Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

Alienbeing comments on May 25, 2022:

Easy to explain. We are merely animals.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 26, 2022:

@FearlessFly ok the bottle nose dolfins killed some porpoise, but the article did not rule out competition. I haven't read the other articles yet. Stand by.

10 Reasons Why Christianity Is Declining—and Atheism Is Growing - Soapboxie

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 25, 2022:

Joseph Cambell wrote, "Myth basically serves four functions. The first is the mystical function,... realizing what a wonder the universe is, and what a wonder you are, and experiencing awe before this mystery.... The second is a cosmological dimension, the dimension with which science is ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 26, 2022:

@skado You may right there. I need to go back and look. 😂

If we don't grapple with our bloody past, our future will look just like our bloody present.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

I have little doubt things will only get worse during the rest of my life, unless the masses wake up and start voting third party in fed elections to get us out of the corruption of the duopoly. And even then, if by some miracle, the majority of eligible voters did that, and managed to elect an ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

I feel your pain. But I'm not ready to give up. I'm going to continue to fight until my last breath. Splitting the vote will get us nowhere. We have to elect more Dems in order to get anything done. Or, if we are going to have only a razor-thin majority, eliminate the filibuster. We are only 10 senate votes away from all kinds of meaningful reforms. But Republicans in the senate can block almost everything. Consider this: the Dakotas, with only 1.5 million people, have 4 senators, all of them Republicans. California, with 40 million people, only has 2 senators (both Democrats). What we need is equal representation. What we have now is minority rule.

A match made in Hell:

HippieChick58 comments on May 25, 2022:

Republicans love Automatic weapons more than they love children.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@CourtJester Who said anything about automatic weapons? All these AR15s used in all these mass shootings were semi-automatics. Even the ones used in the Mandalay Bay massacre in Las Vegas, though with bump stocks they were almost automatic. There you go again with the ad hominem attacks. You do realize that they just make you look weak right? Like a sore loser? Come on CJ, you can do better.

Whoever gives aid and comfort to the enemy IS the enemy.

CourtJester comments on May 25, 2022:

I’m a life time member of the NRA. If things went to shit, the liberals would lean on people like us.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@CourtJester I almost threw that piece of shit away a few years back. I wondered why I didn't. Now I know. 😂😂😂

Whoever gives aid and comfort to the enemy IS the enemy.

CourtJester comments on May 25, 2022:

I’m a life time member of the NRA. If things went to shit, the liberals would lean on people like us.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@CourtJester Oh boy, you are soooo wrong. Wow. But I am not a bit surprised. This is not the first time I have seen you climb out on a slender limb. Can you hear it cracking behind you? Got your parachute ready?

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

Alienbeing comments on May 25, 2022:

Easy to explain. We are merely animals.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@FearlessFly I meant wantonly, maliciously. Obviously there is always a reason. Usually it is for survival, to eat. Sometimes it is to make a female come into heat. Or to drive off competition. I have seen a male lion kill a hyena, the leader of a clan that was harassing the pride. But it's never killing just for killing's sake.

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

Alienbeing comments on May 25, 2022:

Easy to explain. We are merely animals.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@creative51 A fox in a henhouse is s really poor example. It is an artificial setting, a man-made problem. In a true state of nature, a fox or raccoon could never trap so many birds in a confined space. A lion starts eating its prey before it's quite dead. A ladybug starts eating an aphid before it's dead. A strangler fig envelops another tree of a different species and slowly chokes the life out of it. A tarantula wasp lays its eggs inside the body of a tarantula. When the larvae hatch out, they immediately start eating their host...alive. None of this is done with malice. There is no intent to inflict pain. It's just animals and plants (and bacteria, and fungi) making a living in a very tough world. Nature is indeed red in tooth and claw. When you were young did you try to teach your grandma to suck eggs?

Whoever gives aid and comfort to the enemy IS the enemy.

CourtJester comments on May 25, 2022:

I’m a life time member of the NRA. If things went to shit, the liberals would lean on people like us.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

You make a big mistake in assuming that liberals are not tough, or don't know how to handle guns, or are unwilling to fight for American democracy. Large numbers of libs fought in the Civil War, and in WWII, and we will do it again if necessary. Do not underestimate us. 😎

Whoever gives aid and comfort to the enemy IS the enemy.

CourtJester comments on May 25, 2022:

I’m a life time member of the NRA. If things went to shit, the liberals would lean on people like us.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

I let my NRA membership lapse long ago, when I realized that the organization was no longer about safety and education, but instead about power and money. I gave up my NRA membership, but not my guns, so I don't think I will need your help. Thanks anyway.

If we don't grapple with our bloody past, our future will look just like our bloody present.

yvilletom comments on May 25, 2022:

Some of those who have learned from the past are condemned to say, “Those who cannot learn from the past are condemned to repeat it“.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

Unfortunately, it often falls on deaf ears.

A match made in Hell:

HippieChick58 comments on May 25, 2022:

Republicans love Automatic weapons more than they love children.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@HippieChick58 ...and hypocrites to the core!

If we don't grapple with our bloody past, our future will look just like our bloody present.

HippieChick58 comments on May 25, 2022:

With cultural literacy what it is in the US, we are going to be reinventing the wheel very soon.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

I have seen stock market booms, real estate booms, even a cryptocurrency boom, but I never thought I would live to see a book banning boom.

