A Man Coughed on a Wegmans Employee. Now He’s Charged With a Felony.

RichCC comments on May 25, 2020:

If it weren't assault, he wouldn't have done it. If he's too stupid to understand the seriousness of his crime that's not our fault. Maybe the next person in his situation will.

A president who doesn't know how to hold a glass, close an umbrella or even .

RichCC comments on May 25, 2020:

Bone spurs are hell when you're fat and clumsy. Lol.😋

I had never even thought about drone boats, but of course they exist! Has anybody here heard about ...

RichCC comments on May 25, 2020:

Not only weapons(especially smart torpedoes) but other things as well. For example SpaceX uses drone ships to recover launch boosters:😎

During this pandemic I have found myself watching more tv at night.

RichCC comments on May 25, 2020:

About the only thing I watched on TV was sports and we were dissatisfied with the service and the cost so the pandemic triggered us to get rid of our broadcast receiver. 🙂 Have you seen the earlier British version of *Coupling*? They tried to do an American remake but it failed. The British show is hilarious.

Hi Ya'll, I am relatively new to the site and am exploring different groups.

RichCC comments on May 24, 2020:

Welcome. Oops. Accidentally hit submit. Further -- the best dog we ever had was a pood!e/American Eskimo mix rescue. Good luck.

Why Atheists Are Not as Rational as Some Like to Think [phys.

RichCC comments on May 23, 2020:

I've never believed in anything supernatural -- knock on wood.

Changing consumer preferences and meat safety concerns fuel boom in demand for plant-based food in ...

RichCC comments on May 23, 2020:

We've been vegetarian for almost 20 years but we've never cared for faux meat -- it's extra trouble just to make something that *almost* matched. Lol.😋 We're also moving away from processed food. Last week my wife was given a Pop Tart but asked me to finish it for her because she didn't like the artificial taste. Ha, ha.😋 I do love the trend though.

Faith or reason?

RichCC comments on May 22, 2020:

Some jokes ring too true to be funny.😒

Catholic School Bans Girls’ Skirts Because “Male Faculty Feel Uncomfortable” | Hemant Mehta | ...

RichCC comments on May 22, 2020:

Sounds like a strange place. Especially since they're talking about minor girls. From the link: *** After issuing “thousands of hours of detention” to students modifying the length of uniform skirts *** As a quoted comment said: *** If a male teacher feels uncomfortable over the length of a MINOR’S skirt, they have no business being anywhere near a high school. ***

Mayor Says the Bible Tells Him That No Women May Lead Prayer at Council Meetings | Terry Firma | ...

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

Well isn't that special? Lol. I guess they should just forego the prayer all together -- that'll teach us.😋

She did it again on the CBS Evening News last night—twice: Norah O’Donnell pronounced hundred ...

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

I don't worry about that sort of thing. Especially since I live up a hill from a crick and just yestaday got to see it.😋

How can you regard free will as an illusion but not become terribly depressed and hopeless that you ...

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

I've never seen a convincing argument whether 'free will'(tm) is an illusion or not. Given that I don't know one way or the other, I choose to act as if it is real -- at least within my sphere of influence -- if it's outside, I don't worry about it. In a another thread I had a reason to believe up a link to a pdf of the Enchiridion by Epictetus: Edit -- It's proved harder to find a working link than I expected. Here is a link to the Project Gutenberg page: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45109 It is a small (~12 pages) writing of Greek Stoic philosophy -- I recommend it.

This is what my BFF saw on her way to her essential job yesterday.

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

Is there a helmet under there? Or is that a poor man's helmet? Lol 😋

From today's Daily Stoic.

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

I'm a big fan of Stoicism. As a first step for anyone interested in looking, [Edit -- It's proved harder to find a working link than I expected. Here is a link to the Project Gutenberg page: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45109 ] It's only about 12 pages and I find it very interesting.

Trump Fears Painting of Obama at White House Would Spy on Him | The New Yorker

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

Of course it does. The painting's eyes follow him wherever he goes in the room. Ha, ha.😋 Edit: My Kindle's autocorrect changed painting to plaintiff. Lol. Even my Kindle has Freudian slips about tRump.😋

What do you think?

RichCC comments on May 21, 2020:

The article talks about belief and expresses a bit of surprise that so many people worldwide do not express it. They do mention different trends -- that humanists from the Netherlands and Finland, for instance, want to care for the earth while many other places want to favor humanity. (Personally I find that interesting because, looking at the Finnish culture historically, for example, as in the Kalevala their links to the natural world are apparent.) But when it comes down to it, beliefs are useful for helping people negotiate problem times. And to that extent people can believe whatever they want. What the article doesn't seem to address is the problems that occur when people try to impose their views on others. Overall it's interesting to a point but there's an awful lot further to go.

"My Last Drink was Ten Years Ago" by John DeVore. Your thoughts?

