and encouraging comments. After WW2 the UK ceased to be a world power and on one of the few occasions it tried to assert itself,in Suez, it got a bloody nose. Tony Blair will always be yesterdays man in politics here for supporting Bush in the Iraq invasion, and also for his champagne ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@Moravian You guessed !

[globalresearch.ca] Are most Americans aware of this and do they care ?

Moravian comments on Jan 24, 2019:

Interesting and encouraging comments. After WW2 the UK ceased to be a world power and on one of the few occasions it tried to assert itself,in Suez, it got a bloody nose. Tony Blair will always be yesterdays man in politics here for supporting Bush in the Iraq invasion, and also for his champagne ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

You may also remember that, T. Blair was the man who was two faced enough to conceal his religious affiliations until after he left office, gave the world a new word for a especially cowardly form of lying, created faith schools which have destroyed the education of many children while enriching the worst forms of theocrats, and in a country short of both land and housing gave his rich friends a tax break on second homes. Whatever his views on brexit, and everyone has to be right on something, he was undoubtedly the most evil little creep to ever crawl into number ten.

Why is there no Comrade Chump approval group here on agnostic?

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

Most of the site is US led, and although Judd Trump is a really great sportsman, and a hansom intelligent young man with great style and many admirers, I do not think that he is that well known on your side of the pond.

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@Countrywoman Perhaps, but of course I was having a little fun at our cultural differences.

This pisses me off to the point I'm going to join the Freedom from Religion Foundation and donate my...

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

It is just a thought, but in the UK and in a lot of northern Europe we have state churches, and religion is dying fast while as a political force is nearly dead.

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@AstralSmoke Wonderful. If you get away from the tourist areas especially. Despite their many problems, the people are among the warmest and friendliest you will encounter, and it is such an old land in the poetic sense, that there is hardly a valley without ancient treasures. Some of the mountain valleys are so quiet and trafic free you can hear a pin drop, and the flora and fauna between the snow capped mountain peaks and down to the warm Med. sea is second to none.

This pisses me off to the point I'm going to join the Freedom from Religion Foundation and donate my...

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

It is just a thought, but in the UK and in a lot of northern Europe we have state churches, and religion is dying fast while as a political force is nearly dead.

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@AstralSmoke Yes it gets worse as you go south and east. Holland, Britain and most of Scandinavia are nearly free now. I do however find that I quite like living in religious areas, despite everything. I often go to Turkey and North Cyprus, admittedly only for holidays, and I have to say that I find the sound of the call to prayer almost heart breakingly lovely, especially early in the morning just as you are getting up.

I had another nice tomato harvest today.

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

They look beautiful. Do you do salad crops as well and is Desert in a very warm zone for the US or are these from a greenhouse ?

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@MissKathleen Lovely. Thinking about moving somewhere warm when I retire.

This pisses me off to the point I'm going to join the Freedom from Religion Foundation and donate my...

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

It is just a thought, but in the UK and in a lot of northern Europe we have state churches, and religion is dying fast while as a political force is nearly dead.

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@MoonTiger And that rarely. Very few go to church now. I live in a village of 350 people, and I would think that about ten, mainly the very old, attend church.

I had another nice tomato harvest today.

Fernapple comments on Jan 24, 2019:

They look beautiful. Do you do salad crops as well and is Desert in a very warm zone for the US or are these from a greenhouse ?

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2019:

@MissKathleen Thank you, in some ways it sounds great, but I think I would not like the hot summer. What an interesting place to live though. I am learning such a lot about people and places since I joined this site it is great.

For the Antivaxxers.

Fernapple comments on Jan 23, 2019:

The one extinction I think that nobody will regret is that of Smallpox, which used to kill or disfigure a quarter of the worlds population at one time. And we nearly sent polio the same way, but it is now staging a comeback in some countries thanks entirely to anti-vaccine movements promoted by ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@CarolinaGirl60 Sadly I think that history and science in any meaningful sense are completely unknown to the anti-vacs. And in many ways it is the fault of governments, who see real education as a good thing only for the privileged few who will join the political establishment.

What do you think of raising the level to contact other members to level 4 or 5?

Fernapple comments on Jan 23, 2019:

Would the site get more members, especially members who stay, if it dropped the dating thing. How many who would enjoy the community here do not join, because they give a promotion they see a quick glance and think. "Oh that's a dating site."

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@TheMiddleWay Thanks fior that, it has always been a mystery to me, I did not even know if anyone had ever actually got as far as dating from this site, since the membership is spaced so widely across the world. Obviously some people are willing to travel.

