Hi I'm thinking of get a tattoo.

indirect76 comments on Apr 26, 2019:

To be frank, the idea of wanting to get a tattoo while not knowing what the tattoo will be does not make any sense to me. Asking others what should be on your body permanently makes even less sense.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 27, 2019:

It could be a rather sly way of carrying out a survey, to see what people are into.

Let me get this straight: Trump is going to rebut a report that he said totally exonerates him.

AlbertSchepis comments on Apr 18, 2019:

I know, right? He's such an idiot I almost feel sorry for him. He'll have to get in line though, after every single other person on the planet, then I'll feel sorry for him.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 18, 2019:

Ha ha, the 7.5 billionth customer!

RICHARD DAWKINS ERROR CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF LIFE Pursuing the concept that anything is ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Anyone who has read Dawkins or knows the basics concerning biological evolution should know that he never said life evolved by random chance. Random chance is an important element in evolution, but it is not the whole shebang. Random mutations of DNA provide the raw material, grist for the mill, if ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 8, 2019:

@LloydBrumbaugh While many of the details of life's origins remain shrouded in mystery, science has managed to uncover enough facts to provide a very compelling sketch of how life probably evolved on Earth. These include (but are not limited to) the spontaneous assembly of nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA and RNA) and amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) from very simple organic molecules that were present on early Earth. Prototypes for cells likewise are known to spontaneously form in certain environments. It is very probable that even in the earliest stages of their formation, even before they fit our present definition of "living," cells were undergoing a process of natural selection. There is no reason to discount that possibility. Indeed, we see selective processes at work in all kinds of systems. Below the level of organisms.

Rick Scott, the very man who created HCA and defrauded Medicare for over a billion dollars.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 2, 2019:

The President wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act merely because its chief sponsor was (is) a black man. Trump's racism is so pronounced that he is willing to kick millions of Americans off their health insurance just to destroy his predecessor's legacy. And this is not even his most egregious ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 6, 2019:

@Piratefish Fact: Trump has gone out of his way to erase every trace of his predecessor. Fact: Trump IS a racist (witness his redlining black folks out of his properties, his statements supporting white supremacists ["some very fine people"], his denigration of "shit-hole" African countries). It is also true that he his pandering to his base, and it's also true that at least some in that base are white supremacists. It's also true that "the base" has swallowed, hook, line, and sinker, the neoliberal ideology that free markets can solve all problems and all government regulations are bad. This poppycock has been promulgated largely by think tanks and politicians funded by corporate interests. The corporations are the tail wagging this dog, and they are concerned with profit, not race. So no, race is not the prime mover; corporate money is. Race is a distraction; a red herring, if you will. But it is also a very real element in the mentality of Trump and his base.

Islam is not a religion, rather a death cult for apostates.

zesty comments on Apr 1, 2019:

I'm just wondering if the UK is a safe place for an ex muslim due to the strict gun control laws. This way only the criminals and fanatics are armed. In the US, at least, you could arm and protect yourself.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 1, 2019:

@Charlene Zesty is either off her rocker or she is an alt-right troll.

Islam is not a religion, rather a death cult for apostates.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 1, 2019:

We have all heard of such things happening in other religions. Why should Islam be any different? Once people go down the path of superstition they can become convinced of the rightness of even the most heinous acts.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 1, 2019:

@Gooniesnvrdie Thanks brother. I was just looking at her profile and she claims to be a college professor. Yet she made a rather basic grammatical error in the above thread. I don't think (s)he is who (s)he claims to be.

Islam is not a religion, rather a death cult for apostates.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 1, 2019:

We have all heard of such things happening in other religions. Why should Islam be any different? Once people go down the path of superstition they can become convinced of the rightness of even the most heinous acts.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 1, 2019:

@zesty Oh boy, are you ever out of touch!

Islam is not a religion, rather a death cult for apostates.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 1, 2019:

We have all heard of such things happening in other religions. Why should Islam be any different? Once people go down the path of superstition they can become convinced of the rightness of even the most heinous acts.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Apr 1, 2019:

@zesty Ha! What's so civilized about the 21st century? We are staring down the barrel of civilization-ending climate change and doing very little to stop it. I call that damned uncivilized.

I cannot comprehend the amount of bigotry and intolerance I see among my fellow atheists sometimes.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Mar 30, 2019:

I don't disagree with anything you said, but what was it specifically that set you off? That kind of diatribe cries out for citation of particular incident(s), especially since the behavior to which you refer is, on the whole, anomalous. Free thinkers tend to be rather even-handed, logical, and ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 30, 2019:

@LadyAlyxandrea There are also trolls that infiltrate our ranks to stir up trouble. Don't underestimate them. They are implacable and well-funded.

I cannot comprehend the amount of bigotry and intolerance I see among my fellow atheists sometimes.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Mar 30, 2019:

I don't disagree with anything you said, but what was it specifically that set you off? That kind of diatribe cries out for citation of particular incident(s), especially since the behavior to which you refer is, on the whole, anomalous. Free thinkers tend to be rather even-handed, logical, and ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 30, 2019:

@LadyAlyxandrea What I am seeing is a general lack of civility that cuts across all demographics. I think that even people who despise Trump are unconsciously taking cues from him.

This is to inform as many members of Agnostic that if points are mysteriously removed from your ...

jerry99 comments on Mar 27, 2019:

If that's your biggest problem in this world, then you're one very lucky SOB.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 28, 2019:

@steve148 True, I don't know the motivations of the host of this site, but I do know pathetic whining when I hear it.

What will cause the apocalypse?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Mar 28, 2019:

Climate change will bring on the rest.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 28, 2019:

@dahermit A bleak prospect.