RichCC comments on May 20, 2020:

I started to reply with stories of my alcoholic father and grandfather and how I stopped drinking altogether for a few years when my Big Brother match reacted badly seeing a keepsake bottle of wine in my house. (His biological father was apparently a mean drunk.) But figure there'll be enough stories to go around. Lol😋

Is anyone else familiar with Caitlin Doughty and her Youtube channel, "Ask a Mortician"?

RichCC comments on May 20, 2020:

I hadn't seen that. My step-grandfather ran a mortuary in rural Nebraska. It might just be my impression, but it seemed to me that there was a lot more freedom than a lot of people realize. One guy I heard of specified in his will that he not be buried until a couple years after he died. I saw a picture of a backroom of the business during that period and there he was standing in a corner. Whatever, I guess. People who deal with it get kind of inured. My grandfather kept his aquarium fish when they died and embalmed them and glued them into pictures for display. Eww.

Trump announces executive order ‘suspending’ regulations impeding US economy ...

RichCC comments on May 20, 2020:

Wow. 😮😠 Grifters gonna grift. And as usual America's short sightedness makes it possible.

Trump Threatens To Stop Michigan’s Funding If All Voters Receive Mail-In Ballots

RichCC comments on May 20, 2020:

So just like he tried to extort Ukraine to influence the election, now he's trying to extort Americans. What a crook. It's a tragedy that R's live that way so much that they're enabling him -- and he them.

Trump Says Fox News Isn't the Same and He's 'Looking for a New Outlet' after Host Warns Against His ...

RichCC comments on May 20, 2020:

So tRump is looking for another place to dispense his carefully acquired wisdom?😅😓 Or I guess he could be searching for another information input source to interact with that can meet Faux's high standards for integrity. 😅😓Lol. I've recently seen people talking about conservatives being 'responsible', restoring our freedoms(tm) by encouraging people to stop sheltering. Personally I miss the time when we had knowledgeable, thoughtful, leaders whose advice I could trust. I'd love to be advised to rejoin society, but what use is noise from a bunch of clowns? We've all been abandoned to the very limited resources we each have to do our own research and make our own decisions(guesses).

[democracynow.org] \ Navajo Nation has highest Covid-19 infection rate in the US. Sad News.

RichCC comments on May 19, 2020:

I learned yesterday that a elderly Navajo long-time friend of my father(who passed a few years ago) is now intubated in a hospital in southern Utah. There's not a lot to say except that I hear he's not doing well. There are too many sad stories these days. 😓

I’m in the kitchen now.

RichCC comments on May 18, 2020:

@Edgeward I just noticed you were the ' Batter' comment below. Ha, ha. What tofu are you using? I would still cut up, freeze and boil the tofu. But if it's softer you'll have to carefully handle the pieces -- even when freezing. The texture improvement should help with the batter.

I’m in the kitchen now.

RichCC comments on May 18, 2020:

I usually use extra-firm tofu. First I cut it into cubes or slabs the size I want and freeze the chunks overnight. I don't bother to press or drain it. Then I boil the frozen (I don:t bother to thaw them) chunks for a few minutes almost as if they were dried pasta. Then when I saute(pan -fry) them, the texture comes out perfect -- they are as if they were deep-fried in a restaurant. And they take sauce very well.😋

[motherjones.

RichCC comments on May 18, 2020:

I just learned this morning that an old and elderly Navajo friend of my father's is in a Southern Utah hospital intubated and not doing well. The more people get sick, the more they will spread the disease. We need to stop the disease -- not play social/political/economic games. We need to promote testing and contact tracing then vaccines and treatment.

I am going to comb and braid my hair and then, go to bed. Do not try to stop me.

RichCC comments on May 17, 2020:

At least you have your beautiful hair to work on rapunzel. 😋 I could sunburn crossing a parking lot without a hat. Lol.😎 I'm sure my own fault. Ha,ha.

[understandingcompassion.

RichCC comments on May 17, 2020:

When we moved into our house there was a remarkable late 80s woman next door. She served as safety 'consultant' at the local community college. She also helped take care of her daughter's horse across town and she had a reputation locally -- it wasn't unknown for her wake up to find animals left on her porch that needed adoption. We all miss her.

Yeah thats him

RichCC comments on May 17, 2020:

Is that a Super Duper missle?

An older friend was just taken to the hospital and I have a feeling she's going to be gone for a ...

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

Wow. Good luck -- both with the dog and the friend. This is a case where I wish you could choose multiple emojis.😍🤗😓🤔.

The Chinese restaurant is open for carry-out again, and I finally got my spicy tofu with vegetables ...