Whoever gives aid and comfort to the enemy IS the enemy.

HippieChick58 comments on May 25, 2022:

The NRA should be recognized as a terrorist organization.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

I can see Wayne LaPierre, Moscow Mitch, and Ted Cruz in Guantanamo Bay...as permanent guests! 😂

A match made in Hell:

HippieChick58 comments on May 25, 2022:

Republicans love Automatic weapons more than they love children.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

They love power more than they love children.

The 18-year-old Buffalo, New York shooter bought his AR15 assault rifle legally.

GrooshStar comments on May 25, 2022:

It's almost as if they want these things to happen doesn't it. Not to them of course but to the rest of us 🤔. You can't bring wood, paper, matches and a book on how to start a fire and be surprised someone started a fire.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

There are some elected officials (and the people who elected them, some no doubt influenced by foreign powers) who want the American experiment to fail, and are doing everything in their power to throw a spanner in the gearbox. There is an open movement to do away with democracy in favor of theocratic autocracy. Anything that discredits American democracy, anything from slow mail delivery to mass shootings, feeds into feelings of disaffection and desire for radical change.

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

Alienbeing comments on May 25, 2022:

Easy to explain. We are merely animals.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@creative51 Yes but they do not torture one another. They do not kill for no reason. They only kill to eat, and only take what they need. They do not try to inflict pain. When they kill, they do it as expeditiously as possible.

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

skado comments on May 25, 2022:

Evolutionary Mismatch explains it to my satisfaction.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@skado That was very clearly stated. Thank you. I'm not sure I agree completely, but at least now I understand where you are coming from. Here is something that tends to support your position: companies tend to work more efficiently when the workforce is under a certain size, around 150 workers, if memory serves. Above that number, it's hard to get to know your coworkers well enough to form bonds of trust (or so a reason is hypothesized). Question: is that limit simply due to limitations of brain processing power, or is it due to an evolved bias in favor of small groups? People tend to get along reasonably well in culturally homogeneous groups. Most of the fuctupness seems to come from clashing cultures. I would argue culture is a much bigger factor than size of group or even "race." I put race in quotes because today there is only one race, Homo sapiens. My parents had their DNA sequenced and analyzed a few years back, and it turns out that we, like many other modern humans, have some Neanderthal DNA in our genome. When Homo sapiens interbred with Homo Neanderthalis, that was true mixing of different races. Racial mixing is literally in our DNA. If you have ever been to big Grateful Dead concert, you might have rubbed elbows with 50,000 or more people. The large size of the crowd is no impediment to feeling bonds of brotherhood with everyone there. (Sure, the music is a big factor, and a little weed helps too.) And believe me, it is a fantastically diverse crowd, with every ethnicity, gender identity, and age group represented. But there is a common culture. The size of the group is irrelevant. It's the culture that matters. So that tends to go against the proposition that our troubles stem from an evolutionary bias toward small groups. Obviously I do not have the final word on this interesting topic.

Don't bother telling Republicans kid. They don't want to hear it.

Beowulfsfriend comments on May 25, 2022:

Tots and Pears, just as effective

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

Tots & Pears?

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2022:

I've always pictured God, if there was one, as a cruel jokester, who created, sat back, and let humans be an ongoing experiment..

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

BIG "if."

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

skado comments on May 25, 2022:

Evolutionary Mismatch explains it to my satisfaction.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

I'd like to see you flesh out that idea.

Although, i'm an agnostic i'm kinda leaning towards God as a malicious prankster.

Alienbeing comments on May 25, 2022:

Easy to explain. We are merely animals.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

Other animals are more humane to one another.

([https] Top administrative leaders for the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant ...

rainmanjr comments on May 24, 2022:

Great. If, after this and the insurrection hearings, Americans can't vote for Dems then they deserve everything that's happened and is happening to them. Everything. Doesn't seem a hard decision to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

Good move bringing it (the conversation) around to politics and voting, btw.

([https] Top administrative leaders for the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant ...

rainmanjr comments on May 24, 2022:

Great. If, after this and the insurrection hearings, Americans can't vote for Dems then they deserve everything that's happened and is happening to them. Everything. Doesn't seem a hard decision to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@racocn8, @creative51 Financially beholden = corrupt

([https] Top administrative leaders for the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant ...

rainmanjr comments on May 24, 2022:

Great. If, after this and the insurrection hearings, Americans can't vote for Dems then they deserve everything that's happened and is happening to them. Everything. Doesn't seem a hard decision to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@racocn8 "Many democrats are hopelessly corrupt." Joe Manchin is a name that comes to mind.

The 18-year-old Buffalo, New York shooter bought his AR15 assault rifle legally.

barjoe comments on May 25, 2022:

He didn't just buy an AR-15, he bought a Daniel Defense DDM4V7. Two of them within 3 days. Those fuckers cost $2K a piece. So a retail outlet sold them to an 18 year old kid. Where did he get $4K? Did they finance these rifles?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@barjoe 2000 bucks for that ugly piece of shit! Their profit margin is so HUGE, they will never feel it.

