There are a lot of things to dislike about Christmas.

genessa comments on Dec 18, 2018:

as a jew i resent that no one says we have to remember all those who are spending chanukah alone (and i only mention chanukah because it falls within a month of christmas, sometimes closer, sometimes farther; it's not a major holiday on the jewish calendar). if i were alone (if it wasn't by choice) i doubt a christmas card would cheer me up! g

What are your thoughts/ideas on unicorns?

genessa comments on Dec 18, 2018:

unicorns definitely exist in picture books and in computer games. elsewhere... not so much. g

Simple pastrami with potatoes, sauerkraut, and rotkohl, with a side of toast with raclette melted on...

genessa comments on Dec 17, 2018:

looks fab! we had mabudofu with fresh orange sliced and a hunk of jalapeno cornbread. g

Do any of you former believers still say or think phrases from your Christian days?

genessa comments on Dec 17, 2018:

it's like a commercal jingle, isn't it? but no, the one you name i never did say (i've also never been christian so i have no christian days). i say "jesus christ" if i bang my toe, although "oh fuck" is just as good, and in neither case am i to be taken literally. g

How do you decorate for the holidays?

genessa comments on Dec 17, 2018:

nice dolls. i love dollies. i decorate for the holiday by lighting a menorah. i have a two-d menorah decal hanging from a ceiling light all year round, too. g

How about creating our own fairy tales for children ?

genessa comments on Dec 17, 2018:

grimm and andersen did not write religious stories (there may be exceptions but the vast majority of their work had no religious overtones). there is nothing wrong with writing new fairy tales, but the ones already written are pretty darned good too! g

Why isn't chemotherapy free for cancer patients

genessa comments on Dec 17, 2018:

this is a terrible meme with false conflation. indeed cancer patients should have free chemo, indeed free healthcare that includes chemo and insulin and everything else (but insurance DOES cover insulin, you know, so for the insured patient it IS free), but what the HELL has that got to do with addiction or addicts? i see this meme all the time and it's ridiculous. it's not as if chemo isn't free because addicts get methadone, which, by the way, isn't actually free. the meds that are not free are expensive thanks to greedy big pharma, NOT because once in a while an addict's life is saved for free. get real. g

Am I doomed relationship wise being a minority in a minority?

genessa comments on Dec 17, 2018:

no one is doomed unless they consider themselves doomed. g

Forgive me if I don’t know enough about the Ukraine War but which side is the right side to be on?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

i have a different take on it from those who have commented so far. i believe the crimeans who want to be russian are not real; it's pr that has filtered to us. russia has used military force and propaganda to take land that did not belong to it. it's as simple as that, and russia has worked hard to make it seem complicated. g

I have just read that an academic study shows older folks who have regular sex stay healthier than ...

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

why would younger folk be horrified? what business of theirs would it be how other people, regardless of age, have sex? g

I don't think this store in Japan understands what that word means...

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

there is also the butcher shop that called itself "flesh market," and a slew of companies calling themselves "mediocre" because in japan, not standing out is valued, and they don't QUITE understand the negative connotations of "mediocre." then there is the time that they said, of mcarthur's bid for the presidency, "we play for mcarthur's erection." g

Bet you didn't know this....

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

you lose that bet. g

Can you recall the most romantic moment of your lifetime? Care to describe it?​

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

haha can i describe one that SHOULD have been the most romantic but wasn't? how about three? they're related. 1. my guy (yes by then he was my guy) and i went to hawaii together and he bought me a beautiful ring, a very, very expensive ring but more importantly, beautiful and from him because he wanted me to have it. as he slipped it gently onto my finger, he murmured, "this is not an engagement ring." (as it turns out, it was, but we didn't know it at the time.) 2. we went to jamaica (i won a recipe contest and a trip for two to jamaica and a stay in a clothing-optional resort was the prize!) as i was checking in, i saw that the registration form asked if we were on our honeymoon, if we were planning to marry at the resort or if we were engaged. i looked up at my guy and asked him, "are we engaged?" he was startled. i explained what the form had asked. he responded that he would have to think about it. we finished registering and were taken to our luxurious room. i sat down on the bed and he lingered by the door, eventually turning to me and grumbling, "all right, i guess we're engaged." how romantic! 3. a couple months later, on my guy's birthday we went to a concert and then to a late dinner, after which i was pretty tired, but he wanted to drive out to a lake (we have a lot of lakes here). i reluctantly agreed, but when we got there, i quickly realized that every mosquito in minnesota had been waiting for me. they all attacked at once. oblivious to that, my guy got down on one knee, produced a cheap ring and asked me formally to marry him. i told him i certainly would but only if he got me the hell away from all those mosquitoes! g

