WilliamCharles's Profile

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 6, 2019:

After 3 days, almost half the time of the ban itself, I got the ruling from Facebook. It is considered hate speech. They provided their Community Standards link, but with no actual feedback, there's no way of telling what specifically crossed the line. That is the nature of repressing speech in the public square (corporate owned or not). Not knowing the infraction fosters self-censorship. In this case, the ultimate goal is to dissuade posters from discussing Israel on any negative light. Imagine discussing politics, and being hesitant to point out that the US commits war crimes. For some in here, that's no big deal because Zuck isn't the government. With that attitude, expect more of the same. Maybe over issues important to you someday.

Hello single, non-custodial parents! My very sweet boyfriend is needing some advice on seeing his ...

WilliamCharles comments on May 6, 2019:

So many factors involved in this. Very good of you to be so supportive. I know next to nothing about autism, but maybe starting with, "I want you to know I love you," and then sitting quietly and following the boy's lead. The non-verbal communication of a smile might go a long way. I'm also wondering if asking for a hug (edited to add "or a fist bump"), if the boy wanted to, would be appropriate. No pressure, but rather just mention it to him how good it would make his father feel and leave it at that. Maybe just the request itself would mean something, particularly by establishing up front the boy's autonomy regarding that action. I'm thinking there's no magic combination of words in this situation.

Going to a First Communion ceremony tomorrow as an unofficial "uncle" not related by blood.

WilliamCharles comments on May 6, 2019:

Something that came to mind witnessing that shared experience by the adherents. :-----: "Vonnegut found another “echo of the Sermon on the Mount” in the work of Mark Twain. In a talk he gave on the hundredth anniversary of the completion of Mark Twain’s “fanciful house in Hartford, Connecticut,” Vonnegut declared himself “a skeptic of the divinity of Christ…confirmed of my skepticism by Mark Twain in my formative years.” He then cited these words of the author as “a profoundly Christian statement, an echo of the Beatitudes:” :---: When I find a well-drawn character in fiction or biography, I generally take a warm personal interest in him, for the reason that I have known him before—met him on the river…. :---: “The river, of course, is life,” Vonnegut said. “Mark Twain is saying what Christ said in so many ways: that he could not help loving anyone in the midst of life.”" https://imagejournal.org/article/kurt-vonnegut/?fbclid=IwAR3uH_8aeQqtA3VBLRnvXS2kxazqPKqAQO8QPFU1DB40Ujc964yFKfclXzg

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 5, 2019:

The nature of shadow bans and the power of algorithms to control the free flow of information can be quite pernicious, particularly as they quite often operate beneath the surface and below the radar. The ability for government moneyed interests to do this to greater effect and with less accoutability will only increase. That makes it imperative to discuss the many ramifications now. :----: "Murray closed by adding a very brief comment of his own: “There is no room to doubt the evil nature of the expansionist apartheid state that Israel has now become. Nor the moral vacuity of its apologists in the western media.” Since this was, of course, a damning statement about mainstream ‘news’ media in The West, these mainstream ‘news’ media, including Facebook, can be expected to dislike that — and they evidently do. On April 25th Murray headlined "Blocked By Facebook and the Vulnerability of New Media”, and he reported: This site’s visitor numbers are currently around one third normal levels, stuck at around 20,000 unique visitors per day. The cause is not hard to find. Normally over half of our visitors arrive via Facebook. These last few days, virtually nothing has come from Facebook: What is especially pernicious is that Facebook deliberately imposes this censorship in a secretive way. The primary mechanism when a block is imposed by Facebook is that my posts to Facebook are simply not sent into the timelines of the large majority of people who are friends or who follow. I am left to believe the post has been shared with them, but in fact it has only been shown to a tiny number. Then, if you are one of the few recipients and do see the post and share it, it will show to you on your timeline as shared, but in fact the vast majority of your own friends will also not receive it. Facebook is not doing what it is telling you it is doing – it shows you it is shared – and Facebook is deliberately concealing that fact from you. Twitter have a similar system known as “shadow banning”. Again it is secretive and the victim is not informed. I do not appear to be shadow banned at the moment, but there has been an extremely sharp drop – by a factor of ten – in the impressions my tweets are generating." https://russia-insider.com/en/media-criticism/top-uk-journalist-craig-murray-blocked-facebook-after-criticizing-israel/ri23351?fbclid=IwAR18EDuyaDSrosL6LjEP8T4g4v3FBkKhZad3WUZHB8BST_wdr1mJG9tge3s#.Wv-sf0L82Hs.twitter

Going to a First Communion ceremony tomorrow as an unofficial "uncle" not related by blood.

WilliamCharles comments on May 4, 2019:

In the lions' den.