The 18-year-old Buffalo, New York shooter bought his AR15 assault rifle legally.

barjoe comments on May 25, 2022:

He didn't just buy an AR-15, he bought a Daniel Defense DDM4V7. Two of them within 3 days. Those fuckers cost $2K a piece. So a retail outlet sold them to an 18 year old kid. Where did he get $4K? Did they finance these rifles?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

Payments under $100/month

The 18-year-old Buffalo, New York shooter bought his AR15 assault rifle legally.

barjoe comments on May 25, 2022:

He didn't just buy an AR-15, he bought a Daniel Defense DDM4V7. Two of them within 3 days. Those fuckers cost $2K a piece. So a retail outlet sold them to an 18 year old kid. Where did he get $4K? Did they finance these rifles?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

Really good questions 👍

[lexfridman.com] Big picture of Russia and Oliver Stone.

DenoPenno comments on May 24, 2022:

I'm not convinced by Stone but I have seen some of his movies.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 25, 2022:

@Castlepaloma Okay bra, that's fine. You be you. But there is a reason why there is not one single developed country on Earth that has an anarchist system. Why? Because it doesn't work. It's great that you are a peaceful person who has no use for guns, who has no desire to control or abuse other people. But unfortunately the world is full of people who are not like you. They do want to control and abuse others. And if there are no laws, no police, no courts, then you either submit to whatever the bullies impose on you or you fight them on your own. Rule of law, on the other hand, liberates us from petty tyrants. We are more free with laws than without them. If you don't believe that, you're living in a fantasy world. If you really believe in anarchy, there are places in the world where you can find it. Why don't you go there, try it out, see if that is really what you want? If you survive, I would love to hear how you managed it. Good luck!

The same people who are always screaming about big government and insisting that the markets will ...

TomMcGiverin comments on May 24, 2022:

And they're also the same hypocritical shitheads who say " Government should be run like a business"...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

Right. So when it all goes to shit you have nowhere to turn.

The same people who are always screaming about big government and insisting that the markets will ...

racocn8 comments on May 24, 2022:

That would be the market that influenced Trump to institute stiff tariffs on imports?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

Yes, the very same one! 😂

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations resigns in disgust over Putin's aggression in Ukraine! ...

HippieChick58 comments on May 24, 2022:

I heard Vlad is ill, lets hope it's short term and fatal.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

Yes, I have heard the same. Here's to his speedy demise!

[lexfridman.com] Big picture of Russia and Oliver Stone.

DenoPenno comments on May 24, 2022:

I'm not convinced by Stone but I have seen some of his movies.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@Castlepaloma So you're an anarchist, huh? Well let's look at that. Anarchism: belief in the abolition of all government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion. Sounds kinda good on paper. But in practice it means a society without laws, without police, without courts. In such a society, to whom can you turn when you seek redress of grievances? No one! You're on your own, buddy. So then it's the law of the jungle, vigilantism, and rule of the gun. Might makes right. In that light I can see how you might choose a country without rule of law (Russia) over the USA. (Remember rule of law means that the law applies to everyone, without exception. Since Putin is effectively above the law in Russia, Russia cannot not have rule of law.) Admittedly, the USA is not a whole lot better on that score. But we may yet see Donald J. Trump held criminally and civilly responsible for his crimes and misdemeanors.

The same people who are always screaming about big government and insisting that the markets will ...

HippieChick58 comments on May 24, 2022:

I have a new granddaughter that is due in about 4 weeks. I'm hoping they get this figured out soon.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

Fingers crossed! 🤞

[lexfridman.com] Big picture of Russia and Oliver Stone.

DenoPenno comments on May 24, 2022:

I'm not convinced by Stone but I have seen some of his movies.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@Castlepaloma I have nothing against the Russian people. In fact, I feel for them, poor downtrodden blighters, whipsawed and stampeded into following orders of a shirtless tyrant. But, unfortunately, we cannot stop Putin's genocide in Ukraine without killing Russian soldiers. I wish it wasn't so. I wish Putin had never invaded Ukraine in 2014. That's when it all started. Vlad sent his "little green men" into Crimea and the Donbas. I wish it wasn't so.

I am not a Conservative (at least not in the American meaning of this word), but I have to ...

Marionville comments on May 24, 2022:

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely….not a new observation, I believe the original is attributed to William Pitt the Elder…British Prime Minister (1766-78) when he stated in U.K. Parliament - “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it”.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@Marionville Yeah yeah, the powerful have power. That's obvious. But they often pay a price. Many get away with murder until they are old and feeble. Mubarak, Mugave, Pinochet,... Others are less well-known because their nasty and brutish reigns were short and their lives ended suddenly, with a short, sharp shove.

[lexfridman.com] Big picture of Russia and Oliver Stone.

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 24, 2022:

I didn't hear every word of it because I fell asleep near the end. But I heard enough to know that Oliver Stone is ready to give Vlad the Invader a pass for his genocidal project in Ukraine because....why? He interviewed the vampire and found him to be "balanced." I found most of what Stone said ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@Castlepaloma Russia invaded Ukraine, not the other way around. The countries that have joined NATO have all done so voluntarily. Nobody forced them. NATO is a defensive alliance. If one member state is attacked, the others will come to her defense. NATO has never attacked anyone. Russia, on the other hand, has recently attacked Chechnya, Georgia. Syria, and Ukraine. Ukraine was the last straw for Finland and Sweden. They don't want to be next on Putin's hit list. Not saying that the USA hasn't done some bad shit. Hell, I've got a list as long as my arm. But that does not entitle Vlad the Invader to carry out a genocide in Ukraine. Fuck him and the sway-backed nag that he rode in on.

