How many members on here are openly atheists in the bible belt? And are you treated differently?

bigpawbullets comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I don't think Southern Ohio is "bible-belt" country. In my quiet neighborhood, 5 of the seven households on our cul-de-sac attend church and are believers. I'm openly "heathen/agnostic" and we all get along just fine. The disturbing thing for me was my time spent working at the USAF base here....

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

Southern Ohio is the Rust Belt, just like Michigan. I guess we're not considered the Bible Belt now that I look it up, but we're definitely in the center-of-the-nation religious zone as opposed to the coasts, where secular thought is the rule and religion is more the exception. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-bible-belt-1434529

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

of-the-mountain comments on Apr 28, 2019:

POF is nothing but a way too put your money in their pocket! Tinder is another complete joke! Zoosk, Match, Our time, and do not forget E harmony all offering a fancy way to meet the one you are longing for by duping you into paying for trolls, frauds, fakes, and scammers to fleece you from ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@SeaGreenEyez I believe you, but the site deliberately obfuscates what features it has for free, in advance of deciding whether or not to join as a paid member. Maybe it wasn't that way to begin with, but that's the business model now.

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

of-the-mountain comments on Apr 28, 2019:

POF is nothing but a way too put your money in their pocket! Tinder is another complete joke! Zoosk, Match, Our time, and do not forget E harmony all offering a fancy way to meet the one you are longing for by duping you into paying for trolls, frauds, fakes, and scammers to fleece you from ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@SeaGreenEyez It may possibly have free features, but they're very well hidden and it's not made at all clear what features you could access for free during the sign-up process. I hesitated for over a year before trying this experiment. I doubt I'll renew. Like OK Cupid, which doesn't even show you the people who've "liked" you unless you're a paid member, I wonder what features you can actually get for free. It might also be the case, as implied above, that the site discriminates against men somehow.

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

linxminx comments on Apr 28, 2019:

Lingerie pics. Gosh, I'm just so filled with pride and respect for my gender.....not really. Good luck with POF. I found dating online was too much work trying to filter through the nutjobs. About 90% of the men I ran into were married or in a relationship and just looking for something ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@linxminx My guess in this case would be, "Try to ignore the fact that I'm probably a scam artist working out of a basement somewhere and look at this picture of a nearly naked woman instead."

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

Stephanie99 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

There is a search feature where you can choose religion categories if you go to advanced search. That's for searching profiles rather than searching through your messages. Messaging others makes it more likely that you will be communicating with a genuine person. You can also see when the person was...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

I want the filter to work without my having to search profiles. Too much to ask, I suppose. It strikes me that, on the scale of low-rent to high-end sites, this is definitely the low end of the scale.

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

david75090 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I've run across those fake profiles on POF. Most are really obvious, as you mentioned. I get very few messages but when I do, it's the fake "hey there :)". That gets my immediate deletion. Can't imagine everybody using the same phrase "hey there :)". Figure it's probably one organization preying on...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

My favorite was the one who gave "her" profession as "cosmonaut". :D Zero possibility that there was a Russian bot programmer involved.

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

linxminx comments on Apr 28, 2019:

Lingerie pics. Gosh, I'm just so filled with pride and respect for my gender.....not really. Good luck with POF. I found dating online was too much work trying to filter through the nutjobs. About 90% of the men I ran into were married or in a relationship and just looking for something ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

It's my gender that's meant to fall for it, though.

2 Weeks on "Plenty Of Fish"

Robecology comments on Apr 28, 2019:

@Paul4747; I don't think you've discovered the "advanced search" (for POF). You can specify - -non-religious or "other" or "new-age" -height -distance and many other choices. This way you can avoid the absentees...or the non-responders ("on line now" are listed first). But ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

As I said, it's a very clumsy site to navigate. Thank you. I joined this site intending to use it as a dating resource, but it's become a social thing instead. I don't think most of the members here are here to date, and those that are, I've found... don't want to date me. But that's true of the world at large, why should this site be any different?

White Nationalists Storm Washington Bookstore Reading: ‘This Land Is Our Land’

Novelty comments on Apr 28, 2019:

These deplorable low IQ pissed off racist misogynist white bastards will not be happy until there's a civil war. Then they'll all die, just like the dumb shit southerners in the first Civil War.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

I hope you're not under the impression that the Confederate states were wiped out during the Civil War? Union Civil War Casualties Combat Deaths: Over 110,000 Other Deaths*: Over 250,000 Confederate Civil War Casualties Combat Deaths: Over 95,000 Other Deaths*: Over 165,000 There was a horrific toll on both sides, and as shown, it was the Union (ie. the North) that suffered the most casualties, as is to be expected when fighting an offensive war to conquer what was essentially an enemy nation. (Or re-conquer the rebellious states, depending on point of view.) And while the total was more deaths than all other American wars *combined*, it was still only a fraction of the populace. The South rapidly rose again to produce such horrors as the KKK, the Night Riders, the Coca-Cola Company, and Ted Turner (not to mention Superstation TBS).

Which came first... the fork or the spoon?

chucklesIII comments on Apr 27, 2019:

I think archeology has shown the spoon was first, but I'm not 100% certain.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@BeeHappy You wouldn't have heard it because I made it up on the spot... I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to think it was actual Hollywood history. Although there was a studio memo (reproduced in the book "The Making of Star Trek") in which producer Robert Justman did in fact suggest, tongue in cheek, that all Vulcan names should start with the letter SP and end with K. He then produced a long list of examples, including Spork, if I remember correctly.

