I think she's right.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 19, 2021:

As a three year veteran of Match, with more rejection logged by now than I can even count, there is a lot of truth in the cartoon, even tho my friends say I am as loyal and faithful as the family dog. And if that weren't enough, I am one for one on successful LTRs and just the one marriage, which is more than I can say for the many divorced women that regularly reject me for the usual three reasons, before even meeting me, during the early messaging period or after I send my first message to them. What are the three reasons? I don't have kids, I am not religious (Agnostic), and I don't drink more than socially or, to be precise, I list myself as "Depends On The Day", because I used to list as a total non-drinker and got rejected all the time under the wrong-headed, knee jerk assumption that I had to therefore be a recovering alcoholic, or a judgemental teetotaler, neither of which were acceptable to most of my dating pool. Nowadays, I have found that even a social only drinker is not acceptable anymore, as the majority of my dating pool now list themselves as "Moderate drinkers" and will not accept a man who is less than that. WTF am I supposed to do about this, when I can't change who or what I am, and trying to fudge on things like listing myself on religion as Spiritual but not religious, hasn't helped, and neither has listing myself as a social drinker? These women are like the ones in the cartoon, their priorities and mindset are simply fucked up, as far as I'm concerned, as they would rather take their chance again on only another fellow divorced person with kids, religious like them, and a moderate drinker, no matter how poor their relationship track record or relationship skill may be, not to mention how toxic or dysfunctional their personality may be. They set impossible and well as very warped and questionable standards, as far as relevance to relationship success, and then wonder why they end up alone and unhappy again. They reap what they sow and get what they deserve, as far as I'm concerned.

While you're agnostic/atheist, if someone religious shares, say, the same political views as you, ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 19, 2021:

Of course, politics makes strange bedfellows, as they say, and am always glad to make temporary or lasting alliances with religious folks on particular issues, as long as they show respect for me, non-belief and all. But I must admit that, these days, it is rare for religious folks to not be conservative and Repub across the board on politics, esp. with my politics being socialist, about as far left as it gets these days in the US.

I love my Dog

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 19, 2021:

Many dogs are good judges of human character, and even have superior character to a lot of humans.

In a previous posting on whether people.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 19, 2021:

The fact that most of them are intelligent, friendly people, who don't try to change my views on religion, tho some of them do try to change them on politics or the dating process or scene. My use of blocking has allowed me to thin out those trolls from my experience here.

Tell Texas education system this

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 17, 2021:

No shit. And I feel the same way about the corporate media's constant attempts at presenting a phony "balance" on issues like this, where one side is honest and factual, the other lying and delusioned, yet the media treats both sides as equivalent and equally valid. It is a lie on the part of the media and they know it is all bullshit, but they no longer have any shame or honor about how they report the news.

Sunday morning cuteness

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 17, 2021:

Somebody is very happy and content there..

In the culture of victimhood, being a victim is well recognized.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 17, 2021:

In our society, America, it has been my observation that for every person that makes a career out of being a victim, or claiming to be, there are one or more people who make it their mission to unjustly blame innocent, true victims, for their victimhood, so it goes both ways. In America, I think we still tend to scapegoat and unfairly blame victims more often than they deserve. It's part of how we hate losers, all want to be winners, and envy or worship the winners. So victims are usually seen as reaping suffering that is their own damn fault, etc., esp. when it comes to the economic system. We worship capitalism, so the victims or losers in that system are dismissed as lazy, defective, and just need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, get religion or the right values, and start living right. Criticizing or blaming the system here is not seen as appropriate or patriotic.

I'm a cat lover, and I recently had to say goodbye to my little tuxedo cat, Monkey.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 16, 2021:

I don't doubt that grief over pets can be the same, in some cases, as that over humans.

Is online dating addictive?

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 15, 2021:

I have been on Match actively for about three years now, and I can see how it might be addictive for some folks, as far as the thrill or drama of the emotional rollercoaster it provides for their life, and also the constant ego strokes they may get if they are making lots of connections with people that are interested in dating them. In those respects, esp. for those with low self-esteem or big egos that need to be stroked, it makes them feel validated, dateable, and valuable as human beings. But for me, and probably most of the more emotionally healthy and secure folks on dating sites, it gets really old after a while, both in the rejection and disappointment, but also in the repetition of the process, being constantly evaluated, judged, running thru the same routine of messaging, phone calls or video chats, coffee meetings, and then, very few actual fun or romantic dates with people. I am guessing that people who are more attractive looking get way more actual fun, romantic dates with people, as well as most of the sex that occurs from dating sites, while, for average folks like me, it is more akin to being perpetually unemployed and job-seeking for years without end. And when you are experiencing that latter side on online dating, along with all the lying, game-playing, BS, rudeness, etc., it makes me feel more like I want to quickly and permanently retire from the game ASAP, if I could just find someone compatible for the long haul. And I am still looking for that... My guess is that the older the person, then generally the more they want to get out of it permanently, after they have been on it for a while... The younger people are more likely to enjoy playing the field and keeping in the dating game to just date serially or casually, instead of seeking the LTR or life partnership.

This was in mixed TED talks, she makes a lot of sense. [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 14, 2021:

It's all bullshit and scare talk, they suddenly forget all about deficits whenever it's time for the military budget, or tax cuts for the rich or corporations, so I don't believer any of the deficit crap...

10 Reasons to Wear a Mask

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 12, 2021:

Because I am not an asshole (at least not THAT big of one) or maskhole, as I call them... That is the Golden Rule, as far as I'm concerned, on this issue.

May they die with him

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 12, 2021:

It will be a clear indictment of the evangelicals, who sold out their principles and religious values for some political and judicial power, and all the while got used by Repub pols that usually have nothing but contempt for them in private.

