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Franklin Graham on Supreme Court’s LGBTQ Ruling: “My Rights Should Be Protected” | Beth ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 18, 2020:
> Christian organizations should never be forced to hire people who do not align with their biblical beliefs and should not be prevented from terminating a person whose lifestyle and beliefs undermine the ministry’s purpose and goals" I actually agree with this. And so does US law: a small ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 18, 2020:
Graham sets up a straw man with the idea that his churches are going to be forced to hire LGBTQ employees. Why would anyone of that orientation *want* to work for Franklin Graham in the first place?
MAGA Cultist Bill Mitchell: Systemic Racism is a “Fantasy Created by the Media” | Hemant Mehta |...
indirect76 comments on Jun 17, 2020:
If you define ‘systemic racism’ as racism necessarily written into law, then he is correct. This is not an unreasonable interpretation of ‘systemic racism’, though it is not mine.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
@indirect76 I didn't say you did agree with it. I was hoping to persuade you by rhetoric that it *is* an unreasonable definition ("racism necessarily written into law"), in that it's so narrow it doesn't cover the practical experience of any American since the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. For that matter, there are still many laws being passed even today that, while not overtly racist, effectively target minorities. Voter ID laws, for instance, disproportionately affect minorities, who are less likely to have driver's licenses or state ID cards, thus keeping them away from the polls. And the people passing these laws know it.
‘Defund the Police’ Is a Bad Slogan, but Some Aspects Are Worth Considering | Cato Institute
Paul4747 comments on Jun 17, 2020:
If, by "defund the police", you mean get rid of the paramilitary equipment that everyone accumulated after 9-11 when they were expecting Al Qaeda to show up and attack the grade school, then yes. But I get the sense that some of those waving the placards actually believe that there should be *no*...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
@OldMetalHead That's what the Republican mainstream said in 2016. Let's not swing too far in the reactionary direction.
‘Defund the Police’ Is a Bad Slogan, but Some Aspects Are Worth Considering | Cato Institute
Jetty comments on Jun 17, 2020:
Hi. Coincidentally, I was reading an article about Camden N. J. which disbanded its police force 7 years ago and it seems it's been doing Camden good: https://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-camden-disbands-police-force-for-new-department.html If defunding means ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
They didn't really "disband" it; there's still a police department. It's just reorganized and renamed. It's actually much *larger*. > The Camden County Police Department rehired most of the laid-off cops, along with nearly 100 other officers, but at much lower salaries and with fewer benefits than they had received from the city.... The plan is to create a truly regional force run by the county. So far, though, it’s only operating in the city of Camden. So what's different?
Gravity here guys
Paul4747 comments on Jun 16, 2020:
Reminds me of that old Darwin Awards story... "I am writing in response to your request for additional information, for block number 3 of the accident reporting form. I put 'poor planning' as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully and I trust the ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
@creative51 Thanks!! I encountered the bricklayer story written down when I was trying to find this one. I think it's the original, the radio tower story is just a copy that changed some details around...
MAGA Cultist Bill Mitchell: Systemic Racism is a “Fantasy Created by the Media” | Hemant Mehta |...
Silver1wun comments on Jun 17, 2020:
People who didn't live in times when racism was accepted as common and legal protections from discrimination weren't yet available, don't know what real (original meaning of) racism is. Like other terms such as misogyny and 'hate', they've been conveniently and purposely eroded to mean just about ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
As a Corrections officer, can I ask you; does the established fact that blacks are more likely to get prison time for the exact same crime than whites, and serve out more of their sentence before getting parole, point to a *systemic* racism? Even when accounting for juvenile criminal history, judges are more likely to sentence a black defendant to prison time than to probation. I'm not saying this is necessarily a conscious bias, even, on the part of a judge. Rather, it's the way the system is set up (hence a *systemic* bias). It's assumed that certain factors make a defendant a successful candidate for probation or parole; growing up in a two parent home; a stable employment history; extended family support. All things that are more likely coming from a middle class white background than from an impoverished black background. And once someone has been to prison, it makes it that much harder to get or keep a job once they get out. I'm by no means an apologist for anyone who breaks the law. But the Constitution promises equal protection of the laws, and we've done a rotten job living up to that phrase. > "The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
MAGA Cultist Bill Mitchell: Systemic Racism is a “Fantasy Created by the Media” | Hemant Mehta |...
indirect76 comments on Jun 17, 2020:
If you define ‘systemic racism’ as racism necessarily written into law, then he is correct. This is not an unreasonable interpretation of ‘systemic racism’, though it is not mine.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
@Detritus The tax cuts (and the Bush tax cuts as well) left out almost *everybody* from the greatest part of the benefits. But since people of color are disproportionately also poor and lower middle class, they got disproportionately less benefit from the tax cuts. This was especially egregious in the case of the Bush tax cuts, when he lied outright and said ""By far the vast majority of my tax cuts go to the bottom end of the spectrum"; fully 1/3 went to the top 1%.
MAGA Cultist Bill Mitchell: Systemic Racism is a “Fantasy Created by the Media” | Hemant Mehta |...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 17, 2020:
Oh, *yeah*, I mean, it's so great having double the poverty rate, 1/10 the median wealth, not to mention making up 33% of the prison population (according to the latest Pew Research Center study), even though blacks are only 12% of the population overall (and tend to get longer sentences for the ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
@Detritus (link not working) Maybe I need to update Windows 10, again....
MAGA Cultist Bill Mitchell: Systemic Racism is a “Fantasy Created by the Media” | Hemant Mehta |...
indirect76 comments on Jun 17, 2020:
If you define ‘systemic racism’ as racism necessarily written into law, then he is correct. This is not an unreasonable interpretation of ‘systemic racism’, though it is not mine.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 17, 2020:
It's been actively illegal to discriminate for years, and yet it's still happening. The old conservative canard is that "you can't legislate people's attitudes". But those attitudes express themselves in law, like ending Affirmative Action programs, because supposedly there's been so much progress that they're now unneccesary. "Systemic racism" expresses itself in many, many subtle ways. For example, let's say the admissions officer at an Ivy League school has two students to choose from when filling one available spot. Are they more likely to choose the kid who worked their way up from an inner-city background, while working after school and helping raise their siblings because both parents have full-time jobs.... or the child of the guy they went through the fraternity with and toilet-papered the Dean's house on Halloween, not to mention going on skiing holidays together every summer in Aspen, and also they're on the board of two different companies, and don't forget they donated that building last year... That's not a far-fetched example. George W. Bush, an entirely mediocre student (who also showed up drunk to his interview for Yale, according to legend), was the grandson of a United States senator from Connecticut who had recently served as a member of the Yale Corporation. So he was accepted-- unlike 49 percent of all alumni sons who applied that year. He was a legacy among legacies. Of course, it's unlikely for most white kids applying to college to have these advantages. But almost *no* minority kids do.
Gravity here guys
Paul4747 comments on Jun 16, 2020:
Reminds me of that old Darwin Awards story... "I am writing in response to your request for additional information, for block number 3 of the accident reporting form. I put 'poor planning' as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully and I trust the ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 16, 2020:
@johan17 Also because your case actually happened.
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
Lauren comments on Jun 15, 2020:
Good for you! I was pleased to get my email this morning as well, but for the Alzheimer's Association. Initially I was suspicious (which is just my personality coming through), but it seems to be straight-forward and legit.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 16, 2020:
@Lauren I meant, on getting emails. Silly reply, I was tired. Sorry. Even more so now. I should go to bed.....
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
Lauren comments on Jun 15, 2020:
Good for you! I was pleased to get my email this morning as well, but for the Alzheimer's Association. Initially I was suspicious (which is just my personality coming through), but it seems to be straight-forward and legit.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 15, 2020:
@Lauren Hmm. Maybe they started sending the emails recently, I don't really remember how long I've been getting them. Not trying to gaslight anybody, honest. I just get so many emails, and I delete 75% of them.
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
Lauren comments on Jun 15, 2020:
Good for you! I was pleased to get my email this morning as well, but for the Alzheimer's Association. Initially I was suspicious (which is just my personality coming through), but it seems to be straight-forward and legit.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 15, 2020:
Did you start donating recently? These emails come quarterly, as a little boost to keep the donations (and the shopping) going. It's a marketing technique, sure, but it's also something to legitimately feel good about.
