Spam Alert, there are subliminal messages being used to get people to buy into things they normally ...

brentan comments on Jan 28, 2019:

I need to buy a jigsaw puzzle.

Another week begins and so as we go into the world among the great unwashed, ignorant and ill ...

brentan comments on Jan 28, 2019:

The bastards! And to think they can vote!

Happy Monday Hippies.

brentan comments on Jan 28, 2019:

Best of luck in your new home.

As an Englishman I'm trying to decide which of the two of us is most screwed.

brentan comments on Jan 28, 2019:

They have something in common, I think. Or two things - nationalism and immigration. The nationalism shows itself as isolationist. These times are a real education for people who thought politicians were clever people.

Therein lies wisdom. ;)

brentan comments on Jan 28, 2019:

Yes indeed. Stay home, listen to the storm outside, have a drink!

"If there is a God, his plan is very similar to someone not having a plan." - Eddie Izzard

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

It's a very cunning plan, as Baldrick would say.

Japan’s emperor

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

I think so. I think Muslim terrorists view their acts as religious practice too, expecting to be rewarded in paradise.

Who was that

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

I think it's Snagglepuss. Maybe the Pink Panther.

A lady-friend who I met in 06 has become a not-so-friendly person.

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

I would like to hear her side of the story before offering an opinion.

George Carlin once again telling us the ugly truth

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

I always got the feeling that when Carlin said 'you' to an audience, they assumed he meant someone else.

"With a blow torch, you can now cook your food and wash your dishes in the same place" or "Wok the ...

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Be woke to the wok.

Belief and knowledge

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. -Hebrews 11:1. It's not hard to see how this definition sets the scene for the conflation of belief and knowledge. What is substance in this situation? He seems to indicating that it is tangible evidence of intangibles like the unseen and hoped-for things. I think most self-respecting Christians would feel that a faith expressed as less than factual would be a weak faith. After all, they have the 'evidence'.

Some folks harbour so much ignorance and hate in their heart.

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

I hate those bastards! They're holding us all back.

Good morning fellow hippies.

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

That's a hell of a picture. I love the very elaborate third eye.

“Hang on to your ego.” [tricycle.org]

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

A clear head on a dull day.

I think I have the flu, because I can sing C1 and growl F0.

brentan comments on Jan 27, 2019:

You'll be able to impersonate Tom Waits for a while. Get well soon! (No offence to Tom).

Here's a chilling thought for you depending on what side you're on.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I think if you've experienced fear and hurt, you favour surveillance. You take a different tack if you haven't and you only think in terms of freedom from scrutiny.

Crystal Castles ft.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

It has taken me 40 years to relate to The Cure. Curiously (no pun intended), it has come at a time when I am quite content in my own skin. I find their music very relaxing, thought-provoking. Robert Smith looks strange these days, like a middle-aged woman. Fast-forward anbout a minute on this video to see what he looks like and how the band sound. Wonderful stuff! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckdHyuPZY8s

Hi everyone I’m new here hoping to get some good advice and just make some connections.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy the discussions.

Two good commentaries by Matt Christiansen about the stupidity of the Portland Mayor, and how antifa...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I can't help thinking of them as religious zealots. Just recently, there have been indications that business organisations are positioning themselves as the new priests of the movement - Apple, PayPal and Patreon, for example, using their economic clout to support liberal views and remove dissenting views from the media.

So! Our Immigrant ancestors. They wouldn't have been impressed with "The Wall" [youtube.com] ​

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

It seems to have come from a consciousness of shared culture and the fear of that culture being destroyed.

Venire - A writ issued by a judge to a sheriff directing the summons of prospective jurors.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I think it must be related to the word for 'to come'.

What was the major factor that assisted Trump win the presidency in your opinion?

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I think part of it was ordinary people, unhappy with the status quo, being insulted as deplorables.

Music of the legendary singer/songwriter and guitarist from Zimbabwe, Oliver Mtukudzi, who passed ...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Finger-pickin' good! That's a lovely song from a guy I didn't know.

Yesterday at work I received a totally inappropriate compliment from a regular customer.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Nice to know some guy isn't going to get sued.

Bank of England blocks Maduro's $1.2B gold withdrawal - report

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Brown people controlling oil reserves? Never! Let's free the people and take their oil.

