"Cognitive bias occurs when we make subjective assumptions about people or situations based on our ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Yup. That's how I know someone is cis hetero, for instance, because they simply can't grasp the concept of someone having a different gender identity than that of their birth bodies. They also claim that gay people have a "choice" and "should" choose to not be gay. This shows they can't conceive anything other than their own gender identities and heterosexual orientation. Usually, people who say these things are white evangelicals, but I've even encountered such myopic people on liberal places like this.

Exclusive: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Weird how this article tries to pretend that finding out how angler fish mate is "stunning" news, when I've read about anglerfish mating ways all my life. What is new is having a video of live fish, taken deep in the ocean where they live.

Most people have a best friend, that person that knows them better than anyone else.

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Any "best friends" I had were childhood Haiti missionary kid friends I dumped when they started posting hate memes on Facebook. I suppose I could call my "exes" best friends, since we continued being friends many years after breaking up, except that they also were discarded when they endorsed Trump.

Have you ever found a religious person that was genuinely interested in hearing what you had to say ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I've not yet encountered a single open-minded white evangelical Christian. My United Methodist and Lutheran friends are liberal, and act like agnostics.

What is a dirty little secret about an industry that you have worked in, that people really ought to...

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Public schools are really child warehouses, keeping all the kids dumbed down to make obedient factory workers. Studies show that if one allows self-directed learning, where children can move at their own pace, students fly past the grade levels with ease, even doing college courses when very young. All this holding kids back to the same level and speed is ridiculous, and only to fill the coffers of the educational system.

Do you believe that life is mostly about luck?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Initially, yes. What sort of human you are determines your future life..which culture, race, religion, gender, and time era you are born into. For instance, no matter how talented you are it won't do much good if you were born a crippled, blind, black woman in the South during the early 1800s.

Are you happier now?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Yes.

Do you give to beggars?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

No, but I've taken food to beggars, though.

When life gets you down and you're having your worst day, what helps you to feel better?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I head outiside, into nature..that always cures me.

Does online dating actually result in long term happy relationships?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I met my ex online..almost as soon as I posted my profile, his answer came back, answering all my picky requirements, from having a masters degree to having lived abroad. We eventually divorced but had fun while it lasted.

Does meaning matter

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

NO

What gets you creativity flowing? And what do you create?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Writing, art, building invention prototypes, music, inventing new learning games on the fly.

Most attractive actor/actress? Or other well known face.

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Males: Chris Hemsworth, in Ghostbusters only. Females: Yvonne Strahovski Androgynous: Katherine Moennig, in Ray Donovan more than The L Word.

What are the best TV series/shows you ever watched or are currently watching?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Atypical! Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men

Have you ever cheated on an exam? Do you think cheating in a test is moral?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I don't believe in exams or tests. I think the public school system is destructive, and purposely ineffective, to make more obedient factory workers. Studies show that in classes with only five students to a teacher, for only two hours a day, students were able to advance an entire grade every three weeks. The rest of the time, children are being warehoused to save parents from paying for childcare, and to get the school money. I never had to cheat on exams, since I usually knew far more than the teachers, and could speed read, with total recall.

Farm animals?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I've raised horses, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, rats and mice, guinea pigs. If you mean "race," I used to race my horses in Haiti and always won. My mare was an Akhal Teke racehorse throw back which could cruise at 30 mph alongside cars.

Are You Lonely?

