Why would a white woman in Oakland,CA, waste the time of the 911 emergency ops over a non-life and ...

birdingnut comments on May 12, 2018:

Because if you are black person doing **anything** in the US, there is a chance some white lady will call the (white supremacist) police, who are itching for a chance to choke-hold, injure, or shoot them.

When someone says, "Bless you," what is a witty retort?

birdingnut comments on Feb 8, 2018:

I thank them. They are conveying positive thoughts and energy towards me.

When I first realized I was an atheist and began talking about it on Facebook, Many religious ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 9, 2018:

For me it was the opposite; I'm the one who began blocking and defriending religious friends who posted hate memes. If any of them started throwing Scriptures at me, we were done.

Since I moved to rural Idaho three years ago, I have been delighted with all the birds I have for ...

birdingnut comments on May 22, 2018:

Hi, MidnightSolo, and welcome to the website. If you write your profile and answer the profile questions, you will earn points and let other members get to know you better, since that's the first place many people look when they see a new member. You can then make comments and write your own posts to earn even more points, and when you reach level two you can private message people. A link to FAQ and a website tutorial is on the home page. Have fun!

Ever been to Indonesia?

birdingnut comments on Jun 24, 2018:

Since hemp, and/or any waste plant material, can make biodegradable plastic that sea animals can actually safely eat, this is a Big Oil, Oligarchy problem. VOTE the GOP OUT.

Should war only be a last resort?

birdingnut comments on Feb 27, 2018:

War evolved to reduce the population in lieu of predators and other things that used to thin our ranks. Formerly, 11 out of 12 children died in childhood, plagues swept continents, and people starved to death, but when those means of death were reduced in modern times, war still continues to give the US its positive trade balance by our being able to sell weapons, while reducing competition for resources. I read a study that every time there's a war, wildlife and the environment prospers, since it turns out that farming is most destructive force on the planet, and the first thing to stop during a war. Some animals and birds thought extinct were found in Myanmar jungles during the conflict, due to guerrilla fighters keeping out the farmers, who clear land for planting, destroying the forest.

Insidious nature of the closet

birdingnut comments on May 18, 2018:

I technically qualify all of the above, except that I resemble a pretty, cis hetero woman, so generally get a free pass. Besides, I'm a demisexual, lacking sexual attraction for any person or gender, so am not seen chasing the wrong gender.. Because I'm female, my fearless male-like behavior is seen as brave and admirable by both genders, and I didn't realize I'm agnostic until the 2016 election. Since I've been in tolerant Thailand since 2010, no religious confrontations in the US yet, although I'm been preached at by Christian ex-pats I've met here. I immediately distanced myself from them.

What character traits indicate someone is a "good" person?

birdingnut comments on Apr 2, 2018:

Someone kind, compassionate, responsible. I watched The Intern on Netflix last night, and Robert de Niro played the sort of person I would actually marry..he was all those things I listed, but also witty, intelligent, and debonair..at 74 years old.

How many people have had the experience of having to deal with an AYA (Angry Young Atheist).

birdingnut comments on Mar 15, 2018:

LOL! I'm still sort of an AOA (angry old agnostic) because I got into a few dust-ups at website I used to frequent, for missionary kids (MKs).

The redneck liberal comedy tour is coming to Charlottesville VA. Who wants to go?

birdingnut comments on Mar 29, 2018:

It's pretty funny! Liberal Redneck - Black Lives Matter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l71Pvvnp3oE

World's fastest car 135,000 horsepower [youtu.be]

birdingnut comments on May 30, 2018:

But think of the noise pollution, not to mention air pollution. Plus, where can you find a place to park it at the grocery store without getting "keyed," LOL! How about the electric Tesla Roadster, a car that is silent and emission-free, but can go 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds and 0-100mph in 4.2 seconds- acceleration times for Formula 1 or World Rallycross drivers, while the claimed top speed of around 250mph is faster than either. A standing quarter mile is said to take just 8.9 seconds – the fastest time ever for production car if accurate.It’s not all about speed, though; a range of 620 miles is claimed, there’s space for four at a push thanks to a 2+2 layout and luggage space is said to be decent, too. Link: World\'s fastest electric cars - Supercar beating EVs in pictures http://shr.gs/iRKu0zP

What do you like to observe in nature?

birdingnut comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Birds, wildlife.

