Soft rattling of millions of Aspen leaves filled my heart.

RichCC comments on Oct 1, 2019:

Aspen trees retain bark scars for a long time. Years ago (I haven't been able to look in a while) a lot of the Quaking Aspens north of the park near the Grand Canyon North Rim were unofficially serialized. A shepherd amused themself by carving numbers into the Quakers. Lol.😎 I always especially liked the Aspens because they grow faster than a lot of other trees and they can 'repair' forests after trees are lost to a fire or windstorm or such. Aspens always strike me as peaceful and positive. 😊

I often find it extremely mind-boggling just how many "Christians" have never read the Bible.

RichCC comments on Oct 3, 2019:

I think partly it's that the Wholly Babble doesn't bear scrutiny very well. They know they don't like what it looks like -- so they don't look. What's that old saying? -- '*No one can sincerely go to seminary school and come out believing in God*.' Apparently once you learn the details and the origins of those 'divine' stories, it's very difficult to take them seriously any more -- at least honestly. And for a lot of the lay folks I think it's mostly laziness. They've always lived their lives that way so they just go along without thinking about things. How did Carlin describe it? -- A church is a building where people gather once a week to compare clothing. There is so much ignorance and lazy inertia in our society that the churches are still thriving after millennia of exaggerated claims and false promises (Carlin again). And I'm afraid they'll be with us for a while -- we're stuck.😥

Just a second.

RichCC comments on Oct 3, 2019:

I wonder if he was just practicing his act from the beginning. The cafe casually bussed his table near the start. But why did he not dump his act when the message came? He kept up a little bit of pretense even if it was just distracted groaning. And either way of course it makes it plain that the whole thing is a scam -- and one that he is poor at.😋

‘A Reckoning for Our Species’: The Philosopher Prophet of the Anthropocene

RichCC comments on Oct 4, 2019:

I guess I'm not sure how 'out there' I'd call him. Most of his ideas from the link ring pretty true to me. Thanks for the name -- Timothy Morton. I'll look up his stuff.😊 His 'hyperobjects' concept -- things that strongly influence us and that are too big for us to easily comprehend -- strikes me as a very useful tool for studying trends in the shrinking world we're seeing. Things like Climate Change and the Internet affect each of us but are far too complex to understand quickly. And I agree with ideas alluded to in the article -- each small thing each of us does contributes to the trend. It doesn't seem like much when you start your car in the morning but when we all do it each day... Thanks again for his name as a resource.

USELESS BUT INTERESTING INFORMATION World Tallest Leaders 1.

RichCC comments on Oct 9, 2019:

That's always intrigued me. Did you know that fully half of world leaders are over world-leader average height -- and half are under world-leader average intelligence?

'Jesus Shoes' with holy water in soles sell for up to $3,000

RichCC comments on Oct 10, 2019:

I don't know what to say -- I'm appalled. They aren't even seriously developing a product. From a different link: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/3g-jesus-shoes-holy-water-sell-out. *head of commerce Daniel Greenberg tells the New York Post. “So we wanted to make a statement about how absurd collab culture has gotten.”.* Do people really have money to throw away like this? I wonder what they will come out with next. Even by American culture standards, I'm shocked.

GOOD NEWS!!!!!! My 6 year Leukemia Checkup was Excellent! Healthy as a Horse!!!!!! Just wanted to...

RichCC comments on Oct 10, 2019:

Outstanding!!! Congratulations!😀

Sorry guys, but.... yanno ....... :)

RichCC comments on Oct 14, 2019:

I had a doctor friend in Seattle. For his wife's baby he recused himself because they were afraid that he wouldn't be able to stay objective. Ha, ha. I guess during her labor she ended up with her hands around his throat screaming at him -- 'give me something for the pain'. I never did hear how they worked it out except they had a healthy daughter and managed to stay together. Some things I'd just as soon stayed outside my experience.

Humanist T-shirt

RichCC comments on Oct 19, 2019:

I only saw 'Agnostic.com' shirts rather than 'Humanist.com' shirts under the 'Learn/Get a t-shirt' path. And I couldn't find shirts or a store under 'Learn' at the Humanist.com website. But of course as others have noted here, 'Humanist' and 'Humanism' shirts are available on the web.

Believers' estimates of God's beliefs are more egocentric than estimates of other people's beliefs |...

RichCC comments on Oct 19, 2019:

It makes sense. People would like to assume universal knowledge -- but in the end what they really have is only themselves. From the abstract at the link: *The inherent ambiguity of God's beliefs on major issues and the extent to which religious texts may be open to interpretation and subjective evaluation, suggests not only strong egocentric biases when reasoning about God, but also that people may be consistently more egocentric when reasoning about God's beliefs than when reasoning about other people's beliefs.* ... *Indeed, it may seem particularly logical to use egocentric information when reasoning about God, because religious agents are generally presumed to hold true beliefs, and people generally presume that their own beliefs are true as well.*

I just started going to meetings (12 step recovery) and the higher power thing is kinda jamming me ...

RichCC comments on Oct 24, 2019:

Good luck! My father and grandfather each fought most of their lives. It sounds like you're serious and working forward and I wish I could help. 🤗

This one is great!

