That spiritual feeling.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

The invention of gods begins with people's natural tendency to personify inanimate objects. Little kids automatically treat dolls or action figures as living beings. And even adults refer to boats as "she" while cars and trucks can be either gender. In prehistory the wind blew hard and lightening ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 5, 2018:

@L-squared Well-said!

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

evergreen comments on Oct 2, 2018:

A trio of sex partners. 2 men 1 woman - I think

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 4, 2018:

@A2Jennifer I do the finger sign but I don't see the connection with a threesom.

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

@Trajan61 Oh give me a break! Please!

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 2, 2018:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

@HippieChick58 Do tell! ?

Truth as such has no value in itself.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

The only thing wrong with the opium addict is that they might fail to notice the house burning down around them -- and that their own belief system, which encourages rejection of science, is literally throwing gasoline on the fire.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

@Matias The vast majority of climate science deniers in the US are religious folk; evangelical Christians who also support Trump and his hollowing out of the regulatory structure that would place limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 2, 2018:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 3, 2018:

Apparently Urban Dictionary has had the threesome definition posted since 2008. It has gotten over 5000 thumbs up! Why am I always the last one to find out? Now all I need to do is learn what thumbs up really means, lol!

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

evergreen comments on Oct 2, 2018:

A trio of sex partners. 2 men 1 woman - I think

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 2, 2018:

@t1nick I just want to know what the phrase is commonly taken to mean.

Seriously, what does the term "Devil's Triangle" in the context of Bret Kavenaugh refer to?

evergreen comments on Oct 2, 2018:

A trio of sex partners. 2 men 1 woman - I think

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 2, 2018:

You had heard the phrase used that way before these confirmation hearings?

If roads,police, hospitals are social projects why shouldn't health care, social security, and ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Indeed, why not? Well the rich and powerful in this country have been wildly successful at controlling the terms of debate. They have appropriated the mythologies of rugged individualism and manifest destiny and woven them together with the Christian ideas of original sin and puritanical zest for ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 29, 2018:

@stinkeye_a Sounds like we share some heroes! :-)

I am going to the truth truthfully, and I know that it will find me someday .

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I'm not 100% sure, but think I get where you are coming from.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 29, 2018:

@belfodil I would not presume to tell your story better than you can tell it yourself.

Senate Republicans will not allow the FBI to investigate the serious, numerous, and credible ...

Bierbasstard comments on Sep 28, 2018:

A simple Yes or No question that he danced around.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 28, 2018:

The Republican Committee members turned the proceedings into a partisan rant against the Democrats, complaining about how the accusation should have come out earlier (though they never explained why the rush). And in the process Ms. Blasey Ford was reduced to a pawn in a political hatchet job. The GOP members tried to discount her testimony and her experience, (Lindsey Graham put on an especially disgusting performance). But in the end Kavenaugh is damaged goods. I have zero confidence in wisdom and jurisprudence.

Senate Republicans will not allow the FBI to investigate the serious, numerous, and credible ...

Beowulfsfriend comments on Sep 27, 2018:

He definitely stumbled over trying to say I welcome an investigation and not asking for one. He instead did things like attack the "left wing conspirators" out to get him. That in itself should disqualify him as he has shown he is not an unbiased justice.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 27, 2018:

Good point! He's as partisan as they come.

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

bigpawbullets comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Apparently, this is an ongoing problem:

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 26, 2018:

@bigpawbullets I'm referring to the Elizabeth Warren as Pocahantis thing. I believe it fits the description.

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

bigpawbullets comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Apparently, this is an ongoing problem:

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

That's classic race-baiting, and it's just rude, obnoxious, and disrespectful. Come on man, grow up.

Can the Kavenaugh nomination survive the allegations of sexual misconduct?

snytiger6 comments on Sep 25, 2018:

I think either way, republicans will lose votes. I think Kavanaugh will survive and be appointed, even if I think he is a lyign piece of shit who regardless of current allegations, he lied to the Senate in his interviews when he was appointed as Federal judge

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

Every Republican will have to vote to confirm. Meanwhile, the list of accusers grows. This could get interesting!

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@Trajan61 Yeah right! And those witches are pleading guilty or being found guilty by jury trial right and left. A very successful witch hunt I would say. And with the cooperation of the minor witches the top witch will soon go down in infamy. Yay!!!?

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Having the FBI look into the allegations against Kavenaugh would qualify as an appropriate check. I wonder why Mitch McConnel and Charles Grassly are so reluctant to go there.

Can the Kavenaugh nomination survive the allegations of sexual misconduct?

HippieChick58 comments on Sep 25, 2018:

I hope that it does not survive and I hope the Gross Old Pricks are voted out of office! Vote EARLY and Vote Often!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

Right on sister!