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I have many reasons for feeling alone. But I don't. I used to, before I acknowledged my male side in 2014, named him, and allowed him to "exist." I felt alone and lost all my life, although I was raised in a loving family, surrounded by siblings and friends. I also felt that way when married, with two children. But after I allowed myself to love my male side and accepted it, the loneliness was eased. I do have many reasons for feeling alone, however: 1.high IQ. I don't think like most people I know. 2.I'm multicultural/multilingual. I grew up in Haiti with American parents and a French/African culture with European friends, and friends from the Domican Republic, across the border from Haiti. So I grew up speaking French, Creole, Spanish, and English. 3.I'm part Native American, and share many of their attitudes and beliefs, almost instinctlively. As a "two spirit," I would have been trained as a shaman in my Cherokee tribe. 4.I'm demisexual, panromantic, androgynous, nonbinary, and partially transmale. That means that I don't strongly identify with either gender, but see myself more as a blend. Also, I'm not sexually attracted to anyone of any gender, until after over a year together. 5.I'm over 65 years old. 6.I have strong psychic powers. I have to block myself from the thoughts and feelings of others but there is always some "leakage." That's why I like being in Thailand..all those peaceful feelings of being one with the universe sooth me.

Love my spouse but tired of feeling lonely

birdingnut comments on Mar 23, 2018:

So, are you saying you want a divorce? Most women have women friends to talk to and run around with, and don't depend on men for intellectual company. In most parts of the world, all that's expected of marriage is shared child rearing responsibitlies. Many couples don't even take vacations together. In Thailand, married couples often don't even live together, since many Thai men live with their mothers.

Lets see who the nerds are.

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

They're older now, with more blood sugar problems. I don't eat pie at all now.

He has a point

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

LOL! But of course, the actual Clinton investigation was for lying on a deposition. Since Bill regularly informed the Chinese agent of what transpired in white house meetings, Bill would have been impeached for treason also, if he hadn't immediately had a "Wag the Dog" scandal with Mona, to distract the media. So the Chinese treason story was pushed to the 10th page of the newspaper where I read it anyway.

Has anyone here had a NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I have, but in very vivid "imaginary" waking scenes. Since I was a toddler, I remembered my past life before I was born, and would cross back over there in my "imagination" at will. After I started talking, the puzzled reactions of my mother to my stories warned me to never mention it again. But I still did it. Sometimes, I'd leave my body, go through the ceiling and to a dimension where I met all my friends, which were everyone, everywhere. We never had to talk, just "knew" everything about each of us, and what we were doing in our present incarnations.

Maybe I should start a group called "women who love men who love themselves".

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

In general, the only men who "fall in love" with women totally, ready to give their lives to protect and care for them, and are faithful to them, are cis, hetero men. Cis, hetero women are, in turn, attracted to these macho men, since statistics show that people at the extreme ends of the gender spectrum (the most macho men, and femme women) are the most successful at long term relationships and raising progeny. However the statistics also show that these people average the lowest IQs. Women with high levels of male traits, however, can be attracted to men with high levels of female traits. Statistically, high IQ, creative people are androgynous, but often can't sustain long term relationships, and only have children accidentally, as is common with movie stars, writers, famous directors, etc.. If you are a woman who is attracted to intelligent, talented men, you will likely be attracted to men who have unstable female traits..being picky, critical, moody, jealous, prone to leaving relationships, etc. Good luck with that. I am one of those highly male-ish women who is attracted to talented, female-ish men, and, so far, it's never worked out for long.

Dating someone with Autism

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

It depends on what you mean by "having aturism," since most high IQ, creative types are somewhere on the autism spectrum, since DNA links them. Often, the higher the IQ, the more pronounced the autism and/or manic depressive symptoms..just read any famous person's biography.

Is it bad that I can cook?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I try to avoid cooked food, when possible, and processed food, since it destroys nutrients. The more I eat cooked food, the more congested and miserable I feel, and my heart starts skipping and flopping around. Someone being a "good cook" means nothing to me, although most people seem to like it.

Just got bombarded by three born again Christians.

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

Don't mess up my beliefs with facts! But, beyond that, most white, evangelical Christians I know don't read. Period. Not even the Bible, since they know nothing about it. And they brag about ignorance, LOL! "I NEVER watch the news..I read the Bible!"