RichCC comments on Oct 29, 2019:

Truly a(? ) party animal(s?). Love it. 😎 My question is whether they(? ) will get any of the beer -- ours don't get any at all.🙁

This has been one of my favorite (not taken by me) photos of dogs

RichCC comments on Oct 29, 2019:

Great picture. There's a lot to unpack -- the small customs dogs, the particular country flags, the intrusive (by human standards) check, and so on. From the size of the paws, I'm guessing young dogs. You could go on speculating for hours. Lol. 😊

Anyone have a good veggy burger recipe?

RichCC comments on Nov 5, 2019:

Out of curiosity I looked up that seitan burger in the e-mag I mentioned below -- it looks pretty good. Sorry for the long post. It's from the article. And I only have the seitan burger here. There was also a black bean and ground oat recipe in the article. *** Making the Perfect Patty By Chef Jason Wyrick Are you on a quest for the perfect veggie burger, too?  Sometimes I feel like a grail knight, armed with my chef’s knife riding through fields of seitan, beans, oats, breadcrumbs, and a host of other ingredients, a juicy veggie burger emblazoned upon my shield.  Ok, now that’s a weird image, but if you love food, you probably identify with the sentiment. A good veggie burger not only has to taste great, it has to have the right texture.  Usually, veggie burgers fall short on the texture category.  Some of them are so mushy, they can’t even hold up in a sauté pan let alone on the grill.  Some are made of slabs of seitan and seem more like a thick piece of chewy stuff between two buns.  I’d rather have thick chewy stuff than mushy stuff for a burger, but neither are truly satisfying.  The Perfect Seitan Patty Seitan already has a meat‐like texture and when you grind it, it comes out very similar to ground round, perfect for making a burger.  It holds together well on the grill as well as in the pan and has the most classic burger feel to it.  Let’s start with the basic recipe. 2 cups of ground seitan 2 cups of cubed whole wheat bread, about 1” pieces ¼ cup of dark ale or water Place the seitan in your food processor.  If it comes in a large chunk, chop it a few times first.  Pulse the food processor a few times until you have ground seitan that’s about the texture of ground round.  If you pulse it too much and your seitan grind becomes very small, the burger patty will have a homogenous texture.  It will still be good, but not perfect and we are on a quest for the perfect veggie burger, after all!  Note that you can use several mock meat products instead of seitan, they just tend to me more expensive.  Most of the Gardein products work quite well and Trader Joe’s has Beef‐less Strips that have a great texture.  In fact, when looking at the mock meat ingredient, if you see some sort of pea or bean protein or mixed into the wheat gluten, chances are it will have the right texture.  That type of protein is what gives it that dense texture without becoming overly heavy.  The disadvantage is that you can’t modify the flavor too much, but you can if you make your own!  More on that later. Next, cube the bread, but don’t press to hard on the bread when you cut it.  The fluffier you can keep it, the more absorbent it is.  Pour the ale or water over the bread and ...

Just found this cool website 😎 and it explains about atheist/ agnostic/ theist/ nostic.

RichCC comments on Nov 10, 2019:

That looks pretty good. I'm too tired to go through it in detail tonight but so far I like it. BTW... I hadn't noticed your picture-quote before. I like that too. Thank you.

YUM !!! I really like this Alaskan Brewing pilot series Berry Sour Ale made with Cranberries! Very...

RichCC comments on Nov 13, 2019:

Many years ago my wife and I went exploring in SW British Columbia, CA. We came across a tiny local place in Sechelt called Gilligan's Pub that had a local ale from an even tinier local brewery. The ale was 'Orca' ('It was a Whale of a Beer' ) and they made it with a big dose of local blackberrys. It was delicious but it had so much edge that after one or two pints you'd start to get queasy. I still remember how much I loved their berry beer and I envy you yours -- enjoy one for me.

What does "Farm Style" mean to you?

RichCC comments on Nov 16, 2019:

We stopped at a Tillamook cheese plant SW of Portland once in the 90s. The thing that we both loved was the fresh curd. Ah, the days. 😍

Does religion do more harm than good?

RichCC comments on Nov 20, 2019:

Nobody sees themselves as evil. Theists try to do good and seem to usually think they are. And sometimes they're right. Two phrases come to mind -- '*It's an ill wind that doesn't blow good somewhere*' and '*even a broken clock is right twice a day*'. It's just a massive shame that there is so much ignorance and so many misguided goals wrapped up in the religion package. Their selfishness and mistakes undo so much of the intended and potential good they could do. It's terrible that the 'do more harm than good?' question even needs to be asked. (And of course theists think the same thing back at us. Mike Huckabee said Chick-fil-A shouldn't have surrendered to anti-Christian hate groups. Life is seldom simple.)

I had a friend whose life was in a state of chaos.

RichCC comments on Nov 24, 2019:

Thanks for the advice and the recommend. I've been a fan of the classic Greek Stoics for years -- Epictetus and Seneca and that lot. And that is one of their tenets -- if it's outside your control, it's not something you should worry about. A while ago i happened across a collection ostensibly of all Poe's tales but I hadn't downloaded it yet to my Kindle -- just now I did and *A Descent Into The Maelstrom* is included. It just got bumped to the top of the list and I'll read it next. Thank you.

