If trump should be re-elected, has anyone else thought of leaving the country ?

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

I won't. I am too close to retirement, and all my babies are here.

What ever happened to Waterbeds ??? [youtu.be]

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

Many apartment complexes banned them because of the weight, many places they were not allowed above the first floor. I haven't heard of anyone with one in many years.

Bred to hunt wild boar....

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

My 75# Golden was intimidated by my 4 pound kitten. I told him "do the math, she's big enough to be a snack but not ruin your dinner!" He let her literally walk all over him.

And today's questionable person...jguroy. What's a religious person doing here?

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

https://agnostic.com/member/jguroy **jguroy** I think I took a look at him yesterday. Doesn't believe in god but goes to church regularly. He may be looking for an exit strategy. He doesn't seem scammerish, English is good enough. Not so good looking as to raise suspicions. I'd say bears watching.

Like human, like pet, Xena enjoys some political news!

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

I have a Xena!! However, I don't let my girls watch TV, because I don't watch TV. They gotta learn to read before they get any news. One of the three of us stressed out is enough.

How dumb is he Johnny?

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

I'm not sure I'd have used such a gentle phrase as goofy moron, but otherwise dead on.

Tweety Statistics: The president has bragged 183 times about his crowd size or applause at events; ...

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 2, 2019:

We need a barf emoji. He is truly delusional.

If someone lies about their age is that a dealbreaker for you?

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 1, 2019:

Depends on how it is shaded, and why.

Back due to popular demand, but please stick to subject of dating photos.

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 1, 2019:

That would be 10,000 x NO.

I think I'm there already...

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 1, 2019:

I hope I'm retired for real in 10 years.

NaNoWriMo is nearly upon us. Who's participating in the novel-writing challenge this year?

HippieChick58 comments on Nov 1, 2019:

Nope, real life is too busy as it is.

Found this in my latest novel.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 31, 2019:

I worked rotating shifts while I was in the Army, I don't remember how they fed us on the mid shift. Or the swing shift. And every base, every unit was different. I remember one of the guys freaking out the new company commander. He had just gotten off work (at 0700) and was headed back to his room with a beer. He stopped to talk to the First Sgt. The new CO was concerned she had an alcohol problem with open drinking so early in the day. 1SG then explained he was getting off work. That was like another lifetime ago.

This meme wins Halloween for me.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 31, 2019:

LOVE IT!! How did they ever think of such a cool idea!

Good morning all, Perhaps this one has come up before "wasty10" but he's looking a bit fishy to ...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 31, 2019:

https://agnostic.com/member/wasty10/posts **wasty10** He looks affluent, but not soooo "pretty" to make me think he is a model. I did not try to reverse search his pictures, they don't look obviously staged or porn. He's not a believer. His replies are not the greatest English, but I don't see the obvious NNES. Several pictures are datestamped 2011, ancient in this day and age. The part of Georgia he says he is from is an affluent Atlanta suburb, and we've seen lots of scammers say they come from there. I don't see obvious scammer, but I think being cautious is wise, and watch and wait.

ZAFTIG.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 31, 2019:

I used to describe myself as zaftig on the dating sites I was using. Probably 95% of my respondents did not know what that meant. Several of them I told they were obviously online, google the word. If they have to ask what it means and are too damn lazy to look it up we are not going to be a good fit.

A few that just seemed perfect for this group

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 30, 2019:

That last one is me soooo often.

It's not enough ...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 30, 2019:

The bone spurs aren't keeping him off the golf course.

So what are your boundaries?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 30, 2019:

Your coworker is a controlling idiot. That BF should make his exit, and that woman should never reproduce.

Dresses my ass! Along with every other outdated gender norm... [teenvogue.com]

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 29, 2019:

I know exactly the last time I wore a dress, and a skirt. And given my druthers I won't wear one again. I don't think the government has any business legislating what we wear, except for members of the uniformed services.

I thought this was really cool✌😁

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 29, 2019:

Now we just need to add Jeremiah that adorable bull frog.

per·fi·dy /ˈpərfədē/ noun LITERARY noun: perfidy; plural noun: perfidies deceitfulness;...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 29, 2019:

What an apt word for certain orange people and his adherents.