Bret Kavenaugh has opined that a President cannot be questioned, much less indicted while in office.

HippieChick58 comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Jeebus! Jayzus! FML. Yes there is a problem the size of Texas.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

Good to hear from you HC!

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Your belief that it does not matter who is in charge is not supported by evidence. History shows that individuals in positions of power can have enormous influence, for good or ill. And who sits on the Supreme Court is a matter of great consequence. Likewise who occupies the oval office. If you really think none of it matters, why did you bother to vote at all?

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Oh things have changed alright. The rich have gotten a fat tax break, global warming has gone from theory to in your face reality, the country has doubled down on debt, and the military budget has ballooned. And the guy you voted for is pushing hard in favor of all of that. Way to go dude. (Sarcasm intended.)

Aren’t the democrats being hypocrites on their dirty war against Kavanaugh after backing Bill ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 25, 2018:

Special Prosecutor Ken Starr went through the Cinton's lives with a fine-toothed comb going back decades and found nothing. The investigation went on for years. No one was indicted or pled guilty or went to jail. Eventually Bill's pecadillo with Monica Lewinski came to light and it didn't faze ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 25, 2018:

@bigpawbullets So you enjoy seeing the air and water polluted, the rich get richer while the middle class gets shafted, the racists and bigots feel empowered, women denigrated and abused with impunity, and malignant foreign powers install a puppet in the Oval Office? Really? Were you dropped on your head as a child?

Anyone else feel isolated?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 24, 2018:

I am joined with the few friends I have first by mutual interests such as sailing, mountain biking, similar political views, and similar tastes in music. What keeps these relationships going is that we not only share experiences but we learn from one another, we help each other realize our goals, we...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 24, 2018:

No church wanted or needed thank you very much!

Did (a) god create humans

Marine comments on Sep 18, 2018:

If evolution was taught better we would have more atheists

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 23, 2018:

In some cases the teacher never gets the opportunity to teach the science of evolution. The parents get wind that the teacher is enthusiastic about the subject and pull their kid out of the class. Or the kid acts out and gets referred to the counselor or assistant principal with the same result. And sometimes they attack the teacher directly on some fabricated charge in order the get him/her to shut up or, even worse, fired. I have seen all of the above in my own classroom (and have so far survived it) so I know whereof I speak.

What happens after a human being dies?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Knowing that this is all there is makes it that much more precious. Also, the realization that my own being is the result of a pulling together and organization of a collection of atoms guided by a genetic program, and the knowledge that these atoms come from rocks and water and trees and ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 23, 2018:

@JimiYugo I will miss any of my people who die before me, but after I'm dead I won't think about it at all. I won't think about anything. Period.

Ed wheelen, a good friend of brett kavanaugh's, speculates all over the public place that ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 21, 2018:

It is not likely that she would make up the story and less likely that she would mis-identify a person she was already acquainted with.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 21, 2018:

@genessa And all the stress and flak that goes along with publicly going up against the big bucks of the old brigade.

I could use some words of wisdom, friends.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 20, 2018:

It sounds like you would be better off biding your time for now. Don't make waves when there is nothing concrete that you can point to. Work on personal relationships. Don't get flustered or angry. Keep your cool. Document everything noteworthy, but keep it private. Don't email on sensitive issues ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 20, 2018:

And even then, think twice before hitting "send."

I am agnostic and I am dating a mormon. Is this a recipe for disaster?

Reaver85 comments on Sep 19, 2018:

More tha likely most mormons are pretty dense in the head and are blind followers to their beliefs not to mention a little looney. Also depends if they're mormons or ladder day saints

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 19, 2018:

@zarathustra13 Yep.

Smearing the victim has begun! Do you know she knitted, and wore (gasp!) a pink pussy hat for a ...

wordywalt comments on Sep 18, 2018:

The positive thing about the Kavanaugh accusation is that no matter what happens, Republicans are going to lose. If Republican politicians try to smear Dr. Ford, they they will appear to be heartless and conscienceless charlatans. If they try to use political maneuvering to alter the process, ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 18, 2018:

Man, you sad it! "...they value political power over the well-being of our country and its people." I couldn't agree more. And remember that political power is used to gain advantage for the rich. The goal is concentration of wealth in a tiny elite segment of society.

Smearing the victim has begun! Do you know she knitted, and wore (gasp!) a pink pussy hat for a ...

William12354 comments on Sep 18, 2018:

Now she has to relive her trauma in front of the world ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 18, 2018:

She apparently is no shrinking violet. It could be that she is doing something both brave and valuable to the nation.