First day and I see many commonalities with Australian atheists but there are social, legal ...

RichCC comments on Nov 25, 2019:

Welcome. The closest I've been to Australia has been meeting people who were/are from there but I haven't been disappointed so far. I'll bet you meet my expectations. And I hope we live up to yours.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

RichCC comments on Dec 1, 2019:

Most adoption mechanisms I'm familiar with are pretty much first-come-first-serve so I'd guess you have the advantage. Good luck.🤗

So do not fear death for it is inevitable...

RichCC comments on Dec 2, 2019:

I'm trying to find out who *Sukanta Sarkar* is. So far I've discovered that they(he?) seem(s) to be from India (not too surprising given the name and the 'YourQuote. in' and your screen id). I did find a link to a collection of 'YourQuote. in' quotes including the one you posted. A lot of them look interesting. Thank you. https://www.yourquote.in/sukanta-sarkar-bcsh6/quotes

When a man wants to show a woman how to do something. [facebook.com]

RichCC comments on Dec 7, 2019:

At least she was sensitive enough to not laugh at him. Ha, ha. Guys' egos bruise so easily. 😎

What are some of the things you can think of that were originally answered by religion that have ...

RichCC comments on Dec 30, 2019:

What about the other way? How many things are there that we used to think that we had a secular explanation for that we now know to be supernatural? We used to think it was natural. But now we know it's caused by that god over there or that rabbit's foot or that spell? How many -- exactly ZERO! Shout out to Greta Christina who wrote that idea where I read it.

Not a drinker, I made bread on New Year's Eve.

RichCC comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Wow. You almost called my standard bread recipe right on the screws. The only thing you left out was olive oil. There were some dough conditioner things missing too -- powdered milk and an egg -- but otherwise it matched just about perfect. Good job.😎

[yahoo.com] I have nothing to say. Unusual.

RichCC comments on Jan 3, 2020:

I admit I'm something of a nihilist being atheist and all. But I try not to be too depressed. This means 10% of the referenced people changed their behavior for a depressing nihilistic reason. 😔

Many do not know that The Lord's Prayer reveals the true name of god.

RichCC comments on Jan 4, 2020:

If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.😎 This reminds me of the people that say that Moses parted the 'reed' sea. 'Red' sea was just misreading the text. Lol.😎 It only makes sense that blonde-blue-eyed Jesus would speak English. Nobody seemed to be able to directly document anything he said. It all had to be far beyond second hand.

My daughter just turned me on to Bon Appetite Magazine’s YouTube channel Brad Leone ...

RichCC comments on Jan 4, 2020:

Thanks. I used to subscribe to *Bon Appetit* long ago (before the Internet) but it hadn't occurred to me to look for them online.

How to make school pizza! I think most people loved this in HS.

RichCC comments on Jan 9, 2020:

Thanks. Searching, I found a link to the same recipe where somebody tried it and made trivial text corrections like adding units to the flour and adding Italian sausage to the meat (the handwritten notes has it). And they added a couple of notes at the end. I don't eat meat myself but I'm looking forward to tweaking this a little for me and trying it. https://www.copymethat.com/r/APbH6QJ/school-pizza/

Pope Francis assures atheists: You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven | The Independent

RichCC comments on Jan 15, 2020:

Well isn't that special? I know I'll sleep better tonight. /snark

Thoughts on extraterrestrial life?

RichCC comments on Jan 22, 2020:

I don't know what to tell you. All the evidence I've seen I'd including my own experience (with my wife) 30 some odd years ago in our back yard in WA just as the sun was going down we both saw has been unconvincing. We both saw the same flying object. Even now our memories agree on some things -- it was Gray and absolutely silent and nobody in the local news reported it. But a lot of our memories differ -- I remember it only 50 or so feet overhead with a wingspan consistent with a very large bird -- my wife remembers it as being much larger and much higher. We've decided to let it go. Our experiences won't mean anything to anyone. When reliable evidence appears of true ufo sightings, extraterrestrial or not, we'll listen. 😊

Hairy, pot-bellied men posing as mermaids are a hoot!

RichCC comments on Jan 25, 2020:

Years ago I spoke to a woman working at a bead shop ('The Bead Shoppe' ) in Ketchikan Alaska and she said that in the winter they spend a lot of time inside beading at night because the days outside are so short. I wonder if this is the Newfie equivalent. The link says their calendars raised $300,000 in the first year. I have to admit that beats sitting around killing time after dark. Ha, ha.😊

Hell refuses to accept any more Catholic priests. [theonion.com]

RichCC comments on Jan 26, 2020:

They interviewed Satan himself? Cool. I hope they kept his phone number. I've never been much for praying to the bearded guy/gal but I might be willing to make a deal somewhere else if they offer good terms.😎

What is the most sacreligious thing you have ever done?

RichCC comments on Jan 29, 2020:

This doesn't qualify as sacrilegious per se. And I was only indirectly involved. But long ago I had a roommate and separately a friend who were both LDS . The roommate's girlfriend would spend nights in his bedroom but the rule was they would always keep one foot on the floor. Lol. (I never pressed for an explanation.) They would go to Wed. night dances at the local church. One time a couple of girls we knew were curious and wanted to see it and to find out what Mormon girls were like. They practiced for days to be able to talk without accidentally shocking the sensibilities of the poor pristine Mormon girls. Everything was fine (but understandably slow) until they went to the girls' room for a break. They came back red-faced. They couldn't believe how dirty the religious girls talked when guys weren't listening. It was a huge eye-opening experience for both of them. 😎 I figure people, especially kids, are pretty much the same everywhere. The problems mostly come up when people try to apply their own expectations on others.