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
St-Sinner comments on Jun 15, 2020:
I sinned again and registered. Thank you.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 15, 2020:
Nope, thank *you*.
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
Fit50something comments on Jun 15, 2020:
That's a great cause, but my Amazon Smile account is supporting the Ferndale (Michigan) Public Library. My brother is a librarian, and he is the Director of Adult Services there.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 15, 2020:
Kudos to him and you.
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 15, 2020:
Link or information on how to sign up please. Googling "smile" is not working. :D
Paul4747 replies on Jun 15, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay I am reasonably sure it's directly through Amazon, just a sub-service which lets one direct part of their purchase to charity. A way for Jeff Bezos to encourage charitable giving in an extremely painless way, all things considered, and at the same time improve his company's bottom line. Does it occur to me that I could donate a lot more just by giving directly to the charities of my choice, without contributing to a mega-corporation at the same time? Certainly. But since I'm guaranteed to buy stuff, and Amazon is the only place I can find many obscure titles anymore, might as well give a little at the same time. And it doesn't detract from my monthly donations to Wikipedia and NPR.
Checking my email today, I was heartened to read: > This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 15, 2020:
Link or information on how to sign up please. Googling "smile" is not working. :D
Paul4747 replies on Jun 15, 2020:
Added it in the post. Searching Amazon Smile also works for me.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay I'm not the one who set up the straw man. You're making an argument from authority now. I'm not obliged to accept your alleged expertise on this particular field as a general refutation of the scientific method. And what little I know of string theory, I picked up by googling it in 5 minutes and paraphrased here, for which I make no apologies. Yes, it's a strawman you set up. Observe first, then formulate the hypothesis, conduct your experiments and either accept or reject the hypothesis. But the God hypothesis is not open to rejection since there's nothing to test. An experiment, such as "I'll pray to win the lottery, and if it works, then God exists," is impossible, because believers will always refute it with, "It wasn't God's will for you to win the lottery." The hypothesis can never be rejected in the eyes of those who believe. That's the problem, and that's what you're refusing to address.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@WilliamFleming The laws of physics are the laws of physics. Speculating how the universe would be different with different laws is futile as far as I'm concerned, because this IS the universe. Any more than wondering what Earth would be like if it were X many miles different in its orbit. Either A) no life would have evolved, or B) the life that evolved would be speculating how lucky it was to be on a planet so wonderfully warm, and how no life could have come about anywhere colder. We've seen examples of life at the foot of deep-ocean volcanoes. Life is tougher than we imagined. What is it about? It's about whatever you think it's about. As Joss Whedon wrote, "If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters..., then all that matters is what we do." That's not a reductionist view, it's a humanist view. It's a call to be the best people we can be to one another. There's no cosmic plan, there's no great beginning and no end, just a cycle of matter being created and destroyed. If you truly need a sense of cosmic grandeur, the fact that we all derive ultimately from the atoms of the Big Bang is stupendous enough to boggle my mind, at least. The fact that our existence as a species, in this form, an upright, language-using, technological hominid, is a billions to one, nay, a trilions to one shot, and yet here we are. Not because anything or anyone planned it, but because we got lucky as a species and out-competed or assimilated our primate cousins, along with all the predators that could have done us in along the way. We grew big brains and tool-making hands and running legs that all worked together. And we've managed so far not to kill one another off completely. Being an intimate part of the cosmic cycle, from Big Bang to Great Collapse, which will lead inevitably to the next universe- isn't that enough?
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@WilliamFleming In the Beginning was nothing, which exploded. Gasses condensed becoming solids. Rocks smashed together forming planets (except when they were gas giants). Complex carbons arose and said Yea, let us form RNA compounds and reproduce like nobody's business, for it is to our advantage to survive. And they ate one another and thrived. And the DNA did inherit the Earth. That's mystery enough for me. Life exists because it's life's nature to exist. Yes, it's a tautology, but we're never going to achieve better. Calling it "miraculous" implies something supernatural. I prefer to realize that it was a billion-to-one chance. Luckily, there were undoubtedly tens of billions of chances during the youth of the planet for the process of life to begin. It certainly began over and over again until it was successful at last.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay Apples and oranges. String theory is subject to physical testing. Some day string theory will either be verified by testing, or superseded by another, better theory. The "scientific" arguments for the existence of God, on the other hand, are mainly arguments from design; because the universe exists in a certain way, capable of sustaining life, and because we are such life, it follows that God designed it for us. These are circular arguments, incapable of being tested, which is why believers can keep arguing them. Picking out one of the most arcane and hardest to test theories in science is a strawman, to the extent that you're comparing it to trying to scientifically prove the existence of a supernatural being, which is by very definition impossible. There's nothing inconsistent in my view. Science is only able to test the physical. Religion is a philosophical field. Trying to prove the existence of gods is impossible, as there will (in all probability) never be any direct physical evidence. Apologists are therefore left trying to denigrate science as "only a theory" and at the same time, claiming that someday we may see some evidence of god. Scientific theories are based on *observation and evidence*. String theory was based on the observation of what was missing, and inferred from that, or so I understand it. Where's the observation and evidence of gods? Without some physical evidence, it makes no sense to keep open the possibility of gods' existence. Everything man has imputed as evidence of gods, has been equally explained by natural causes. Even Sasquatch left some footprints (even though they were probably faked). So there's more grounds to believe in Sasquatch than to believe in gods.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay Okay. Now we're getting somewhere. So how is it that the Hubble Telescope, in all its wonder, still can't spot Heaven? When all natural explanations suffice, why do we need god? Basically, when all "scientific" investigations have failed to prove god's existence, when do we go ahead and admit that science can't prove the unscientific?
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
Fred_Snerd comments on Jun 14, 2020:
I forget this site has an anti-religion bent. I'm in full anti-fascism mode.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@Gareth Is Fred trying to say this thread is irrelevant to him? In which case he could have come out and said so in so many words.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@WilliamFleming Do I need to account for reality itself? Reality was here before us and will be here after we're gone. It has no meaning other than what we give it. There's no consciousness other than the living things in it. The only "universal" anything is existence. What is, is.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay There's a stark difference between scientific theory, which is subject to testing and validation (in the case of string theory, currently using the Large Hadron Collider to verify crucial aspects of the theory), and religious belief, which is validated only in the mind of the believer. Unless there's some test of which I'm unaware which has proposed to verify the existence of God. A theory that can't be tested is just an interesting idea. Like religion.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
Fred_Snerd comments on Jun 14, 2020:
I forget this site has an anti-religion bent. I'm in full anti-fascism mode.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@Fred_Snerd I'm just at a loss about our conversation here. Such as it is.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
Fred_Snerd comments on Jun 14, 2020:
I forget this site has an anti-religion bent. I'm in full anti-fascism mode.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@Fred_Snerd I admit it, I'm lost.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay Your logic is faulty. > no evidence against god(s) means one is justified in acting as if there are god(s). Having no evidence that the person in line behind me at the grocery store is *not* planning to kill me, I'm justified, by that kind of logic, in preemptively assaulting him to stop him killing me. Just because I couldn't see the gun in his pocket doesn't mean it's not there. Or let's take a milder example: it's illogical to stop at every corner in the belief that an oncoming car is about to run through the intersection. Just because you can't see it coming doesn't mean it's not there. Believing without evidence is called "wishful thinking" where I come from. Yes, that's also what religion calls "faith".
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
Fred_Snerd comments on Jun 14, 2020:
I forget this site has an anti-religion bent. I'm in full anti-fascism mode.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
Careful throwing that label around, Fred. Nobody here is a "fascist". (By definition, "authoritarian, oppressive, or intolerant".) We listen to all religious views, and then we shoot them down cheerfully because they're ridiculous. Religious people, on the other hand, can be quite nice as long as they don't come around trying to convert the heathen atheists. If they do, they shouldn't be surprised at what happens next.