Going to a First Communion ceremony tomorrow as an unofficial "uncle" not related by blood.

WilliamCharles comments on May 3, 2019:

I was quite proud of myself when I penned this and still feel it's quite valid. I was the "atheist chaplain" (staff advisor to the student atheist group) at my university. I worked at making godlessness part of the "godview" in the Office of Religious Life. We live in a world where coexistence is beneficial and can help all come to new understandings, particularly with regard to freethought. :-----: "People are =/= to their religion I am most definitely an infidel in that I have no belief in any god or gods. A person’s individual godview is the most basic right possible that a human being can have. I personally reject Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (among others)…but do not reject Muslims, Jews, and Christians. A person’s religion and religious culture are most predictably based on their family of origin, where they were born (geography), and when they were born (i.e. no Xians pre-Christ). I stand with all people on the planet willing to work together as a species to live peacefully with each other and our environment. That does not change regardless of the actions of some who think their ‘godview’ justifies any number of horrible acts. I reject those who use such acts to demonize people who are damned for nothing more than ‘guilt by association.’" ~ LanceThruster

This is brilliant.

WilliamCharles comments on May 3, 2019:

This will be quite an issue heading into the primaries. Already ready seeing many, many Dems wanting to soft pedal the flaws of various candidates. It didn't work in 2016, and won't work in 2020. The "Blue no matter who crowd" only act as if that's true as long as the "who" is not a progressive. A coalition truly out the beat Trump (the DNC's very own Pied Piper), would acknowledge that a progressive would pull in votes a centrist will not. Frighteningly, but also tellingly, it appears that Establishment Dems would rather lose with a centrist than win with a progressive.

Just random thoughts.

WilliamCharles comments on May 3, 2019:

I am always gobsmacked by the need of religionists to have their various mythologies validated by acts of the government. It comes across as the height of insecurity. I became active in church/state separation because I was tired of them treating irrationalism as the default position.

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

Loudly... and often.

What to say when hijacked by two born agains in public

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

I often tell them quite sincerely, "You are of the belief that you have the key to the true nature of the universe and all of existence based on what you consider revealed knowledge by a divine being. Instead of being happy with that, you seem more worried that someone else doesn't buy into your particular mythology. Even if you think you're making your appeal out of concern for my well-being, it won't work. I'm familiar with your belief system and reject it as being logically inconsistent and unworthy of serious consideration. And I can't pretend to believe what I don't just to be safe. Your God would know."

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

Another piece showing some feel he's mocking Israel. The biggest beef seems to be that it's making Israel's staunchest allies look bad. :-----: "It's that type of lunacy that has mostly tickled Israelis. Besides exposing the prejudices of his targets, Baron Cohen's humor has also uncovered the fetishized version of Israel that many of its supposed staunch supporters on the religious right believe exists. Nearly all were drawn to the interviews under the guise of a fake pro-Israel award for their support, when in fact all it did was expose their ignorance." https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/israelis-respond-sacha-baron-cohens-who-is-america-character-1131713

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

Here a piece where the writer claims Baron Cohen is too hard on Israel, that they're not like that anymore. :-----: "My wife and I were young Israeli volunteers in a small North American Jewish community. One day, we got an invitation to a lecture by a retired Israeli military officer. He was in America trying to boost Israel’s image. And his tools were his thick Israeli accent, his brash manner, and his captivatingly dry observations. “You know,” the retired lieutenant colonel told his crowd of mostly elderly Canadian Jews, “we could throw all the Arabs into the Jordan. But the world won’t let.” I assume he meant Jordan the country, not Jordan the river, but who knows." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/opinion/does-sacha-baron-cohen-understand-israel.html

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

One of the things I often find disheartening about many humanists/atheists/agnostics is their seeming inability to look at Israeli Zionist crimes in a fair and rational manner. I feel part of this stems from the perception that Arab/Muslim cultures are hopelessly backward and that Israeli Jews embrace modernity in a somewhat familiar way and that their religionism is somehow less threatening. For myself, the religionism issue is the first thing to set aside. This is about what was done to indigenous people by colonizers. I don't need to assess the merits of competing godviews to see that the colonizers' theft and plunder of the Americas was wrong. The same holds true for Zionist land theft. Their holy books are not real estate deeeds from their god. To maintain such would make you as ridiculous as the Republican atheists in here, ignoring the overreaching religiosity and fake piety of the GOP, mostly because they're willing to demonize Muslims/Arabs/Palestinians and support Israel.

Just wondering here.

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

I feel they (most the evangelical strains at least) have long been about wielding power and cozying up to those they see as either doing their bidding or aligned with them on their pet issues. 9/11 allowed the nation and government to get their hate on in a more openly bombastic manner as well as demonize the "other" in a way they're more than willing to do. I think the most touching and powerful counterpoint to this I've seen, was a documentary about a group of US women that lost their husbands on 9/11, and traveled to Afghanistan to see how the people we were bombing lived.

