WilliamCharles's Profile

Recently, Hillary Clinton announced that nobody likes Bernie Sanders and that nobody wants to work ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 23, 2020:

I think it was an attempt to kneecap Bernie. Establishment Dems are running scared as their ratfvckery doesn't seem to be having the effect they had hoped for. In my opinion, they would rather lose to Trump with a centrist, than win with a progressive. Expect it to get even more ugly as they become more desperate.

Voices may also be telling her to criticize Bernie Sanders...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2020:

Her latest slam against Bernie ("No one likes him.") is yet more delusional thinking on her part. It's more Establishment Dem ratfvcking. #ILikeBernie is now trending. Another failed kneecapping attempt.

I love this little ditty. Is that wrong?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2020:

I love the contrast between her sweet melodic arrangements and salty lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqK4aogPOs

I love this little ditty. Is that wrong?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 22, 2020:

A touching break up song by the same artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SAb7RC8Jeo

Was anyone else here at the American Atheists conference in Oklahoma City in 2018?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 21, 2020:

Very cool. Met Christopher Hitchens at some of the events I've attended along with quite a few other notables in entertainment and academia. We're a pretty diverse and inclusive bunch.

Mississippi Bill Would Force Teachers to Say the Ten Commandments Every Day | Hemant Mehta | ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 18, 2020:

How insecure are the believers in their gods that insist on the government validating those beliefs? WTF?!?

Thoughts on the Bernie/Warren kerfuffle?

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 18, 2020:

Warren's endgame. :-----: Kurtz: Did they say why, Willard, why they want to terminate my command? Willard: I was sent on a classified mission, sir. Kurtz: It's no longer classified, is it? Did they tell you? Willard: They told me that you had gone totally insane, and that your methods were unsound. Kurtz: Are my methods unsound? Willard: I don't see any method at all, sir. Kurtz: I expected someone like you. What did you expect? Are you an assassin? Willard: I'm a soldier. Kurtz: You're neither. You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.

RefundWarren Trends After Elizabeth Warren Accuses Bernie Sanders of Saying a Woman Couldn't Beat ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 15, 2020:

As one commenter titled his post elsewhere - "Elizabeth Warren Shits the Bed."

“Among those I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I ...

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 14, 2020:

When I saw the truncated line in the preview, I thought the rest of it was going to be about the common denominator of who they hate. Great quote, regardless. So now that's got me thinking. What *would* be a common denominator of those we dislike? For me, I think somewhere at the top would be a lack of empathy. It seems a somewhat universal trait of most of these schmucks is the inability to care about anyone else as they're entirely fixated on themselves.

The Meaning of Life Learned by Those Who Have Greatly Suffered

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 10, 2020:

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” ― Alan Wilson Watts, The Culture of Counter-Culture: Edited Transcripts

Wubba lubba dub dub!

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 10, 2020:

Re: graffiti art and the wall "Banksy’s conversation with an old Palestinian man emphasizes this bizarre interlacing between aesthetics and protest. When the man said Banksy made the wall beautiful, he initially thanked him. However, the man responded, “We don’t want it to be beautiful, we hate this wall. Go home.”" https://www.thecrimson.com/column/the-art-of-protest/article/2014/3/26/the-art-of-protest-banksy/

Wubba lubba dub dub!

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 10, 2020:

Pulled this from FB where they opened. Had to find larger image for Pickle Rick so I could read it.

The Meaning of Life Learned by Those Who Have Greatly Suffered

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 9, 2020:

The meaning of life... is that it ends. Literally.

I've been watching 'Messiah' on netflix recently and it is a surprisingly good show.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 5, 2020:

I enjoyed it. Found it most intriguing. Can't wait for season 2.

By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends. (Unknown)

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 4, 2020:

Boy howdy!

Topical.

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 4, 2020:

And we have an endless supply of people willing to be told who to hate, particularly when it suitably mirrors their own prejudices. Witness how very easily the narrative of who the good/bad "hajis" are shifts (the derogatory nickname used by US forces for anyone of Arab/Muslim persuasion).

Favorite songs from 1969. I loved Na, Na, Hey, Hey from Steam. Any of your faves on this list?

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 17, 2019:

#1, 4, 30

I expect similar shenanigans for 2020.

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 17, 2019:

They're also like someone who stole *your* car, and then demanded gas money.

I expect similar shenanigans for 2020.

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 17, 2019:

Bernie 2020

"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable ...