“I cannot say with absolute certainty that my wife is not a professional assassin hired by the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Jun 14, 2020:
There is a sliver of validity to that argument insofar as without evidence promoting a course of action one should not worry about that course of action. However, the set up is all wrong. We know china, assasisn, and wives exist independent of each other. We also know (or at least it's not ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 14, 2020:
Actually, that's the point. > We don't know that gods exist, we don't know what evidence exists... Precisely. So far, all the "evidence" for the existence of gods has boiled down to random chance, confirmation bias and wishful thinking, or else can be explained as the operations of nature. Example: "How could something as complex as the eye exist without God to design it?" This has been answered by evolutionary biologists quite simply, as various stages of the eye exist in varying complexity and in various creatures, and it can easily be seen how it has evolved from a simple light-sensing spot to the complex organ it is today. Indeed, if God designed it, why did he design it upside down, so that the brain has to flip the images over to comprehend them? Until and unless someone comes up with incontrovertible evidence of the existence of gods, in other words, some actual miracle that can't be explained as chance, folklore, or a natural occurence; better still, a god actually appearing unto a bunch of multiple independent witnesses, maybe with cameras, not just to some random sheep tender out in the middle of nowhere (why is God so damn shy, anyway?); then, as Navabi says, there simply is no evidence. Navabi is not claiming "absence of evidence is evidence of absence". Merely that it's more likely that his wife is a Chinese assassin, since that doesn't violate any laws of nature, whereas the existence of gods does, being by definition "supernatural". For what it's worth, it's also more likely that you'll be abducted by aliens than possessed by demons, since alien life forms don't violate the laws of nature, but demons do. However highly unlikely alien abductions are (and that's the very height of improbability, in my estimation).
Josh and Shannon Harris separation: The author of abstinence book I Kissed Dating Goodbye is ending ...
Paul4747 comments on Oct 11, 2019:
I once read that only 30% of those who took abstinence pledges kept to them, and most of those who broke the vow did NOT use birth control. But my favorite all-time statistic was that 2/3 who didn't have intercourse DID have oral sex.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 13, 2020:
@Alchemy Oh, mind you, I'm not critiquing the choice in terms of pregnancy prevention, just that it's a level of hypocrisy. "We're absolutely still virgins, I just gave him a blowjob." And God is supposed to be okay with that, I guess.
Stolen from my friend on Facebook Blaming all cops for the thuggish and murderous behavior of a ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 9, 2020:
Thinking of anyone as a fungible group, where all the members are identical and indistinguishable, leads to prejudiced thinking. There's a street or gang code "1312", which stands for "ACAB"; "All Cops Are Bastards". Certainly *some* cops are bastards. Others, I believe the great majority, are ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 10, 2020:
@Theresa_N I respectfully disagree. Nobody I work with thinks these cops were at all justified.
Stolen from my friend on Facebook Blaming all cops for the thuggish and murderous behavior of a ...
redbai comments on Jun 8, 2020:
Actually, that's BS. People CHOOSE to be cops. So by making a choice to be associated with cops you also voluntarily take on some of the negative baggage they hold. Now, if while a cop a person can demonstrate that they're different than the rest, i.e. a person like Frank Serpico, that might ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 10, 2020:
@redbai I'm talking about an everyday encounter like wanting to tear up a speeding ticket, that's all. I'm sorry I gave the wrong impression.
Stolen from my friend on Facebook Blaming all cops for the thuggish and murderous behavior of a ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 9, 2020:
Thinking of anyone as a fungible group, where all the members are identical and indistinguishable, leads to prejudiced thinking. There's a street or gang code "1312", which stands for "ACAB"; "All Cops Are Bastards". Certainly *some* cops are bastards. Others, I believe the great majority, are ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 9, 2020:
@Paul_Clamberer I presume you know (and we've both been in the service) how hard it can be to stand out from the crowd, even when it's the right thing to do. None of the privates at My Lai thought of themselves as murderers; they had orders to follow. Many police departments talk in terms of being at war with "the criminal element"; many people talk in terms of being at war with the police. When this militarized language is used, it's far too easy to fall into a mindset where "the enemy" is anyone who pushes back. Even though it's fictional, *End Of Watch* is a good film to see how police officers cope with the day to day issues and see the actual reactions of people on the street to a uniform. Their interactions are almost identical to mine and my fellow officers in the prison setting. Some are friendly, some are neutral, some would like to see us dead, and it's hard sometimes to tell which is which; hence the stress and sometimes the anger.
Stolen from my friend on Facebook Blaming all cops for the thuggish and murderous behavior of a ...
redbai comments on Jun 8, 2020:
Actually, that's BS. People CHOOSE to be cops. So by making a choice to be associated with cops you also voluntarily take on some of the negative baggage they hold. Now, if while a cop a person can demonstrate that they're different than the rest, i.e. a person like Frank Serpico, that might ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 9, 2020:
@AmmaRE007 Why I went into the profession was partly to serve the people, and partly because it was supposed to be a job with a pension. There can be a lot of anger in the job. Officers feel often they're assumed to be the enemy by anyone they deal with, and on the other side people don't understand why an officer can't just shrug an offense off or look the other way. I understand the frustration on both sides and how a conversation can quickly become a confrontation.
Texas GOP Leader: George Floyd’s Murder Was “Staged” to Create “Racial Tensions” | Hemant...
BlackDove comments on Jun 6, 2020:
By the same idiots who think Sandy Hook was staged too.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 7, 2020:
As I said below; to a certain kind of "thinker", everything is a conspiracy; there is no such thing as a random event. And it's all aimed at them.
Texas GOP Leader: George Floyd’s Murder Was “Staged” to Create “Racial Tensions” | Hemant...
DenoPenno comments on Jun 6, 2020:
I read one about this that reported it was all staged to embarrass Donald Trump. OK. Some of the cops are now quitting because of the George Floyd murder in support of the cops that were involved in the killing. How does this woman justify that when it would indicate that cops do not like Trump? I ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 7, 2020:
Conspiriatorially-minded people tend to see *everything* as a plot or a plan; there are no random events. Everything is intentional and part of a plot to victimize them or their side. Trump and his supporters are currently the kings of this kind of thinking, although many on the left are also victims of this tendency. The truth is, mostly shit just happens.
If I ask "Do god(s)s exist?
Paul4747 comments on Jun 6, 2020:
I think I speak for most when I say: ***YOU DON'T GET TO LABEL OTHER PEOPLE.*** (Corrected.)
Paul4747 replies on Jun 7, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay Corrected. It was the heat of the moment.
How many of you found the christian straight jacket view of sex turned you off and enticed you away ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 6, 2020:
I had a 9 year, on & off affair with my neighbor's wife in my long-ago youth. They were Jehovah's Witnesses both. She certainly didn't let religion get in the way of her sex life. Lady was a *freak*, in the best possible way. (As for me, at the time I was just a more or less Gnostic Christian, ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 6, 2020:
@whiskywoman It could have been (should have been) her husband taking care of her, *he* let religion get in the way. Sex was only for having kids, and they had one. So she was neglected. I was indeed lucky to be the younger guy next door.
Yale Epidemiologist: Hydroxychloroquine Should Be 'Widely Available And Promoted Immediately' As ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 3, 2020:
Then he disagrees with the studies I've read about (but don't have time to dig up the links to right now), which were actually discontinued because of patients dying from side effects. And this was in a medical setting.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 5, 2020:
@WilliamFleming It really doesn't, except that he's inserted himself into the issue by touting it as a miracle cure at every available opportunity; so he made his opinion part of the issue, up to the point where a top government researcher was reassigned out of his job when he didn't pursue Trump's personal priorities. He's looking for an "easy button" to end a global pandemic. Any halfway educated person knows there is no such thing. It doesn't just disappear like a miracle in time for the convention.