How do people normally deal with being informed of a friends death?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

there is no denying it is disheartening, even shocking. there is no one way people "usually" get over it, though. you just have to put it in the "bad things that happened" compartment of your mind, make as much sense of it as you can and understand that you are not in a position to understand fully. it was his life. you almost certainly could not have helped him. it wasn't your fault, and you can't be blamed for not knowing why he didn't reply to your messages, or for thinking ill of him briefly when he didn't. you didn't know. g

My atheism is getting me kicked out yet again.

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

kicked out of where? pardon me if i'm thick but i am not understanding what you've been kicked out of. if you have an apartment, your landlords cannot legally kick you out for being an atheist. if you're staying with friends... why? and why choose people who are fundies? can you clarify? g

Here’s a thought.

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

i think your hand slipped again! this would reach the people in charge in the category site & customer service! g

Wow is the majority of people here OVER 50?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

i know i am. i have not conducted a study of who else is or isn't, and this poll, while it might tell you how many people who are interested in polls are also over 50, it won't tell you how many people on the site are over 50 (or how many people on the site are interested in polls). g

Anyone else notice how few antibiotics are being developed now [pharmaceutical-journal.com]

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/ten-new-antibiotics-6009164 ten new ones. g

What were you.

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

i was painfully shy, persecuted by antisemites who threw pennies at me, a bookworm and mostly asleep. now i am no longer shy at all, not afraid to stand up to antisemites, islamophobes or anyone else who persecutes people unfairly (that excludes trump: he deserves persecution and prosecution!) a theoretical bookworm with bad eyes and mostly asleep. well, three out of four ain't bad. g

[cannabis.net] Is vegan weed even real?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

what about weed is NOT vegan? does some part of it come from an animal? so the real question is "is nonvegan weed even real?" g

The Whole Republican Party Seems to be Going to Jail Now

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

it can't happen too soon. we only have one major party in this country at the moment. the republican "party" is a criminal organization posing as a party. g

Who are two of your favorite musicians, singer/songwriters who you feel should have more of an ...

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

van morrison doesn't have wide recognition? sure, the more the merrier, but he is really, really famous, and has been for half a century! i was listening to him in 1970 and i was a latecomer. i am not sure how famous esperanza spalding is, but i think she could use more recognition. who ever heard of love tractor? i'm not sure they're still a band but if they were, still no one would know them. they're contemporaries of r.e.m. and from the same university town. but if you want someone current.... more people should know about kitka. g

If there is no God, and hence no meaning, is the reason atheists don't kill themselves because of ...

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

sorry, but since when does their being no god mean there is no meaning? that is a leap of logic for sure. as for atheists fearing what's on the other side, atheists are the ones who know there IS no other side. we're the ones who are NOT afraid. as for atheists not killing themselves have you got statistics to support that assertion? g

Why do you think it is that we only see middle to upper middle class in church and never see lower ...

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

are you kidding? you think that lower class or poor christians don't go to church? seriously? g

Are women less ethical than men?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

how can you generalize about the character of a gender? that is a ridiculous question. g

Does the song. "Silent Night" stir any feelings for you?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

i never liked that one. then again, i'm jewish, and i feel quite inundated by all the christmas stuff for a few months out of every year, and just want to go hide. i don't feel that way about every christmas song, but that one, yeah, i really dislike it. g

Are you ready for President Pelosi?

genessa comments on Dec 16, 2018:

yes. i like her, but to tell you the truth, i'm ready for anyone not connected with trump or the republican party. g

Could a genius be considered a peer...if?

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

peer of whom, in what? (i don't see a poll here. did you mean to add one?) if someone knows stuff, who cares how s/he learned it? but being a genius has nothing to do with that. iq is a measure of potential. g

I smoke, I drink, I do drugs does that make me undesirable, unreliable, disloyal, unloving and ...