Smearing the victim has begun! Do you know she knitted, and wore (gasp!) a pink pussy hat for a ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 18, 2018:

I believed Anita Hill then and I believe Christine Blasey Ford now.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 18, 2018:

Note the irony of belief in the non-believer! Actually it would be better to say I am inclined to accept Ms. Blasy Ford's version of history as closer to the truth than Mr. Kavenaugh's. We have yet to hear her testimony before the juducial committee. Evidence must be examined.

Anyone else think of his site as a secret society? :P

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 17, 2018:

Yeah, secret except for the flashing neon sign AGNOSITIC.COM in the clubhouse window. If it were secret, we wouldn't have a steady trickle of believers sneaking in here intent on saving our souls. But we do, though they don't get very far, poor frustrated bastards, lol! ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 17, 2018:

@goldenvalleyguy I have not had the displeasure of hearing Mr. Osteen, but I know the type: sanctimonious prick in a suit. He is not worthy of your attention. Ignore him.

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 17, 2018:

@tshaaj Likewise bra.

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@tshaaj Heaven, Hell, Xanadu, Valhalla, Nirvana, Zion, Hades, Utopia, Arcadia, Shangri-la, Tartarus....it's many names for the same fiction.

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 16, 2018:

There is no evidence of a spirit outside of the sum of the neurological activity that takes place in our brains. When we die, that activity ceases. The atoms that make up our bodies return to abiotic reservoirs where they may remain indefinitely until other organisms, typically autotrophs (plants, ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@tshaaj Not 100%. More like 99.9999%

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@micktoz I only ask because it was they who said that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42. ?

I wonder if someone driving a VW bug knows that they're starting fist-fights wherever they go?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 16, 2018:

I'm afraid I don't see any reality in this statement, or get it if it's meant as a joke.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

@Bierbasstard Ahhh, I see! Thanks! (I own a 2013 VW Beetle, btw.)

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

micktoz comments on Sep 16, 2018:

42 Let me know when you have real evidence of an answer to this question. Just don't make up a "could be" answer. That would be fiction. Personally, I don't care. I'm sure I will or won't cope with whatever happens.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 16, 2018:

Are you any any chance a Tralfalmagorian, or have you been hanging out with Tralfalmagorians?

Capitalism works on much the same principle as evolution.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 12, 2018:

With the understanding that capitalism, as it is practiced in various countries, can look and behave very differently, what principles of capitalism do you associate with evolution?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@pnfullifidian I had a similar thought: just as a termite mound is an artifact of nature, so is a city, and the economy that built it. If one day we nuke ourselves to kingdom come, an extra terrestrial observer might say he had witnessed the conclusion of a wholly natural process.

Capitalism works on much the same principle as evolution.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 12, 2018:

With the understanding that capitalism, as it is practiced in various countries, can look and behave very differently, what principles of capitalism do you associate with evolution?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 13, 2018:

I think he is referring to what Charles Darwin called natural selection. Or what Herbert Spencer called "survival of the fittest."

To the tune of Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

No SUPERSTITION in the classroom...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Heathen1997 No, you are right...dark sarcasm...lol

To the tune of Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

No SUPERSTITION in the classroom...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Heathen1997 I think it goes, "No dark-star chasm in the classroom."

Can science and religion be reconciled?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Usually in a reconciliation one or both parties change their tune to come into agreement. Science and Christianity can reconcile by simply having all Christians admit that none of the assertions in the Bible relating to the natural world can be taken literally, and admitting that everything since ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@TheMiddleWay It is certainly good news that only 25% of Christians now believe in literal interpretations of the Bible. However, that's still 65 million people. Still way too many!

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

Dietl comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I don't think it is justified to assign a probability to an unfalsifiable claim like "God doesn't exist". I think it is unreasonable to believe in God, because it is special pleading if you don't also believe in an infinite number of other things. We should use Occam's razor and so on, but that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Dietl By the way, about special pleading: we only have one proposition before us at the moment. If we render a judgement on the likelihood of that one thing, we are not automatically responsible for rendering judgements on something else. We can take everything on a case-by-case basis. For instance, if you want to talk extraterrestrial species, then we can roll out the Drake equation and roughly calculate their existence without considering a host of other things.

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

Dietl comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I don't think it is justified to assign a probability to an unfalsifiable claim like "God doesn't exist". I think it is unreasonable to believe in God, because it is special pleading if you don't also believe in an infinite number of other things. We should use Occam's razor and so on, but that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Dietl We have the human propensity for inventing gods, the biological basis for the religious experience, the suffering of innocents, AND a complete lack of independently-verifiable evidence of existence. I think this is sufficient information for the individual to make a determination of probability. If that turns out to be one in ten or one in a billion, that's alright. As long as the probability is not zero, one is on solid ground. One does not take on any special responsibility for proving anything. It is simply a judgement call, the kind we make every day when we cross the street.