What is it about your partner/spouse that you wish you knew about before getting married/committed ...

Amisja comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I think we decided this had to bloody work because we are both codgers and neither of us has the strength to do it again. I held off for ages, not sure if I dare. If he has faults then don't we all. He texts me to say he's worried about me driving in the snow. He was genuinely relieved when I got ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

I think its called, being grown up. It takes us men a bit longer you know.

So, today I was called emotionless.

Fernapple comments on Jan 23, 2019:

The fact that you are posting on here and thereby talking to people, proves that you are a caring person even if you do not wear your attachments on an arm band, which can often simply mean that people don't mind offending others by showing off. Really cold people do not post on sites like this.

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@PalacinkyPDX Non-emphatic and disturbed I too have certainly seen on this site a plenty, ( I think I'm one of them anyway. ) but not cold, I do not think that a truly cold person, and I have known at least one, would be motivated to post on any site. Quite the contrary a lot of the people here seem to be quite heated. Nor would I tell anyone that they were cold without at least knowing them face to face personally.

The Supreme Court has become political and it was designed to be impartial.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Make it jury led instead. In ancient Athens where they first came up with democracy the highest courts were jury led, and despite more limited resources they had three hundred members, enough to make a good sample of public opinion, not the tiny statistically hopeless twelve we have now.

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@Rob1948 Yes I generally do not get into politics on this site for that reason, because it is mainly US. But I did freely admit that I knew little of its workings and was only looking at general principles. But you are more than welcome to comment on the workings of British politics if you wish any input is useful especially an outsiders.

Are morality and empathy basically the same?

Fernapple comments on Jan 22, 2019:

I am sorry but the statement, "people I find slightly disgusting" is surely a lack of empathy.

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@Matias No, not being a saint I do free disgust when confronted with certain people, I just am not being empathic when I do so.

The Supreme Court has become political and it was designed to be impartial.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Make it jury led instead. In ancient Athens where they first came up with democracy the highest courts were jury led, and despite more limited resources they had three hundred members, enough to make a good sample of public opinion, not the tiny statistically hopeless twelve we have now.

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@Rob1948 The consequences of a very inexpensive idea, especially if you go for only two or three hundred on the jury, (who would be well rewarded) are that the government is held to be more immediately accountable, which forces it to do a better job as well as reducing politics. And no I do not know the details of US government very well, if you look at my profile you will see that I am from the UK. But I do know that representative democracy world wide is simply an outdated hangover from the days of horse drawn carriages, when only the rich and privileged could afford to travel to the seat of government. In the age of rail and even more today in the digital age it is an out dated anachronism. The details of reform are not that important, I only throw that forward as a token. The problem is that if counties such as Europe and the US do not move forward and improve their democracy, they will loose the lead they have in democracy. When that happens they will then loose the lead they have in everything else, since military, economic, social and intellectual leaderships all depend on democracy. This is the thinking of the third world pseudo-republic, defering democratic reform until state security and economic success has been achieved first, without understanding that those two follow from the first, not the other way round. As without those, people will not feel that they, and the things they value, are safe and involved, and therefore they will not invest, pursue enterprise or even reside in those countries. The world has always been led in all by those states which were brave enough to lead in terms of democracy, and every civilization which declined did so for many different reasons, but in every case the rise of unaccountable government was the main factor in their inability to rise to the challenges before them. And yes the people, if trusted with more responsibility, will make mistakes, big ones in the short term at least, but inclusion is the only way they will learn. They will not learn if they are excluded from government, since without that there is no reason for them to do so, and they can happily be irresponsible where there are no real consequences. The current rise of anti-intellectualism in the US and Europe is a direct consequence of exclusion, and it will increase and have dire effects down the line. As to the difficulty of making the law explainable, well I am sorry but that is just something that has to be faced, and it is the incompetence in government which leads to complexity which is one of the things that immediate accountability is meant to address. At the end of the day the sampling of public oppinon will not get you the best policies, but it will get better and more intellegent policies for the purpose of serving the ...

The Supreme Court has become political and it was designed to be impartial.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Make it jury led instead. In ancient Athens where they first came up with democracy the highest courts were jury led, and despite more limited resources they had three hundred members, enough to make a good sample of public opinion, not the tiny statistically hopeless twelve we have now.

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

@Rob1948 Therre should be no vetting that is the whole point of a jury, the vetting of juries is something which is only done in the courts becausethe sample size is too small and juries are allowed to debate, as I said such juries should be at least tree hundred strong if not a thousand, modern countries can afford such minor costs.. The 9 justices job would be to debate and explain.

