How to get people to like you

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i have no interest in getting people to like me. i have an interest in being the best me i can be. if people like me for that, fabulous! if people want me to be someone else so they can like me, they'd better go find someone else. g

Will things in the world continue to get better?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

how can they continue to get better when at the moment they're getting worse? g

MAGA: No one knows exactly what that is except perhaps a marketing slogan .

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

1. i haven't seen any extreme liberals threaten to leave. i actually haven't even seen any extreme liberals. 2. and 4. i'm with ya. 3. don't lump religious extremists and israel supporters together, and learn a little middle eastern history. 5. we may not agree about which networks are okay, but we agree that we don't need smiley talking heads. g

Question re commercialization of site

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

if i may interject my purely personal and not-at-all-official (since i am just a user here) opinion about what SHOULD be (not saying that's how it is, just how i hope it is): a link to your book, even on amazon, should be okay. affiliate links should not be okay. g

Prejudice 😡

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

by far the crap i have taken for being jewish. i take a lot less, in person, for being an atheist, though i certain take heat for that online. g

What to say in response for being prayed for (expect fireworks thereafter)

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

funny, but not practical as responses go. i generally just ask not to be prayed for. "no thank you" sometimes works. g

Dream interpretation...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

dream interpretation exists; there is no believing or not believing in it. it exists. is it accurate? it depends on what you expect from it and who is doing the interpreting. people who interpret your dreams to predict something are either delusional or playing you. people who interpret your dreams on a psychological level -- that's another story. those who know how can really give you some insight into what your dreams say about you. those who don't may mislead you, whether on purpose or otherwise. i have interpreted dreams. i'm not bad. i have some psychological understanding. i've seen people get it REALLY wrong. g

So, you don't believe - that means you want to be your own god

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

actually it was said by a character played by peter o'toole, not by peter o'toole speaking of himself. it's from a movie called "the ruling class" and he plays an insane character. the fact that the quotation is apt despite his insanity is what makes it so funny. g

Kapernack, Nike, and the NFL can all kiss my fanny. Do you agree?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

caepernick isn't doing anything wrong, and probably has no interest in your ass. he is making a silent, respectful statement. most veterans and military personnel from whom we've heard agree with him, and do not consider him to be disrespecting the military, veterans or the flag. there is a meme that says it well: rosa parks wasn't protesting the bus. caepernick isn't protesting the flag or the anthem. it's a way to call attention to the real, and really awful, problem of cops beating up and even killing unarmed black men (and some women) who aren't even doing anything, sometimes in their own homes. someone here asked why he didn't march to washington. why should he? he has a venue. he is using it. he is smart to do it and heartful to want to. g

My friends and I use the terminology of "baby atheists" for atheists who have recently abandoned ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i see some here. i was raised a secular jew so my realization that there were no gods was not traumatic. g

I enjoy dabbling in the kitchen and hate wasting food so I put together dinners of what's been in ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

sounds good except for the celery. i call this sort of thing kitchen sink cooking. g

What's your favourite meat? If you're a veggie or a vegan you can give this a miss :-)

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

lamb. g

I've come to realization that it doesn't matter to anyone but yourself when you say today is the day...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

everyone wants to break me (or you) emotionally and mentally? i don't think for an instant that most people, even among those who know me, have designs, good OR evil, on my emotions or mental state, but those who do mostly mean me no harm and i don't hang out with those who do mean me harm. people who don't want to get physical with you have their own reasons and are not withholding physicality to deprive you. i can safely say that! applying for a job is good. being sober is good. you have good goals there but you need to realize that the world is not out to get you. if a small portion of it is, leave that portion behind. g

God is the construct of society ,Philosophy is dead.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

god is the construct of pre-society, changed and perpetuated by various societies and there are no gods, never have been. philosophy is not dead. it just doesn't get around much anymore. there is no afterlife, never was. truth about WHAT? it's not just a big THING called "truth." g

What's your favorite religious song?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

and here is the other one i found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdalBvgNAxI g

