We hear news of thousands of women being raped, but we never hear the news of a man being raped.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

you never hear of men being raped? that's odd. i do. it's been in the news lately, too. g

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@PontifexMarximus yes, people tend to to disbelieve women who are raped even if a rape kit comes out positive, but the disbelieve is even stronger when a man gets the courage to report being raped by a woman. g

What each person believes in is special and personal.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

how do you KNOW most people cannot fathom the reality of your dreams? isn't that a little presumptuous? there is nothing wrong with fiction; i write fiction too. however, your reasons seems a bit condescending! g

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@DonaldHRoberts and no one else does that so no one else could possibly understand? g

I'm sitting outside my son's school, I have a 9am meeting with his English teacher to discuss his ...

Renickulous comments on Sep 7, 2018:

Maybe your kid has an attitude problem?

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

why in the world would you assume that? if the teacher has ridiculed this child, who has the attitude problem? g

Soo I’ve noticed that there are NO young groups.

bandit321 comments on Sep 8, 2018:

The whole intent in any exchange of thoughts should be to learn, and to cope with our surroundings. If you choose to only to surround your self with only those within any one category you are restricting your abilities to grasp life as a true living thing and are doomed to fail.

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Jackw_37 well, no. i have always had friends younger than myself, older than myself, the same approximate age... why in the world would i want to hang out only with one age group? that would be like hanging out with only one skin tone, or only people wearing glasses, or only lefthanded people. sure, sometimes you do like to gather with people who have that one thing in common with you, but to say you have friends so you can be with people of the same age group? that is very exclusionary, and it's not particularly healthy either. it reminds me of folks who are arguing right now that congress needs to get rid of all the old folks and elect only new, young people. well, electing new, young people is a VERY good idea, and getting rid of bad representatives, especially (but not exclusively) if they've been there a long time, is also a good idea. but getting rid of old people, or tenured people, simply because they're old, or because they've been around accomplishing things for a long time, and only have new people who have not had an opportunity to learn the ropes -- who's going to show the new people the ropes? it's one thing to have new ideas and it's another thing to reinvent the wheel from scratch! it's important for the various generations to be together, to communicate, to learn from one another (because the new and young have stuff to teach the old and experienced, too). g

I want to recommend an important book:VACCINATION IS NOT IMMUNIZATION by Dr.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

i should read pseudoscience from an anti-vaxxer? that old vaccinations cause autism stuff has been well disproven but he keeps cranking it out? no thanks. g

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@MiltsterD glad to hear it! for a second, i misread and thought you were the person posting the recommendation, hence what may have seemed to be a strangely hostile argument from me. glad you seem not to have taken it that way. phew! my eyes don't do well when i spend a sleepless night. g

I want to recommend an important book:VACCINATION IS NOT IMMUNIZATION by Dr.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

i should read pseudoscience from an anti-vaxxer? that old vaccinations cause autism stuff has been well disproven but he keeps cranking it out? no thanks. g

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@MiltsterD yes, this misinformation IS dangerous stuff. it prevents parents from vaccinating their children, which puts OTHER children at risk. look up "herd immunity." in places where people don't vaccinate, there have been outbreaks of diseases that used to kill kids and for a long time now have not done so, because of vaccinations. well OOPS! g

The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

well that's bullshit. sorry, but it is. i have been an atheist for half a century and a democrat longer than that (even though i was only 15 when i realized there were no gods), and i do not automatically eschew anything biblical just because it is biblical, nor do i automatically credit something...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Marionville i am glad you're enjoying it! i have loved my visits to your side of the pond. i even taught english in surrey for a month! (i was the token american; we had a token scot too.) the students were all italian teens except for two japanese girls and one turkish boy. the japanese girls barely said a word all summer but the turkish boy learned fluent italian -- not from me, i assure you!

Atheist TV characters... Brian Griffin Dr. House Others?

AMGT comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

you beat me to it. alicia florrick, the character was. i loved that. g

The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

well that's bullshit. sorry, but it is. i have been an atheist for half a century and a democrat longer than that (even though i was only 15 when i realized there were no gods), and i do not automatically eschew anything biblical just because it is biblical, nor do i automatically credit something...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Marionville no, as i say, it wasn't because i disagreed with it. it's because i found it offensive (and unreasonable). nor was my choice of words involuntary. one can change what one types; it's different from uttering something, in which case you might blurt something out and then be unable to take it back. thus i sort of responded in kind (although you're right, sometimes we are a bit casual with that word -- i can't say more or less so than in the uk because i have certainly seen brits use such terms casually and prolifically on facebook. so my experience of that particular difference between how brits and americans use language is different from your experience of it. g

The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

well that's bullshit. sorry, but it is. i have been an atheist for half a century and a democrat longer than that (even though i was only 15 when i realized there were no gods), and i do not automatically eschew anything biblical just because it is biblical, nor do i automatically credit something...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Marionville it was the most appropriate word i could think of at the moment, and i have a rather large vocabulary, too. sometimes there is one word that really says it all. and maybe i did mean it to be a bit rude and that's why i found it appropriate. i thought the post was rude, though i admit it wasn't rude to any one person, personally. now you're likely to ask me what was rude about it, and i will be sad that you don't see it, but i won't blame you for that. let me ask you: if i had said (rather than "i disagree with that," which is inaccurate because it implies that there is an opinion with which to disagree rather than a fact to challenge) "that's wrong" or "that's not true" or "that's false," would that be less rude simply because there was no four-letter word involved? is that all it was? or was there something else? g