I hope to get some better pictures soon once she stops hogging my grand babies.

RichCC comments on Feb 6, 2020:

Are all the puppies dark and light? I don't know how many dogs you have -- the sire might be easy to identify. Lol. 😎 *** Additional: Wow. So if I'm reading the previous note correctly, you just noticed Meredith was expecting on 2/1 and now she has a litter. Wow again. It looks like everyone is ok. I hope I'm right about that too. Congratulations everybody. 🤗

A convoluted argument hard to grasp for agnostics, but if it were to succeed...? [sojo.net]

RichCC comments on Feb 6, 2020:

The most religious people I personally know are specifically hoping for the end of the world. It's right in their group name -- 'Latter Day Saints'. I've heard them invoke it in blessings -- they mention 'these latter days'. They are literally praying for the end of humanity. Besides being selfish to the point of being very sick, it's also extremely foolish. I don't know how any rational person could believe that sort of garbage or especially try to nurture it.

Today's hike: Hard ice on trail. Yikes! Feels like Spring.

RichCC comments on Feb 11, 2020:

We had five inches of snow early this morning -- our last gasp of AZ winter I guess. It's already melting and the fences were all bare when I got up. It sure is clear and pretty outside. I look forward to the green transformation each spring and I'm glad you weren't badly hurt with your fall. I enjoy your walks vicariously. Lol.

Someone I know is dying and has expressed that she would like to just fall asleep and not wake up.

RichCC comments on Feb 11, 2020:

It's sounds like a tough situation -- about which I have little comforting to offer except a wish to stay strong. 🤗 It sounds like you may be the adult that people will end up relying on and it's possible that you won't get any better option othet than to just fill your role. I wish you the best. And we're thinking of you. 🤔

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.

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. 😎

Researchers Are Figuring Out Why Some People Can 'Hear' The Voices of The Dead

RichCC comments on Oct 31, 2021:

Ha, ha. 🙂 What are they going to do? Test young children for acute hearing then track them to see if they pursue fantasies later in life? Good luck. I kind of agree with PondartIncbendog. From the link: *** "But all of those experiences may result more from having certain tendencies or early abilities than from simply believing in the possibility of contacting the dead if one tries hard enough."

Lauren Boebert’s Campaign Mistakenly Says, In FEC Filing, That She Represents Utah

RichCC comments on Oct 31, 2021:

Are you saying she copied parts of her filing? 🙂 I wonder if anybody looked to see where from. The evidence seems to narrow it down some. Is plagiarism a punishable offensive for a congresscritter? Ha, ha.🙂

And, in the Us. LOL

RichCC comments on Nov 3, 2021:

Many years ago I learned how to make a shed rattlesnake rattle sound just like the real thing. Ha, ha. 🤔 It won't sound right if you just hold the rattle and shake it.🙂 Make a loop of thread a foot or so long and tie on a shed rattle. Then firmly stretch the thread between your hands so that when you rotate your hands the thread doesn't go around like a pulley but rather rubs against your thumbs. The vibration will make the rattle sound exactly like a live snake. It will scare the pants off anyone who's heard the sound of a nearby rattlesnake. Ha, ha.🙂

Liar,liar panties on fire [rawstory.com]

RichCC comments on Nov 8, 2021:

So she was convinced back in June and July to do the healthy thing (for herself and the people around her) but the idea of being told to tell people about it offended her enough to risk her job (and her career?) over it? I've met some odd teachers -- my father was a elementary and high school administrator -- but she sounds a bit stranger than most. From the link *** "Earlier, Koen uploaded a copy of the card to Gina McLaughlin-Schurman, the district's assistant superintendent of human resources," The State Journal-Register revealed Sunday. "The card showed she received her first dose of the vaccine on June 29, with the second dose coming on July 19, well before Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker came out with the mandate about school personnel. Koen had until Wednesday to do a "remediation plan" the district outlined during an Oct. 27 meeting and would begin unpaid leave on Nov. 17. She then turned over her card showing that she'd actually been vaccinated the whole time she was fighting the district. "I didn't want to have to produce a vaccination card because I don't think that's legal or appropriate,

Here's some super shocking news to everyone except me... [cnbc.com]?

RichCC comments on Nov 12, 2021:

Why would that shock anyone? tRump still has his victims/prey/supporters. Here is the link I think you were shooting for: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/11/appeals-court-grants-trump-delay-in-releasing-records-to-jan-6-probe.html

Dear members, Has anyone noticed that their level score has not moved at all?