Yale Epidemiologist: Hydroxychloroquine Should Be 'Widely Available And Promoted Immediately' As ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 3, 2020:
Then he disagrees with the studies I've read about (but don't have time to dig up the links to right now), which were actually discontinued because of patients dying from side effects. And this was in a medical setting.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 5, 2020:
@WilliamFleming That's not the study I was talking about: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242201661.html The anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which President Donald Trump has touted as a treatment for COVID-19, was found to have no benefits and linked to higher death rates in coronavirus patients, according to a new study. The study, which was postedTuesday on medrxiv.org, analyzed the outcomes of 368 male Veterans Affairs patients hospitalized with COVID-19 nationwide until April 11. The study hasn’t been peer-reviewed and was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the University of Virginia. Of the patients studied, 97 received hydroxychloroquine, 113 received hydroxychloroquine with the antibiotic drug azithromycin, and 158 didn’t receive any hydroxychloroquine, according to the study. More than 27% of patients treated with hydroxychloroquine died and 22% treated with both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin died, compared to the 11.4% who died and weren’t treated with those drugs, according to the study. “An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs,” the authors of the study wrote. The study also found that hydroxychloroquine didn’t reduce the risk of a COVID-19 patient having to go on a ventilator.
Researchers report that more than two-thirds of self-identified atheists shed that label after their...
Cyklone comments on Jun 4, 2020:
"I can't wait to have this same study done on self-identified agnostics. I want to believe that we will not shift our perspective in as large numbers as atheist but wanting to believe doesn't make it so". What, because they're already middle of the road you think you'll have to worry less about ...
Paul4747 replies on Jun 5, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay Your premise is flawed. Atheists don't by definition "unbelieve" any more than agnostics. Everyone is different in how they experience a mind-altering drug. Some are more susceptible to "life-changing" experiences, while others find them merely recreational. I also noted that the average age of the drug takers in the study was 25, a time of life when people frequently change their beliefs radically. This was also a self-selected study, which means they have no idea how many atheists took psychodelic drugs and went, "Huh. Neat colors," and that was the end of it. They also have no idea how many "found God" for a year or two and then said, "Man, those drugs messed with my fuckin head." For the study to have any meaning at all, they also need to research how many self-identified atheists remained atheists and are just as happy. There's no basis for comparison. It's a study of two groups that had similiar experiences, one with and one without drugs. There's NO participation by atheists who remained atheists. Consider who funded and helped write the study (the Council on Spiritual Practices) and it seems as if they reached a foregone conclusion. There's no indication how they polled for participants. Did they put out an invitation for people who dramatically "found God" to come talk about what happened? That would be stacking the deck in favor of the result they wanted. In short, all due respect to Johns Hopkins, this study seems like a crock.
Researchers report that more than two-thirds of self-identified atheists shed that label after their...
UUNJ comments on Jun 4, 2020:
A lot of people orgasm and say, “Oh god!” but that doesn’t mean they’ve become theists.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 5, 2020:
Amen to that! Not to brag but I've participated in a number of religious experiences, by that standard.
Yale Epidemiologist: Hydroxychloroquine Should Be 'Widely Available And Promoted Immediately' As ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 3, 2020:
Then he disagrees with the studies I've read about (but don't have time to dig up the links to right now), which were actually discontinued because of patients dying from side effects. And this was in a medical setting.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 4, 2020:
@WilliamFleming I note this in today's Washington Post: "Meanwhile, a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that hydroxychloroquine did not prevent healthy people exposed to covid-19 from getting the disease caused by the coronavirus. The study is the first randomized clinical trial that tested the antimalarial drug, which President Trump touted, as a preventive measure." https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/03/hydroxychloroquine-clinical-trial-results/
Yale Epidemiologist: Hydroxychloroquine Should Be 'Widely Available And Promoted Immediately' As ...
Paul4747 comments on Jun 3, 2020:
Then he disagrees with the studies I've read about (but don't have time to dig up the links to right now), which were actually discontinued because of patients dying from side effects. And this was in a medical setting.
Paul4747 replies on Jun 3, 2020:
@WilliamFleming Correct, one is taken as a treatment for lupus, not as a prophylactic for covid-19. I'm very hesitant to put any faith in such a use, based on what seems basically apocryphal studies, even from a "Yale epidemiologist". Maybe if he'd gone to Harvard....
I mowed the lawn for my ex today.
barjoe comments on May 31, 2020:
You have kids?
Paul4747 replies on May 31, 2020:
We share our daughter. Credit where credit's due, she does most of the work raising her, I still pay the mortgage. A little lawn mowing isn't a sacrifice.
John Pavlovitz argues that "Prolific Racism Needs Complicit White People.
Paul4747 comments on May 29, 2020:
Know what? "Ism" doesn't kill people. "Ists" do. It's not about color, it's about power. Those who feel threatened that they're going to lose power act out of fear. People hate what they fear. And the flip side is that those who want power hate those who have it. I've read the most sickening ...
Paul4747 replies on May 30, 2020:
@Alchemy I understand people generalize "prisons". There's also a right-wing faith that the private sector does everything better and cheaper, which is not the case. Cheaper in terms of tax dollars? Maybe. But only because they deliver no services in terms of rehabilitation or care, and are simply warehouses (even worse than state prisons, which are warehousing on one level while also trying to rehabilitate as much as our prisoners will let us. We offer GED and vocational programs, even college programs, at no cost).
John Pavlovitz argues that "Prolific Racism Needs Complicit White People.
Paul4747 comments on May 29, 2020:
Know what? "Ism" doesn't kill people. "Ists" do. It's not about color, it's about power. Those who feel threatened that they're going to lose power act out of fear. People hate what they fear. And the flip side is that those who want power hate those who have it. I've read the most sickening ...
Paul4747 replies on May 29, 2020:
@Alchemy I can't speak to your personal story except to express my sympathy for you and the woman you speak of, who was undoubtedly courageous and compassionate. I will tell you factually, however, that "for profit prisons" are a myth in states where they are run by the civil service, not a privatized industry. In Michigan, we're the single largest line item in the budget. It costs upward of $50k a year to incarcerate someone in state prison, and that's not considering the extraordinary medical expenses as our population ages. I have 15 prisoners in wheelchairs on a lower level with an elevator access that has been completely replaced three times in ten years, costing umpteen thousand dollars for that alone. We have prisoners being treated daily for cancer at outside hospitals, at the state's expense. I'm not going to go on because it would seem I'm complaining, and I'm really not. I'm just pointing out that we don't make money here, we toss it into a bottomless pit. The only way any company could make money at this is to neglect the most basic services and security arrangements. And I'm equally disgusted by the woman in the park. I can't imagine a more obnoxious human being. I've been swatted twice, by my neighbor who was off her meds and imagined she heard crimes being committed in my apartment (so I forgive her I guess), and I can't imagine who would do that to someone standing face to face. That's a despicable excuse for a human being.
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
Paul4747 comments on May 27, 2020:
I'm devoted to an orderly justice system. I don't know who trained these yabos but it wasn't the same people who trained me. I would be on stop order from my department if I came close to putting a knee anywhere near anyone's neck. First, of course, the tragedy of someone losing their life; then ...
Paul4747 replies on May 29, 2020:
@SeaGreenEyez Shame on you. You think you know me. You don't. What someone does for a living is their job, not who they are. Please don't ever, ever, ever try to read my mind.
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
Paul4747 comments on May 27, 2020:
I'm devoted to an orderly justice system. I don't know who trained these yabos but it wasn't the same people who trained me. I would be on stop order from my department if I came close to putting a knee anywhere near anyone's neck. First, of course, the tragedy of someone losing their life; then ...
Paul4747 replies on May 28, 2020:
@SeaGreenEyez @Stilltrying1964 I am not defending their actions, as you have read above. They're as wrong as wrong can be. But you're reading their minds and calling them "racist", and that's unjustified unless you know them personally or know something about them beyond this incident. I am on the inside and I know that this is an accusation that is thrown out anytime a white officer interacts with a person of another race. When I ticket a black prisoner, he says it's because he's black. When I ticket a white guy, he says he wouldn't be getting a ticket if *he* was black. Everyone plays the race card. Whereas what I see is someone commtting a violation and then arguing with me, and making my day a little more of a pain in the ass. I don't see color. Yes, there are racists in uniform. But law enforcement is not uniformly racist.
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
TheMiddleWay comments on May 27, 2020:
I have no problem with the second picture but I'll await the coroners report before rendering judgement on the first.