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 17, 2019:

"Still, in the universities or in any other institution, you can often find some dissidents hanging around in the woodwork—and they can survive in one fashion or another, particularly if they get community support. But if they become too disruptive or too obstreperous—or you know, too effective—they’re likely to be kicked out. The standard thing, though, is that they won’t make it within the institutions in the first place, particularly if they were that way when they were young—they’ll simply be weeded out somewhere along the line. So in most cases, the people who make it through the institutions and are able to remain in them have already internalized the right kinds of beliefs: it’s not a problem for them to be obedient, they already are obedient, that’s how they got there. And that’s pretty much how the ideological control system perpetuates itself in the schools—that’s the basic story of how it operates, I think." Noam Chomsky - "The Fate of an Honest Intellectual" https://chomsky.info/power01/

Saugus Shooting Video: Tragedy at the High School | Heavy.com

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 16, 2019:

“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage

Saugus Shooting Video: Tragedy at the High School | Heavy.com

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 16, 2019:

And a kid for whom deadly violence and suicide on his birthday somehow made sense. Nathaniel Berhow - 16 https://heavy.com/news/2019/11/nathaniel-berhow/

Saugus Shooting Video: Tragedy at the High School | Heavy.com

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 16, 2019:

A budding young woman gone forever. Gracie Muelberger - 15 https://heavy.com/news/2019/11/gracie-muehlberger/

Saugus Shooting Video: Tragedy at the High School | Heavy.com

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 16, 2019:

Simply unbearable. Dominic Blackwell - 14 https://heavy.com/news/2019/11/dominic-blackwell/?fbclid=IwAR09N180enpAWpKcA4mO4Md7S_yq4HoEf4AQHdQG_X43lB8xHROPHlmaQ9o

Chris Hedges: Why the Deep State Is Trying To Take Trump Out + Why School Shootings Are No Longer ...

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 16, 2019:

“On Contact” host and author Chris Hedges shares his analysis of the role of guns and gun violence in the American national identity. He argues that the “rupture of social bonds, atomization and alienation” instills a will to “self-annihilation” in shooters and that the US culture fetishizes weapons and glorifies violence.

The Backfire Effect [theoatmeal.com] (Why we are resistant to new ideas)

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 16, 2019:

This is such an excellent piece.

You are looking at a strong VP Democratic candidate in 2020.

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 14, 2019:

Yeah... I think too many people know that Bain Capital is bad news. Patrick is a managing director. I predict Patrick will go nowhere. It's just a Hail Mary because of the other floundering corporate Dems.

OK so we all get bored to death with the meaning of 'spiritual' question.

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 13, 2019:

Being willing to reject the claims of "Divinely revealed knowledge" as not credible is a big part of freethought to my mind.

"All war is a symptom of man's failure as a thinking animal." John Steinbeck

WilliamCharles comments on Nov 11, 2019:

"During the Vietnam War, which lasted longer than any war we've ever been in - and which we lost - every respectable artist in this country was against the war. It was like a laser beam. We were all aimed in the same direction. The power of this weapon turns out to be that of a custard pie dropped from a stepladder six feet high." ~ Kurt Vonnegut

AOC and The Squad endorse Bernie for president.

WilliamCharles comments on Oct 19, 2019:

The rally today in Queens was awesome.

Do You Hate God? | The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 30, 2019:

I often tell theists I hate their conceptions of god(s) they put forth, in addition to the certainty they claim.

As Biden falters, Hillary attacks Trump and positions herself to enter presidential race

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 27, 2019:

I realize both The American Thinker and H.A. Goodman have credibility that is often at best... uneven... but who could doubt a "tan, rested, and ready" Hillary reboot if she thought she could pull it off.

Ok or no? Halloween costume sold in Albuquerque raises concerns | KRQE News 13

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 24, 2019:

I've never understood why certain evil characters are acceptable (monsters, murderers, etc.), but Hitler or generic Nazis are not (or are at least frowned upon).

Love the hat

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 24, 2019:

Boy howdy!

I often find myself in an awkward situation.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 20, 2019:

I just finished watching The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix. I found I was troubled by the segment (the film is a collection of vignettes) "The Girl Who Got Rattled." It was bittersweet in a way that will linger with me, as it deals with the lasting impact of choices combined with fate. While it is life affirming to be moved so, it also involves the scarring (even from a work of fiction) mentioned in the original post.

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 20, 2019:

Quote was at the beginning of the movie "Hostiles" which I just finished watching.

First-time voters for Bernie Sanders don't care about his age, say he speaks to what matters to them...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 19, 2019:

It is quite sad to me how the Dems could have locked up the youth vote for years to come in 2016, helped races all down the ballot, and mobilized the disaffected voters who felt cheated and sat the elections out... but the fix was in for the Hildebeast.

Have you ever had a mystical or near death experience?

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 19, 2019:

I was able to communicate telepathically with my Dachshund while on LSD. I did tests witnessed and confirmed by my friends present (also on LSD). We were hiking and when we came to the clearing, I let Willy (my dog) wander around on his own. I was able to call him to return using only my thoughts. Varied the time intervals of the "calls", and would even dismiss him to go back to exploring using only thought communication. Was very scientific.

