Surfpirate's Profile

[yahoo.com] Trump 's Incompetence is No Joke- Proposing Cancelling WTO

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Incompetence - I get it now, I thought you meant his Incontinence is No Joke. I agree on both counts, it's embarrassing having a world leader who is always shitting himself in public.

Wish the blooms on a Mexican petunia lasted more than a day!

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Reminds me of some of the beautiful flowers we saw each day when we were staying in San Miguel de Allende.

Pretty powerful essay.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

I struggle to maintain my freedom and integrity in a world that seems designed to strip me of these most prized assets. It's a constant struggle but one that I feel is worth every tear drop, every bead of sweat from struggle and every heartbreak for the losses and setbacks that inevitably occur and the people who cave into the constant pressure to concede and are lost along the way.

If 'the end of the world' were nigh, as the saying goes, say seven days before a devastating meteor ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

I'd chill out and listen to this and think about how sad it is that Elvis Costello just acknowledged he has cancer and is canceling his concert dates for the foreseeable future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqIQorTXIkk

Reading through these Posts and comments, I am thinking how on earth can we claim we are having ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

I thought we were having witty and fun conversations without most of the constraints that political correctness imposes on us in our normal lives. I hope you aren't offended because if you are then you're probably posting this on the wrong forum.

We've got to add some international members so we can insult in foreign languages.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Calice, Tabarnak! Monty Pyton est Blackdog Anglais, mon dieu.

If 'the end of the world' were nigh, as the saying goes, say seven days before a devastating meteor ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Sounds a lot like my everyday except that I would have to deal with all the idiots running around like chickens with their heads cut off because their routine had been disrupted. Otherwise it would be same old, same old although I would take some precautions in the event of our survival because I'm a crazy optimist that way. lol

There was more flavor in this peach than 3 of the ones from the store.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

A gardener's lot is not an easy row to hoe but it is a rewarding one, most of the time. ;)

On this morning's run I decided to stay in my neighborhood.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Edibles and oils are the way to go for pain relief. CBD oil is what I found effective, no high but then I find reality strange enough without enhancements. :)

Good morning.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Welcome, I lived just north of Orillia in the late 90's, just a kilometer up the road from the old Sundial Inn on Lake Couchiching. A nicer bunch of atheists you will be hard pressed to find but then we are all Canadians (well we actually let a few Yankees in because of their roots or love of Canada but you know what I mean).

In Venezuela, is socialism the problem or it's the greed, corruption and incompetency of leaders?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

How many Americans have actually visited Venezuela and by visiting I don't mean going to an all inclusive resort in Curacao but actually lived among these people and developed a sense of what their lives are like? The answer to the problems in Venezuela should be obvious if patriotic propaganda were set aside and the same would apply to most Central American and Caribbean countries. America considers Latin America to be it's Backyard and therefore free to be used for American interests in anyway it chooses. I have lived in South America, Central America and the Caribbean so I have seen it with my own eyes. This mindset of entitlement to rule foreign nations by proxy and control the elections and resources of other nations has been standard operating procedure for the US government and it's agencies for many decades. Venezuela has oil and precious metals, both of which are strategic resources and since the Mexican oil fields are being quickly depleted the Venezuelan oil fields are the closest source of petrochemicals to power the US military industrial complex. (the flag wavers have probably stopped reading by this point but I will continue in order to answer your question) The only system of government that had any chance of standing up to this sort of imperialist power is a socialist dictator because the democratic process is so easily manipulated if you are willing to throw enough money at it in order to secure the results you want (plus a complete lack of scruples, restraint, ethics or decency of course - CIA kind of shit). So you see populist dictators like Castro in Cuba, Chavez in Venezuela (dead now of cancer but Castro warned him he was too lack in his security precautions), Noriega in Nicaragua (probably about to be overthrown for supporting Venezuela by trading food stuffs for oil) and Ortiega in Panama (too much coke up the nose so he became unreliable as a watchdog over the all important Panama Canal), they pop up and to a certain extent and they play the game but they also make things just a tiny bit better for the local people than it was under the puppet master regimes they displace. The problem that usually arises is that the people discover their new found luxury (like 3 squares a day and a much lower chance of dying violently before the age of 30) and they want more of it so their socialist dictator gives them a little more in order to hold onto his populist power. Eventually this cycle becomes too much to bear for the powers that be in the US but also other global corporate interests are equally offended so that means the country and it's dictator must be vilified and regime change implemented either through the expedient method of assassination or foreign supported revolution but also by the new method of choice, ...

