Something happened to the "Posts" option under the Browse tab at the top of my screen (laptop, ...

RavenCT comments on Aug 31, 2019:

Yup noticed yesterday at 2 something am - next post down... Still missing here too.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 31, 2019:

Mine has been gone for... I want to say it's been a couple weeks or more, I just finally decided to say something about it.

US spies say Trump's G7 performance suggests he's either a 'Russian asset' or a 'useful idiot' for ...

Renickulous comments on Aug 29, 2019:

Lol

Paul4747 replies on Aug 30, 2019:

@Renickulous Have you read even the redacted version of the Mueller report? Let me phrase it another way- Why do you seem more willing to take the word of Putin (a foreign dictator) and Trump (the direct benificiary of his interference) than of an independent investigator, 2 independent intelligence agencies in this nation, and independent agencies in other nations who ALL reached the same conclusion? Does that conclusion make a loud noise when it grates up on your cognitive dissonance?

US spies say Trump's G7 performance suggests he's either a 'Russian asset' or a 'useful idiot' for ...

Renickulous comments on Aug 29, 2019:

Lol

Paul4747 replies on Aug 30, 2019:

I take it then, from this and from your previous trend of posts, that you join The Donald in disagreeing with ***the entirety of the US and Western intelligence communities*** as to the reality of Russian intelligence mounting massive, covert efforts to influence other nations' elections. In other words, you are smarter than the CIA, FBI, MI-5, Mi-6, France's Jagran Josh, and Germany's Federal Intelligence Service **put together**. I wish I were as smart as you. (Hint- turn sarcasm detector *on* while reading this sentence)

This is why I hate technology

demifeministgal comments on Aug 27, 2019:

Perhaps you just hate select technology? I assume you posted this post via a laptop/PC/smartphone/tablet and this website uses the internet and other tech to function.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2019:

@demifeministgal Yes, CDs. No hunting through a bunch of playlists for the song I want. Put it in the slot and it plays. Like a 45rpm with 20 songs on it. The perfect musical technology for the road trip. I know, they haven't supported Win7 for years. It's irritating as hell. It's a better system. Win10 makes the menus seem like a cell phone on your computer. Which was their goal, of course, but I dislike it.

This is why I hate technology

glennlab comments on Aug 27, 2019:

I save my desiccant, it can be reheated and recharged.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2019:

Good tip. If I saved the packs out of all my medications I would have a mountain by now.

This is why I hate technology

Pralina1 comments on Aug 27, 2019:

I assume u just hate phones ?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 28, 2019:

@Pralina1 We obviously have different perspectives. Technology in your your work is vital, whereas in my work technology is a bloody nuisance. The surveillance cameras that supposedly enable us to provide added security and monitor inmates, instead 95% of the time are used by the higher-ups to say, "You were 1 minute late making rounds that day last week- *right after breaking up that fight*. Dammit, you have to make sure you get the rounds done in 30 minutes or less!"

This is why I hate technology

bobwjr comments on Aug 27, 2019:

They weren't designed for water almost all electronics are vulnerable to water unless specifically designed to resist and those are expensive. Plastic baggie can protect phone good case for laptop

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

My $15 Casio watch is watertight like a duck's bottom. Why can't a phone be just as good?

This is why I hate technology

Pralina1 comments on Aug 27, 2019:

I assume u just hate phones ?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

Frankly, I may have been born in the wrong decade. I would have fit in better in the '40s, with phone booths and fedoras. And everybody smoked all the time. Or maybe the Middle Ages- troubadors and knights (even though I hate horses; maybe I could have been a footman). I think technology peaked with the microwave pizza and the PlayStation. Everything else, you can toss on the garbage pile as far as I'm concerned.

Out of pure curiosity, is there a male equivalent for resting bitch face?

NoPlanetB comments on Aug 27, 2019:

Sure, it's not a gender specific thing.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

@NoPlanetB And the least appreciated Avenger

Out of pure curiosity, is there a male equivalent for resting bitch face?

NoPlanetB comments on Aug 27, 2019:

Sure, it's not a gender specific thing.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

Oooo, Jeremy Renner! One of the most underappreciated actors of our day.

This is why I hate technology

Petter comments on Aug 27, 2019:

Make a note of the brand, and never again buy it. Then, wrap the new phone in a plastic bag! P. S. My phone is a Cubot Power, but being made in China it may be an endangered species on the USA. 🤣😂😄

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

Shouldn't matter. Any phone should have some 4 cent O-rings to keep the water out.

This is why I hate technology

MissKathleen comments on Aug 27, 2019:

I LOVE technology. Without it, I would not be able to communicate with family and friends all over the world...including everyone here.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

Meh. It's a mixed bag as far as I'm concerned. Having no extended family, and those I do don't give a rat's ass about me nor me them, and very few friends, I'm indifferent. I can't say that technology has changed my life. I would just be writing letters to the editor if not for sites like this. In a sense, you are all my editors and readers. I'm flattered, though, if you include me as a friend. I think of you likewise, even when we disagree.

This is why I hate technology

demifeministgal comments on Aug 27, 2019:

Perhaps you just hate select technology? I assume you posted this post via a laptop/PC/smartphone/tablet and this website uses the internet and other tech to function.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

I hate the laptop as well. It constantly does inane things which I did not tell it to do, like the way it moves my cursor out of the typing screen. Why? What the hell did I touch this time? Did I brush against the touch pad again? There's supposed to be a way to use the pad to scroll on a page, but I can't do it. I enabled it 20 times, but it doesn't work. And don't get me started on how many times I've had to manually restart my modem connection.... So, no, I hate technology indiscriminately, until it's advanced enough to do what the hell I want it to do. (Actually, Windows 7 did what I wanted it to do, as far as software. Then they went to Windows 10 and screwed everything up again.) Compact disc. That's a technology I can love.

This is why I hate technology

ToolGuy comments on Aug 27, 2019:

According to Apple, the new iPhones can survive dunking in up to 3m of water for up to 30 minutes. ... “iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are splash-, water- and dust-resistant, and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 2 ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

I'm sorry, I refuse to pay over $500 (and I know I'm lowballing that number) for a telephone that also sends text messages and has Kik. That's *ALL* I use a cell phone for. For everything else, I use a computer. I realize all the computer functions for which I could use a cell phone, in theory, like checking movie times or looking up maps; but every time I did, a little bit of my soul burned away, until I said, "No more!" I don't even really like looking up maps to places on computer, but I can't find my old atlas collection since the divorce. And I haven't gotten around to subscribing to the newspapers again for those movie times yet.

(SORRY EVERYONE, I thought I was posting this under "Politics") On behalf of my state, let me ...