So I have noticed that every smart phone I have ever owned seems to become nearly unusable within 3 ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I see...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@altschmerz I care about things that are worth caring about. People who willingly rip themselves off by buying $1000 phones once a year, I don't care about.

So I have noticed that every smart phone I have ever owned seems to become nearly unusable within 3 ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I see...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@Piratefish Maybe turn your satire detector on? I've been using the same $50 phone for the last 3 years and haven't noticed any performance changes. Prior to that, I had the same phone for 4 years. Maybe if people weren't obsessed with owning the latest phone the day it comes out, the business model might change.

This is the latest Earthquake crazy theory. Don't say you weren't warned. [expressmirror.uk]

Francool comments on Apr 27, 2019:

It will likely depend on the existence of local fracking sites.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

Then we'll all be frackked.

Which came first... the fork or the spoon?

chucklesIII comments on Apr 27, 2019:

I think archeology has shown the spoon was first, but I'm not 100% certain.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

@BeeHappy I believe Mr. Spork was going to be Mr. Spock's replacement, his long-lost cousin or something, in a Star Trek revival series back in the '70s. Rumor had it Nimoy was holding out for a better contract package. (Shatner had a personal chef, hairdresser, and masseuse; the rest of the cast were super-jealous.) The whole thing collapsed anyway, and then they decided to do the movies instead....

Which came first... the fork or the spoon?

hankster comments on Apr 27, 2019:

spooning leads to forking.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 28, 2019:

Well played

What did the buddhist say to the hot dog vendor? "Make me one with everything"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

He pays the hot dog vendor with a $20. The vendor pockets it. The Buddhist asks, "What about my change?" The hot dog guy replies, "Change comes only from within."

Paul4747 replies on Apr 23, 2019:

@Elganned Thanks for reminding me of it.

What did the buddhist say to the hot dog vendor? "Make me one with everything"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

He pays the hot dog vendor with a $20. The vendor pockets it. The Buddhist asks, "What about my change?" The hot dog guy replies, "Change comes only from within."

Paul4747 replies on Apr 23, 2019:

@Elganned I can't take the credit; the entire joke (or a similar one) is in a book by either Dawkins or Hitchens, I forget which at the moment.

I came across something on a dating site that touched me.

SleeplessInTexas comments on Apr 17, 2019:

So beautiful and precious. I agree. In relationships, I've always given my significant other the love I've always wanted. My significant other would have to hurt me without my permission first to make me stop loving him. I would not purposely make my partner ever feel unloved or unwanted....

Paul4747 replies on Apr 17, 2019:

That is wonderful. I feel it's a circular thing in a good relationship, one builds off the other and reinforces the other's feelings.

If Cthulhu can be summoned by humans who are so far beneath it, why can’t humans be summoned by ...

Allamanda comments on Apr 17, 2019:

I am glad you now see why your behaviour is so erratic.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 17, 2019:

@Allamanda I recall I didn't so much "lose" my virginity as "hurl it away at the first good opportunity".

If Cthulhu can be summoned by humans who are so far beneath it, why can’t humans be summoned by ...

Allamanda comments on Apr 17, 2019:

I am glad you now see why your behaviour is so erratic.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 17, 2019:

@Allamanda I gotcha But if they offered a virgin sacrifice, how the heck could you tell? I mean, it may or may not be a virgin. It may or may not be whichever gender they're claiming, what do I know about ant biology? There's actually a trope for this- "Humans Are Cthulhu" https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HumansAreCthulhu

If Cthulhu can be summoned by humans who are so far beneath it, why can’t humans be summoned by ...

Allamanda comments on Apr 17, 2019:

I am glad you now see why your behaviour is so erratic.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 17, 2019:

Beg your pardon?

I don't understand women....

Allamanda comments on Apr 15, 2019:

I haven't a great deal of experience of this (online stuff), but as a woman, maybe this will be helpful: Yes many of us are afraid of confrontation, having spent our lives being attacked if we're forthright. Some of us still are, but if all you've exchanged is a brief chat, it can seem more polite,...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 15, 2019:

@Allamanda Yeah. People either click or they don't.

I don't understand women....

Donotbelieve comments on Apr 15, 2019:

That would be me. I'm very direct, out of respect. I will tell you that a lot of the time men do not respond kindly or with any maturity to my directness. Maybe that is the root cause of your dilemma? I wish all humans were direct, sincere, and honest. That would fix this silliness.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 15, 2019:

It would be a better world. Maybe people just don't believe me when I say I want them to be direct with me.

I don't understand women....

VictoriaNotes comments on Apr 15, 2019:

I've seen guys behave the same way. This is not gender-specific.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 15, 2019:

Oddly, that makes me feel better. Thank you.

I don't understand women....

Allamanda comments on Apr 15, 2019:

I haven't a great deal of experience of this (online stuff), but as a woman, maybe this will be helpful: Yes many of us are afraid of confrontation, having spent our lives being attacked if we're forthright. Some of us still are, but if all you've exchanged is a brief chat, it can seem more polite,...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 15, 2019:

"may be looking for long-term friends, intellectual companions, etc." Well, that's my assumption. That's what I'm looking for too. It's hard to build that up when I'm the one starting every conversation. Maybe I'm just not that interesting?