Is hope realistic?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 28, 2019:

https://thehumanist.com/magazine/january-february-2012/first-person/what-about-hope The middle-aged woman in a dark red sweater looked withdrawn and forlorn. I had been answering questions from the audience after presenting a talk called “Humanism As a Source of Inspiration and Meaning.” She raised her forearm just slightly to indicate she had a question. Her question—and my inability to satisfy her with an answer—haunted me for weeks. “What about hope?” she’d asked. Undaunted by the aura of hopelessness in her tone, I answered brightly: “The humanist worldview is filled with hope. We may be made of matter, but we decide what matters. It is through meaningful human action that a blank computer screen can become a poem, that slavery can become freedom. We can help others, alleviate suffering, and experience beauty. Humanism is not just the rejection of an idea. Humanism is an affirmation. It is a positive, clear-eyed response to our one world. It is saying ‘yes’, not saying ‘no.'” “I don’t see how that helps me have hope,” she said, monotone. I went into high gear, and tried a different answer. “Humanism is about possibilities. Without some grand supernatural plan or destiny, the future is open. Possibility means the door for hope and change and goodness is open. Possibilities can lead to progress, in the world and in our individual lives. It is a positive psychological message. We have choices in how to shape our lives. We can live with caring and compassion. We can invest ourselves in worthy goals. We don’t need anything supernatural for that. The fact that we can try to change ourselves, other people, and the world—and make it a better place through reason and compassion—is a fundamental wonder of being human, and can be celebrated. It is a cause for hope, and wisdom.” “Okay,” she said. She was polite but unconvinced. I don’t know what personal trauma, life events, or innate characteristics made the questioner long for hope, but clearly she’s not alone in seeking to satisfy this deep human need. Religion, in part, peddles hope. Hope also wins elections and sells products. The question is—for someone who is currently without hope—are the kinds of secular answers I proffered going to be enough on a personal, emotional, and psychological level? I realize now that philosophical concepts may be too abstract for some who feel despondent. She needed a personal answer. What about hope for her? Humanism has a solid foundation. We have secular dreams of a better tomorrow, and a track record of positive social change. But do we have answers on a personal level? Do we have a fulfilling substitute for “God loves you” or, for the bereaved, “don’t worry, you’ll meet again ...

This is a cluster of monarch butterflies! Awesome huh??!!!

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 28, 2019:

Amazing!

Got the sharpies out!

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 28, 2019:

Those are some claws!

Wheelchair nightmare.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 27, 2019:

Even reasonably able bodied I give that a huge Oh HALE NOOO.

It's amazing what you see when you don't have a video camera rolling! I adopted a little kitten a ...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 27, 2019:

My younger cat has one special mousie toy that she will drop close to me and wait for me to toss it, so she can run and get it, and bring it back to me. I have a fetch kitty. Well mousie got lost in my bed, and she was soooo bereft. She just kept hunting for it while I was trying to sleep, I ended up shutting the cats out of the bedroom. Then when I stripped my bed yesterday we found mousie! Now she is a happy little fetcher again.

Bible belt living.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 26, 2019:

I thank you for your service. I am also a former military wife, and former military member. I know how tough the life is. I've moved 23 times in my life, one child was born in Germany. Last night I had the chance to watch the documentary called Hail Satan! about the Satanic Temple. Arkansas does come off as highly conservative xian and somewhat illegal regarding the 10 Commandment statues. Nebraska is bad enough, I wouldn't do well in the BuyBull belt.

This says much about him

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 26, 2019:

He believes he is a law unto itself and "the law" that governs the land does not apply to him.

I Am Unapologetically Raising My Daughter Without Religion

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 26, 2019:

I have to say I did raise my girls in the church, they were/are all bible literate, as I am. However, that has enabled them to recognize BS when they hear it. I know when the buybull is taken out of context as do they. Two are atheists who are out. One lives with her xian dad and is keeping daddy happy. She will be moving out of dad's house by the end of the year and far across town, it will be interesting to see what happens then.