What percentage of your relationships are you “out” as an atheist?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

It never comes up, so I don't mention it. But I have lived in Thailand since 2010, and in the US I still was sort of tolerant of Christianity.

What's the largest obstacle that holds you back from being the person you want to be?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

Myself, of course.

What is your perfect dream vacation?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I'm already living in paradise, but I wouldn't mind going back to Sydney for a few weeks, or take another camel trek in the Outback.

Continuation of the online date.

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I doubt it. I could never be reconciled to someone who smokes, for instance. I would never date or be with someone who gorges on meat and junk food. Gross. I would never date someone with cats..they spread disease to humans and wildlife, and kill millions of birds and animals a year in the US alone. I would never date someone who lets their dogs run loose outside or gives large dogs the run of the house, since dogs chase and kill baby birds, and I don't want to have to deal with some agressive, jealous dog in bed with us, spreading fleas. But I'm not everyone, and some people are more willing to change for significant others than I am.

Psychic Dreams?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I don't have psychic "dreams" as such, but waking visions. I "saw" and sometimes even "experienced," the deaths of my close relatives while awake, and was able to tell my spouse what had happened and to note the exact times. I was always right. This even happened when the Thai king died, in 2016. I was at the EGV movie theater in Songkhla, Thailand, and just before the movie started, I suddenly saw the Thai king standing in one of his palace rooms, talking to two Buddhist monks in saffron robes. I knew he was dead and felt overwhelming sadness. I asked him (in my mind) if he was OK with dying, and he said he was. He had paused to mentally reply to me, then resumed talking to the monks as they passed out of sight down a hallway. I collapsed, sobbing silently, trying to get myself under control during the movie. I kept telling myself that it was just my imagination, but I knew better, since this has happened all my life. When I got home after the movie I saw on the news that the Thai king had died at the time I was at the movies.

My spouse is a gambeling addict.

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

My spouse sent us into bankruptcy, used to get up in the middle of the night to gamble on the forex, then lied about the money he lost, so I divorced him and moved to Thailand.

Have you ever been asked, "What Church do you go too?' by your boss?

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I've never been asked that question in the US, but a couple of times. my Thai students have assumed I"m Christian, and I corrected them. When asked what I am, I shrug and say "sort of Christian-ish, mixed with Buddhism." That seems to satisfy them. But if an American asks me seriously, I usually say I believe in quantum physics, and any religious beliefs that match it.

OKAY.

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

1.a tube top with cut off jeans. 2.monkey meat 3.Didn't I see you in Vampire Babes do New York City?

I'm a demisexual, panromantic, partial transmale and possible pansexual, although since I'm on the ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I hadn't done anything "flirty" or sexual to anyone, since I don't feel sexual attraction for any person or gender until after over a year of close contact. Yet Thai women continue to believe we are an item. Two bosses and two supervisors, beautiful, married, etc., and any number of others, have not only decided that we are a couple, but took revenge on me when I seemed clueless to this belief. I just went about my teaching duties, and only engaged in small talk. But lest I blame Thai culture, this has happened all my life. Now that I am aware I'm a partial transmale I have a different understanding why a childhood US girl friend stopped talking to me when I got a boyfriend, and never talked to me again. I've always been a neutral sort, without awareness of sex, so I'm guessing my male energy is the problem. When I moved to Thailand in 2010, several of my daughter's grown friends messaged me on Facebook to proclaim their love for me since childhood. But several of my son's friends, and several of my Kentucky neighbors, did the same, and since I only thought of them as kids when I knew them, I don't get it. I never in my wildest imagination saw these people as romantic prospects. But maybe the problem is that people on the asexual spectrum don't "get" sexual attraction and the part it plays in the lives of normal people. I can't imagine it myself, so don't understand the reactions of others. If this is the case, my being on the asexual spectrum is a blessing, apparently.

"How would dating change if.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Sorry. Trying to socialize in a library or museum would be like trying to visit with an alcoholic at an open bar. I'd grab a book and be out of it..conversation couldn't compete.