Fugitive Chloe Jones arrested after taunting Greene County Sheriff’s deputies in Pennsylvania - ...

Kafirah comments on Apr 15, 2019:

So, basically, if she hadn't taunted them like an idiot, they never would have found her?

Paul4747 replies on Apr 15, 2019:

That's how it seems. The police are nowhere near as omnipresent as people imagine. People can live as wanted fugitives for years without being found, and then she posts about the hospital room she's in on the police department's FB page. It's like saying "Come and get me!"

More help needed for those who feel cursed, possessed, says exorcist

Novelty comments on Apr 14, 2019:

I agree, mental health, not what they have in mind. Isn't it weird how only people that believe in demons become possessed by demons?

Paul4747 replies on Apr 14, 2019:

And you never see a UFO skeptic abducted and strapped on the Probulator... odd, that.

Mar-a-Lago is a counterintelligence nightmare - The Washington Post

Novelty comments on Apr 14, 2019:

Everything, and I mean every fucking thing, about Trump is a counterintelligence nightmare. In fact the first thing that comes to mind when I hear Trump speak is how it's counterintelligence.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 14, 2019:

I can feel my IQ burning away every time I hear him speak...

Neil Gorsuch says no-one can sue to stop government establishing religion

KKGator comments on Apr 2, 2019:

Asteroid. Now.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 14, 2019:

@KKGator I'm a fan of *Casablanca*. I believe in redemption through one's own efforts and personal journey. There's hope for everyone. Except for Conrad Veidt, of course. He was a jerk.

Neil Gorsuch says no-one can sue to stop government establishing religion

KKGator comments on Apr 2, 2019:

Asteroid. Now.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 14, 2019:

I'm against that solution, on the basis that many non-evangelicals would also perish. It's a disproportionate solution. On the other hand, if we could launch a satellite-based orbital kinetic-delivery vehicle like the proposed Project Thor, which dropped tungsten rods at extremely high velocity (up to Mach 10) and surgical precision, the effect would be the same but in a comparatively tiny area. Not that I'm suggesting anything, of course.

As increasing numbers of US citizens self-identify as "without religion" in both red and blue ...

KKGator comments on Apr 14, 2019:

I have no desire to have atheists become politically organized, and I can't think of anyone who is qualified to lead.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 14, 2019:

@Allamanda You beat me to the phrase.

One exchange during a congressional hearing laid bare the CEO-employee pay disparity - The ...

JGal comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Yep. We're getting nickel and dimed out of the middle class.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 13, 2019:

Can a dime actually buy anything anymore? Even in a parking meter?

The closed mind of Richard Dawkins

TheMiddleWay comments on Apr 12, 2019:

The minute that any critique of Dawkins is shut down by his supporters simply because it's critiquing Dawkins is the minute that his supporters treat him exactly like that which he hates: an infallible god. ;)

Paul4747 replies on Apr 13, 2019:

How about if it's because the critic doesn't know what they're talking about?

Living the illuminated life

Rustee comments on Mar 31, 2019:

Why would I want to critique my attitudes?? I came to my assumptions and conclusions by examining not my attitudes, but rather by examining my beliefs, or especially the beliefs of people whose attitudes were questionable!

Paul4747 replies on Apr 13, 2019:

1. "Attitudes" and "beliefs" are synonymous. 2. If you only examine everyone else's attitudes and beliefs, do you assume you personally are infallible?

Russia: World No Longer Trusts U.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

And Putin is better, how, exactly? America is currently in a leadership void, which is most likely going to be corrected at the next election. Russia is functionally a dictatorship longing for the good old days of the USSR and her domination over 1/4 of the globe. There's a lot less to trust ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 13, 2019:

@THHA Would they tell me that Russia didn't annex Crimea? Or that Assad is not a dictator?

Russia: World No Longer Trusts U.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

And Putin is better, how, exactly? America is currently in a leadership void, which is most likely going to be corrected at the next election. Russia is functionally a dictatorship longing for the good old days of the USSR and her domination over 1/4 of the globe. There's a lot less to trust ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 13, 2019:

@THHA Then I didn't see Russia annexing Crimea, supporting Iraq and Iran, supporting Bashar al-Assad as he suppresses his own people... @SeaGreenEyez You're kidding, right? The notion that America had anything to do with the creation of ISIS has been so thoroughly debunked that I'm not even going to bother with providing a link. Russia's influence is being exerted to help Assad stay in power and preserve their own ally, not for any humanitarian reason. Assad is a kindred spirit to Putin; he saw the chance to gain influence in the region by supporting another dictator against American-supported democratic forces. "The man that stopped America from starting WWIII"? The man that stopped faulty Soviet radar equipment from starting WWIII, according to the link. It's not as if America controlled the sun reflecting off the clouds and confusing the Soviet radars. There were no missiles launched; none; zero; so how did we try to start a war, exactly?

Give a Little Bit - Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) Writer and Composer - YouTube

mojo5501 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

An oldie but a goodie. I hadn't seen a live version of this song before so thanks for sharing this one!

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@mojo5501 Class of '83. We remember when there was music in the MTV. :D

Give a Little Bit - Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) Writer and Composer - YouTube

mojo5501 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

An oldie but a goodie. I hadn't seen a live version of this song before so thanks for sharing this one!