Went into town today for some shopping.

LB67 comments on Jan 22, 2019:

You are fortunate to live in such a scenic area.?

Fernapple replies on Jan 23, 2019:

Yes it is beautiful, sometimes it seems like a long way from anywhere but I don't think I will swap.

"How on earth can religious people believe in so much arbitrary, clearly invented balderdash?

Fernapple comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Community is one of the things that the skeptics have yet to build to any great extent. When there is a church on every street and a church coffee shop as well, plus a meeting hall, and a bookshop in every major town, it is a hard uphill battle to equal that. And I do not even think that you can ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@mordant Brilliant. The churches of course exaggerate everything, which they can do so easily because they work in a world where proof is not needed. They are thereby able to plant an exaggerated fear of death so that they can appear to abollish not only mere death but an even more frightening death, and not only loneliness but super exclusion.

The Supreme Court has become political and it was designed to be impartial.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Make it jury led instead. In ancient Athens where they first came up with democracy the highest courts were jury led, and despite more limited resources they had three hundred members, enough to make a good sample of public opinion, not the tiny statistically hopeless twelve we have now.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@Rob1948 No it would not be politics but democracy which is the opposite of politics. And why not replace Congress with a jury as well?

Its snowing. Why are boys so good at maintaining internal temps?

Jnei comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Why women feel the cold more: https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-women-feel-the-cold-more-than-men/ :-)

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

When married, I always knew you had to be careful in bed at night, because if you were sharing it with a woman you always knew that if you reached out there was likely to be a cold shock, since there were bound to be two ice cold feet, two ice cold hands, and the paper did not mention but worst of all two ice cold buttocks in bed with you.

Quote from Douglas Adams

JimG comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Douglas Adams was a brilliant author. I should reread his novels soon.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@JimG The other one which gets me is the one where I think it is the “Cricketers” and one of them says, “I think there seems to be something wrong with the robots, they are getting depressed and their hearts do not seem to be in it anymore.” The clever thing being that you the reader knows without being told exactly who is responsible. Plus the one about. “It is the most dangerous thing in the universe” “So why did you send it to me?” “Because I knew you were the only person who would not open the box.” For some reason like being poe faced. Actually when I think back there were hundreds.

Quote from Douglas Adams

JimG comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Douglas Adams was a brilliant author. I should reread his novels soon.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@JimG That's good, there are three bits that get me especially, but I will not be a spoiller, except to say that one is the bit about "behind a door marked Beware of the Leopard." which of course everyone knows.

Quote from Douglas Adams

JimG comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Douglas Adams was a brilliant author. I should reread his novels soon.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

Some of them are among the few books which made me laugh out loud while reading.

Quoting our own members again, a few days ago, in some comments about the early history of Christian...

Diogenes comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Love that!

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

Yes me too, sometimes our members just come out with something really neat.

Is the Atheist Community a Cult? - Genetically Modified Skeptic [youtube.com]

Amisja comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Let me be your charismatic supreme leader, send me all your money ;)

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

Don't listen to her, she is secretly a Lancastrian, she will make you wear clogs and flat caps then force you to eat black pudding until your mind gives in!!!

If you had a time machine would you go back into the past to kill baby Hitler or would you try to ...

KKGator comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Neither. I'd make sure his parents never met. Just like I'd make sure 45's parents never met. If it's just one person, you just make sure their parents never meet. If the person is never born, they don't need to be changed or killed.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@KKGator We would never know, our history could change every few seconds and we would not be aware of it. Now that's a thought that could mess with your mind.

Interesting bit of information technology history:

Fernapple comments on Jan 22, 2019:

It was a bit slow having to carve the letters on to the stone by hand, but still I suppose it was quicker than a land-line in a rural area.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@Elganned Of course.

If you had a time machine would you go back into the past to kill baby Hitler or would you try to ...

KKGator comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Neither. I'd make sure his parents never met. Just like I'd make sure 45's parents never met. If it's just one person, you just make sure their parents never meet. If the person is never born, they don't need to be changed or killed.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

Even if you could delay them from having sex for a couple of seconds a different sperm would probably get to the egg and someone else would be born. The butterfly effect is a wonderful thing and says that if a time traveler went back to the time around Hitlers birth, and did virtually nothing, then the smallest act would still change the whole course of history. Which would also of course, mean that the time traveler would never be born in the first place, so the time traveler could never go back. Its called the time travelers paradox.