Anyone else watch RuPaul's Drag Race? I just discovered it and I am so hooked.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

I've loved RuPaul for decades, and love his movies also..so hilarious. He's amazing.

What is your favorite response when people say "god bless you", "have a blessed day", and/or "I will...

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Just say, "Thank you, " and change the subject. If you pretend they are just giving you positive energy, it won't offend you.

Any teachers out there?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Adjuncts make so little that many are on food stamps or live with parents, so the universities don't have to pay benefits. I taught adjuct college courses for years, but my husband made money, plus I lived on my family farm. After a divorce, I moved to Thailand in 2010 and taught English, writing, ESL, etc. The pay is low, but the cost of living is so low, it doesn't matter, plus I get to live in paradise.

Did you ever find your calling? Or, are you still looking?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

I dunno. I've always been a book worm and writer, so majored in English in college, with no definite idea how that would earn me a living. Sure enough, there's no money in it, but at least it's something I will actually do, and it gives me space to move around and have variety. I don't agree with public school methods and most universities only hire part-time, or adjuct, professors, to avoid paying benefits. The best I found was teaching ESL overseas in Thailand, where I can actually make a living because of low cost of living, but I did teach ESL at a university for a year, before they closed the program due to recruitment scams.

So I recently became single.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Hi! If you finish writing your profile and answer all the profile questions you can earn points and let people get to know you better. You also get points each time you comment on conversations, post your own topics, and once you earn enough points to reach level two, you can private message ladies who catch your interest. You can click on the "meet" button at the top of the page to see what members live near you.

Has anyone purchased a copy of A Day in the life of Marlon Bundo?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

It's not listed in the Kindle Store.

I was reading, Why Women Need Freedom from Religion and came across this bible verse.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

The Bible is filled with violence, rape, misogyny, etc. since it's copied from the Sumerian texts, written 2000 years before the Bible. The Hebrew god is modeled on "Anu," the bloodthirsty leader of the Sumerians, an alien race that told how they genetically engineered humans from mingling their DNA with human apes, to make workers for their gold mines. The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts http://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/origins-human-beings-according-ancient-sumerian-texts-0065?

During my workout this morning, I overheard a trainer (non-freethinker) talk to his charge about how...

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

LOL! Funny. But of course he only wanted something for himself. Strange that you consider controlling the weather a "god" thing, since the Native Americans routinely controlled it, as well as any white children captives who had been with them over six months before being returned to their white families. It's also common in other cultures as well. Of course if you've been told all your life that something is "impossible," it won't work for YOU.

Is it really what’s in the inside that counts?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Appearance is important. People automatically size up prospective romantic partners by their looks, age, social status, and finances, usually trying to score someone the same or higher level than they are. For instance, a short, homely young nerd can still score a hot young babe if he makes a lot of money and is famous. An old, ugly dude can also get a hot woman if he has a lot of money and is willing to spend it on her. Hot young women know they can parlay their looks into a life of ease, but most only do so if the cost is worth it, i.e., how much money they get, how envious their friends will be, etc. before committing to a homely or elderly mate. A short, fat, homely older woman woman can score a hot young man if she owns a beach house and drives a BMW, etc.

So how does this work?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Hi! You get points for writing your profile and answering all the profile questions, which also helps people here get to know you. People here seem to use this forum mostly for religion-free discussion, but some actually find partners here, despite the small number of members. If you connect well with someone, they can private message you.

This is my clown, Nene, aka: Neener, Nudeebits, Boo.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Just stopping by to look at Nene photos..in case you posted new ones.

Scientists Have Established a Link Between Brain Damage and Religious Fundamentalism | Alternet

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

LOL! Yup.

Atheists are nicer to Christians compared to the other way around if their religious identity is ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Well, DUH. It's interesting that the religious people were only unfair to atheists if they thought they knew they were Christians. So the whole hostility thing is an attempt to placate their religious leaders?