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

I've been listening to a Greatest Hits binge in my car all week to and from work. The music of my youth...

i have just received an annoying email from the universal life church, congratulating me on my ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Maybe someone had you ordained as a joke and never told you. They'll ordain anybody for $65 (unless the price went up). I hate to break it to you, but you're also a Pope of the Discordian movement. They decided to one-up Kirby Hensley back in the '60s and just declare *everybody* Pope. Every man,...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@mzbehavin Thank you, I'm here all weekend.

i have just received an annoying email from the universal life church, congratulating me on my ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Maybe someone had you ordained as a joke and never told you. They'll ordain anybody for $65 (unless the price went up). I hate to break it to you, but you're also a Pope of the Discordian movement. They decided to one-up Kirby Hensley back in the '60s and just declare *everybody* Pope. Every man,...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@mzbehavin They also coined the term Mome, for those who objected to being called a Pope. And I suppose if two of them opened a business together, they'd have a little Mome and Pope store.

Lets have a little competition, who can best explain how a 13.

Dhiltong comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Inflation is the answer, the universe got 10^78 times more volume in 10^-32 seconds. Crazy, but it has passed all the test so far. Inflationary expansion was way faster than the speed of light! Special relativity says that information cannot move faster than the speed of light, but general ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

Inflation is a powerful force, but it can't beat compound interest.

Religious People On Dating Websites Are All Like...

Allamanda comments on Apr 12, 2019:

must be a parallel to the old joke about being bisexual doubling your chances of a date...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

I'm fighting fire with fire. I plan to seduce a Catholic and turn her away from the One True Church. ;)

Religious People On Dating Websites Are All Like...

KKGator comments on Apr 12, 2019:

I had to Google Joyce Meyer. I could have gone the rest of my life without knowing who she is, and I would have been completely content in my ignorance of her existence.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

I can't get through one day of work without seeing one of her books in someone's hands or sitting on a shelf as a "gift" for someone to pick up and read. That's how the charismatics do things; they figure that if they leave Bibles and books and pamphlets in random places, "God" will see to it that the right person will pick one up and read it. Not sure how they account for it when I scoop them up and toss them in the trash. Probably I'm an agent of the Devil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_mePjkQW_c

Religious People On Dating Websites Are All Like...

SeaGreenEyez comments on Apr 12, 2019:

If I had a dollar ... I could buy myself a custom made man with the money I made from every theist that was gonna save my soul and fornicate with me. *smh* (Just this passed week? 5 soul-savers. And this is with a disclaimer that I don't do religion or the religious. ? It's tough getting old, ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

I don't save souls, I'm not going to venture a comment on the other. ;)

Religious People On Dating Websites Are All Like...

genessa comments on Apr 12, 2019:

i don't know joyce meyer. i can imagine, though. anyway i don't hang out on dating websites (for me, this isn't a dating website). i have my guy until his alzheimer's takes him away from me. g

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

Short answer: Joyce Meyer (born Pauline Joyce Hutchison; June 4, 1943) is an American Charismatic Christian author and speaker and president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Long answer: see here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Meyer

Scholar Jonathan Metzl: White supremacy is literally killing white people | Salon.com

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

See, this is one reason I don't go into Wal Mart. I also don't open carry almost anywhere. But I assume anyone who does, is legally entitled to- because it's legal in my state. "Democrats have made the mistake of trying to speak intelligently to stupid people", is what this doctor (is he a ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@IAJO163 My thing is that I support gun ownership, but I support responsible ownership, and that puts me at odds with the NRA set. I was trained in shoot/don't shoot scenarios and overall use of force situations, armed or unarmed (with the emphasis on minimizing force and de-escalating a situation, retreating and avoiding an incident whenever practical) before I ever applied for a carry permit. In almost 20 years as a corrections officer I've been assaulted only 4 times, because I can talk prisoners into backing down or avoid confrontations turning violent in the first place. Those are teachable skills. I believe there needs to be a minimum standard of training before anyone gets a permit, and it needs to be nationwide. Intensive classroom instruction on a small-group basis where the instructor is a qualified law-enforcement trainer, and is more than willing to fail someone who's overly aggressive and shows signs that they're going to go out looking for trouble. Alas, this standard would cost tax dollars and "infringe on our rights", so it's unlikely it will ever come to pass.

The Worst Crime Of All

SiouxcitySue comments on Apr 11, 2019:

Alternative statements. FRAME 1: "I know god forgives me for murdering my mother." FRAME 2: "I'm an atheist."

Paul4747 replies on Apr 12, 2019:

I was thinking about the Alice's Restaurant Massacree. "What were you in for, kid?" "Littering." And they all moved away from me on the bench...

Would you do this to your spouse to stop an argument or to have some quiet time for yourself?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Wilhelm Reich, the inventor, was never given a fair hearing by the FDA due to his political and social views. He was hounded to suicide and his books were actually banned and incinerated. Several researchers have duplicated and validated his work. It's open to question how "phony" his invention was,...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 11, 2019:

@MattHardy Since no further research was apparently done (all of Reich's claims having been denounced as quackery, no reputable institution would sponsor such research), we'll very likely never know. But the initial research did seem to verify that something was happening, that did not happen in the dummy box.