Hope is just around the coroner.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Yes but will she go out with me?

Seems Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who was forced to resign as head of DNC for rigging primaries, is at ...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

It's heartening to see a country care so much about lesser countries when its own is in such difficulties. The world has never been happier since America abandoned the Monroe Doctrine. That's why we say 'God Bless America'.

Who are these people and who let them into my house? ;)

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

They might be OK but you can't beat the real thing.

I found this on youtube.

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I’ve just been reading a book about the brain. The author puts schizophrenia (and autism) down to a disconnect between the left and right brain hemispheres. The problem is that the left hemisphere has no idea that the other one exists, which isn’t a problem usually because the right hemisphere can integrate the two sides. In schizophrenia (and cases where the right hemisphere is damaged), this doesn’t happen and the left side is baffled by messages coming in from the other side. It puts them down to external sources to account for them. Modern medicine is wonderful, giving an opportunity to people, including myself, who years ago would not have been able to live any kind of productive life

Good Morning Hippies! This reminds me of a kaleiscope how about you?

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Get back to work, hippies!

Fill in the blank????

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Joe Cocker.

Does anyone else here sometimes experience a great deal of confusion or inner turmoil about certain ...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

I think a lot of mentally healthy people don't over think things or jump to the conclusion that it is their fault. I say 'think' because I really don't know. I also think they use anger to vent their frustration where mentally ill keep it all in until they implode. Be kind to yourself.

Be yourself...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

And imprison you if necessary.

Try to Stay Positive

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Very witty! If it was deliberate.

If the love of your life walked around the corner, what do you imagine that might look like?

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Joni Mitchell.

I wish you all to know that my absence last week was due to the tragic death of my elder son Graeme ...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

That is absolutely terrible. Heart-felt sorrow and fellow-feeling as a parent with adult sons.

Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the ...

brentan comments on Jan 26, 2019:

Here's a bit of context and I hope a good interpretation: A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long.  But a country is fortunate to have a king who makes his own decisions and leaders who eat at the proper time, who control themselves and don't get drunk.  When you are too lazy to repair your roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.  Feasting makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can't have either without money.  -Ecclesiastes 10:16-19. In other words, work hard to have money to maintain your home and party in a disciplined way.

ENTER THE CONTEST!!! I have been blocked by five people ( for very silly reasons).

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

They say knowledge is power. No, blocking is power. You are dismissed! Nah.

I think depression is setting in.

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Water is so refreshing but we avoid it like cats when we're under the weather. Do your best to get under the shower - once you're there, I'm sure you'll feel the benefit.

"Shallow Grave" a 1994 thriller from Scotland, directed by Danny Boyle.

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Yes, that was an enjoyable film.

I need this to be my mantra

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

I'll use it to try to fade gracefully.

Hi All - Back in NH busy packing up my house in NH.

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Bah! Humbug!

It’s hard to believe that in 2008 I was canvassing for Obama. What changed?

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Maybe what changed was the gradual loss of the middle class, or middle income in America. Maybe economic difference was disappearing when everyone's income was reducing so ideology became the dividing line. Trump reckoned that many issues, such as racism, would dissolve if people could get back to work. He's probably right there because people, I think, are more interested in a decent living than principles.

Do You Speak A Second Or More Language(s) Fluently?

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

I'm learning Spanish since forever. Maybe you need to be young. Or live there.

George Carlin . . . .

brentan comments on Jan 25, 2019:

Team-players. I remember that. Mutual management. I think I preferred one manager who wasn't on the team.

Gay married mayor of South Bend, Indiana announces for presidential run. [msn.com]

brentan comments on Jan 24, 2019:

I'll bet God won't stand out for that! I can't wait to hear what the fundies have to say.

Are you frugal?

brentan comments on Jan 24, 2019:

I got that way through religion. I thought I should play my part in taking care of the earth even if a new world was coming to replace it. It was practice for later. I still do it, using everything fully, disposing everything where it should go - the garbage, the recycle or the biodegradable.

A regular Einstein here

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

It's a different kind of intelligence - creative anyway.

For several weeks after I passed out one day due to dehydration, heat and lack of sleep, I ...