Paul4747 replies on May 28, 2020:
@barjoe Thank you for that research. If those are their guidelines, well, that's what it is. They're talking about two different situations. I'm talking about a leverage position used while applying restraints, to keep a subject prone. They're talking about gaining control in the first place over someone who is actively combative, which I guess I can see... but the risk of putting your weight on someone's neck is something I wouldn't want to do. But the last line you quoted vitiates their whole encounter, as he is using this move on someone who is already restrained and no threat, for several minutes, as you say.
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
Paul4747 comments on May 27, 2020:
I'm devoted to an orderly justice system. I don't know who trained these yabos but it wasn't the same people who trained me. I would be on stop order from my department if I came close to putting a knee anywhere near anyone's neck. First, of course, the tragedy of someone losing their life; then ...
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
@Stilltrying1964 You're making a conclusion without any evidence, unless you personally know anything about the individuals beyond what's in the news. That's all I have to say.
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
TheMiddleWay comments on May 27, 2020:
I have no problem with the second picture but I'll await the coroners report before rendering judgement on the first.
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
@Stilltrying1964 Okay, I *am* a cop and countless people have used the "I can't breathe" line on me. Frequently at the top of their lungs, which pretty much gives the lie to not being able to breathe. The point I'm making is that, as I was trained (and @TheMiddleWay probably makes a valid point about other departments being different), putting a knee on a neck is not "pressure points", it's deadly force. And there's no excuse to use deadly force on someone in handcuffs who is incapable of resisting at that point. Deadly force is also defined as "likely to cause serious physical injury". They didn't control the guy. They didn't control themselves.
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
TheMiddleWay comments on May 27, 2020:
I have no problem with the second picture but I'll await the coroners report before rendering judgement on the first.
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
@TheMiddleWay True, my experience is based on the standards of the American Correctioons Association manual. But it's not a stretch to believe that these standards are similar across departments, especially in view of the Minneapolis PD Use Of Force policy, which I happen to have a link to right here. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/policy/mpdpolicy_5-300_5-300 I call attention especially to these excerpts: "“Because the test of reasonableness under the Fourth Amendment is not capable of precise definition or mechanical application, its proper application requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances of each particular case, including: The severity of the crime at issue, Whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and; Whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight. ... Whenever reasonable according to MPD policies and training, officers shall use de-escalation tactics to gain voluntary compliance and seek to avoid or minimize use of physical force. (06/01/12) (07/28/16) 1. When safe and feasible, officers shall: a. Attempt to slow down or stabilize the situation so that more time, options and resources are available. i. Mitigating the immediacy of threat gives officers more time to call additional officers or specialty units and to use other resources. ii. The number of officers on scene may make more force options available and may help reduce overall force used. b. Consider whether a subject’s lack of compliance is a deliberate attempt to resist or an inability to comply based on factors including, but not limited to: · Medical conditions · Mental impairment · Developmental disability · Physical limitation · Language barrier · Influence of drug or alcohol use · Behavioral crisis Such consideration, when time and circumstances reasonably permit, shall then be balanced against incident facts when deciding which tactical options are the most appropriate to resolve the situation safely. 2. De-escalation tactics include, but are not limited to: ... · Avoidance of physical confrontation, unless immediately necessary (e.g. to protect someone or stop dangerous behavior). · Using verbal techniques to calm an agitated subject and promote rational decision making. · Calling additional resources to assist, including more officers, CIT officers and officers equipped with less-lethal tools. 1. Officers shall use reasonableness, sound tactics and available options during encounters to maximize the likelihood that they can safely resolve the situation. 2. A lack of reasonable or sound tactics can limit...
How did you, or do you react to these 2 photos, and the stories behind them?
TheMiddleWay comments on May 27, 2020:
I have no problem with the second picture but I'll await the coroners report before rendering judgement on the first.
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
I can render judgement on the first right picture now. I've been in Corrections almost 21 years, and once an individual in restrained, you get him up. No two ways about it. Someone in restraints in under control. I would be out of a job if I put my knee near a person's neck. On the shoulder, in the middle of the back, those are acceptable control positions while you and your partner are putting someone in restraints. And then, as I said, you each take an elbow and stand the individual up. No waiting. No excuses. There were four officers on the scene and they had a vehicle to put him in. **There is no excuse. None. Whatsoever.** And I'm famous around here for saying "wait until you know both sides". On this, there's no other side. They were unprofessional as hell. This is a black eye to law enforcement everywhere, and we all have to live with guilt by association. The professionals who know what we're doing will be looked down on and second-guessed every time we go to take someone down, because of these clowns. For years to come. I'm beyond angry to just quietly infuriated. If they end up in prison, I have no sympathy. This behavior tells me they've been screwing up for years, this time it went south on them.
On a serious note .
YaAtEeh comments on May 27, 2020:
Being circumspect in a new group is prudent. It is best to allow yourself to perceive and learn rather than wade in. I have learned it is best not to interpret, anticipate, or have an agenda when you wish to establish rapport. It has been my experience that profanity is an expression of fear. ...
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
@creative51 @SeaGreenEyez I'm like a train wreck, you don't want to look but you can't help it.
On a serious note .
YaAtEeh comments on May 27, 2020:
Being circumspect in a new group is prudent. It is best to allow yourself to perceive and learn rather than wade in. I have learned it is best not to interpret, anticipate, or have an agenda when you wish to establish rapport. It has been my experience that profanity is an expression of fear. ...
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
Dafuq? I can't see going far around here being circumspect, just dive in. If they don't like you, they'll block you. And send a message saying they've blocked you, which you won't be able to read, because they blocked you.
On a serious note .
Normanbites comments on May 27, 2020:
Thank God I'm an atheist!! :-D
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
Yeah, but which one? I prefer Thor, he throws great parties
On a serious note .
Paul4747 comments on May 27, 2020:
Well I'll just fuck off, then. :D
Paul4747 replies on May 27, 2020:
@SeaGreenEyez I took your thread in the spirit of which it was intended, I'm sure
What phrases do you only hear in the Midwest?
Paul4747 comments on May 26, 2020:
Greetings from Michigan! Let me buy you a pop! (Everywhere else, I believe, it's called "soda")
Paul4747 replies on May 26, 2020:
@LiterateHiker I think of myself as "comfortable".
What phrases do you only hear in the Midwest?
Paul4747 comments on May 26, 2020:
Greetings from Michigan! Let me buy you a pop! (Everywhere else, I believe, it's called "soda")
Paul4747 replies on May 26, 2020:
@LiterateHiker Isn't everything full of chemicals? H2O is a chemical compound. We breathe CO2 all day. Not to say I don't know what you mean, but just calling it "chemicals" isn't very descriptive. And I think all the preservatives over the years have contributed to my youthful good looks. ;)
Does Trump have PSP Frontotemproal Dementia? I am sure that he does.
TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2020:
My view is that both him and Biden have some kind of dementia. Trump's is not as far along as Biden's and also that Trump was more of an asshole before dementia than Biden. But the fact remains that because of the system where both parties are owned by the same people and we are only allowed choices...
Paul4747 replies on May 25, 2020:
@TomMcGiverin Let's say rather that I don't hate Joe for not being Bernie.
Does Trump have PSP Frontotemproal Dementia? I am sure that he does.
TomMcGiverin comments on May 25, 2020:
My view is that both him and Biden have some kind of dementia. Trump's is not as far along as Biden's and also that Trump was more of an asshole before dementia than Biden. But the fact remains that because of the system where both parties are owned by the same people and we are only allowed choices...
Paul4747 replies on May 25, 2020:
Stuttering is not the same as dementia. Trump has dementia, and Biden has a stutter. Both conditions cause speech that can appear disjointed. A stutter will often have the person speaking fumble for a word, and replace it with a word or phrase of similar meaning, but lacking a sound that the speaker finds particularly difficult. Dementia causes the speaker to forget what he is talking about, so he starts talking about something completely different halfway through the sentence. You don't hear Biden doing that. You don't get Biden saying things like how George Washington and the Revolutionary War heroes seized the airports, or giving press conferences that include sentences like “You have local governments. They’re pinpointed. And really, you talk about, uh, it’s like a microchip. They’re pinpointed. We have local governments.” and “I was last night in West Virginia, and I had farmers coming up to me and hugging me and kissing me, because of the cattle stuff." Neither one is extremely good at talking off the cuff, but with Biden you don't get *batshit crazy* talk. If anything, sometimes I wonder if his mind is actually going too fast for him to keep up with, and he's trying to get three thoughts out at once. This will cause someone to make fumbles like talking about the person you're thinking of, rather than the person you're talking *to*. Happens to me all the time. And I'm damn sure I don't have dementia, I'm just getting old and I have a busy life. And no speechwriter.