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

Dietl comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I don't think it is justified to assign a probability to an unfalsifiable claim like "God doesn't exist". I think it is unreasonable to believe in God, because it is special pleading if you don't also believe in an infinite number of other things. We should use Occam's razor and so on, but that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 8, 2018:

If we look both ways before crossing the street and see no bus coming, we have not proved that there is no bus. There could be a bus but our eyes or our mind might deceive us. Or there might be a new kind of bus that is stealthier than those we are used to. In looking, all we do is determine the probability that there is/is not a bus. And then we step off the curb and into the crosswalk. We trust our very lives to this assessment of probability. It is no small thing.

Someone complaining about Richard Dawkins' position on god(s) writes, "The hypothesis of whether ...

mordant comments on Sep 8, 2018:

The other way out of that particular thicket is just to hold no belief either way, because the reason science can't address it is that the Abrahamic god and heaven are non-falsifiable. Science does not need to address it; one just doesn't believe *or disbelieve* the unsubstantiatable. I think ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 8, 2018:

I'm not sure there is a difference between active disbelief, or even militant disbelief, and simple lack of belief. In other words, active disbelief is not belief in nonexistence. Rather, it is vociferous withholding of belief. It has been so long since I read Dawkins that I cannot remember his precise position on this. Speaking for myself, my active, at times militant disbelief is in celebration of the human logical faculty and freedom to choose rationality over superstition.

Me and Mrs. Jones

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 2, 2018:

What does it mean to you AMGT?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 2, 2018:

@AMGT I second that emotion!

Big oil asks government to protect it from climate change

xenoview comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Make the oil companies for the damn walls.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 2, 2018:

...pay...

How does this Joseph Campbell quote tie in with your atheism/agnosticism? Or not?

Matias comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Life itself has no meaning and no other goal than death. Therefore "feeling alive" always implies the absurdity of being alive as a conscious and thinking being.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Sep 2, 2018:

Having a goal or purpose is something that goes along with higher-level consciousness. Organisms like grass and flatworms do not have goals. People do, because it is something we invent with our prodigious amount of extra analytical capacity (at least in comparison to the blade of grass). That we invent our goals or sense of purpose does not invalidate them. They are still meaningful. Perhaps even moreso BECAUSE they are our own inventions.

Pillow talk: ever discuss academic subjects?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 31, 2018:

I once gave a dissertation on rogue waves in a water bed.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 31, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck We boxed the compass...and compassed the box! ?

To paraphrase the question that was posed to one and all, "What are your plans for the weekend?

ProudMary comments on Aug 26, 2018:

I was reminded that alcohol is a depressant.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 27, 2018:

I am usually very moderate in my alcohol consumption. I only had about three beers all weekend.

Do you think that information can be destroyed, or do you think that it is a permanent component of ...

Humanistheathen comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Your question is like the Zen proverb of wondering whether a tree makes a sound if it falls in the woods with no one to hear it. For Information to be "hard coded" into the fabric of the universe you would need an Imnutable past present and future, and a permanent observer or chain if observers....

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 22, 2018:

That Zen puzzle went through my mind too when I read the post. I think you have the right answer to it. ?

Why are Fox News viewers less well informed than people who do not watch any news?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Fox is so irresponsible; craven; cynical. It's malpractice.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@mcgeo52 If they call themselves Fox News then they are guilty of false advertising.

What are the current theories related to the creation of the universe?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 21, 2018:

The Big Bang Theory is definitely a theory of the origin of the universe. I eschew the word "creation" in this context; it has too many religious undertones.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@gater If the theory is correct, the universe is 13.7 billion years old. That's a long time, but a long way fro forever.

Just as an FYI: I am in the process of moving to England to teach.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

I was under the impression that math and science teachers are rather sought after here in the US. What specific area is your specialty? In what part of the US were you seeking employment? What grade level are we talking about?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 20, 2018:

@GinaMaria Damn good question.

Someday I'd like to plot out a massive road trip to visit some of y'all.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Hey your route doesn't include San Diego! What's up with that? ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 20, 2018:

@pepperjones Silly me. I look forward to your visit!

Is living together an acceptable alternative to marriage?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 18, 2018:

In California, after two years of cohabitation a man and a woman are considered to be common law spouses, and the same rules apply as is they were married.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 18, 2018:

@Marine True dat.

Best concerts?

ProudMary comments on Aug 17, 2018:

1. The Beatles 2. Don Williams 3. All those incredible bluegrass festivals I used to go to in the early days of my marriage.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 17, 2018:

@ProudMary Ha ha well obviously there has been personal growth ?

Best concerts?

ProudMary comments on Aug 17, 2018:

1. The Beatles 2. Don Williams 3. All those incredible bluegrass festivals I used to go to in the early days of my marriage.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 17, 2018:

You saw the Beatles? I bow down...