This is to inform as many members of Agnostic that if points are mysteriously removed from your ...

jerry99 comments on Mar 27, 2019:

If that's your biggest problem in this world, then you're one very lucky SOB.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 28, 2019:

@steve148 If you have to talk like that to someone who has engaged you in a civil manner then A) you have a lot of growing up to do, and B) we will not miss you when you are gone.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

powder comments on Mar 24, 2019:

Same as the "USA USA" chanters. Deforestation+pesticides+ herbicides+ waste+ plastic= trouble Agree CO2 gets a bad wrap, but add all the shit we have done to this Earth, we can't continue like we are.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@powder Of the things we do that generate the CO2 are the root of the problem. ?

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

Moravian comments on Mar 24, 2019:

If you can't differentiate between science and religion you have a problem.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@Moravian ...of politicians who are bought off by the fossil fuel industry...

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

1of5 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

I know, it's only like 95% + climate scientist agree, and most of those who don't are funded by fossil fuel interests. We're such idiots. Btw, I feel exately the same way about climate deniers, so we have something in common! Besties for life?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@JOHNGALT Dude, the women on this site are intelligent, educated, free-thinking individuals. You better up your game if you want to get any action here.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

flithyMONKEYmen comments on Mar 23, 2019:

Here’s some help distinguishing: zero evidence for the beliefs of religious “nut jobs,” mountains of evidence for global, human-influenced climate change. I’m sorry that you so badly don’t want it to be true— but that doesn’t change whether or not it’s true.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@darthfaja Our current POTUS is a science denier, and his Administration has tried to squelch the voices of government scientists, with limited success. But the scientists have continued to speak the truth about climate change.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

Kafirah comments on Mar 24, 2019:

every year hotter globally than the last for the past two decades... all the proof I need.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@callmedubious There is much to be said for healthy skepticism, but you are getting your information from the wrong sources.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

callmedubious comments on Mar 24, 2019:

no doubt the converted will totally disregard this. https://principia-scientific.org/drop-sunspot-activity-warning-global-cooling/ Drop In Sunspot Activity A Warning Of Global Cooling Published on January 4, 2017

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

The sun's energy output varies on an eleven year cycle, and the anthropomorphic climate change signal is so strong already that the sun's variation is merely background noise. The Earth experienced its hottest years on record while the sun was in its cool phase.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

Moravian comments on Mar 24, 2019:

If you can't differentiate between science and religion you have a problem.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@JOHNGALT There are atheists of all political stripes. But climate change should not be a politicized.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

webbew1 comments on Mar 24, 2019:

Well.... when it comes to climate change, if given the choice between trusting an overwhelming percentage of climatologists who have done the actual research or trusting a few politicians and corporations who might lose a few bucks if they actually have to do the right thing, I’ll go with what the...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

@JOHNGALT Science should stand apart from politic and simply supply us with facts. This is what it has been doing. Unfortunately, the fossil fuel industry has been prosecuting a disinformation campaign in order to keep their profits rolling in. They know very well what the stakes are but they are perfectly willing to wreck the Earth for their short-term gains. It is truly monstrous what industry is doing. It's very much like what the tobacco companies did in denying the link between smoking and cancer, but on a much, much bigger scale. This time we are sending millions of species, including our own, to oblivion.

when i look at all the ppl here who believe every word from the global warming, now climate change, ...

powder comments on Mar 24, 2019:

Same as the "USA USA" chanters. Deforestation+pesticides+ herbicides+ waste+ plastic= trouble Agree CO2 gets a bad wrap, but add all the shit we have done to this Earth, we can't continue like we are.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 24, 2019:

I agree with most of what you said with one exception: CO2 is not getting a bad rap. Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels IS the proximal cause of global warming. It's also the cause of ocean acidification.

I learned a new word that that turns out to be, I think, a very good descriptor for the Trump ...

callmedubious comments on Mar 11, 2019:

should that be cacastocracy?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 11, 2019:

Caca is the Latin. We might also go with the Greek "scata." Either way, this Administration reeks of it. ?

I learned a new word that that turns out to be, I think, a very good descriptor for the Trump ...

powder comments on Mar 11, 2019:

That word describes a society rather than a presidency.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 11, 2019:

@Amisja Heh heh! ?

Vegan Seafood Is About To Become Big Business--And Not A Moment Too Soon

Allamanda comments on Mar 6, 2019:

such a nothing... 4 rehashed reheated vegan arguments and zero info on what this new food is going to be, how it stands up to taste tests, ethical tests (yeah your almond milk is also destroying the world...). Just the usual guilt trip and probably a nearly inedible non-food to follow. Reduce usage ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Mar 8, 2019:

@Gooniesnvrdie There is no reason to use that kind of language. Nor is there any reason for name-calling. You approach is right out of the elementary schoolyard. Grow up!

Favorite-read recommendations?

SG1life2live comments on Dec 28, 2018:

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris.. small, thin book, easy read, IMO powerful.. also Freewill, also small thin book..(I do recommend watching the YouTube videos on his talk about it beforehand) anything by Christopher Hitchens 'God is not great'.. Hitch 22.. and anything Richard Dawkins.. ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Feb 13, 2019:

@ScubaWags I third that! Sam Harris is outstanding.