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

Do they really charge almost $24 for 'Sweat & Sour Chicken'? Wow. Is that a disposable container? I don't eat meat (apparently maybe neither do you) but I can make pretty much anything on that menu for about $1.50. I thought we had it rough in rural AZ. Wow again I guess. Lol. 😋

3,000 California churches announce they will defy governor's order and resume services - WND

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

Are they just too dim and selfish to look at a broader view? As usual, the religious group seems to have good intentions but can't hold back from screwing things up with their biases of how *they* think it should be. I only took quotes from Carrol. I wonder how representative he is of the group. From the link: *** "Our churches are part of the answer, not part of the problem,” Water of Life Community Church senior pastor Danny Carroll said. “We're an essential part of this whole journey and we've been bypassed ... kicked to the curb and deemed nonessential." *** Such a rationale does not seem, for some, to have taken the sting out of government officials classifying religious centers no differently than sporting stadiums and retail locations. "We are not the MLB or the NBA,” Carroll said. “We are not a gathering of strangers. As pastors, we bury these people. We bleed with these people." "We are a family, not a group of strangers." ***

Fewer people are dying from cancer thanks to Obamacare

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

Even in spite of the political and economic shenanigans implementing the ACA. I hope it becomes apparent -- both to our 'leaders' and the people who elect them.

COVID 19 may have a higher rate of transmission than first thought, with an R-naught possibly above ...

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

Thanks. I was wondering how to do that kind of analysis. (I still don't know, but I'm very glad to see someone taking an apparently rational crack at it.) It's still of course a question of acquiring sufficient herd immunity -- and disease treatments until the herd immunity arrives. Not too surprising from what we've seen, it looks like it may be a bit slow and painful coming. Being a computer nerd, my first guess would have been to attempt to run simulations. But that approach's weakness would be the same -- how do you know the R-naught(new term for me, thanks) number. I'm happy to see the question worked on by somebody reputable like the Harvard group.

Cuteness for today

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

Wow. That's scary. That level of cuteness is in overload territory.😍

[motherjones.

RichCC comments on May 16, 2020:

And as I understand it, it was stolen from an American law firm who specializes in celebrities like Madonna et al. So it would have to be something he'd tell them. I bet it's closer to Epstein than Russia. Edit: Or maybe as was said below, maybe he's really a pauper scamming the world.

Today's hike: flowers, snow and useless spears.

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

I'm glad to see your post. I redid my Agnostic.com switches a day or two ago and was afraid you'd fallen off my feed. Lol. Nice pictures -- I wore shorts myself today even though we're at 5000 ft. It'll be a few months before we see snow again. Ha, ha I guess.

The simulation hypothesis has always bothered me as it requires a belief in the unprovable hence ...

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

I look at it the same as I do other unanswerable(so far for me) questions like 'do we have free will?' or 'are there such fundamental things as good or evil?. The fact is -- I don't have any way to tell. So I figure I might as well act the way I want -- act as if I do have free will and act as if good and evil exist and act as if there is a real world and the simulation question is nonsense.😋

Just wondering about something. please see the first comment.

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

I had a friend years ago whose office overlooked a parking lot that was partway gravel. Being the obsessive personality that he was he wondered about people's paths when they walked across it. He even ended up filming some to analyse. He demonstrated (informally of course) that people unconsciously tended to follow Snell's Law -- the same path light takes entering or leaving a transparent object. That path also happens to be the timewise(not necessarily lengtwise) shortest distance between two places. Life can be surprisingly elegant the way it optimizes situations for things like, say, the convenience or safety of turtles.

Restaurant to seat mannequins at empty tables to make social distancing less awkward – Boston ...

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

Ha, ha, ha.😋 I hope they disinfect the mannequins (and the rest of their business) periodically.

Here's one worth a million bucks. drunkdrivers4trump

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

And let me put you in prison for being criminally stupid and selfish. Let's see who wins.😋 Edit -- Is that real? The font seems pretty non-blurry and the sentiment pretty over-the-top blatant. Are you sure it isn't shopped?

Trump Wishes He Could Replace Fauci with the Doctor Who Saved Him from Vietnam | The New Yorker

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

tRump is an ignorant, obnoxious, Republican grifter -- but I repeat myself. BTW... I first read the post as replace with '*Dr. Who*'. Lol🙂 It wouldn't change my view of tRump.😋

Right-Wing Conspiracy Theorist: “Asymptomatic” Means You Don’t Have the Virus! | Hemant Mehta ...

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

Wow. Not only is she profoundly ignorant but she feels justified and excited to loudly tell us all about it.😠😂 From the link: *** Nothing screams “conspiracy theory” like a conspiracy theorist saying “This is not, like, you know, a conspiracy theory” before blaming others for finding hidden meanings in (coincidental) symbols. ***

Do you know who you are?

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

namaste back.

Do any of you have a favorite Bible story or Bible character--or story or character from the Quran, ...