Who Loves President Trump?

birdingnut comments on Jun 23, 2018:

Probably nobody, but there are many people who are riding his coattails to gain power and wealth.

Does anyone like Nietzsche? Can you discuss at length? If so message or whatever you do on here me.

birdingnut comments on Apr 12, 2018:

Our western civilization is heavily indebted to him. A favorite quote: "Hence the ways of men part: if you wish to strive for peace of soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee of truth, then inquire.."

Some portrait photos of big birds living on my farm.

birdingnut comments on Jul 18, 2018:

Aaaww! I love all the geeses! We had several gray Chinese geese we hand raised from goslings over the years, and they were so loving. They also could talk clearly, and mimic even our dogs perfectly..better than our many parrots!

Trump hosts evangelical leaders at the White House

birdingnut comments on Aug 28, 2018:

As one white supremacist to many others..

Why are we hated for hating xmas?

birdingnut comments on Mar 25, 2018:

It's one of those Fox News ploys to whip the ignorant religious nuts into a frenzy..and to vote GOP to "save" the holiday traditions, which are mostly copied from pagan rites in the first place.

I've been watching birds since my mom and nan introduced me to bird watching as a kid.

birdingnut comments on May 27, 2018:

Where did you photograph the snowy owl?

Does the term cis bother you?

birdingnut comments on Apr 11, 2018:

It's one of the gender label descriptions that have come into recent use. It means that you identify with your birth gender. I am careful to qualify people as "cis hetero" instead of blanket labels like "males." For example, I may resemble as "female" and be a bio female, but as a partial transmale I don't identify as one, but as nonbinary. I don't identify strongly with either gender, but slightly more with males.

With out any diplomatic answers,.

birdingnut comments on Apr 2, 2018:

All of the above.

Would you rather be crazy rich or deeply in love?

birdingnut comments on Apr 17, 2018:

LOL! Hopefully, you mean reciprocated love.

What's your favorite religious song?

birdingnut comments on Sep 13, 2018:

The Hallelujah Chorus.

MEDICINE'S FINANCIAL CONTAMINATION. NY Times The Editorial Board Opinion [nyti.ms]

birdingnut comments on Sep 16, 2018:

That's what's great about medicine in Thailand. Because they have universal medicine, those types of bribes don't figure in.

Are Autistic people are more likely to hold atheistic views?

birdingnut comments on Jul 1, 2018:

People With Autism Are More Likely to Be Atheists https://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-hutson/autism-atheism_b_1557098.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004 via @HuffPostScience

Did I screw up?

birdingnut comments on Apr 1, 2018:

Naw. It might have been good, however, to casually mention - at least once- the Christian reason for Easter, then add that the fun egg hunts and candy parts came from paganism.

Is it a comedians job to be vulgar sometimes?

birdingnut comments on Jun 2, 2018:

People who think calling black people apes is funny, are people I don't want to be around.

Are you Bilingual/Trilingual/Etc.?

birdingnut comments on Jan 24, 2018:

Fluent in English and Haitian Creole, can get along in, and read Spanish, French, and now some Thai. For a while I was semi-fluent in Japanese, but it was interfering with my Thai language recall, so dropped it. Also, became semi-fluent in American Sign Language.

Okay, another post on the topic of blocking.

birdingnut comments on Jul 6, 2018:

People block for many reasons. I block anyone who is rude, crude, or lewd to either me, or any other woman, who is aggressively argumentative and/or keeps returning to the attack. I also block some people who don't post photos or write profiles, any guy who mentions he likes hunting/fishing/or golf, any guy who says he does hook ups or is polyamorous. These are not people I want to date or even interact with.

So tired....

birdingnut comments on May 21, 2018:

Hi, Laser, and welcome to the website! You will earn points and help members get to know you better if you write a profile and answer more of the profile questions, since that's the first place many people look when they see a new member. Then you make comments and write your own posts to earn more points, and when you reach level two, you can private message people. A link to FAQ and a website tutorial is on the home page. Have fun!