Spicy for me🌶🌶🌶

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 26, 2019:

Mild. I don't like anything highly spiced.

Do what you love.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 26, 2019:

I love napping, and when I can I do. I also love various needlecrafts. I sew, crochet, knit, cross stitch. I have a quilt in progress right now, and am crocheting a scarf to go with my new winter coat. I have made quilts and afghans for my children. It makes me happy to know that those will carry memories for my kids and grands long after I am gone, and they are useful too.

Why do people put pictures of their kids but not themselves in dating profiles?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 26, 2019:

I avoid them. I want a relationship with the person before I try to tackle the kid/s. I don't even tell my kids if/when I'm dating until it is established and fairly serious. Because of my age I even avoid men that have children still in school. I'm done with all that and have NO desire to go back. I love being a grammy which means I can do school stuff as I want to. But hey, it's the grands, I want to :)

The FFRF invites you to take the US Secular Survey

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 25, 2019:

Done, Thank you!!

Have you ever borrowed time?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 25, 2019:

If I am living with a terminal illness, I could be said to be living on borrowed time. The interest I pay is the treatment required to keep me alive. In the case of chemo I think that is too high a price to pay, I doubt I will ever agree to chemo. Borrowed time will be a debt you can never repay or give back. Whom or what it is borrowed from is the universe. That which makes you who/what you are cannot be released back to the universe while you are using/inhabiting it. When I was a claims examiner for short term disability, one of my claimants was a 72 year old single lady schoolteacher. She had not missed a day of school in over 40 years, and then she got a cancer diagnosis. She was kept alive by chemo. She had chemo three days a week was sick for two or three days, and had one to two good days a week. From talking to her she had very little quality of life, I always wondered why she was putting in so much effort for so little reward. But not my business, she rolled to long term disability and I rolled to another job. I care about quality of life, and if I can't have it I want to go quietly into that long dark night. No tubes, no machines, no restrictions. My kids know this.

Have not seen one in a very long time.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 25, 2019:

I have a drawer full of stamps and I rarely mail a letter per month. I guess it will be an inheritance for my kids.

Hi Everyone! Good Evening! Got home from work by 2.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 24, 2019:

I don't often go out in the evenings after work, especially in the middle of the week.. However, I also am not the social butterfly, I like my quiet time.

SARTORIAL.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 24, 2019:

That is one word I picked up from Regency era romance novels. Those used to be my drug of choice.

Every week.. glued to the tv set to watch this show.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 24, 2019:

Me too!!

I was in Target today and the cashier said that she liked the tats on my hands; I have a blue ...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 24, 2019:

I admire your forthrightness.

Heard this one on a podcast today.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 23, 2019:

And in Bambi it was Twitterpated.

As the "poster bunny" for the vet clinic's pet costume contest, Shane has to look his sharpest! One...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 22, 2019:

Adorable!

JOHN PAVLOVITZ, a religious man who is nonetheless, right, on the right side, and righteous, even to...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 22, 2019:

I like John Pavlovitz, he is frequently right.

QUANDARY.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 22, 2019:

I love this word, use it frequently as needed.

ARE YOU GOING TO DRESS UP YOURSELF OR YOUR KIDS AS TRUMP THIS HALLOWEEN?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 21, 2019:

I am not in charge, but I think granddaughter has a cat costume, and grandson will likely be in bed.

What would you really tell your 25 year old self?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 21, 2019:

I would tell me to get that college degree sooner. Having the education to get a good job would have given me more options earlier and I'd be better off now.

Who wore earth shoes?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 21, 2019:

I had one pair, they were interesting, but not enough to repeat the process.

Joined today, [agnostic.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

I took a look at him earlier. He did make a bunch of stupid posts. He has not completed a bio, and his responses are pretty random. I'm not sure if he is a scammer or if the elevator isn't rising properly. Yes, he bears watching.

Very low day today. Again. By the Earth! Why can’t life just give me a fucking break?????

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and gives you some incredibly dark coping skills.