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

smoking, well, that will eliminate many. drugs -- you've said it's grass. big deal. it's an herb, not a drug. but when i first read your post, and the second and third times too, for some reason i thought you were calling yourself unreliable, disloyal and unloving. that would be a dealbreaker but now i understand you're just asking. so... yes, for me it would not make you a shit person but i couldn't date a person who smoked. i have asthma and i have it BECAUSE my folks smoked. i'm lucky that's ALL i got from that. but i'm not available anyway, and meanwhile there are female smokers, drinkers and tokers, so if you're a shit person, it won't be because of what you listed as your vices (by implication) and if you're undatable it also won't be because of that. that being all i know of you, then, i have to say, not necessarily. g

We've lost another: [abcnews.go.com]

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

that is sad. i only ever saw her in "the heart is a lonely hunter," a truly wonderful movie. i never saw her in ay eastwood films. i can't stand eastwood. reading what little is said of him in this article doesn't improve my opinion of him. i don't hold that against locke. i am sorry she is gone, and that she died so hard. g

I just wondering how many dog lovers or cat lovers have multiple pets of the same kind.

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

i currently have one dog and five cats. at one point i had 11 cats and one (different) dog. my family had as many as four dogs at a time, along with up to four cats. does my man count? he's not really housebroken.... g

For those who enjoy art (potentially way more than me).

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

i can't choose one artist or one style, though impressionism impresses me, but i do like chaim soutine quite a lot.

If your kid was gay. Yes or no and why?

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

if my kid (i have no kids) was gay, what would my yes or no do, anyway? and yes or no WHAT? yes or no have lunch? and why do you choose the keyword troll -- or did someone else add that for you? g

Uninterested in Christmas

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

my family, what's left of it, is jewish. we have never had christmas. i hate christmas anyway. g

Guns: Give them to everyone as a government program.

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

yes, great idea. let's give guns to insane people, people convicted of violent crimes, abusive husbands, radicalized evangelicals, and anyone in my neighborhood i don't know who might have some grudge against someone and decide a gun is a good tool for solving it. g

I would rather deal with haters than live in a society where nobody, even haters, can speak their ...

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

it is possible to let people, even haters speak their minds and still draw the line at giving orders for violence. that's not speaking one's mind. a public speaker who has whipped a crowd into a frenzy is one thing. that speaker's then saying "all right guys, let's go beat up some [insert minority here]" is different. a husband on the phone with a friend saying "i hate my wife" is one thing. the same husband saying to the friend "i'll give you ten grand to murder my wife" is different. it's nice and easy to see things in black and white and say everyone should speak their minds no matter what" but then one has to define what is and what is not speaking one's mind. nice for you that you'd rather deal with haters. maybe people who get beaten up or the loved ones of people who get killed because of what someone says feel differently about it. g

Please be aware of someone making posts called jujucewedu, they are asking us to click on a ...

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

look at the profile. atheist, believes in god, feh, trying to hit all bases, posts the same lame christmas message in a gazillion groups, which i am guessing for a variety of reasons are not groups with which she actually has any affinity, and the picture is probably not her own either. report, report, report! g

Where do you tend to go when you go down the YouTube rabbit hole?

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

as often as not, this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SIpg4l_ts8 g p.s. it went to the spot where i left off! just drag it back to the beginning!

So, tell us, do you think in terms of race or ethnicity?

genessa comments on Dec 15, 2018:

there is no such physical thing as race; there are populations and families but race is a social construct. race, as i perceive it, is something put on a group from outside and ethnicity is something a group puts on itself from inside. g

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

please take this as sincere advice and not hostile criticism, but this has been posted a gazillion times here already. you may wish to search for tags before posting something like this. we all know about epicurus already. and i have answered, not quite a gazillion times, but often enough, that none of this disproves the existence of god, not that there is any need to do so, and if there was a need, which god would be disproven first (or should we start with the tooth fairy)? the possibility of there being a malevolent god, for example, doesn't disprove the existence of a god; it just disproves the existence of a GOOD god. and why call him god is kind of silly, since the religion prevalent in epicurus' lifetime had a whole pantheon of gods, most of whom behaved pretty badly. there are no gods and they do not need disproving. there just aren't any and no one has put forth any reason why i should revise that statement. epicurus thought he was logicking out proof that there is no god, or are no gods (though he speaks in the singular). it wasn't necessary. g

Is it just me, or does anyone else find the debate over “Happy Holidays” vs “Merry ...