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

Tom Bombadil was one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite holy books, *The Lord Of The Rings*. I wish Tolkien had written more about him. The only other place he seems to appear is in an older poem, *The Adventures Of Tom Bombadil*. 😋

Well now we know (like we didn't from the tweets) that Donald Trump watched Elon Musk on Joe Rogan:...

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

I saw a similar post -- here is what I said: He's relentless in his quest to game the system. A quality person, with integrity, would likely try to use the numbers that most clearly expressed the situation. Dishonest tRump only wants to use numbers that best bamboozle his audience. It's disgusting.

Corruption Fact Check

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

One of my favorite old dumb movie lines is in** *Kelly's Heroes* **near the end when they're blocked from the bank they're trying to rob by a German tank and Don Rickles' character suggests maybe they can get the tank commander to rob the bank with them. The line is: '**Maybe he's a Republican**'. R's have been corrupt, self-centered, kleptocrats for as long as I've been aware.

I attempt to be stoic about most things.

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

Being Stoic means not letting things outside your control bother you. This pandemic is very much in your personal control and if you don't protect yourself and those near you the consequences can be dire. Death is not the only risk -- https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/its-one-thing-to-survive-the-infection-but-whats-next-some-covid-19-patients-need-rehab-to-walk-talk-and-problem-solve/ . Use PPEs and practice social distancing. It might sound Alpha(tm) to ignore the virus but it's not a good idea. Here is a graph that shows what happened with the flu in Denver in 1918 when they stopped restrictions too soon:

[businessinsider.

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

He's relentless in his quest to game the system. A quality person, with integrity, would likely try to use the numbers that most clearly expressed the situation. Dishonest tRump only wants to use numbers that best bamboozle his audience. It's disgusting.

[bestlifeonline.

RichCC comments on May 15, 2020:

Years ago I was at a manager's meeting at Boeing (I was visiting -- I never worked for the lazy-B). There were multiple millions of dollars salary around a good sized room and the speaker happened to use the word 'irregardless'. Someone interrupted them to point out that's not a word. The speaker handled it perfectly. They asked if anyone in the audience thought they might not have understood the meaning. Of course nobody spoke up. So the speaker said '*apparently it is too a word -- sit down*'. Language is for communication and speakers should know their words and their audiences. I get disappointed when people don't know the proper words to convey their message and that includes not using words that their listeners might misinterpret.😋

[friendlyatheist.

RichCC comments on May 12, 2020:

Like one of the comments said at the link: *'at least they'll accept their error philosophically'*. Wow. No tenure or retirement? I can't think of a job I'd take on those terms, let alone a career.🤔 I'm not sure whether to feel bad for the faculty or not. How did they put themselves in that position?

"All you have to do is look around you and see the beauty of god's creation!" It's like you've ...

RichCC comments on May 11, 2020:

*Oh yeah?* Who imposes the demonic, evil(tm), interpretation on them? You do.😋 Get your mind out of the underworld. Lol. I don't imagine they think of themselves as evil. Lol. 😋 For that matter I don't think evil people ever see themselves that way. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, tRump, Marcos -- make a list, there are varying degrees, of course. They all just did what they thought was proper, competing and favoring** *their* **people. 😋

Vegan/ aquafaba meringues 😊 Nicked from a recent article in the New Scientist.

RichCC comments on May 11, 2020:

I'll have to try that. Funny. Aquafaba has become a commodity in our kitchen. When we make pressure cooker (Instant Pot) beans, the aquafaba gets saved in a bottle for later making rice or for anything else that benefits from fortifying -- bread or whatever. Ha, ha.😋

What is your favorite Native legend?

RichCC comments on May 8, 2020:

Again -- not a legend per se... But when my father was getting his master's in the 70s, an Apache classmate dropped out of school because the classmate saw an owl outside his window at night -- a harbinger of death. I don't know if my father kept track of him later or not. Native American religions can be just as debilitating as Christianity or Islam or any other base superstition, if you're unfortunate enough to have been taught to take them seriously. 😐

This Chart Shows How Quickly Americans Are Abandoning Organized Religion | Hemant Mehta | Friendly ...

RichCC comments on May 2, 2020:

It's encouraging in that it's a steady motion confirmed by different data sources (I don't know entirely how independent they are). And it's data over a fairly long time by social scales -- 50 to 100 years. The data at least looks legitimate. At the same time, as they note in the link it is discouraging that the numbers aren't headed to zero. They're only headed towards ~75%. The graph kind of makes look stronger than it is. Ha, ha. I like the trend but I'm afraid I won't live long enough to see the end I'd really like.😎 Thanks for the link.😀

What it's like to get a COVID-19 test.

RichCC comments on Apr 30, 2020:

I of course don't have much to add except I'm sorry you've been feeling ill. And I'm sorry you're at risk especially in light of your previous post about your friend's possible exposure. I am glad you're being tested though. Good luck.

“If God isn’t real, what's the point of living at all when one day you’re just going to ...