Is chivalry SEXIST???

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

It's hardwired into the male psyche to protect women and children, as I have always done since early childhood.Even though I'm only a partial transmale who is bio female. However, men heavy in female traits, the creative, high IQ ones, statistically speaking, can be the sort who want women to pay, won't assist or help or protect them. These men can be dangerous for women since they won't have your back, often critical, picky, moody, and prone to leaving relationships. If your man won't take care of you, why would you bother with him at all? Like women need another child to take care of..NOT.

What do you think about this saying "there is someone for everyone?" Is it true or BS?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Probably, if you really want someone. Usually, people who don't have a companion don't really want one, discouraging those who try. That would be me. Only totally relentlessly optimistic, persistant people have succeeded, which is why I'm worried, since my ex hasn't given up trying to get back with me.

Describe your love life in one word.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Imaginary.

How many folks here enjoy the activity of mushroom hunting.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

I used to love to identify and photograph the different, colorful mushrooms in the woods, but didn't dare eat anything I found..only ones I bought at the health food coop. Here in Thailand, mushrooms are a staple food item.

What happened to all the FUNNY movies?

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Netflix has some humorous series, such as Atypical, Call my Agent!, One Day at a Time, Grace and Frankie, Drop Dead Diva, Girlboss, etc. Most of these shows have diversity elements as well; gay issues, autism, feminism issues.

Book Recommendations ??

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

??? Why would you want to talk to people about atheism? Religious people, with their constant proselytizing are annoying enough. But informing yourself isn't a bad idea, and sometimes I talk back to alt-right attackers.

As a gay man I grow increasingly tired of the seemingly shallow attitude in the dating pool.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

That's how many hetero men also feel, with women. We women pick our mates for what social status and income they can bring to the couple equasion. A handsome, loving, but uneducated, handicapped janitor wouldn't do. Hetero cis males seem to choose female mates mostly from looks, however, so no income is required.

Nene, the demanding one, will bark at me when she lays down so I know I need to do my job and cover ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Aw! I guess she wishes she had hair.

Scooter, my first Rat Terrier was born on April Fools Day, 1998.

birdingnut comments on Mar 21, 2018:

How adorable is THAT??!

If you had to communicate your beliefs to the indigenous people of the Americas in the16th century, ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

I'd tell them to stay away from lying, exploiting Caucasians.

Hi Everyone.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Depends. There are a number of British and Australian people here, and many of them have classical tastes. You'll earn points and people can get to know you better if you write your profile and answer the profile questions.

The other day two Jehova's Witnesses rang our doorbell.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Yup, religion can be sad.

So this happened: [usatoday.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Obviously most here think animals are here for our convenience and pleasure in killing them, fishing for them, wearing them, and eating them. We are kind to our pets but think shooting animals during hunting season-when we don't need them for food-or fishing, is great entertainment, since those animals don't matter. Also factory animals don't matter, since people also eat hamburger, pork, etc. The rain forests don't matter either, since locals clear them mostly to supply grazing land for cattle to send meat to US chain franchises, like McDonald's.

Vegan

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Yes, but since I don't cook, I'm not a good person to ask. I avoid cooked and processed food, stick to nuts, juiced veggies, dried dates, but I do eat a small amount of fish for breakfast, and one boiled egg a day, for the Omega-3 oil I need.

So, I posted a couple of weeks back that I had gone to church with my mum.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Maybe your mom filled out a form, or if your mom lives with you, maybe she gave the church a check with her address on it.

What's your favorite way to get your protein?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

YUM! So little I can eat any more, though. I have to eat whatever improves my health, and drop anything that causes problems, and chocolate has enough caffeine to keep me up two nights in a row. I also can't eat fruit or it can affect my vision.