The Dark Ages.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Still clawing our way out of that dark time but just like crabs in a bucket the ones in the bottom where it is darkest keep trying to drag back the crabs that have made it to the rim and offered a hand up into the enlightenment of Atheism.

Since becoming an atheist six years ago I have come to the conclusion religious people tend to be ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

There are many things that may have come up that prevented this couple from going ahead with an offer on your house, it doesn't make them dishonest. The realtor is definitely behaving in an unprofessional manner although technically not unethical as you are not their client. The professional thing to do would have been to ring you up and tell you that for reasons they cannot disclose for confidentiality reason, the people are not able to put forth an offer on your house at this time. Realtors like the one you just dealt with are the main reason that true professionals cringe when real estate agents claim to be professionals.

Why Indeed?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 8, 2018:

Because the Tories are a bunch of cunts, Mate.

So.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

So when your irresistible force collided with their immovable object, which one yielded the right of way on the path?

Good thought

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

We are a product of our past experiences but it doesn't mean we have to let it define our present or our future.

Look what I got in the mail today. My girlfriend got me a Truly Tiny Banana

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

From tiny things, great things may come.

A giant float at this German carnival didn't hold back in mocking Trump's Russia problem

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Direct and to the point, Putin's beetch.

I was inspired by SukiSue's Airport Facebook posts.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

On a flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago Chile I encountered one of the weirder things I have experienced on a flight. Right after the demonstration of the safety procedures in Spanish and English, the flight attendants started walking down the aisles with a can of insecticide in each hand spraying continuously to either side at the carry on luggage height. People ahead of me who were obviously aware of this drill, covered their heads and faces as a cloud of insecticide enveloped the cabin, accompanied by much choking and coughing. Once the whole passenger compartment was fumigated the stews took their seats and we taxied out for take off. It turns out that the Chilean government is extremely cautious about introducing any insects that might attack the agricultural crops which are isolated by the Andes and the Pacific Ocean from outside pest.

I guess Obi Wan doesn't get out that much because I see these crazies all the time.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

What are Atheist Higher-Ups? Taller Atheists?

Inhuman Women Are Awesome! Long Live The Darkness! LOL

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Elvira had such a wry sense of humour, no surprise that she's a redhead with skin that pale.

A micro-study.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Blocking, ledger boards, trim boards, stair treads, doubled or tripled joists and wastage. I always carried a minimum of 5% for wastage and another 5% for pilferage. I've seen this mentality before in skilled tradespeople, they work harder and have less to show for it each year. The money doesn't go as far and the taxes go up but the services to them go down so they blame the guy under them on the social ladder not the guys above him who are robbing him blind. The money doesn't go as far because the money isn't worth as much, it's all part of the shell game.

L-ly in my wheelchair preventing my escape! She is so funny!

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

She's just keeping it warm for you, put a cardboard box on the floor and she will move right away.

Volunteering This seems to be a western idea as once, during a vacation work week, a professor ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Coming from a communist society like China which believes in collectivism it makes sense that the idea of volunteering as a separate activity would seem strange to the professor doing the research. Volunteering services and giving charity are the other side of the capitalism society, it is part of the social contract that the elites provide funds and services for the majority of the people, partly out of altruism, partly out of a sense of superiority and mainly out of an instinct for self preservation. Recently that social contract has been broken by the elites and the work has fallen to the middle class which is also under siege and this is why society is collapsing along with the standard of living for all but a few. It's nothing new, it has happened many times throughout history and it usually ends badly for all concerned, particularly the elites. You are lucky that you are on an island, I am living on my 4th island and the sense of independence and community is what makes them special.

Imagine What 7 Billion Humans Could Accomplish if we All Loved and Respected Each Other?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Just imagine.

This sure is a cute little guy.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

If he is in the garden then give him a plate of beer, probably not a bad way to go.