I am not a Conservative (at least not in the American meaning of this word), but I have to ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 24, 2022:

That is a very dark (and in certain instances, accurate) view of idealism and values. Before I say more I would make a tiny modification to the thesis "values and ideals are tools to gain and to maintain power." In place of the word "tools," I would use the term "stepping stones." I make this ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@TheMiddleWay From my lips to the voters' ears!

What side of history do you want to be on?

CourtJester comments on May 24, 2022:

The one on the left looks a like like the democrats to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@CourtJester That's a good one! Living up to your moniker I see! 🤣🤣🤣 Sadly, it's not an argument. It's just an ad simian attack! 😂😂😂

I am not a Conservative (at least not in the American meaning of this word), but I have to ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 24, 2022:

That is a very dark (and in certain instances, accurate) view of idealism and values. Before I say more I would make a tiny modification to the thesis "values and ideals are tools to gain and to maintain power." In place of the word "tools," I would use the term "stepping stones." I make this ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@TheMiddleWay Of course there are no guarantees, but my money is on the USA. I think it will be touch-and-go, but I also think that we will prevail over the criminal element. Not saying it won't get messy. We have yet to see the Select Committee's public hearings. I think they're going to be big. I think they will sway people who are currently sitting on fences. I think a lot of Trump-endorsed candidates who sailed through their primaries are going to have trouble in the general. I think we'll squeak by. And then there may be hell to pay. The white nationalist genie is out of the bottle, and will resist going back in. That's alright. We'll sort them out. 🎳

I am not a Conservative (at least not in the American meaning of this word), but I have to ...

Marionville comments on May 24, 2022:

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely….not a new observation, I believe the original is attributed to William Pitt the Elder…British Prime Minister (1766-78) when he stated in U.K. Parliament - “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it”.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@Marionville @yvilletom "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! I come not to praise Cesar, but to bury him." So said Mark Antony, one of the senators who wetted their blades with the emperor's blood. Everybody needs somebody sometime.

You should see the moby infrastructure bill he hauled in.

HippieChick58 comments on May 24, 2022:

That is good news!

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

Spread the word!

What side of history do you want to be on?

CourtJester comments on May 24, 2022:

The one on the left looks a like like the democrats to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

That's because you're standing on your head CJ. Get your feet on the ground. 😂😂😂

Always read the fine print.

rainmanjr comments on May 24, 2022:

Something to take note of on GA/TX Primaries Eve. I do think the results of those two will be a strong indicator of which level of cray cray they're at. Here's another thought: Isn't the idea of being replaceable sort of insulting to begin with? Numerous places found someone else who would better ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

"Isn't the idea of being replaceable sort of insulting to begin with?" ✔️✔️✔️ Or, from a slightly different angle,... How pathetically insecure do you have to be to get a paranoid delusion that you and all your friends are being replaced? When they're all sitting on their asses down at the sports bar talking guns and getting shit-faced?

Mrs Betty Bowers on abortion, God & Jesus.

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 17, 2022:

A 40% miscarriage rate may be a low estimate.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@FrayedBear Some if the stuff you list is truly bad...e.g. Coca Cola...other stuff, like Uranium 238, eh! 😂

What side of history do you want to be on?

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

"Vote for us because we aren't the GOP" has been the most failed election strategy in American history. Yet many people still seem to think it's a viable strategy. Trump winning in 2024 looks more likely every day sadly enough.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 24, 2022:

@Druvius It's always difficult to get bills passed if you only have a razor-thin majority, as the Dems have right now. And, of course, the Republicans are dedicated to obstructing progress at all turns. The answer: elect a bigger majority of Dems.

Among all this flutter we find the Russian tricolor (white over blue over red).

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

Ukraine is fascist, not Russia. In fact Ukraine's open embrace of Nazis is a big part of the reason for this war.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Druvius BIG "if."

Small Step for Man, Giant Step for the Mankind

Beachslim7 comments on May 23, 2022:

Some people here actually believe a woman can be the father of a child. That's stupid.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Beachslim7 Like I said at the beginning, don't get too hung up on semantics. Our language for gender is not as advanced as the Eskimo language is for snow.

Small Step for Man, Giant Step for the Mankind

Beachslim7 comments on May 23, 2022:

Some people here actually believe a woman can be the father of a child. That's stupid.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Beachslim7 You have not understood a thing either I or @TheMiddleWay have said. Sigh.

Among all this flutter we find the Russian tricolor (white over blue over red).

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

Ukraine is fascist, not Russia. In fact Ukraine's open embrace of Nazis is a big part of the reason for this war.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Druvius BTW, there are Nazis in the US Military. That doesn't mean Canada and/or Mexico have a right to invade.

As absurd as the whole concept of the "Trinity" appears, I thought one way to maybe make it somewhat...

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 23, 2022:

I'm sure that Tyson and Nye are honored to be in company with Sagan, but I doubt that any of them would approve of their deification, even in jest.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@KKGator We can speculate all day....

What side of history do you want to be on?