Went into town today for some shopping.

MissKathleen comments on Jan 22, 2019:

It is pretty, indeed. Amazing spire!

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

You can go up the tower but only as far as the bottom of the spire, even so the views from there are pretty amazing, and of course it has been climbed without ropes by some fool as a stunt.

Are morality and empathy basically the same?

WilliamFleming comments on Jan 22, 2019:

If what you say is correct, then it seems to me that the legal system is an expression of morality, because laws are supposed to be enforced uniformly and without passion. Of course laws don’t cover every situation, and also laws have to be interpreted—meaning that there are higher principles ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@AmmaRE007 If you have language then culture will follow, give any animal language and it will expand on the emotional and instinctive basic rules that are inherent to it, to make a culture which includes morality. But without those basic drives then there is no reason to develop culture only limitless apathy.

Does unhealthy food make you happy sometimes?

darthfaja comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Sounds like a good plan I’m more interested in what you would eat on the ‘unhealthy binges’ Ice cream is my goto What are yours?

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

Cheese.

Life always passes through fissures.

ronin73 comments on Jan 20, 2019:

As does water.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

They are very nearly the same thing.

Encase you weren't aware....

LiterateHiker comments on Jan 22, 2019:

In case you weren't aware: "Encase" is not the right word.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@Bendog And collect the eggs.

The Supreme Court has become political and it was designed to be impartial.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Make it jury led instead. In ancient Athens where they first came up with democracy the highest courts were jury led, and despite more limited resources they had three hundred members, enough to make a good sample of public opinion, not the tiny statistically hopeless twelve we have now.

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2019:

@Rob1948 Yes but the justices can still do all the speaking and present the case, the jury just votes to make it law or not. This way the body becomes accoutable, and you can give the justices an extra power if you like to send any case not passed by the jury to congress or referendum.

The Supreme Court has become political and it was designed to be impartial.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Make it jury led instead. In ancient Athens where they first came up with democracy the highest courts were jury led, and despite more limited resources they had three hundred members, enough to make a good sample of public opinion, not the tiny statistically hopeless twelve we have now.

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@Rob1948 Yes but not a random seletion from all parts of society, and nine is not even as good a sample as twelve. Such numbers are riddiculus in mathematical terms.

The devotion of the human dad separates us from other apes | Aeon Essays

nicknotes comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I've watched some nature films and chimps and apes seem to be taking care of their children.

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@tnorman1236 Yes that is true, and as I said I have no problem with his view of human fathers. It is only his misrepresentation of apes I think is wrong.

When say I Trump is a winner.

Marine comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I think I would change my name!

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@Marine An ass puts in a good days work for some hay and water.

When say I Trump is a winner.

Marine comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I think I would change my name!

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

I don't think that Donald could pass himself off as a slim young man even if he did change his name to Judd.

Does the way you accept criticism tell a great deal about you?

Jenelle comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I take criticism a lot better than I take compliments... I’m sure *that* says a lot about me, ha!

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

It says you are a nice, sweet, bright, caring intelligent person, of the best sort.

The devotion of the human dad separates us from other apes | Aeon Essays

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

This certainly has a lot of truth in it, but the author shoots himself in the foot to some extent by supporting it with the completely false idea that male apes of other species do not have any role in caring for infants. This is completely wrong, even though to a degree caring in most of the other ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@tnorman1236 As I said, I am sure that there is a lot of truth in it. It was just that the writer tried to overstate his case by misrepresenting the truth about the other apes, which is not the standard you would hope for in a good achedemic article. He did state at least twice that other ape fathers had no involvement withthe young.

My pond refroze overnight.

Fernapple comments on Jan 21, 2019:

A little open water if you can thaw or break a bit, is really useful to the birds.

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@AmiSue Well done. I must admit that I am lucky where I live, the stream which runs through the garden is spring fed, and it comes out of the ground at a constant 50f so that there is always open water for them, even when all the other ponds and streams freeze.

The devotion of the human dad separates us from other apes | Aeon Essays

nicknotes comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I've watched some nature films and chimps and apes seem to be taking care of their children.

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@nicknotes The main difference between us is of course abstract language, which means that what one generation learned, can then be passed to the next for building on and thereby enabling progress. This was not even mentioned in the article, which furthers the impression that the author is distorting the facts, to big his insight up beyond its true worth.

The devotion of the human dad separates us from other apes | Aeon Essays

nicknotes comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I've watched some nature films and chimps and apes seem to be taking care of their children.