Alcohol Is A Major Risk Factor For Breast Cancer. Why Don't More Women Know?

birdingnut comments on May 11, 2018:

I've been seeing this on British news channel SkyNews. I don't drink now, but 15 years ago, I used to drink half a martini glass of fine aged wine in the evenings, for the pleasurable taste, and the warm, cozy buzz. I stopped when suddenly a deep wrinkle started appearing on my face, running from my eye to mouth every time I did this. When I skipped the wine, the wrinkle vanished, reappearing if I even had a TASTE of the wine. I thought it was unfair, but I gave away my newly purchased stash of expensive Biltmore Estate fine wine, aged for two years in oak barrels, to my ex, who was ecstatically grateful.

Weird comfort foods

birdingnut comments on Apr 27, 2018:

Hot cornbread crumbled into milk.

Saudi Arabia to 'inoculate' children against Westernisation, atheism and liberalism | The ...

birdingnut comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Any country that forces a particular religion on people is evil.

Was jesus a white gay jew living in the middle east ?

birdingnut comments on May 5, 2018:

He didn't even exist.

Indiana landlord evicts church over sign saying 'LGBTQ is a hate crime'

birdingnut comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Good for the landlord!

Better L8 than never: a group dedicated to level 8 members

birdingnut comments on Jun 14, 2018:

Doesn't that just mean that they are still single, and don't have a life?

Federal judge says Trump must fully restore DACA

birdingnut comments on Aug 3, 2018:

One blow to the agenda of Orange Hitler.

Has anyone love the Netflix series The Last Man on Earth?

birdingnut comments on Sep 28, 2018:

The wikipedia plot premise seems dark and stupid, but I never saw it..not sure if it's on Thai Netflix. If it's funny, I'll check it out.

I need help.

birdingnut comments on Aug 28, 2018:

See if your friend is open to taking CBD oil, found in most health food stores, since studies show it relieves depression and anxiety. "A 2015 study concluded that CBD oil is a promising treatment for numerous forms of anxiety, including social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319622.php

Can you stand people that are too immature? Do you have a low tolerance for them?

birdingnut comments on Feb 28, 2018:

Everyone has to grow older, but nobody has to be mature! I'm 65 yrs old, but far too immature for most people..my idea of fun is wading in swamps, climbing cliffs, and hiking through jungles in pursuit of candid wildlife and bird photos. I ride a motorbike, have almost no responsibilities, and have friends of many religions, ethnicities, gender orientations, gender identities-kind of like college kids do.

A friend recommended this site . . .

birdingnut comments on Jun 13, 2018:

I've encountered at least two fakers, and there are plenty of raging trolls here, but there's a "block" button on the right hand side of their profiles, and you can report them to the admin. if you like. But it's better overall than the usual Tinder type dating sites because people are encouraged to talk before dating. By the way, you earn website points, and help other members get to know you better, when you write an informational profile that includes your hobbies and interests, and answer all the profile questions, since that's the first place many people look when they see a new member. Also, the website uses your profile to find member matches, so the more details you include, the better the match. Then you make comments and write your own posts to earn more points and privileges; for instance, at level two you can private email people. You get different perks with each level, and when you reach level eight you get an agnostic T-shirt. To find members near you, click on the "Meet" button at the top of the page, then on "Members," and enter your preferred search parameters. Or click on the "About" button at the top of the page to find links to FAQ or the website tutorial. Click on the 'Meet" button to find member matches Links to FAQ: https://agnostic.com/faq, and a website tutorial: https://agnostic.com/welcome Have fun!

BINGO!!!! I've had all but two. How about you?

birdingnut comments on Sep 23, 2018:

Hard to see why eating animals is something to brag about. Now, someone with a healthy, organic diet, who avoids eating much meat and/or eats a sustainable substitute, like insect powder, is more my hero,

Hiding your lack of faith at work

birdingnut comments on Feb 6, 2019:

I know what you mean. Living in Thailand was a relief from the negativity and bigotry of Christianity.

Are there any people here who used to be religious but are now non-believers?

birdingnut comments on Sep 3, 2018:

Relieved.