Faith Lost

genessa comments on Sep 7, 2018:

only other fits the bill, the others not only were not my reason for losing faith, and not only were they not in play in my life regardless of whether they were the cause, "losing faith" does not accurately describe what happened to me. first i'll start with the general and then i'll drill down...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Ryan4121 well... not really, because there is no proof that god, or golem, or (oh brother, am i gonna mention her again?) the tooth fairy don't exist either. it's just so evident that these are made-up things, it would be a waste of time to go searching, you know? we'd have to be searching for every made-up thing in the world. people would make more stuff up to keep us busy disproving them! okay folks, this week we have the dish that ran away with the spoon. now go out and find proof that never happened! you can SEE it's a story. it's impossible, it's silly and it makes no sense. one doesn't have to go find proof. g

The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

well that's bullshit. sorry, but it is. i have been an atheist for half a century and a democrat longer than that (even though i was only 15 when i realized there were no gods), and i do not automatically eschew anything biblical just because it is biblical, nor do i automatically credit something...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Marionville MY president? it is not trump's language i deplore; he is barely articulate enough to have something called a language. it's his greed, dishonesty, racism, narcissism, admiration for dictators, desire to be a king and downright meanness i deplore. my response contains none of that. my response to bullshit is to call it bullshit. it's not a matter of disagreeing with it; i am not disagreeing with an opinion. i am challenging something that is not factual, presented as factual while making insulting assumptions about people into the bargain. g

Capitalism works on much the same principle as evolution.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

you can say that capitalism works on much the same principle as evolution, or that lobsters are related to kangaroos, or that john lennon was secretly a druid, and some people will say, oh yeah, cool, i get it, but in fact evolution doesn't work on a principle, and capitalism isn't a natural ...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Matias do you know the difference between a principle and the way a natural phenomenon, with no consciousness of itself, plays out without proceeding on a principle? evolution isn't a philosophy! it happens as you say but those are not principles. you appear to give agency to something that can have no agency. i am not calling it random. i am calling it unplanned. capitalism is not a natural phenomenon but a system, devised by human beings, and can proceed according to principles devised by human beings. while we're at it, i have seen no evidence whatsoever that the principles of capitalism even remotely resemble the way evolution plays out. g

We hear news of thousands of women being raped, but we never hear the news of a man being raped.

Eclipsechaser comments on Sep 13, 2018:

I can't speak for the whole world, but I think in countries such as the UK, the legal definition of Rape is one committed by a man, not a woman. There is a lesser law with a different name, but it doesn't get used often. I assume on average, men are stronger and more able to fight off a female ...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

in the united states, rape is rape. in addition, men and boys who are raped are often raped by men, although rape of a man by a woman is not unheard of by any means. g

The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

well that's bullshit. sorry, but it is. i have been an atheist for half a century and a democrat longer than that (even though i was only 15 when i realized there were no gods), and i do not automatically eschew anything biblical just because it is biblical, nor do i automatically credit something...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Matias no, not only because of that. i mention it as one of many reasons. but if you're going to cherry-pick i guess nothing i say will mean anything to you. maybe you should learn not to teach aphorisms that 1. the recipient of your wisdom already knows and 2. imply that your "teaching" is a merited reproach. and you say EVEN IF you take my personal experience to be true, as if maybe i am lying. well then why the hell should i talk to you at all? i guess i won't, anymore. g

Esperanza Spalding - "I Know You Know / Smile Like That" (Live in San Sebastian july 23, 2009 - 3/9)...

Buddha comments on Sep 13, 2018:

She's amazing !

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@Buddha oooh got a link? yeah i've been kind of cogitating about what people might find new or unusual, to share here. i don't just want to share favorites -- i have too many! so i'm still thinking, what else might people not really encounter elsewhere? g

Hi gang.

CK-One comments on Sep 4, 2018:

It may not be whether they're Christian/Muslim/Jewish but whether or not they are extremist or not. If you are looking for extreme Christians, you can find them in the Bible Belt. Jewish extremists can be found in Israel. Muslim extremists are in the Middle East. There are decent people who believe...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