I make no apologies for cat calls....

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

All the time. I have one neighbor cat I've learned to be wary of. He acts like he wants to be petted, and then he nails you! Now I just talk to him. He likes to come up on my deck and "dance" with my kitties through the door.

“Here’s yer sign”

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

That is truly very frightening.

Cat for sale. Still in original packing:

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Adorable, and room for toys too!

How does someone prepare themselves for a loss?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 20, 2019:

Three years ago I had to put down my heart cat. She was so bonded to humans it was amazing. She slept with me every night, and I'm talking full body contact. She was blind due to a congenital eye disease. She lived a good life with me, she was quite pampered, but when I knew she was not living much of a life I knew it was time to let her go. My two youngest girls and I took her to the vet and we held her and talked to her as she drifted off. To me it came down to quality of life. When there are more bad times than good times it is time to let them go. Miss Millie's remains are planted under a bush at the home of the youngest child. The dog that she spent much of her life with is planted on the other side of the bush. They will live on forever in our hearts.

Do any here have experience with tantric sex?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

That sounds amazing.

Tracking the Truth: Media Bias and Media Bastions

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

I like Al Jazeera. It is blocked at my place of work.

Bill Maher regarding Trumps constant sniffing while talking He has treasonal allergies.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

There is a cure for that, hanging comes to mind.

Who else hates having a common name?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

I grew up as a Smith. That got changed at 19 to Wilson, which was changed at 25 to another common name, which is also the name of former presidents. I kept the married name when I divorced because of kids and degree. And it doesn't matter. I am Paula which is uncommon enough. I look at it that the last names belonged to someone else, Paula was chosen for me. And not that I"m fond of it, but I'm kinda used to it. The most important people in my life call me Mom or Grammy, and maybe one day a special person will have another name for me.

[rightwingwatch.org] No need for an autopsy since god killed Elijah Cummings

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

Delusional much?

My brother had one of these, never liked them. 🎃

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

When I was a kid we were lucky to have masks, and usually hand me down masks. My kids had costume sets sorta like this, though I made lots of costumes.

When will the other G7 leaders refuse to convene at Trump’s bedbug-infested Doral hotel?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

IKR!!!

NECROMANCY - Noun.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

And then there is necrophilia, which can get you arrested in some states.

Watch this. Really. It says so much. [youtube.com]

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 19, 2019:

Very moving, I'm in tears.

Does anybody else remember a very trippy educational children's TV show from the 70's called "Make a...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

I do remember it, mostly because I was a huge Harry Chapin fan. His was the first concert I ever went to. I had all his works, and his biography. I remember where I was when I heard Harry passed away.

When you are in REM and dreaming is it common to have progressive dreams?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

I remember dreams about twice a year, and don't remember them long. I can't tell you if they are progressive, regressive, or congressive.

effluvium ef·flu·vi·um /əˈflo͞ovēəm/ plural: effluvia noun an unpleasant or harmful ...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

I love you!! You are reading my favorite blog! https://www.askamanager.org/ You have such good taste in reading materials.

You've been warned..

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

Love it!! Me too!!!!

I need a break

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

I feel your pain!

Hey, all.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

I will not relocate, my kids/grands are here and I like being involved with them. I would try a relationship again, but so far my pickings are NONE. So I'm in a safe, healthy relationship with me and going very well. I think I'm a keeper.

Katebrexxyy just contacted sounds like scammer check her

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 18, 2019:

https://agnostic.com/member/Katebrexxyy/posts https://agnostic.com/discussion/415389/what-if-rapture-happens-today-are-you-ready Way too pretty, but her one photo did not pop. The tags on her post mention xiantroll, and I have to agree. I don't think she is a real girl, she's likely a troll/scammer.

Good news, Agnostics! [pewforum.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Woot!! That is good news

I saw a Turkey Drop T shirt for sale online... Who else remembers the WKRP Turkey Drop?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

I remember that show, loved it!