Who still has a few of these laying around or stored somewhere collecting dust..

birdingnut comments on May 20, 2019:

I just googled the best way to sell used 8-track tapes: 1. Try eBay. You can do a search for whatever you have to see if someone else is trying to sell it and compare prices. This would make the most money, but you’ll have to be patient because the tapes may take weeks to a year to sell, if ever. 2.There is a small but active 8-Track community on Facebook, but they will likely make offers for far less than what you can sell them on eBay. This method is the quickest and easiest way to move them. 3.You can post them on Craigslist. You may find some interested parties. Again, they will probably try to buy the lot from you at a ridiculously low price. 4.Some Half-Price Books, and some record stores may buy them from you, based on what sort of music it is. They will also pay you next to nothing for them. 5.If there is a local record swap meet in town, you might bring them there, there’s a good chance you might find an interested party.

Something I've thought for a while now. [hackernoon.com]

birdingnut comments on Jan 30, 2018:

There are objections to this theory, of course: In this article, scientists object to the theory because it would take too much computer power to simulate our universe. Link: Scientists (kinda) disprove theory that we’re all just living inside a computer simulation http://bgr.com/2017/10/05/simulation-theory-the-matrix-science-proof/ In this article, people argue that calling our reality a simulation necessitates a higher level unlike ourselves, that is more "real" than we are, generating it. Link: Elon Musk Is Wrong. We Aren't Living in a Simulation https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/yp3b7w/we-don't-live-in-a-simulation?utm_campaign=sharebutton via @motherboard

What is the "incel" movement all about?

birdingnut comments on May 10, 2019:

Wikipedia has a great article on the subject.

Was I wrong to laugh in her face?

birdingnut comments on Jan 24, 2018:

White evangelical Christians are mostly taught from childhood to check their brains at the church door and be obedient to old white men. Any questioning is met with condemnation. Also, they don't read the Bible they defend so religiously or they'd know that the punishment for breaking several of the Ten Commandments was death by stoning. Shoot, you were supposed to be stoned if you picked up a stick on Saturday, or talked back to your parents.

Are we a superior design?

birdingnut comments on Apr 3, 2018:

Not reailly. I agree more with Lloyd Pye and his book, "Intervention Theory Essentials," that the earth has strong evidence of being terraformed and our DNA of being genetically engineered. https://www.amazon.com/Intervention-Theory-Essentials-Everything-Wrong-ebook/dp/B00IWBELQI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8=1522774468&sr=1-1=the+intervention+theory

Explain what intimacy means to you, in 20 words or less than that.

birdingnut comments on Feb 21, 2018:

Snuggled up peacefully together.

Do you like to dance ?

birdingnut comments on Jun 15, 2018:

Yes! My ex and I were great at it. I used to go ballroom and jitterbug dancing almost every weekend with my ex, plus we'd practice cool new moves during the week using YouTube instructional videos. Later, I made that one of the required criteria for dating someone. He had to love dancing and/or be athletic and willing to learn.

Thank you, Agnostic.

birdingnut comments on May 21, 2018:

So now we agnostic.com members know that romance CAN be found here! Congratulations!

Ladies high heels or flip-flops?

birdingnut comments on Jul 24, 2018:

It baffles me why women would willingly put torture shoes on their feet just to look better for MEN. I also think flip flops can be dangerous and the middle gripping part soon rubs skin between my toes raw. Originally, high-heeled shoes were to make short English noblemen seem taller, then later, tall platform shoes kept rich people out of the sewage flowing in the London streets. Why modern women choose to wear them is beyond me, but they deserve whatever pain they suffer for refusing to think for themselves, catering to MEN.

China makes positive moves to abolish Christianity: [express.co.uk]

birdingnut comments on Sep 12, 2018:

They are trampling on human rights, but they are correct about Christianity being bad for the Chinese.

What are or were some of your favorite children's or YA books?

birdingnut comments on Aug 12, 2018:

My Side of the Mountain. It's the story of a boy who runs away from NYC to his old family farm, now grown into forest. He learns to survive and thrive in the wild, with the help of the peregrine falcon he raises. The Chronicles of Narnia. The Little House on the Prairie book series (NOTHING like the silly TV series) Harry Potter The Tracker True story of Tom Brown and his friend being trained by his friend's Apache grandfather since he was eight years old, to track anything, live and thrive on his own in the wild. All the Robert A. Heinlein youth series, which I currently own on Kindle. The James Herriot series, about a veterinarian working in the Yorkshire Dales.

