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

Varn comments on Sep 11, 2018:

You say, “*...and turned out to have created a number of groups that included a group for liberals who hate democrats and a couple of groups for conservatives. now, how can you be both of those? that seems dishonest to me. it also explained a lot.*” Agreed, and obviously using this site to ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

lol i am not that easy to intimidate. i didn't block him because he intimidated me. i blocked him because i have better things to do than argue back and forth with the likes of him. i did my bit, mostly for anyone who was lurking. that was enough! g

I was at the grocery store at 7:30 am this morning loading my car up when an elderly couple drove up...

Cast1es comments on Sep 10, 2018:

Doesn't cost more than a few seconds , to be polite . It's the religious who are angry and hurtful . Let's not be like them .

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

politeness is not always appropriate behavior. sometimes it is better to stop people from being intrusive. one can be polite in rejecting someone's intrusion. one doesn't have to agree to what is happening or permit it to remain polite. but as i say, there are times.... g

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

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

i may be about to block another. why do people have to get personal when challenged on an intellectual point? this one wants to redefine words to suit his own message, and what words does he think he is redefining? "god" and "pray." because god doesn't have to mean god, you know. it can mean ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

i had to block him. he got a little panty-twisted and all offended that i didn't like it getting personal. g

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

GreenAtheist comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I think by definition, an xian who does NOT REJECT HELL THREATS AND HEAVEN BRIBES yet comes in here to make nice with Atheists IS A TROLL.... SAME goes for Catholics who do not fully condmemn 2 living popes for covering up the rape of millions of children and seminarians by thousands of ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist lol probably not... although i am new, so i could be wrong! anyway i just blocked another, ALSO not a troll, and not a religionist, despite his wanting to redefine words that have religious connotations so he can say they really don't (they really do -- see my post about it below). he is offended that i called him out for getting personal. oh, the feels. i might have to faint. or not! g p.s. yeah it was a guy. patterns... patterns.... i've heard of male pattern baldness. i am starting to believe in male pattern condescension.

Whenever I go to the city (not a big city mind you), I see many homeless people on every corner ...

Benthoven comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I pray every day that God does bless. If there's a force for good, I pray that I find it and learn how to use it through wisdom. If there is love in the universe, I pray that I find it and learn how to use it, and when to recognize that I'm NOT using it. Maybe communities can come together to help ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Benthoven you don't know what "i pray you" means? not into shakespeare, eh? i am done with you. BLOCK. g

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

GreenAtheist comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I think by definition, an xian who does NOT REJECT HELL THREATS AND HEAVEN BRIBES yet comes in here to make nice with Atheists IS A TROLL.... SAME goes for Catholics who do not fully condmemn 2 living popes for covering up the rape of millions of children and seminarians by thousands of ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GreenAtheist it usually ends up being condescending, yes. but it doesn't have to be. i try to hope for the best. it doesn't always work out! oh, i don't see it as straights trying to find out what gays do in bed. i mean it can be, but again, it doesn't have to be. it could even be a curiosity born of a feeling that they might want to rethink their religion. i won't assume in advance, even if the odds are not in favor of a good outcome. that's just me, though. g

Whenever I go to the city (not a big city mind you), I see many homeless people on every corner ...

Benthoven comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I pray every day that God does bless. If there's a force for good, I pray that I find it and learn how to use it through wisdom. If there is love in the universe, I pray that I find it and learn how to use it, and when to recognize that I'm NOT using it. Maybe communities can come together to help ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Benthoven i guess you didn't read what i said, since you're trying to teach me some stuff i already have mentioned. i guess you also have not learned not to fling personal insults at someone with whom you disagree, or who has disagreed with you. fun at parties. feh. i have nothing more to say to someone who gets his panties in that big a wad over that small a thing. have a nice life, even if first you need to get one. do so, i pray you. 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 this guy claims to be an atheist. his problem isn't godly delusion. it's conspiracy-theory delusion, on top of which he's a rude jerk. don't worry, i won't tell you his name; i've forgotten it already anyway, though i know what letter it started with and that it was a short name. i guess i have a block list somewhere is i really need to know. but i don't block guys for being guys. i would certainly block one who tried to lord it (oh what a term for an atheist) over women just because he has a y chromosome. g