Best concerts?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 17, 2018:

Jerry Garcia Band at the Wiltern Theater, circa 1990. Wow! The whole building was literally rocking!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 17, 2018:

Followed by X at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, circa 1984, and Ry Cooder with David Linley at the Coachhouse in San Juan Capistrano circa 1995, and John Hiatt at the Belly Up Tavern circa 2014, and Little Feat also at the Belly Up, and the Allman Brothers, also at the Belly Up.... Oops, that's more than three...

Evolution timeframes get a rethink after scientists take a closer look at Earth's first animals

powder comments on Aug 17, 2018:

You have to love science. This is exactly why I argue against evolution being termed "fact". Facts don't change or get modified. Scientific theory will always be superior to doctrine theory because new evidence forces it to change and adopt the newly acquired knowledge. The religious ignore ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 17, 2018:

A theory is an explanation that unifies and explains a set of facts. It is also OK to say that evolution is a fact of life. That the fine-grained evidentiary details change as new discoveries are made with the passage of time in no way makes biological evolution less of a fact. On the contrary; it is confirmation that strengthens our confidence that the theory is correct.

Are we living in an era of "post-truth" ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 15, 2018:

"When a thousand people believe some made-up story for one month, that’s fake news. When a billion people believe it for a thousand years, that’s a religion." Great quote! ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 16, 2018:

@Freedompath The history of Christianity is punctuated by spasms of genocide -- perpetrated by Christians. Is there any more extreme form of compulsion? And Christians certainly not the only religious folk who are guilty of crimes against humanity.

What old video games do you still play ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 15, 2018:

I never liked video games. Space Invaders, bleh. Pac Man, bleh. The newer stuff is even worse. If we are talking about games you can play in a bar, then I prefer pool, or darts, or pinball.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 15, 2018:

@maturin1919 Back in the day, the video games that I mentioned were found in bars and pizza parlors. Most people had no other way to play. Kind of like how it still is with pinball. :-)

The Burka, should there be criticism of this headwear?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 12, 2018:

I don't think anyone should be allowed to hide their identity in public. It is asking for trouble.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@skye724 Hell, you don't have to go looking for trouble. Trouble will find you.

The Burka, should there be criticism of this headwear?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 12, 2018:

I don't think anyone should be allowed to hide their identity in public. It is asking for trouble.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@skye724 Ha ha Be careful what you wish for bra! ?

A question for someone out there with arcane knowledge: were oxen ever used extensively as draft ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 12, 2018:

Yes, I think so. An ox is just a castrated steer, a fairly common thing in small-farm-based economies. I seem to recall that many westward-trekking settlers used oxen to pull their wagons. And farmers used them to pull plows and do other heavy work.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 12, 2018:

@PBuck0145 You are correct. An ox is any bovine that is trained to do draft work. A steer is a castrated bull. I looked it up right after I posted. Should done it the other way round, obviously. ?

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

Humanistheathen comments on Aug 3, 2018:

I simply don't believe this stat and suspect a very poor sampling population. The Millennial generation is about 87 million strong. You're telling me there are 30 million Americans who grew up with the internet from a very young age that don't believe the earth is round? That number is fucking ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 5, 2018:

@Castlepaloma The videos I saw of commercial passenger planes slamming into the twin towers of the World Trade Center were very authentic looking to me eye. I'm going with the assumption that that was real.

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

Humanistheathen comments on Aug 3, 2018:

I simply don't believe this stat and suspect a very poor sampling population. The Millennial generation is about 87 million strong. You're telling me there are 30 million Americans who grew up with the internet from a very young age that don't believe the earth is round? That number is fucking ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 5, 2018:

@Castlepaloma I think NASA and NOAA are giving us the straight dope on climate change. That is in spite of the efforts of the Trump administration to quash any references to the links among fossil fuels, CO2, and global warming.

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

shockwaverider comments on Aug 3, 2018:

Click the link to get more info but I'll make it easy - see pictures, snipped from the article. I think it's interesting that most flat earthers are religious.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 5, 2018:

Yes, 75% religious or very religious is significant!

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

Yogisan comments on Aug 3, 2018:

I think rational people should open their wallets and set up a prize for the first flat-earther who can actually show the rest of us the edge of the earth. No theories, no hocus-pocus, no rants, no raves, no esoteric bullshit. I want to see actually video footage and pictures of the earth's edge ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 5, 2018:

What, you never saw the end of "The Gods Must Be Crazy," where the bushman throws the Coke bottle off the edge of the Earth? ?