When you're feeling blue.

birdingnut comments on Mar 27, 2018:

Eat fish, take an early morning walk to reset your thyroid energy and mood, take CBD oil, try a few drops of iodine in water. At WalMart you can buy 5-htp, magnesium, and St. John's Wort. The Thai herb derris scandens calms the nerves, and gets rid of dyslexia and dysphoria-in ME, at least. After this, do things that interest you and bring you bliss. If you like to do carpentry, then start a small project, or if you like to paint scenery, do that. You can watch funny shows on Netflix or read a good book.

When I was a kid, hardly anyone talked about plastic surgery.

birdingnut comments on May 2, 2018:

If you can't blink, you've overdone the face lifts as well.

Dating after 50

birdingnut comments on Feb 18, 2018:

Sounds perfect to me!

Why would anyone kill themselves when we live in a world filled with pizza, weed, boobs and YouTube?

birdingnut comments on May 5, 2018:

Dunno. You've made a good point.. Also horses. And birds... Photo is of a green-billed Malkoha, near my place, Songkhla, Thailand

Anyone care to share some book recommendations?

birdingnut comments on Jan 29, 2018:

My Kindle library has hundreds of books, many of which I reread regularly, plus I keep buying more. Love sci-fi such as Robert A. Heinlein, John Scalzi, and Joe Haldeman, etc., nonfiction memoirs and autobiographies, especially by those in the LGBTQ community, and people who grew up abroad, famous people I admire, Native American captive accounts, slave narrative accounts, etc. My current favorite indie books are the Catskinner series by Misha Burnett. Here's a link to the first book, in amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Catskinners-Book-Lost-Doors-ebook/dp/B008MPNBNS

First time seeing this app/site. Kind of interesting

birdingnut comments on May 7, 2018:

You have a great profile and good attitude, so shouldn't have any problem interesting compatible ladies!

How do you cope with an extreme crisis?

birdingnut comments on Feb 26, 2018:

I like to follow Abraham Hick's advice..decide what I want to happen, then focus on something I love to do, allowing the answer to come to me without resistance. Abraham Hicks - Stay positive and love your life! (2018 01 06 San Diego Workshop) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izv9pjxRcJg

Have you dated someone YEARS younger or older?

birdingnut comments on Mar 25, 2018:

I briefly dated someone a number of years younger than I was, who was also ridiculously good looking. I got tired of women hitting on him wherever we went..throwing themselves at him at church functions, at movie rental desks, etc. He just looked bewildered and didn't react to them, but when my daughter (ten at the time) and her friends got in the act, I decided it was time to break up.

Why do men think that they should be with younger women?

birdingnut comments on May 13, 2018:

Easy. Men live longer when they marry younger women, but women who marry younger men, die younger by many years. Link: Men live longer when they marry younger spouses. Why don't women? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/31/women-marrying-younger-men-dying-earlier-research?CMP=share_btn_tw

ACT OF GOD: After Tree Falls & Kills Mother and Child, Firefighters Gather Around to Kneel In Prayer...

birdingnut comments on Sep 16, 2018:

Maybe they're praying that the storm will now wipe out Pat Robertson's TV station.

Gaslighting...who can relate?

birdingnut comments on May 26, 2018:

Sounds familiar; my mom, my romantic interests, etc. Being single and has given me relief from toxic relationships, since I often seemed to choose those types people. Now if someone starts to gaslight me, as many men routinely do to women who disagree with them on this website, for instance, I just block them the first time they do it..no trying to argue with them.

Understanding vegans

birdingnut comments on Apr 10, 2018:

That's just a western prejudice. Insects and grubs are widely eaten in Asia, and are delicious, with higher levels of protein and nutrients than meat. Also it takes very little to raise them, and raising insects is sustainable, unlike meat, which takes vast amounts of land and water and their waste and pesticides pollute the world's water systems. Next New Miracle Superfood: Insects, Scientists Say via @forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/07/11/the-next-new-miracle-superfood-insects-scientists-say/#451f7e0e3c95

This would be me

birdingnut comments on May 17, 2018:

I'll reply tomorrow. Right now I'm ignoring my dirty dishes.