This is a continuation of my last post.

genessa comments on Jan 12, 2019:

disagreement about how to interpret scripture? since when have we agreed about what IS scripture? g

Flyingsaucesir replies on Feb 4, 2019:

Heh heh! Point well taken.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I think what they are objecting to is not the withdrawal, but the precipitous nature of the withdrawal.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 22, 2018:

@THHA I'm not saying we care about the Kurds or our other allies either. But we should. Not to the point of neglecting our own people and infrastructure. I think its possible to do right by both. Of course we we would have to do many things differently.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

15Zelda comments on Dec 21, 2018:

We should never have been there in the first place, just as our occupation in other countries was questionable. That said, I don't believe Trump was acting for the betterment of anyone but himself. He is grabbing at straws before the hatchet comes down on his head. He did this without consulting ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

It wasn't for no reason. ISIS was decapitating western journalists (among many others) and there was general consensus that they need to he stopped. Hence the coalition that went in and did the job. However, things got really ugly when Putin started backing Assad with air power against civilian populations in Aleppo and elsewhere, effectively negating any chance that there will ever be anything in Syria other than extremism of one form or another.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

48thRonin comments on Dec 21, 2018:

Eisenhower tried to warn us and people like Ron Paul And Ralph Nader has continued to tell us that the military industrial complex will have its pound of flesh at all cost. And I also believe that our federal reserve has its hands in it as well when you consider that every time we’re either not...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

Yes! In a nutshell, the military industrial complex and the oil companies (all owned by the 1%) are pulling the strings and we (the 99%) are being jerked around.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

Marine comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I understand your points however I just wonder will we need to return because the job was not finished and now we will face a stronger army with greater deaths. We should not have been in either place to start with. Second ,the reason he is doing this is to find money to build his stupid wall.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

True dat.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

mattersauce comments on Dec 21, 2018:

The problem here is that this is a politically motivated withdrawal. Pulling out of Syria was the final straw for General Mattis and sorry, but I'll trust the top General in the nation over random people online.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

Hell, Mattis over Trump every effing day.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I think what they are objecting to is not the withdrawal, but the precipitous nature of the withdrawal.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

@dokala Thank you.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

jerry99 comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I don’t support unilateral US troops in the Mideast but as usual Trump’s impulsiveness causes enormous harm. Mattis was rightfully concerned about turning our back on our allies and breaking our promises which for a Trump is just business as usual. It’s funny that the guy they call Maddog was ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

@Buxx And the fire-setting metaphor is closer to the truth than most people realize. The Syrian conflict was in part brought about by a severe drought. Climate scientists think that it was at least in part by anthropomorphic climate change. Throughout the 20th century the USA was BY FAR the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases. So yeah, we sort of did light their ? on?.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I think what they are objecting to is not the withdrawal, but the precipitous nature of the withdrawal.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

@THHA It's not that they can't handle it. Of course they can handle it. Its that some individuals and groups (like the Kurds, for instance) with be severely inconvenienced. They have been stalwart allies, and now we are leaving them in the lurch. They are probably the best people in the region and now they will be left to twist in the wind.

When I hear people criticizing Trump for withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan, I have to think - ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 21, 2018:

I think what they are objecting to is not the withdrawal, but the precipitous nature of the withdrawal.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 21, 2018:

@dokala The world is not black and white, right?

A federal law has been passed that requires all bump stocks to be surrendered or to be destroyed.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 19, 2018:

In this case I have no problem with the confiscation without compensation. The device was intended to circumvent the law against automatic weapons. Anyone who bought one was cheating, and they deserve at least the light slap of forfeiture.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 19, 2018:

@dahermit Anyway, an assault rifle, automatic or not, is not a toy. It is a machine designed to kill people.

A federal law has been passed that requires all bump stocks to be surrendered or to be destroyed.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 19, 2018:

In this case I have no problem with the confiscation without compensation. The device was intended to circumvent the law against automatic weapons. Anyone who bought one was cheating, and they deserve at least the light slap of forfeiture.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 19, 2018:

@dahermit Nah, that's just a quibble. The weapons became automatic with the addition of the bumpstock.

Someone needs to listen to Comey very carefully in this interview.

godef comments on Dec 17, 2018:

The GOP is shameless. He's wasting his breath.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 18, 2018:

@Nottheonlyone You give the Dems to much credit. They are actually rather feckless and incompetent; not nearly as crafty and well-organized as the Republicans. That's why the Reps could gain control of all three branches of government with only a minority of the electorate backing them.

WOW!

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 18, 2018:

Nope, it's not a good trade. Then Pence becomes President, pardons everybody (after the election). Meantime we have to run against Pence instead of Trump, and suffer a lot of resentment over Trump's ouster.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 18, 2018:

@AnneWimsey I would not pin my hopes on that. There is no indication so far that he was involved.

WOW!

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 18, 2018:

Nope, it's not a good trade. Then Pence becomes President, pardons everybody (after the election). Meantime we have to run against Pence instead of Trump, and suffer a lot of resentment over Trump's ouster.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 18, 2018:

@AnneWimsey A nice dream but it won't happen. Pence is next in line if Trump leaves before his term ends.

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 Dec 18, 2018:

@JimiYugo Yes but I try not to dwell on it.

Don't buy your boss a Lamborghini!

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 16, 2018:

The average corporate CEO salary is something like 270 times the average employee's pay. It's obscene.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 16, 2018:

@OwlInASack Yup. Thanks to HippieChick for her incisive posts!

Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is ...

mordant comments on Dec 14, 2018:

Yes I've been saying this all along. I know their intellectual and moral bankruptcy, because I was on the inside of it once upon a time. They got nothin'. The open question is not whether they're on the way to irrelevance, but how it will play out. There are still *Handmaid's Tale*-like scenarios...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 16, 2018:

Slavery is still alive and well. It is not as pervasive as it once was, and it is underground in most places, so we don't see it. Still, we read about isolated cases, and these may be the tip of the iceberg. A domestic worker essentially enslaved in Kuwait, a group of field hands in Mauratania, and victims of human trafficking forced into the sex trade all over the world.

Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is ...

WilliamFleming comments on Dec 14, 2018:

Trump was not elected by White evangelicals. Donald Trump was elected by a broad spectrum of voters from around the country. Only 20% of Americans report being White evangelicals, and only 77% of those voted for Trump. The numbers just aren’t there but I guess it feels good to have someone to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 15, 2018:

@WilliamFleming Look man, Trump is a treasonous, low-life scumbag, criminal, and that is not even the worst of it. His obstruction of justice, money laundering, illegal campaign finances, election rigging, all that, is peanuts compared to the fact that he is a mouthpiece for the fossil fuel industry. He denies climate science when we most need true leadership in the other direction. His craven attitude drives another nail into the coffin human civilization and countless millions of species. If you are not very science-savvy then you are not going to get it. But kids who are alive today are going to suffer big time. So please do us all a favor and do you homework. Democracy is not about blind loyalty. It's about being a well informed voter, and faithfully executing that office.

Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is ...

WilliamFleming comments on Dec 14, 2018:

Trump was not elected by White evangelicals. Donald Trump was elected by a broad spectrum of voters from around the country. Only 20% of Americans report being White evangelicals, and only 77% of those voted for Trump. The numbers just aren’t there but I guess it feels good to have someone to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 15, 2018:

You provided a really important number: 77% of evangelicals voted for tRump. I have read that the number is even higher, but let's assume that your number is correct. That is a higher rate than any other demographic. And since the orange gasbag only won by the slimmest of margins, it is valid to say that evangelicals put him in the WH. Of course they had help. But their reasons for voting for him is what really sets them apart. They want to create a Christian State. They want to shove their religious values down our throats. And tRump is facilitating that to the best of his ability. THAT'S why we go on about the evangelicals.

Where do you tend to go when you go down the YouTube rabbit hole?

Wurlitzer comments on Dec 15, 2018:

Bushcraft and primitive/amish living tips, home improvement, in the past some gaming videos, and lots of zombie weapon crafting/blade forging n metallurgy type stuff. Or martial arts weapons. Whatever Im trying to figure out and get better at at the time. Haven't tried any smelting or forging yet ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 15, 2018:

I totally get the attraction to forging steel. ???

David Attenborough: 'The collapse of our civilizations is on the horizon' - CNN

Flyingsaucesir comments on Dec 4, 2018:

I was not in the tv room but the volume was up and I knew Sir David's voice immediately as he delivered his dire warning. As usual, he was spot on. If we don't act quickly human civilization as we know it will end. Unfortunately, the Paris accord may not go far enough. We are probably going to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Dec 4, 2018:

@jerry99 Time will tell.

Justice Department Seeks DisruptJ20 Activists' Facebook Data | Fortune

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 28, 2018:

This is pretty Orwellian. Not a good development.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 29, 2018:

@snytiger6 Fascism rises when the capitalist model inevitably fails to provide fairness and economic security. There was a good article about this and the economist Karl Polyani in the New Yorker recently. He was an Austrian Jew who had to flee Europe. He predicted the rise of fascism well before Hitler came to power.

Feeling ambitious and inspired and tired of America! Would anybody be interested in starting a new ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 28, 2018:

I think this one can still be fixed.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 29, 2018:

@Atlas_Rising I'm sure we could use the help.

If our ancestors did it, why not everyone else

Elganned comments on Nov 28, 2018:

We (for the most part) came here as immigrants, but we didn't like the people who were already living here, so we picked up guns and either liquidated them or stole all their land and reduced them to pitiable remnants living by our good will. So is that the lesson you want current immigrants to ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 28, 2018:

That is the nub of Trump's fear mongering: his supporters are afraid that others will do to us what we have done to others. And it's not a totally unreasonable fear. Many Mexicans, for instance, feel that the USA stole the western states from Mexico, and they want it back!

U.S. Healthcare Ranked Worst In The Developed World - The Intellectualist

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 25, 2018:

In terms of healthcare the US has lagged behind other developed countries for a long time. What we do well here is buy in to false premises and flawed ideologies like the ridiculous idea that the unregulated marketplace will always produce the best outcome.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 26, 2018:

@ailurophile She is playing right into the hands of Vladimir Putin. As is Donald J. Trump.

Why is the left lacking the personality mouthpieces to offset the right mouthpieces?

t1nick comments on Nov 24, 2018:

Part of the reason involves the issues and their approach to them. Fear and hate is much easier to pedal than sharing and accepting responsibility for ones action. In a society, and at a time where blaming the other person, and shifting responsibility to someone else, is the standard accepted ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 24, 2018:

True dat! The "conservatives" are merchants of fear.

So if Trump is found guilty of collusion, does that mean he's possibly guilty of treason?

Sgt_Spanky comments on Nov 21, 2018:

We won't know what's in the Mueller report. Trump puppet, Whittaker, will bury it. It'll go to the courts for who knows how long. This is the kind of corruption Trump is actually good at.,

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 22, 2018:

@Sgt_Spanky The mid-term results show that Trump's power and influence are waning. People in Congress fear him less than before. These are good signs.

So if Trump is found guilty of collusion, does that mean he's possibly guilty of treason?

Sgt_Spanky comments on Nov 21, 2018:

We won't know what's in the Mueller report. Trump puppet, Whittaker, will bury it. It'll go to the courts for who knows how long. This is the kind of corruption Trump is actually good at.,

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 22, 2018:

@Sgt_Spanky Maybe yes, maybe no. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Whittaker has a lot going against him: his prior, biased statements against the Mueller investigation, and his involvement as an enforcer/intimidator with a company that was fined over 26 million dollars for fraudulent practices against its clients. It is fair to say that his presence in the top law enforcement job in the country is a sick joke. It's truly disgusting.