Jeff Sessions announces new religious liberty task force to combat “dangerous” secularism - Vox

BeardedWonder comments on Jul 31, 2018:

I guess it doesn't take much more of a step from cherry picking bible quotes to doing the same with the Bill Of Rights, namely that pesky Ninth Amendment "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Which plays ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 2, 2018:

@BeardedWonder Whichever way it goes the evangelicals are dead set on making this country a Christian theocracy. They are playing a long game in a race between science education and religious indoctrination. The religionists are implacable but there is reason for hope. 200 years ago there were no writers like Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, or Daniel Dennet. I think we are in a process of halting progress, were we move forward by two steps, then back by one. I have faith that the truth will win out in the end. Science has a huge advantage over religion in this, because science factually accurate! ?

Jeff Sessions announces new religious liberty task force to combat “dangerous” secularism - Vox

BeardedWonder comments on Jul 31, 2018:

I guess it doesn't take much more of a step from cherry picking bible quotes to doing the same with the Bill Of Rights, namely that pesky Ninth Amendment "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Which plays ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Aug 1, 2018:

I certainly agree with the sentiment, but I think there would be a price to pay in the coming election if Sessions were to be impeached. Not as big a price as it would be if we tried to impeach Trump, but still it might prevent us from taking the House. Also, it would play right into Trump's desire to replace him with someone who would stop the Mueller investigation.

So you don't believe in God, eh? What's this then?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

That's clouds, man. Collections of tiny water droplets in the atmosphere. The holes in the clouds are areas where the conditions of temperature and humidity do not support the presence of water in the liquid phase. They are caused by movement of air from different levels in the atmosphere punching ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 31, 2018:

@Hellbent Pretty sure.

Here's my struggle I am trying to figure out.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 29, 2018:

Why would you want to fill up their heads with BS? Nature is indinitely variable and fascinating. Belief in things supernatural is like putting on a blindfold. You can't see nature if you are focussed on something beyond nature that does not even exist.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 30, 2018:

@TheAlchemist You asked if I think you should encourage your kids to BELIEVE in the supernatural. My answer is an emphatic NO. This does not preclude them from enjoying cartoons. They don't have to believe cartoons represent reality in order to be entertained by them. In fact, the entertainment value is arguably higher if it is understood that the production is an artistic representation, metaphor, or fable.

I'm 29, living in Texas where most, if not all of my peers have had children.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 29, 2018:

Too many people take having children too lightly. The world would be a much better (and less crowded) place if more people followed your example. At 7.5 billion we are, by some estimates, beyond the long-term carrying capacity by factor of five. In population dynamics, what goes up must come down. ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 29, 2018:

@iamjc There are still people around the world having families with 10 or 12 kids.

I am curious of people's thoughts of science here. Are you confident in science?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:

The so-called 'soft sciences' concern me, as they sometimes appear to resort to methodologies that skirt the edges of objectivity. These sciences include behavioral psychology, anthropology and sociology.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 29, 2018:

You might add economics to that list.

Does the bible unwittingly promote Atheism?

WilliamFleming comments on Jul 26, 2018:

People are saying such things. I think that reading the Bible critically might relieve you of your childhood indoctrination, and if you had had a childish concept of God you might start saying that you were an atheist. However, reality is one huge mysterious enigma. As for me, my relationship to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 28, 2018:

@WilliamFleming True dat! There's a lot we really don't know.

Does the bible unwittingly promote Atheism?

WilliamFleming comments on Jul 26, 2018:

People are saying such things. I think that reading the Bible critically might relieve you of your childhood indoctrination, and if you had had a childish concept of God you might start saying that you were an atheist. However, reality is one huge mysterious enigma. As for me, my relationship to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 27, 2018:

If you are interested in turning bewilderment into understanding try reading up on evolutionary biology. It will give you a better sense of connectedness to nature and kinship with all living things on Earth!

That was then. This is now. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 25, 2018:

But if we don't invest in our infrastructure we most assuredly will not move forward. And if we keep on burning fossil fuels mother nature will spank us hard. So why not kill two birds with one stone and invest in green infrastructure? Seems like a win-win to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 25, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck Your calculations are taking into account the rates of ice caps and permafrost melt, heat and CO2 absorption by the oceans, current and projected fossil fuel burning, decreasing albedo,...? What kind of climate modeling capacity do you have? Do you have a supercomputer at your disposal?

That was then. This is now. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 25, 2018:

But if we don't invest in our infrastructure we most assuredly will not move forward. And if we keep on burning fossil fuels mother nature will spank us hard. So why not kill two birds with one stone and invest in green infrastructure? Seems like a win-win to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 25, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck Wow, bleak outlook! I hope you are wrong. If it plays out that fast it will be really really ugly.

That was then. This is now. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 25, 2018:

But if we don't invest in our infrastructure we most assuredly will not move forward. And if we keep on burning fossil fuels mother nature will spank us hard. So why not kill two birds with one stone and invest in green infrastructure? Seems like a win-win to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 25, 2018:

@Matias Unfortunately, a large portion of the American electorate either does not accept that global warming is happening or that it is caused by burning fossil fuels. So something big will have to happen....