Of all the incredibly utopian and delusional memes I come across in a daily basis… this one has ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 11, 2021:

No shit, I love this meme!

One of these things is not like the others.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 11, 2021:

Feline chameleon...

Today, I allowed myself to be engaged in conversation by a Christian.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 11, 2021:

Confuse not the minds of the simple or ignorant, they will only hate you for it....

Right-Wing Activist Who Said He Was “Vaccinated in Christ” Dies of COVID | Hemant Mehta | ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 11, 2021:

Another Darwin Award winner...

Whiny Conservative Mom Demands Resignation of Principal Who Loves “Iron Maiden” | Hemant Mehta ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 11, 2021:

Some folks really need to get a life, instead of religion being their whole life, as a hobbyist.

84 percent of Trump voters are worried about discrimination against whites: poll | TheHill

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 11, 2021:

The poor little babies are worried about their white privilege being taken away.

I hate when I get a notification about a comment I made, but the whole thread has been deleted.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 10, 2021:

Me too. Where's the fun in irritating someone if I can't see the fruits of it, like them showing or proving me right by acting out and reacting to it like the asshole I already knew they were? My count is that I have 60 people blocked on my end, plus at least another couple dozen that have blocked me. It's getting to where I see every few days a notice of Content Unavailable, etc., like I actually care that much about it....

Pete Townshend's version of North Country Girl is my favorite.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 9, 2021:

That is such a great song, one of Dylan's masterpieces of songwriting. He recorded a duet version of it with Johnny Cash that is also really great. I would actually like this version better with just the guitar, and not with the annoying synth, which is kind of distracting.

New Rule: The Slow-Moving Coup | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - YouTube

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 9, 2021:

I have one prediction you can take to the bank, and it applies from now till Doomsday, and that is the Dem Party will never allow a real progressive to be its nominee for prez, because they really don't care about winning in prez elections or controlling congress. They can't wait for the next mid-terms so they can lose control of both houses and start blaming the Repubs for everything, instead of what they do now, which is blame those mean Repubs that somehow stand in their way, and all the while excuse the corporate Dem Dinos like Manchin and Sinema, even tho those are the only two out front who are obstructing all the legislation they love to talk about but never actually push hard to pass. All talk for the gullible voters and all action for their rich and corporate donors, every damn time. I think we are on the way to a completely authoritarian government, without future elections, because the Repubs want it and the Dems, who don't care about their voters at all, know that their donors and corporate masters are perfectly fine with an authoritarian government, because it lets them keep their wealth and their profits, and will also save them from having to make campaign donations, once this silly thing of elections are gone.

I couldn’t access the Zoom meeting on Thursday…I sent you a PM Lisa but I don’t know if you ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 9, 2021:

You can tell your buddies from the Community Senate that I'm back, only had a temp suspension from commenting and posting, so they are stuck with me on the boards, tho I have blocked all three of them so, they won't see me anyway. I did come back to lurk during the suspension and saw how they were gloating about getting me punished and joking about the admin. or someone using the "nuclear option" on me, well, they were wrong. Fools...

Colorado woman who won't get vaccinated denied transplant When religion strips away the last of ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 8, 2021:

She's making her deluded choice, and there is no treatment for it, at least none that she would accept, so let her suffer and die, then more space and treatment will be available for those who really want it. Esp. for organ transplants, give the organs to people who are sanely trying to protect their health. The organs will be better used and the outcomes will also be longer and better. From her point of view, letting herself die voluntarily is a win-win, as she gets to uphold her stupid beliefs and also gets to meet Jesus sooner than later....

Wanna hear a rape joke?

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 8, 2021:

They are mimicing the same bullying, threatening behavior of their allies in the anti-abortion movement, screaming abuse at women who walk into clinics. If I were one of those parents being harassed and threatened, I would probably lose my temper and shout back at them to stay out of my face or I will knock their block off.... If that didn't work, I would then have to wait for one of them to touch me, then it would be on and I would clean their clock. I'm not willing to risk jail for it and I bet about all of them are not willing to take a beating for their cause, or even go to jail for it.

Ok, so I went on a first date with a guy a couple of weeks ago.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 8, 2021:

I usually offer my phone number to the woman at the end of the first in person meeting, whenever that ends up being. Sometimes, before that even happens, the woman requests my number so they can call me after we have traded messages a few times, instead of doing a video chat before meeting later on in person. I prefer video chatting to a phone call, for purposes of discussing dealbreakers or trying to get a line on whether there are good vibes or chemistry between us. I feel a blind phone call, without facial cues or body language, is a poor way to test that out. Video chats or, better yet, in person meetings are so much better at giving you the full context of communication and finding out if there is chemistry or physical attraction going on with either person. Whenever I offer the phone number to a woman, I also tell them that I am fine with them wanting to block my caller ID from seeing their number when they call me, in case they need more time and experience with me to feel comfortable with me knowing their number. Some women are ok with exchanging numbers before meeting in person or at the end of the first meeting. The only risk of not exchanging numbers before the first in person meeting is if someone ends up running late or having to cancel, and then the party who is waiting won't find out until they get home ( unless they have a smartphone to check their messages from the site) and maybe find a message from the other person thru the dating site. By then it's too late to have prevented the waiting party from having been stood up, something I have had plenty of experience with in online dating and it still really pisses me off when people are selfish and callous enough to do that. I wish that dating sites would ban or terminate memberships of people that engage in that cruel, immature shit, but the sites will never get involved in policing that, since they assume the guilty party might always have a legit reason for standing someone up (even tho they say and often do get involved in policing and punishing people who act innappropriately to another member offline), but I feel there is never an excuse for it that holds water. People should be considerate grown ups and if they decide not to meet after making plans, then be a big kid and notify the other person at least a few hours in advance thru the dating site, as most people are smart enough to check their messages on the site before leaving for an in person meeting. And making that notification does not in any way increase one's chances of being stalked or harmed if the only way the people have been communicating has been thru the dating site or social media like FB. So that is why I don't buy the excuse of "I had to stand them up at the last minute to protect my safety, etc"., if the ...