What's your favorite religious song?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

pretty much anything in klezmer style, but most klezmer isn't religious. the religious stuff tends to be christian, and i've never been christian. i suppose it's a toss-up between "i'll fly away" and "when i can read my titles clear." i like medieval christmas songs, too. the only even remotely modern christmas song i can think of offhand that i like is "have yourself a merry little christmas," but it has context, you see: it's from "meet me in st. louis" and there is a reason judy garland is singing it. i do have two favorite ANTI-religious songs, and i wonder if i can find them both on youtube? oh, look, i found the one i thought i wouldn't be able to and here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo3jLbJ_DpQ g

I can usually maintain a positive attitude by reflecting on worse places I've been or jobs I've ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

it's a tie. one was a job as a receptionist/scheduler for a photography studio. the boss, who was jewish, and used his real name with dark-haired customers and an alias with light-haired customers, noted that my surname is "overtly jewish" and asked me if i had ever considered changing it? when i said no he asked me IF i would please consider changing it! i was new in town and had just finally gotten this job, so i reluctantly agreed. first of all, i felt funny denying who i was (never mind that i am a jewish atheist; no one has an atheistic name lol!) second of all, the work was such that i had scheduled the photographer out for a month when they asked me to stop scheduling anymore, and i sat and twiddled my thumbs. each eight-hour day took a year. it was torment. this was on top of the realization that my employer's wife hired undocumented workers and underpaid them and screamed at them and treated them as slaves. i lasted a whole month there. the other job was for an advertising agency, and i have written of this elsewhere, but they abused all their workers, not paying overtime for extra work (which practice was illegal in california, where i was) and had employees spying on one another as well. it was dreadful and i didn't last very long there either. those were the worst, unless i am forgetting something. g

How to live life without God?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

the same way you always did, since there never was any god, except you can leave out the parts where you pray or perform rituals meant to please this nonexistent god. just be the best person you can be. you don't need a god to tell you how to do that. g

I've never voted but in 2020 I'm voting libertarian, I come to a strong conclusion today thinking ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

congratulations. your libertarian vote will help elect republicans. g

What's the silliest thing you've ever said to another person?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i am told that when i was about nine, i assured an adult that i was "young for my age." g

Like me, you may be tired of '.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

my guy has alzheimer's. his intellect is deteriorating. is he worthless, then? my ism of choice would be humanism. g

I'm going to put my boat in the water and go save some of the imbeciles sitting on rooftops but ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

that's not only mean, it's ridiculous. not everyone had the means to leave. not everyone has a car. some people are disabled. i know of one guy who stayed because he owned a pet shop with over 100 animals in it and he spent the time he could have spent escaping rescuing the animals and bring them to his own home instead. you gonna ask him who he voted for? g

I have been to the US often on business but id really like to there on a long vacation.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

you're thinking of mount rushmore. don't forget to stop in little places, too, just to see real people! g

Did you lose friends because Trump?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

yes. and for the most part they were not close friends and it's their loss. there are one or two who dumped me and that saddened me, for they had seemed like reasonable people, and i am generally a good judge of character. i have dumped no real friends, but have had to block some facebook friends (meaning barely acquaintances in some cases, and more than that in others). usually i am not the one to do the leaving, unless someone turns out to be a racist, or otherwise mean. g

I have a quandary with my wife's final wishes.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

it would be pretty uncool. it would send the message that you did not care about your wife's final wishes. being there won't convert you or otherwise harm you or send a false message to anyone. the proper message, the one that will be sent, is that you love your wife. g

Jewish By Culture has been renamed Jewish By Culture/Jewish Memes.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

memes are okay but does this mean ONLY memes? i sure would be disappointed if that were so; i'd have no reason to remain in the group. i am not so much into memes. g

Family and Religion

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i do not have this experience at all, having been raised in a secular jewish household. my atheism didn't make the news in that household! but i can make a suggestion: smile politely and say "thank you for your input." if they continue, repeat that. rinse and repeat. g

Is there a band or song that you used to like a lot, but now can't stand to listen to?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

not really, not exactly. i know i used to like the association, not love, just like, and went to a concert of theirs. i don't know how old i was, but under 17 i think, since this was before i went off to college. the concert wasn't dreadful. it was disappointing. they looked and sounded like republicans (yes, even as a teen i would have perceived that!) and they performed each song EXACTLY as they had on their records. how boring! so since i wasn't CRAZY about them, and just kind of liked them, and since i don't find them disgusting to listen to, my answer might not jibe exactly with your experience, but i have to say i have exhibited pretty brilliant taste through most of my life lol! g