Was Jesus a man who became mythicized or a myth that became historicized or something else?
KKGator comments on May 23, 2020:
There is no definitive evidence that Jesus Christ was ever a real person. There is absolutely no mention of him in any records of the time that he was supposedly alive. The Roman occupiers in the region were meticulous record-keepers. Yet, there is not one single mention of anyone by that name,...
Paul4747 replies on May 23, 2020:
I've read (although not in the original Latin, obviously) that Tacitus refers to him in his histories. There are also *some* (although not all) early manuscripts of Tacitus that say he led riots in Rome in his 40s, so make of that what you will. Then again, it may have developed that those turned out to be forgeries. I haven't kept up since I got out of school.
COVID-19 pandemic myths are spreading faster than the virus. But Why?
of-the-mountain comments on May 22, 2020:
Mass media is following the line that everything that does not support the line of the medical community owned by the pharmaceutical industries is false!!! We are so douched 24/7 By news media with fear mongering and death tolls!!! Are we now reliving the Vietnam war in viral form as a ...
Paul4747 replies on May 22, 2020:
Here's the thing; when I read your bio and see a quote like this: "Poor deluded moronic idiots so full of them selves that they are condemning those who are not meshed into their demented mental world, hence they are always right, never wrong, hence never admitting they are harming or have wronged!!! Seems too many absolutely moronic idiots who rather harass and respond without any form of intelligence or comprehension!" I see a lot of projection there. I've never once seen any thread where you don't condemn the ideas of all those who disagree with *you*; you're never wrong; you claim to be "in the know" more than anyone else here; you cite sources that are, to put it mildly, unreliable, but you treat them as gospel because they back up your world view. Don't you suppose that by now, if there were some sort of worldwide conspiracy, Fox News would have been reporting it 24/7 with blaring banner headlines, since it would tend to absolve their favorite candidate of any responsibility and (theoretically) give him a better chance at reelection? How exactly is it that lone internet journalists are so brilliant at uncovering cunning worldwide conspiracies, anyway? Obviously, the conspirators aren't that cunning, which makes me think that either A) they're incompetent to run the conspiracy, thus it wouldn't have worked in the first place, or B) there *is no* conspiracy. I lean toward the latter explanation. I also take note that of all the great (real) scandals of American history in my lifetime, it's been mainstream journalists who broke the stories; organizations like the Washington Post or NPR. People who are actual journalists. In short; your act is getting a little tired.
[agnostic.
PabloNeruda comments on May 22, 2020:
The link isn't working but none the less I can imagine! I would also suggest to use some punctuation in the main question you are trying to ask. A moron who burns the 'book' of another moron is another proof of Darwins work of the 'undeveloped creatures' they are!
Paul4747 replies on May 22, 2020:
@Mcflewster My first thought was, "Terry Jones from Monty Python is second most wanted after Salman Rushdie??"
Utah Decriminalizes Polygamy with Near Unanimous Support by Legislators - Daily Citizen
Fred_Snerd comments on May 20, 2020:
Their men are in different kind of heaven. "Some Christians actively debate whether the New Testament or Christian ethics allows or forbids polygamy and there are several Christian views on the Old Covenant. This debate focuses almost exclusively on polygyny (one man having more than one wife) ...
Paul4747 replies on May 20, 2020:
@Lorajay Well, I've been described as "an exceptional lover" by someone in a position to know...
Utah Decriminalizes Polygamy with Near Unanimous Support by Legislators - Daily Citizen
Gatovicolo comments on May 20, 2020:
There’s still a federal statue against polygamy. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/educate/educator-resources/lessons-plans/landmark-supreme-court-cases-elessons/reynolds-v-united-states-1878/
Paul4747 replies on May 20, 2020:
There's also a federal statute against marijuana. The question is, how much do we want the Feds sticking their noses into the business of consenting adults, providing nobody's getting hurt? Especially when there's so much right now that they should be doing that's much more important....
As much as I admire the Post Office, and as much as I support the Post Office, especially in these ...
glennlab comments on May 20, 2020:
I used to mail over a million pieces a week via the PO truck system.To say that over my 10 years of doing that I saw some strange things is an understatement. If I were to guess, your package went to a Section Mail Facility that had a backlog, to clear that backlog, they put everything on the next ...
Paul4747 replies on May 20, 2020:
I'm going to go farther and say probably 99%. It's the 1% that seems to be the rare, hard to find items that you really would prefer to have delivered.
As much as I admire the Post Office, and as much as I support the Post Office, especially in these ...
Lorajay comments on May 20, 2020:
I hope since you can track it they can track it too. When I sold glass on the Internet I received and mailed an average of 8 packages a week. They never lost one package coming or going and I only had 2 broken packages in 6 years of doing business. The broken items were items I had bought and were ...
Paul4747 replies on May 20, 2020:
I admit it's a real rarity for this to happen to me. I do a hell of a lot of business through the post and I can't remember when a piece got lost. I did once sell some minor parts to someone and the tracking insisted the box was delivered, but he equally insisted he never got it, so I refunded his money- lucky for me it was parts I had no use for but he did. The fact that this is a collectible apparently made by a company in Australia, and not available anywhere else, is what grinds this in. The shipping was the most expensive part of the deal and made me hesitate for a month before going ahead and buying. Naturally it's lost.
Ga.
Paul4747 comments on May 19, 2020:
They could have seen this coming....
Paul4747 replies on May 19, 2020:
@Rodatheist I say "could have", I guess I was wrong to impute rational thinking.
Nancy Pelosi: Trump 'morbidly obese,' shouldn't use hydroxychloroquine
BD66 comments on May 19, 2020:
Whose opinion do you value more Nancy Pelosi or Trump's Doctor? I'll go with Trump's Doctor:
Paul4747 replies on May 19, 2020:
Considering that his doctor has a financial interest in not losing his job? Let's go with the FDA, which says that this drug should ONLY be used in closely monitored clinical trials when it comes to COVID. Trump isn't in any kind of clinical trial. He refuses to wear a mask or practice social distancing. If he's actually taking this stuff, it's because he thinks it's some kind of prophylactic that will kill COVID before it can infect him; and there's no basis for that. It's not like taking Vitamin C to boost your immune system. Trump is hoping against hope that this junk turns out to work, so he can boast that he was right all along and he single-handedly saved us all. It's not going to happen, though, since we'll remember that it was his downplaying the risk for 2 solid months that have contributed to over 90,000 needless deaths and climbing. 90,000.
Ga.
Justme43 comments on May 19, 2020:
Well I feel sorry if any of the children are infected. The adults, not so much!
Paul4747 replies on May 19, 2020:
@MissKathleen And people who can't read the King's English think this means "little children who are suffering".
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
Paul4747 comments on May 18, 2020:
Gun owners in America are also extremely law abiding. Please realize that gun crime in America is a fraction of a percent of gun ownership in America. However, there is a *substantially* greater number of gun owners in America than (I venture to say) any other Western nation, and most ...
Paul4747 replies on May 19, 2020:
@Cyklone Your laws (and mind you, I'm an outsider critiquing this from the perspective of a first responder and law enforcement professional of 20+ years) seem weighted against the victim. There are any number of scenarios where it's fully justified to use a gun in self-defense, considering the force used against you, the options available to you, the size and strength of your attacker, the possibility of escape, the likelihood of law enforcement or other assistance arriving in time, etc. A gun is your last option, always, but I can't imagine considering it automatically as murder. Surely the courts will take all those factors into consideration, should push ever come to shove.