RichCC comments on Apr 30, 2020:

At the beginning: *** “If God isn't real, what's the point of living at all when one day you're just going to die?” *** Ok... On the other hand --* **If God is real, what's the point of living at all when one day you're just going to die (and very likely be sent to hell(tm) )? ** * How much difference does Dog's existence make? He/she/It supposedly created us and knew exactly how we would each behave. It seems to me to be a pretty pointless question.

Grim warning over food supplies This might be great news (despite what some may think).

RichCC comments on Apr 27, 2020:

I read about that and was wondering. Despite being a 20-year plus vegetarian, I get nervous when society is forced into decisions (although that may be the only way we can make the right choice -- 'we'll make the right choice only when all others have been exhausted' 😎). This is a crisis point for humankind and there are lots of issues (many of which are related) that should be addressed -- climate change, extraction capitalism, the meat economy, ..., to name a few. I hope (wish? -- a bit forlornly I'll admit) that we make conscious rational choices. To quote our dear leader: 'I guess we'll see'.

A different perspective; Is the fight against COVID19 worse than the disease?

RichCC comments on Apr 26, 2020:

The WHO put out a statement yesterday that reinfection was still a distinct possibility and they doubted their evidence of infected people being immune -- let alone being not infectious. Being too impatient to wait for reliable knowledge about the epidemic will drag it out and will make it worse for for everyone. Here is a graph from 1918's Denver flu data as to what happens when you try to back out too quickly. We live in a sensationalist, media driven, society but the virus isn't listening -- it will follow its own course.

Why don't we have all of our higher ups spend a LITTLE BIT MORE TIME blaming China as attempted ...

RichCC comments on Apr 19, 2020:

It's a shame we don't have more definitive tests. /snark It would have been nice to test whether she had antibodies (whether she had had the virus). What is a shame is that we're betting on probabilities and possibilities rather than acting on direct evidence.

Once upon a time, "life" was defined as the ability to replicate, but no longer.

RichCC comments on Apr 19, 2020:

Very few things are completely self-sufficient. If you don't eat, drink, or breathe you end. Yet you consider yourself 'life'. Viruses 'eat' cells to continue their kind. How is their situation qualitatively different?

It seems like with so many different beliefs and religions in the world it would be impractical if ...

RichCC comments on Apr 17, 2020:

I have a copy of Sir James G. Frazer's 'The Golden Bough' on my Kindle. Just reading his survey of beliefs has been a major task and as you say 'none of them have evidence '. Lol I guess.😎

Letters to the Editor: Who asked Ron Reagan about his zealous atheism?

RichCC comments on Apr 17, 2020:

'Interesting' letter. From the linked letter: *** Reagan, one can assume, blames all of the world's problems on religion, although some of the most murderous men in world history were confirmed atheists. Personally, I hope these people are burning in hell. *** That's painting with a pretty broad brush. And they say right up front that they are assuming. They don't give any evidence other than Reagan's atheism that he feels that way. The linked paragraph expresses something I've heard many theists erroneously proclaim about atheists. I have yet to be impressed. Reagan has a famous name and he's using it to promote a social point-of-view. I say 'more power to him'. Why is it 'how it's supposed to work in America' to 'keep your beliefs to yourself'? According to the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution he can say what he wants and expect the government not to come after him. And he can expect others to be able to disagree with him without the government going after them either. (Subject to public nuisance 'yell-fire-in-a-theater laws of course.) The amendment doesn't have anything to say about people having a right to not be offended by what he says. For that we're all just out of luck. If Reagan has someone to publicize his view and especially if he gets, say, paid for it. Let him speak his mind.

How often are "mock prep" exercises like Crimson Contagion participated in?

RichCC comments on Apr 17, 2020:

So in 2019 the HHS Dept. 'from January to August 2019 that tested the capacity of the U.S. federal government and twelve U.S. states to respond to a severe influenza pandemic originating in China' (from wiki -- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimson_Contagion ) and concluded that our government had 'limited capacity to respond to a pandemic, with federal agencies lacking the funds, coordination, and resources to facilitate an effective response to the virus'. Consider my sarcastic comment made -- I'm deeply disappointed, but not surprised, by our leaders.

Have you wondered if perhaps the godbotherers of the US love trump because he does truly represent ...

RichCC comments on Apr 17, 2020:

My Mormon brother and his wife know that tRump is incredibly dishonest -- you can't trust him any farther than you can throw a fit. But tRump has hitched himself to the GOP and McConnell and that includes pushing policies like forcing the judiciary as far right as they can and it includes maximum racism and mysogeny. They support tRump because the people behind him are the same sort of monsters that they are. As long as their policies get advanced, they'll ignore that tRump is disgusting. It's worth the trade to them.

Karen believes she gave me COVID-19 after returning from Japan.