Interesting is listening to others ideas for their position on abortion

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i have no position on abortion. nobody likes abortion, not even abortion doctors, who would probably rather be delivering babies. my position isn't on abortion. it's on choice. if it's not your body, it's not your choice. if it is your body, it is your choice. that's my position. g

In other news, I went for a walk around my neighborhood about thirty minutes ago, just to get out of...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

going outside at night while black? how DARE you! next thing you know you'll be breathing while black. poor lady. it must be painful to be so ignorant. you can't escape stupid people. there is nowhere that there aren't stupid people. i do, however, hope you live in a place where it's not likely the cops will be of her mindset. good luck. g

Who's at fault?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

at fault for what? i do not have to respect anyone's beliefs. i should respect people's rights even if they believe stuff i think is absolutely stupid. there is no law against being stupid. i do not have to respect the imaginary right for people to push their stupid beliefs on others, including but not limited to me. i do not have to respect the imaginary right for people to harm others because they do not share their beliefs, whether they're stupid or not. i do not have to respect every single person in the world. i have to respect their rights, but respect them when they're disrespectful, or mean, or delusional? no, of course not. g

Let's say randomly as you are sitting down and relaxing you suddenly die for no apparent reason.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i would be speechless, as i almost am now. g

R u not supposed to put ur real name on sites like this.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

genessa IS my real name -- one of them, anyway. g p.s. why are people responding referring to their CHRISTIAN names? i don't have a christian name, myself! i have a surname, a first name in english, a first name in hebrew, a middle name in english and a middle name in hebrew. genessa is my hebrew first name.

I'm having an interesting debate with someone on-line.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

lol we all need to get out more, but it's irrelevant to the question at hand. i am not sure whether jesus ever existed; if he did, he wasn't christian, wasn't named jesus, surely was not born out of doors in the winter, wasn't the son of the god that doesn't exist, and never said the stuff attributed to him by the people who forged the words of the people who never would have met jesus even if those WERE their words. there is a book called the rabbi j, by johannes lehmann. it presumed the existence of the person people now call jesus but pretty much busts everything everyone thinks they know about him, from his presumed divinity to, well, just everything! it's quite interesting, but well out of print and hard to find. meanwhile, it has never been of much concern to me whether or not there was a jesus, because i have never been a christian, but it is interesting nonetheless, and i can't say i have any reason to opine that he actually existed. sometimes it is difficult to explain why he wasn't the son of god without speaking from the point of view that he might have existed (especially to someone who believe there is such a thing as a god!) g

To approach Buddhism, I first have to ask myself where I started before being born, and where I will...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

if that is what it takes, then buddhism is not for me, since i do not believe in reincarnation or afterlives. however, i am not at ALL sure that is actually what buddhism requires. g

How do you like a a post on a thread.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

there should be a clear LIKE button, among three on the bottom right of the post. first you see options, three lines; click that for options. then favorie, a gold star; click that to fave something. the third one is like, a thumbs up. hover over that and a menu should come up so you can choose what kind of like, or you can just click the blue thumbs up for that default like. g

Are you heartache proof? Did you ever think you would be?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

no one is heartache-proof, and armor is the worst possible thing to try. try being open to love, but not seeking it, and being critical of with whom you hang. g

I was talking to a customer today in the hurricane ravaged state of n.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i can't help wondering why 1. people are so egotistical that they think their god listens to their prayers but not other people's prayers, elsewhere in the world. 2. why they think their god is so stupid he doesn't know to rescue people unless they ask him specifically to do so. 3. why they think their god is to egotistical that he will let people die unless they beg him not to. all this APART from the fact that there is no such thing as a god. that's getting too deep. g

May I jut ask?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

nope. it's agnostic.com. there are probably poetry groups within the site. you can find them and post there. good luck! g

Chelsea Clinton: It Would Be “Unchristian” to Overturn Roe v. Wade | Sarahbeth Caplin