Here's a futile piece of technology, marketed at bead counters! [bbc.com]

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

SMH

Feeling pretty bad right now.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Polish up your resume and cover letter, there is good advice on Askamanager.org. I highly recommend you read it, she has worked in HR since the beginning of time or thereabouts, great advice on job searches, etc. Well presented too, and a searchable site. Make sure you are taking care of you at this time. Get some exercise daily, do things for you. And hang in there, you will get through.

Good morning Girls and Boys, first day back from vacation.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

75, but I've lived a long time and was young and dumb when it was safe to be young and dumb. Never have been arrested or suspended from college. And now I remember that I have been in a fist fight. I had mean big brothers, and mean neighbor boys.

Read Trump's strange letter to Turkey's Erdogan: "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool."

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Like a kindergarten student wrote it.

Happy Birthday to Kelvin!

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Many happy returns!!

The most important document you may ever read

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

OPINION — On the day that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on election interference came out, cable news anchors strained to race through its 448 pages and describe the findings, all in the same breath. Computer sleuths hacked the document’s setting to let users search for “Trump,” “president,” “collusion” and “Russia.” Talking-head lawyers feverishly opined that Volume I contained less incriminating information than Volume II. But around the country, voters mostly gave an “Is that all there is?” shoulder shrug and went back to their corners. Many members of Congress admitted they didn’t even bother to read it. Nearly six months later, and to almost no fanfare last week while Congress was in recess, the Senate Intelligence Committee released the second of two installments of its own bipartisan investigation into roughly the same topic. The slim, 85-page report reads like a Russian spy novel crossed with a sequel to Orwell’s most dystopian version of the future — right down to an interview with a paid Russian troll who said his experience in 2016, pitting American voters against each other with social media platforms of their own making, was like being “a character in the book ‘1984’ by George Orwell — a place where you have to write that white is black and black is white.” Unlike Mueller, who seemed to take great pains not to point fingers and softened his recommendations, the Intelligence Committee, led by Chairman Richard Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, put its warnings in the starkest possible terms. First, the Russians deliberately attacked American voters with an active measures campaign in 2016 to benefit Donald Trump and destroy Hillary Clinton. On the morning after Election Day, a former troll told the committee, exhausted hackers in St. Petersburg, Russia, uncorked tiny of champagne. They looked into each other’s eyes. “We uttered almost in unison: ‘We made America great.’” Because of Russia’s success, the committee also warned that China, North Korea, Iran and other malicious actors are activiely studying what Americans fell for (nearly everything) in order to use even more sophisticated techniques in 2020 — including at this very moment. And finally, the committee made clear that Americans themselves need to both wake up and smarten up. Only by being more sophisticated and intelligent social media users will voters truly protect themselves and our elections in the years to come. The tactics and strategies that the Kremlin directed included every major social media platform you can think of — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter — and a few you’d never suspect, including Pinterest, LinkedIn and 4Chan. The hashtags alone tell the story— #MAGA #TrumpTrain ...

I hate to say it, but in the last few months this whole site has become inundated with a lot of very...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

OMG, we have PEOPLE on here, what are we gonna do? People are, that is all. Ya just gotta roll with it.

I don't know what it is but...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

My kitties LOVE ice cream, and I don't like to share mine. I also won't say why I know that they love ice cream :)

Are you planning on doing anything for Halloween?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

I have an appointment to get my haircut at 5. And then I'm going home because I have to work on Friday. I don't give out candy because I don't keep candy in my house. I don't even know how many kids are in my neighborhood that might ring the bell. I

I think I just got blocked for the first time.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

WAY to GO!! You got someone's attention and they couldn't deal with you. You done good.

Laura trump defends dad

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

This is Drumpf's daughter in law. Barfola.

Today would have been my Dad's 75th birthday. He died almost 8 years ago. Today sucks.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

I am envious that you miss your dad. I'm thankful mine is gone and that I moved far away from him where he could never hurt me or my children. I have very few good memories of my dad, but way too many WTF ones that I have finally allowed myself to remember. Celebrate your dad's life and the good times you had with him. Do something today that would have meaning for the both of you. My mom died when I was 14, and when I was 30 I gave birth to one of my daughters on her birthday. My sisters both gave their daughters mom's middle name. When it is mom's birthday I celebrate with my daughter and remember my mom.