WilliamFleming comments on Aug 26, 2019:

Does this mean that all the attention is going to be on Michigan from now on rather than on my often maligned or self-maligned state of Alabama? Whew! Praise God!

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

Don't relax just yet, Bill. At least we don't have any Confederate monuments to fight over. (He he he...)

I apparently just reached level 8.

Donotbelieve comments on Aug 26, 2019:

Congrats, but you're gonna have to bedazzle the shirt yourself.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

I'm dazzling in any circumstances.

I apparently just reached level 8.

PondartIncbendog comments on Aug 26, 2019:

They only have pink with glitter left.......

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

In that case- real men wear pink.

Why would someone who is so concerned about global warming and rising sea levels spend 14.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2019:

It went out the window when your team elected a president who, as a real estate developer, repeatedly hired contractors to work on his projects, then broke his contracts and refused to pay them, effectively daring them to take him to court because he could afford to drag it out for years, whereas ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 27, 2019:

@Trajan61 "Obama didn't have any sense when it came to business", you say. The President whose term saw the bailout of the Big 3 automakers, who not only continued employing American autoworkers, but also paid off their loans from We The People ahead of schedule and were able to expand as a result of the boom that Obama oversaw... one of the longest continuous periods of growth in world history. Trump's supposed "unprecedented low unemployment" in fact is the same as it was in several quarters under Obama- and President Obama did not need to run up the highest deficits in world history in order to do it. The entirety of Trump's business sense was "get someone to bail me out when I lose my money". Even the ghost writer of "The Art of the Deal" has disavowed the book. Merely investing in index funds would have made Trump more money than his supposedly "brilliant" business acumen. You're a broken record, Trajan- "Obama bad, Trump great"- but you have no evidence, only your own assertions. You actually ignore the facts of history and paint your own version of the truth so you can live in the blissful ignorance of your cognitive dissonance. I've said once before that I was done with you. I forgot why. Now I've remembered. And I'm done with you.

I apparently just reached level 8.

daylily comments on Aug 26, 2019:

Woo hoo! Congratulations! What's it like up there? I'll be finding out soon enough, today if I work at it. Probably later though... See ya on the other side! lol

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2019:

@daylily I had the same thought, and then I accidentally made it this morning- as usual, with a smartass comment. (It doesn't bear repeating, but if you looked at my profile you could probably work out which one.)

If you could be alone and totally undisturbed with tRump for 10 minutes, what would you do or say?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2019:

It is illegal to threaten the life of a president of these United States, even hypothetically. I am therefore somewhat constrained in my responses to this thread.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2019:

@Our_existence I am at a loss for words.

Muhammad was a piece of shit, and this conviction is BS. [newsweek.com]

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2019:

On the one hand, and then on the other- community standards in the 7th Century were not what they are now. As the court pointed out, there's a difference between child marriage and pedophilia. It was traditional to give away children in arranged marriages well into the Rennaissance, and the age of ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2019:

@OldMetalHead The one example is about judging an historical personality by modern standards. The other is applying historical religious standards to our modern era. The first one is generally a failing found in the very liberal (I confess myself to be quite liberal, but not very very liberal). The other is a failing of the excessively conservative. I don't condone either one, but especially not the second. We can't change history, but we should be trying to improve the future.

I apparently just reached level 8.

daylily comments on Aug 26, 2019:

Woo hoo! Congratulations! What's it like up there? I'll be finding out soon enough, today if I work at it. Probably later though... See ya on the other side! lol

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2019:

By all means, allow me to assist!

It is with a whole lot of irony I note that according to Luke, any contemporary, official record of...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 24, 2019:

That would technically make him an illegal alien, I guess. His people did supposedly emigrate to Egypt and back without going through Customs.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2019:

@RichE Since history, from what I recall reading, says there was no such census in the first place, why don't we just go with "The book of Luke is full of crap."

Common sense for some but not all

Paul4747 comments on Aug 25, 2019:

It's more than that. It's exactly what most of his voters wanted. Exactly what they wanted. I work with a Trump fan and he relishes every time something happens regarding immigration. He really doesn't get the idea that immigrants are people who love America and think we're a good nation, and ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 26, 2019:

@SimplyJaneen I like being on the bottom once in a while. (I'm sorry... I shouldn't have gone there ;))

Common sense for some but not all

Paul4747 comments on Aug 25, 2019:

It's more than that. It's exactly what most of his voters wanted. Exactly what they wanted. I work with a Trump fan and he relishes every time something happens regarding immigration. He really doesn't get the idea that immigrants are people who love America and think we're a good nation, and ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 25, 2019:

@webbew1 That would be using logic. Doomed to fail.

Centrists Are Going to Kill Us | Common Dreams Views

Paul4747 comments on Aug 25, 2019:

I'll give you one specific at least where this article has its head up its ass. Make that two. Clinton did not lose Michigan by being too centrist (because Michigan is a centrist state, where the Governor is usually a Republican and the Dems only come out to vote for the President). She lost by ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 25, 2019:

@Killtheskyfairy It's not "victim blaming" to point out the truth that Democratic strategists thought Michigan was safely in the bag. That's not a Republican talking point, it's history. It's one of any 10 things that contributed to the loss in 2016. Did I simplify for the sake of replying to a simplistic article? (And because it was 3 in the morning and I had no wish to write an article of my own at that time?) Yes. Russian interference was not opposed by any Democratic effort to get out the vote in Michigan. I know, I live here. But there *was* a series of huge negative media campaigns by the Republicans designed to rile up their base, as well as underhanded tricks aimed at vote suppression, which is nothing new and which should have been looked into, frankly, decades ago. (For example, signs posted in poor neighborhoods saying, "Due to the expected turnout, Republicans should vote on Tuesday, Democrats on Wednesday". And some people actually bought it, because they looked official.) Please don't call my baby a clunker. ;) In any case, she would have been ineligible for the program because she's too fuel efficient. Even now. I still get between 20 and 25 MPG.

Centrists Are Going to Kill Us | Common Dreams Views

Paul4747 comments on Aug 25, 2019:

I'll give you one specific at least where this article has its head up its ass. Make that two. Clinton did not lose Michigan by being too centrist (because Michigan is a centrist state, where the Governor is usually a Republican and the Dems only come out to vote for the President). She lost by ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 25, 2019:

@Antidronefreeman So, you just described Barack Obama as a Nazi. That is the literal abbreviation of "national socialist", and I'm sure you know it. I wonder sometimes what color the sky is in your little world.