So if Trump is found guilty of collusion, does that mean he's possibly guilty of treason?

Sgt_Spanky comments on Nov 21, 2018:

We won't know what's in the Mueller report. Trump puppet, Whittaker, will bury it. It'll go to the courts for who knows how long. This is the kind of corruption Trump is actually good at.,

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 21, 2018:

Whittaker will not be able to do much since his appointment has not been confirmed by the Senate.

Quote from the Netflix movie last kingdom tonight.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 21, 2018:

Dude, how about a little punctuation please? Don't be afraid to use quotation marks when you quote someone. Here's how it should look: Quote from the Netflix movie Last Kingdom [which I watched earlier this evening]: "I dream of humping you tonight. It is written in the stars; the gods will ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 21, 2018:

@darien75 Huh? ?

Quote from the Netflix movie last kingdom tonight.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 21, 2018:

Dude, how about a little punctuation please? Don't be afraid to use quotation marks when you quote someone. Here's how it should look: Quote from the Netflix movie Last Kingdom [which I watched earlier this evening]: "I dream of humping you tonight. It is written in the stars; the gods will ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 21, 2018:

@darien75 Hahahahaha! I knew I was going to catch hell for correcting that piece, but you know what? It was worth it. There is a chance that Bigwavedave's writing (and that of unknown millions of others) may improve, and your schoolyard name-calling not only leaves me completely unscathed but actually strengthens my resolve. Thank you! PS: If you really want to honor your Celtic warrior forebears, do not wallow in mediocrity. Instead, defend and uphold their greatest legacy, the English language.

Whenever I hear people (or trolls) complaining about Hillary I just have to think.

powder comments on Nov 18, 2018:

You had no problem "trolling" a Melania meme, who does not claim to be a politician. Think you will find she colludes with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Instrumental in destroying Lybia and indicated the same for Syria, a no fly zone. Given the chance, so would be a worse neocon than Trump. Saw an ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 19, 2018:

@KKGator Well said! Bam!

Whenever I hear people (or trolls) complaining about Hillary I just have to think.

mordant comments on Nov 18, 2018:

Nor would she have done virtually any of those things, had she been elected. She's another corporate "centrist" Democrat and another plutocrat, but hell, I'd take Bush (either one) over Trump, much less Clinton. Where the right gets the notion Trump is any sort of improvement is beyond me. Oh ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 19, 2018:

@mordant Yup, Bernie and others have gone without corporate money. I think everybody should. Failing that, full transparency is needed. Unfortunately we don't even have that. We can only guess at who is funding some of these super PACs.

I just handed some errant mail that landed in my mailbox to my neighbour, to whom it was addressed.

hippydog comments on Nov 19, 2018:

Does he actually believe the earth is only 6000 yrs old?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 19, 2018:

Yup. People actually believe that nonsense.

Whenever I hear people (or trolls) complaining about Hillary I just have to think.

Sgt_Spanky comments on Nov 18, 2018:

Don't forget he also supported the repeal of net neutrality, wants to continue to eliminate as many environmental protections as possible, wants to continue to eliminate as many consumer protections as possible, is a pathological liar, a serial cheat, has reset the bar on corruption in government, ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 18, 2018:

Excellent point!

Whenever I hear people (or trolls) complaining about Hillary I just have to think.

mordant comments on Nov 18, 2018:

Nor would she have done virtually any of those things, had she been elected. She's another corporate "centrist" Democrat and another plutocrat, but hell, I'd take Bush (either one) over Trump, much less Clinton. Where the right gets the notion Trump is any sort of improvement is beyond me. Oh ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 18, 2018:

You make some good points. I would add that politicians seek money from corporations because it takes a lot of money to get elected. But who was it that shepherded Citizens United through the the courts? It was not liberals. We need to get the money out of our politics for sure.

Whenever I hear people (or trolls) complaining about Hillary I just have to think.

powder comments on Nov 18, 2018:

You had no problem "trolling" a Melania meme, who does not claim to be a politician. Think you will find she colludes with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Instrumental in destroying Lybia and indicated the same for Syria, a no fly zone. Given the chance, so would be a worse neocon than Trump. Saw an ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 18, 2018:

I'm not shedding any tears for Gaddafi. He was the murderous dictator who was responsible for the bombing of a large civilian passenger plane over Lockerbie, Scotland. Why shouldn't we celebrate his demise? Melania is a public figure by her own choice. Hell, it's the modeling gig of a lifetime. And if she is going to work for a turd then she's going to get shit on herself. I agree that the US has practiced well outside the bounds of what should be countenanced. However, that is no reason for us to allow a naked mole rat like Vladimir Putin install a bigoted buffoon like Donald J. Trump into our highest office.

Whenever I hear people (or trolls) complaining about Hillary I just have to think.

whispers comments on Nov 18, 2018:

People love to hate Hillary, but how many male politicians, including Trump, have broken the law in egregious or criminal ways, yet there is nowhere near the outrage directed at them. It defies rational explanation, even if you take into account the mistakes she made. I think misogyny is a large ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 18, 2018:

You can count on misogyny having a lurking presence in a Christian nation; it is baked in. Many actually believe that if Eve had not eaten from the tree of knowledge, we would be blissfully ignorant of all evil. But the ones we really have to watch out for are craven bullies like Trump, who believe in nothing greater than their own self-interest, and feed the beast of fear. Fear of feminism, fear of gays, fear of foreigners, fear of any non-Christian person, culture, or creed.