No, no it wouldn’t.

mordant comments on Apr 11, 2019:

It is strange to me that is in his mind strictly WOMEN who need to be "more responsible" -- as if men had no role to play and certainly no price to pay for making anyone pregnant. So it goes with patriarchy.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 11, 2019:

Maybe he's going with his personal experience. He had just a small part to play. If you get my drift. A small, small part.

‘I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on earth’: A self-proclaimed white ...

TheoryNumber3 comments on Mar 18, 2019:

This homophobic, Islamophobic, Misogynistic, Antisemitic, Racist movement is bigger than Trump. He's just a tool of the SOBs calling the shots. And Trump's just telling his followers what they want to hear. https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/07/27/trump-is-a-tool-of-the-deep-state-not-a-victim/...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 11, 2019:

@arizonajerry69 Wait a second... did you just use the word "Hellary"? And praise *Singapore* (where caning is a judicial punishment) as a "dictatorship of science and reason"? I'm beginning to question your qualifications as a judge of what is or is not evil.

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

cava comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I don't think you will have a choice because of the congestion on the road. Giving complete control over to your on board computer guidance system, operated through a centralized system I think, will become a requirement for entering major highways especially those that dump commuters into major ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 11, 2019:

@cava Look at the issues with the 737. Now multiply that by the number of cars on the road. This is why I don't trust industry to perfect an autonomous car.

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

davknight comments on Apr 10, 2019:

When they become the norm, what will the police do in lieu of drunk driving arrests? How will communities make up for the revenue raked in from traffic tickets???

Paul4747 replies on Apr 11, 2019:

I suspect drivers will still be required to stand ready to take over steering in an emergency, just like an airline pilot taking over from the autopilot. No system is perfect.

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

Gohan comments on Apr 11, 2019:

In the early 1900s there were a lot of people that swore they would never choose to drive a horseless carriage. Slowly, those metal beasts took over and those people bought cars. Many are sharing this standoffish attitude toward electric cars. Strange, that electric cars were around before Henry ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 11, 2019:

I have no problem with electric cars. It's the self-driving that I'm against. Interestingly, since you mention horses, I also don't like those. Tried riding one only once. I don't trust any form of transportation that steers itself.

Debunking David Lane's 88 Precepts

Allamanda comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I'm not sure if we all need to read them, glad you did rather than I...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

Maybe being aware of their existence is defense enough.

Debunking David Lane's 88 Precepts

dahermit comments on Apr 10, 2019:

"Lane continually makes references to different "species" of humans, either not knowing or not caring that different species can't interbreed. " I am not agreeing with Lane, however he may have meant "subspecies" rather than "different species". I think it is likely correct to refer to ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

He actually makes analogies using lions, wolves, and sheep compared to different "species" of humans; so, no, I think he really truly believed humans have different genomes and origins. He and his followers had/have no understanding of science whatsoever.

Debunking David Lane's 88 Precepts

indirect76 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

“from the attacks of their oppressors” Yeah, white folks are super oppressed.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

This is the standard line of white supremacists starting with Hitler, who claimed Germany was so oppressed that she had to attack her neighboring nations in self-defense.

Rory Feek Accepts His Lesbian Daughter; Now Christian Stores Won’t Sell His Book – Friendly ...

Ellatynemouth comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Most homophobia is linked to religion - and cake makers.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

@rainmaker-47 I think it's "Blessed are the cheesemakers." It's not meant to be taken literally, it refers to any manufacturer of dairy products. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLUEMj6cwA

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

LizBeth comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Yes! I drive out of necessity though, not because I love it, like some people do.... and if driverless cars made the accident/death rate go down, that would be amazing.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

It would be, but I fear it won't be. It's only as good as the programming. Programmers are notorious for only finding the bugs *after* the product is put into service. That's fine when all that's at stake is someone's cell phone, but when it's a ton or two of metal at 60 mph, it scares me.

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

Sticks48 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I remember when people went nuts because wearing seat belts was mandatory. People went crazy when the automobile came out and started to replace the horse. Human beings in general don't like change. Change and death are inevitable.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

Seat belts is *the law*. It's not impossible to drive a car without one. Subtle difference. If there were some kind of interlock that made it impossible to turn the key until your belt was fastened, people would just fasten the belt forever and then sit on top of it. Humans don't like technology telling them what to do. Likewise, the day it becomes mandatory to have a computer driving your car for you- is the day I become a pedestrian.

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

Xuande comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Heck yes. People need to make like Elsa and let go. The fear of accidents is real, but it more than likely doesn't even come close to the accident rates of human drivers. Or is the real fear just losing the control, because you're a great driver and never get in wrecks blah blah blah. What's ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

@altschmerz .... huh

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

cava comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I don't think you will have a choice because of the congestion on the road. Giving complete control over to your on board computer guidance system, operated through a centralized system I think, will become a requirement for entering major highways especially those that dump commuters into major ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

Why would I trust a computer to do that? The same computer that shuts down for a Windows Update for an hour every week?

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

1of5 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I'm betting, just like every other driver on the road, that you think you're one of the "better" drivers out there. You're most probably not, and your " if I'm late to work I speed" comment makes me hope you never teach anything to drive.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

Unlike them, I'm right. The only accident I've ever been in was when another driver T-boned me in a parking lot; I had the right of way and she ignored a yield sign. That's 37 years of driving. Thanks for your opinion, though.