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
Paul4747 comments on May 18, 2020:
Gun owners in America are also extremely law abiding. Please realize that gun crime in America is a fraction of a percent of gun ownership in America. However, there is a *substantially* greater number of gun owners in America than (I venture to say) any other Western nation, and most ...
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
@Cyklone And apology accepted. Thank you.
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
Paul4747 comments on May 18, 2020:
Gun owners in America are also extremely law abiding. Please realize that gun crime in America is a fraction of a percent of gun ownership in America. However, there is a *substantially* greater number of gun owners in America than (I venture to say) any other Western nation, and most ...
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
@Cyklone "There are NO circumstances in which it is legal for anyone other than police to use a gun on a person in aussie".... again, this bothers me. As a law enforcement professional and veteran, I'm well aware of the use of force guidelines. "Use only that force needed to protect oneself or another from death or serious physical injury. The force used must be proportional to the force presented by an attacker." So, it's illegal to use deadly force to save your own life, if deadly force is used against you? I agree, by all means call the police. However, depending on where you are, average response time can be anything from 11 minutes to an hour (here in America). What do you do in the meantime? What do you do while someone is kicking in your door?
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
Corvislover comments on May 18, 2020:
As an vegetarian American with a gun I understand the perception of other countries of our liberal gun laws. Although I personally have never killed anything with my guns I value the security it gives me as I live alone. So that makes me pro choice and pro gun?
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
@Cyklone A biometric lock on a small pistol safe takes only seconds to open. A key lock takes only a little longer. Since I live alone, I don't feel at all unsafe if my pistol is in my holster when I'm awake. I guess it's your individual judgement.
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
Paul4747 comments on May 18, 2020:
Gun owners in America are also extremely law abiding. Please realize that gun crime in America is a fraction of a percent of gun ownership in America. However, there is a *substantially* greater number of gun owners in America than (I venture to say) any other Western nation, and most ...
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
@creative51 Definitions: "automatic" means a weapon continues firing as long as the trigger is held down. Almost *nobody* civilian owns an automatic weapon, outside of Hollywood studios, and those are strictly licensed and modified to fire blanks. Anyone else who owns one pays a stiff yearly Federal fee for their Class 3 license, and is a serious collector. Next: While I don't wish to be rude, I have only this to say: "Fuck y'all back." You've apparently never had your life or family threatened. You've never worked in law enforcement. You've never had convicted felons and their friends know exactly where you work and exactly what your hours are. You've never been told, "I'll see you out in the world," by someone who has already assaulted and/or shot multiple people. I have good reasons to own and good reasons to carry. I'm a trained professional and I carry what I see fit. Beyond that, people have jobs where they transport sums of cash. People have jobs late at night. People live in bad neighborhoods. If they feel the need for a carry gun, they have that right. Last but not least, it's nothing to do with "needing". It's not your place, not my place, and especially not the government's place to tell anyone what kind of firearm they "need". As long as a person is 21 and law-abiding, their right to be free of interference is superior too what anyone thinks they "need". I personally don't think people need to listen to rap music, play golf, or watch televised poker, but that's not up to me either.
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
PondartIncbendog comments on May 18, 2020:
Ever since I was thirty, when I bought a 22, two magazines and wrote a check for it, I thought it was stupid. So, we can still buy a AR, some magazines, and ammo and walk out of the store the same day. Only trained people should be able to purchase such weapons. All service members remember the ...
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
"We" don't sell to anyone with a previous conviction. You have to fill out and pass a Federal Firearms Licensing check (I may have the wording wrong, it's late at night) before purchase, and it will flag you if you have a felony record; also if you have a restraining order against you for domestic violence, and a few other factors. This all depends on the issuing authority doing their job and entering the data in the system, though. Any system involving humans is imperfect.
Guns - such an inflamatory subject for Americans and when I read the events that @literatehiker ...
Corvislover comments on May 18, 2020:
As an vegetarian American with a gun I understand the perception of other countries of our liberal gun laws. Although I personally have never killed anything with my guns I value the security it gives me as I live alone. So that makes me pro choice and pro gun?
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
@Triphid Thre's a difference between fear and rational caution. Average police response time is around 11 minutes. A lot can happen in 11 minutes,, and none of it is good.
This Priest Used a Water Gun to Shoot Holy Water in Parishioners’ Cars | Hemant Mehta | Friendly ...
aintmisbehaven comments on May 18, 2020:
reminds me of the Monty Python "holy hand grenade" somehow.....
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
One... Two... FIVE!!!
Obama reminds us of what a US president should sound like.
Seeker3CO comments on May 17, 2020:
I so miss the America I thought we were.
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
"America: It was a good idea at the time"
Obama reminds us of what a US president should sound like.
PBuck0145 comments on May 17, 2020:
Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan are much better examples to emulate.
Paul4747 replies on May 18, 2020:
@PBuck0145 Kennedy: unsuccessfully invaded Bay of Pigs, emboldening Soviets to try and place missile bases in Cuba, leading to missile crisis and almost WW3; put "military advisers" in South Viet Nam, leading directly to thousands of American deaths and probably hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian deaths as a consequence. Reagan: responded to terrorist bombing of Marine barracks in Beirut by- invading Grenada, thus signalling to Hezbollah and other extremists that we would let them get away with it. Traded arms for hostages with Iran. Applauded Oliver North and William Casey's illegal war against the Sandanista regime in Nicaragua. Played both sides of Iran-Iraq war. Armed the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, which did not in any way come back to bite us in the ass. I fail to see how either of them, especially Reagan, "actively promoted world peace". Kennedy at least didn't use rhetoric like "Evil Empire", he was a statesman. Reagan was a zealot. I ding Obama over the drone program, which we wouldn't like if other countries used against our freedom fighters; but overall he was far more an active promoter of peace than Reagan.
Corruption Fact Check
Fred_Snerd comments on May 15, 2020:
"This kind of puts it all in a nutshell, doesn't it?" I've always thought that was because the Democrats are more creative and careful with their shenanigans. Also, the media used to love Democrats. They were the rock stars. Fortunately, rock is dead.
Paul4747 replies on May 15, 2020:
@Fred_Snerd If you don't want to vote *for* Biden, then how about casting the most effective possible vote *against* Trump. I realize it comes down to Biden either way, but desperate times may require (for you, anyway) desperate measures.
Corruption Fact Check
Fred_Snerd comments on May 15, 2020:
"This kind of puts it all in a nutshell, doesn't it?" I've always thought that was because the Democrats are more creative and careful with their shenanigans. Also, the media used to love Democrats. They were the rock stars. Fortunately, rock is dead.
Paul4747 replies on May 15, 2020:
@Fred_Snerd I'm not sure how you can *not* take politics seriously, when politics (specifically, the results of the 2016 election and more recently, the knuckling under of the Republican Senators in the impeachment trial for raw politics and pandering to their base) is costing people their actual lives right now. Trump's trying to downplay the pandemic for 2 months because it would hurt the economy and threaten his reelection has resulted in people dying. Politics is serious business. Politics is life and death.
Corruption Fact Check
Fred_Snerd comments on May 15, 2020:
"This kind of puts it all in a nutshell, doesn't it?" I've always thought that was because the Democrats are more creative and careful with their shenanigans. Also, the media used to love Democrats. They were the rock stars. Fortunately, rock is dead.
Paul4747 replies on May 15, 2020:
@Fred_Snerd So which am I? Intellectually I'm an elite, economically I'm one of the "citizenry". Am I a manipulator or a manipulatee in your book?
Corruption Fact Check
Fred_Snerd comments on May 15, 2020:
"This kind of puts it all in a nutshell, doesn't it?" I've always thought that was because the Democrats are more creative and careful with their shenanigans. Also, the media used to love Democrats. They were the rock stars. Fortunately, rock is dead.
Paul4747 replies on May 15, 2020:
I have to disagree. My observation is that Republicans in high office don't see any reason not to profit off it, or why their friends in business shouldn't get some favors written into law regardless of whether that's ethical (or legal). They're "the party of business", after all. There are plenty of wealthy Dems too, don't get me wrong. But most of them go into office on a platform of restraining big business, not taking bribes from it.