Have You Saved Someone's Life?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Been in that situation a few times, once when I was only 15 and I was waiting for a friend and I guy came out of the house across the street with a roll of paper towel between his arms soaked in blood. He had just bought the house and the previous owners had given it a coat of paint to spruce it up before putting it on the market and they painted the old double hung windows shut. The guy had been trying to force the window open to air the place out and he wound up putting both arms through the glass resulting in very deep cuts but not spurting so he missed the arteries. My friend came outside with his girlfriend, saw the blood and vomited. The guy was really pale so I took the paper towels away and put the worst arm wounds in compression to stop the bleeding, then I got my buddy's girlfriend to do the same on the other arm which wasn't too bad and yelled at my friend to call 911. The ambulance was there in 5 minutes or so and by then the guy was fainting but they stabilized him and took him to hospital, the EMT said the guy would have bled out if he had kept the paper towels drawing out the blood from his wounds. Another time I had a worker start coughing after he swallowed a bee that had gone into his can of coke and it stung him in the back of the throat on the way down when he took a drink. His foreman told the man to go back to work as it was his own fault for drinking a coke when it wasn't break time. I overruled the foreman as I was in charge of the site and employed his company to do work for me, drove the guy to the hospital and got him there just as his throat was closing up, a shot of adrenalin saved him although they did have to ventilate him for a bit. When I brought the worker back to the job site his foreman wanted to dock the man's wages, so I told him to either pay him for the day or pack up and get off my job site, permanently. The guy got paid but I never subcontracted work to that company again.

WELCOME to the latest members @Lookin4love @Surfpirate @minhmeister @Marcie1974 @MichelleGar1 ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

X'ers are all about muddling through and making more from less, so no worries. All Good! (y)

I can't stop laughing!

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

I hope they don't think the guy is a Manx. :)

Enjoy it while you can.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Counter measures?

Huge Baby Trump balloon is cleared to fly over London during the Orange Sphincter's visit.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Orange Sphincter, Love It! :D

What common misconception do you hate to hear repeated as fact?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

That Trump is a straight talking man of the people who is going to drain the swamp and Make America Great Again. That must be why he is burning America to the ground, so it can be rebuilt from the ground up. ;)

What do you think of the work of the underground Nazi Hunters travelling the world post WW2 hunting ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

I think Orwell put it quite succinctly when he wrote "We are all equal but some of us are more equal than others.' It's very rare that the top brass take the fall for their crimes, that's what middle management is for, probably why there was so much outrage when the Jewish survivors started whacking those Nazi criminals, only the money backing the Israelis and the sense of collective guilt for allowing the Holocaust to happen made it possible to carry out those assassinations. Interestingly enough the Gypsies didn't get the same privileges to kill Nazis, nor did the Soviets that suffered terribly at the hands of the Gestapo.

I'm going to organise an afternoon tea for all my friends who've been so kind this past week, one ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Tea parties are a great way to show your friends that you appreciate them. :)

Has anyone else ever raised moonflowers?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Do you mean Night Blooming Cereus? We had those in our backyard in Bermuda.

Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

These are the sorts of comments I make before I have had my 2nd cup of java, sometimes they get me in trouble with my wife for the whole day, even longer if I haven't had any coffee and I get asked questions.

My most frequently used phrase since 45 was inaugurated: WTF is he even talking about?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

I was having a similar conversation on this latest gaff by the Grand Poopbah at the White House and a friend shared this with me: "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President." That book became an instant New York Times bestseller. Within days, it was out of stock at the big outlets and sold out in bookstores around the country. One of the nation’s largest publishers could not keep up with the demand for weeks. Clearly, our concerns were resonating with the public. Diagnosing Donald.Diagnosing Donald.Thomas Dunne Books One way or another, the consequences of Trump’s presidency are affecting pretty much all of us. Much of this has to do with his effects on our own mental health. For one, Americans are exhausted. The 24/7 news cycle may be part of the reason why, but there’s potentially another explanation. Pathology is confusing to the healthy. There is a reason why staying in close quarters with a person suffering from mental illness usually induces what is called a “shared psychosis.” Vulnerable or weakened individuals are more likely to succumb, and when their own mental health is compromised, they may develop an irresistible attraction to pathology, destruction, and even death (of self or others). The resulting harm is how we tell illness from health. Politics has nothing to do with medicine, which is why a liberal health professional would not ignore a kidney stone in a patient just because he is Republican. Similarly, health professionals would not call liver cancer something else because it is afflicting the president. When signs of illness become apparent, it is natural for the physician to recommend an exam. But when the ailment goes so far as to affect an individuals ability to perform his duty, and in some cases risks harm to the public as a result, then the health professional has a duty to sound the alarm. Human beings are an enviably adaptable species. However, when mechanisms go awry and reach a state of disorder, the capacity for variety and diversity diminishes and behavior becomes very predictable. This diminishing of flexibility is as consistent in the failing heart as it is in the cancer cell or the disordered human mind. It is in this context that we should view Trump’s latest exploits. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is not just a matter of criminal indictments; as Trump feels increasingly walled in, his mental stability is likely to suffer and hence also public safety. Mental impairment and criminal-mindedness are not mutually exclusive; not only can they happen at the same time, when combined, these two characteristics become particularly dangerous. Trump has shown marked signs of impairment and psychological disability under ...