If America has known peace for only 17 years since 1776, does that make them the most aggressive ...

warlord13 comments on Mar 22, 2019:

I've heard rumor that technically the US government went bankrupt and we are now living under the USA corporation which is tied closely to the crown. Perhaps that is why our legal system is bound to the BAR which is a England based association. The real question to ponder is one Marc Stevens has ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 20, 2019:

@warlord13 I don't have time. Just read the 16th Amendment.

Some of you are skeptical but this is what is at stake.

genessa comments on Aug 18, 2019:

did you mean to share a link or make a statement? there is a "this" in each sentence and there is nothing to which it directly refers. if WHAT happens? g

Paul4747 replies on Aug 18, 2019:

Shark attack? "This is what happens. It indicates the non-frenzied feeding of a large squalis, possibly angimanus or isurus glaucus. Now, the enormous amount of tissue loss prevents any detailed analysis. However, the attacking squalis must be considerably larger than any normal squalis found in these waters...."

Let's Respect Each Other's Beliefs

Paul4747 comments on Aug 18, 2019:

What if someone believes in, for example, human sacrifice? Do we respect that?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 18, 2019:

@Lorajay Exactly my point. It's easy for the OP to say "Let's respect each other's beliefs", but then we get down to brass tacks.

Woman arrested for holding black teens at gunpoint

Paul4747 comments on Aug 17, 2019:

I see several parts to the story here. First, if she had gone through a home invasion previously, it's conceivable that she had fear. That fear was misguided, though, and I doubt she would have been afraid of some white kids in football jerseys coming to her door. Second, she certainly ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 18, 2019:

@RavenCT Funny/ not funny story- I have a degree of PTSD due to my local police pounding on my door in the middle of the night and shouting unintelligibly. Since I couldn't see who it was or understand what they were saying, I thought it might be a setup for a home invasion, so I came to the door with my handgun out of sight behind my leg and kept the chain on the door. Instead of seeing a badge, I saw pistols pointed in my face. Luckily one of the officers was a former co-worker of mine in the Department of Corrections who recognized me and de-escalated the situation forthwith. Turns out one of my neighbors is just fine when she takes her medication, but when she doesn't, she imagines things are happening in the neighborhood and calls 911 to tell the dispatcher all about it. The police showed up twice more at my apartment, luckily in the daytime those instances, and they knocked politely. Why the fuck they couldn't knock politely at 1:30 AM is a mystery I have never had explained.

Congratulations to @bobwjr for reaching level 9 !! Woohoo.

kodimerlyn comments on Aug 17, 2019:

Congrats but...How exactly does one earn points? And why exactly is reaching a particular level such a big deal?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 17, 2019:

For example, you had a point added because I'm commenting now. And when you reach level 8, there's a T-shirt, if they have some in stock (apparently that's been a gripe lately).

Congratulations to @bobwjr for reaching level 9 !! Woohoo.

DharmaBum50 comments on Aug 17, 2019:

Congratulations, Bob! I take things slow, so it will be a while before I even reach Level 8. No hope of reaching 9 in my lifetime, I think. Maybe that's what an afterlife is for. LOL

Paul4747 replies on Aug 17, 2019:

Here's a point for you and a point for me, DB.

If America has known peace for only 17 years since 1776, does that make them the most aggressive ...

warlord13 comments on Mar 22, 2019:

I've heard rumor that technically the US government went bankrupt and we are now living under the USA corporation which is tied closely to the crown. Perhaps that is why our legal system is bound to the BAR which is a England based association. The real question to ponder is one Marc Stevens has ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2019:

The *American* Bar Association has nothing to do with the British Bar. Practicing before one doesn't let you practice before the other. "Why does the law apply..." Criminal law is different from contract law. Tax law is different from either. You should probably read up on the actual law, instead of reading conspiracy theories.

Anniversary/Healing?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 16, 2019:

Friendly advice, bud, since you seem to be soliciting such; let it go. You're remembering the anniversary of when you last saw this person, who then didn't see you for over 7 months after that? You are chewing this problem over in your mind and it doesn't seem to be getting you very far. I ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2019:

@LimitedLight As a general statement, not knowing what your situation is, was, or might be in the future- if you change your behavior or preferences at someone else's behest, for whatever reason, that's a warning sign. That's what I was getting at. That's why the word "date" was mentioned the sentence before. Good luck.

Huffpost has written an excellent series (three parts thus far) dealing with the problematic state ...

indirect76 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

I’m really not going to get bent out of shape if some of my my tax dollars go to private religious schools. It better than spending it on the military.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2019:

@indirect76 Plenty of neocons, including Bush, believed we were hastening WW3 and the Apocalypse with our invasion of Iraq. That's about as religious as it gets.

Huffpost has written an excellent series (three parts thus far) dealing with the problematic state ...

WilliamFleming comments on Aug 10, 2019:

I don’t think those religious schools are “paid for” by taxpayers. Rather they sometimes receive some indirect support from taxpayers through the voucher program. https://www.edchoice.org/school_choice_faqs/are-school-choice-programs-legal/ School vouchers can legally be used for ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2019:

@WilliamFleming There's a difference between those scenarios. Property taxes are for the *public* schools and the common good. Tax money going to *private* schools, and especially religious schools, benefits a particular segment of the populace at the public expense. An analogy to those who object to their money going to public schools would be people who don't own cars or don't use public transport. Nevertheless, their tax money goes to road repairs and bus services. We don't choose where our taxes go specifically, beyond the fact that they are supposed to go to a public service, not a private establishment. *That* is the root of my objection to school vouchers, no matter whether it's religious or so-called charter schools that get the money. (Of course, religious schools also face the 1st Amendment issue when they receive tax money.)

Huffpost has written an excellent series (three parts thus far) dealing with the problematic state ...

WilliamFleming comments on Aug 10, 2019:

I don’t think those religious schools are “paid for” by taxpayers. Rather they sometimes receive some indirect support from taxpayers through the voucher program. https://www.edchoice.org/school_choice_faqs/are-school-choice-programs-legal/ School vouchers can legally be used for ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2019:

@WilliamFleming Public schools are funded by the number of students in them, where I come from. Reduce that number and you reduce the amount of money for building maintenance, teacher training, replacing furniture, even things like internet connections. The students who stay in public school don't get the resources they need. Meanwhile, people who want to have a "school choice" spend their voucher on the Christian school down the road (which is already heavily funded by private donors, by the way). That's money and headcount that doesn't go to the public schools. This is all to the good, as far as private school advocates are concerned. The public schools are set up to fail if they can have their funding diverted to private schools under the rubric of "choice". And the religious school education is NOT equal as long as they teach in "science" class that evolution is "just a theory", then go down the hall to learn about the geneology of Jesus.