Overseeing his kingdom from the refrigerator.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 7, 2021:

Damn right it's his domain, he only lets you live in it, so you may serve him...

A very sad commentary

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 6, 2021:

Unfortunately, human rights, in hierarchical societies, are not inherent. They exist only as granted by the ruling class thru the power structure, and thus, can be given or taken away at any time by the ruling class. And right now, they are being taken away. That is why revolutions happen and need to happen from time to time.

COVID-19: Gap seen between vaccines for preventing hospitalizations - Los Angeles Times

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 6, 2021:

Paywall, can't read it.

Who likes......Pillow Talk ?

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 6, 2021:

Pillow talk, sheesh, give me a break. I'm still trying to remember what sex was like, lol, having been alone on that for several years now, since my late wife became very ill.... Once or if, I experience pillow talk again with someone, I'll let you know...

I'm not sure where to put this item, but it's a very thorough analysis of all the responses to the ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 6, 2021:

All it proved is that Bill could be just as much of a lying, unfaithful dog to individual women as he was to all the hopeful liberals that he sold out after getting elected in order to get rich later for serving his corporate donors, by passing NAFTA and ending welfare for most poor women. He was a rat at both the individual and societal level. All he cared about was power, fame, and money. And also his sexual appetite, of course... But the main thing I always hated both the Clintons for, was that they marked the beginning of the Dem Party's betrayal of the working class, esp. the white working class, with NAFTA, followed by other lousy trade agreements, except for corporations, of course, along with ending welfare programs, etc. They also started the Dem Party's focus on identity politics and image rather than class politics on the side of the working class and the non-rich. Ever since them, we have had no representation in the class war from the Dem Party, only really from the Green Party, but they have no money or power against the two major parties, who don't represent anybody but the rich and corporations in the class wars.

Anybody know how to let a “love bomber” down without incurring wrath?

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 5, 2021:

I think the others have given plenty of good advice. You need to turn your back on him for good, and I personally don't understand or relate to how much you seem to care about staying on good terms with him, or whatever that means to you. If someone treats me bad, which he apparently did to you in the prior relationship, I am done with them for good. Call it scorched earth, if you like, but I just don't feel it's worth it or even that important to be on good terms with them, esp. since you don't seem to have any kids involved from this relationship. If the two of you had made babies, that would be another matter, of course. I have been childfree by choice my whole life, so that makes it much easier to just move on and not look back if things don't work out with a dating partner, so I admit that colors my perspective. Why would you give a fuck about "being there for each other platonically"? In my mind, that is the role of my longtime friends who have treated me well and already been there for me, and have their own primary relationships or not, and that I can always count on, not some former lover and partner or whatever he was.

SNL is continuing its tradition of shitty “music”.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 5, 2021:

Agreed. For such an originally counter culture-based show, I knew it had permanently jumped the shark or gone bad once they started inviting country music artists on a regular basis. And at the same time, their tastes in pop or rock artists also became very bland and trite, as far as having any musical guests that had anything that influential or inspiring in their music. I guess the definition of hip is something that I am too old or out of touch to appreciate, if hip is still something that fits most musical guests these days on the show.

“God’s will is being thwarted.

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 5, 2021:

So glad I don't live in Texas or Florida, as the level of crazy in both states is off the charts..

The dumbing down of SCOTUS

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 5, 2021:

The caliber of people on the court, esp. men, continues to go down as the court becomes more and more of a partisan battleground, where the Repubs and Dems only want to appoint partisan hacks that can be counted on to all be pro-corporate, anti- democratic, and against civil liberties for the peasants. Both parties nominate people who are against reforming our political system of legalized bribery and corporate rule, but the difference is that the Repubs also nominate people who are in favor of a theocracy and unlimited gun rights.

What a huge difference from the right wing

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 5, 2021:

The left wing groups in this country are much more well-mannered, at least these days, than right wing groups, but a lot of that is pragmatism on their part, as they know how much tougher they will be and always have been treated by the authorities than right wing groups. So their restraint is deliberate in order to minimize how roughly the cops and government treat them. Sometimes, I think, they hold back too much on their rage against the machine, so to speak, but that's easy for me to say since it's not my head that's going to get cracked or my eyes that will be tortured with teargas or possibly blinded by rubber bullets.

Parody on mask wearing

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 2, 2021:

Good parody. The right wingers don't give a fuck about how most people are economically oppressed, because they've already got theirs and too bad for those who don't, or else they believe those who are oppressed by capitalism deserve it because they haven't lived right or had the right values, etc.. But heaven forbid that the government or even private businesses "oppress" these righteous people by making them wear a mask for the public good and their own health during a pandemic!

Kurt Vonnegut tells his wife he's going out to buy an envelope: “Oh, she says, well, you're not a...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 2, 2021:

Well said, he was always a very wise man. Either maintain your connection to other people, in the flesh, and to the physical world, or lose it and become alienated and stunted. I wish more people would put down their fucking smartphones and heed his advice, but I sadly fear I am just as outdated as he has become... Like Orwell, he has proved to be such a prophet...

Does a spiritual but not religious person say grace?