MAH.

WilliamCharles comments on May 2, 2019:

Re: Baron Cohen's Zionism. :-----: "There is one descriptor that is too infrequently applied to him: Zionist shill. Plenty of writers have noted Baron Cohen’s ardent Zionism, but few have suggested that his Zionism should cast him in a negative light (“Before ‘The Dictator’ and ‘Borat’, friends recall, Sacha Baron Cohen was a very nerdy, very funny, Israel-oriented guy,” The Times of Israel, 11 May 2012). Even fewer have examined how that Zionism visibly influences his thematic choices and public role-playing. His commitment to Zionism is troublesome for numerous reasons: it supports the historical and current dispossession of Palestinians, situates him as an advocate of militaristic state power, calls into question his ethical commitments, and places him in Hollywood’s safest political space, that of fealty to Israel, a space in which the title of maverick loses all significant meaning." https://electronicintifada.net/content/sacha-baron-cohen-buffoonish-ideologue-israels-service/11333

Yes, Hillary Did Steal the Democratic Primary in 2016 | Soapboxie

WilliamCharles comments on May 1, 2019:

Re: Biden, particularly if more DNC cheating takes place in this primary. Could the plan be corporate stooge Democrat beats the much reviled Trump, having most people breathing a sigh of relief for that relatively minor shift of fortunes? Any primary rigging to shut out popular progressives will be ignored, the newly elected "centrist" will do little to rock the boat overall, particularly since the court is already stacked and they can claim their hands are tied, and the same GOP fucks rubber stamping the Trump agenda (along with Dem quislings) can go back to hating Dems as usual but without the Trump albatross to defend. This would be a truly bipartisan effort the quash the progressive "menace." The narrative seems to fit so far.

Yes, Hillary Did Steal the Democratic Primary in 2016 | Soapboxie

WilliamCharles comments on May 1, 2019:

The focus on Russia has sucked all the air out of the room. Nothing has been done about GOP voter suppression, the proven vulnerabilities of electronic voting, and the potential for media to again place their thumb on the scale. The Comcast guy (owner of MSNBC) did a big donor fundraiser for Biden. MSNBC added 3% points onscreen to show Biden in the lead over Bernie, that their own poll numbers showed otherwise. The poll also happens to not include *any* younger voters. These are the same type of "mistakes" as when Fox puts a "D" next to the name of a Republican caught doing something creepy or illegal.

Thank you to everyone who supported me during my suspension.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Hair Fuhrer totally fits. And Hitler *needs* to be quoted in these dark days. It is the model currently in play. :-----: "All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach." - Adolf Hitler

Thank you to everyone who supported me during my suspension.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Some good ones collected here. I lay claim to the Mango Manchild. Also Mayor Tiny Hands as I find it infuriating to think of him as competent for any level beyond that. http://www.thehypertexts.com/Donald%20Trump%20Nicknames.htm

Bob was kind enough to paint this for me! lol

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 28, 2019:

They're just wearing all white in a snowstorm eating vanilla ice cream. Good likeness.

i just need to vent, i have been attempting to meet people on a dating site, POF, i have a profile, ...

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

That brings up an interesting thought. Regarding things considered supernatural or paranormal, I like to point out that it only needs to be true once to be true. For instance, if aliens have actually visited this planet, it doesn't matter if all the other sightings are false. I consider myself a skeptic, in that the simplest explanations are usually most likely. An Occam's Razor approach. Many years ago, my friends and I along with my little dachshund mix went hiking in the local foothills. Prior to leaving the house, we had all taken a very powerful mind-altering substance and had already reached an intensely altered state by the time we reached our secluded spot. There was plenty for my dog Willy to explore and no danger of him getting lost so everyone just enjoyed their buzz. After a bit, I wondered where Willy went, and on a lark, called for him in my mind only. He wasn't anywhere in view, but quite promptly showed up with a, "What is it?" look on his face. Again, completely without speaking, I just answered in thought, "Nothing. I just wanted to know where you were." He then proceeded to wander off to explore some more. I then told my friends what had just happened and told them I was going to test my hypothesis. We waited a bit, and then I let them know I was going to call him again the same way, and he showed right up. I would then actually speak after he'd come and say, "OK, just checking," and off he'd go again. The final test, again with witnesses, was to call him right back after sending him off, which he did, this time with an exasperated look of, "What?!?" Again, I told him just checking and he was back to exploring on his own. From that day on, we talked about it as that time I called my dog Willy using only my mind. I didn't/we didn't all off the sudden become ardent boosters of ESP, but it was an interesting occurance (anomaly?) nonetheless. Others said we only imagined it as we were high AF, but it was actually handled with a fairly scientific approach, even considering the circumstances. Anyone else ever had a similar experience?