That was then. This is now. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 25, 2018:

But if we don't invest in our infrastructure we most assuredly will not move forward. And if we keep on burning fossil fuels mother nature will spank us hard. So why not kill two birds with one stone and invest in green infrastructure? Seems like a win-win to me.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 25, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck I agree we are well beyond the long-term carrying capacity. The only question is whether the population will shrink gradually or abruptly.

Advice for a teacher who is teaching ESL high school students who speak Spanish.

Crimson67 comments on Jul 23, 2018:

Why would they put a non Spanish speaker in charge of teaching English to Spanish speaking children? This just seems wrong to me. Get a book or tapes and learn it. It will give you insight into the challenge these children are facing.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 25, 2018:

@Crimson67 I can see how one might think that. However, it is not that simple. Most of the ELD students are Hispanic. The naked truth is that what holds them back back is their culture. They cling to their first language and make only perfunctory effort to learn English. Their numbers are so great in certain communities that they really don't need English to get by. Also, there is a pervasive attitude that what we now call the western United States was stolen from Mexico, and the English speaker are illegitimate interlopers. I also have to add that among this Hispanic group there are some really gifted and hard-working people. They are not monolithic. The next biggest demographic is Asians. They work like hell and achieve high marks because for them failure is not an option. I have had a front-row seat to all this for almost two decades, and I have seen the same pattern played our over and over again. On average, it all comes down to the culture inside the home.

Finish this sentence: Everyone who knows me, knows I love _______.

gsiamne comments on Jul 24, 2018:

science and the bicycle.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 24, 2018:

Two of my favorite things! ?

Advice for a teacher who is teaching ESL high school students who speak Spanish.

Crimson67 comments on Jul 23, 2018:

Why would they put a non Spanish speaker in charge of teaching English to Spanish speaking children? This just seems wrong to me. Get a book or tapes and learn it. It will give you insight into the challenge these children are facing.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 24, 2018:

This is standard operating procedure in ELD classes. The thinking is that if you continue to use L1 (the students' first language), they maintain that dependency and it interferes with acquisition of L2.

When you live in the Bible belt, the pressure to conform is everywhere.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 22, 2018:

I simply will not do business with any outfit that overtly promotes a religion.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 22, 2018:

@Geoffrey51 Good point. In fact I do go to Asian restaurants and the often display artwork depicting Confucius or the Buddha. However, I do not consider them tp be religious figures. For me they symbolize secular philosophical traditions. Both were mostly concerned with practical issues, not supernatural ones. In this I am focusing on what the men themselves said more than what some of their followers have said and done in the intervening millennia.

When you live in the Bible belt, the pressure to conform is everywhere.

Kenny82 comments on Jul 22, 2018:

Yea, it does suck, but just the fact that there are people that just can’t be made to believe (especially when surrounded by such a saturation of religiosity) gives me hope. And yes, things seem to be getting a little thick religiously lately, but I thinks it’s because they are starting to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 22, 2018:

The general trend over the last few hundred hears has been away from religious belief. So there is reason to be optimistic about the long-term outlook. ?

What is the oddest food you've ever eaten? Would you eat it again?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 21, 2018:

I ate an bovine eyeball once. Yech! ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 21, 2018:

@LucyLoohoo I think a look of disgust on my face was the reward he was hoping for. He was not disappointed! ?

What is the oddest food you've ever eaten? Would you eat it again?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 21, 2018:

I ate an bovine eyeball once. Yech! ?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 21, 2018:

@LucyLoohoo Taco server in TJ thought he would have a little fun with his gringo customer.

I think the astonishing news about Tump we began hearing (on MSNBC) at 10 PM EDT on July 18 will be ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 19, 2018:

We better hope not. Even if we win back the Senate in 2018 ( which is unlikely) impeachment would come with a steep political cost for Democrats. We would lose in 2020 and the Pence would pardon him and we would have accomplished nothing.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 20, 2018:

@Freespirit64 Oh he will. He cannot do otherwise. It is in his nature. Meanwhile we can clip his wings by flipping Congress.

This is bound to piss off a few.

MARDUK comments on Jul 19, 2018:

Impeach, imprison and execute trump for World Justice! The Orange scumlord must go! Vote out all republitards at every opportunity!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 19, 2018:

@MARDUK Correction: He never advocated lynching. This is one of the reasons we recognize Mandela as a great man.

This is bound to piss off a few.