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

"Vote for us because we aren't the GOP" has been the most failed election strategy in American history. Yet many people still seem to think it's a viable strategy. Trump winning in 2024 looks more likely every day sadly enough.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

To return to another point you raised, I agree that "vote for us because we are not the GOP" is a piss-poor strategy. Happily, it is not necessary for the Dems to use it. They have real accomplishments they can run on. Take the massive infrastructure bill they recently passed. It will do real good for the country. Under Trump it was always "infrastructure week," and what did they actually get done? Zip. Nada. Zilch. Nothing! Instead, the GOP tried to take healthcare away from millions of Americans, with absolutely no viable plan to replace it. Not a winning strategy. The GOP is about to take away a constitutional right. It's a very unpopular move and I think they will pay for it at the polls. All the Republicans really have right now is their brain-dead replacement theory, and their equally weak and malignant assertions of voter fraud. They are not really FOR anything except staying in power at all costs. I repeat, all costs. Even the cost of turning this country into a theocratic autocracy.

What side of history do you want to be on?

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

"Vote for us because we aren't the GOP" has been the most failed election strategy in American history. Yet many people still seem to think it's a viable strategy. Trump winning in 2024 looks more likely every day sadly enough.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Druvius I have no doubt that there are people who would/will see Trump's conviction, no matter how compelling the evidence, as just another "witch hunt." However, fear of backlash is not a reason to let criminals go unpunished.

Small Step for Man, Giant Step for the Mankind

Beachslim7 comments on May 23, 2022:

Some people here actually believe a woman can be the father of a child. That's stupid.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Beachslim7 @TheMiddleWay You know, the Eskimos have like 50 different words for "snow." We have only...one? Yet all the different types of snow that you can find in the Arctic also occur in the temperate latitudes (though you might have to climb a mountain to see some of them). Eskimos have a very rich and nuanced conception of snow. We, by comparison, have a very brutish and obtuse conception of snow. You could say the same thing about our culture's conception of gender, or at least the language we use to describe it. Our culture is currently undergoing an awakening of sorts, vis-a-vis the diversity that exists in gender identities. But our language has not kept pace with the change. So we are left with old terms like "man," "woman," "father," and "mother," each of which can stand for more than one thing, even things that seem contradictory. Yes, a female cannot father a child in the reproductive/biological sense, but she can give advice that, if it came from a male, might be called fatherly. Just because a person has the genitalia of a man does not mean they have the mind of the most macho example of manhood. Masculinity and feminity are not fixed, narrowly-defined states. Rather, they are characteristics that exist on a continuum. Unfortunately, we have not developed the language needed to adequately address that nuance, that diversity. (Parenthetically, I think that the death grip that the Bible has had on people's thought processes for the last 2000 years has a lot to do with that lack of linguistic development.)

As absurd as the whole concept of the "Trinity" appears, I thought one way to maybe make it somewhat...

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 23, 2022:

I'm sure that Tyson and Nye are honored to be in company with Sagan, but I doubt that any of them would approve of their deification, even in jest.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@KKGator No doubt they all have or had good senses of humor. But as for approving of their depiction as the Holy Trinity, I would have to hear it from them. Frankly, I doubt it. If for no other reason than that they would not want to see themselves put on a pedestal above so many other great scientists. NDT, CS, and BN would be the first to say that their achievements were only possible because they were standing on the shoulders of giants.

Small Step for Man, Giant Step for the Mankind

Beachslim7 comments on May 23, 2022:

Some people here actually believe a woman can be the father of a child. That's stupid.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@Beachslim7 Thank you for reinforcing my point.

Now they say science and religion are the same

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 23, 2022:

Who says science and religion are the same?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

@St-Sinner All things? Wow, that's rich.

Small Step for Man, Giant Step for the Mankind

Beachslim7 comments on May 23, 2022:

Some people here actually believe a woman can be the father of a child. That's stupid.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

It sounds like you are hung up on semantics.

What side of history do you want to be on?

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

"Vote for us because we aren't the GOP" has been the most failed election strategy in American history. Yet many people still seem to think it's a viable strategy. Trump winning in 2024 looks more likely every day sadly enough.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

The Select Committee has uncovered evidence that Trump and his minions committed crimes in order to try and stay in power after they lost a fair elevtion. The committee will begin to hold public hearings next month. Stay tuned. For months the DOJ has had a grand jury empaneled and has been quietly issuing subpoenas and hearing testimony from people who were in the room while Trump and his minions plotted to overthrow the government. Last I heard, you can't occupy the Oval Office and a jail cell at the same time.

Among all this flutter we find the Russian tricolor (white over blue over red).

Druvius comments on May 23, 2022:

Ukraine is fascist, not Russia. In fact Ukraine's open embrace of Nazis is a big part of the reason for this war.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

Oh yeah, Putin's propaganda has it that Volodomir Zelensky, a Jew who lost many family members to Nazi genocide in WWII, is a Nazi. Come on! We have some who openly embrace Nazism here in the USA. Yet we are still a democratic republic. You do know that a free press is one of the cornerstones of democracy, right? Why do you suppose Putin has shut down all independent news outlets in Russia? How does an ex KGB operative become the richest man in the world? By sitting at the apex of a crime syndicate with lots of oil and gas within its sovereign borders. Putin is not only a cheap crook, he's also a murders thug who has journalists and political opponents either jailed on trumped up charges, or shot, or poisoned. Hence his 20+ years in power.

What was Newton's 1st law?