The Iroquois League - In 1451 or 1142, whichever academics you want to go with, the Iroquois League...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Irish monks that may have reached North America under St. Brendan and are reported to have been in Iceland when the Vikings arrived there in the 9th century are a possible suspect. The Vikings are a possible source for a European influence but would have espoused war rather than peace. Basque fisherman are another possible source of xstian influence and there is the possibility of priests hitching a ride to the New World with them. The Knights Templar are another possible source as their fleet slipped anchor the night before they were purged by the French king because he owed them so much he could never pay them back, the fleet was never seen again so possibly it went to North America. The stories I have heard about Hiawatha was that he was the Peacebringer who united the 5 tribes, no Jesus character required. Certainly the Mound Builders, Aztecs, Mayans and Incas were more advanced as civilizations by the time the Europeans showed up to bring their age of enlightenment to the native americans.

AND.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

I have many and varied interests, what I like about this site is that I get an Atheist perspective on all of those interests and many more. Very refreshing compared to the usual brain dead input I get from boring, normal people.

They say that Gen X'ers value work-life balance, as opposed Boomers who define themselves by their ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

My older brother was a Boomer born in 55' and defined himself by his job as a master printer and by his other work as an elder in the JW church which is another full time job. He worked until two weeks before he dropped dead of a brain embolism which he knew he was at risk of. I was born on the cusp of Boomer and X'er, defined myself by my career as a master builder and I was also a workaholic until I realized the insanity of this and retired in my late 40's to travel and enjoy life. My younger brother was born in 66' so full X'er and never defined himself by his work, it was more of something he had to suffer through to live life. Working to live instead of living to work is his motto and always has been. So I think your statement is true, at least in my experience.

I posted this in the wrong place but I'm sure a few of you will find it.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

I started a 5x10 bed of nothing but asparagus this year and it is coming along nicely, much better than last year when it all died on me.

Did you know July 5, 1946 the Bikini was introduced?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

The only bomb shell associated with the Bikini Atoll that I'm interested in.

Today I opened another appeal from GetUp.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Seems in line with the Aussie Gov's position on Julian Assange. We've always known that politicians are crooks but clearly they are better organized than most people realized.

Can you "read" a person?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

Some are easier to read than others. ;)

It's always interesting to see who doesn't bow their heads when there's a public prayer.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

I love it when the person leading the prayer isn't bowing their head either but casting his gaze around the room to see who isn't showing obeisance to his ramblings. I just stare right back when they make eye contact and then I smile at them. They always break eye contact. :D

How do you get the Jesus/Jehova people off your doorway?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

Just tell them you are aware of their views and are absolutely not interested in discussing it with them, then ask them politely to please put you on the 'DO NOT CALL' list that all kingdom halls have. If they come back then tell them you are on the DO NOT CALL list and then follow up with a call to the elders at the kingdom hall, you will never see them again.

Giant Donald Trump baby blimp WILL fly over London for mass protest during his UK visit ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

This is why Trump likes North Korea better than the traditional US allies. Little Rocket Man would drag his rebellious citizens before the Great Golden Golem and let him shoot them in the back of the head so he felt better about his day.

I did this for my sister's yard last year the flowers have not come up yet when I took this ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

A very ancient symbol and Fibonacci inspired as well. Beautiful!

Conspiracy Theorists, and the Harm They Do

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

It's hard to accept much of anything at face value anymore and government conspiracy theories are the hardest to accept as being without any grounds because the 'evidence' provided to counter the conspiracy theory is always from the government. We have become desensitized to the lies that we are bombarded with every day from government spokespeople, to the point that we just shrug our shoulders when we hear a small lie and barely get upset when they try to jam a whopper lie down our throats. The NY Times recently stated that they expect a CIA backed coup against the new Social Democrat President of Mexico within the year and people just nodded in agreement. No country has the right to assassinate a democratically elected leader of another country just because it doesn't suit their requirements, that's a totalitarian approach to government not a democratic one so take off the white hat and put on the black hat if that's how America wants to act in the world. By the same token it is hard not to have conspiracy theories popping up when the government gets caught doing something underhanded and just lies about their involvement, deny, deny, deny is the new normal and it shakes my confidence in democracy to hear it.