RichCC comments on Nov 13, 2021:

Your member page says you have 13,195 points so it could be a while to 50,000 for level 8. If that's important to you, you may be effectively out of luck. I'm also level 7 and I used my rate of point accumulation to estimate I might hit level 8 in June of 2022 (if nothing changes). It's a long way from 10,000 points to 50,000. I'm at 7.8 now. Ha, ha.🙂

How Long Does It Take To Charge An Electric Car? : NPR

RichCC comments on Nov 15, 2021:

We're shopping for a plugin hybrid now and I recently loaned my wife's brother money to facilitate his buy of a new RAV4. We live in a mostly rural place and the convenience of a plugin is enough to color our decision. My wife drove his Prius until two weeks ago and she misses it muchly.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: "BUILD BACK BETTER". SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED. DEMOCRATS.

RichCC comments on Nov 16, 2021:

In AZ Rethuglican governor Doug Ducey has already bragged about it -- especially rural broadband access -- even though his party almost universally tried to stop it.😛

Perhaps, we focus too much on the negative side of nature.

RichCC comments on Nov 25, 2021:

I grew up in a very dry climate in northern AZ -- a typical air humidity for us was mid-teens. But every spring if any moisture shows up at all the canyons all turn bright green for a couple, three weeks. It's gorgeous. It just goes to show that life will find a way and usually beautifully when it does. Great picture.

How Playing Music Benefits Your Brain More than Any Other Activity [themarginalian.org]

RichCC comments on Nov 28, 2021:

I'll believe it -- makes sense to me.🙂 On a somewhat unrelated tack here's an old (11 years?) clip with Bobby McFerrin. Bobby McFerrin *Hacks Your Brain* -- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E2yAddhsLlg

Greece Makes Covid Vaccine For People Over 60 Mandatory,

RichCC comments on Nov 30, 2021:

100 euros a month taken from an average 730 euro monthly pension? Sounds like they're serious. Good. You said it well -- 'Let's go all out to end this pandemic!'.

There has never been a time when a man called me a "bitch" that I did not wear the title proudly ...

RichCC comments on Dec 1, 2021:

No story? You bitch! /snark

[lbc.

RichCC comments on Dec 3, 2021:

Got this message -- '**James is sorry, he can't find the page you are looking for.** Perhaps this page has been moved or the URL has been mistyped. We might need to ask Mystery Hour where it is.' Is this the link you were aiming for? https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/racist-black-bitch-pub-renamed-scotland-linlithgow/

Who do you believe about Russiagate?

RichCC comments on Dec 4, 2021:

Why should we listen to TFG? He's a constant, consistent liar. From the link *** Trump made the remarks in question during his first campaign, saying, “Russia, if you’re listening — I hope you are able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Let’s see if that happens.” But Trump did not say this to a cheering and laughing crowd at one of his rallies. He actually said it in front of a handful of reporters during a news conference at his Doral property in Florida. ... Trump has made clear in the years since that he doesn’t think foreign interference in American elections is a bad thing, insofar as it helps him. ... Trump’s comments about the July 2016 news conference were especially shameless, but they were far from the only brazen lie he pushed in Middletown.

I just called and left a pleasant message reminding Santa that I’ve been waiting on him to deliver...

RichCC comments on Dec 8, 2021:

Years ago I read about a teenager in Phoenix, AZ whose mother asked what he wanted for Christmas -- he joked and listed a bunch of characteristics -- hair color, age, height etc. His mother called a modeling agency and when he got up Christmas morning, there she was. His gift was a date for the day. I've never been entirely comfortable with the implicit sexist discrimination but it got his and the women's pictures in the paper. Different times I guess. Who needs Santa? (or *Satan* for dyslexic atheists)

I think that this sums it up nicely.

RichCC comments on Dec 9, 2021:

Up check for the Stoic philosopher.🙂

WTF??? Saudi camel beauty pageant cracks down on cosmetic enhancements [bbc.com]

RichCC comments on Dec 10, 2021:

People are weird. I remember reading about an Arabian horse and its trainer being disqualified because they'd given it plastic surgery to improve its posture -- to make it stand up straighter. I hope they prosecuted them for fraud. The motivation was obvious. Winning horses are worth millions of dollars and some people will do anything. Morals aren't part of their world.😒

Newsom will use Texas abortion law tactics to restrict assault weapons.

RichCC comments on Dec 12, 2021:

I don't believe anyone thinks this will fly against guns. Too many people will go to the wall to protect their precious toys. I do think vigilante justice is a terrible idea -- applied to guns or abortion or anything else. The whole idea is just a way to game the system because they know that they don't have the votes to act forthrightly, on the up-and-up. I seriously doubt that Newsom believes that this will proceed. He's just playing populist politics not unlike our TFG still pushing his 'Big Lie', begging for money and trying to hide his documents. I'm getting tired of our process. There is so much rancor in the air that no one believes that they can be honest. Everyone assumes that they have to sneak in the back door to get anything done. A big problem is that they may be right. Honesty has almost all faded from our public world.

The revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope

RichCC comments on Dec 12, 2021:

It's marked on my calendar -- launch at 5:20am my time Dec. 22. Then we have to wait to see if it successfully gets to its station. My fingers are crossed, knock on wood. (Nothing supernatural for me.🙂)

For instance…

RichCC comments on Dec 17, 2021:

My wife last year delivered a case to someone she saw on FB. My wife set up periodic deliveries but accidentally started up with too much so we started with an extra case. Then the stores ran out and she heard about a lady who was about to run out for herself and her teen daughter. We donated a box to tide them over the crisis. Simple things can be remarkably important. Ha, ha.😕

What muscles do you work shoveling snow?