What`s the difference between being single and emotionally lonely?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

I'm single, but not lonely. I felt much more lonely when I was married and in a family. I later realized this constant feeling of being lost and alone came from my being partially transmale; my strong male side felt invisible and overlooked.

In one of my classes the professor asked everyone to stand up who loved America.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

I agree. That was too subjective a question for class anyway, triggering peer pressure responses.

I have recently lost a few people who I was beginning to enjoy the presence and company of, and it's...

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

There are so many serious things that can be a deal breaker, it's unfortunate such a nonsense thing matters. To avoid misunderstandings, I've learned to tell possible romantic prospects my age immediately, mention that I am very active, eat health food, am an avid reader and bird photographer, and am a partial transmale. That way, if people want a femme partner who will stay home, clean, fit into their lazy lifestye, and cook pizza for them, they can move along without further wasting our time.

Should employers do pre-employment drug testing?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

People on medical cannabis would be in trouble. It's oppressive.

Do Americans Read?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

That is typical of white evangelicals, and "blue collar" US people in general. They don't read. Not even the Bible, although the religious ones give it lip service. If you ask them anything about it, they don't know and don't care.

I'll start by saying this isn't to justify misleading another person emotionally.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

I'm sure most people can and do love more than one person at a time. If you mean multiple romantic/sexual attachments, of course men do that all the time..the problem is usually getting them to limit their interest to one person. Don't look at me-I'm demisexual. That means I'm not sexually attracted to any person or gender except after more than a year of being together, then I'm only attracted to that one person.

This is my clown, Nene, aka: Neener, Nudeebits, Boo.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Just stopping by to look at Nene photos again. It cheers up my eyes.

Turning on the news depressed me this morning.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Thanks! That would cure me also!

I think about this occasionally:.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Do you WANT people to talk to you? People and animals respond to our energy "vibes." If you are friendly and outgoing, you'll be the one to jump into the conversations and ask the questions. But if you do that, and people still ignore you, ask ourself if your parents also ignored you. If they did, you may have a built in belief in being overlooked. One NLP technique is to reimagine childhood trauma the way it should have happened; for example, spending a few minutes imagining your parents looking at your and paying attention to what you have to say. The new emotions of confidence created are real, even if the memory is imaginary.

Whom do you admire most? Why does this person inspire you?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

James Cameron. He not only made the movie Avatar, but invented the filming techniques used to make it.

The word of God reminding you that If beating your children doesn't work than gather some old people...

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

True. Don't forget that your daughters can sold into slavery, and children can be stoned to death if they are rebellious.

Id's if you will indulge me. Thanks.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

A bit tricky with poor photo quality, but male breeding green-winged teal, Pied-bill Grebe, probably a gadwall, juvenile Cooper's Hawk, Swamp Sparrow

Make Believe

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

I realized early that Christianity was mostly a game, not taken very seriously even by the Haiti missionaries, who turned to modern medicine when sick, locked their doors, and had insurance, despite their claims of submission to "god's will."

Do we ever really, "settle down"?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

If you're lucky!

Being dyslexic can be funny but also difficult for some folks to take seriously.

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Yes, I'm very dyslexic. 1.speed-read, using the right hemisphere of the brain, which isn't affected by dyslexia, and gives you photographic memory. That's how I teach all my remedial reading students..first I teach them to read phonetically, using songs and colored charts to utilize the right side of the brain, which lets them learn the rules effortlessly, almost instantly, then I teach them to speed read within a few minutes. The entire process from reading to speed reading can take as little as 20 minutes, in a preschool class in the US or Thailand. 2.take (Thai herb) derris scandens tablets, which seems to make dyslexia symptoms go away. It also cures my dysphoria from being partial transmale. You can buy it on amazon.com 3.eat fish for breakfast, which sharpens memory. 4.use a neon orange marker when you read, to stimulate the right hemisphere of your brain.

Did you grow up in a religious home and when did you realize you didn't believe?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Yes, and not completely until the 2016 election, when I ditched it all.