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 1, 2021:

I have frequently seen that label used on dating sites as an option or choice among other labels for one's religious affiliation when the member is completing their profile and choosing which ?s to answer and what way to label themselves. The sad fact is that, esp. in my area of the country, and other heavily Christian areas, labeling yourself as Agnostic or Atheist will not only get you rejected by the vast majority of women in your dating pool, tho I think most men in my dating pool area don't really give a fuck about a woman's religion or lack of it, unless they themselves are very religious. But using the label Atheist or Agnostic in geo areas like mine will also usually be misunderstood, same as the label socialism, because of the deep ignorance and prejudices of most people in my area and other areas like it in the US. So what is a single on a dating site to do, if they want to have any real chance of meeting someone compatible who is possibly not more than mildly or moderately religious and open-minded enough to tolerate or accept non-belief in a partner? The answer is, for many, that you choose to self-label as Spiritual, but not religious, which is why the dating site provides that label as an option. Because otherwise, you would have almost zero chance of meeting anyone thru a secular or mainstream dating site, since in my area, on Match, there are only about 5% or less women who identify on that religion trait as Agnostic or Atheist, but a significant amount more that identify as Spiritual, but not religious. They obviously have experienced a lot of the same rejection and discrimination as me on sites like that, so they use that catch all label to improve their odds.

WIFE WANTED! $2,000 FINDER'S FEE IF YOU SEND THE RIGHT WOMAN TO ME, WE FALL IN LOVE, AND GET ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 1, 2021:

I read your bio and you seem like you might be an ok guy, but two things I can tell you right off the top from being on here a few years and getting a feel for the women your age on Agnostic. One, you are trying way too hard, introducing yourself to them here with this desperate personal ad. Two, the photos are a bit too much also, too many of them, along with the shirtless ones. My advice is to do some more lurking here to get the feel for what is normal for postings here, and then start commenting and posting more appropriately. That is the real way to impress the women on here about who you are and let them decide if they and you are possibly compatible. I can also tell you that very few of them are willing to date long distance or relocate, even to Cali, so you might start by messaging only women from your local area. And I'm guessing that, unlike my area, there are some women from your area still active on this site. As for the finder's fee, I'm assuming that's a joke, but it is probably going to seem offensive to most of the women on here, jus" sayin". I can also tell you that few if any women on here in your age group are interested in getting married, based on what I have read here. They might be interested in dating, becoming life partners, maybe even living together, but not likely in marriage.

It is almost like there is a conspiracy

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 1, 2021:

Well duh, of course there is, but the corporate media will never mention it or allow it to be brought up.

Here is the real reason they are afraid of critical race theory

TomMcGiverin comments on Oct 1, 2021:

I think you are being overly charitable towards them regarding their ability to feel shame. I doubt most of them have changed any since 1957 and they are still proud of their racism, so I don't think a lot of them would feel ashamed if the truth about their past racism was taught. The only thing they feel upset about with critical race theory would the idea that a bunch of elitist Yankees were able to get it placed in their schools. It's the outside interference they resent.

This seems to be my life story

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 30, 2021:

That's me, for my whole life in the dating game, continuing to search for that next single woman that wants to try being weird together with me. We are rare birds in this Iowa culture of conformity and traditional values, where eccentricity and non-conformity are judged and punished so harshly. It's very hard to find people, even on a site like Match, that are willing to risk being open and honest about their being offbeat, as they know it will usually doom them to being alone for the duration.

NY Gov.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 30, 2021:

It is embarrassing, sad, and pathetic that this is necessary, but we do need our leaders who are sane to somehow get more of the deluded to vax, otherwise we will never get past Covid... So I am ok with her doing what it takes, as long as she doesn't go further and indulge their wish for theocracy. If it didn't harm us, I would be fine with letting the fools die.

Hello everyone! New to this app and thought I'd try to meet more people like me! What's going ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 29, 2021:

Rotsa ruck, pal. Looks like you live in a black hole, as do I, as far as there being any active, compatible women from this site living in your local area. Either need to try dating LD with someone from Agnostic, or join a real dating site like Match, etc..

Good Bye and Good Riddance: So if you’re angry, guess what?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 28, 2021:

I drove a school bus for several years before I retired. One guy quit last year because he is a right winger who didn't want to mask up for the job, but it really didn't cost him much because for him it was a second job after his upholstery shop. So he has been sticking with that and I'm sure it's kept him plenty busy. He said some other drivers also quit, and the bus driving was their only job, but I don't feel bad for them. They were right wing, Christan idiots, for the most part, my co-workers were, so I don't miss them at all either.

What will you do Lover Boy?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 28, 2021:

Fortunately, I'm retired and therefore, won't be driving for Uber. Decade or two ago, I was looking into the idea of driving a cab for a living, but quickly lost interest when I learned how shitty the hours were for most cabbies and how little money they earned. And this was before Uber and Lyft came along, when all you had were traditional cab companies. As for the revelation of a girlfriend possibly cheating on me, I would rather know sooner than later, so I can get out before I'm too attached.

Corporate whining

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 28, 2021:

Theyve always been lying and they know it. The difference now is that unions are decimated and the corporate media all cheerleads and supports their lying. There are no voices in the mass media, except the net, that ever counter their lies, so most Americans believe them.

wire hanger time

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 28, 2021:

The best one is the one about individual freedoms no longer being the definition of asshole...

Arizona Republican ‘audit’ finds even bigger lead for Biden in 2020 election | Arizona | The ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 28, 2021:

Take that, suckas......

Bringing Integrity To Christian Homemakers (BITCH) Betty Bowers. Satire. [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 28, 2021:

It takes so little effort or imaginations to parody these bitches and pricks. I hate them all and they really are this monstrous, the few times I have seen them on camera in private functions.