that is only partly true. for one thing, jews in israel tend to be LESS religious than elsewhere, although there is a (minority) orthodox contingent. you may notice, though, that orthodox jews, which some may consider extreme, do not bomb buildings, shoot abortionists, or even proselytize (they may try to get a reform jew to become more religious, but that's different). you could consider them extremists for taking extreme views on how jews should be jews, but they're not extremists in the sense of laying it on anyone else. for another, judaism does not require everyone to be jewish. nonjews are not thought to be doing it wrong, are not thought to be going to hell, and not thought to be lesser people than jews. in addition, jews are forbidden to proselytize, and rabbis will officially discourage potential converts three times, to make sure they're converting for a good and sincere reason. on top of all that, judaism doesn't demand faith. i am a jewish atheist and i am not considered to be sinning (not that i would buy that, being an atheist and all; i'm just talking about judaism's attitude, not mine!) the only thing you can do to get kicked out, so to speak, is to take on another god. if you become a christian, for example, you're no longer considered a jew, by jews. but an atheist? jews are encouraged to ask questions, and doubt is acceptable. i know little about islam but i know muslims and i know what muslim extremists do, and it's night and day. muslim extremists don't even follow islam! they do things in the name of islam but they are either ignorant or lying when they say they're following islam, and no, isul, for example, is not another sect of islam. they're a terrorist group that uses islam to get their recruits. ordinary muslims do nothing of the kind. so the muslim extremists are muslim in name only. extremist christians are not isolated in the bible belt, where they surely can be found of course. i think we all know what extremist christians do. but not every christian who isn't extremist refrains from evangelizing. i can well understand why a jew might be easier for an atheist to work for than a christian. even an ordinary christian will even unwittingly mess with you more than a jew will. i do not say this because i am a jew. i say this because i am an atheist. the only time i have EVER gotten even the LEAST bit of interference with my atheism by a jew was when a friend of a friend assured me that atheism was a religion. she was wrong of course, but at least she wasn't trying to bring me home to jesus! g

What I have to say about religion, or about politics is.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

i don't like hershey's. they make bad chocolate (yes, i know, to some there is no such thing). i do like music, but i'm particular. doritos, boring but not icky. ice cream, well, for me it has to be a good flavor, and that rules out chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, although french vanilla or ...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@JosephMelton thinking is good :-)) talking (here, typing) is good. g

First personal post.

genessa comments on Sep 13, 2018:

day for night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBsxbjTIJxs=4=PLAfByHWupdonVG3ND19BbfHNr41UKE_ot you can see clips of it, and the trailer, if you follow the list from which this is part 2 of 10. part 1 seems to be an ad for whoever put together the list so start here with part 2. some of the ...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

oh do watch 4 of 10! it's the kitten scene! you can't be sad watching the kitten scene! g

Dizzi dulcimer playing hang drum from panart - YouTube

JustLynnie comments on Sep 13, 2018:

I want one too. Badly. Also look up Vermont Singing Drum. I want the one tuned in G. Phenomenal!

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@JustLynnie yeah me neither. maybe i could get a hub cap and try to play it! g

What I have to say about religion, or about politics is.

Varn comments on Sep 12, 2018:

The problem is ..the way things are going.. you may someday lose those tasty options… Too many have felt powerless, or that staying aware is like a permanent school assignment. Or, there’s nothing they can do to curb religion’s intrusion into their lives. And by the time it becomes a ...

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

@JosephMelton this is only true if you don't vote. then for sure you have no choice! g

Esperanza Spalding - "I Know You Know / Smile Like That" (Live in San Sebastian july 23, 2009 - 3/9)...

Buddha comments on Sep 13, 2018:

She's amazing !

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

i was in a car with a person much younger than myself a few weeks ago and she had the radio on. i am kind of used to hearing all kinds of effluvia come out of people's car radios, but a song came on i found myself actually liking and i asked who the singer was. it was spalding. the name sounded familiar. when i looked her up i found i had "discovered" her quite by accident earlier this year and promised myself to remember her name. then of course life did its usual tricky stuff and i got distracted and forgot all about her. now i remember! g

Dizzi dulcimer playing hang drum from panart - YouTube

JustLynnie comments on Sep 13, 2018:

I want one too. Badly. Also look up Vermont Singing Drum. I want the one tuned in G. Phenomenal!

genessa replies on Sep 13, 2018:

oh! i never heard of that kind. now i want that too. g

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

LucyLoohoo comments on Aug 27, 2018:

(I'd bet money that Sarah Palin was expecting a call from the groper's team, wanting to run her again as VEEP. She and the groper have that same mindless arrogance and narcissism.)

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Paul4747 in her defense (and it pains me to defend her on any point) it is difficult for women of girth to find attractive clothing that fits, unless said women are super rich -- which she may or may not be. i have no idea. clothiers seem to think fat woman want to look as ugly as possible, or maybe the fashion industry actually feels that fat women deserve some kind of punishment. it is equally possible that sanders simply has dreadful taste. i may never know, but i thought i'd just throw out this, um, ALTERNATIVE explanation! g

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Trajan61 comments on Aug 28, 2018:

The US would have likely been a lot better off today had John MCCain been elected in 2008. However Trump has done a good job so far undoing the damage done by that idiot Obama.

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Trajan61 i think i may have mentioned before, elsewhere, that your assertions are no less than delusional. your "facts" are fiction. you cannot have a valid opinion (although you have a perfect right to hold even an invalid opinion, even as i have a perfect right to laugh at it) based on alternative facts (some of us call them lies). if you are not a troll, they are not your lies, but you apparently have bought into them. if they are your lies, then you are a troll. i am not going to make a judgment right now about that. i will just leave this here. g

I would like to see "friends", like Fb on here. Is that possible? Agree, disagree?