Will things in the world continue to get better?

birdingnut comments on Sep 12, 2018:

?? It's getting better now? What criteria are you using..apparently not the environment, the government, the treatment of other races, the near extinction of most of our iconic animals..rhino, elephants, tigers, etc., most people not being able to make a living or afford housing on current salaries, despite college degrees. If you mean, there is faster technology, we also need to start making new devices sustainable because of the vastly increasing piles of toxic tech waste polluting the environment. Of course, there are plenty of solutions, including making the chassis hemp or plant based, making new devices upgradeable with interchangeable parts, making everything green, sustainable, people choosing sustainable housing that can be used off-grid, tiny houses, etc.

Are you the only nonreligious person in your family? Or are some or all of them nonreligious?

birdingnut comments on Feb 28, 2018:

Hard to tell, since they are United Methodists, and liberal. They seldom, if ever, mention religion and I don't even know if they regularly attend church, or care about such things. I sure don't.

A Forgotten Religion Gets a Second Chance in Brooklyn

birdingnut comments on Jun 10, 2018:

Zounds! To avoid thinking for themselves, people will even make up "gods" to worship, LOL!

Is 9/11 the worst cover-up in mankinds history.

birdingnut comments on Aug 18, 2018:

No kidding. But people who get too curious about the US government's official lines tend to have short lifespans.

Trump Budget Sends $1 Billion To Private Religious Schools

birdingnut comments on Feb 15, 2018:

Well, his lies are starting to catch up with him..even Stormy Daniels says that he's violated their nondisclosure agreement, so she's going to talk about what really happened with Trump. Porn star who alleged Trump sexual encounter: I can now tell my story https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/porn-star-who-alleged-trump-sexual-encounter-I-can-now-n848061 via @nbcnews

This is my second try with this site and as previously experienced, not a single person has shown me...

birdingnut comments on May 18, 2018:

I suggest you declutter and simplify your profile, leaving enough details that potential dates can evaluate your compatibility. Right now, it's a wall of words, which might make people move on. Suggestions: list hobbies, dating preferences, and interests, and enough background to inform potential dates. Then make comments and write posts and interact with people who respond to you.

I have some folks of Mexican origin working for me.

birdingnut comments on Aug 24, 2018:

The neighbor's comment was a racist one..assuming that all people of Mexican descent are immigrants who had to learn English. There are many versions of the English language, correct within their own countries.

How Will Trump's Presidency End? - The Atlantic

birdingnut comments on Aug 26, 2018:

The article is only speculating..no new info. I say the sooner Trump and the GOP leadership are indicted for collusion, the better.

Looking for fun and good conversations

birdingnut comments on Feb 5, 2018:

Hi, and welcome! Filling out your profile will let others know your interests, hobbies, etc. People here seem to have a range of beliefs, from not believing in anything remotely spiritual, to believing in energy and/or mental connections, but most have rejected organized religion as a valid construct.

Do you buy bottled water? I have hot and cold running water at home, why do I need all that plastic?

birdingnut comments on Jun 28, 2018:

When I was in the US I bought a $15 distiller from WalMart and made my own water, carried it with me when at work. I have no use for the toxic flouride and other rat poison chemicals put in the tap water to purify it. Here in Thailand I buy reverse osmosis water from the water machine dispenser downstairs.

Billionaires v teachers: the Koch brothers' plan to starve public education | US news | The Guardian

birdingnut comments on Sep 15, 2018:

The US should be like Finland. There are no mandated standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions. The people running the schools, from national officials to local authorities, are educators, not business people, military leaders or career politicians. Ninety-three percent of Finns graduate from academic or vocational high schools, 17.5 percentage points higher than the US, and 66 percent go on to higher education, the highest rate in the European Union. Yet Finland spends about 30 percent less per student than the United States. Finland’s teachers are selected from the top 10 percent of the nation’s graduates to earn a required master’s degree in education. Many schools are small enough that teachers know every student. If one method fails, teachers consult with colleagues to try something else. In some schools more than half of the elementary-level students are immigrants—from Somalia, Iraq, Russia, Bangladesh, Estonia and Ethiopia, among other nations-yet all succeed. Link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/

Should prostitution be legal?

birdingnut comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Yup. Then both johns and prostitutes will have safety, legal and health protections.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has released a grand jury report detailing sex abuse in the Catholic ...

birdingnut comments on Aug 15, 2018:

I know. In view of decades of reported mass pedophilia in the Catholic Church, I think all parents who send their kids to church are enablers, and should be arrested along with the priests.