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

the debate is totally stupid. the answer is totally easy. 1. if you know what the other person celebrates wish that person joy of that holiday. that includes merry christmas (happy christmas if you're british), happy chanukah, joyful kwanzaa, good solstice or WHATEVER. it's okay to be specific if you KNOW. 2. if you don't know what the other person celebrates, it's okay to ask and then be specific. 3. if you don't know what the other person celebrates and you're not in a position to ask, say happy holidays. 4. if you're addressing a group and the group is not homogeneous say happy holidays. 5. if you're not even sure the recipient of the greetings celebrates anything at all, say season's greetings, or how about hello? hello is good! hello works! the thing is, if you're really wishing happy ANYTHING to the recipient, then what you say should be about the recipient, not about you! otherwise your wish is hypocritical and shouldn't even be expressed, unless you say "happy whatever i celebrate and to hell with what YOU celebrate!" g

Baby It’s Cold Outside is banned while Santa gets away with things. [goo.gl]

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

no one is actually banning it. g

Was it the charm, intelligence and charisma that attracted Melania to 45?

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

yes, the charm of his money, the intelligence of his money and the charisma of his money. him, himself? not so much.... g

OK men.

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

i'm not a man, but i have a suggestion anyway: if the man cares about your image, forget him. don't worry about your image. g

OK ladies.

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

if a man were to try to improve his image he would make himself less attractive to me. i don't give a shit about image and no woman with any sense does either. my advice is not to try to improve his image. try to improve his being. g

My daughter's in-laws are uber religious and keep trying to take my grandson to church.

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

if your son-in-law doesn't know what to say to his parents you can advise him to say something like this: "mom, dad, i love you, and i want you to have a full, gratifying relationship with your grandson. however although he is YOUR grandson, he is MY son, and parents trump grandparents here. i do not want him being dragged off to church. i know you want him to go. i don't. he's my son. i win. the end. if you defy me on this i will have to limit or even end the time you spend with your grandson. i sure would hate to do that." g

The Jew With The Soul of a Nazi - POS or what?

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

i knew when i saw the headline this would be about miller. i have long known that self-hatred is the worst kind. g

[aish.com] Jews in The Wild Wild West - Very interesting

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

i read about jews in the wild west -- it's an amazing thing that most people don't think about! also women, also people of color. the west wasn't won by folks who looked like john wayne! g

How many of us remember this interesting TV show?

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

oh haha sometimes my mom had it on. i didn't want to watch it! that and queen for a day, not my thing then, not now either but now i'd watch it at least once just to give my jaw some exercise (dropping) lol g

I have heard many object to medicine and how it is practiced but i wonder how many have not been ...

genessa comments on Dec 14, 2018:

from the comments here i gather most people have a new definition for homeopathy, but here is the actual definition: "ho·me·op·a·thy "/ˌhōmēˈäpəTHē/Submit "noun "the treatment of disease by minute doses of natural substances that in a healthy person would produce symptoms of disease." i think today the word is used to mean any kind of treatment that isn't ordered by a doctor! here is a definition i found that appears to me to misuse the original concept: "Homeopathy is an alternative medical practice in which extremely dilute amounts of certain natural substances are used to treat various ailments." the words "minute" and "natural" are in both definitions, but boy oh boy are they otherwise different! oddly, i was born in the hospital named after the man who invented homeopathy: samuel christian hahnemann. i think he would be shocked at how the term is used, and how the new meaning is put into practice, today. i cannot speak for or against his theory but i can say that it's not what's happening today in the name of homeopathy. i am guessing that pasteur knew about the original concept and developed his ideas about vaccines partly as a result. you can't beat that with a stick. that's not what homeopathy is or means today and when you buy a so-called homeopathic product you don't know whether you're getting a poison or a placebo. but it's dangerous to throw the baby out with the bath water and there are natural substances that have their uses in healing. there are no panaceas, and so-called homeopathic products are touted as panaceas (when in fact many of them are not even monoceas, and yes, i just made up that word). i would not scoff at every single natural substance used (in minute amounts or otherwise) for a specific proven purpose, just because it's not a chemical medicine, but i certainly scoff at the industry that has arisen around so-called homeopathy. if something tells you it's good for everything it's probably good for nothing. g

Honestly, I joined to meet smart, non-religious guys here, not really to just chat.