RichCC comments on Dec 18, 2021:

I thought I was done with all that when we left WA. But then I got offered a job in a 5000ft altitude town. We got our first flurry last week. Probably climate change has limited it so far to only a half inch but the northern exposure of our house will keep our porch coated with ice until the end of January or more. At least salt will melt us a path out to the cars. Ha, ha.🙂 I'm glad we don't get feet of snow. It's dry enough that we go straight from monsoon to too cold to snow. Ha, ha. Again. I guess.

Holy socks

RichCC comments on Dec 20, 2021:

I quit the Mormon church before I was old enough to rate Holy underwear. So I never learned whether socks are part of the package or not.😋

Time flies!

RichCC comments on Dec 20, 2021:

Doesn't it say somewhere in the babble that a thousand years to dog is as a day? I don't remember specifically -- I may be mistaken.🙂

So hangover is not just dehydration.

RichCC comments on Dec 23, 2021:

What is it called when you're recovering? -- **Detoxifying** It's a good thing our bodies are largely redundant and we can get away with a lot of self-abuse. Ha, ha. I know I push limits much more often than I should.🍷🍷🙂

We need thousands of these in the UK.

RichCC comments on Dec 25, 2021:

I used to work for a company that made animal RF tracking collars. And one person I talked to was a wild bear researcher. He said we are nearing creating a new species because two black bear populations he studied had been cut off by roads from each other and no longer inter-bred. He wondered how long it would be before they genetically drifted apart until they** *couldn't* ** Inter-breed and became in fact different species.🤔

Christmas gift to myself. "Dream Forest" by Martha Flores.

RichCC comments on Dec 26, 2021:

My mother owned a paint/hobby shop for years and she always preferred to work in acrylics. The colors are pure and intense. I only have a couple of her paintings. She spent more time playing around with trying to capture nuances of light like bubbles and shadows than creating images. But I wish I had the talent and patience for painting.

See what we're missing.

RichCC comments on Dec 31, 2021:

Yep -- true is true. **The Golden Bough** -- Sir James George Frazer, Books published from 1889-1915. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough From the Wikipedia link *** **The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion** (retitled **The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion** in its second edition) is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by the Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer. The Golden Bough was first published in two volumes in 1890; in three volumes in 1900; and in twelve volumes in the third edition, published 1906–1915

Have you seen the first image from JWST ?

RichCC comments on Jan 1, 2022:

From what I've read, given the difficulty, subtly and complexity of their task, that's very much the sort of thing they worry about. Maybe not on that scale. **Inside the James Webb Space Telescope's control room** -- Phys.Org https://phys.org/news/2021-12-james-webb-space-telescope-room.html From the link *** Whitman [RichCC: Rusty Whitman, *Flight Operations System Engineering Manager at Space Telescope Science Institute*] is still worried about what could go wrong: "I'm nervous about the possibility that we forgot something. I'm always trying to think 'what did we forget?"

This is one smart horse! Click the video. It works fine. [youtube.com]

RichCC comments on Jan 4, 2022:

We used to family camp at a trail ride near the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The horses knew they had tourists riding and they knew every trick. They would scrape riders off on trees and they vastly preferred going downhill or back to the corral. One time a rider didn't come back. They found him still on the back of the horse about half way around the trail in the middle of a meadow. He couldn't get the horse to move and he was afraid to get off because he didn't think he'd be able to get back on. Ha, ha. The horse decided to end the day and spend time in the meadow eating grass. Horses definitely aren't dumb (with a few exceptions of course. Like people.)🙂

This is how a queen bee comes to a queen bee.

RichCC comments on Jan 12, 2022:

**A queen bee comes to be a queen bee?** Bee-dee-bee-dee-bee.🙂

An icefish colony discovered in Antarctica is world's largest fish breeding ground [cnn.com]

RichCC comments on Jan 14, 2022:

On the one hand, that's great -- life persevering again. But it's also a shame in a way. Now we know it's there. It's only a matter of time now. /cynic

Lifelong athletes face joint replacement. It's my turn. Advice?

RichCC comments on Jan 16, 2022:

I can only say 'keep on keeping' on'. Every situation is different and the choices will be yours.🤗 Oddly enough. My symptoms are much worse on the right side. I tell people 'I used to be right handed. But now I can be clumsy equally -- either side'. Everybody makes their own way. Only let it slow you down if you absolutely have to -- to avoid getting hurt.🤗

Why Do We Forget? New Theory Says “Forgetting” Is Actually a Form of Learning

RichCC comments on Jan 17, 2022:

Not a bad idea. Sherlock Holmes believed in it. In "A Study in Scarlet," Dr. Watson expresses surprise that Holmes is ignorant of Copernican theory and the composition of the solar system. Holmes explains that he does his best to forget any information that is not relevant to his existence. Now, is it good that I remember that trivia -- or should it have been eliminated as clutter?😏

First chess, then Watson, then Go (!), now poker. What's next ?

RichCC comments on Jan 21, 2022:

I have to imagine that an AI has a good 'poker face' -- it won't sweat at all. But what 'tells' might it have? There again, I imagine what tells get found, if any, will disappear quickly.