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

sometimes you have to speak to people on their own terms, even if it means within their own little bubble. she is obviously addressing christians here. it's fine. g

Ravi Shankar feat Philip Glass - Ragas In Minor Scale - - YouTube

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

someone on youtube made a simple comment, "ugly music." isn't that just like some folks? no analysis, no thoughtfulness, just an insult. maybe that person really did think it was ugly but couldn't s/he then have elaborated even a TEENY bit? for the record, i think it's lovely. g

Who created the creator?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

well, most people here (including me) don't think there is any such thing as the creator, so you're asking the wrong folks unless you're just looking for affirmation of your own beliefs. this is a question to ask people who actually think there is a creator. g

Hard times in a godless world

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

it would most certainly have to do with what the situation is. i cannot give advice based on such a generality. g

If there is a such thing as a creator I think we have the wrong idea about who it is.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i have no wrong, or right, idea of who "the" creator is, since i do not believe there is any such thing as a creator (obviously i am not talking about artists). as for "the oldest" creation stories -- something mentioning dna can't possibly be among the oldest, since we have only known about dna since the 20th century. g

The Love Market - YouTube

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

for those put off by the recurring "god be praised" in the song: it is the sincere expression of the character singing the song; the songwriters mean it quite sarcastically. g

Hello awkward agnosticators! Just a little light note of awkwardness.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

when i was in the first grade, the lord's prayer came over the loudspeaker every morning. it scared the hell out of me. it said he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. i had had eye surgery (and awakened during it, too) so i knew about anesthesia. i did NOT want to be MADE to lie down! g

Have you ever hated/disliked your boyfriend/girlfriend’s mom/dad or both?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i wish my folks could have met my guy and that i could have met my guy's folks. alas, they were all dead when my guy and i met. g

[yahoo.com] Not Just Trump- Watch Out Pence-Hired by Manafort

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

pence will be implicated. i don't want to hear "we can't impeach trump because of pence." we MUST impeach trump. we will knock all the villains down. g

Was just arguing with my sister about psychology.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

it exists, but it has nothing to do with the ugliness taken advantage of by the russians. it's not like a radio station to which we're all tuned. (this brainwashing is a bit like that! i mean that collective subconscious isn't.) it's more like a common tune our ancestors hummed. g

Having not watched it for many years, I watched The Killing Fields last night.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

epicurus' reasoning is not why i don't believe in any gods. i understand that his meaning is not as simple as "i'm mad at god so he doesn't exist" but it ends up sounding like that. i think people whose disbelief is based on that really do think there is a god, somehow. i don't believe in any gods because there simply is no reason to believe in any gods. yes, i not only have seen the killing fields, i have seen it numerous times, as i used it as a teaching tool when i was a teacher. it could certainly make one angry at a god in which one believed, but since i don't believe in any gods, it makes me angry at humans instead. g

Have you ever had reoccuring dreams “perfectly sober” that took you to a different place in your...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i have genre dreams so yes, they recur, whether exact in all details or just in general theme. i have had at least one dream that did recur almost exactly, and in the dream i recognized this and had a different experience of it even though the details were the same. g

Linda Harvey: Oral Sex Is The Practice Of Homosexuals - Joe.My.God.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

poor linda. if she had only had sex education in school. no, revise that: if only her parents had had birth control. g

Is my way of life sustainable?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i don't think it will necessarily bite you in the butt but you may want to strive toward more independence in terms of your eventual living situation, especially if you don't intend to remain single (which you may or may not). i recommend applying for citizenship. it may take a lifetime to get, but that just means the sooner you start, the better. i also recommend getting something going with the affordable care act while it's still here. you're healthy now; there are no guarantees in life. besides that, if you feel strong enough to pursue the way of life you prefer, go for it! g

Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you can not get more time.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

money can buy time. if i had SOME money i could buy time before i become homeless, which at the moment is a real possibility. if i had a LOT of money i could buy time for abused women and children whose lives and sanity are in danger from their abusers, for it i had a lot of money i would open a shelter for them that included gardens and equine therapy. if i had a SHITLOAD of money i could buy time for alzheimer's/other dementia patients by founding a village like the one they have in the netherlands, for when they are so accommodated they actually do live longer and more happily. g