What's an interesting fact you know?

birdingnut comments on Apr 7, 2018:

If you scratch a pig with a long stick right where the hind leg joins the body, in the space between the belly and leg, the pig will freeze, then suddenly flop over in a semi-catatonic state. Lizards and snakes go into spasms of pleasure if you stroke them under the chin. They'll even try to follow you when you start to leave. When I encountered them in the woods or desert, I used to pet them, then run for it.

Reality..

birdingnut comments on May 24, 2018:

I was thrilled, actually. After I read the Sumerian texts my main feeling was profound relief that it was all a lie after all. I always wondered why we were told to love everyone while the Hebrew god ordered people stoned just for picking up a stick on Saturday. Sick.

Today's medieval church visit.

birdingnut comments on Sep 13, 2018:

LOVE it! Thanks!

Hello.

birdingnut comments on Jan 29, 2019:

Well, sure, but while you heal you can distract yourself with watching favorite Netflix shows, taking early morning walks, joining community groups that share your interests, taking CBD oil (known to raise the mood), doing some sport or outdoor activity that interests you..hiking, canoeing, tennis, etc. Just make yourself do it "this once," without thinking about it, and it should help.

The Irish People may a smart move and threw out the 8th Amendment, better late than never.

birdingnut comments on May 26, 2018:

Thumbs up to the Irish for moving out of the Dark Ages of church control. Birth control, more secular schools, gay marriage, and now abortion rights. Not as many months allowed before an abortion as in the U.K., but it's a start.

Random pics from India.

birdingnut comments on Feb 13, 2018:

Nice. Of course I can pull out my Thai photos to compete, LOL! The photo is of my daughter and I standing in front of the 99-ft reclining Buddha on Ko Yo Island, near where I live in Songkhla, Thailand.

The more I learn the less I know. It's intriguing and sad at the same time.

birdingnut comments on May 21, 2018:

It's like the popular poster sign that says: Teenagers! Are your parents driving you nuts and ruining your lives? Quick! Move out and start paying your own rent while you still know everything!

"I don't believe in any superstitious nonsense, but..."

birdingnut comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Probably a good thing not to stomp over any mushrooms and smash them, no matter which superstition one is following. Marasmius oreades, the Scotch bonnet, a fairy ring mushroom, is considered delicious by many mushroom connoisseurs.

[npr.org] Thoughts?

birdingnut comments on Aug 31, 2018:

Yeah..someone posted that link yesterday. I hope he wins the lawsuit. By the way, this website has a bit of a learning curve, so here's some info, in case you need it. For members who are open to dating, certain thumbnails and profiles have a heart symbol on them with a percentage. This identifies which members are open to dating, and the percent shows approximately how compatible others are with them. You gain website points by answering all the profile questions and writing a bio, which also earns website points, and helps other members get to know you. Commenting on posts and writing your own posts earns more points. At level two you can private message people, and at level eight you get an agnostic T-shirt. If you want to date, the website uses profile algorithms to find member matches, so the more details one includes, the better the match. Many people prefer to see a written profile talking about interests, hobbies, and backgrounds that can be quickly perused to find others with similar interests.. In case you didn't know yet, to find members near you, click on the "Browse" button at the top of the page, then on "Members," and enter your preferred search parameters. Click on the "Discuss" button, then "Nearby" to find members near you also. Or click on the "About" button at the top left of the page to find links to FAQ or the website tutorial. Points are now being given to level 3+ members who chat. You can see chat rooms on the group main page or at https://agnostic.com/groups/rooms.