To hell with scones.

RichCC comments on Jan 24, 2022:

Years ago we were in the Mexican restaurant at Walt Disney World Epcot and overhead a Scottish couple trying to explain refried beans to their teenagers. The closest they could come up with was 'split peas mixed with plaster of paris'. 🙂 I suppose it goes both ways. Ha, ha.

Arizona Republicans propose major changes to elections after GOP review finds no fraud

RichCC comments on Jan 24, 2022:

The more complicated they can make it, the more opportunities there are for extracting money (grifting). They are relentless.

Crypto Co-Founder Revealed to Be Infamous Fraudster, Investors Shaken The co-founder of DeFi ...

RichCC comments on Jan 29, 2022:

Interesting how casually they throw around 10s of millions of $s numbers. They don't seem to live anywhere near the same world that I live in. I guess I'm glad we don't interact so far as I know.😑

XKCD’s Randall Munroe announces What If?

RichCC comments on Feb 1, 2022:

I saw that announcement at the xkcd site https://xkcd.com/2575/ https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ . Thanks. And I'm definitely a fan of xkcd.

When was the last time you received or sent a real actual letter?

RichCC comments on Feb 6, 2022:

Back in the 90s one time we got a notice (by snail mail) that they were canceling our insurance. Fortunately our agent was a good guy that we knew well and he straightened it out. It turned out our automatic bill pay (AOL believe it or not) was taking the money out of our bank account but not sending it on to the insurance company. We can sort of laugh now but it sure wasn't funny at the time.😕

Baptisms invalid - priest used wrong words.

RichCC comments on Feb 8, 2022:

My wife and I attended a coming of age ceremony for my youngest nephew at an LDS church in Florence AZ because we happened to be in town. As the rite was finishing, an onlooker criticized my brother for using the wrong words about his son. After it ended another person came and said 'no, no. You were right.' Wow, what a farce. My wife especially was so irritated she said she'd never go to another LDS church again -- as if we likely would anyway. Ha, ha.

We're going to discuss the pragmatics of death.

RichCC comments on Feb 8, 2022:

I used to joke with people that if I ever found out I was terminal I would pick someone I didn't like and frame them for my murder. Then I read about someone trying and failing exactly that in South America somewhere. It doesn't seem so clever now. Ha, ha. As for my remains... Funerals are for the living. I'm pretty sure I won't care one way or another. People can do whatever they want. Edit *** I also used to think about donating my body for transplant or science but these days I doubt anyone would be interested. I even have a 'lifetime deferment' so they won't even take my blood or platelets any more.😡

Microwave Popcorn If you are concerned about food toxins and health, you may want to avoid ...

RichCC comments on Feb 9, 2022:

My wife uses a one time purchased multi use microwave (apparently microwave transparent plastic) popcorn bowl. I'm less of a popcorn eater than she. Similar to your paper bag, you have to be a little careful with the time but if you're careful with your type of popcorn (which she is anyway -- some yield fewer scraps than others) and use the microwave timer, it comes out just right every time.

[sciencedirect.com] early crocodilian had dinosaur parts in stomach before fossilization!

RichCC comments on Feb 19, 2022:

I'll bet it tasted like chicken.😋

[thedailybeast.com] Some Idaho Democrats register as Republicans to combat far right.

RichCC comments on Feb 21, 2022:

I've long time felt it is marginally more effective to vote against things/people than voting for them (for everything that's worth). I've been registered Republican for many years though I seldom vote that way especially in the final.

Amazing hike in Sept. 2015. Bare tree trunks howled in high winds.

RichCC comments on Feb 23, 2022:

Near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon SW of Jacob Lake there's a place the locals call the 'Big Blow'. It's not marked or anything and you have to know which dirt roads to take to see it but there's a space several hundred yards long and a couple of hundred yards wide where every Ponderosa pine tree is down. Basically not a single old growth tree survived. I've never heard anyone claim to know when it happened, but apparently a tornado went through the spot many years ago. I can see why you'd be nervous -- the devastation of wind blown fallen trees is intimidating.

I remember the red scare of the 60s and 70s, now those same people are proposing the same policies ...

RichCC comments on Feb 23, 2022:

Going to grade and high school (60s and 70s again) our small town was supposed to use the Glen Canyon wall tunnel (that they made while building the Lake Powell dam) as a shelter if nuclear war came. Even as teenagers we could see how nuts that was. The dam at the time was a major source of electricity for the SW -- almost certainly a target. And you expect us to be inside the canyon wall when the dam is destroyed and the lake drains down the river canyon? I don't think there was anyone in the area that stupid -- but I have no idea what we would have done. Additional *** I did have a friend (a little bit later) who was a Mormon missionary in Russia. When he returned he said he never wanted to eat cabbage again in his life. Ha, ha. The lives he saw weren't completely destitute -- but they certainly weren't filled with roses either.

Here in Texas it’s like winter is mad and keeps storming out, then coming back yelling….