This is what i have learned over the course of my life.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

simplistic. what is the appropriate attitude, one that will cause happiness, if i find out in two days, as i well might, actually, that i have cervical cancer? there are many choices i have: give up, fight (some choices within that choice, too), sleep my life away because it's so tiring, try to overcome it even though i know i will die soon, in order to produce something for the world, or less reasonable choices, but not a single one of those choices is going to make me feel HAPPY. g

What do you do when you're blue?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhL03mLfu2I=OLAK5uy_lTLgsVtg_PpTAsUc28RW2V5YyWlUnXB88 not just this song but the whole album, or at least the first three sides. i have deliberately posted the version that is attached to a playlist so you can let it run to hear the full thing. g

Books Better the 2nd Time?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

all the time (until my eyes went bad). songs too. i guess we tend to read/listen to things that have enough depth and width that they simply cannot be taken in completely with one reading/listening. there is also the difference in perspective that comes with having more experience in one's own life the next time one reads/hears whatever it is. g

What's the difference between drinking while driving and texting while driving?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

there are differences which are not important and similarities which are: you can die and kill others is the important similarity. given that, who cares what the differences are? g

So my fundie christian MOTHER has told other members of the family that she hopes this hurricane we ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

that's motherly love for ya. has she not realized how many times people have blamed atheism, homosexuality, short skirts or WHATEVER for natural phenomena that have very clear, well understood causes, and then found that people who did not fit any of those descriptions ALSO had to suffer through them? nope: cognitive dissonance at work. g

Does anyone else find "That's so satisfying!" Videos as not so satisfying?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i have never seen one! what are they? g

How would you prefer to die?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

how i would prefer to die is NOT. g

Everlasting life just round the corner? [rt.com]

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

not even for the rich. but if so, ONLY for the rich. g

Are you happy enough?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i wouldn't trust anyone who was. g

Has anyone else tried CBD oil? I'd like your thoughts/opinions on it.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i used it on a cyst on my face. the doctors were recommending surgery. the cyst is gone now. g

From Facebook: We live in a society where people use an $800 phone to check their food stamp balance

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

well, facebook doesn't actually say that. some idiot who has never had to rely on food support used facebook to say that. people with $800 phones don't get food stamps. i am on food stamps. i don't even get $800 a month from social security; i sure wouldn't spend more than a month's income on a phone. there are free phones one can get from a government agency if you meet certain income and asset requirements. they're not fancy. they're barely usable. i don't have one of those because you can't get one if you have another lifeline service, and i have the lifeline button to press if i need emergency medical help (i have medical issues). so i can't get a free phone. i am not the only person in my position. but it's easy to make fun of people who need help and portray them as cheaters, as lazy, as too stupid not to spend what little money they have on an expensive phone or as dishonest enough to get food stamps if they don't really need them. it's the perpetuation of reagan's "welfare queen" lie and as such it's NOT FUNNY (and certainly not true). g

Shto Mi e Milo by The Pennywhistlers (1966) LIVE! - YouTube

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOWVBgAgEBI i have been looking for their version of this song for EVER! and here it is! g

Hello fellow believers in reason and science.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

greetings for the lost planet! g

This site asked me what my position is in my beliefs.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i don't think about any gods. well, sometimes i think fondly of prometheus, but he was a titan. you may think i am being facetious here but i honestly don't think about what god might be because i am pretty darned sure there is no such thing. so why should i wonder what it is? it isn't part of my life. you believe in something larger than yourself. i do too: my planet. there is something even larger, though: my universe. i don't know all the details about those things, but then, i don't even know all the details about the city in which i live. i learn new stuff all the time, and stuff changes faster than i can learn it. none of it has anything to do with gods. i don't think in terms of larger or smaller, more or less powerful, more or less important beings than i. i try to be the best me i can be. g