Go.To.Hell

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

No only Go To Hell, go directly to hell, do not pass Go, and DO NOT collect $200.

I sure do, how about you?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 16, 2019:

I didn't scar.

It was said many times, but I find it by own experience.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 15, 2019:

Hey @69ArizonaJerry, how does this connect with Der Drumpf? This is the group that bashes Donnie Boy. I will be moving this out of the Pinata. Please check out the group rules.

Would be a nice print, framed. 😺😼

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 15, 2019:

Love it!!

Racists Are Recruiting. Watch Your White Sons.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

Second Article: "Racists Are Recruiting. Watch Your White Sons," warns a recent New York Times piece by the feminist writer Joanna Schroeder. While it is undoubtedly true that white supremacist trolls try to appeal to vulnerable young men, the incident that prompted Schroeder to write her piece suggests she is succumbing to unnecessary panic. What happened? Her two sons, ages 11 and 14, liked some memes and used the word "triggered." Upon hearing them use this word, "I almost lost control of the car," writes Schroeder, reacting in the very manner her sons were probably deriding. "That's because I know that word—often used to mock people who are hurt or offended by racism as overly sensitive —is a calling card of the alt-right, which the Anti-Defamation League defines as 'a segment of the white supremacist movement consisting of a loose network of racists and anti-Semites who reject mainstream conservatism in favor of politics that embrace implicit or explicit racism, anti-Semitism and white supremacy.' People associated with this group are known for trolling those who disagree with them, and calling critics 'triggered' is a favorite tactic." That is true as far as it goes. But calling critics "triggered" is also common in other parts of the right, and by now it has entered apolitical quarters as well. Next, Schroeder criticizes her son for liking a meme that he didn't understand was anti-Semitic. "I worried that he was being pulled toward a worldview that would see this painful history as fodder for jokes, or worse, as something to celebrate," she writes. It's good for parents to be engaged with what their kids are consuming and to talk to them about not being racists. But if they are in danger of succumbing to far-right internet culture, shaming them in the pages of The New York Times does not seem like the best strategy for bringing wayward teens back into the fold. Schroeder—whose oeuvre also includes two articles for The Huffington Post, "7 Things I'm Not Afraid to Tell My Sons About Love, Sex, and Their Bodies" and "Is It My Responsibility to Make My Son 'Cool'?"—also spoke with NPR about her obsessive monitoring of her son's social media usage. It veers toward self-awareness but does not make it all the way there: Schroeder has become determined to prevent her young boys from being groomed by radical messaging through these online pathways. But she says it was important to not approach her kids about the topic from a place of shaming. "They're kids and we can't expect them to automatically be able to detect propaganda when it's being presented to them," she said. And shame, as she noted on Twitter, is the same tactic used to recruit young men to extremist groups. When kids are castigated for sharing these ...

Racists Are Recruiting. Watch Your White Sons.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