Paracosm comments on Sep 12, 2018:

No. I don't want this site to resemble facebook.

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

not me. different function. i can do both! fortunately they're different. g

I would like to see "friends", like Fb on here. Is that possible? Agree, disagree?

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

we can see who follows us and whom we follow. we can see our messages, so we know with whom we've communicated. we can mark favorite people. isn't that like a friends list? g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Quazi that too! i have not been here long so i have not marked anyone as a fave but am watching to see which names i enjoy again and again, and so far am following such, but will eventually mark as faves. g

These people claim to be loving, godfearing christians. Have they ever READ anything Jesus said?

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

as facebookers like to say, it's complicated. first of all, jesus, as labeled, if he existed (in which case his name certainly wasn't jesus, which is a greek name) was a jew. second of all, the people who wrote about what he purportedly said and did never met jesus. third of all, even the stuff...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@OpposingOpposum murphy brown, spotting an envelope on the bed: what's that? peter hunt, embracing her closely: don't tell me you've forgotten already! g

These people claim to be loving, godfearing christians. Have they ever READ anything Jesus said?

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

as facebookers like to say, it's complicated. first of all, jesus, as labeled, if he existed (in which case his name certainly wasn't jesus, which is a greek name) was a jew. second of all, the people who wrote about what he purportedly said and did never met jesus. third of all, even the stuff...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@OpposingOpposum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLDnPiXyME0 g

These people claim to be loving, godfearing christians. Have they ever READ anything Jesus said?

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

as facebookers like to say, it's complicated. first of all, jesus, as labeled, if he existed (in which case his name certainly wasn't jesus, which is a greek name) was a jew. second of all, the people who wrote about what he purportedly said and did never met jesus. third of all, even the stuff...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@OpposingOpposum jew know it's true! g

The ghouls among us!

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

not my thing... but i do like dr g, medical examiner. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@RobLawrence yes similar interest for sure. g

Candide In Concert (2005) - Glitter & Be Gay (HD) - YouTube

RobLawrence comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I periodically go back to this video whenever I feel the need for some levity in my life. What a fabulous performance Miss Chenoweth gives!

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@RobLawrence listening now. nothing wrong with her voice. it's beautiful! but... she's not chenoweth, who puts so much personality in it. i think she is being too musically literal (it gets better as she goes along) and not imaginative enough (that gets better further into the song too). of course i can't see her -- it's just the album. that could make all the difference. the comments mostly diss chenoweth as "oversinging" it and turning it into slapstick. but... that's what i like about it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF3fwp_VrdQ g

Candide In Concert (2005) - Glitter & Be Gay (HD) - YouTube

RobLawrence comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I periodically go back to this video whenever I feel the need for some levity in my life. What a fabulous performance Miss Chenoweth gives!

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

amazing, isn't she? and the material -- you can't beat lenny with a stick! g

Should Pluto be renamed as a planet? What are your thoughts? [nydailynews.com]

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

i miss pluto. i don't care if it's a dwarf planet or an ice planet. you can't just give that kind of status to an entity and then rudely take it away. pluto needs to be reinstated, and if that means letting all its icy little friends join too, then so be it! g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Druvius i am used to being hated. at least now i'll have a good reason! g

Should Pluto be renamed as a planet? What are your thoughts? [nydailynews.com]

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

i miss pluto. i don't care if it's a dwarf planet or an ice planet. you can't just give that kind of status to an entity and then rudely take it away. pluto needs to be reinstated, and if that means letting all its icy little friends join too, then so be it! g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Druvius hahaha yeah! it's good for them! and the periodic table too, while they're at it! g

The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

Tinocca comments on Sep 12, 2018:

There have been social experiments conducted to test out theories similar to this one. Here is one example reading Bible passages, but telling folks they were hearing passages from the Quran. https://youtu.be/zEnWw_lH4tQ

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

so this phenomenon exists. that doesn't mean it is widespread or generally true. it MIGHT be... but then, isn't the inherent dishonesty of the experiment a factor? g

Welcome to the Newly revived Jewish By Culture Group.

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

hopes and aspirations? hmm. just to see what everyone else thinks and is up to and feel free to speak my alleged mind as well :-)) g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@sassygirl3869 :-)) g

Elizabeth Strong sword dance with Frank London - YouTube

Buddha comments on Sep 12, 2018:

That's pretty good !