Just so everyone knows Charles Dugal airport Paris is the most ass backwards airport in the world.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

PS Pretty sure it's "Charles De Gaulle" ;)

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

@DavidGreen1 Not a Nazi please, just the spelling police.

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

Novelty comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Hard no I'll never drive a self driving car because..well.. it drives itself.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

That's why I phrased it "drive".

Would You Ever "Drive" A Self-Driving Car?

Xuande comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Heck yes. People need to make like Elsa and let go. The fear of accidents is real, but it more than likely doesn't even come close to the accident rates of human drivers. Or is the real fear just losing the control, because you're a great driver and never get in wrecks blah blah blah. What's ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

Elsa who? Is that something to do with the voice from the phone people talk to? (I hate that thing too.)

Would you do this to your spouse to stop an argument or to have some quiet time for yourself?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Wilhelm Reich, the inventor, was never given a fair hearing by the FDA due to his political and social views. He was hounded to suicide and his books were actually banned and incinerated. Several researchers have duplicated and validated his work. It's open to question how "phony" his invention was,...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

@MattHardy See the footnotes in this article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgone#cite_note-Muschenich-32 Unfortunately the research itself is in German, but it duplicated Reich's experimental result, evidently.

Nudist couple offering to pay someone up to €580 weekly to tutor their son after last teacher felt...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Do they pay airfare? One question: Would I have to be nude too? That might create an uncomfortable situation for the couple.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

@Tooreen You haven't seen me nude. People might object.

Does Donald Trump have dementia? We need to know: Psychologist

gearl comments on Apr 9, 2019:

I have been around a lot of dementia and it sure fits in with what he says and does. The problem is his never ending lying. Did he always contradict himself within two sentences or has that happened only recently. The guy tells so many lies that it would be hard for anyone to keep track but to lie ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 10, 2019:

His business associates reported that he was always a humongous narcissistic liar. No grasp of truth whatsoever, beyond "I want it to be true".

Wrong!?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 9, 2019:

You're stating exactly the opposite conspiracy theory from Noam Chomsky, who thought the Trilaterals wanted to inculcate an excessive trust in politicians and the nation-state, then. The Commission's founding declaration states: "Growing interdependence is a fact of life of the contemporary ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 9, 2019:

@ToolGuy What this leaves out is the reason for the taxes in the first place. Being taxed endlessly to pay for the Crown's expenses in the war against France was not considered a good bargain. Then there was the Boston Massacre of 1765, the blockading of Boston Harbor, and the general heavy-handedness of the Crown in dealing with its American colonists. Most directly, the order to disarm the rebellious colonists in Massachusetts led to the outbreak of war as well as to the American insistence on personal ownership of firearms, which to this day has made us fairly unique among nations. Sometimes the answer is right there in the open, indeed.

Wrong!?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 9, 2019:

You're stating exactly the opposite conspiracy theory from Noam Chomsky, who thought the Trilaterals wanted to inculcate an excessive trust in politicians and the nation-state, then. The Commission's founding declaration states: "Growing interdependence is a fact of life of the contemporary ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 9, 2019:

@ToolGuy Please, enlighten me with what my nation's revolution was really about.

Wrong!?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 9, 2019:

You're stating exactly the opposite conspiracy theory from Noam Chomsky, who thought the Trilaterals wanted to inculcate an excessive trust in politicians and the nation-state, then. The Commission's founding declaration states: "Growing interdependence is a fact of life of the contemporary ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 9, 2019:

@ToolGuy And yet, if it's "out in the open", how do people come to the opposite conclusions about its purposes? What is the upside of going another $1.1 TRILLION into debt in 2020? We're not making infrastructure improvements. We're not funding education. We're expanding the biggest military in the world even further, and giving tax cuts to the rich (again). While the economy slows down.

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

Acree comments on Apr 6, 2019:

“He should have then followed by saying that this means there was 999,999 chances in one million that life arose on earth by some means OTHER than random chance.” This assertion is illogical and the rest of your argument falls flat because of this. You’ve left no room for % chance life does...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 8, 2019:

@LloydBrumbaugh Now you're in the infinite regress. Where did THAT life come from?

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

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

Logical errors abound in your post. A 1 in 1,000,000 chance (or, let's say 1 billion, why not?) is almost a sure thing if there are 100 trillion chances. You assume that there was a single roll of the dice, one chance for life to arise by natural processes, and if it didn't succeed the first time, ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 8, 2019:

@LloydBrumbaugh You don't address the central fallacy; the fact of improbability (1 in 1,000,000 chance of life arising by a natural process) does not lead to a conclusion that there is a much greater probability of life arising by some other process. There is no other process available. "It's unlikely, therefore God did it" is not a valid conclusion. A 1/1,000,000 chance will happen once in 1,000,000 times, statistically.

What's the difference between a practicing christian and a schizophrenic?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Schizophrenics don't have to go to a special building once a week.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 7, 2019:

@MsDemeanour Maybe if you know a Jessica, I might nibble a bit in a friendly way... ;) I still draw the line at drawing blood though.

What's the difference between a practicing christian and a schizophrenic?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Schizophrenics don't have to go to a special building once a week.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 7, 2019:

@MsDemeanour I think you could expand that a little more. I'm against eating the body and blood of *anybody* named Jesus.