To use the bible as a Christian's worst enemy.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 27, 2021:

If only most conservative Christians had this guy's humility and intellectual honesty, but wait, if they did, then they probably wouldn't be fundies....

My neighbor died recently.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 26, 2021:

Personal responsibility vs. bad luck or just fate can sometimes be a tricky thing to determine. For the benefit of the group, I wanted to make a couple points on it, that show that I don't have a hard and fast position on any areas of life being always due to just one, personal responsibility, or the other, fate, combinations of factors, etc. Human behavior, which is almost always involved, and life circumstances, are both just too damn complex to classify or label absolutely. For example, I have known too many people that took good care of their health, but they inherited bad genes, and were thus sicker than most folks, and also died earlier. Same with some people who inherited good to fair genes, but worked most of their lives in unhealthy jobs or workplaces, and got sick from that, no matter how well they tried to take care of their health, not smoking or drinking excessively. Even living in poverty can and will usually affect your health by what foods you can afford to buy. Or how polluted the area you can afford to live in is. I have also known some people who were good at their jobs, worked hard, but got forced out of a good paying, good benefitted job late in their career, and got screwed out of their retirement, due to either the employer's greed and not wanting to pay their retirement pensions, etc., or due to terrible office politics in which they were victimized or scapegoated. It happens way more than most people realize or want to admit, even in government jobs. Some people grow up with lots of opportunities and advantages, but blow them and end up working in poor jobs and living in or near poverty, sometimes due to addictions, and others grow up with no advantages, in poverty, etc. and they somehow manage to claw their way up into getting degrees and a middle class or even greater lifestyle. But they tend to be really rare, in my experience and observation. In America, most people end up in about the same class level and education level as the family they started in, and, if anything, in the last few generations, most people move downward class and standard of living-wise. And I really doubt you can attribute that to a widespread lack of effort or personal responsibility. More likely it's because college education has been priced out of their range, good jobs have disappeared rapidly, and the economy is rigged so that more and more of the profits from work have gone upward to the top1%, rather than remaining with the peasants and workers who actually produce it. If life were always fair, it would be easy to know when bad things or outcomes are due to poor personal choices or lack of personal responsibility, but people who are intelligent enough to understand complexity, intellectually honest enough to recognize and admit ...

My neighbor died recently.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 26, 2021:

And yet, these same people love to bash the poor as not taking personal responsibility, etc. and they oppose any government assistance to the poor, the disabled, etc. The people who vote Repub love to preach personal responsibility, but often are total hypocrites on that point.

It's time we started to identify the real enemy

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 25, 2021:

That's easy. The real enemy, that shakes the jar, so to speak, are the ruling class and the corporations, who own the government and run the economy. They are the real enemy, and any socialist like me knows it. Unfortunately, most Americans are ignorant of this, get all their news and info from the corporate media and the government, so they keep behaving like the ants, fighting between the peasants, continuing to vote for the vetted, bought off pols of the duopoly or else dropping out of politics and no longer voting, and meanwhile all this saves the ruling class from having to drop the veil of democracy and install a dictatorship thru a military crackdown. Soon, we will probably have the civil war that allows them the excuse to do it sooner than they were planning to. Too bad we don't instead have a populist non-violent revolt, while we still can, against them by electing a government in DC that is not bought and made up instead of third party pols and independent candidates.

A family member is gaslighting me, and it’s a fascinating psychological study when I can ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 25, 2021:

I let go of my family for most of my adult life. I began having contact with them again after I got married, but only on equal terms. Even now that I am widowed and my parents are dead, I don't have any contact with my siblings unless it is on equal terms and with respect for me. I replaced all of them long ago with my family of friends, so I don't need them unless it's on my terms, which are quite fair, according to my friends and therapist. If they don't like it, too fucking bad.

The Midterms are Only 411 Days Away: Holy Sh&%$! - YouTube

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 25, 2021:

Actually Covid will not help us that much as far as the proportion of people voting Repub vs. Dem, because the Repubs tend to breed in greater numbers than us, so they have that numerical advantage to begin with. It will just get slightly reduced by Covid, that's all. I predict that with Biden getting all the blame for Afghanistan, due to Americans being so dense and ignorant of history, that the Repubs will retake both houses of congress, and will also win the White House in 2024. And a big part of it will be the way Biden and the Dems promised so much in the last election campaign, like a $15 min. wage and others, and since then they have backed off on all of those promises. So the working class and middle class voters will be pissed and throw a tantrum by voting red next year. And the Dems won't care, since they will then be able to blame the Reubs for everything and have no pressure to buck their corporate donors. They are like the boxer taking a dive and acting like they can't fight back or win.

Military Equipment for the Police: [huffpost.com]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 24, 2021:

It's all about getting the police armed enough to be able to put down future rebellions should the peasants eventually figure out that elections are a charade and the ruling class has to drop the veil and impose a dictatorship that rules completely with force to serve the rich and corporations. In other words, the ruling class is militarizing the police to prepare for our Hunger Games style future dictatorship.

Real

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 24, 2021:

Some were fine with it, others were worried for me or critical of me for it. I really didn't care if they were negative about it as long as they didn't hassle me or try to make me change my mind.

I notice this image being thrown around on social media.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 24, 2021:

China has an authoritarian government and a capitalist economic system. Those who say otherwise are simply spreading misinformation and engaging in red-baiting, same as when they lump socialism in with communism. They don't want the peasants getting accurate info or getting any ideas about better systems than our bare knuckles capitalism.