"Never forget that you are one of a kind.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

I was once on a panel discussion at my university put on by the Harvard Veritas Forum. I was the atheist panelist along with representatives of the three major religions (as they're referred to). The question being discussed was, "Does life have a purpose." I answered that the "purpose" of life is embodied by what it will do next. For some living beings, it also includes contemplation of the "why." I added that evolution brought forth you, and that no one is capable of being a better "you" than you. You win hands down. I like to think the second part mirrors the Oscar Wilde quote a bit, and the first part, a little of Bucky Fuller.

Read, read, read.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

"A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called "leaves") imprinted with dark pigmented squiggles. One glance at it and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for thousands of years." ~ Carl Sagan

Sanders/Gabbard 2020

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

Tulsi would make a great VP (or POTUS even) as well as an excellent choice for Secretary of State.

Sanders/Gabbard 2020

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

And lo, the prophecy did come to pass. 😄

We're on a road to destruction if we don't make changes.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

I like it. Run it up the flagpole and see who'll salute.

Does anyone else who's de-converted from religion struggle with logically knowing / accepting ...

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 27, 2019:

I also like to post this as far as still acknowledging our shared humanity. :-----: People are =/= to their religion I am most definitely an infidel in that I have no belief in any god or gods. A person’s individual godview is the most basic right possible that a human being can have. I personally reject Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (among others)… but do not reject Muslims, Jews, and Christians. A person’s religion and religious culture are most predictably based on their family of origin, where they were born (geography), and when they were born (i.e. no Xians pre-Christ). I stand with all people on the planet willing to work together as a species to live peacefully with each other and our environment. That does not change regardless of the actions of some who think their ‘godview’ justifies any number of horrible acts. I reject those who use such acts to demonize people who are damned for nothing more than ‘guilt by association.’ ~ LanceThruster

The Mueller Report Indicts the Trump-Russia Conspiracy Theory | The Nation

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 26, 2019:

So, a question for all those claiming Russian collusion has been established. Why then wouldn't Speaker Pelosit support impeachment? Doesn't she care about protecting our democracy from foreign interference (as long as that doesn't include Israel, of course)?

Does anyone else who's de-converted from religion struggle with logically knowing / accepting ...

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 26, 2019:

My official agnostic anthem. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80

Biden boosters telling me another "hold your nose" candidate is the path to victory.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 26, 2019:

@genessa seems to have taken her bat and ball and gone home. So much for rational discourse.

The Mueller Report Indicts the Trump-Russia Conspiracy Theory | The Nation

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 26, 2019:

There is no doubt that Trump is corrupt AF, but this snipe hunt may result in giving Cheetolini a 2nd term, courtesy of the same damn folks who managed to put him in office in the first place. Heckuva job, DNC.

Biden boosters telling me another "hold your nose" candidate is the path to victory.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 26, 2019:

They created this monster. They fearmonger as they confirm his shitty, corrupt judges (fast tracked no less), and give him $80+ billion more in military spending than he asked for (though he is supposedly an existential threat too dangerous to be in office).

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 25, 2019:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2LiPMEqkKpY

Capone was one of the most infamous gangsters of the Prohibition Era.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 25, 2019:

Awesome analysis.

Biden boosters telling me another "hold your nose" candidate is the path to victory.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 25, 2019:

But I don't want *any* centrism!

MoA - Russiagate Is Really Finished

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 24, 2019:

I posted this in Crooks and Liars and someone responded that I had clearly not read the Mueller report. I replied with this. :-----: Have you read the Wikileaks emails? You probably have, but ignore it anyway. Russiagate is sucking all the air out of the room. It isn't the slam dunk Dems think it is and may just wind up giving Dolt 45 a 2nd term. Nail him on obstruction and any other illegal crap he pulled, but be consistent. Dems should look at GOP vote suppression, but probably fear opening that can of worms would shine a light on their primary shenanigans. Trump is on them. The DNC ran a shitty candidate (by cheating) that could not beat one of the shittiest candidates in modern memory. It wasn't the goddamn Russians.

"In our obscurity - in all this vastness - there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to ...

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 22, 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?"

"In our obscurity - in all this vastness - there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to ...

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 22, 2019:

And sometimes it's hard not to be overwhelmed with "compassion fatigue." There's so many things to fret over, it is almost paralysing.

"Fight them to the end, until the children of the poor eat better than the dogs of the rich."

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 22, 2019:

D'oh!

C-SPAN currently has war criminal Condoleeza Rice in a panel pontificating on US foreign policy.