Fernapple comments on May 23, 2022:

Every action causes an equal and opposite reaction. Not sure if that was the first, but it was certainly one of them.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 23, 2022:

That's the one that fits here 🙂👍

Among all this flutter we find the Russian tricolor (white over blue over red).

racocn8 comments on May 22, 2022:

Last I heard, the 40% of die-hard Trumpers are evenly split between which side they support. Failing to indict Trump on his treason has only solidified Putin's purchase on the Republican Party. Shame on the Dems and DOJ for letting that slide.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

@racocn8 Oh I totally agree that Trump should be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. That is if they can prove corrupt intent. If not, then it's probably better to hold back. Failure to obtain a conviction would only put wind in Don Cheato's sails by feeding into his constant whining about "witch hunts" and allowing him to play the martyr. (Corrupt intent can be hard to prove. Especially in Trump's case, because he can always hide behind his very real ignorance.)

Among all this flutter we find the Russian tricolor (white over blue over red).

racocn8 comments on May 22, 2022:

Last I heard, the 40% of die-hard Trumpers are evenly split between which side they support. Failing to indict Trump on his treason has only solidified Putin's purchase on the Republican Party. Shame on the Dems and DOJ for letting that slide.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

The DOJ has had a grand jury empaneled for months, and they have been very quietly issuing subpoenas and taking testimony from people who were "in the room" while Trump and his minions conspired and acted to execute a coup. The fact that we have heard so little about this investigation is rather extraordinary in the modern age, but this is really how it is supposed to be. There shouldn't be any leaks.

Among all this flutter we find the Russian tricolor (white over blue over red).

CourtJester comments on May 22, 2022:

You’re comical

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

High praise, considering the source!😂😂😂

What side of history do you want to be on?

Tejas comments on May 22, 2022:

Why the false dichotomy?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

@Tejas @Garban Winston Churchill famously said democracy is a terrible form of government, but it's the best we have. When push comes to shove, when the choice is between democracy and fascism, are you going just sit on the fence? Who was it that said don't let perfection be the enemy of good?

What side of history do you want to be on?

Tejas comments on May 22, 2022:

Why the false dichotomy?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

@Tejas I think the cartoonist's point is that we face a pretty stark choice: democracy, or fascism.

What side of history do you want to be on?

ChestRockfield comments on May 22, 2022:

The fucked up part is that the other side has "democrat" and "anyone else" and those motherfuckers are so fuckin' stupid they're voting anyone else.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

Huh? Not sure what you mean.

What side of history do you want to be on?

Tejas comments on May 22, 2022:

Why the false dichotomy?

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 22, 2022:

You don't see a difference?

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester My arguments are right there in front of you if you care to read them.

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester PS I do hope you understand that I take no pleasure in crushing you. But you just keep coming back for more. Sigh.

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester When you wrote "boarder" in your original comment, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I figured it was just a typo, (even though the "a" on the keyboard is not really close to the "r"). I figured you knew the difference between a person who eats at someone elses table and a boundary line dividing states or countries. But here you do it again, so I guess I was wrong. FYI, the word you are trying to write is "border." 😂

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester The CDC and other American health authorities are not giving up their authority to take action to protect Americans from pathogens. They are simply agreeing to collaborate with the WHO. Again, this should be viewed as a good thing. International collaboration is called for. Mind you, we went (had to go) searching abroad for personal protective gear in the early days of the pandemic. It's good to have relationships with foreign partners. And you should notice that there have been no shortages of vaccines for Americans. In fact, the problem is on the demand side, not the supply side. Too many Americans are in the thrall of wacko conspiracy theories, and their stupidity has in many, many cases been their undoing. I refer you to the fact that since we have had vaccines, the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths have occurred among people who REFUSED VACCINATION. You can lead a horse to water...

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester The FDA's job is to monitor the SAFETY of the food supply. It was not created to smooth out short-term ups and downs in the food supply. This is a market-based economy. The private sector is supposed to respond to demand by upping supply. Corporations have consistently and relentlessly lobbied Congress to keep its hands off business matters. "Let the market decide" they cry. Now it sounds like you would like to expand the role of government. Well which is it?

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester Of course every president has control of their own fiscal policy! But that does not mean they have control over the inflation rate. Again, it has to do with many factors. In the present instance, a major factor is the backup in the supply chain, which caused shortages of goods, which translated into higher prices. That's kind of how it works in a market economy. If supply goes down and demand remains steady, then the price goes up. There is evidence that some of the rise in gasoline prices is due to price gouging. Oil company profits are skyrocketing. It looks like they saw the war in Ukraine as an opportunity to raise prices (and their own profits) way beyond what a reasonable market adjustment might have warranted. Obviously if their profits are skyrocketing, the oil companies are not merely passing along an increased cost. They're gouging the consumer.

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester Once again you have oversimplified the immigration issue. Read this article for the full story: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/rising-border-encounters-in-2021

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

@CourtJester I will give you this: you have one of the best, most fitting screen names I have come across. Kudos for the apt nom de guerre!

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own inside the body of the GOP. This will probably not end well.