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

yep! and i am particularly fond of frank london (in the squarish kippah, playing trumpet) and jewlia eisenberg (lead singer) as well -- in fact searching for one or another of them is how i found this video and discovered the amazing elizabeth strong. london i knew through the klezmatics, whom i have seen in concert -- in one case sitting front row center practically staring up frank's nostrils. jewlia i discovered by accident when i bought a cd of klezmer music on ebay; the seller was selling it in a bundle with some stuff i'd never heard of. some of it was useless but one of them was a short cd of jewlia's stuff and i said, wow, THIS is different. let's listen a couple times to figure out if i like it. turns out, i did! g

Good morning people. I hope all of you have a good day today! [youtu.be]

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

back atcha, and thanks for posting a beatles song, since youtube won't let us hear them unless they're live or alt versions or covers. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@balou well... i feel a little tender about that myself, being a writer, but as a listener and a beatles fan i am sad. i understand, but i'm sad nonetheless. g

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (with Emmylou Harris & Bonnie Raitt) Live 1977. HQ Video. - YouTube

Stevil comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I remember when this aired! "In Concert" came on on the ABC affiliate, and Midnight Special Came on after Johnny Carson. Watched this with a bunch of friends. I still think Emmy Lou is gorgeous. Too bad Lowell George died so young. They were starting to get some nation wide recognition. Jackson ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

thanks for posting this, which i had not heard before. yes, way too young. such a big loss to the world of music and the world in general (not to mention the overall industry). is that lindley on slide? g

Interesting. I'm watching this to find out how you lot got that way. [youtu.be]

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

"you lot"? is this about sodom and gomorrah? g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@El-loco nope. got a lot on my plate right now. g

heya all.

Jnei comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Shalom aleichem Genessa, and welcome to this group - it's not especially active, but there a few people of Jewish ancestry on the site. Some prefer to call themselves ex-Jews because they've rejected the religion; others, including me, see no difficulty in thinking of ourselves as both atheist and ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@MrLizard deal! g

heya all.

Jnei comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Shalom aleichem Genessa, and welcome to this group - it's not especially active, but there a few people of Jewish ancestry on the site. Some prefer to call themselves ex-Jews because they've rejected the religion; others, including me, see no difficulty in thinking of ourselves as both atheist and ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Jnei lol bonding is good! and that leaves more lox for me! g

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (with Emmylou Harris & Bonnie Raitt) Live 1977. HQ Video. - YouTube

Sunsetworshiper comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Love ELH and Bonnie Rait.

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

yeah i think their mics were turned off, which is sad, but it's always nice to see them! i saw bonnie in concert a long, long time ago. what a great talent! g

Where would you go on vacation in the fall with a friend who lives in Saudi Arabia?

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

italy. i have been to dubai. i do not recommend it. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@UrsiMajor okay i am going to fess up now. i only was at the airport, in the duty-free shop. it IS as i described. the city itself... maybe those women are frowning because dubai is sin city! but i have seen pictures of the city, the architecture and all, and it looks really... not like atlantic city but like the kind of place that might have golden toilets. i don't find that appealing. but technically i have been to dubai, did gain an impression of it, and all! g

How does this work?

escapetypist comments on Sep 11, 2018:

If you're single, the Singles group would be a good place to start. Post comments and like other people's comments and postings. The more you participate the faster you will level up. Get to level 8 and you can claim an agnostic dot com t-shirt. Good luck. We will pray for you

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@minhmeister i don't think you could post if she had blocked you! g

heya all.

Jnei comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Shalom aleichem Genessa, and welcome to this group - it's not especially active, but there a few people of Jewish ancestry on the site. Some prefer to call themselves ex-Jews because they've rejected the religion; others, including me, see no difficulty in thinking of ourselves as both atheist and ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@MrLizard i LOVE frank london! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkjCmlU6qZKXFwIRUInXqW5UvaiqG1G2e g

Where would you go on vacation in the fall with a friend who lives in Saudi Arabia?

genessa comments on Sep 12, 2018:

italy. i have been to dubai. i do not recommend it. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@UrsiMajor not unless atlantic city is full of well-covered-up women glaring at you for not being draped from scalp to toenail. g

How can we find the truth about "God"?

genessa comments on Sep 7, 2018:

that's a tough one because you can't prove a negative. you could substitute any myth for "he" (which, by the way, is not a given within every religion). if you substitute the words "tooth fairy" or "spaghetti monster" (admittedly neither of whom are purported to control or guide everything) the ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@RichardLeek lol asking a minister about it is not going to get you an objective answer, right? you got the expected, unsatisfying answer. g

Alfie Boe Warbles Again - YouTube

Cast1es comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Guess I'm not this sophisticated .

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

lol you don't have to be sophisticated to enjoy a cute guy in a plaid shirt singing opera in a friend's kitchen with his hands in his pockets except when he takes them out to pet the friend's dogs! g

Les Miserables 25th Anniversary - YouTube

Cast1es comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I've never seen , "Les Miserables ."

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

a pity! there is a movie version of the musical, and there are a few movie versions without music, which is quite different, but seeing it on stage is QUITE different. i saw it on stage in london twice, two different casts, and the 25th anniversay concert version, from which this video comes, is special in its own right (largely due to alfie boe, who isn't in this scene). g

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (with Emmylou Harris & Bonnie Raitt) Live 1977. HQ Video. - YouTube

Cast1es comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Somehow , that just doesn't strike me as being romantic .

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

was it supposed to? (checking tags) nope, not seeing "romantic" there.... g

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

many people use this as a reason to disbelieve in a god. however, these questions do not disprove the existence of gods, just the existence of benevolent, human-involved gods. this quotation illustrates a reason to dislike a god in which one believes, not to disbelieve in any gods. the reason to ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@TheoryNumber3 lol that is one way to see it, another way is to see it as an imperfect argument if that's what he was trying to say, since it has the loophole i mentioned. g

Anyone besides me sign up with HealthyWage and make a wager?