First article: Raising teenagers can be terrifying. Our squishy little babies become awkward hormonal creatures who question our authority at every turn. I expected that. What I didn’t predict was that my sons’ adolescence would include being drawn to the kind of online content that right-wing extremists use to recruit so many young men. The first sign was a seemingly innocuous word, used lightheartedly: “triggered.” As my 11- and 14-year-old sons and their friends talked and bantered — phones in hand, as always — in the back seat of the car, one of them shouted it in response to a meme, and they all laughed uproariously. I almost lost control of the car. That’s because I know that word — often used to mock people who are hurt or offended by racism as overly sensitive — is a calling card of the alt-right, which the Anti-Defamation League defines as “a segment of the white supremacist movement consisting of a loose network of racists and anti-Semites who reject mainstream conservatism in favor of politics that embrace implicit or explicit racism, anti-Semitism and white supremacy.” People associated with this group are known for trolling those who disagree with them, and calling critics “triggered” is a favorite tactic. The next red flag: I watched my son scroll through Instagram and double-click on an image, lighting up a heart that signifies a “like.” “Hold on a minute,” I said, snatching his phone. “Was that Hitler?” The meme showed a man in contemporary clothing tipping off the Nazi leader to the invasion of Normandy. My son said he hadn’t even read it, he’d just assumed the time traveler was trying to kill Hitler, not help him. He was shocked and embarrassed when I pointed out the actual message: that it would have been better if the Holocaust had continued. “I’m not stupid enough to like a Hitler meme on purpose, Mom,” he said. “And anyway, I’m sure my friend shared it to be ironic.” I didn’t see the irony and my son couldn’t explain it. I talked to him about the Holocaust, the trauma and violence that Jewish people all over the world still experience and my late friend Edith, whose delicate arm displayed a number tattoo that stopped my heart every time I saw it. He knew all this already, but I worried that he was forgetting. I worried that he was being pulled toward a worldview that would see this painful history as fodder for jokes, or worse, as something to celebrate. At a time when the F.B.I. reports a 17 percent rise in hate crime incidents from 2016 to 2017, the most recent year for which there is data, white parents like me have had recent, terrifying reminders that we must prevent our sons from becoming indoctrinated by a growing racist movement ...

If only women wore their jeans hanging off like the guys do.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

My daughter is a Union Carpenter! I am quite proud of her and her husband, both union strong! But she better damn well never go to work that way :) I'm sure it doesn't meet safety regulations.

Dating is such a pain I don’t do it very often.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

I have a life, I just don't have someone special to share it with. But it is still a full life. I do what I wanna do when I want to do it (other than going to work :) ) I have people that I love and who love me, I have things to do, and a nice place to live. I am not diminished because I am single, I refuse to be. Get out and get active and find younger friends. There are so many opportunities out there. There is an American Humanists Association group near you, check them out. https://americanhumanist.org/get-involved/find-or-start-a-chapter/

True that!

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

Oh GAWD yes!!

For all the single people on here that want to try a different online dating site.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

Make up an account and let me know what you think. If it is free maybe I will make one up, what the hell do I have to lose?

Hey there.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

Give yourself time to get over that relationship. The menopause hormone thing for me waxed and waned, and still does. My sex drive varies from regular oven, to slow cooker, to power outage. I'm 61, in menopause over 10 years.

I haven't felt a woman close to me in so long.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

I have an assignment for you. The American Humanist Association has a local chapter near you. https://americanhumanist.org/get-involved/find-or-start-a-chapter/ Yes, you need to go. Meet other Humanists in your area. Get out, get involved. Chances are good there will be some single ladies there. No promises, but it is a step in the right direction. Yeah, I know, I know; no guarantees. I've been single for about 10 years, active with my chapter for 3 years and VP for the past year. No personal relationships but great friendships. I live in a conservative bastion, I'm over 60. I think the odds that I will ever meet an truly available decent guy in my metropolitan area are about nil, but I haven't totally given up.

I have a confession.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 14, 2019:

Me too!!

Mom we can sit in your lap? Sure we can ALL fit! 🤣❤🐶🐕❤🤣

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 13, 2019:

so cute!

HEY WOMEN, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN TRUMP & HIS REPUBLICANS WANT TO TAKE YOUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE & ...

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 13, 2019:

Republifucks want those little cannon fodders born, but not educated, fed, or housed. Just ammunition for the war machine.

g:809 What do you all think of a "Help group" for the site.

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 13, 2019:

Sounds like an interesting idea.

I don't have a Websters dictionary but does impeachment mean euthanasia?

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 13, 2019:

No, there is nothing in common between impeachment and euthanasia.

World's Best Compilation of Catchy Cat Names

HippieChick58 comments on Oct 13, 2019:

When I got my girls I knew I wanted to use less used letters of the alphabet, and I wanted strong names. Hence I have Xena (as in Warrior Princess) and Zelda (also a princess). My brother was the only one that noticed or remarked. If I ever get a dog he is likely to be Yuri so I can comletete the XYZ. And yes, my preference would be for a male dog. Not that the girlies ever come to their names, if I want them to come to me I whisper and shake their treat jar.