CourtJester comments on May 21, 2022:

Given that the democrats are opening the boarder, causing record fuel prices, causing the highest inflation in 40+ years, baby formula and other food shortages, and currently planning to sign a treaty handing over “pandemic response” responsibilities to the world health organization; I would ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 21, 2022:

Well, nothing new here from you CJ. Same old litany of BS. You are so funny! Okay so now I'm going to demolish your childish assertions, one by one. Ready? Here goes. 1. Democrats are not "opening the boarder" [sic]. That is a falsehood that Republicans and Fox News have repeated over and over, but there is no basis for it. In fact, the Biden Administration deported over 74,000 people in 2021. It is a lower number than in previous years, but it includes a much higher proportion of felons than under Trump. In other words, Biden's is a smarter, more targeted approach. Biden has also righted a terrible wrong by successfully reuniting over 180 children with their families. This was no easy task, as the Trump Administration had completely lost track of those kids. They had no idea where they were. 2. The inflation rate is a function of monetary and fiscal policies over many years, even decades. It is not something that any president or administration has direct control over in the short term. Through its ability to control the money supply and to set certain interest rates, the Federal Reserve Board has has some power to influence the inflation rate, but even their actions cannot change anything in the very short term. 3. The baby formula shortage is the result of supply chain issues brought about by a global pandemic and by the shutting down of a major production facility due to bacterial contamination. These things are beyond the control of any president or administration. 4. The USA is not "handing over pandemic response responsibilities" to the WHO. But we are, rightly, renewing our commitment to work with that organization on global health matters. It makes sense to do so, because the pathogen that raises its ugly head on the other side of the world can very quickly make its way to our shores. Unlike Trump, who rejected science in favor of wacko conspiracy theories, Biden embraces science and uses it to our advantage Your accusatory finger-pointing is so simplistic, so childish, so blind to complexity and nuance, that one is apt to think that you are either very stupid or that you have a hidden agenda. Which is it CJ?

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

@Trajan61 Exactly. He should not have been able to buy the gun. But he was.

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

JacarC comments on May 20, 2022:

Yo! Flyingsaucesir:::: stop drinking the kool-aid..... Nearly all your comments below are totally without context, and definitely without reasonable comparison.. 330 MILLION people in the US.. 9000 black people were killed last year by black people. White people killed 280, or so, black ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

The head of the FBI says that white nationalism/white supremacy poses the greatest threat to our security. All other indications tell me he is right. In the Orlando massacre, it was LGBTQ people of all races who were targeted. You are conflating killings that were crimes of passion with hate crimes. Neither is good, of course, but mass shootings of a group of people just because their ethnicity deserves its own special category. I think black folks have every reason to be sensitive about police killing unarmed civilians of color. What happened to George Floyd simply would not happen to a white guy. And there have been many other cases recently. And going back further, there is that whole ugly history of lynching. And massacres of blacks, and razing of entire towns. Hey JacarC, stop watching Fox News!

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

@Trajan61 Would you at least agree to tightening up the gun laws, so that assholes who shouldn't have them don't?

WV school district finally settles case involving Bible indoctrination classes

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 19, 2022:

West Virginia: the state that gave us that fossil-fuel magnate, the Republican Senator who calls himself a Democrat, Mr. Joe Manchin!

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

@Redheadedgammy You're right about that. It's an uphill climb.

WV school district finally settles case involving Bible indoctrination classes

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 19, 2022:

West Virginia: the state that gave us that fossil-fuel magnate, the Republican Senator who calls himself a Democrat, Mr. Joe Manchin!

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

@Redheadedgammy They're just doing what they need to do to stay in office. The real question is, how do we change the minds of Arizona and West Virginia voters?

WV school district finally settles case involving Bible indoctrination classes

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 19, 2022:

West Virginia: the state that gave us that fossil-fuel magnate, the Republican Senator who calls himself a Democrat, Mr. Joe Manchin!

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

@Redheadedgammy They're no worse than the rest of their Republican colleagues. Yeah, that's setting the bar pretty low.

Notice the assault rifles slung on the shoulders.

p-nullifidian comments on May 20, 2022:

Personally, I’ve never understood this fear of being replaced by people of color. I mean, after all, who cares who replaces you when you’re retiring? 😂

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 20, 2022:

I have never seen any evidence that it (white replacement) is a real thing. A gradual change in demographics by itself is not something to be concerned about.

How do we hold them accountable for the damage they cause?

BD66 comments on May 18, 2022:

Ask Nick Sandman: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/12/17/covington-catholic-grad-nick-sandmann-reaches-settlement-nbc/8946470002/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/media/washington-post-sandmann-settlement-lawsuit/index.html ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@BD66 Trump outdoes them all

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@Trajan61 Heh heh, we got a little off track here. The issue is not really what kind of rifle you use to shoot wild pigs. (However, if you don't eat them, why would you shoot them? That sounds wasteful to me.) The question is, should military style assault rifles be readily available to citizens in a civil society? There is no question that AR15 rounds, whether .223 in. or 5.56 mm, cause horrific wounds. And the AR15, being a spin-off of the M16, is capable of accepting large magazines holding high numbers of cartridges. I am arguing that neither of these characteristics is appropriate for availability on the open market. They are all about killing people. The AR15 is an offensive weapon, not for home or personal defense. That's what is meant by the term ASSAULT RIFLE. Assault is offense, not defense. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/health/parkland-shooting-victims-ar15.html

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@Trajan61 Remember who you're talking to: country boy, longtime gun owner. You never answered my question: why would you want to shoot a pig with an AR15? Don't you eat what you kill? AR15 bullets tumble and fragment, and cause massive tissue damage. That is by design, because the weapon is meant for killing people. You could do a much cleaner job with a bolt-action hunting rifle. So what's the deal?