I don't know why, but I'm feeling a bit out of place here.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

this isn't just a place to talk about how atheist we all are. that would get kind of boring! i think it's more a place to talk about whatever we want, without having to put up with that "it's in god's hands now" stuff every time we identify a problem. if you don't like politics, don't read the political stuff! if you don't like whiny banter, don't look at the whiny banter. it's not like facebook, where all your friends' crap shows up on your page and you have to scroll past all the pictures of tormented animals and lost children who actually got found two years ago, or everyone's dinner. here you choose by clicking. also, in what way is this a clique? we're all different, we don't all know each other, there are, so far, a few hundred of us unless i've misread the numbers, and we don't all hang out together. this isn't like hanging out at the same cafe. this is like hanging out in the same city. you choose where you go and whom you see. g

What happens to your spirt / mind when you die?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

no one knows for sure and anyone who says they know is operating on some kind of faith -- their own, if they believe what they're saying, or yours, if you believe what they're saying. now some stuff we DO know. we know you don't turn into a unicorn and gallop away, for example. we have good reason to believe that the electrical activity that forms what we call the mind stops when you're dead, so it's unlikely there is anything like a mind once that stops. reincarnation seems unlikely. different dimensions... well, that sounds nice but have we got ANY indication that this is even possible? it's just someone's fanciful idea. what is it, anyway, that would go there, whatever "there" is? our bodies? we can SEE those are gone. our minds? the electricity is cut off. so... what? are we talking souls here? i, for one, don't believe in souls. i see no more evidence of souls than i do of gods. so now you have my ideas and my reasoning behind them, but since i'm not dead yet, i don't really know. my belief, based on the above, is that once i am dead, there won't be a "me" to know. g

If matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed and time is infinite, how many times has ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

we really don't know. i was listening to a show on the science channel this week on this very topic. some believe the big bang happened from a singularity, but quantum physics, which works for very small things but runs into difficult with larger things, says nope, no such thing as a singularity. others thing we're just one of a series of universes that bang into being, run their courses, shrink back down and bang into the next universe. but this hasn't been figured out yet. they're working on it! g

Why is it that most people here are from the US?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i think americans tend to have more regular, uncensored internet access, plus we're a pretty big country so there will be more of us pretty much anywhere (unless a site is conducted mostly in chinese). g

Is there something fundamentally different with our bodies before we die as opposed to after we die?

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

there is no soul. your body is not emptier after death, but it isn't functioning as a living body anymore. instead it is decomposing. watch a plant, a flower if possible. plant it from a seed if possible so you can see the whole process. watch it grow and form a blossom and open up and be beautiful and begin to wilt. watch the flower drop off, and the plant begin to die (well, unless it's perennial; we're not! so go with an annual.) watch what happens to the plant. if we were not embalmed, the same (more or less) would happen to us. it's not EXACTLY the same of course; meat decomposes differently. with us, there would be a lot of insect action, and the decomposition would create a strong smell. for this, leave a piece of meat out and watch it rot, but i recommend you do this outside because you don't want flies in your house, and get rid of it before the neighbors complain. g

I'm of the thought that if you are given ample time and opportunity to evacuate during a mandatory ...

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

i heard the reason one guy and his family stayed. he owned a pet shop with more than 100 animals in it. he stayed to get them all to his house, to what he hoped was safety. g

Food food thought.

genessa comments on Sep 15, 2018:

it is arrogant and ignorant, even for a decent poet, to think that because the natural world has a right to exist, that human rights are arrogant and civil rights is ignorant. there doesn't have to be a trade-off. they're not mutually exclusive. so idon't think he will be my favorite poet any time soon. g

So I realized I didn't believe in God about 2 months ago.

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

i am afraid my answer might not be of much direct help but perhaps it can offer a different perspective. i didn't have to lose faith since judaism, while definitely centered around what a god wants jews to do, isn't faith-based, in that, unlike christianity, your biggest joy isn't your faith and your biggest sin isn't losing faith. there is room for doubt. in fact, asking questions and doubting is very jewish lol. anyway, i was raised quite secularly and although i knew i was jewish and had something of a grip on what that meant, the religious part of it wasn't really discussed much in the house -- oh, we knew what the holidays were for and all that, but we didn't talk about god, or commandments (we have 613!) or any of that. so when i realized, age 15, there was no god, it wasn't like "oh no, i'm not a jew anymore!" the way the same realization for a christian really is a loss of faith and identity, and no leaving. i'm still a jew. i'm just an atheist, is all. so if your family is religiously christian, and/or your friends are, you may be in for some criticism, and you may have some residual guilt from everything you believed so long (don't succumb to it). i never had to go through any of that. i am learning, here, how traumatic it is for christians to find out they're atheists! (i don't call it becoming; as you did in your post, i call it realizing.) g