RichCC comments on Apr 15, 2020:

This is strictly my personal opinion and it's going to sound a little preachy -- sorry. I'm afraid we're all going to get exposed to COVID-19 at some point before this fades. For now the best we may be able to do is to put off that exposure until we better understand the disease and (hopefully) have some somewhat reliable treatment(s). It's unfortunate that you have reason to believe that your friend could have brought the pathogen to you. Pay attention to yourself and make sure the illness doesn't slip into something more threatening like pneumonia -- make sure it doesn't get a chance to sneak up on you. Also, don't forget that as bad as it seems (and of course there is some risk), **most people do recover -- plan on getting through it** either by avoiding it or recovering. At this point we know so little that there is by nature a lot of uncertainty and therefore fear in everyone's situations. **Get tested as soon as you can** and (no matter how unpleasant) follow social distancing procedures -- not only for your sake but for the sakes of those near you. As far as I know that is the only demonstrably beneficial action we have. We all have to make our ways as best we can. I wish I could help and I'm thinking of you.❤ BTW... With that in mind, if a stint in AZ would be useful, contact us.

Please explain

RichCC comments on Apr 14, 2020:

We've been vegetarian for almost 20 years. But irrespective of that, proper cooking makes a huge difference. 😎

Yup they dont

RichCC comments on Apr 9, 2020:

True is true.😀

Bible stories may not be factual - but they are nonetheless true

RichCC comments on Apr 7, 2020:

So Rev. Spain thinks the Babble is a big collection of allegorical stories? Cool, I guess. She only seems to talk about Adam and Eve and the Fall(tm). And wants to imply that since she can make a loose correlation between what she thinks is a common life pattern and a myth story that the whole fable must have some value. It sounds to me like she is grasping because she has pretty much nothing of substance. Lol.🤔 From the link -- pretty weak: *** Adam and Eve is the story of humanity. It is what we did to our parents and what our children have to do to us.

Another food project while staying home.

RichCC comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Me too! Good stuff. The only function our small Instant Pot seems to lack is yogurt making (the larger one has it). So I got a 32 oz.separate yogurt maker that has a Greek yogurt filter attachment. It's a unitasker, but some things are worth it. Ha, ha.

Like pizza type food? Something to watch for the weekend. [m.youtube.com]

RichCC comments on Apr 4, 2020:

What a bunch of terminally sick creative ideas. That's a great video. 😀

Why all the hate?

RichCC comments on Apr 3, 2020:

Personally. I grew up in very rural AZ -- Mormon country. The LDS church colored every aspect of life in our society. For example, the local school teachers would talk about the 'Mormon Mafia' . They all knew that you never punished a Mormon child unless you wanted 10 phone calls the next day and weeks of career level trouble yourself. For a group founded by a convicted fraud artist (Joseph Smith) and full of laughably false promises and claims, they are very detail oriented in their desire to rule and end the world. Personally again. I try to avoid the word 'hate'. But I'll admit that I don't have anything positive to say about them. Ample experience has left me with nothing but ill will. 🙄

What natural phenomena could be considered all-powerful?

RichCC comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Why should we be interested in anointing some thing with an 'all-powerful' designation? There are lots of things we don't understand and can't control -- time and entropy come to mind. They're beyond our sphere of effect so, to paraphrase a Stoic attitude, we should not concern ourselves with them except for enduring (so far as we can) their effects. We should apply ourselves to what we** *can* **control.

My stay-home stir-fry: cabbage, broccoli, sweet peppers and organic chicken sausage, prepared in ...

RichCC comments on Mar 28, 2020:

That looks delicious. 😎 There are times when living vicariously and social distancing can be frustrating. I'm jealous.

at four months he could sleep anywhere in any position!!

RichCC comments on Mar 28, 2020:

That's a great picture.

I knew it would come to this.

RichCC comments on Mar 27, 2020:

I don't know about droning, but our dogs are very aware whenever we're unhappy. Unfortunately they generally don't have too much to offer -- they just get upset themselves. I suppose you could call that sympathy. 🙄Lol.

I have seen the ultimate now. They are putting Bible verses on surgical masks. Are you kidding me?

RichCC comments on Mar 26, 2020:

I guess you can wear it while you're carrying your babble inscribed AR-15. /sark

Shelter in Place Tofu Stirfy One block of extra firm tofu Assorted vegetables Several ...

RichCC comments on Mar 26, 2020:

That looks delicious. I freeze tofu (usually extra firm)(no pressing or anything) after cutting it into chunks about the same size as yours. Then I boil it briefly the same as if it is dried pasta. That way it gives a texture after pan frying very much like restaurant deep fried without the bother of setting up a deep fryer at home. Good stuff.

Today's installment: Life as a mechanically-inept person.