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@Trajan61 The thing is, there should be NONE! Now we have multiple mass shootings every week in the USA. Compare that to other developed countries, where there are almost none, and they have sensible gun laws.

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@Trajan61 Tell that to all the families of the people who have been murdered with AR15s.

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@Trajan 61 On a different subject (one that we have discussed at length in the past), what kind of gun did the Buffalo shooter use to kill 10 people at the Tops market? AR-15!!!

Apparently he also has control over gas prices, inflation rates, crime rates, immigration, crop ...

Trajan61 comments on May 19, 2022:

Hell Biden declared war on oil and gas his first day in office. For that reason you can sure blame higher fuel prices on Biden. And excessive government spending has contributed greatly to high inflation, the worse we’ve seen since Jimmy Carter was president.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@Trajan61 The higher fuel prices are not due any shortage. It is price gouging. The evidence is the record-breaking profits the oil companies are raking in. Spending has been out of control for decades. We pissed away trillions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Fed practiced quantitative easing all through the Trump Administration. So don't try to lay it all on sleepy Joe.

There is a serious possibility that the US will have to face this question if not now, sometime in ...

Reignmond comments on Mar 11, 2022:

For those that voted No, What will you do when Putin/Russia attacks America? Because it is coming.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

Russia has already practiced information warfare by infiltrating social media to sow division and sway our elections. And they have been hacking the computers that run our physical infrastructure. We already are at war.

In the middle of a severe baby formula shortage, many have suggested mothers should simply switch to...

bobwjr comments on May 18, 2022:

Breastfeeding is the best way

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 19, 2022:

@bobwjr The antibodies are mostly in the first milk, known as the colostrum. After that, it's just milk.

Mrs Betty Bowers on abortion, God & Jesus.

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 17, 2022:

A 40% miscarriage rate may be a low estimate.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 18, 2022:

@BDair I did not explain myself very well. What I meant was that the human genome is incredibly complex, with over 3 billion base pairs, forming both coding and non-coding sequences. The coding sequences number about 25 thousand genes, with many of those having regulatory roles controlling the expression of other genes. For individual genes, multiple variations may exist. During sexual reproduction, the variations get randomly shuffled, and each parent donates a unique set of genes to the offspring. The two sets of genes we inherit from our parents have to form a harmonious union or the resulting embryo will not be viable. And with so many gene pairs, there is a lot of potential for things to go wrong. A couple might have to try many times before a fortuitous combination is formed. There are some couples (about 0.1% of the population) who cannot conceive at all because their genes simply cannot form a harmonious union. Each of the people, the man and the woman, can have perfectly healthy children with other people, just not with each other. Another factor to consider is genetic defects. Some genes are particularly prone to mutations, and the incident rates of a host of genetic diseases gives us an insight into these mutation rates, which are generally predictable in number year after year. Genetic diseases often do not harm viability until after birth. Sometimes the genetic disease does not express itself until adulthood. So we have genes that work perfectly well some of variations but not with others. And then we have gene variations that cause fatal disease. It all adds up to life being a pretty iffy proposition.

How do we hold them accountable for the damage they cause?

BD66 comments on May 18, 2022:

Ask Nick Sandman: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/12/17/covington-catholic-grad-nick-sandmann-reaches-settlement-nbc/8946470002/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/media/washington-post-sandmann-settlement-lawsuit/index.html ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 18, 2022:

The lesson we should all take from that case is to not let ourselves be triggered to react disproportionately to trolls. To the extent that the media, or anyone, is biased against Trump, that is a good thing. We should all he biased against liars, cheats, frauds, and scumbags.

Mrs Betty Bowers on abortion, God & Jesus.

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 17, 2022:

A 40% miscarriage rate may be a low estimate.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 18, 2022:

@FrayedBear The rate is high globally. It is an indication of just how precariously human life clings to existence.

Any guess how no longer being able to take privacy rights for granted will affect liberal voter ...

racocn8 comments on May 17, 2022:

The usual suspects will stay home in droves and then cry about being victims. Why ruin a good sob story? The republicans will have jury-rigged the election for nothing.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 17, 2022:

Oh man I hope you're wrong (but I fear you may be right. Nevertheless, fingers crossed 🤞 )

Rogues' gallery

racocn8 comments on May 17, 2022:

Rogue has some positive connotations. These assholes are criminal seditionists and likely to be traitors as well: not even pond scum.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 17, 2022:

You're right, they are less than pond scum. At least algae does not lie.

A couple of years ago I totaled out a company truck.

Flyingsaucesir comments on May 17, 2022:

The fact is, what happened (a near miss) was a pretty common occurrence, and requires no supernatural explanation. Glad you made it through unscathed!

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 17, 2022:

@JonnaBononna The standard Christian answer to your question is that "God has a plan, but He has not revealed it to us." In other words, they try to explain away an inconvenient flaw in their thinking with another imagined thing for which there is absolutely no supporting evidence. Christians love to climb out on slender limbs.

"Your st-hole country is that way.

HippieChick58 comments on May 17, 2022:

The GOP are takers, not builders.

Flyingsaucesir replies on May 17, 2022:

As far as I can tell, they are not FOR anything (except holding on to power).