Huffpost has written an excellent series (three parts thus far) dealing with the problematic state ...

indirect76 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

I’m really not going to get bent out of shape if some of my my tax dollars go to private religious schools. It better than spending it on the military.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 16, 2019:

Is it really, though? The Xians are the ones who think our military should be helping take over the world for Jesus. Train fewer Xians, and the military might be used to intervene where they're needed (like helping starving African nations) instead of where the Bible says they will help bring about the Apocalypse.

The slow-motion crucifixion of Julian Assange

PontifexMarximus comments on Aug 14, 2019:

I am glad that people here react. Though it's mainly the conservative minds that comment. But nonetheless.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 14, 2019:

@AnneWimsey I'm sorry it came over as replying to you, that's one of the buggy things about this site. I actually replied to his post. I know you and I have disagreed about some things, Anne, in degree if not in kind, but on this one we are united.

Im going to go out with a guy I met online who says he's a primal dom.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

Use your own judgment, and if he seems okay, then good luck to you. My caveat would be to wonder if he advertised himself as this first thing, or if he took some time getting to know you before the subject came up (so to speak).

Paul4747 replies on Aug 14, 2019:

@ForTheBirds I think I adore you (in a strictly friendly manner of course).

The slow-motion crucifixion of Julian Assange

Paul4747 comments on Aug 13, 2019:

Like any other common criminal? Not really that incredible.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 14, 2019:

@PontifexMarximus Fine, any common indicted criminal. He will stand trial for receiving and releasing stolen, classified information, just like Chelsea Manning did. Although he plausibly could be put on trial as a foreign agent as well, considering that he seems to have done the bidding of the Russian government in the last elections.

The slow-motion crucifixion of Julian Assange

PontifexMarximus comments on Aug 14, 2019:

I am glad that people here react. Though it's mainly the conservative minds that comment. But nonetheless.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 14, 2019:

If you've read anything I've ever written here, you might have seen me defending the record of Presidents Clinton and Obama, whilst pointing out the flaws in the Republican philosophy of "tax the poor so tax breaks for the rich can trickle down". Yes, I'm clearly very conservative. The fact that Wikileaks chose to release information damaging to Hilary Clinton's campaign, on a schedule which seemed suspiciously coordinated to help the trump campaign by diverting any attention from real policy issues, might explain a little bit of my animosity here as well. And then there's the way his site highlighted American inhumanities (which, don't get me wrong, we're not perfect and when we fuck up, we should admit it) while ignoring the much more pervasive crimes of his sponsors, the Russian government- who have flat out murdered dissidents at home and abroad, while effectively outlawing all opposition parties by striking their candidates on alleged "irregularities" in their petitions to get on the ballots. Gee- it's almost as if they're afraid to bite the hand that's feeding them... and that hand wanted Trump to win, and wants him to win some more, and wants the ruling clique in Russia to keep ruling.... would that hand belong to Vladimir Putin?

The slow-motion crucifixion of Julian Assange

Paul4747 comments on Aug 13, 2019:

Like any other common criminal? Not really that incredible.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2019:

@PontifexMarximus Considering he's been hiding from prosecution? A better question is, what has he been charged with? And the answers are out there for any who care to read the news.

When the rich rob the poor it's called "business". When the poor fight back it's called "violence".

Paul4747 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.- John Kenneth Galbraith

Paul4747 replies on Aug 13, 2019:

@snytiger6 Democratic Socialist economies, however, are technically a regulated form of capitalism. I don't object at all to a measure of socialism in my capitalism, but so far few things have been shown to beat the profit motive for getting things done. Am I a cynic? Yes. An idealistic cynic. I want things to get better, I'll work to make things better, but I doubt they will get better.

Well, here I am single again....

LimitedLight comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Paul, is it someone from this site?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 12, 2019:

@LimitedLight I'm sorry to hear that. It's my experience that generally, "it's the man's fault" unless the full story is explained, and as painful as it is to rehearse all the details, the alternative is that people will put the worst possible spin on the parts they don't know but imagine they do. Then again, I know women experience the exact same perception, that they're blamed when things go wrong for them. It's a catch-22. Anymore I practice a sort of defensive honesty, I tell the worst before it can come out. If only Bill Clinton had done the same.

Jeffrey Epstein's death is a perfect storm for conspiracy theories

Paul4747 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

If that jail is anything like the prison where I've worked for 20 years, there are between 40 and 120 prisoners to every officer, and there is a constant stream of people coming to you asking for things- paperwork, toilet paper, soap, asking why the phones don't work, where are my visitors, what ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 12, 2019:

@IAJO163 I've read that this one has a history of being worse than most, if that's any help.

When the rich rob the poor it's called "business". When the poor fight back it's called "violence".

Paul4747 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.- John Kenneth Galbraith

Paul4747 replies on Aug 12, 2019:

@snytiger6 Quoting from one of my favorite libertarian works, the *Illuminatus!* trilogy, "Are you willing to turn an engine lathe eight unfucking hours a day for something that calls itself a workers collective? If so, then 'the people' just becomes another form of tyranny!" Or, as I like to put it, in every society someone has to shovel the shit.

When the rich rob the poor it's called "business". When the poor fight back it's called "violence".

Paul4747 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.- John Kenneth Galbraith

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@MissKathleen It's the opposite of both of those.

Well, here I am single again....

Cherie4444 comments on Aug 11, 2019:

She sounds like she has Borderline Personality Disorder, I know because I also have it. I haven’t been as extreme since my teens, but until she decides on getting help there’s little you can do. With the help of dbt (dialectical behavior therapy) I’ve learned to practice mindfulness (stepping...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

You are the third person now to suggest that. (One is a close personal friend whose gentleman friend's wife- long story- also has BPD and she knows all the signs from his stories.) From what I've now read I tend to lean toward agreeing with you, with the caveat that she and I only dated about 3 months and I'm not a mental health professional.

Well, here I am single again....

SaucyCheryl comments on Aug 11, 2019:

You dodged a bullet, Dude. That one was a heartache on steroids.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@SaucyCheryl You're absolutely right and I apologize for my tone. It's been a frustrating week (month).

Jeffrey Epstein's death is a perfect storm for conspiracy theories

Joanne comments on Aug 11, 2019:

I am a skeptic and am not prone to fall into the conspiracy theory trap, but this death is just too convenient to too many people. It seems to me that, if he wasn't outright murdered, he was certainly given the tools (sheet, whatever) and the opportunity (lack of surveillance) to off himself.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@Joanne His suicide attempt was some time ago, from what I read. Nevertheless, we're obliged to see the facts before we draw a conclusion.