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

i signed up but then i chickened out. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Genome58 oh lol i thought you meant weight. no, once you sign up, you're not obligated unless you actually make the bet. i didn't. they still email me with specials but i am skeptical. i need to lose (weight, not money) approximately a small teenager. g

Spoiled brat with a participation trophy...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

you'd think his trophy wife would be enough. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@mcgeo52 not i! except for marrying him to start with. g

BREAKING NEWS: Second Anonymous Op-Ed by Senior WH Official Published

CallMeDave comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Who could it be now

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@CallMeDave an attempt to overthrow the english language, to be sure! g

How can we find the truth about "God"?

genessa comments on Sep 7, 2018:

that's a tough one because you can't prove a negative. you could substitute any myth for "he" (which, by the way, is not a given within every religion). if you substitute the words "tooth fairy" or "spaghetti monster" (admittedly neither of whom are purported to control or guide everything) the ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Ann7Mignon you cannot prove the NONexistence of anything. you can use facts and evidence to determine likelihood. g

God and Peter somewhere in Heaven.

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

i heard this from a taxi driver in london: albert einstein dies and goes to heaven, where he is met at the pearly gates by st. peter. the latter says, welcome, mr. einstein. i see you do have a reservation. have you any identification? einstein, naked, has nothing in writing, but begins to ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Avicenna it is what the republican party calls itself: the grand old party. i have a different word to go with the g, and it's not good. g

BREAKING NEWS: Second Anonymous Op-Ed by Senior WH Official Published

CallMeDave comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Who could it be now

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

i don't know! i mean, i just don't know! i can't figure it out! rofl rofl rofl rofl! maybe we should investigate, bigly! g

Let's talk evolution.

Carin comments on Sep 11, 2018:

The other primates evolved to be as smart as they needed to be to succeed. I have read that the demise of the dinosaurs "made room" for the little mammals to diversify by lowering predation & opening up niches.

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Matias yes, and in formal writing, i use them. however, in informal writing, i protect my arthritic fingers, except when i feel compelled to emphasize. does this have to do dinosaurs in some way? g

Humanists, both religious and atheist, talk about the ‘dignity’ or ‘value’ or ‘worth’ or...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

the fact that the universal declaration of human rights mentions faith doesn't mean that the central humanistic concept of human dignity ultimately rests on faith. it just means that enough people formulating the declaration were unwilling to give up the mention of faith for their own personal ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Matias i didn't say what you think i said. i think in fact you're agreeing with me but don't realize it. you may wish to reread what i said. g

Interesting. I'm watching this to find out how you lot got that way. [youtu.be]

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

"you lot"? is this about sodom and gomorrah? g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@El-loco no, i just wasn't taking your punctuational abilities for granted. but thanks for the generalized insult. g

Compared to believers in this world, the number of Atheists and agnostics are way too small.

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

we number about 16 percent worldwide. however, not all of the other 84 percent are real believers. some of them are affiliated with a religion but don't think about it much. i think therefore out numbers exceed 16 percent, probably by a lot. whatever the remainder is, they're delusional. ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Matias well, i am not going by polls, and we obviously don't know the same atheists :-)) g

How does this work?

escapetypist comments on Sep 11, 2018:

If you're single, the Singles group would be a good place to start. Post comments and like other people's comments and postings. The more you participate the faster you will level up. Get to level 8 and you can claim an agnostic dot com t-shirt. Good luck. We will pray for you

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

check profile: here for community. that doesn't mean she absolutely won't be checking out singles if appropriate, but i have a feeling that's not where she wants to start.

I'm concerned about the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

MacTavish comments on Jun 16, 2018:

It appears to me the police force is primed and ready to break out the brown shirts and have their own version of kristallnacht. The targets being anyone who is not white and productive (i.e. pays taxes). If you are other than white and/or homeless you will be the quarry of an increasing violent ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Varn disability is amazingly difficult to get. welfare has very, VERY little fraud among recipients (it's not as little among vendors, though). this has to be true in appalachia as well as elsewhere. it is ironic that anyone on welfare would vote for trump, who would rather see them starve to death, but i wouldn't call these people nonproducers for being on the programs. i am on disability and food support myself and i worked hard my whole damned life (nor did i vote for trump -- but then, i'm not in appalachia). idiots they may be. scared, racist, whatever, they may be. nonproducers changes the subject and sounds trumpian, itself, in attitude, which i trust you did not mean, which is why i am calling your attention to it. g

I'm concerned about the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

three and a half years ago i told a friend of mine, jewish like me, but not atheist like me (he's orthodox, in fact) that the republicans were using fascist methods to gain and retain power, and that the rise of trump amid them was comparable to the rise of hitler. he was horrified that i would, as...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Livia i have no idea what he thinks or has seen. he dropped me, as i say. g

Anyone besides me sign up with HealthyWage and make a wager?