Of course they are at higher risk, that’s an understatement!?! 🤨 [yahoo.com]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 24, 2021:

Not surprising at all. I drove a school bus for several years, before retiring three years ago. I am so glad I did, esp. after Covid hit. The vast majority of my fellow drivers were elderly and were doing this as a retirement job. Also, the job with my bus company, who the school district had outsourced the busing to in 2006, so they could quit paying benefits to the drivers, had no health insurance benefits for the drivers, who were mostly on Medicare already. The minority of the drivers, who were younger, were either uninsured for medical care, on their spouse's health insurance from another employer, or were on Obamacare. But the fact is, a lot of the younger drivers had chronic health problems from being uninsured most of their adult lives, so they would not get care for those problems, such as asthma, or high blood pressure. No wonder that between the elderly drivers and the younger drivers with chronic health problems, that their exposure on the job to unmasked, unvaccinated kids, is making them drop like flies. I have heard from some of my former co-workers, that many of the older drivers retired after Covid hit, because the job was not worth the risk to their health, esp. before there was a vaccine. By now a rather large % of school districts have outsourced their busing to companies like the one I worked for, so it's not surprising that so many school bus drivers are without adequate health insurance, both the ones on Medicare and the younger ones who have no health insurance from the busing job. The older ones usually can't afford a Medicare supplement, so they may be putting off health care whenever they can. And the younger ones, who are on Obamacare, can't afford the copays, so they also probably put off care whenever they can.

Politicians, abortion and texas

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 24, 2021:

But most of the public, and the corporate media as well, miss the point about abortion laws and restrictions. They do not reduce the number of abortions performed, they only affect poor women, and their real intent is more about controlling women in general, rather than about reducing the number of abortions performed.

More Stupid News! "Mother-of-four who proudly posted that she was 'unmasked, unmuzzled, and ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 23, 2021:

Karma's a bitch..... Tough titty said the kitty when the milk ran dry.....

We are in zoom and Lisa wanted me to post this song so more can listen to it. [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 23, 2021:

Sorry man, I hate country music with a passion, even tho I am a lifelong Iowan. Just lucky, I guess...

In Quebec, an antivax goon sucker punches a nurse [montreal.ctvnews.ca]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

I bet Pralina would kick the shit out of any guy who tried this with her....

Hi Everyone.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

Glad it's working out.

This is known as one of medicine’s most incredible moments.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

In this case, what the vaccine had on its side is that it was already clear these kids were dying and there was no other hope, so trying the vaccine had no risk or downside. With the Covid vaccine, the opponents still have their arguments that death is not certain with Covid, at least in most cases, and that the unknowns of the vaccine make it risky. So the current situation and this old situation with a different illness are apples and oranges...

Are there any 70 to 85 year old ladies on board that care to chat?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

Good luck, pal.

We had to put down our cat Jango.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

So cute and sweet looking. Glad you have lots of photos to remember him with. Makes me wish there was a cat heaven.

I want a good woman to take care of me. Oh wait...that's someone else's schtick. LOL

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

Looks like you either embarrassed him into deleting his posts or else he blocked me. No matter either way.

Militant Atheists?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 22, 2021:

I would say, buzz off. Like you, I am not into hassling or battling believers over religion. I just want to be left alone on the subject and for them to not back or push theocratic laws against me. Otherwise, live and let live. There is nothing wrong with your organ playing gigs and whatever you do with the money is your business only.

What group in this world by numbers, is more discriminated against than the unvaccineed ?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 21, 2021:

Jeezus H. Christ, the next thing you know, laws and rules will be passed that discriminate against anti-vaxers just like the anti-smoking laws passed a decade or two ago that not only spared the non-smoking majority of second hand smoke in bars and restaurants, but also saved countless lives as well from lung cancer. Oh, the cruel injustice of those laws that even banned smoking in the workplace and public buildings as well... Oh, wait, those laws passed and nowadays almost no one objects to them. Maybe by the next decade most people will feel the same about vaccine mandates for Covid as well, and it will be simply seen as common sense, same as the anti-smoking laws, which still allowed private smoking, but not the right to expose the rest of us to second hand smoke and lung disease, the same way anti-vaxers do not have the right to expose the rest of us to a dangerous virus. BTW, if refusing to get vaxed prevents you from getting laid, tough shit.....

Fewer Asswipes? [nationofchange.org]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 21, 2021:

I am fine with a herd thinning where, regardless of class, the smarter and saner survive, while the stupid and deluded die.

Cat's Reaction to Treadmill !! [youtu.be]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 21, 2021:

Smart kitty, quick learner...

Hi Everyone!!!! I want to apologize to my Zoom Chat friends for forgetting about Sunday night.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

I wish you the best. In my experience with online dating these last few years, it seems like the vast majority of women in my dating pool are really busy, either with work, their family, or both. So I often wonder why they are on a site like Batch, if it appears they only have time and interest for meeting up occaisionally and keeping things very casual. And if that's the case, why aren't they on more of a hookup site like Tinder, unless that is what they really want, but are too modest or proud to admit it here in traditional cultured Iowa? I honestly wonder if they really want more of an FWB with a man, but just don't have the guts or humility to ask for it. Anyway, glad to hear that it goes both ways as far as single people seeming or acting too busy to give time to a real relationship. I thought maybe the problem was mostly me and being retired, but I think it's about more out there than me in the local dating pool. There are a very few women in my local dating pool on Batch that are very openly seeking men just for a FWB, but they are much better looking than me and would never want me. One woman is about as open as you can be, as all of her profile pics show off her breasts, she writes about how she is seeking "fun.... with a man who is athletic and healthy, etc...." and she is only seeking black men (while she is white, well-educated, and a white collar professional), who are less educated than her. I have to give her props for being honest and bucking the Iowa culture....