Question: Do you accept what you have been taught about freedom in the US?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 18, 2018:

In this country freedom (and justice) is a function of how much money you have.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 18, 2018:

@moxy WTF you going on about Hillary for? She is not President. She did not foist a big tax break for the rich on the American public. She did not take us out of the Paris Accord (in the face of overwhelming evidence that climate change is both anthropogenic and an existential threat). She did not abrogate the only treaty with a chance of slowing or halting Iran's development of nukes. She did not collude with a hostile foreign power to win the presidency. She has not whipped up xenophobia and racism in America. She did not move to kick millions off health insurance and to make it harder for people with pre-existing conditions to get healthcare. She did not loosen rules on financial institutions, increasing the likelihood of an even bigger meltdown of the economy the next time a bank that's too big to fail fails. No, Hillary did none of those things. But Donald J. Trump did.

Don't Let Your Expectations Fool You, the Midterms Were a Huge Defeat for Trump

CraigInCbus comments on Nov 13, 2018:

Agreed, falling short of "blue wave" expectations stings. But somewhat limiting the damage Trump can do might have been best we can really hope for at this point.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 13, 2018:

As the late-breaking contests produce more Democratic winners it's looking more and more like a big, beautiful, blue wave! ?

Truly Strange: The Secret Life of Breasts

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 12, 2018:

I read about this in the New Yorker at least 20 years ago. Chemicals similar to estrogen leach ot of many plastics, driving girls into puberty earlier and earlier. Now, thanks to the trashing of the oceans, the stuff is in the marine food chain, which means we are now eating plastic. Where will it ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 13, 2018:

@Gurahl By the tenor of your writing it sounds to me like you would do well to take a college-level course on ecology. Obviously I cannot provide that to you here, but I can leave you with this general rule of thumb: you cannot change just one thing in an ecosystem. Everything is interconnected, and changing one thing leads to other, often unforseen consequences. Pull the wrong thread and the whole tapestry could unravel. In ecology that means eliminating a keystone species leads to wholesale collapse of the ecosystem. It's true that a mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs left many unfilled niches that were later filled by mammals. Were it not for this our species probably would not have had the ecological space to evolve. However, if it is your own species that is going extinct, that obviously does not help you. We cannot just shrug off another mass extinction as a non-event. It matters. And it can and should be avoided. To anything less than our level best would be deeply immoral.

Truly Strange: The Secret Life of Breasts

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 12, 2018:

I read about this in the New Yorker at least 20 years ago. Chemicals similar to estrogen leach ot of many plastics, driving girls into puberty earlier and earlier. Now, thanks to the trashing of the oceans, the stuff is in the marine food chain, which means we are now eating plastic. Where will it ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 12, 2018:

@Gurahl I think you may be confusing the contents of one or two papers with scientific community consensus. The latter only comes about after a given result has been replicated and thoroughly verified with dozens or hundreds of independent studies. This process has, by the way, roundly confirmed that humans are having a tremendously negative impact on the level of biodiversity on the planet. We are the prime cause of ongoing mass extinction through over-fishing, poaching, habitat destruction (urban development, desertification, and deforestation), pollution, eutrophication, biomagnification, and global warming. What each if us does individually is relatively insignificant, but now there are 7.5 billion of us and we are simply too numerous to NOT affect our environment. At least not doing business as usual. We will certainly have to change how we do things. And the sooner the better. If not, we can kiss this civilization, and most species on Earth, goodby.

Scientists Discover Adorable Bird That's Actually 3 Species in One

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 11, 2018:

If they can and do mate and produce fertile offspring then they are not separate species. Much less separate genera.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 11, 2018:

@t1nick True there is debate...about where to draw the line between closely related species or subspecies. But isn't there general agreement that if members of two species that were never known to breed together are suddenly found to breed, then their status as different species has to be updated? I have never heard of any truly different species breeding together. What generally happens is that people discover that two groups are more closely related than anybody realized.

Scientists Discover Adorable Bird That's Actually 3 Species in One

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 11, 2018:

If they can and do mate and produce fertile offspring then they are not separate species. Much less separate genera.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 11, 2018:

@t1nick This is not something that is up for debate. We are at the level of basic definition. Check any college textbook on biology.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Fires Opening Act Over Singer Wearing Trump Hat - Sofa-King-Cool - Magazine -...

joeymf86 comments on Nov 11, 2018:

I don't think it's "cool" that Billy Gibson fired his opening act. He has every right to do so if it's his tour, but to avoid a situation like this he probably should have done better research before hiring the guy.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 11, 2018:

I think it is cool that the band takes a firm, public position refusing to endorse or be associated with Trump. I don't want to see people lose their jobs, but I don't mind if a Trump supporter who crosses the line has to sit in the penalty box. Trumpism is anti-American.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Fires Opening Act Over Singer Wearing Trump Hat - Sofa-King-Cool - Magazine -...

TheMiddleWay comments on Nov 11, 2018:

While he has a right to fire, the opening band also has the right to sue for loss of money or other damages. Personally, I think this reflects poorly on ZZ Top, or management, for hiring an opening act that would risk the ire of the main act. Also, they could have asked the opening act to just ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 11, 2018:

Some words to the effect that anything that would reflect badly on the band is prohibited were probably in the contract. I would consider it slander if someone made me out to be a Trump supporter. Sounds like Billy and I are on the same page here.

Update on the Az.

Novelty comments on Nov 11, 2018:

Good! Every race where a Republican doesn't win is a move toward a rational leadership that more accurately reflects the interest of the population that they're supposed to represent.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 11, 2018:

Looking forward to an end to minority rule. We still have an uphill battle ahead. The districts are still gerrymandered.