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

i don't think it works like that. i think people find each other for dating here by chatting. i rather like that idea, though i am not here for dating, myself; if i were, i'd sure rather find out how prospective guyfriends thought and felt by chatting in a group first before getting personal one-on-one! so my take on it is that you use the chatrooms to find guys, not by making posts like "anyone out there for me?" (which i have seen -- oy, that does NOT work!) but by reading and chatting about things that interest you and seeing who else shares not only your interests but your basic mindset, and then seeing if there is a mutual attraction hiding there. (as for having enough time, well, didn't diana ross sing that you can't hurry love?) g

Did yall ever notice the guy thats the boss in the 1st episode and the guy that plays al the ...

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

ah you know as much as i love the show, i either never did notice mcgill in the first episode or i did and have long since forgotten. keep the tidbits coming! i may once more be able to watch the episodes again. i miss them! g

I put some cheese back at the store the other day because I noticed it said non-GMO; went back to ...

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

isn't that like asking for milk from brown cows in the expectation of getting chocolate milk? g

My current mood.

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

we think alike, i think. i like to cook and when i am making a marinade for some stir-fry meat, i do my dalek impression: "marinate! marinate!" g

It bothers me when I see or hear an atheist or agnostic using the cliché "passed away.

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

i don't care for the phrase myself but just as i will say omg without calling on a deity (and oh shit without ordering anyone to defecate) i don't actually mind passed away for religious or antireligious reasons. it bothers me more that folks can't just say DIE. i don't take passed away automatically to mean pass from one form of existence to another. it could as easily mean pass from being alive to being dead, the end. so on THAT level it doesn't bother me one bit. i just don't like euphemisms that must unless they're funny. g

I have heard many object to medicine and how it is practiced but i wonder how many have not been ...

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

the fda is as much controlled by lobbyists as any other agency or agent. it approves things that are harmful and disapproves things that may be helpful but conflict with an existing drug that will lose money if it has competition. as for homeopathic cures, people make wild claims and others are harmed by believing those claims, but there are simple things that work, not for everything, but for specific ailments. cloves DO ease a toothache. it won't fix a broken leg. marijuana IS being shown to kill cancer cells and untangle the tau tangles of alzheimer's. it won't cure diptheria, and it probably won't cure all levels and sorts of cancer, especially not by itself, but it does those specific things. meanwhile, there are lifesaving chemical-based drugs and there are also chemical-based drugs whose side effects kill. we can't judge a classification of medicine by the ignorance or the deceptiveness of its practitioners. g

Yes I know that one of the contexts of all lives matter is that it sometimes is used to criticize ...

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

"Let’s say some folks from antifa start a huge fight and there’s violence involved. And let’s say a right winger decides to bust out a peace symbol in response to the violence. All of the sudden the peace symbol is offensive and associated with white supremacy." seriously? this reminds me of a woman i knew who said she wouldn't watch a show like roots or holocaust because it created bad feelings among people. she asked me, "what if after watching holocaust one night a little jewish child picked on a little nazi child?" since when is being antifascist a BAD thing, and since when do people who are against fascism start fights and get violent? this is a total fantasy! and no right winger is EVER going to bust out a peace symbol for any reason. get real. g

Yes I know that one of the contexts of all lives matter is that it sometimes is used to criticize ...

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

yes, i want to burst the bubble. i want to burst "make america great again" too and there is nothing wrong with that, theoretically and in a vacuum. but we don't live in a vacuum and information is power. i do not think that explaining a position is the same as chewing someone's ear off, and i don't think wanting not to live in a vacuum makes me or anyone else an asshole control freak. g

Please don’t ban Mr Rogers. He didn’t do anything wrong.

genessa comments on Dec 13, 2018:

who is banning mister rogers? g

Manifesting reality

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

one can only hope. note that "perceived" is the operational word in your understanding. perceptions can change, and not ONLY by mass movement. one can wake up to objective reality, assuming we're not all dreaming ourselves and each other; it is certainly paralyzing to imagine so, so we assume the pavement or farmland underour feet is real and keep walking. given that little caveat and tossing it aside, ideas aren't things. things are things. it's okay to keep knowing there are no gods, even though other people imagine there is at least one. g

I wonder when the left will give up its revenge fantasy and return to a political persuasion I can ...