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

i signed up but then i chickened out. g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Genome58 why do you hope i didn't lose much? but what i chickened out on was making a bet at all. i do need to lose weight, which, by the way, i cannot do by eating less meat and more of anything else, because i have diabetes. if i didn't have protein i'd starve to death. i eat a lot of veg, have to go easy on fruit, really need my protein. anyway i don't eat that MUCH meat even with my protein requirement, so eating less would be quite severe. g

Don't cry because it's over. Laugh because his new girlfriend looks like a horse.

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

and of course looks are the most important thing about a woman. um.... g

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@Duke okay that's weird, i know i've been distracted because my guy is in the hospital, but i could swear i answered this, and said that yes, it would be sexist, or at least wrong, if it were reversed, but not as much, because men are judged less for their looks than women are. but i can't find my comment. pardon me if it's there and i'm missing it. i probably put it better originally too. ah well! g

Senator jeff merkley, interviewed by rachel maddow, has obtained a document authenticated by the ...

bingst comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Congress makes appropriations, deciding where the money goes. I question if Trump ordering such a transfer is even lawful.

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

apparently it is flexible up to a certain amount, and amazingly this does not exceed the amount. it SHOULD be illegal, but my opinion doesn't sway congress. well, not until november, anyway! g

BREAKING NEWS: Second Anonymous Op-Ed by Senior WH Official Published

starwatcher-al comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I assume that this is a spoof. If real it was written by tRUMP himself, if a spoof it was written to portray this.

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

yes yes, of course :-)) g

heya all.

Jnei comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Shalom aleichem Genessa, and welcome to this group - it's not especially active, but there a few people of Jewish ancestry on the site. Some prefer to call themselves ex-Jews because they've rejected the religion; others, including me, see no difficulty in thinking of ourselves as both atheist and ...

genessa replies on Sep 12, 2018:

@MrLizard if i could afford to be selective i would. alas.... g

Breaking the glass ceiling [youtu.be]

MarvelAnn comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I'm glad to see them casting a woman. I just hope the character maintains the same strength and integrity and doesnt go too soft. I hope you understand what I mean. I'm worried they are going to change too much because the doctor is in a woman's body. She's a wonderful actress, so I'm hopeful.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

my fondest hope: that she is funny! it is one of the doctor's most attractive qualities. g

I finally blocked someone here, for the first time! is this good or bad?

t1nick comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Given the term this individual used to insult you, you must have run into Trajan?

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

don't worry; my eyesight is terrible. i am incapable of looking at you wrong :-)) g

heya all.

Jnei comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Shalom aleichem Genessa, and welcome to this group - it's not especially active, but there a few people of Jewish ancestry on the site. Some prefer to call themselves ex-Jews because they've rejected the religion; others, including me, see no difficulty in thinking of ourselves as both atheist and ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@MrLizard i am desperate. i will take any old lox in a storm. of course the less salt the better. buttery, mmmmmm! g

Drs chippendale years

Aivery comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Pretty sure that's Photoshoped

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Aivery handy. thanks! g

heya all.

Jnei comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Shalom aleichem Genessa, and welcome to this group - it's not especially active, but there a few people of Jewish ancestry on the site. Some prefer to call themselves ex-Jews because they've rejected the religion; others, including me, see no difficulty in thinking of ourselves as both atheist and ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@MrLizard i eat lox without bagels. i love bagels but i don't like to distract from lox. g

Drs chippendale years

Aivery comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Pretty sure that's Photoshoped

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@RavenCT what's tineye? g

I finally blocked someone here, for the first time! is this good or bad?

Akfishlady comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I pretty much believe you have the right to block anyone. I know exactly who you are referring to. I just ignore him and others. I just think they bait people and are not worth interacting with. I just leave them to their own rambling.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

i know i do. my question about good or bad was rhetorical. you're not the only one taking it as an actual question, so don't feel bad! the validation doesn't hurt, either, especially since you know who i mean. short name, right? (oh and blocking is my way of ignoring!) g

I finally blocked someone here, for the first time! is this good or bad?

Happyonearth comments on Sep 11, 2018:

While I think we have more fun when we can discuss issues with folk who have different perspectives, this fellow sounded rather hateful..

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

yeah, different perspectives are one thing. calling names, directly or sneaky-snarkily is quite another. i may say "that's stupid" regarding something someone quotes. i will only say "you're stupid" if it's totally unavoidable, and i wouldn't find it unavoidable if the recipient didn't get personal first. g

Was Rand correct

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

rand is correct once in a long while, definitely by accident. this isn't one of those times. he dead wrong, as usual. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

in my defense, i didn't see the tag, so when my mind gravitated to the delusional and much-weaker-than-ayn rand paul, i had no clue i was going to the wrong rand, until i was happily corrected. g

I finally blocked someone here, for the first time! is this good or bad?

memorylikeasieve comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I think I know who you're talking about. He's a blithering idiot and you're probably better off without him stupiding up your timeline.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

maybe the groups i described gave him away. i was kind of trying not to, but it was hard not to mention that and give an honest description of some of what turned me off (after the fact -- i only checked after noting the idiocy of his comments and responses). anyway, yeah, who needs that, right? g