President Trump's Job Performance

RobertMartin comments on Nov 7, 2018:

I'm going to wait and see what happens down the road. If what the news media says is true, that he created more jobs, I think that's great.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 8, 2018:

@CataphasiaToo Yes, there are reputable news organizations. Your comments reveal an unfortunate willingness to oversimplify. Try not to paint with such a broad brush. Here is a good word for you to look up: nuance.

President Trump's Job Performance

powder comments on Nov 8, 2018:

Haven't you guys had enough of voting?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 8, 2018:

@CataphasiaToo Nah, politics and religion are different things. There is overlap, yes, but that also varies from person to person.

President Trump's Job Performance

powder comments on Nov 8, 2018:

Haven't you guys had enough of voting?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 8, 2018:

Oh hell no! Not until I see that son of a bitch hounded from office, tried for his crimes, and duly sentenced. In any case, you are never really done with voting in a democracy.

President Trump's Job Performance

RobertMartin comments on Nov 7, 2018:

I'm going to wait and see what happens down the road. If what the news media says is true, that he created more jobs, I think that's great.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 8, 2018:

@RobertMartin How about just remove the worst of them from your list: Fox, Brietbart, Alex Jones,...anything that promotes alt right propaganda, conspiracy theories, etc.

Trump’s DC Hotel Tagged With $5 Million in Unpaid Worker Liens

IamNobody comments on Nov 6, 2018:

Yeah we get it...you hate Trump. That's ok

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 6, 2018:

I don't hate Trump, but I do despise him.

Talk about sad Chump?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 5, 2018:

Dig the armadillo!? Trump is looking pretty ridiculous, isn't he?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 6, 2018:

@Umbral We shall see presently. ?

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

KKGator comments on Nov 4, 2018:

To me, family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. I don't have any problem writing people off if I find their beliefs abhorrent. Whether it's politics or religion, I'm not tolerating the bullshit anymore. If anyone is supporting 45, or the republicans, I'm done with them. We are fundamentally ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@KKGator I think it's possible to persuade a few. Good on you for trying!

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

KKGator comments on Nov 4, 2018:

To me, family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. I don't have any problem writing people off if I find their beliefs abhorrent. Whether it's politics or religion, I'm not tolerating the bullshit anymore. If anyone is supporting 45, or the republicans, I'm done with them. We are fundamentally ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@KKGator This is not going to be easy or quick. Climate change may have to become more severe before people acknowledge that is real. When they finally do, we need to remind them who was right all along and who was lying to all of us.

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

KKGator comments on Nov 4, 2018:

To me, family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. I don't have any problem writing people off if I find their beliefs abhorrent. Whether it's politics or religion, I'm not tolerating the bullshit anymore. If anyone is supporting 45, or the republicans, I'm done with them. We are fundamentally ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

However you don't have to tolerate Trumpism to understand it, or pity the fool who embraces it, or educate him/her. For this last part you can start by working around the edges, establishing a set of facts that everyone can agree on. Then move on from there. We will need to bring as many of these folks over to our side as we can if we are going to move forward.

Any suggestions on how to get over the anger and feeling of betrayal from your mother and brothers ...

TampaHeathen comments on Nov 4, 2018:

You will feel much better after the midterms.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@Blookie I hope you are right.

AP fact check: President Trump’s rhetoric and the truth about migrant caravans | PBS NewsHour

Infoguy211 comments on Nov 4, 2018:

I truly hope Cheeto Hitler meets a dictator's end. He certainly deserves it.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

They strung Mussolini up. And he at least made the trains run on time. More than Trump has achieved.

It has been reported that 80% of Evangelicals are expected to vote for Republican candidates.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

We should not be surprised when people who believe in literal interpretations of a jumble of internally contradictory fairy tales (I mean the Bible) also show willingness to swallow the wild conspiracy theories of demagogues.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 4, 2018:

@nicknotes God is just dog spelled backwards. ?

Here we have huge, angry mobs of Pakistanis calling for the death of a woman who has been found not ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

We could have that kind of shit right here in a heartbeat. What is the difference between the USA and Pakistan then? Average educational level. And I'm talkin about liberal, secular education, not that Sunday school bullshit. If Betsy De Voss and the evangelicals have their way, they will drop all ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@Veteran229 One of the more egregious errors of the left has been this call to do away with the ICE. If there ever was a dog whistle, that is one example. It's so ludicrous that I wonder if it is actually trolls posing as Democrats just looking to stir up trouble.

Alot of people hate me. i hate alot of people. seems fair to me then again i have a heart of stone

KKGator comments on Nov 3, 2018:

I looked up what a "total edge lord" is supposed to be. How fucking pathetic. Grow up, get a job (do some manual labor), and stop playing video games.

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

I had to look up "edgelord" too. The guy does have some growing up to do.

Here we have huge, angry mobs of Pakistanis calling for the death of a woman who has been found not ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

We could have that kind of shit right here in a heartbeat. What is the difference between the USA and Pakistan then? Average educational level. And I'm talkin about liberal, secular education, not that Sunday school bullshit. If Betsy De Voss and the evangelicals have their way, they will drop all ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@Veteran229 It's true both the left and the right have got their issues. But I think the "conservatives" are more prone to promote conspiracy theories and outright lies. Maybe they do it in response to perceived excess in "liberal" values.

Alot of people hate me. i hate alot of people. seems fair to me then again i have a heart of stone

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

Well that sounds like a drag. Hate is such a useless expenditure of mental energy. Who are you? Donald Trump?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@DaringDavid You presume to know a lot about me. If you have read all of my 500+ comments on this forum then you have scratched the surface, barely. The way you talk, throwing labels around, sounds just like a troll. Slow down cowboy. Take a few deep breaths.