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

GreenAtheist comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I think by definition, an xian who does NOT REJECT HELL THREATS AND HEAVEN BRIBES yet comes in here to make nice with Atheists IS A TROLL.... SAME goes for Catholics who do not fully condmemn 2 living popes for covering up the rape of millions of children and seminarians by thousands of ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

granted. but christians who are genuinely curious about why someone wouldn't buy into their delusion are not trolls. 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 it's like any other community. there are all kinds of people. true, the site's purpose narrows this down somewhat, but religionists who are respectful are welcome, and some atheists are assholes just like members of any other large group. this particular atheist (he says he is) is an asshole. it happens. 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:

i don't know if he's a troll. i think he's an idiot, and not a kindly one, and that was enough for me! g

Whenever I go to the city (not a big city mind you), I see many homeless people on every corner ...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

people who don't eat regularly can be delusional. it's not their fault. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Akfishlady i have heard, from otherwise reasonable people, that if one gives, one should give unconditionally. i don't know where THAT's written. i don't think it's particularly charitable to be an enabler, and if i want to specify what to give, or to whom to give, based on where i think my gift will end up, that's my business. once i've given it, it's not, but on the other hand that doesn't mean i can't learn from it and adjust my behavior. you did the right thing adjusting yours, based on your experience. g

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

PalacinkyPDX comments on Sep 11, 2018:

It's good and it's necessary.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@PalacinkyPDX i tried to add a graphic here that i don't have on my computer but it didn't work. it's a picture of a high five. oh well! high five back atcha! g

Whenever I go to the city (not a big city mind you), I see many homeless people on every corner ...

Benthoven comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I pray every day that God does bless. If there's a force for good, I pray that I find it and learn how to use it through wisdom. If there is love in the universe, I pray that I find it and learn how to use it, and when to recognize that I'm NOT using it. Maybe communities can come together to help ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

god is not a generic term. its meaning may be broad in some senses but it's not as broad as all THAT. you can redefine it as a dog or a potato but i don't have to buy the new definition! in addition, i do not wonder if there is something walking alongside us, and if that's what god bless means on the signs, then i want no part of it. but i don't think that is what it means. i think it's encouragement to give, as in "god will favor you if you give something to me." to whom do you pray? that's not a generic term, either. one prays to someone, a sentient entity, be it a god or a king or a merchant, for something, be it physical or otherwise. the preposition is the operative word. pray TO someone. i sometimes see people talking about gratitude: same deal there. you're grateful TO someone. to whom? g

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

PalacinkyPDX comments on Sep 11, 2018:

It's good and it's necessary.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

i was hoping to go a whole week without blocking anyone lol. guess i didn't make it! g

heya all.

PalacinkyPDX comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Hi fellow hebress, Meh, the goyim [sigh] what do they know? But speaking of atonement, it's time progressive Jews spoke out more against the likes of right wingers like Sheldon Adelson, Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro. Not to mention groups like Chabad (overwhelmingly Trump supporters) who are ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

ugh, yeah! i refuse to be ashamed, though. i don't buy the "bad name" thing. small samples! we should feel totally free to condemn them, not as jews but as people. bibi, ugh! he makes it so easy for antisemites to justify their feelings, which are unjustifiable. g

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

KateZilla comments on Sep 11, 2018:

A block party??? Sure

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

oh yes! pot luck, 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 11, 2018:

lox! we must not forget lox! l'shanah tovah back atcha, and to everyone here for that matter! oh yeah, mad and bad in torah, but if you take all the god stuff as allegorical and consider him a character, flawed like anyone else, it has its interesting bits. not the begats. by god, the begats are a bore! but yes, we have ourselves a pretty humane religion, and it doesn't turn atheists into apostates, either! g

heya all.

MrLizard comments on Sep 11, 2018:

Unfortuntely, this group has not been very active, lately. But your comments are understandable. I've noticed similar things. I've even joked that Yom Kippur allows us to "keep on sinnin'!" Some folks don't get the joke.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

haha they don't get it because for a christian, that's not a joke! 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 11, 2018:

@Matias i will have to take your word for it about germany. all the atheists i know do NOT believe in anything supernatural or any afterlives. i know that may be a small sample, but it's all i know. g

Neil Peart Quote

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

how can a universe, which is not a sentient being, have a plan? i like rush, and i don't mind songs that say things i don't necessarily agree with as long as they're not offensive things, but as philosophy? no. the universe works the way it works, but that is not the same as having a plan. as ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@balou haha wants, always the language of intention. that's my point. g

Dr Donald Hoffman has discovered that seeing accurately is not beneficial; the opposite is the case.