Jeffrey Epstein's death is a perfect storm for conspiracy theories

Joanne comments on Aug 11, 2019:

I am a skeptic and am not prone to fall into the conspiracy theory trap, but this death is just too convenient to too many people. It seems to me that, if he wasn't outright murdered, he was certainly given the tools (sheet, whatever) and the opportunity (lack of surveillance) to off himself.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

Look. He was not (as far as I've read) on suicide watch at the time. "Given the tools"? People in prison have a RIGHT to bedding, clothing (including belts and shoes, which come with shoelaces), and other furnishings. Opportunity? If that jail is anything like the prison where I've worked for 20 years, there are between 40 and 120 prisoners to every officer, and there is a constant stream of people coming to you asking for things- paperwork, toilet paper, soap, asking why the phones don't work, where are my visitors, what time is dinner, this guy is bothering me all the time- and rules to enforce; don't pass items from cell to cell, don't cluster around the tables, don't group up on the yard. There are fights, there is contraband beng found, there are reports to write and endless paperwork and administration coming through checking on you, and between all that, you find time to make your required rounds every 20 or 30 minutes. There's no TIME to put one particular prisoner under special surveillance unless he's been singled out and put in observation, which evidently Epstein wasn't. Were remarks made that the world would be better off without him? Probably; by both staff and prisoners. In which case, it was unprofessional conduct and should be investigated, but will never be proven. But there was no case of any officers deliberately leaving him to hang himself. This was no conspiracy. It happens in prison. Usually it's a cry for attention, but not this time.

Well, here I am single again....

sweetcharlotte comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Your details are amazing. Shows you are a man who pays close attention to your woman. You care and you suggested all there is out there as a remedy. I bet this woman is very attractive. Ask any woman who is good looking about the amount of abusive treatment from employers, teachers, strangers, ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@sweetcharlotte By the way, I did find her attractive, but objectively she's rather overweight and dressed to hide her figure, so- she certainly doesn't fit the sterotype. I realize that a woman who's been assaulted once is more likely to have it happen again, and tried to explain the statistics to her, but she insisted on regarding it as her fault. Without some objective person getting involved (like a therapist), I just couldn't see any way forward. It was going to be the same cycles of self-loathing and anxiety constantly.

Well, here I am single again....

IchbineineTomate comments on Aug 11, 2019:

As someone with a history of receiving mental and physical trauma, I think you did everything you could and ultimately did the right thing in breaking off your relationship. Your relationship wouldn't have saved either of you. Instead, it would have dragged you both down. Unfortunately, I think...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

"Her own personal intervention in her life".... that's a very good phrase. This is part of my decompressing process, and thank you for helping. This, along with journaling to my therapist. I also have some wine for later, maybe....

Well, here I am single again....

SaucyCheryl comments on Aug 11, 2019:

You dodged a bullet, Dude. That one was a heartache on steroids.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

When am I going to meet someone without a tragic life story or a horrible medical condition? That sounds incredibly selfish, but damn. Everyone I've been involved with has been in a bad marriage, had a terrible disease, been in awful relationships, been abused or attacked, or a combination of two or more of the above. This one hit every single bullet point. I just want to meet someone like me- mainly normal, intellectual, only a little bit weird (and hopefully a little kinky). Not someone in need of rescuing.

Well, here I am single again....

Larimar comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Paul, it sounds like you dodged a bullet. Be thankful and move on, my man. I drop this drama quick anymore. Being single is not all bad. It'll be more than ok!

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@Bigwavedave Speaking of Lost In Space, wasn't the Doctor the main danger for the family anyway? How did he last so long without just getting dumped out the airlock? *Danger, Will Robinson! Dr Smith is a pedophile!*

Liberal snowflake President Gerald Ford with teammate Willis Ward at the University of Michigan in ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Michigan's proud of Ford... within reason. Pardoning Nixon before his impeachment trial to spare the nation embarrassment was a fumble as far as I'm concerned.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@Buttercup I'm not certain that, when Ford replaced Agnew as VP, there was a deal made that he would pardon Nixon in case of Nixon's resigning. That's a little far to think the GOP would have planned.

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

As someone who has spent 20 years working inside the walls, suicide watch very rarely lasts more than a few days after the actual attempt, then the prisoner is returned to population. The specialized observation cells are not usually "fish bowls", they're just cells stripped of everything but a ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@Petter That would cost a lot of money and in very short order, they would A) break and B) mentally disordered prisoners would be pulling them off for fun just to see staff come running. @JonnaBononna might correct me if she disagrees with my assessment on the use of heart monitors for suicide watch. And thank you, Jonna, for your input and your service there. I can corroborate the fact that many suicide threats in prison are manipulation, but we have to treat them all the same.

Well, here I am single again....

Tucsongirl1 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

I'm so sorry you both went through this. And you are correct she needs more help than you can give. And if she doesn't at least like herself, she can't fully love someone else. As a side note, keeping in mind I don't know you at all, you strike me as someone who is similar to me. I tend to rush...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@ArtzyNerd Let's go with that. It's better than being called "suckers". :D

Well, here I am single again....

AnneWimsey comments on Aug 10, 2019:

You cannot fix "that broken". Find someone who has something to contribute! When yourpredominate state is worry/bolstering, it is not a relationship other than caretaker÷patient.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

Well put.

Well, here I am single again....

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Sometimes you can't save a drowning person because they don't seem to even want to try to survive or just don't have it in them to survive any longer. Sounds like you did as much as possible for her. Time to save yourself and not let her pull you under. Like, LL, I am curious if it's someone from ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

From OK Cupid.

Well, here I am single again....

Deb57 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

High drama. Some people employ this attention getting tactic to continually put a partner through the paces of reassuring and supporting and proving love over and over and over again. It's counterproductive because it's so emotionally fatiguing on the partner trying to be supportive. After a while ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

I just don't know. There are so many little things that don't add up in retrospect. Like when the landlord had decided to sell the house she was renting and they were going to have to find somewhere else to live by August... but then she got the fish tank out of the garage and filled it woth all new fish a couple days later. I wanted to ask, is this a wise decision right now? How are you going to move it? And then the landlord changed her mind. It's all possibly true, and she's just really bad at making decisions, but it could be like Munchausen's syndrome where she needs attention at all times and something has to be wrong so she can have that sympathy. I know, when I went to a picnic with friends of hers, we stayed all afternoon, but when she met some friends of mine, she only stayed an hour or so and then left... because I was not paying full attention to her?

Well, here I am single again....

linxminx comments on Aug 10, 2019:

You did the right thing. She sounds like a bottomless pit of emotional baggage, and not managing it at all. We all have our baggage, but we certainly don't have to dump it in someone else's lap. I hope she takes your advice and gets some help. Just as an FYI, my health insurance only covers ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

Thank you for that information. I guess I'm lucky with the insurance I have.