Was Rand correct

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

rand is correct once in a long while, definitely by accident. this isn't one of those times. he dead wrong, as usual. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Carin lol ayn. no one agrees on the pronunciation and she's not here to tell us what she prefers. quite frankly, i don't care what she prefers! g

The "IN" crowd...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

as long as he gets kicked OUT of the white house! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@mcgeo52 i bet he has committed crimes all over the country. but you're right -- new york has the goods on him at the moment. maybe they could do an exchange thing? g

Spoiled brat with a participation trophy...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

you'd think his trophy wife would be enough. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@mcgeo52 she can't handle him! and he's so slimy, who would want to? g

Drs chippendale years

Aivery comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Pretty sure that's Photoshoped

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

okay i checked it out and it appears NOT to be photoshopped, because it is apparently part of a photo shoot in which he models this kilt in a variety of poses. right mouse click on the picture. choose search google for image. you will see the different poses. CORRECTION: i only looked at the thumbnals; the other poses are not tennant. still... the verdict is out. g

Drs chippendale years

Aivery comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Pretty sure that's Photoshoped

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@RavenCT in a kilt? did they move it from denmark to scotland? g

Was Rand correct

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

rand is correct once in a long while, definitely by accident. this isn't one of those times. he dead wrong, as usual. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Carin haha you know what? you're probably right! i just thought it was rand paul because he is so flaky (not in a good way). she? no, she never did anything by accident, and never was right, either. g

Drs chippendale years

Aivery comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Pretty sure that's Photoshoped

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

i thought so too but it's so skinny i rethought -- maybe it IS him. it's certainly not him as the doctor though! g

The "IN" crowd...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

as long as he gets kicked OUT of the white house! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@mcgeo52 oh i don't know. angola is so much more interesting! g

Let's talk evolution.

Carin comments on Sep 11, 2018:

The other primates evolved to be as smart as they needed to be to succeed. I have read that the demise of the dinosaurs "made room" for the little mammals to diversify by lowering predation & opening up niches.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

true, that made room. my quibble is not with the result but with the concept that that's WHY the dinos died. it's what happened when they died, not why they died. g

Favorite song titles

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

how can i miss you if you won't go away? -- dan hicks and his hot licks my guitar wants to kill your mama -- frank zappa mairzy dotes -- aw come on, don't make me look that up! i'm tired! i want a hot dog for my roll -- not sure who wrote it but performed by butterbeans and suzie g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

also: what made my hamburger disappear? -- jeffrey fredericks and the clamtones slurf song -- michael hurley and the album title for the above: have moicy! g

Beauty

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

what's to be mad and what's not beautiful? i love bees! wasps, well, that's another story. but bees are... the bee's knees! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist not picking on plumbers -- man, when you need one, you need one! g

Beauty

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

what's to be mad and what's not beautiful? i love bees! wasps, well, that's another story. but bees are... the bee's knees! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist i admire them for it. a plumber doesn't have to do anything but figure out how to fix the pipes, and do it. an actor has to become all these people! g

Beauty

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

what's to be mad and what's not beautiful? i love bees! wasps, well, that's another story. but bees are... the bee's knees! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist did you read the part about rod steiger? if so, you got it :-)) g

I finally blocked someone here, for the first time! is this good or bad?

KissedbySun comments on Sep 11, 2018:

The block tool is here for you to customize your experience. Use it any way you like. No explanation necessary.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

oh, i was just musing aloud, so to speak (type). others have also attempted to answer, though i meant it rhetorically. that's okay too. :-)) g

I finally blocked someone here, for the first time! is this good or bad?

UUNJ comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Might be worth reporting to @Admin if the person is a troll

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist true enough. in this case, this guy did not display any affinity for critical thinking, nor any knowledge of history. it was no truer than alex jones' assertion that no kids were killed at sandy hook and that all the grieving parents are paid actors. patience won't make THAT one become true, right? g

Beauty

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

what's to be mad and what's not beautiful? i love bees! wasps, well, that's another story. but bees are... the bee's knees! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist i hope it's okay that i go off track for a sec, but that reminds me of an essay i wrote and here is a link to it (the page it's on is in desperate need of an update; ignore it): http://sh1.webring.com/people/wg/genessa/dencing.htm g

I really don't identify as anything in particular.

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

i like jew for a noun and jewish for an adjective. i identify with jewish culture, even though i may eat what i like, being an atheist and unobservant even when i thought a god existed. i was raised secularly. there is more than one jewish culture. my heritage is ashkenazic. there are sephardim...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@PontifexMarximus rofl internet! that's a new one. which book of the bible is that in? g

Beauty

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

what's to be mad and what's not beautiful? i love bees! wasps, well, that's another story. but bees are... the bee's knees! g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist and they dance! g

Superstition

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

my guy is superstitious about the number 19 because bad things have happened to him on the 19th of a given month. each of his parents died on a 19th; he got a bad result from an application on a 19th. other stuff happened on a 19th. i don't really know other people who have confided or displayed ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@maturin1919 haha yep he would certainly balk at your name! he's not a bad guy and he'd give you the benefit of the doubt, but he'd probably pronounce you "maturin that number that number"! g