RichCC comments on Feb 25, 2022:

Here in Northern semi-high altitude(5000 ft) AZ we had what I hope may have been the *last* storm of this winter. Two days ago we got 8 inches of snow but today and by the forecast until at least the middle/end of next week it is/will be sunny. Again by the forecast it's not even supposed to freeze at night starting next week. Insert normal 'it's still dry' whine here but it looks like we may actually have a pleasant spring for a change. Knock on wood(tm). Woo, hoo.

Definitely a groaner but hilarious to me.

RichCC comments on Mar 5, 2022:

Years ago I sold my soul(sole?) to Santa and he(?)'d never allow it.🙂

Several degrees beyond happy! [facebook.com]

RichCC comments on Mar 9, 2022:

*Grumpy*, *Doc*, *Dopey*, Ugly, *Sleepy*, Creepy, Smarmy, *Sneezy*, *Happy*, *Bashful* and **Puppy**.🙂

Who is really to blame for high gas prices?

RichCC comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I once did a contract technical software job for Exxon corporate (I know - I'm still ashamed) in Houston. The company set the prices for all the stations. The team I was on heard about a bitter complaint from one station owner that another station was driving him out of business. Another Exxon station was so close as to be visible from his but its prices were 5 cents a gallon cheaper. The other station just happened to be on the other side of a boundary on whatever map the executives were using to assign the prices. You're right -- market forces don't drive the prices.

Losing weight doesn't seem to be working for me,.

RichCC comments on Mar 13, 2022:

I know you're joking. But my knee jerk response is that when we gave up meat 20 or so years ago one of the benefits was that we stopped worrying about our weights. We haven't had any weight problems since.🙂

Kinda pissed off that ours, yours, and theirs don't have apostrophes. Am I being too possessive?

RichCC comments on Mar 22, 2022:

Neither does *its* as a possessive -- *it's* is a contraction (as noted below).

I had never heard of this until tonight.

RichCC comments on Mar 24, 2022:

Thanks. I didn't know that. *Hush* is from DP's *Shades of Deep Purple* album from the late 60s. I like Thin Lizzy but I don't have any of their music. I guess I'll have to correct that. The cover is a credible job -- thanks again.

Morning all Thank you for all the love.

RichCC comments on Mar 27, 2022:

I wonder who paid for the machines and if you can do normal banking in them. Does the bank periodically send an armored truck to pick up deposits? And are there bank personnel (including armed(?) security) with access inside the church? I know this isn't exactly a church and state situation but it makes me think. And is the church big enough to rate 3 side-by-side machines? That's more than a lot of banks. And what do I do if that bank isn't where my account is?🤔 It reminds me of a blurb in Roger Zelazny's *Lord Of Light* novel. Their temples(churches) had slot machines.😋

Well, I'll be damned.

RichCC comments on Mar 27, 2022:

I knew a ranch hand years ago and somehow my birthday came up. He said that used to be his birthday. 🤔 It turned out he saw his birth certificate when he was a teenager and he'd been celebrating the wrong day for years.😛 That's obviously not quite as unlikely, but still.

The World Health Organization is examining potential hearing problems linked to Covid ...

RichCC comments on Mar 28, 2022:

It sounds like people are grasping. I wonder what the incidence of hearing problems is in the general population irrespective of the vaccine. 534 / 11 billion is about 0.0005 percent unless I made a math error. From the link: *** The WHO reported 367 cases of tinnitus and 164 cases of hearing loss globally among people who had received a Covid-19 vaccine, usually within a day of the shot. That's out of more than 11 billion doses of Covid vaccine given worldwide, so the hearing problems seem to be extremely rare.

I need to verify this but it looks cool

RichCC comments on Apr 6, 2022:

Is there such a thing as a patent in Italy? I assume that is the Palermo they are referring to. So someone has to daily reload the cannon? And presumably adjust for the suns' motion in the sky. Interesting, and cool. 'What do you do for a living?' 'I'm the Palermo sundial gundial guy.'

Former Trump Aide Pleads Guilty to Kiddie Porn Charge | US Attorney’s Office District of Columbia

RichCC comments on Apr 8, 2022:

Wow -- 12 years. It sounds like he needs to be removed from society for the sake of the common good. From the link *** According to the government’s evidence, from April 2020 through February 2021, Verastigui was active in an online group devoted to trading child pornography and discussing child sexual abuse. Verastigui shared child pornography videos with another member of the group and made numerous comments about sexually abusing children. Verastigui indicated his preference for babies, saying they were his “absolute favorite,” and solicited another group member for videos of babies being raped. The other group member promptly sent Verastigui a video of a baby being raped, to which Verastigui responded enthusiastically. The other group member then sent Verastigui numerous other videos of child pornography. Verastigui was arrested on Feb. 5, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

Australian Christians may even be crazier than ours.

RichCC comments on Apr 12, 2022:

Boy. They're not kidding. Just look at the cloud of mostly trash we've surrounded our planet with. 🙂🤔 Stuff in Space http://www.stuffin.space Sometimes I wonder how things like the ISS survive. I guess space is a big place.😅

Jevon’s Paradox: Efficiency gains contribute to increasing production and consumption which ...

RichCC comments on Apr 16, 2022:

People will consume -- that's what we do. 😎 It's a shame that our goals are always 'more, more, more' rather than we being capable of satiation. We're a competition organized society rather than being success oriented -- then we all die anyway.🤔