Colorado's Polis marries longtime partner in first same-sex marriage for a sitting governor

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

I hear CO has more than its share of religious crazies, but it's nice to hear that it's now way more progressive than Iowa, which has had gay marriage way before most states, but it only happened thru a state Supreme Court decision that really cost some of the ones who voted for it. Since then, it's been a very red state. We have yet to elect a queer person to statewide office, tho I have heard that one longtime statewide elected official is gay and in the closet, obviously for good reason. An appointed gay man who used to be Labor Commissioner was removed by a Repub governor for that and other reasons. It led to a lawsuit that went on for several years and the SC here finally ruled in favor of the governor. So that settles the ? of whether it's safe to be openly gay in statewide office here.

Biden Piñata = 42 members (including trolls) Trump Piñata= 1100 members I am a member of both ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

I am guessing you troll the Trumpers on the Biden Pinata group. But I am a member of both groups too, and I troll the Biden supporters, but do it from the left side of the political spectrum, not from the right as the Trumpers do.

Riddle me this, republicans

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

Pro-life in name only and only up to birth. They also support the death penalty, so much for consistency.. It's more accurate to say they worship and support the fetus and the womb, nothing else or beyond that.

I think this says it all

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

I can't imagine what it's like these days treating these idiots for Covid and knowing how preventable and voluntary their illness is. Esp. if they have to continue to listen to their bullshit and denial about the virus. I don't know how docs and nurses can stand it.

Very prophetic

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

Like the old saying goes, Give the people what they want.....

Perfect cartoon

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

Yeah, there is a lot of hypocrisy on the right.

Interesting statistics

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 20, 2021:

Where is OSHU located?

[youtu.be] I made a new friend today who wrote this powerful song and sings it.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 19, 2021:

You might want to delete on of the posts.

20 Years of Post-9/11 Amnesia The constant demand that we “Never forget!,” the events of ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 19, 2021:

I think the things to never forget are the corporate media cheerleading for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the erosion of civil liberties under the Patriot Act, the suppression of truth about what really happened on 9-11 by the commission that supposedly investigated it, and the way the Repubs accused anyone opposed to the wars or their administration as unpatriotic and to shut up and support the troops. How quickly that last part was proven to be a lie as the Afghan war went on for twenty years, long after it was clear it could never be won. So the slogan of supporting the troops didn't take long to be proven as not at all about caring about soldiers and entirely about shutting down dissent.

Campus Preacher Provokes Fight After Carrying “Women Belong in the Kitchen” Sign | Hemant Mehta ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 19, 2021:

This reminds me of the good old days in the late 70s, where campus preachers like Rev. Jed Smock and his wife Cindy would ride the circuit of college campuses preaching against sin and the vices of college kids. They would usually get the sort of slapstick pushback from students, like being pushed into a flower bed, hit with a pie, or having water sprayed at them. They were quite entertaining, I hear, and even ended up being wrote about in Rolling Stone, including how they ended up with people, nicknamed Jedheads, who would follow them around from campus to campus, same as the fans of the Grateful Dead would follow them on the concert circuit. I find the idea of Jedheads to be really funny and indicative of how much they functioned more as entertainers than preachers, even tho I'm sure their intent was more about being the former. I just checked Wikopedia, and there is actually a good article on him under the name Brother Jed.

I'm a Octogenarian male Agnostic--Are there any Octogenarian female Agnostics on board?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 19, 2021:

In a word, no, or at most, very few. Welcome to the club, alon, as for the vast majority of us, including me, this site is worthless for meeting people to date, except for a very few who live in a large metro area that is not part of the Bible Belt. I am much closer to middle aged, for example, and live in the largest city in my state, but I have yet to meet a single member of this site in person, male or female. And I have no doubt that my experience is probably typical. But since you live in Cali, I would say try a mainstream dating site, like Match or some other one that caters to older folks, because I have no doubt there are probably many single women your age in Cali that aren't believers. If only that were true in my state.

Saw a profile in which the guy would have seemed reasonable, except he used this kind of language: ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 18, 2021:

This is someone who obviously prefers communicating in text speak, instead of actually using full words, correct spelling and full sentences. Probably not very deep intellectually, probably also a short attention span and rather lazy, since the profile is really short. Too lazy to write a full one and put some real thought into it.

Of course this was posted in a private group, since anti-vaxxers aren't actually interested in ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 16, 2021:

Getting vaxed "later" won't do them much good if they are already dead or in the hospital with severe respiratory problems already. What is THEIR Plan B for that scenario? Prayer?

Are vaccination passports and putting unvaccinated Covid patients to the bottom of the triage queue ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 15, 2021:

These people have chosen to deny and ignore science. Fine, then if they get sick with Covid, let them be denied or at least put at the back of the line for scarce medical resources, when it comes to using that science to treat the disease. They made their choice and there should be consequences for it. That is how the real world works, there are consequences for every choice, at least for average people. Not so much if you are part of a rich aristocratic family like Trump, or part of politically connected family either, for that matter.

Billboard Hailing Donald Trump As Second Coming of Jesus Appears in Georgia

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 15, 2021:

Further proof that Trumpism is a cult and these people are nuts.

How to care for your human

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 15, 2021:

I've always suspected they were plotting world domination..

Abortion pills are booming worldwide. Will their use grow in Texas?

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 14, 2021:

We can hope so. What are they going to do, rip open every package to make sure no Texas women are able to get them thru the mail?