'Gang' of rhino poachers mauled to death by pride of lions after breaking into game reserve | Fox ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

I was so worried when I heard about this, those poachers would have metal accessories like belt buckles. etc. that could pose a choking hazard to those endangered lions.

Religious and Athiest

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

I've seen weirder combinations in love but why would any Atheist want to be with a Believer?

"As an atheist, I am angry that we live in a society in which the plain truth cannot be spoken ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

Everybody seems to be offended about something almost all of the time, 'joke,em if they can't take a fuck' is what I say. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP0Ivms-VcE

Can you "read" a person?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

As a building contractor it was essential that I could read people and most people have the same tells if you have learned what to look for, any bad feelings I would get around certain people I would attribute to subliminal and instinctual reactions to perceived threats. At one point 70% of my employees had served some sort of criminal sentence because it was so hard to find anyone who was willing to learn a trade and the penal system trained them as part of their rehabilitation. Excons are generally pretty easy to get a read on and fall into one of two categories in my experience, those who are killing time until they wind up back in jail and those who will do anything to make sure they never go back to jail. Within the first week I generally knew if they were the former and not the latter, they were fired when I cut them their weeks pay cheque. Sociopaths are harder to get a read on in my experience, I just make it a point to keep them out of my circle.

Happy 4th to All.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

I have to be cautious about political discussions now that I am going to run for the Mayor's seat in the local elections.

Happy 4th to All.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

If you can't talk politics then the only things left to discuss are money, religion and sex. Knock yourself out and maybe they'll switch the topic back to politics. :)

Comes the Revolution, she said.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

Hiding in plain sight, as always. That's the problem with good people, we just don't expect others to act like scum because it is a foreign concept.

1st July? Might have been 30th June, 2 July.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

And giving him control over enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times over.

Argentina just signed into law the Justine bill (organ donation).

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

Is your concern that your organs might be harvested before you are done with them so that some other person with more wealth and power might use them? That would be my concern, that the system would be corrupted and the power abused.

Sparked by another member's question: what are your thoughts on girls calling their guys "daddy"?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 5, 2018:

My wife and I were talking about this today because my brother and his wife always called each other mom and dad, which we both agreed is creepy as fuck. I know they both had serious parental issues so maybe that explains it.

WEDDING PROPOSAL.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 4, 2018:

Perhaps he wasn't confident of her answer being positive so he used social pressure to make sure she said yes instead of no. That's manipulative and dishonest and she would be wise to rethink her answer after having some time to mull his proposal over after the 'surprise'.

My buddy climbed 3 stories to hang out in the plants on my patio.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 4, 2018:

3 years is pretty old for a frog, WOW!

Good morning Gardeners, Hard believe this is only day 11 trip the garden do the morning picking.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 4, 2018:

Nice Ride, a Gardener's Dream Come True. (y) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhMETq1VeQg

Here’s another poll. Where does everyone stand on organic gardening?

Surfpirate comments on Jul 4, 2018:

I use a bit of soapy water, sometimes with a dash of rubbing alcohol to get rid of any persistent pests like Squash Beetles, otherwise I rely on planting heirloom seeds that are already adapted to resist pests and plantings that deter pests. My garden is bordered with 600 garlic plants and a few dozen marigolds which helps to deter pests and I have a pond beside it which attracts frogs, toads and birds which feed on any bugs that come to dine on what's mine. :)

Back in 2000 I built some homes for the rich and famous on the island of Mustique in the Caribbean ...

Surfpirate comments on Jul 4, 2018:

The island is private and is a who's who of the rich and famous, I worked on David Bowie's house and lived next door to Mick and Bianca Jagger, plus a slew of other celebs but it is only 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long. The airstrip is between two hills so you always have to land on the downhill slope of one hill in order to have enough room to roll out, leaving means taking off into the other hill.

Back in 2000 I built some homes for the rich and famous on the island of Mustique in the Caribbean ...