RichCC comments on Mar 25, 2020:

You keep claiming to be 'mechanically-inept' but these anecdotes make that less and less believable. Ha, ha. Your sense of drama makes things sound like you're always an inch from catastrophe, but you're always confident enough to keep pitching -- and (maybe it's a natural tendency to not be a complainer, but...) somehow things seem always to work out for you in the end. Lol. Shenanigans again. 😎 BTW. I think a lot of not being 'mechanically-inept' is just being patient -- along with being willing to keep your head and to keep trying until you discover and do the necessary. It sounds to me like you're ok. Ha, ha. 😎

Advantage to social distancing

RichCC comments on Mar 25, 2020:

Not to mention your *Agnostic.com* shirt. Even if it is in reverse. Lol. Cute dog.

Looks like my weird diet paid off during a pandemic.

RichCC comments on Mar 16, 2020:

My wife made a delivery this morning. A woman in the next town was out of TP for herself and her daughter. We haven't been intentionally hoarding (at least for the virus) but we both grew up in ranch country and are very aware how quickly staples can run out if, say, you can't drive to town. So we generally keep a well stocked pantry. A bit over a year ago my wife over ordered an online TP subscription so just now we have a couple of extra cases. Little did we know that our overage would be useful. My wife heard that a woman was in need and was able to help her through a (hopefully short) period. I suspect there will be lots of small chances for small favors if we keep looking. Lol.

Saw this recipe on fb.

RichCC comments on Mar 15, 2020:

I worked with a guy in Seattle who belonged to the *Galvanized Gullet* society. Their motto was '*No food is seasoned properly unless it's painful to eat*'. At least this uses habeneros which have good flavor to go with the heat -- as opposed to ghost peppers, say, that only seem to be hot for hot's sake. (To me, that's wasted effort. Lol)

Greek Orthodox church says 'holy cup cannot carry disease', allows congregations to share spoon: ...

RichCC comments on Mar 13, 2020:

From the link: *** A spokesperson for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Steven Scoutas, said anyone showing signs of illness should stay away from church gatherings. "But once we decide to go to church, we believe there is absolutely no possibility of contracting disease from the holy cup," he said. "We believe that no disease or illness can exist in holy communion, which we believe is the body and blood of Christ," Reverend Scoutas said. *** They apparently know there isn't immunity or they wouldn't ask people to stay away. But their hubris is to be so much stronger that they'll subject their people to a disease risk rather than back down from their show -- truly disgusting.

True statement

RichCC comments on Mar 13, 2020:

True is true.

New Jersey Catholic church lambasted for denying autistic boy, 8, First Communion 'because his ...

RichCC comments on Mar 12, 2020:

Wow, the comments just write themselves. The Rev. John Bambrick decided the boy cannot distinguish between right and wrong -- without ever meeting the child? I assume that the Rev. can produce his own right and wrong certification on request. I know that is presumed since he is ordained but I'd like to see some supporting documentation. Lol.

Right-Wing Pastor: God Sent Us Coronavirus Because of Homosexuality | Beth Stoneburner | Friendly ...

RichCC comments on Mar 8, 2020:

That explains it. I knew Gawd was to blame somehow. Now if we could just get rid of it/her/him, think of all the problems that would be solved.

The bible god/Yahweh/Jesus is the greatest abortionist.

RichCC comments on Mar 8, 2020:

I've always wondered if all those zygotes that god decided to not let implant should be counted as abortions.

I think it’s important to realize that we are very fortunate to live in a time that we can think ...

RichCC comments on Mar 7, 2020:

Religious fantasy and humanity's horrific behaviour aside, we are all unimaginably lucky to be here at all. Among other improbabilties, what were the chances that your parents got together (and had that extra glass of wine that night) and their parents, and their parents and so on down through time? I think it was Bill the Cat of the Bloom County comic that would sometimes fall into a numb stupor thinking about the wonder of it all. Rather than complaining about people's past ignorance and misbehavior (however extreme) we should work to positively use the outrageous gifts we've been given. Do good things.😎

Has anyone visited the Hearst Mansion?

RichCC comments on Mar 3, 2020:

On our one visit to Barcelona years ago, I fell in love with it. The different districts (Barrios if I use the term correctly) each have an individual flavor that adds up to a wonderful experience. I still miss the Paseo de Gracia area. I envy you your trip. 😍 Enjoy yourself.

Stop eating C.R.A.P.

RichCC comments on Mar 2, 2020:

A copy of my comment from the other instance of an apparent double post. Lol. *** I saw a doctor commentary recently (I can't remember where) that said fad diets were largely nonsense. The one thing people needed to do to eat more healthy and almost certainly lose weight was to cook their own food. That single statement outweighed every other consideration for the overwhelming majority of people -- at least in the US. It's not as hard as many people make it out to be. And it's not like staples are expensive. People can win all the way around.