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

as soon as you give up your fantasy that the left is operating on a revenge fantasy. g

I’m against circumcisions.

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

i am curious as to why you think the cleanliness aspect is junk science. g

How can we become better at critical thinking?

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

practice makes perfect. or tired. or something. g

The limits to freedom of speech

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

your right to swing your arm ends at my nose. freedom of speech ends at incitement to riot/violence, endangering others (yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre where there is no fire) and slander/libel. when does each individual statement become an incentive or incitement? that has to be decided case by case, like anything else. g

Some people say that the signs that say ‘it’s okay to be white’ came from the kkk and neo ...

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

wrong. there is context. there is history. it does matter where it comes from because it is a dog whistle and it means more than it says. in this society, it is a GIVEN that it's okay to be white. just as "black lives matter" and "black pride" do not need to be countered by "white lives matter" (everyone knows that, but apparently to many, black lives do NOT matter) and "white pride" (that goes without saying, but black kids had to LEARN to be proud of who they were because they were always told they had nothing to be proud of), we don't need to be told it's okay to be white. we're not having a problem with that. the problem is that for many it's not okay to be anything BUT white (and male, for that matter). g

One good thing about Chibnall - he put the kibosh on this “lonely god” crap and made the Doctor ...

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

good article, with which i largely, but not totally, agree. i rather miss the lonely god thing; it was a huge part of the tenth doctor's persona, and it was his major flaw. every hero should have at least one flaw. it doesn't happen to be part of the current doctor, and that's okay, i guess, but i can't help thinking that yes, it MIGHT be because she is female. this is both positive and negative. showing a female know-it-all is considered more grating than showing a male one; that could be defied. on the other hand, it would highlight the "oh this female is different" thing, which WOULD be crap. so it is kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't in that respect. i'm also not as enamored of chibnall as this author is, but that doesn't impair the validity of some of the observations. definitely an informed, interesting read. g

Remember using these?

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

i still have some of them. g

Just watched mirror image. I guess its the very last episode. I get it, but it just weird.

genessa comments on Dec 12, 2018:

it is weird. it is meant to be weird, i think. it's sad, too, isn't it? bittersweet ending to the series. excellent guest cast! g

Is anyone there?

genessa comments on Dec 11, 2018:

all you have to do is look and see the new posts as they come in and you get your answer. i don't see who anyone who actually looks at what's on the site thinks no one is actually active here. obviously we are! g

I am so, so tired of this: ".

genessa comments on Dec 11, 2018:

off the top of my head and in no particular order: 1. ugly is as ugly does. rejecting someone who isn't photogenic may mean you have rejected that ONE who would love you forever, whether you loved her at first or learned to love her or somewhere in between. 2. are you looking for a lot of women or just one? if a lot, well, then, you may want to customize yourself to appeal to a lot of women. if just one, then find the woman who loves you as you are... but be ready to love her as she is, too (see #1 above). 3. no one likes being touched inappropriately (that's why it's called inappropriate!) so your statement is at best is miswritten and at worst scary. 4. be glad the ones who move on seeing you're an atheist do move on. you don't need those women. g

One of those beautiful days where I wake up actually feeling pretty good, and people on here are ...

genessa comments on Dec 11, 2018:

they should all be beautiful and i hope they are :-)) g

Baby It's Cold Outside...what's your take on the now controversial lyrics?

genessa comments on Dec 10, 2018:

from variety: "Taken maybe a smidgeon more seriously than its creator intended, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is the story of a woman doing battle — not with a guy who won’t take no for an answer, but with the expectations of a society that won’t take yes for an answer. The most critical word in the whole piece is “ought,” as in, “I ought to say no, no, no sir.” She isn’t trying to fend off advances — she is mouthing excuses so she can “at least… say that I tried.” He won’t face judgment sneaking home, whereas she can tick off at least three family members who’ll notice when she sneaks in after hours. It’s not just the kinfolk but a nation of suspicious minds there at the door, waiting to sniff the cigarettes, booze and boys on her breath. At least two out of three of which she is explicitly the one asking for, by the way: “maybe just a cigarette more,” she requests, along with “maybe just half a drink more.” She is not being plied with alcohol — she is plying herself, with intoxicating stalling tactics she hopes will make the “spell” of romance and sexual chemistry finally out-loom the specter of the family scowling behind the porch light." "The song has been ripe for role-reversal covers over the years… starting with its point of origin. In the 1949 film “Neptune’s Daughter,” where it was introduced, it’s first sung by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban — but then by Betty Garrett and Red Skelton (pictured above) with Garrett singing the “male” part. Decades later, Miss Piggy took the would-be aggressor’s role in a duet with Rudolf Nureyev in a steam room. “Saturday Night Live” did a terrific spoof in 2013 with Jimmy Kimmel and Cecily Strong, adding post-coital verses where he’s trying to leave and she won’t let him. (“Are we still on for next weekend / You said you’d take me antiquin'” is a rhyme Loesser might approve of.)"