Well, here I am single again....

of-the-mountain comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Yes, and were did all your concern, time, and money go? Most women always state men are the Evil ones who take advantage of poor little women! I have found there are so many women scammers, frauds, fakes, and trolls! I get sick of women preying on mem and never get what they deserve, the ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

Um... you've misread this one entirely. I'm the one who feels like he took advantage. She once drove 90 minutes round trip to give me a gift, leaving it in between my screen door because she knew I was at work. Last week she bought me bookcases from a guy on Facebook because I have books on the floor, and drove them up here. Her money. She gave me a pillow. I would give it back, but I don't want to get back into her life even that much. (And it would be insulting.) This was no gold-digger. Maybe kind of clingy and obsessive, but not after my money.

Well, here I am single again....

ArtzyNerd comments on Aug 10, 2019:

That must have been difficult for you. SHe definitely needs help. Would you consider being a supportive friend for her? She may need that.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

If she finds help, yes, absolutely. But I can't be a door prize for her. She can't go into therapy with the notion that she's going to get me back at the end, and I didn't give her that idea.

Well, here I am single again....

sweetcharlotte comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Your details are amazing. Shows you are a man who pays close attention to your woman. You care and you suggested all there is out there as a remedy. I bet this woman is very attractive. Ask any woman who is good looking about the amount of abusive treatment from employers, teachers, strangers, ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

I want her to find help and I hope she does, but I'm afraid she won't. And living at long distance I was not able to be there every night, which is apparently what she wanted. She repeatedly mentioned how she only could sleep with me there. If she does get help, I'm prepared eventually to be supportive and be her friend, but I don't see how we could ever be in a relationship again other than that. I just want her to get well. But she's invested in doing it all on her own and the idea that nobody can or will help her. I'm afraid I just reinforced that by splitting up with her.

Well, here I am single again....

LimitedLight comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Paul, is it someone from this site?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@LimitedLight I've been contemplating in my case how I keep finding myself in relationships with women who have tragic backstories or medical conditions. I don't seek them out, I swear. Maybe they're attracted to me for some reason.

Well, here I am single again....

Marcie1974 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

You sound like a very kind and compassionate person. It sure sounds like you did what you could to encourage her to get the help she needs. I hope she does eventually. Best of luck to you, you seem like a keeper.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

Thank you. I think I'll find the right one someday.

Well, here I am single again....

LimitedLight comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Paul, is it someone from this site?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

No, no she was not. Met on OKC. (OK Cupid)

Well, here I am single again....

Larry-new comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Married/divorced? Would that I had the foresight to move the decimal place to the left...my 11, 25, and 17 relationships were all years, not months or weeks. Egg timer rates, anyone?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

Wow. Lucky for me this was just dating. Before that was the 16 year marriage, though.

Well, here I am single again....

Tucsongirl1 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

I'm so sorry you both went through this. And you are correct she needs more help than you can give. And if she doesn't at least like herself, she can't fully love someone else. As a side note, keeping in mind I don't know you at all, you strike me as someone who is similar to me. I tend to rush...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

No, you're right on the money. Always has been my problem.

Well, here I am single again....

Varn comments on Aug 10, 2019:

This sounds near identical to a 3 year r/s I had with a Borderline disordered woman. Look into BPD… Here’s the best resource I found: https://www.bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php If you find yourself having a hard time ‘getting over her,’ please read around on that board.. It can ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

I have to say bells are ringing, especially things like: " highly sensitive to rejection, reacting with anger and distress to such mild separations as a vacation, a business trip, or a sudden change in plans. These fears of abandonment seem to be related to difficulties feeling emotionally connected to important persons when they are physically absent, leaving the individual with BPD feeling lost and perhaps worthless" and "People with BPD exhibit other impulsive behaviors, such as excessive spending" Last weekend she bought me a set of bookcases from a guy on Facebook... now I almost want to take them back to her, but that keeps me involved with her. She once made a 90 minute round trip to put a present in my back screen door for me while I was at work. At the time it seemed sweet and impulsive, but now it seems sorta scary (and at the time it seemed excessive).

Well, here I am single again....

GreatNani comments on Aug 10, 2019:

That is very sad for her. And she needs professional help. You did the right thing. I am sorry. That must be very hard. But truly, you can not help her.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

Thank you. I'm truly not fishing for sympathy. But the thing is, I don't know many people in "real life". Y'all are really my family now more than anyone. I have shared most of this with my daughter, but there are still some things you don't talk about with a 15 year old in that much detail... at least not if you're a divorced dad.

Armed Man Arrested at Walmart 'Testing Right to Bear Arms' | Time

Paul4747 comments on Aug 9, 2019:

Yeah. He's an asshat. And I write as a gun owner. It serves no purpose to walk around in body armor with a rifle over your shoulder, especially right now. That's not "exercising your rights", it's deliberately alarming people, and, for law-abiding owners like me, it's as counterproductive as it ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

@LenHazell53 "Evil intent made manifest" What a wonderfully florid phrase. I suppose it would be pointless to point out that there are countless ways to inflict mass murders; any number of equally effective guns exist that are not scary looking and black; automobiles have been used in murderous attacks on crowds; nobody criticized the design of the ton of steel and aluminum. Someone who is determined to do these things will do them. "Evil intent" is in the mind of the operator, not in a piece of machinery.

Walmart pulls violent game displays, will still sell guns

Paul4747 comments on Aug 9, 2019:

After decades of research shows no connection (that is NO, zero, zip, nada, niente) between video games and violent acts by players. But the Columbine shooters played Doom; and people who play videogames don't have a very effective lobby in Washington; so it's pretty safe to blame them.....

Paul4747 replies on Aug 10, 2019:

@greyeyed123 Well, I could blame Harry Potter. Anybody that mangles Latin that badly could get up to anything.

Walmart pulls violent game displays, will still sell guns

Paul4747 comments on Aug 9, 2019:

After decades of research shows no connection (that is NO, zero, zip, nada, niente) between video games and violent acts by players. But the Columbine shooters played Doom; and people who play videogames don't have a very effective lobby in Washington; so it's pretty safe to blame them.....

Paul4747 replies on Aug 9, 2019:

@SeaGreenEyez It's a nice distraction though, with the illusion of doing something

Wow: "Christian Activist: When They Attack White Supremacy, They Attack Christianity" ...

Petter comments on Aug 9, 2019:

Erm.... Christianity was created by a Palestinian Jew who was ruled over by a "white" Roman empire. What connection has that with 'white" supremacy.