MARDUK comments on Jul 19, 2018:

Impeach, imprison and execute trump for World Justice! The Orange scumlord must go! Vote out all republitards at every opportunity!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 19, 2018:

@MARDUK Mandela was all about equity, reconciliation, and rule of law. He never advocated not lynching. That being said, fantasizing about Trump wearing a suit of tar and feathers does scratch a certain psychological itch. We all want to see criminals get their just deserts. However, if you go too far, you create a martyr. We don't want to give the bigots and fear-mongers a symbol to rally around.

This is bound to piss off a few.

MARDUK comments on Jul 19, 2018:

Impeach, imprison and execute trump for World Justice! The Orange scumlord must go! Vote out all republitards at every opportunity!

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 19, 2018:

If we impeach then Pence pardons him and we lose in 2020. We gotta take the long view here.

I’ve met some dickheads in my time but wow, says Queen

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 17, 2018:

The Queen may have thought along those lines, but she never uttered those words. She does not need to resort to such a low level of discourse. Sorry folks, but this one is fake news.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 18, 2018:

@bingst I don't know what you are seeing on your screen, but on mine there is nothing to indicate that the story in anything but straight news (except that it is obviously full of falsehoods). No mention of satire anywhere. Was I supposed to have prior knowledge of the Daily Mash? I don't recall ever seeing it or hearing of it before. For that kind of joke to work you do kind of have to know that its a joke. In this day of fake news and propaganda, how else is one supposed to tell the difference?

James Comey on Twitter: "This was the day an American president stood on foreign soil next to a ...

powder comments on Jul 17, 2018:

You Americans are a weird mob. Complain about foreign interference in your domestic politics yet openly call for a coup in Venezuela (not to mention how many countries you have "interfered" with). OK with DNC rigging primaries Understand the USSR is dead. Russia is not communist anymore....

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 18, 2018:

@powder Ahem (clearing my throat). Well, it's true that the USA is guilty of many wrongs. You'll get no argument from me on that. However, you talk as if I personally could just snap my fingers and reform the whole country, as if I were some kind Czar. Well it just does not work that way. Our system is based on the rule of law (unlike Russia's, where all the power of the state is concentrated in one man, who is essentially above the law and can have political opponents and journalists jailed or murdered and still remain in power indefinitely). And we have a free press (unlike in Russia). And the way we go about fixing problems is through democratic, free, and fair elections. At least as free and fair as we can make them. (Unlike in Russia). So you see the only way we can improve ourselves as a nation is to hold elections and hold our elected officials accountable. And that is why we will not tolerate some conniving snake like Vladimir Putin to mess with our elections. Now it is crystal clear that Trump's ascendancy was in no small part facilitated by Putin's hackers, propagandists, and disinformation experts. I think we will never see most of them in court, but we don't need an extradition treaty to lay our hands on Trump. He's our boy, and he will have to answer for his sins. (Unless he skips town and flies into the sanctuary of his Russian handler. We'll jus have to see about that.

Did Putin turn Trump into his puppet? - Vox

webbew1 comments on Jul 17, 2018:

I'm betting Trump was Putin's puppet long before Trump became POTUS. Ten dollars a donut says that when this all comes out in the wash, it turns out Russia is on the list of the entities who bailed Trump out of one of his multiple bankruptcies, and pay back involves unquestioned obedience to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 17, 2018:

Oh for sure Trump has been getting lots of money from Russia. He's been doing their laundry for years.

James Comey on Twitter: "This was the day an American president stood on foreign soil next to a ...

Akfishlady comments on Jul 16, 2018:

It is not really enough to get people to change their mind, so yet another mess that most of his supporters will continue to back him no matter what. It is a shame.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 17, 2018:

At election time Trump had a little less than 50% support. Now it's down to around 35%. I think this means that many people have changed their minds. But you are right about that hard core 35%. They have not changed, nor are they likely to do so. When Trump said he could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and nobody would day boo, he was talking about them.

James Comey on Twitter: "This was the day an American president stood on foreign soil next to a ...

powder comments on Jul 17, 2018:

You Americans are a weird mob. Complain about foreign interference in your domestic politics yet openly call for a coup in Venezuela (not to mention how many countries you have "interfered" with). OK with DNC rigging primaries Understand the USSR is dead. Russia is not communist anymore....

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 17, 2018:

The USA is far from perfect. We are a work in progress. But we sure as hell don't need any outsiders meddling in our elections. Least of all a murderous kleptocrat like Vladamir Putin.

New study casts doubt on the existence of alien life in our galaxy.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 16, 2018:

I think it is very likely that there is life beyond our solar system. However, the distances are so vast that we will probably never encounter extra-solar life.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Jul 16, 2018:

@TiberiusGracchus We know that life spontaneously evolved on this planet. And we have recently learned that the galaxy is replete with planets, a small but significant percentage of which have life-sustaining conditions. To maintain that we are absolutely unique seems rather egocentric.