A Vaccine Or This Marriage: Conspiracy Theories Are Tearing Couples Apart | HuffPost

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 14, 2021:

In the past couple years I have run across a few people that have actually experienced this. They have been married to someone who either became a Trumper, an anti-vaxer or both, and it killed their marriage. They said, rightly so, that there was no reasoning with or changing them, same as if you had a spouse that suddenly became severely and permanently mentally ill, but refused to get treatment for it. In cases like this, I feel the traditional marriage vows of "in sickness and in health" don't apply, because the person is not willing to get help or do anything to preserve the marriage, so the best you can do is cut your losses and save yourself. I think that the Covid pandemic has made this worse, as the isolation it has caused many people, as far as having less face to face contact in person, has made it easier for people to get sucked into all the online and media disinformation without any real life interactions with others that might contradict or challenge that misinformation. So people can adopt a new, dysfunctional belief system without any real need to ? or defend it.

America's medical system cannot function normally with the burden of the anti-vaxxer campaign of ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 13, 2021:

The second option in the poll is not really relevant, as we have had a tiered health care system for decades, where there is one tier for the uninsured and poor, another for the insured who are in the middle classes, and then finally a top tier for the rich. So the idea of discriminating against the anti-vaxers being unfair or a perversion of our health care system is long out-dated and disingenuous. We have had second and third class citizens for a long time, esp. when it comes to health care, because it has never been a human right in America. If they choose to act with violence against the policies, then they should be met with violence, since their actions result in death anyway, let it include their own deaths if necessary. They are itching for a civil war, maybe it's time to have it, as long as the authorities, most likely, decide to act on our side rather than theirs. I believe they would, as the rich would instruct them to do so in order to preserve the medical system for their benefit, even if they don't care about preserving it for us peasants.

9/11: Why Americans Were Never Told Why They Were Attacked When Western media discusses terrorism...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 13, 2021:

Most Americans have no idea that if we got the hell out of the Middle East and stopped giving Israel unlimited and unconditional support, the Islamic and Arab world would no longer want to attack us. But that is something our corporate media is never willing to discuss. They are never willing to honestly discuss our wars and military interventions that our government does for empire and resources. If they did, it would be very clear to most Americans as to the real reasons we are hated in that part of the world, and that it has nothing to do with them "hating our freedoms", etc. What a load of bullshit!

COVID-19 spreads at Dana plants as company, unions force workers to stockpile parts I feel ...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 13, 2021:

I am glad I am retired and have been able to start hunkering down again, maybe not quite as much as I did before being vaxed, but much more than I did after getting vaxed this spring. I think I will have to pretty much stay away from large crowds again this fall and winter, until my state gets somewhere near herd immunity level in vaccinations, and that's only if the new variants are not resistant to the present vaccines.

I've always been a sap for soundtracks and musicals as great music provides a pathway to a different...

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Wouldn't know. You failed to provide a link or tell us even what song you are talking about.

[youtu.be] I made a new friend today who wrote this powerful song and sings it.

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Nice to see somebody else agrees with me about how Obama was W. in blackface. I bet Joe Elmo also sees Biden these days as no different than Obama, just another corporate sellout.

The Young Turks - Fox Guest Complains: We Have To Pay A Living Wage Now! [youtube.com]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 12, 2021:

The business owner is typical of what I encountered in most of my jobs, before I retired. I figured out at an early age that in most workplaces it is a war between the workers and the bosses, including the owner. There is only a pretense, in some businesses, that they are on friendly terms or on the same side. They are out to use and screw us workers, and I learned to have nothing but contempt for most of them and resolved to put up with as little shit as possible, hoping that some day I would inherit enough money to get out of the rat race as soon as possible. Three years ago, my day came. I can now be open about my contempt and speak as often as possible to other workers about the reality of the modern workplace and encourage them to vote accordingly and get out as soon as possible too. One of my last jobs was a three year lesson in bare knuckles capitalism. I worked in a plant that packaged and shipped auto accessories for people wanting to chrome up their vehicles. The guy who owned it is very well known in my state, reportedly worth 78 mil., and a big donor to the Repub Party. He barely had any heat in the plant during the winter, only some floor fans in the summer. But the office staff and management of course has climate control year around. Sort of like the field slaves and the house slaves system in the old southern plantations. I began working there several months before the Great Recession, got downsized with most of the other workers in the collapse, couldn't find another job for a few years... So after being laid off for several months, they called me back to work, then kept me there for a few months. This process was repeated several times over the next couple years of my indentured servitude there, while I kept looking fruitlessly for other jobs, until I finally found an escape thru school bus driving for a private contractor that had taken over the busing for the local school district. So, ironically, my escape from the plant job was from outsourcing of formerly govt. jobs. The plant job was essentially a perma-temp job, where I would work a few months, get laid off again and go back to collecting UE for a few months, then back again, but without any benefits or health insurance. This was also before Obamacare was passed. I even wrote and turned in a letter to the plant manager about how I had been working there for over six months in one stretch, and asking to be hired as a permanent worker with benefits. I never got an answer from him, just got word from my supervisor that I was turned down and would always be a "temp" worker, as they put it. Talk about exploitation. They were just hoping I would eventually find something else or just quit in frustration, so they would then be permanently off the hook for UE liability for me. ...

The Young Turks - This White Nationalist Is UPSET People Are Mocking Him [youtube.com]

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Poor baby.. This reminds me of the former Trump aides that now can't get a job in DC or find women willing to date and have sex with them, so in both cases they lie about having worked for Trump.

Hunter S. Thompson's 9/11 Essay Is Still Chillingly Accurate 16 Years Later | HuffPost

TomMcGiverin comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Thompson had a keen sense of the rot, corruption, and ruthlessness of our leaders and our fed government, esp. the military and the intelligence community.