Nana mouskouri ''volver volver'' - youtube

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

okay i couldn't resist. here is ry's version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiSqCYU30Ew g

Lule Lule - Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra - YouTube

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

the vocalist is sandra sangiao. here they're labeled as balkan but sometimes they're labeled as klezmer. i am not sure why in either case. g

Steve goodman, The 20th Century Is Almost Over - YouTube

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

i saw steve in concert in d.c. on a rather big bill that included leo kottke and a former byrd (i forget which one), and i forget who else but steve and leo stole the show. g

Charming Hostess - Mi Dimandas - YouTube

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

Mi dimandas unas demandas que mi hazzin tresalir. Me dimandas una casa, ventanas para y´alir Mi dimandas unas demandas que mi hazzin tresalir. Mi dimandas baño 'n cazza con telek i jamamdjí. translation: I have few demands I want a house with a window I can leave out of I want a bath attendant with sandals g

Truthfully, this site makes me feel like i am at a buffet.

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

they're all tools and everyone has a different use for them. some people's imaginations extend only as far as uploading pictures of dinner. others try to find friends who may be far-flung as well as long lost. i use it for political purposes as well. i find many uses for it, in fact. sometimes i am rather isolated, being disabled; this opens the world up to me a bit more. you don't have to feel greasy. being at a buffet doesn't obligate you to stuff your face, or to taste every dish. buffets can be nice and do not have to be overwhelming, or sad. but if you can't find what you like, there are other buffets! g

I see that we have some "believers" in the group.

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

some are legitimately curious and just that. some are curious and may have doubts they have not yet admitted to themselves. and some are trolls. they don't last long! by the way, my dog and my cats get along great! g

No Cakewalk

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

what can one say but OY? g

Do you think President Trump will complete his first term?

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

i have no clue whether he will complete his term. i know what i HOPE, and that is that he, pence and ryan all go to prison, not that orrin hatch would be anywhere NEAR an acceptable president, but i can hope for all that slightly more realistically than i can hope they all go down south to prove florence is fake news and get swept away in it. g

I think most people on here and in life in general have a different mindset to myself, as they ...

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

it could also be the other way around. you general thinking does not make people treat you like shit but it allows them to do so. also since you have not been specific, we cannot begin to understand whether you are trapped or have an out. (without a clue as to what you are going through, we also cannot confirm or deny your assertion that you're different from most people here because of it; people have to contend with all kinds of things.) g

Are you still involved in highly religious settings despite no longer being a believer?

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

i just realized i have another such (sort of) environment in which i regularly find myself. some days i go, with my guy, who has alzheimer's, to an adult day care. he doesn't like to go without me. it's connected with a jewish assisted living/memory care residential facility (we don't live there). so the meals are all kosher, and if we want to eat something not kosher, we ask for a paper plate or something. the staff of the day care are not jewish, and not all the participants are jewish. it just happens to be connected (and fed) by the residential facility, which IS jewish. so it's not a religious environment, but just as most secular places are nonetheless religiously skewed to christians, this one is the teensiest bit skewed to jews, which kind of evens things out, actually. it's fine. g

I’ve been very involved in my local town hall.

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

why are so many people saying to save your breath? this town hall gang is breaking the law. saying they can do this because we are (purportedly) a democracy is like saving leave the bank robbers alone because this is a democracy. congress does it too, yep. they're breaking the law too. i wouldn't pull any of the stunts folks are recommending. i also wouldn't grin and bear it, or step outside either. just call ffrf. g

What is your strangest talent? How did you discover it?

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

analogical thinking. it's stranger than it sounds. g

Are there things you want to change about yourself?