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

Very true, you spotted the same error as me.

Hamamelis mollis the Witch Hazel is coming into flower in the garden now.

beenthere comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Can you tell us a little bit about the seasonal climate at your location right now? Does the UK have climate zones similar to or the same as the US?

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

Yes, some people try to use the US zones for the UK but they work only roughly because being such a small island the weather makes a nonesense of climate to a degree. I am on the border of eight/seven and most of the UK is either eight or seven with some six in the northern mountains. Being on a hill I am colder than some places nearby. We are having night frosts now and thaws in the day.

Hamamelis mollis the Witch Hazel is coming into flower in the garden now.

ADKSparky comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Beautiful. I need to plant a few of them. I have some in our swamp and spice bush. They like it wet.

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

Yes this one is in a damp place and has made a bush twelve feet high with really good form.

Hamamelis mollis the Witch Hazel is coming into flower in the garden now.

Leafhead comments on Jan 21, 2019:

How is it pollinated? The witch hazel here in WI blooms in the dead of January, February in the midst of snow No bugs, no bees. Birds?

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

I googled it and came up with this really interesting clip. For a long time, it was a mystery how a winter-flowering plant would get pollinated. A witchhazel that happens to flower on a slightly warm spring when honeybees are making their first flights in desperate search of food might get lucky. That is not a reliable way to reproduce. It was the renowned naturalist Bernd Heinrich who realized that there was a group of owlet moths (family Noctuidae) called winter moths that are active on cold nights. These moths have a remarkable ability to heat themselves by using energy to shiver, raising their body temperatures by as much as 50 degrees in order to fly in search of food. It is a group of these moths that pollinate witch hazels. The moths that pollinate witchhazel are several species of Eupsilia known as sallows. It would be easy to conclude that this is a case of coevolution - both organisms having evolved to depend on one another. This is probably not the case - Heinrich observed that these moths mostly feed on bleeding sap from injured trees. So, the tree is dependent on the moth, but the moth is probably not dependent on the tree.

Hamamelis mollis the Witch Hazel is coming into flower in the garden now.

Leafhead comments on Jan 21, 2019:

How is it pollinated? The witch hazel here in WI blooms in the dead of January, February in the midst of snow No bugs, no bees. Birds?

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

I have no idea will get back to you.

Thanos and God

Fernapple comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Don't expect logic from religion, it does not do that. It is however fun to research the history of Satan, because the whole story is so wonderfully silly, there are a couple of good videos on U-tube you can find easily. In the Christian old testament he/it/they (may be several) starts as an servant...

Fernapple replies on Jan 21, 2019:

@Brian_Blum THe Christian Bible does contain two accounts of the creation which do not tell the same version of the story! Which helps a lot.

Everyone has an art.

Fernapple comments on Jan 20, 2019:

I would put in a vote for gardening, since it is one of the few which is a science as well, it is the only one which deals with the living environment, in time and space, it teaches humility because nature always messes with your efforts, and it always turns out better than your vision because ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2019:

@Varn It does indeed. That's the learning part.

Thoughts about meaning and personal influence in the world.

Fernapple comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Bull central, should be on the Woo page.

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2019:

@josh_is_exciting That's Ok anytime. But I do feel that a lot of my wasted time has been by far the most productive, since that was when I learned what matered and gained wisdom. The world is full of busy people many of whom are doing a lot more harm than good, and a lot of what needs doing is cleaning up the mess created by shallow people who were always too busy to stop and think, or even consider if their actions were harmful or not. He pedals the old idea that all the harm in the world is caused by evil intent, in fact that is rare, by far the greatest amount of harm is done by the folly of well intentioned people. Just look at religion, and then imagine what would happen if all the fundamentalists and others stopped wasting time.

So.

Kintaro comments on Jan 20, 2019:

I tend to like older women than me. Smarter, more experienced women than me. Women that I can grow into or with. Women that complement me. I don't know -- the physical aspect isn't that important to me. (It's important, but not the top priority.) My brother is the exact opposite. He goes ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2019:

I am told that statistically the relationships most likely to succeed are men with older women. Mine have all been with older women and only premature death ended them. Good luck.

Right is right.

Surfpirate comments on Jan 20, 2019:

We all need more people like this. :)

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2019:

Great photos.

Thanks to several weeks of quite warm weather through the new year, the catkins on the hazels are ...

EyesThatSmile comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Pretty! Can’t get that here in Florida.