Am I wrong to have my guard up over this?

genessa comments on Dec 10, 2018:

why would you have to pretend anything? just say "no thank you." that being said, "stretching is for losers" is not just snarky, it's dead wrong. meanwhile, if you don't go to the gym to pal around with snobs, you don't have to pal around with snobs (or anyone else). i do have a question. when you say you told people about it: what people? other people at the gym? the instructor who was dissed by one of the stinkeyes? people you know who don't go to the gym? it makes a difference because it provides context for their responses. g

I don't see any group categories relating to families, or intimately close personnel relationships ...

genessa comments on Dec 10, 2018:

there is a religion and spirituality category and a family & parenting category. one can choose one or post the same thing in both. g

Question.

genessa comments on Dec 10, 2018:

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/opinion/editorials/ this is the link to submit a letter to the editor of the gettysburg times. g

After accepting your views on religion....

genessa comments on Dec 10, 2018:

i never had a religious family. i didn't go to church before, during or after; i am jewish. i don't believe there are any gods because i have absolutely no good reason to believe in any gods. g

Is it necessary to demonize people with different opinions or groups?

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

it is neither necessary nor good to demonize people with different opinions, tastes, ethnicities or anything like that. however, people who are in power and use their power to persecute others are demonizing themselves and should be called out for it. people who approve of this also need to be called out for it. g

Anti theism - what are the logics?

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

i am not antitheist. i think belief in gods is silly but i think wearing pink stripes with green polka dots is silly too and i feel the need to go after people who do that. i am okay with people believing all kinds of silly crap. i am not okay with their legislating, executing or adjudicating it in any level of government (or public education). i am not okay with their trying to get ME to believe in, or act according to, their silly crap. i am anti-theocracy. g

My employer just hired their first Trans person, female to Male.

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

if you remember that in "trans person" the operative word is PERSON you'll be fine. use male pronouns; he's a guy, regardless of what his body used to be. no eggshells required. g

Atheists, what is the one main thing that keeps you from believing in God?

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

nothing. there is nothing that encourages me to believe in any gods. i don't need a reason NOT to believe. i would need a reason TO believe. g

Why do Christians celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December when Jesus wasn't born on that day?

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

in addition to what @sfvpool said, there is the solstice that needed to be celebrated. since there may well have been no jesus to be born at any time of the year, and since if he existed there was no way he survived unless he was born in the summertime, a bit of fudging was in order. g

This is how a church should be. Your thoughts?

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

i have never been christian; i don't go to churches (i mean, to visit, like for the architecture of the history, or a concert, yeah, but "go to church" isn't something i have a history of doing. so why would i want to choose a church and see how a church should be? it all sounds very pleasant if you need a church, and i am not being sarcastic. i don't happen to need one. g

How much should you sleep? Napping, fatigue, and oversleeping

genessa comments on Dec 9, 2018:

my bladder will not let me sleep long. i also have a cat who pulls my hair when she's hungry, and she has good access while i'm lying down. g

Is anybody on this site going to post an intelligent comment, ?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

sure. show me an intelligent post. g

Remember Alice B. Toklas Cookbook Anyone?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

i vaguely do! there is a reason for the vagueness.... g

Is 8:50 pm too early to be in bed on a Friday night?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

sorry i didn't answer sooner. i was in bed, sleeping. g

What's your go-to soul soother after a particularly harrowing day?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

the grateful dead's first live-dead album (red cover, double album, starts with dark star). the love of my five cats, one dog and irritating but loving man. g

Ladies, I have a question for you.