Paul4747 replies on Aug 9, 2019:

The Roman Empire that employed soldiers from 3 continents and of all colors, I might add.

Hitler did in fact disarm its citizens.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 8, 2019:

What is the relevance of this topic? I'm assuming this is a gun control issue, yet again. "Hitler was in favor of gun control; therefore if you're in favor of gun control, you're like Hitler." Well, Hitler also had a mustache. Hitler had a dog. Hitler was a vegetarian (EEK)!! I could ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 9, 2019:

@Renickulous You're right, but not the way you think. Mentioning Hitler in your post is indeed setting up a straw man. Who, exactly, is going around saying "You know, Hitler never disarmed anybody"? It's more the case that certain people have been going around saying Hitler disarmed *everybody*. Now, if that's the misconception you're trying to clear up, you didn't do a very good job of it. The *only conceivable reason* to bring up the name "Hitler" alongside the topic "disarming citizens", in the brief way you did, is that you're comparing current gun control legislation to what Hitler did. *And that's all.* In fact, the Nazi regime considerably loosened gun regulations inherited from the Weimar Republic on everyone *but* the Jews, and in the matter of Jewish citizens, it was more a matter of smashing down doors and raiding their homes rather than a system of background checks or any such thing. So, you told about 1/4 of the story. https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/26/ben-carson/fact-checking-ben-carson-nazi-guns/

I'm new here (a clear 'Duh' statement).

Angel3 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

Do I get credit if I answer my own Post bc that would rock to answer my own head's musings and wonders....Outloud!!!

Paul4747 replies on Aug 5, 2019:

@Angel3 Don't get me wrong, you're no dummy :)

Today I was at Dick’s Sporting Goods looking at shoes when this tall, ugly white dude walked up ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

I'm lost. What do politics have to do with sneakers?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 2, 2019:

@BD66 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/nike-should-leave-the-politics-to-the-politicians/2018/09/07/2cfa0c44-b2be-11e8-a20b-5f4f84429666_story.html?utm_term=.4ab78dc86e14 So they put up a billboard of Colin Kaepernick. What's the big whoop?

Today I was at Dick’s Sporting Goods looking at shoes when this tall, ugly white dude walked up ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

I'm lost. What do politics have to do with sneakers?

Paul4747 replies on Aug 2, 2019:

@BD66 Got any non-conservative websites to reference?

Op-Ed: 'Medicare for All' isn't the only way to cover everybody - Los Angeles Times

Paul4747 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

The only sensible thing I heard the Democrat version of Trump say so far is: We need a public option which employees can opt into, cheaper than private insurance, and then let employees pocket the difference which their bosses would have paid for their health insurance. If the public option (funded ...

Paul4747 replies on Aug 2, 2019:

@MarkiusMahamius If the market were allowed to work in a true capitalist laissez faire manner, then, as private plans lost business to less expensive public option plans (assuming that's the case), then those plans should be forced to reduce cost as well to survive. I say "should" be forced to reduce cost. More likely by far, they would run to legislators and protest the "unfair" competition and seek propping up from our tax dollars, since they're too big to fail. But in this case, they could fail without harm, since the customer base moving to a public network would mean that the public insurance administration would need more employees to manage it, more jobs to replace those lost in the private industry... in fact the only ones who suffered would be the executives, and I have no problem with that.

I'm new here (a clear 'Duh' statement).

Angel3 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

Do I get credit if I answer my own Post bc that would rock to answer my own head's musings and wonders....Outloud!!!

Paul4747 replies on Aug 2, 2019:

The scientist in me would tell you to check your point score on your profile, note it, then respond to one of your own posts and *immediately* check your points again to see if the total has changed. This could definitively answer. However, people are also responding to your posts willy-nilly, and so it's hard to set up a controlled experiment. I'd be interested to see your results. (I'm too lazy to try the experiment myself, but I'm happy to profit from other peoples' work.)

Im going to go out with a guy I met online who says he's a primal dom.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 2, 2019:

Use your own judgment, and if he seems okay, then good luck to you. My caveat would be to wonder if he advertised himself as this first thing, or if he took some time getting to know you before the subject came up (so to speak).

Paul4747 replies on Aug 2, 2019:

@Lauraleigh39 I know that feeling. I've been lucky at last to find someone who not only encouraged my disclosure but embraced my nature, and I hers.

‘Sick’: Black rag dolls made to ‘slam into walls’ pulled from shelves over racism complaints...

Paul4747 comments on Jul 28, 2019:

I don't know what kind of doll would be acceptable to slam into a wall. It's not the "black" thing, it's the "shaped like a person" thing as far as I'm concerned.

Paul4747 replies on Jul 28, 2019:

@SeaGreenEyez Wait- so a doll shaped like ANY other little kid would have been okay to slam against the wall?

Facts don’t lie.

Jolanta comments on Jul 26, 2019:

Yes, but the people who voted for him are not very good at writing and reading.

Paul4747 replies on Jul 28, 2019:

@Jacar First off, if you consider 46.1% "nearly 50%", then your definition of "nearly" is not the same as mine. Second, the 48.2% who voted for Clinton would be better qualified to be "nearly 50%". But what I cited as your "irrelevant point" is your characterization of Hilary Clinton. What wars did she start? The Obama administration was handed 2 wars in progress with no good exit strategy. By the end of the administration, the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan had been cut by (if I recall correctly) almost 90 percent. Truly, Secretary of State Clinton was a warmonger. Perhaps you're referring to her vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq to begin with. She made clear, along with many other senators, that voting to give G W Bush the authority to use force was intended to give him a tool to pressure Saddam Hussein to let the inspectors do their work, and that any force would be preceded by building a coalition and international agreement, as his father did. No Democrat intended for us to go it alone.

Trump sparks outrage with derogatory tweets about Rep. Elijah Cummings

Trajan61 comments on Jul 28, 2019:

Trump is like a breath of fresh air after 8 years of that racist, and arrogant piece of crap Obama!

Paul4747 replies on Jul 28, 2019:

I'm trying, unsuccessfully, to recall or find any reference to how many members of the Republican party President Obama told to "go back where they came from", or accused of hating America. (As opposed to calling out racists for hating their fellow Americans.) All the while trump was accusing President Obama of lying about his birth and denouncing him in the most vile terms. I wonder sometimes what color the sky is in your little world.

Mitch McConnell is a Russian asset - The Washington Post

Bigwavedave comments on Jul 28, 2019:

It would be a shame if he was run over by a beer truck.