So what are you reading?

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

This is a partial list of my favorites 1.Misha Burnett "Catskinner" novel series (fantasy, sci-fi, horror) 2.Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life, by Sarah Kaminsky. (autobiography) 3.Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis, (fiction) 4.Harpo Speaks! by Harpo Marx (autobiography) 5.The Persian Boy, by Mary Renault (historical fiction) 6.The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses, by Jeannette Walls (autobiography, semi-fictional biography) 7.Old Man's War series, by John Scazi..or ANY John Scalzi book (sci-fi) 8.Stranger in a Strange Land, Doorway into Summer, or most Robert A. Heinlein books (sci-fi) 9.The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling (she's VERY C.S. Lewis!) 10.Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand (historical biography) 11.and the funniest one of all!- Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, by Gary Paulson (autobiographical)

This is the single most important question

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

LOL! At least you know what's important in life; I'm a huge J.K.Rowling fan.

This DOES put it into perspective: “The gods that we've made are exactly the gods you'd expect ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 20, 2018:

As Jonathan Swift illustrated so well in the fourth book of Gulliver's Travels, with the yahoos.

When I discuss the bible with Christians, I often find out that they almost know nothing about the ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

That's because they don't read. Period. They prefer to be told what to believe, and how to vote, having been trained to check their brains at the church door. If they actually read the Bible with comprehension, they'd be horrified, and leave Christianity at once.

Anyone on here have faith in their government?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

No.

I need to understand why I choose to be with the same man; emotionally unavailable, usually ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

We attract people who match our own vibrations, and self-perceptions. That's why women are constantly advised to love themselves and be emotionally independent before dating. As for men who like to do the things you named, those are female characteristics. Most cis, hetero men I know only want to go to work, come home, and are non-intellectual. However, the intelligent, fit men are typically ones with more female traits since high creativity and high IQ are associated with being androgyne. For example, my ex was the PERFECT mate, who did all those things and much more, but he recently came out as nonbinary female, so that explains that.

Vegan, paleo, meatless Monday’s, intermittent fasting- thoughts?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

I fast daily..skipping noon meal and only having an early breakfast, then evening meal. I also avoid animal products, processed, and cooked food, except a small amount of fish for breakfast, and a boiled egg at night.

Why do men get so mad when they get rejected?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

If a man reacts like that, it's time to instantly bock/delete/hang up/leave. Someone like that is dangerous, and the woman who rejected him dodged a likely jealous control freak future abuser. Most cis, hetero men hide their disappoint, however, realizing an ugly response will not only get him cut off from the woman, but she will spread his infamy on social media. Many men heavy in female traits, however, can be passive aggressive and revengeful, but again, these are men to avoid.

Good morning fellow heathens! How do you typically start each day?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Up before dawn, go on the balcony to see the Southern Cross and Alpha and Beta Centauri, and Scorpio sprawled out across the sky to zenith, the planets strung out beside it. For breakfast, I drink a cup of cho-wa tea, eat a one-serving can of hot spicy Thai sardines, then take a gallop on my "gallopers" to the end of the long hall and back, three times, do eight pull-ups, take the elevator to the ground floor and walk back up, then take a half hour walk to photograph birds. Pic: Dawn over Songkhla, Thailand, seen from my east-facing balcony.

Can anyone else relate?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

My four siblings used to get together at my parents' farm, but after my parents passed, and the farm was sold, the siblings only get together for weddings. They are all busy, and widely scattered, from Bethel, Alaska to PA, so visiting them would involve separate flights to each one, plus hotel bills. They don't seem to like being bothered since they'd have to stop their life routines, job, activites, etc to entertain relatives. On my part, I'd be horrified if any of them visited me, since I'd be forced to entertain and feed them for several days, and none of them eat the kind of food I do. When people announce they are going to "visit you in Thailand" I quickly suggest nearby Thailand resorts, so they won't use me as a free hotel and cook. I don't even have a kitchen, and avoid eating cooked food. I didn't mind my daughter visiting me, though.