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

i'll start at the end. what scheme? there is no scheme. i do not believe in the usual definition of the supernatural either but my reason cannot be it cannot exist because it would destroy a purpose. if it existed and destroyed something, then that thing would be destroyed, and too bad. ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@dodin i don't care to be compared to a religionist, and have said nothing to warrant such a comparison. disagreeing with you doesn't make me a fact-changer. it means i disagree with you, which i still do. nothing you've said inclines me to explore this topic further. in fact, your assertions turn me off to the point of wanting nothing more to do with this. you seem okay with changing the subject but accuse me of changing facts. great. i'll go read someone else's posts now. g

An interesting subject of Agnostics, I think anyhow I dare you to watch and discuss with me your ...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

oy has she got her facts wrong! first of all, we're not descended from apes. we're descended from an ancestor we have in common with apes. her assertions about no progress for long stretches, and her concern for the missing link, are ridiculous. tools are not the only criteria for assessing ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Fibonacci1618 lol you're welcome but i'm not a guy! :-)) g

What is your best interview advice?

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

are you talking about conducting a job interview with an applicant, being an applicant, interviewing someone in order to write an article about that person, or being interviewed by someone who may write an article about you? g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Quazi if interviewing a candidate: make sure your questions are appropriate to the candidate's purported ability to do the job, but listen to the answers, too, not just the content but the tone. don't judge lack of confidence too harshly; some people are shy in interviews but innovative on the job. if being interviewed: don't ramble but don't give one-word answers either, and don't be afraid to say "i don't know, but i'd like to learn." if interviewing a subject for an article, have your list of questions ready but be prepared to put them aside in favor of following up on the answers. otherwise you could submit your interview questions in writing! the subject's answers will give you your next question naturally; your interview will become a guided conversation. if you're the subject, relax, be honest, don't say things off the record because they might somehow slip into the record anyway, and if the interviewer crosses a line, politely tell him/her so... or indicate so by deftly changing the subject! g

Name one thing you want to try in the bedroom.

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

sleeping. i'm no good at it, but i'd like to practice. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@HippieChick58 it's funny, because "retire" is a word we sometimes use to mean "go to bed." it should work! why doesn't it work? g

FACT AND FICTION - - - - - - Some members of this forum have accused me of trying to reconcile fact...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

that's not symbiosis. that's symbolism. we know that while a piece of paper with ben franklin's face imprinted on it has no intrinsic value, but we ALSO know that it has the value of what we can exchange it for because we have all bought into the convenience of that symbolic system. quite ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Matias i know what you're saying. i understood it already. i still disagree with it. g

An interesting subject of Agnostics, I think anyhow I dare you to watch and discuss with me your ...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

oy has she got her facts wrong! first of all, we're not descended from apes. we're descended from an ancestor we have in common with apes. her assertions about no progress for long stretches, and her concern for the missing link, are ridiculous. tools are not the only criteria for assessing ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Fibonacci1618 you want me to go into more detail? i thought my points were sufficient! i am not a scientist. it doesn't take one to know the places i mentioned where she went wrong; they're egregious. i could do a whole bunch of research and pick what she says apart detail by detail, but i really don't have any interest in doing that, chiefly because she bases her premise on stuff that's already so clearly wrong. i just don't see the need. if you do, good luck, but i really don't have the time, or frankly the scientific education, to go farther than i have. but imagine this: someone writes a whole, intellectual-sounding paper about why humans can fly unaided, if only they try. they go into a lot of detail about what our wings are made of, and where they came from, and why we can't see them, but you know what? we already KNOW we don't have wings, and that wings don't come from a bacterial infection, and when they say that we do, and they do, it invalidates the whole thing. we don't have to research the bacteria or the history. the whole thing is already bogus. 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 11, 2018:

@Matias ... makes sense to you. i am sorry if you find other definitions wish-washy. your finding them so does not make your definition correct. your dislike for a definition doesn't invalidate it. we place humans center stage because we're humans, whether we're humanist or not. recognizing human dignity does not exclude other species any more than recognizing that lox is delicious means eschew all other forms of nutrition. (i could say it's the same way black lives matter doesn't mean ONLY black lives matter, and feminism doesn't put females above males but rather is concerned with equal rights for all). so why do humans need humanism? because a lot of people put, say, money center stage instead of humans. it's not ABOUT being the best, most special species. that's a weird way to read it. g

One of the key differences between man and other animals is other animals adapt to their environment...