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

i assume you mean character traits and not, for example, weight loss, which would be a good thing for me to work on. i am impatient by nature and that's one thing i would like to change. another is my ptsd, which stops me from getting some of the medical attention i need. i hope i can bring myself to go through with the endometrial biopsy i have scheduled for monday. if i could let them take blood when they needed it and administer anesthesia when that is necessary, my life would be easier. of course the former is a problem that extended beyond my cooperation, because even if i get brave and cooperate, my veins don't (they roll, and they don't produce, and yes i hydrate) and if anyone gets any blood out of me, it coagulates in the medium in the vial before it can be tested. but i wish i could do my part better anyway. g

I am 48.

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

i was 48 when i met the man with whom i fell in love. he was just shy of 52. i'm 66 and a half now and we're still together. as for being pickier, isn't that a GOOD thing? that's how you find the right one! g

Are your words changing themselves on this site?

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

wow it appears i am not alone! (that's not a religious statement, of course!) g

"Atheists Want God!" - Hindu Guy - Logicked [youtube.com]

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

atheists want pizza. wait, let me clarify. this atheist, at this moment, wants pizza. g

What are 4 things that make you happy ?

genessa comments on Sep 14, 2018:

make that seven: penny, tevye, golde, wendy and kuma, my elderly cats; ramona, my dog; and richard, my guy. g

Democrats send 'information' concerning Kavanaugh nomination to FBI - CNNPolitics

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

hint: it is about sexual abuse of some kind. (watching rachel maddow now.) no details. fbi has turned this info over to the white house, which sucks but that is the fbi's duty to do. big question appears now to be how whatever it is has eluded the attention of the fbi in his previous confirmations... or whether it has already been dealt with in those confirmations, which means it was not taken seriously then. if the latter is the case, are we talking cover-up or not sufficiently interesting to be investigated or new/more info now not previously attached to prior knowledge? we'll likely find out soon. g

I've got to think it would be difficult for someone who has given their whole life to a belief in a ...

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

such a person wins my empathy but all in all instead of feeling sorry for him/her, i feel glad that his/her mind will now be free (at least in that respect). g

Miracle?

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

it's a miracle that anyone still believes in miracles. wait, wrong word. what do i mean? um... i know! it's astonishingly ignorant that anyone still believes in miracles! but some of it is just language. even an atheist can fall into the trap of saying oh my god when hearing something shocking, and it's honestly NOT a call to a deity, it's just a phrase indicating shock. same with miracles, SOME of the time. other times, it's a religionist not giving credit (or blame) where it's due. g

Can a person believe in evolution and the Bible at the same time?

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

yes. one would be a fool to do so, but one can say "the world was created in seven days; how long was a day back then? maybe a day was a billion years...." it sounds ridiculous of course, and that's because it IS ridiculous. but it's possible. i don't mean possible that creationism is true; it plainly isn't. i mean possible to delude oneself that both evolution and creationism are true. i will add that evolution chugs along whether or not there is even anyone around to believe it's doing so. it's not a belief system! it is a natural process. g

So.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

lol drop the guy, find another guy, but become friends with the first guy's mom! g

What do you think the hardest thing about a loss is? Having to mourn it, or that it changes you?

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

missing whoever it is. g

They called their child Star Cloud.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

you have not said whether the child has indicated a gender preference. (IS the child gender neutral, as you say the parents claim, or are the parents simply deciding that? that is not clear.) the child eventually will discover who s/he is, if s/he hasn't yet done so. i have heard of children, even very tiny children, deciding that they were of the opposite gender from how their bodies looked and how they were treated; i've never heard of a young child who decided, AS a young child, s/he was gender neutral. whether or not this all goes well depends on the honesty of the parents. if they want a neutral child they're going to have a challenge, because while there are gender fluid people and asexual people, most people are neither, and the odds are against their child deciding to fulfill the gender neutral expectations of the parents. so will the parents recognize that their child has a gender and recognizes it him/herself, or will they force the child to suppress gender altogether? it not only seems mean, it seems impossible. if the parents are gender neutral, fine. if they recognize that somehow their child understands gender neutrality and identifies with it, fine. if the child identifies with a gender, whichever one it is, the parents have an obligation to honor that. as for the name, if dweezil zappa and ima hogg, to name two, can get over it, so can star cloud. g