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2019:

Even so I would swap you a whole week here in winter for half a day in the land of flowers. Enjoy.

Demosthenes for democracy

Fernapple comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Or even that a small group should be more powerful than the people, representative democracy is an oxymoron.

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2019:

@Dr650mike Yep same here in the UK. even worse in Europe.

Do you know people who always think they are right? [vox.com]

sewchick57 comments on Jan 19, 2019:

Yes. My mother who is one of the most clueless people I have ever known. But according to her she's an authority on damn near everything.

Fernapple replies on Jan 19, 2019:

Yep. mine too.

What Are Atoms Made Of? - Stated Clearly [youtube.com]

Cast1es comments on Jan 18, 2019:

Can't see it , can't photograph it , how can they confirm this data ?

Fernapple replies on Jan 18, 2019:

In a sense they don't, the models are built by observing the way the atoms and their parts behave to learn the logic of them, but the models are not in any way real they are simply poetic metaphores, used to make the discovered logic available in a way that the human mind can understand. As the narrator says there are better models which you can choose, but they used this one in the video, because it is a simple one. However it should not be thought that any of the models are real in any way. It is as if I knocked on the door of a house and heard a meow come from inside, I could therefore conclude that there was something inside the house which makes a sound like meow. It could be a cat or it could be a speaker on a record player, so if I modeled the house as a box made up of a pair of brackets, ( ) then put inside a thing which makes a meow when you bang on the door, which I call the sound maker, then (sound maker) becomes my model of the house. This is the sort of thing we are talking about, yet they are made to fit exactly the way the atoms are observed to behave but they can only ever be poetic metaphores.

I have decided that I am over this working for a living malarky.

Jnei comments on Jan 17, 2019:

It really is hugely over-rated, and outdated too: it's clear that due to automation there aren't enough jobs to go round and as artificial intelligence takes over more and more tasks there'll be even fewer - so it makes sense to free up all the remaining jobs for those who define their worth in ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2019:

Re. your last para. How about just calling them Trump clones.

Perhaps the most depressing photo I've ever seen.

Surfpirate comments on Jan 17, 2019:

I would have thought that the great pressure at that depth would have crushed that can flat.

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2019:

Maybe it was an open one, then the presure would stay the same inside and out.

I have decided that I am over this working for a living malarky.

242Foxtrot comments on Jan 17, 2019:

Open up a B&B for visiting agnostics!

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2019:

@Byrdsfan What about the God Delusion, by Richad Dawkins

One potato, two potato and go!

Fernapple comments on Jan 16, 2019:

Indiana Jones and the lost Potato.

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2019:

@Beowulfsfriend Could be that, or, Indian Jones and the Potato of Doom.

One potato, two potato and go!

Fernapple comments on Jan 16, 2019:

Indiana Jones and the lost Potato.

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2019:

@maturin1919 That's it, you know I was sure I got it wrong. Thanks. I think I was mixing it up with the "last" potato.

Earliest known lead exposure... [sciencedaily.com]

qpr81 comments on Jan 14, 2019:

wow! so it wasn't the Romans who started this lead exposure....

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2019:

@Donotbelieve Yep. Thats OK so was mine. More seriously though. It seems that the two communities did not share living space because they have been found living separately at the same time in several places. But who knows if there were modern human/ Neanderthal Romeo and Juliets of both sides, who met in the woods far from disapproving eyes, or if, just as sadly perhaps, the communities traded slaves and children.

Britons View Atheists As More Moral Than Believers, Religion More Harmful Than Good

LenHazell53 comments on Jan 15, 2019:

In the UK Christianity will have died in the next few generations. Given the choice children don't want to go to church and if forced stop as soon as they are able. Even young Muslims are turning away or simply paying lip service to their beliefs and almost every Jew I know under the age of 40 ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2019:

There may still be setbacks, such as Blairs creation of so called "faith" schools which are known to have held back the education of many children. We should not get too comfortable yet, there is still much to do.

This is from a video but still worth quoting.

Cutiebeauty comments on Jan 15, 2019:

But a religious person would say they do know...

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2019:

@Cutiebeauty "Way back to the origin of ignorance." That's a good quote too in its own right.

This is from a video but still worth quoting.

Cutiebeauty comments on Jan 15, 2019:

But a religious person would say they do know...

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2019:

Yes. And they have it from their priest, who claimed to know, who got it from his theologist, who claimed to know, who got it from the bible author, who claimed to know, who got it from a prophet, who claimed to know. But unfortunately a claim is not proof no matter how far it goes back.