Church Leaders, Like Politicians, Must Shift the Dominant Narrative on Poverty | Sojourners

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 17, 2019:

"God must love the poor... he made so many of them" ~ Anon

[alternet.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 17, 2019:

Disagree. Warren is still too much a corporatist for my tastes. The fact that Bernie takes no corporate PAC money is precisely the shot across the bow to the current corrupt and dysfunctional system that is needed. His base is more diverse, and will increase the turnout substantially from the disaffected that sat out 2016. This helps races all down the ballot.

Its a known fact that history is written by only the winners.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 14, 2019:

I remember the pictures in my Time/Life series on WWII showing the people of some Eastern European countries greeting the Nazis as liberators. It reminds me somewhat of the initial perceptions of US troops by the population of countries being invaded by us. We claim we are bringing "democracy," but that is largely inconsequential to the actual agenda.

I often find myself in an awkward situation.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 14, 2019:

You are not alone.

"After 9/11, America was so outraged by the deaths of thousands of innocent American civilians over ...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 13, 2019:

9/11 is the litmus test. So many of the things that reverberate to today are based on the unwillingness to demand full, open and transparent investigations of the attack, the crime scene forensics, and the apparent response failures. Anyone not in lockstep with the coming "payback” was a traitor, and anyone questioning the official narrative was a nutter. That the people so readily dismissing the skeptics, did not heed to call themselves to demand what the commission itself determined; that a proper investigation was needed to uncover the truth. Remember, the alternate explanation to deride conspiracy, was the supposedly comforting notion that incompetence, an unrelated type of criminality (the destruction of evidence), the desire to cover your butt, and a string of bad luck and/or remarkable coincidence, explained the seeming contradictions and that the right enemy had been targeted anyway, so no time to navel gaze as we needed to get our bloodbath up and running. My recollection is somewhat shorter as to what I saw and what we lost. I live in So Cal and commute to downtown LA, and have for over 20+ years. For *exactly* a day and a half (the same amount of time the air stays smog free after a good rain), the normally selfish and inattentive motorists drove in manner virtually unseen before or since. Over that two day period, they actually showed noticeable consideration and no longer drove oblivious to those around them, not caring who they cut off or didn’t let in or honked at for going too slow, or not getting out of the way fast enough…they treated the other drivers as fellow Americans that were also possibly traumatized or numb and that the default position might be that they would appreciate a random act of kindness from a stranger who might just cut another person a break for no other reason than they thought the anonymous person could use one. And then, as if it never happened in the first place, it was over. That was how long it took to revert back to type, and embrace dysfunction as normalcy. And that’s how we got to where we are today. There are some things in life that we can’t turn back the clock on, but tragically that is true even on those things we could turn back the clock on. We’re just not that smart or that caring, and I don’t think it’s overly pessimistic to say that we never will be.

At the risk of sounding unpatriotic,.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 12, 2019:

9/11 is the litmus test. https://m.facebook.com/story/graphql_permalink/?graphql_id=UzpfSTI3ODgzNzczMjE3MDI1ODo2Nzk2NDA4MDIwODk5NDc%3D

Someone quoted this to me today, though who said it first he did not know.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 12, 2019:

"Be the person your dog thinks you are." ~ J.W. Stephens

28 Reasons I'm DONE Talking To My Conservative Friends And Family

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 9, 2019:

At some point, it becomes like the example of the WWII "Good German." People that knew they were allied with some really reprehensible characters, but chose to do nothing.

Orange man out and Bernie in.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 9, 2019:

Would someone rid us of this mendacious Marmalade Mountebank? [Enter Bernie. Stage left]

How would you reply to a theist who says, "You send yourself to hell"?

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 9, 2019:

I say, "I can't pretend to believe what I don't. Your God would know."

I sure wish the Obama's would throw their support to Bernie. That would be huge! [cnn.com]

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 9, 2019:

Though that was part of the "Hope and Change" people were expecting, he did not deliver. Sadly, he was largely a Trojan Horse meant as a continuation of the status quo.

Can all 'why' questions be translated into 'how' questions?

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 9, 2019:

"We shade our eyes and scan the decay. We know that this place, this country, this planet, is not the same as the last time we looked. There are more bodies. And fewer other things: choices, unlocked doors, democracy, satisfying jobs, reality, unplanned moments, clean water and a species of frog whose name we forget, community, and the trusting, trustworthy smile of a stranger. Someone has been careless, cruel, greedy, stupid. But it wasn’t us, was it? We were inside, just watching. It all happened without us — by the hand of forces we can’t see, understand, or control. We can always go in again and zap ourselves back to a place where the firestorms and tornadoes and wars are never larger than 27 inches on the diagonal. We can do nothing out here. Why bother?" https://samsmitharchives.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/introduction-to-why-bother/?fbclid=IwAR1tEnMtWfR1D63W33jUhn2p6edDHmLgmReedw012voDL4SQlIZ-HXM79Ms

Mission exceeded!