"If God has a plan, then why the fuck is everyone praying all the time?"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Cognitive dissonance. I actually like the way Stephen King handles his fictional God (he takes part in certain novels). The characters who pray to him to change things are always in the wrong, it's those who accept their fate as part of the plan who turn out to be the heroes. The theme of ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 7, 2019:

@mooredolezal I was being flippant, I don't know specifics. King takes a long time between books, but he's certainly prolific.

"If God has a plan, then why the fuck is everyone praying all the time?"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Cognitive dissonance. I actually like the way Stephen King handles his fictional God (he takes part in certain novels). The characters who pray to him to change things are always in the wrong, it's those who accept their fate as part of the plan who turn out to be the heroes. The theme of ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 7, 2019:

@mooredolezal Okay, more best-sellers? More non-romance novels? More non-westerns? I realize there are authors who crank out two or three a month. And then there are the authors I suspect of being a pseudonym. And the authors whose novels are 125 pages in paperback. (Many of these categories overlap.)

"If God has a plan, then why the fuck is everyone praying all the time?"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Cognitive dissonance. I actually like the way Stephen King handles his fictional God (he takes part in certain novels). The characters who pray to him to change things are always in the wrong, it's those who accept their fate as part of the plan who turn out to be the heroes. The theme of ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 7, 2019:

@mooredolezal Pretty sure he's *written* more books than anyone else.

The United States' 'War on Drugs' Really Did Make Things Worse, New Research Finds

1of5 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

How can you have a war on chemicals?

Paul4747 replies on Apr 6, 2019:

Same way you have a war on terror.

Who on here is looking to be in a balanced triad type relationship?

magicwatch comments on Apr 6, 2019:

why not two men and one woman?

Paul4747 replies on Apr 6, 2019:

@KimAndBri So, your OP should have specifically asked "any women interested". Because probably 90 percent of the people clicking this post are men. :D

Has anyone here delt with the Westboro Baptist church people recently?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

If you ignore them long enough, I think they'll go away.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 6, 2019:

@Beowulfsfriend I'm counting on their short attention span. They'll find someone else to pester.

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

Seeker3CO comments on Apr 6, 2019:

I've read a lot of Richard Dawkins. Brilliant, if arrogant, thinker and scientist. Calculating mathematical odds of something happening, AFTER IT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, is a fools errand. It could have occured. It did occur. You can marvel at the small odds but the illustration you reference of ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 6, 2019:

In my book, being as brilliant as he is earns him the right to be arrogant. Then again, "impatient with foolish people" is not the same as "arrogant", although it looks similar. I think he's impatient with the hearing same foolish things year after year.

Trump Says Wind Turbine Noise Causes Cancer. (It Does Not.)

Novelty comments on Apr 3, 2019:

You do know that you don't have to tell us that Wind Turban Noise doesn't cause cancer, right? I mean, only an idiot would believe something that fucking stupid.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 4, 2019:

@Novelty Fair enough. You saw the shot, there was no danger, so you took it. I saw a chance to make a Top Gun reference there. (Are they really doing a sequel? If so, why??)

Trump Says Wind Turbine Noise Causes Cancer. (It Does Not.)

Biosteelman comments on Apr 4, 2019:

[Devils Advocate] Well noise over a period of time causes Tumors (serious look it up). Ear cancer is super rare so I imagine the ability to research it well is probably hard. However there are two ways to increase your chances of getting any cancer. Increase the rate that cells regenerate in a ...

Paul4747 replies on Apr 4, 2019:

Counterpoint: from the GE website; "The closest that a wind turbine is typically placed to a home is 300 meters or more. At that distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels. To put that in context, the average air conditioner can reach 50 decibels of noise, and most refrigerators run at around 40 decibels." A conversation in a restaurant is typically around 60 db. TV or home stereo audio; 70 db. Blender: 88 db. http://www.industrialnoisecontrol.com/comparative-noise-examples.htm And people regularly drive in cars or wear headphones/earbuds with the music at a volume that can be heard from some distance away, in the case of cars, sometimes a block away. You might as well make the case that car stereos, air conditioners, and restaurant conversations cause ear cancer. They're far better candidates than wind turbines.

Trump Says Wind Turbine Noise Causes Cancer. (It Does Not.)

Novelty comments on Apr 3, 2019:

You do know that you don't have to tell us that Wind Turban Noise doesn't cause cancer, right? I mean, only an idiot would believe something that fucking stupid.

Paul4747 replies on Apr 4, 2019:

These days there are so many idiots, though. I don't know if you clicked the link, but that's the headline on the article. They must have felt the need to make it clear that he wasn't revealing some great truth, but rather, just running his own noise hole.

Was sex more fun when you still believed in original sin?

Paul4747 comments on Jan 4, 2019:

I never actually thought about it during the act, and if I gave it any thought at all, it was kinda creepy that a guy in an imaginary place was watching me get it on. However, the very best sex of my life was with my married neighbor, who was also a Jehovah's Witness, and I guess by her standards...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 31, 2019:

@miked3003 Probably raised that way, then. My best man was a gay Mormon who drank and went to the strip club with us (for academic interest only on his part).

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Amisja comments on Mar 29, 2019:

titbit

Paul4747 replies on Mar 31, 2019:

@Amisja That Puritan heritage at work. Use a euphemism because you can't just come out and say what it is. Of course, it's nice to have more than one word available, and sometimes it can be quite poetic. :) That's one thing the Bible is good for; The Song of Songs.