Alot of people hate me. i hate alot of people. seems fair to me then again i have a heart of stone

Flyingsaucesir comments on Nov 3, 2018:

Well that sounds like a drag. Hate is such a useless expenditure of mental energy. Who are you? Donald Trump?

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 3, 2018:

@DaringDavid I do not hate Trump. I despise him. There is a difference. Hate consumes the hater. I feel about Trump the way I feel about dog shit on my shoe. I just want it cleaned off so I can forget about it and move on.

Today's hike: environmentalists vs. callous hicks

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 31, 2018:

The photo of the guy with the water buffalo seemed a bit out of synch with the rest of the spread. (?)

Flyingsaucesir replies on Nov 1, 2018:

@PalacinkyPDX Donald Trump Jr is a wanker for sure. Any who gets their kicks by killing is. But some do it to put food on the table, as their ancestors did for thousands of years. And in areas where the top predators have been eliminated a little thinning may be the next best thing to maintain biodiversity.

The Destructiveness of Fundamentalist Capitalism [counterpunch.org]

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Oct 31, 2018:

Interesting. My biggest concern with placing too much weight in this article's main thrust is that in the U.S. right now, every ideological purity test argument that potentially fractures cooperation between vaguely left-of-center neo-liberals, as they've been dubbed (and who gets lumped into that ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 31, 2018:

Yes it's scary. It make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Reminds me of the 60s but less hopeful, more hard-edged now. We better be united on the left, or else.

Today's hike: environmentalists vs. callous hicks

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 31, 2018:

The photo of the guy with the water buffalo seemed a bit out of synch with the rest of the spread. (?)

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 31, 2018:

@LiterateHiker I'm not against hunting if it's well regulated and done in an environmentally sound and respectful manner.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

@Robsweapon We have had a few good ones: Washington, Lincoln, FDR. And some mediocre ones: Johnson, Reagan, Bush I. And some bad ones: Nixon, Bush II. But the present ass-bite is really FUBAR. what a waste of orange skin.

How is it that there are still so many people who think global warming is a hoax, or that it is not ...

powder comments on Oct 29, 2018:

The problem with renewable energy is mindset. Governments are only interested in producing industrial amounts of power ie produce a product that can be sold and taxed. But renewables can power individual households eg no sales and no tax revenue. This is how to use renewables, break up monopolies ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

Unfortunately, what governments are interested in doing is too much influenced by the fat cats. That has to change.

How is it that there are still so many people who think global warming is a hoax, or that it is not ...

TheAstroChuck comments on Oct 29, 2018:

To your first question: how is it that so many people think it's a hoax. Just look at how many people still cling to the idea of an all-powerful god, who takes an active interest in them despite the tremendous progress in science. The strong tendency to select some facts and reject inconvenient ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

Certainly we will have to reduce our energy consumption. We waste a hell of a lot of energy now. I think there may be a happy medium where we generate all we can cleanly and assiduously conserve without too big a drop in standard of living. That is, if we don't have catastrophic climate change to deal with at the same time. It's looking more and more like we will though.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 30, 2018:

@Robsweapon Mr. Mueller is playing his cards pretty close to the vest. What we have seen so far is pretty damning. I look forward to the final report. ? The US has done some reprehensible things around the world. I don't like it but that doesn't mean I want to see my country's elections influenced by a naked mole rat like Vladimir Putin.

Let it be clear... cesar sayoc is a trump supporter, let it be known! [cbsnews.com]

Robsweapon comments on Oct 27, 2018:

He’s a lone nut job that’s feeding off of the hysteria surrounding trump and I’ll say this to the day that I die. If the media had given trump the same amount of attention that they’d given Bernie Sanders during the primaries we’d be in a way different country right now. The nut jobs ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 29, 2018:

@Robsweapon The indictments of the Russians certainly count. How ridiculous to claim they don't. A schoolyard tactic that will not fly in this forum. The Russian acts of war upon this nation are well documented and the participants are equally well known. It is what we call "evidence." The only person with security clearance who denies this is the beneficiary of that act of war, the current occupant of the oval office.

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

The technology to solve climate change already exists. What we lack political will. If cannot get it together then I think history will conclude that the "Greatest Generation" will have been followed by the most abjectly craven, civically retarded, piss poor generation. That is, if anybody is still ...

Flyingsaucesir replies on Oct 29, 2018:

@callmedubious I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately what people think about the causes and effects of climate change has real consequences. We don't have a lot of time to make some radical changes in how we generate electricity and power our transportation. If we don't act soon, feedbacks in the natural system will kick in and effectively take away our ability to avoid the worst effects of a w warming atmosphere and oceans. The fossil fuel industry been spending a considerable amount of money in their effort to cast doubt on climate science. They fund think tanks and private laboratories staffed by people with real science credentials. These few scientists (they comprise only a small fraction of the scientific community) have found for themselves a path of less resistance. They earn generous salaries and in return they cherry pick data and provide biased interpretations which get published in slick formats that to the lay person seem like legitimate science. Of course no scientist would be fooled by the propaganda, but it does not matter because they are not the target audience. The game is to sow doubt among the general public, and thereby achieve the overall goal of continuing to sell lots of fossil fuels to an energy-thirsty society. The people behind all this are the owners of large, multinational corporations with profits in the hundreds if billions if dollars annually. They are old farts, and they know they won't live to face the consequences of their actions. They are not interested in seeing their profits vanish. So they spend a fraction of their wealth on profit insurance by buying off a few scientists and media outlets and lobbyists on K Street. The latter outnumber the members if Congress by five-to-one, and often write the bills that are introduced on the floors if the House and Senate. Business friendly bills that relax environmental regulations and generally make it easier to make money. It all about money.