Paul4747 replies on Jul 28, 2019:

A Tarot reader once predicted *I* would be run over by a beer truck... or shot by a jealous husband

Bernie Sanders: US policy in Mideast can't be 'pro-Israel, pro-Israel, pro-Israel'

Paul4747 comments on Jul 27, 2019:

It's the religious hard right wing in both Israel and America that keeps the 2-state solution out of reach. As long as Jewish and Christian extremists insist that Israel has a "God given" right to all of the land in the "historic" Israel, those seeking a genuine diplomatic solution will be at a ...

Paul4747 replies on Jul 28, 2019:

@powder I'm guessing they would use their cognitive dissonance. "The dating techniques are flawed." "The samples are contaminated." "God made the data misleading in order to test our faith."

Why We're Moving Forward With Impeachment - The Atlantic

Paul4747 comments on Jul 27, 2019:

But we can't depend on that. We need to move forward with voting the SOB out next year. Whoever the Democratic nominee is, just hold your nose and vote for him or her. Get out there and vote. Because even if the House impeaches, the Senate will not convict, and you KNOW it. The next election ...

Paul4747 replies on Jul 28, 2019:

@Athena I concur, the political realities of a Senate controlled by Republicans who have not demonstrated an inch of spine between them means he would never be convicted even if impeached. trump's base is actually a minority among Republicans and shrinking according to most analyses I've read, but they're loud and obnoxious, and any Republicans who offend them fear being driven out of the party establishment. They'd rather wait for Democrats to do the job for them, and then afterwards say "I was against him all the time." Once trump is gone, the rewriting of history will begin on the Republican side.

Trump vows to end birthright citizenship with executive order

thinktwice comments on Jul 25, 2019:

I don't agree with how he thinks to do this... Not sure I understand why this is an issue...I was born in Japan but I can't be a Japanese citizen just because I was born there...the same goes for most of Europe, Asia and Australia...shouldn't one of the parents be from that country?

Paul4747 replies on Jul 27, 2019:

The historical background to our citizenship amendment, like so much else, has to do with the Civil War and slavery. (I apologize for going into History Professor mode, and for not knowing how much you already know.) In the Dred Scott case (1856), the Supreme Court ruled, in essence, that no black was a citizen, and that they had "no rights which a white man was bound to respect" (the words of Chief Justice Roger Taney). After the war, it was vital to establish that *all* were citizens equally. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 established this for former slaves, but how to settle the question in perpetuity? The way to do this was by the 14th Amendment, arguably one of the most important ever passed: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Notice that persons not subject to the jusrisdiction of the United States at the time of their birth are not automatically citizens; for example, a child of foreign diplomats is not a citizen, since they are not subject to US law, they are under diplomatic immunity. And it's arguable whether a child of illegal immigrants is a birthright citizen, since the parents themselves are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States... but would the child be? That's something I haven't looked into and am not going to, right this minute. 29 countries grant birthright citizenship. We're not the only ones, despite what trump might think. (I use the term "think" in the loosest possible sense.) https://nomadcapitalist.com/2014/10/10/birth-tourism-countries-that-give-citizenship-by-birth/

Facts don’t lie.

Jolanta comments on Jul 26, 2019:

Yes, but the people who voted for him are not very good at writing and reading.

Paul4747 replies on Jul 27, 2019:

@Jacar Nice to see you're still around, still making irrelevant points.

The Case of Al Franken | The New Yorker

callmedubious comments on Jul 26, 2019:

watched a discussion of him on TV recently. i don't think he was the pervert that some portrayed him to be.

Paul4747 replies on Jul 27, 2019:

His case is an illustration of what happens when automatically "believing the women" collides with accusers who may be acting in bad faith or exaggerating their perceptions for whatever reasons. Odd that the first allegation came 1 week after the Roy Moore scandal surfaced, followed by 7 more, and then nothing once he resigned. As if the whole purpose was to get a prominent Democrat out of office...

McConnell blocks two election security bills | TheHill

Donna_I comments on Jul 26, 2019:

Looking over the record for the senate - with the expection of the bill to pay for 911 responders fund and one military bill - they have mostly voted on nominations for judges, ambassadors, and appointments to federal departments with the additional exception of four treaties concerning taxes with ...

Paul4747 replies on Jul 26, 2019:

Did the 9/11 vote ever go through? Last I knew, Rand Paul (the festering fuck) was blocking it still.

Mueller testimony made clear that Trump was involved with Russia and sought to obstruct.

Paul4747 comments on Jul 25, 2019:

Then the real media would be as bad as Fox "News". Do we really want that?

Paul4747 replies on Jul 26, 2019:

@Bigel An accurate summary. And while the media has a role in pointing out the hypocrisy of the Republicans (and should do so, and in the case of the Washington Post at least, does so daily), they aren't intended to stifle them. That would make them an arm of the Democratic party as much as Fox is an arm of the Republican party.

Impeachment fizzles against Trump Trump wins again against weak democrats.

Paul4747 comments on Jul 26, 2019:

I think your takeaway here is wrong. It's a matter of realism on the part of the House Democrats to consider that, even if they impeach Trump, the Republican-dominated Senate will never, ever convict him, no matter how glaring his guilt. And it is glaring. Trump very clearly committed ...

Paul4747 replies on Jul 26, 2019:

@St-Sinner Clinton got a hummer from an intern. Trump's campaign fed research to a foreign power which then interfered in our election, basically cheating on his behalf. He wouldn't be president except for that. Since when he has cozied up to the head of that power on every opportunity. I have to think Americans are intelligent enough to see the difference.

Why are my posts so often moved?

Cutiebeauty comments on Jul 26, 2019:

I haven't noticed posts being moved around in the general forms but I can speculate that it's being done to posts that are either trending or not trending... As for your posts being removed, only you can figure that out... Do you get an email notification from admin when your post is removed? If ...

Paul4747 replies on Jul 26, 2019:

Never noticed one being **re**moved, just moved from one category to another. It seems like after a couple days everything is moved automatically into "General" if it's not in a specific group, but I'm not sure.

I can't help noticing the trouble the spellchecker has with certain words.

Sandster comments on Jul 26, 2019:

Their our know miss takes inn this cause my spill chukka dint fined any. Reed threw yore massages Caerphilly. (Sorry, couldn't resist that)

Paul4747 replies on Jul 26, 2019:

I have in fact worn chukka boots. And eaten Caerphilly!

'In God We Trust' Signs Go Up In South Dakota Public Schools, As Required By Law : NPR

TheMiddleWay comments on Jul 26, 2019:

The problem is that is our national motto. Until we can change that, and we should, there is really nothing the ACLU or FFRF can do at the state level imo. Does anyone know the history of these institutions suing to get that motto revoked?

Paul4747 replies on Jul 26, 2019:

The law also instructs the AG to defend against any lawsuit to remove the slogan... at state expense.