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I have this notion that healthy eating makes us feel better physically and that helps us feel better mentally. Anyway, I hope you start to feel better. Don't forget to treat yourself every so often!

The Beatles - Two of Us [youtu.be]

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

They seem to understand things decades before the rest of us catch up.

Sorry I just miss the good all stuff [youtu.be]

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

Wanton abandon - great in small doses.

Needs a better line.....

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

.... and the loneliness continues...

You Gotta Believe In Something Why Not Believe In Me?

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

That's clever, funny and thought-provoking.

Common sense...Follow the money.. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

She must be a communist.

April Come She Will (Live at Central Park, New York, NY - September 19, 1981) - YouTube

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

These talented people bring so much beauty into our lives.

Before You Can Be With Others, First Learn to Be Alone - aeon - Pocket

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I don't think we learn to be alone first but who knows what we think of in the womb. Once born, it's all about social interaction. Later we might become introspective. One philosopher said the unconsidered life wasn't worth living but so many people live it and are content enough. One of the Bible prophets spoke of knowledge increasing sorrow - For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief" (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Loneliness is now classified by some as a disease. The article probably means voluntary isolation rather than loneliness - a time to recharge batteries and mull over things that need time for reflection. It is probably for the best if we spend less time reflecting than we spend interacting but I'm sure any self-respecting Buddhist would disagree with me.

I was to the store the other day and had a Muslim check out clerk.

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

It's egotism disguised as virtue.

A lot of classical and semi-classical Indian music is devotional or has some religious flavor.

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I hope so. i think music should get a pass.

I came across my wedding cake topper cleaning out a drawer and now I am sitting in the dark ...

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I'm sorry you're hurting. I hope the pain changes into sweet sorrow and stays manageable.

So annoying to see these unbelievable memes, everybody knows that Prince Phillip would never ...

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

Part of me wants to believe that he is not yet recovered well enough to deal with the situation.

A tiny engraving on a rock suggests Neanderthals made art - BBC Reel

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

It's fascinating. It's civilisation in its own way. Maye it could be called proto-civilisation but that might tend to let mainstream science off the hook for refusing to readjust their thinking in the light of so many findings pushing civilisation back into the Ice Age.

Jesus and Mo are back again !

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

We've helped Jesus come a long way. Mo won't be budged an inch.

Create your own future?

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I loved the book Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad because it told the story about moving country for a second chance at life and respect.

Do you have an unpopular opinion related to music? I hate Morrissey.

brentan comments on Jan 23, 2019:

I really like Morrissey. Maybe it's the Irish connection. But he certainly has become quintessentially English in his eccentricity.

"Every Adult (from this Northern Kentucky School) failed.

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Here's another demonstration of respect from the Catholic teens: https://www.indy100.com/article/maga-hat-boys-covington-catholic-harassing-women-washington-nathan-phillips-twitter-video-8739981

Ear worm this morning. [youtu.be]

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

A very classy band. My favourite song is Haitian Divorce. I love that lyric: 'They dolly back They fade to black...'

Interesting bit of information technology history:

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

The data was put on solid state disks. Then he broke them in a fit of pique and the files had to downloaded again.

Do you believe religion will die out in the future?

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

I can't see it happening either. It fills a need.

Yes, I enjoyed The Beatles, Hendrix, Cream, and others growing up, but one of my favorites of the ...

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

From a time when fantasising about young girls was acceptable. Got to admit it's a very smooth song.

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Anyhow [youtube.com] Her voice reminds me of Bonnie Raitt

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

That's a very strong performance by everybody. I really enjoyed it. I think you're right about the voice.

I got an "INVITE" to greet new members, but poof, got nuttin'. Sup?

brentan comments on Jan 22, 2019:

I didn't want a greeter. I found it intrusive.

Joni..... [youtu.be]

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I saw her in Dublin and the Gorge in Washington state. She was always nervous, messed up a little sometimes. I told her I loved her from the grassy bank but she didn't hear me.

And I will help you bring it to the ground!

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Well, the little brat!

So how many of you have heard of Pantheism and how do you feel about it?

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I can relate to the idea. I think it's the new name for animism, which goes back a long way so it seems people are looking back in time because they've reached dead ends with modern thinking. I have Rupert Sheldrake to thank for anything I hear about it.