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

i don't get any of that. i have encountered weird posts that made me check out the posters and determine that they were fakes, scammers using one of a few well-used specific profile descriptions, and model pictures. i've reported them. most were female; one was male. i also did get one message that was suspicious and managed to fend the guy off. i did not report him, only because i said i would if he contacted me again, and he did back off, so i felt i should sort of keep my implied word. g

Which features of men you find the most sexy?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

the brain. no contest. g

Moth balls are surprisingly large compared to the size of the moth body. I'm impressed.

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

i am still looking for the fossils of old castrated matzas. g

I am sick & tired of this whole atheist eating babies myth that keeps going around! I don't think I ...

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

welcome to the world of the jew! we jews were the targets of that accusation long before we atheists ever were. (yes i say we to both; i am a cultural, secular, quite godless jew). google "blood accusation" (pardon me if you already know what that is; most people do not). anyway it is a horrible accusation. everyone knows christian babies are very tough and tasteless. g

I think that many of my friends who adamantly oppose today's Republicans are missing one point.

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

i do not think we are missing that point. we know that. but that third is not what is important. it's the republican politicians who, while already realizing they're making themselves unelectable, still for the most part HAVE to support trump because they, too, are compromised. they will leave their positions rather than fight trump. they owe russia, bigtime. g

It is Jim Morrison's birthday. Anyone have a favorite Doors song?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

john lennon died on jim morrison's birthday? strange! but then people are strange. i, too, love the alabama song, but morrison changed an important lyric. the original says "next pretty boy," not "... girl." you wouldn't think morrison would be afraid of that lyric. check out dave van ronk's version. well, here, let me just put it here for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d20sPvMLGls=1=RDd20sPvMLGls g

So, I've never quite understood why, when a loved pet dies, owners so often say they won't ever get ...

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

better to have loved and lost, and all that. it hurts like hell. i've lost so many. i look at my five elderly cats with absolute fear of losing them. yet i wouldn't erase having known them, and knowing them now, for anything. they've added so much to my life. i hope i have done likewise. i have reason to believe i've given them good lives. g

Anyone else getting a headstart on breaking their New Year's resolutions?

genessa comments on Dec 8, 2018:

the only new year's resolution i've ever made was not to make new year's resolutions, and except for making that one, i've kept it. g

I am a believer in a creator ( God ) but i don't buy into the whole Jesus aspect.

genessa comments on Dec 6, 2018:

judaism, to name one of many. there's more to it, though, than believing in a creator and not worshiping jesus (and while judaism does accept converts, it doesn't do so lightly, and there is studying involved, usually for about a year). you also have not said what kind of creator you believe in and what that creator means to you and that would influence what religion suited you best. i should also mention that asking on this particular site for a recommendation of a religion is... let's call it an interesting choice, since this isn't a site where people believe in a god but just not jesus. atheism isn't the opposite of christianity. this is a site where most of us are equal opportunity atheists/agnostics, and disbelieve in ALL gods, not just a particular one. (some may view it as being a bit like asking a vegan to recommend a cut of steak for you.) that doesn't mean you're not welcome and it doesn't mean you shouldn't ask, but be prepared for answers that you might not find satisfying, possibly including my own. g

What are some of your most favorite things about Christmas(if there are any lol)?

genessa comments on Dec 6, 2018:

i love mid-january when people start to take down the lights and stop being all holiday-y. g

The difference between religion and cults is tax exemption. Agree or disagree?

genessa comments on Dec 6, 2018:

disagree. many people belong to a religion but it doesn't run their lives. in a cult, there is a charismatic leader, isolation of the members from nonmembers, including and sometimes especially family, and the cult's control of every aspect of their lives. religion CAN be like that, but mostly it isn't. g

Are you prepared for Xmas?

genessa comments on Dec 5, 2018:

i am never prepared for christmas. i hate christmas. i feel overwhelmed and ignored and invisible. i've never been christian and never will be christian, and i'm not even that much of a capitalist. i'm a jewish atheist in the middle of celebrating chanukah, and i have to hear christmas songs everywhere! g

How do other atheists/ agnostics celebrate winter season.

genessa comments on Dec 5, 2018:

i light candles, make latkes, spin a dreidel, talk about freedom of/from religion (which, despite the later addition of the "miracle" bit, is what chanukah is about). i also try not to fall down. it's icy out. g