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 9, 2019:

Fun Fact: Quayle was chosen to cash in on the popularity of Robert Redford in The Candidate. He was expected to bring in the female vote by being dashedly handsome. Later, Sarah Palin would capitalize on the MILF dynamic with older Republican white men.

Chump’s Wall

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 8, 2019:

Hail Hydra! [sigh]

Sinclair Lewis, "When fascism comes to America, it will come carrying an American flag & carrying a...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 8, 2019:

I thought it was Sinclair Lewis, but even that recollection is wrong. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/07/28/flag/

All Children Deserve Free School Lunch. Every. Single. One.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 8, 2019:

I wish I could remember the author to credit, but years ago around the time Rethuglicans wanted to discontinue school lunch programs because the claimed they showed no improvement in academic performance, I read this response (from memory). "I don't want to feed hungry children in order for them to get better grades in school, I want to feed them because they're hungry." I love this person.

The Case for Sanders/Warren 2020: The Populist Dream Team Ticket to Win A Green New Deal | Common ...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 7, 2019:

Somewhat unrelated question, but do any of you have your category selected change? I post it under "Politics" and then later see it under "General and Hellos."

There's a blog site (Balloon Juice) that despises Bernie.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 7, 2019:

And this isn't concern trolling, I just find Bernie supporters are clear-eyed realists and deal with issues head on. He was cheated out of the nomination in 2016, and I feel the crowded field for 2020 is meant to kneecap him. He represents the greatest threat to the status quo, but also has the greatest support of the base as well as across the political divide. The fact that so many try to adopt his positions (albeit watered down versions) attests to that. I sure wish some of the other candidates would drop out and endorse him, but realistically, I think few would stick their necks out like that. Still and all, it's early. And Bernie is still the Energizer Bunny.

The Case for Sanders/Warren 2020: The Populist Dream Team Ticket to Win A Green New Deal | Common ...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 7, 2019:

She's not my first pick, though others have made a credible case for her. I would be thrilled with Tulsi, but others have also expressed their concern about the baggage she purportedly has. Nina Turner would be awesome as she is bright, fearless, and quite the motivator. I think she would draw in many disaffected voters who would also be energized with her on the ticket. Would a substantial number of voters be reluctant to vote for a black woman? I hope not, but I really don't know.

Interested to hear some of your thoughts on who you would like Bernie to choose as a running mate.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 6, 2019:

I would personally love to see Nina Turner chosen as VP for Bernie, but worry wondering if that would be a wise move strategically. Sometimes it's difficult to gauge to mindset of the electorate on the whole. Despite some of the complaints about her, I also like Tulsi Gabbard. I feel she is amenable to reason on some of the positions she holds I disagree with, but recognize it takes quite a bit of courage to espouse any sort of anti-war viewpoint in our current political environment. As far as Warren goes, she's got some positive things in her favor, but I'm sad to say I personally don't trust her commitment to progressive ideals. She has repeatedly shown her willingness to backpedal on them. I would prefer she remain a Senator, but would have no problem with her in a cabinet position or some other role in a Bernie administration. Bottom line is I trust Bernie to make a well thought out choice. He has shown himself quite adept in navigating these waters. For comparison, I thought Hillary's choice of "Right-to-work" advocate Tim Kaine as exemplifying her utter tone-deafness. It was a brazen F-U to the progressives she said she didn't need.

One of the most confusing thing I deal with as an atheist is Christians asking me in public ( work ...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 6, 2019:

Generally, I make a blanket statement that I reject all claims of "revealed knowledge."

The US allows in the Harvard student of Palestinian background it deported, but he will not be able ...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 5, 2019:

James North is pretty amazing. Saw him do a CSPAN talk dealing with slanted MSM coverage. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_tMZhc7wono

Interested to hear some of your thoughts on who you would like Bernie to choose as a running mate.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 5, 2019:

Here's a piece critical of Tulsi, but I don't consider it entirely damning. All politicians are a mixed bag (even Bernie). :----: Tulsi Gabbard Is Not Your Friend BY BRANKO MARCETIC https://jacobinmag.com/2017/05/tulsi-gabbard-president-sanders-democratic-party

Interested to hear some of your thoughts on who you would like Bernie to choose as a running mate.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 5, 2019:

"The Problem With Warren - CounterPunch.org"

“Why is it that when the world’s richest ‘spiritual’ leaders need money, they turn to you ...

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 5, 2019:

Cuz they're grifting gobshites?

Good Morning Everyone! Busy today restocking kitchen at Food Bank and Aldis.

WilliamCharles comments on Sep 3, 2019:

Bon fortuna!

Give me your best palindrome! I like; He goddam mad dog eh and; sit on a potato pan ...