Just found out my only "non-religious" friend believes in reincarnation, even to the extent that she...

birdingnut comments on Sep 27, 2018:

Einstein taught us that all matter is a form of energy, so since energy can neither be created nor destroyed, we have always existed and will always exist in some energy form. No reason to think energy souls or entities don't exist, and quantum physics already tells us different dimensions exist. "For physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." -Einstein.

My agnostic husband and deeply religious father started having a debate about whether or not God is ...

birdingnut comments on Dec 8, 2019:

I was still going along with some Christian beliefs when my parents passed away in 2008, so had never confronted them head on with my disbelief in god. I also had no idea I was nonbinary and demisexual, so was trying to live enough like a normal cis woman to pass, although I resented suppressing the male side of me. At that time, I'd lost faith in the church but still thought of god equaling universal energy. Now I realize that we are ALL gods, uniting to make universal energy. Also, that everyone is on a gender identity and gender trait sliding scale. Still, I don't know if I could have come out to my mother in either case. I was fanatical about not hurting her feelings, and in taking care of her in her last years. We'd been communicating mentally since we were in Haiti, and didn't have phones, and then when she was on the farm and needed me to come help her. Anyone I've connected with mentally usually stays in my head - including animals.

Greatest failure?

birdingnut comments on Feb 26, 2018:

I learned I can't work very long in an inside, desk job.

I noticed less posting today. I gather most people went to church.

birdingnut comments on Aug 11, 2019:

I sure did..I was up long before dawn this morning and went hiking up the desert ravine at the bottom of the hill. It's a majestic "cathedral" under the western dawn sky, my fellow "parishioners" were the plethora of my wild animal friends, and the god who makes everything happen is ME. I hike with the hunting coyote pack, or individual coyotes, most days, including today, get enthusiastically greeted by all the male greater roadrunners along the route, also by the female Cooper's hawks who insist on doing the family Cooper's hawk greeting by exploding out of trees into my face, then doing a partial roll-over just before reaching me, and peeling off, to blow wind in my face. Thankfully, the male Cooper's hawks are more polite, greeting me with close fly-bys and a sound like a rusty gate latch being turned. photo: 18 month old male coyote from last year's litter sniffing out white-tailed antelope squirrel tunnels. He will then dig them out. He and his siblings think I'm part of the coyote litter and show me respect by lying down if I stare hard at them.

Gratitude?

birdingnut comments on Mar 27, 2018:

My mom, for home schooling me and teaching me to read. But I did thank her when she was alive.

What's on the other side people talk about?

birdingnut comments on Apr 3, 2018:

Unless you believe Einstein, that we are made of energy, that time and space arean illusion, that energy can't be created or destroyed, etc. In other words, we have always existed and will always exist in some energy form. And what about all the scientific studies done with children 2-6 years old who remembered past lives in great detail, which were verified. Even I remembered a past life when I was born, as well as my sister.

How many of you moved away from your hometown?

birdingnut comments on Aug 28, 2018:

Since I grew up on an American mission in Haiti, not a town, I have only visited a few times since I moved to the US for college in 1970.

I had no idea that this place existed so imagine my surprise.

birdingnut comments on Jun 25, 2018:

Hi, Paul, and welcome! This website has a bit of a learning curve, so here is some information that might be helpful for dating here. New members are encouraged to earn website points, and help other members get to know them better, by writing an informational profile that includes their hobbies and interests, and answering all the profile questions, since that's the first place many women look when they see a new member. You have already done much of this. The website algorithm uses profiles to find member matches, so the more details one includes, the better the match. Also many women prefer to quickly look at a list of hobbies and interests to see if there's a match with a potential dating partner. In case you didn't know yet, to find members near you, click on the "Meet" button at the top of the page, then on "Members," and enter your preferred search parameters. Or click on the "About" button at the top of the page to find links to FAQ or the website tutorial. Click on the 'Meet" button also to find member matches

I think I really found the man that is going to make me happy forever.

birdingnut comments on Sep 1, 2018:

Good luck, and have fun!

How fast do you drive in a 35 mph zone?

birdingnut comments on Mar 29, 2018:

35 mph

Proofreading Matters

birdingnut comments on Feb 13, 2018:

Eeeeeew. I'll pass..