Stop eating C.R.A.P

RichCC comments on Mar 2, 2020:

I saw a doctor commentary recently (I can't remember where) that said fad diets were largely nonsense. The one thing people needed to do to eat more healthy and almost certainly lose weight was to cook their own food. That single statement outweighed every other consideration for the overwhelming majority of people -- at least in the US. It's not as hard as many people make it out to be. And it's not like staples are expensive. People can win all the way around.

Here’s a Picture of Mike Pence’s Team Attempting to Pray Away Coronavirus | Hemant Mehta | ...

RichCC comments on Mar 1, 2020:

They're trying to subvert Dog's divine plan. They have to know that he/she/it put the virus here for a reason. (Everything happens for a reason.) As Carlin put it: '*What's the use of being God if a schmuck with a two dollar prayer book can come along and fuck up your plan?* ' I don't know who's more pathetic, them or America(us) for empowering them.

New to the group so I guess I'll introduce my pack.

RichCC comments on Feb 28, 2020:

Growing up we had a couple of heelers. They are amazing dogs. Thanks for the shots.

We all believe in evidence-based science, and that's why we're agnostic/atheist, right?

RichCC comments on Feb 28, 2020:

Fraud isn't evidence. And even if it's not fraud it could be mistaken. One of the hallmarks of science is falsifiability. If the 'evidence' isn't really true, throw it out and get better. Aside -- I thought I was wrong once but it turned out later I was mistaken. Ha, ha.

Why are many Christian people against D&D (Dungeons and Dragons.) playing?

RichCC comments on Feb 25, 2020:

I truly believe that a lot of them don't distinguish between the reality of the world and the fantasy they live in. Years ago I found a late 19th century book of spells at a used book show. It was fascinating to me because the authors seriously believed their stuff. There were probably a dozen useful spells like "*How To Make Your Lover See Your Rival's True Odious Nature*". Lol. And safety warnings about procedures that were supposedly too dangerous for laymen to attempt. I didn't try any of the spells because even the simplest took months of preparation. You had to make your magic brazier and your magic athame knife (among other tools) first. And of course for me it would fail anyway because I didn't believe hard enough. Ha, ha. For me it was a window into the way some people thought then. It was a popular enough point of view to get a book published. Then one weekend my mother visited and later that week I noticed the book was gone. She never mentioned it but I'm sure for the rest of her life she thought she saved me from the forces of evil. Knowing her, she was afraid of Satan's forces corrupting the world with dark magic and she was appalled that I would allow myself to see any of their works. I don't distinguish between Christian magic and Satan's magic. To me it's all fantasy. **Believers don't distinguish either but for the opposite reason. To them it's all true.** I can't imagine trying to live that way -- just accepting everything and not trusting even myself enough to explore and examine ideas because I could be corrupted.

In my household, I do most of the cooking.

RichCC comments on Feb 24, 2020:

How many sisters did you have growing up? We had four brothers and no sisters and as a consequence we all learned not to be afraid of the kitchen. None of us are chefs but we all can cook when it's needed. Lol.😎 My wife and I share the duties. My tastes are broader than her's so I'm careful about a lot of things -- especially spices. She likes smoked veggies and things. Curry is one of my joys. Overlap has to be cautious. 😎

Do You Microwave?

RichCC comments on Feb 23, 2020:

My goto lazy lunch is microwave pasta. A couple of cups of whole wheat dried rotini with water to cover in one of those as seen on TV microwave pasta cookers gives foolproof al dente in 8 min. A little olive oil & cheese & seasoning makes an easy versatile lunch.

This feels like progress! [metro.co.uk]

RichCC comments on Feb 23, 2020:

I didn't see anywhere where the school is yet doing anything to correct the problem. (It may be too soon for all I know.) Is the contract constitutional that they had to sign to be hired? Again I don't know. I suspect that it being a church school is significant. I hope it gets resolved to all the students' and their families' and their teachers' satisfactions. And I feel bad for the disruption in the students schedules (although there obviously is a bit of an implicit civics lesson involved). *** Additional: This is why I personally would prefer that all schools be government-run public services. There is no way to effectively discourage bias from religious or for-profit schools.

This is my dog.

RichCC comments on Feb 22, 2020:

Wow. She's gorgeous! 😍

BIG wobbles in Salt Lake as member ship levels fall so low, the big three have decided to make huge ...

RichCC comments on Feb 20, 2020:

This is one of the cynically mercenary organizations ever -- 'as member ship[sic] levels fall so low'? They wouldn't consider acting because of moral conscience, they're just trying to be more marketable. If I remember right wasn't it in 1978 that their prophet had a revelation that black people were human too? They haven't changed at all.

I came across these gentlemen somewhat by accident, but I can relate with some of their experiences ...

RichCC comments on Feb 20, 2020:

I agree. Here is a link to a Seth Andrews talk I enjoy: 'CHRISTIANITY Made Me Talk Like An IDIOT' https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=URr0O9aHW38