I watched or listen to about 90% of Dr.
of-the-mountain comments on May 15, 2020:
Simple none of the numbers add up!!! The truth is out there, just not known to those who it is affecting/effecting now!!! Too many questions, too many answers that do not add up!!! Now there is a US House Bill 6666 which gives the government control on a totalitarian level never experienced...
Paul4747 replies on May 15, 2020:
As usual, your numbers don't add up, especially when it comes to this bill. https://www.khou.com/article/news/verify/verify-hr-6666-does-not-enforce-mandatory-at-home-testing-or-forcibly-remove-people-from-their-home-for-quarantine/507-a7a4ed99-c20e-44b5-b812-a91b975f6f16 "H.R. 6666 was introduced to the House of Representatives earlier this month. Called the COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act, it was designed to fund testing and contact tracing in medically underserved communities and hot spots. But it has been subject to a fair share of claims and rumors. Earlier this week, the VERIFY team fact-checked claims that the bill essentially mandated vaccines, a claim that persisted despite vaccines not being mentioned once in the bill. Since then, people have posted videos and petitions online claiming that the bill allows the government to enter your home to forcibly test you, and remove you from home for quarantine if you test positive. But what does the bill actually say? THE QUESTION Does H.R. 6666 give the government the power to forcibly test you in your home and take you away for quarantining? THE ANSWER No. The bill does not make testing for individuals mandatory and never once suggests that you will be removed from your home. WHAT WE FOUND The bill says it authorizes the “Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, and related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units and, as necessary, at individuals’ residences, and for other purposes.” So it does award grants for entities to conduct testing at people’s homes. But it doesn’t say they’re mandatory anywhere. The sponsor of the bill, Democratic Chicago-area Congressman Bobby Rush, addressed this concern in a media release on his website. "This bill would allow the testers to come to you through mobile testing units and door-to-door outreach, as is safe and necessary, from members of your own community," he said in the statement. "However, if you don’t want to be tested for coronavirus, you won’t don’t have to be — but you should!" He then further reiterated later, “Again, these tests would be completely voluntary.” And then said one last time, “This bill does not authorize anyone to enter your home, for whatever reason, without your permission, nor does it allow the government to remove anyone from your home because of the coronavirus.” Which brings us to the second major claim -- that the bill would allow for the government to remove you from your home or separate you from your children for quarantine if you test positive. The text of the bill does not say anything of the sort. In fact, the bill specifically talks about people ...
Intellectual vs Pseudo
callmedubious comments on May 15, 2020:
obama may have a higher IQ but, imo, he`s a weasel & an even worse human being that trump. i say this bc obama loved to drone civilians. in order to kill one suspected ``terrorist`` he would OK a drone attack that could kill dozens of innocent civilians. he also let all the corrupt bankers off the...
Paul4747 replies on May 15, 2020:
I'm not letting him off the hook for the drone strikes, a policy which will bite us in the ass eventually. But worse than Trump??? It's hard for me to name anyone off the top of my head worse than Trump. Rand Paul might be as bad, but *worse*?
"'Plandemic' Is Dangerous, Viral Nonsense --- A pseudo-documentary full of outrageous, verifiably ...
of-the-mountain comments on May 8, 2020:
Yes!!! If it is all so horribly inaccurate and blankly false!! Why is all of it being censored, removed, and banned? Too many are following what they perceive as the truth! Who is actually checking and doing the research you all are so willingly too believe and follow? It seem too too...
Paul4747 replies on May 9, 2020:
> If it is all so horribly inaccurate and blankly false!! > Why is all of it being censored, removed, and banned? I think you answered your own question there.
What is your favorite Native legend?
Paul4747 comments on May 8, 2020:
Not a legend per se, but I recall Joseph Campbell telling the story of a Navajo sand painter who was showing some of his work for a group of anthropologists. One of them realized that he wasn't finishing the paintings and asked him if he would complete just one, for instance, the one he was doing at...
Paul4747 replies on May 8, 2020:
@LiterateHiker This story may appear there too, but it's definitely in "Transformations of Myth Through Time", which I highly recommend.
Foster's Wisdom is Wise
Paul4747 comments on May 6, 2020:
Let me know how that works for you.
Paul4747 replies on May 7, 2020:
@BDair And if you jump from a tall building, flapping your arms will keep you in the air until you hit the ground.
Brazil is letting the coronavirus run wild with little intervention, and the results are strikingly ...
PBuck0145 comments on May 6, 2020:
Brazil will achieve herd immunity quickly. It will surprise me if, in the long run, Brazil's death rate percentage as higher than average.
Paul4747 replies on May 7, 2020:
@PBuck0145 And there's a second assumption. If you want, instead call them "unproven predictions". So far the known death toll worldwide from the coronavirus is over 1/4 million. That's only the cases with a known diagnosis, it's certain there are others whoo never went to a doctor or never got a test before dying. You're predicting over 1/4 million deaths due to an economic downturn? How exactly do you figure?
Brazil is letting the coronavirus run wild with little intervention, and the results are strikingly ...
BD66 comments on May 7, 2020:
So far, they are doing a whole lot better than the USA.
Paul4747 replies on May 7, 2020:
Depending on the numbers you look at. Raw numbers, yes. Death rate, no. Infection rate, no. Brazil now has the highest coronavirus infection rate in the world. And Bolsonaro fired his health minister when he protested reopening the economy and loosening the social distancing guidelines. (Think of it as "Trump dismissing Fauci because he disagreed over reopening the nation on Easter".) Besides this, the government has basically no influence in the favelas, where the gangs are in control. So the infection rate is going nowhere but up. In America, our daily new cases are finally going down somewhat. Brazil's are going up like a bottle rocket.
Brazil is letting the coronavirus run wild with little intervention, and the results are strikingly ...
PBuck0145 comments on May 6, 2020:
Brazil will achieve herd immunity quickly. It will surprise me if, in the long run, Brazil's death rate percentage as higher than average.
Paul4747 replies on May 7, 2020:
You're making the huge assumption that, once infected and recovered from COVID-19, humans develop a long-term immunity. As far as I know, that hasn't been determined yet. I feel like that would have been pretty big news if we'd discovered that. And there's no "herd immunity" to flu, or to common cold. They just don't kill as many people. Why would this disease be so different?
Brazil is letting the coronavirus run wild with little intervention, and the results are strikingly ...
Rodatheist comments on May 7, 2020:
Well, of course. Bolsonaro is a far right wing individual that supports neo-liberal policies that could not care less about people and Instead focus on economic growth without concern for a widening income disparity or the plight of the poor. Most likely, the large majority of the victims are the ...
Paul4747 replies on May 7, 2020:
Sounds like someone I know.
Safety versus freedom. Make of that what you will. Any thoughts?
Toonces comments on May 6, 2020:
Why is it one or the other?
Paul4747 replies on May 7, 2020:
@Toonces I had nothing else to do at the time. Besides, I like knocking over straw men of any creed.
The Great Dilemma of Spring 2020
Lizard_of_Ahaz comments on May 6, 2020:
If it isn't an allergy and you don't get tested odds are about 30% you will wake up dead so by all means wait and see....
Paul4747 replies on May 6, 2020:
Afaik sneezing isn't on the list of symptoms, though.
Fine looking woman, and the tattoo work is excellent (except for the script - hate that) - Alt-Sexy
Paul4747 comments on May 6, 2020:
I normally wouldn't comment, but just for the record; one tattoo: great; a few tattoos: it depends; tattoos all over the place: just my opinion, but it's a ridiculous way to hide a beautiful skin. I now return to my policy of keeping my opinion to myself on this subject.
Paul4747 replies on May 6, 2020:
@OldMetalHead I have a friend (wife of a friend) with extensive sleeves that look great, *on her*. There are individual exceptions. It's mostly because it's *her*, and she would look great with or without. My preference, though, is still just a simple small tattoo of something tasteful, or even nothing. In general I don't comment negatively on pics, on the principle that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything.
First it was Aussie fires, then COVID shutdown, then Murder Hornets and now just as you are getting ...
Cutiebeauty comments on May 6, 2020:
Bite me?
Paul4747 replies on May 6, 2020:
You bet!

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Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist, Secularist, Skeptic, Freethinker
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