Can the UK possibly recover from the Brexit pantomime (in or out)??

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I think it will recover quite fast. Life goes on as it must, trade deals will be made as they must, people's memories will be short.

Would you like to be on this bus? I would go where they're going.

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Hey, it's the cast of Godspell. Pre-e-e-pare ye........

Anyone care to share their online dating horror stories? New group alert: [agnostic.com]

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I don't think she looks that bad.

Spotted a great photo on our local NPR station. Thought I'd share. [agnostic.com]

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Is it Mt. Rainier?

Nathan Phillips, Nick Sandmann encounter: a viral video shows a different side - CNN

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

Sandmann's face says it all. That's what people hated.

Dating in San Angelo is like...

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

I guess it wasn't written in the stars either.

Art demands sacrifices.

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

The story of modern art - the viewer has to suffer.

The greatest truth is the knowledge .

brentan comments on Jan 21, 2019:

This is the Christian definition of faith: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1. What religious viewpoint are you proposing or is it a personal opinion?

This picture is a graphical representation of my love for guac

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

She has to stop picking her nose.

I hate that I'm the type of person who gets super motivated by getting points & moving up levels, so...

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people (Luke 18:11).

really I discover myself.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Me too, sometimes.

Good Morning Hippies! Have a groovy Sunday. We have snow! Over a foot so far! Snowy Sunday!

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Drop the weed. Get out there quick and cover the vegetable plots.

He's not wrong.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

I would love to hear what Jordan Peterson makes of these particular young white males.

It is okay to disagree.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

I have a lot of respect for the Hegelian dialectic. It helps to stay relaxed and be less dogmatic. It's the thesis, antithesis and synthesis idea. You say something, I say something else, the truth lies somewhere in the mix. There will always be times where somebody comes out with opinions that are just unacceptable to most people but the Hegelian dialectic is great for all the stuff in the grey area.

We should be having sex. [newsweek.com]

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

We should but oh god, the price. The cost of a prostitute might be the smallest cost because it's just money. I'm thinking of the emotional cost, the horror when things go wrong and regretting you didn't stay in your peaceful, lonely room.

Because it's over an hour before dawn here, I poured myself an espresso laced with chocolate syrup ...

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Getting out of the house is very important for me. That said, I really love a Starbuck's hazelnut latte. BTW, anybody remember Nordstrum's 25 cent coffees? Do they still do it?

Don't tell nobuddee

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Snug as a bug.

Vote for , of course, but the choice to vote against is there too.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Do a number two on the wall.

Happy Birthday to Janis Joplin, born January 19, 1943.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

Sadly no. I love the Cheap Trills album. Wo, wo wo wo wo......

Sign language...it’s in the hands.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

You couldn't overrate the value of touch in our world. It doesn't speak yet it says so much.

Sickening.

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

That black and white photo puts things in perspective. Utterly depressing. I worked with a lot of Yahoos like that in Washington State. The combination of arrogance and ignorance was staggering. Generally speaking, I think it's more a feature of rural America but I wouldn't claim my experience is the whole story.

Teens in Make America Great Again hats taunted a Native American elder at the Lincoln Memorial - CNN

brentan comments on Jan 20, 2019:

That's a demonstration of the combination of arrogance and ignorance so prevalant in America.

Beware the Furies, President Trump NY Times [nyti.ms] Love these women.

brentan comments on Jan 19, 2019:

The Furies belonged to a time when emotion ruled over reason and revenge ruled over justice. They were laid to rest in a symbolic way by placing them under the podium in the new Greek court of justice to signify that although retribution was part of justice, the passion of personal vengeance was now handed over to the state to provide an objective justice that would put an end to the cycle of personal vendettas (Aeschylus' Orestes). It's not a helpful way to think about the new faces in government.

Reframe your way of thinking

brentan comments on Jan 19, 2019:

1. I think if society adopts equality of outcome, the incentive to improve quality product is lost 2. I think a basic universal wage could work to provide the basics without bankrupting the country 3. I think social democracy would really help to provide good social services

This may border on the group specifications, but anything with Pavarotti is too good to ignore.

brentan comments on Jan 19, 2019:

Oh lordy, that was a treat!