For the GOP to accept amorality as the new norm, tells us a whole lot about the GOP.

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

To be fair (strictly for the principle of the thing, not out of any love for Republicans), all power tends to corrupt, and scandal is no stranger to the Democrats either. Clinton perjured himself and committed obstruction of justice. Many higher-up Democrats at all levels of government have given in...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 30, 2019:

@Marcel3405 At what level of government? This is for the executive branch only. To be truly objective we have to look outside the spotlight of the White House.

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Christians should also be protesting against working on the Sabbath (whichever day that is), so, no pro sports on the weekend; eliminating anti-incest laws (how else would daughters continue the family line for their fathers, as the example of Lot and his daughters (Gen 19:30-36) shows?); and they ...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@Piratefish Agreed. I don't know why anyone (except the life sentence guys) ever do.

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Amisja comments on Mar 29, 2019:

titbit

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@mordant Not just Americans. As Terry Pratchett once pointed out (paraphrasing here), "The Elizabethans had so many slang words for a woman's genitalia that it's nearly impossible to speak a sentence in modern English without accidentally uttering at least three of them."

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Christians should also be protesting against working on the Sabbath (whichever day that is), so, no pro sports on the weekend; eliminating anti-incest laws (how else would daughters continue the family line for their fathers, as the example of Lot and his daughters (Gen 19:30-36) shows?); and they ...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@Piratefish I once knew a guy who had a tattoo (I think done in prison) that was meant to be of his mother, which came out *looking like* his dog...

Scammers are online EVERYWHERE! Even on THIS website! READ THIS! 6 red flags for online dating ...

LiterateHiker comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Nigerian dating scammers work in large warehouses with phones and computers. They scam lonely singles in America, Canada and Western Europe. These operations earn millions of dollars. Hundreds of thousands of lonely people are left heartbroken and penniless each year. Use **Google image search**...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@LiterateHiker As am I, ma'am. All too human. (But hopefully I have a date with a little devil tomorrow night. ;))

Scammers are online EVERYWHERE! Even on THIS website! READ THIS! 6 red flags for online dating ...

LiterateHiker comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Nigerian dating scammers work in large warehouses with phones and computers. They scam lonely singles in America, Canada and Western Europe. These operations earn millions of dollars. Hundreds of thousands of lonely people are left heartbroken and penniless each year. Use **Google image search**...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

But *aren't* you an angel fallen from heaven? :D

Scammers are online EVERYWHERE! Even on THIS website! READ THIS! 6 red flags for online dating ...

CaroleKay comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Durr, Scammers exist because their victims are not very smart. People need to get smart.

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

"Smart" is no guarantee. Scammers are smart and experienced, and they know what works. A surprising number of smart people fall prey to their tactics.

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Christians should also be protesting against working on the Sabbath (whichever day that is), so, no pro sports on the weekend; eliminating anti-incest laws (how else would daughters continue the family line for their fathers, as the example of Lot and his daughters (Gen 19:30-36) shows?); and they ...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@LB67 My therapist tells me 50 is the new 30, so by that logic, you got your tattoo at 20.

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Christians should also be protesting against working on the Sabbath (whichever day that is), so, no pro sports on the weekend; eliminating anti-incest laws (how else would daughters continue the family line for their fathers, as the example of Lot and his daughters (Gen 19:30-36) shows?); and they ...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@LB67 I'm still trying to work out what post-divorce tattoo I should get. I want something that doesn't scream "mid-life crisis", but at my age, I'm afraid that would be the case with anything I get...

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Christians should also be protesting against working on the Sabbath (whichever day that is), so, no pro sports on the weekend; eliminating anti-incest laws (how else would daughters continue the family line for their fathers, as the example of Lot and his daughters (Gen 19:30-36) shows?); and they ...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@Piratefish Technically I'm still paying for my (ex) wife even though I'm not a Christian. Maybe my mistake was that I tried it out for her sake?

Agnosticism is not the same as atheism.

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

I'm always prepared to discuss any evidence. My adult life has been a search for such evidence. It took me decades to officially accept that I'm an agnostic atheist and not just agnostic, simply because I found there was no evidence. But let's not go down the "absence of evidence is not evidence ...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@Donotbelieve Thank you. I put some thought into it.

Agnosticism is not the same as atheism.

Surfpirate comments on Mar 29, 2019:

I would be quite willing to accept real evidence for a creator being although that does not mean I would bow down to such a being. Certainly it would deserve respect but I doubt that such a being would be so advanced in so many ways but still have the petty need to be worshiped in order to validate...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

@Surfpirate Guilty. I have frequently participated in eating shrimp while having sex out of wedlock. She said it "gives a whole new meaning to 'shrimp cocktail'".

Agnosticism is not the same as atheism.

Surfpirate comments on Mar 29, 2019:

I would be quite willing to accept real evidence for a creator being although that does not mean I would bow down to such a being. Certainly it would deserve respect but I doubt that such a being would be so advanced in so many ways but still have the petty need to be worshiped in order to validate...

Paul4747 replies on Mar 29, 2019:

Nor do I think he/she/it/they would be worried about anyone's sex life (although many advanced beings enjoy a good erotic video now and then).