What was your favorite thing to do when you were a child?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

When I was eight, building tree houses high in mango trees, making and shooting sling shots with my sidekick, the boy next door. I would also drop ripe mangoes that were so high in the trees you could barely see them, by hitting the stems, then catching the mangoes before they hit the ground, so they wouldn't bruise.

I like motorcycles.

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Obsession with motorcycles and the image of the macho "easy rider" comes from the big Harley hogs and movies in the 1970s. In actuality, the big "hog" motorbikes with elongated handlebars are dangerous, and Americans tend to drive huge SUVs, that make noticing motorbikes in close quarters difficult. So many people are killed on motorbikes in the US, I suppose it makes it seem like some daring sport for the ultra brave. But in most of Asia, and in tropical countries, people ALL drive motorbikes for normal transportation, including me. Children, old people, entire families all pile onto the family motorbikes, pick up groceries, use side cars and covers to turn them into traveling vendor carts, etc. But these are quiet, non-polluting, most have flat bottoms where people can carry groceries, and long seats where mulitple people can ride. Some Thai buy huge US motorbikes, I suppose because they want to copy the "cool" image, and when they thunder by me on the road, with an ear-splitting roar, pumping out foul exhaust fumes, I curse them in several languages. The US and some German motorcycles are so huge they are unstable and dangerous in traffic, and there's no room for carrying passengers or groceries.

Should psychics and fortune tellers be handled like con-artists and thieves?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Wow. Americans are so WEIRD. I suppose they are taught all their lives that only physical things exist, despite Einstein proving that all matter is energy. Maybe some of the people taking money for "readings" are charletans but there are many people who are psychics, including ALL animals. Just in my family I am, my kids, mom, and a younger sister. Also, we frequently see the future. We only do it for close friends and family who need it, or who ask us. In other countries, ESP and other such things are taken for granted, and noticed that most rural Thai are very psychic..showing up to give me things I'd just thought about wanting, or Thai kids in remote villages who don't know English will all speak the English word aloud I was about to write on the board. "For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." -Einstein. Besides, physics indicates that we are participating in creating our own universes/reality, so there's nothing "woo" about it. People can manipulate energy in ways that others may perceive as impossible. “I regard consciousness as fundamental and matter as derivative from consciousness." – Max Planck, theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics

Any birders out here on the west coast want to take a stab at these?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Flock of giant Canada geese, three whooper swans, adult bald eagle, male breeding ring-necked duck, breeding male northern shoveler duck

What are your pet peeve markers you look for on a first date?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Deal breakers I've encountered; 1.hitting on the waitress; calling her "sweetie," asking where she goes to school, etc. 2.doesn't do any of the outdoor activities listed on his profile. 3.has no hobbies or interests 4.never reads 5.eats junk food, with zero interest in protecting the environment 6.has tatoos 7.has a big dog he gives the run of his house 8.constantly refers to his ex and/or mom, takes orders from them. 9.has children living at home 10.is on meds 11.is religious, and/or attends church 12.is only separated, not divorced.

So I'm trying to cut expenses and went looking in a retirement community for a cheaper home since ...

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

I went online to check out government subsidized retirement apartments Lexington, KY, where I hope to move, and I want a roommate to share expenses.

I miss being in a relationship.

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

My motto has always been, that I'll date someone if being with that person is more fun than being alone. That's a tall order, but I've met a few who enhanced my life experiences.

Atheist wedding vows

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

"We vow to have each others' backs as long as we both shall love." I've already found out that staying past the end of love and respect is dangerous, especially for the woman.

Who or what do you sleep with at night?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

I sleep alone under the ceiling fan.

If we were all forced to wear a warning label, what would yours say?

birdingnut comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Warning: I brake for birds