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

adaptation to one's environment is important to survival and evolution. adaptation OF one's environment is sometimes necessary, and humans are by no means the only animals that do that, so it does not set us apart except by virtue of the degree to which we do it. we are so prodigious at it, in ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@towkneed we may well be the only animals to OVERdo it. g

Dr Donald Hoffman has discovered that seeing accurately is not beneficial; the opposite is the case.

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

i'll start at the end. what scheme? there is no scheme. i do not believe in the usual definition of the supernatural either but my reason cannot be it cannot exist because it would destroy a purpose. if it existed and destroyed something, then that thing would be destroyed, and too bad. ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@dodin you have made a mistake about my making a mistake. i have not mistaken individual intelligence for special intelligence. i was speaking of special intelligence. g

My guy got hauled away tonight to a hospital with a religious name, but i have never been approached...

Cast1es comments on Sep 11, 2018:

There's usually a shift change at midnight , and all nurses have to be briefed on all of the patients . Generally takes a bit of time , an hour or so .

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

that would explain it :-)) 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 11, 2018:

@Matias i have not heard that definition of humanism and am not aware -- or convinced -- that it is an accurate definition, or an accurate description of what humanism is based on. g

My guy got hauled away tonight to a hospital with a religious name, but i have never been approached...

Umbral comments on Sep 11, 2018:

I hope things work out ok.

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

thanks! they said i need not call back at any certain hour and they would call me if anything happened. i doubt they call folks back at this hour for an x-ray result unless it's serious. g

Jehovah's Withnesses

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

they are entitled to believe such foolishness as they will. they do tend to have a bit of a problem with sexual abuse within the congregation (whether this involves clergy, as it does in the catholic church, or just the clergy's admonition that the abused remain silent, i do not know). to that ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@GlaslowII that is rough. at some point, though, you have to take care of yourself and leave your family if you must, to escape the oppression. the fact is, they certainly will never escape if you don't. g

Worst 20th century world leader

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

it's a tie, and there are certainly a lot of contenders for second place and beyond, but my first-place tie is among hitler, stalin and pol pot. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@Quazi oh if anyone was the scapegoat showa was. tojo made the decisions. showa was a botanist -- if he hadn't been born "divine" he probably would've had a career as a scientist. his birthday was april 29 and was celebrated as "the emperor's birthday" up until his death, after which it continued to be celebrated as "botany day" in his honor. tojo was a nogoodnik! he was responsible for pearl harbor, for one thing. g

Cooked beets for the first time. Looks like a murder scene.

genessa comments on Sep 11, 2018:

they do leak! but boiled? no, no, no! anything but that! try roasting them! boiling a vegetable is almost... well this is the wrong site to call something sacrilegious lol. but you get to keep the flavor and the vitamins if you cook them ANY other way. roasting is best but even microwaving ...

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

@LiterateHiker you won't regret it! and mazel tov on being brave enough to deal with them to begin with! g

Worst 20th century world leader

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

it's a tie, and there are certainly a lot of contenders for second place and beyond, but my first-place tie is among hitler, stalin and pol pot. g

genessa replies on Sep 11, 2018:

by the way, hirohito (his first name, which no japanese people ever called him -- he was the emperor showa) is not blameless in japan's part in wwii but his prime minister, tojo, is the real villain. i was in japan when showa died, many decades after the war. he was still emperor, and beloved, and despite his assertions that he was not, after all, divine, many still thought he was. not so tojo, who was hanged for his war crimes. g

How many people wake up one day and are unable to do simple things like making your bed, doing ...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

you're asking if anyone else is that depressed. yes. for sure. g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@josephr oh for sure. some folks think depressed people are just lazy! being depressed myself, i know better. but the info might be helpful to many. g

Who here is familiar with the Church of Scientology?

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

i've seen a bunch of scary documentaries about how they hold people captive but i have two personal experiences too. will elaborate in a second.... being called away.... g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

p.s. the false alarm was false then but came true and an ambulance is now hauling my guy to the hospital. that has nothing to do with scientology but since i mentioned a false alarm before i thought i'd just tell y'all. pardon me for the distraction.

I really wish if I can find someone to work on my memoir.

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

that can be a gratifying task but it's hard work and takes time and effort. therefore, when i do that, i do not work for free. you have not mentioned compensation. g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@PontifexMarximus it's not my mortgage. i just help out. we'll be homeless soon since we can't afford it. that's neither here nor there; even if we were comfortable, why should hard work not be compensated? no one asks a plumber to work for free! 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 10, 2018:

@Duke i did recognize it as an attempt of humor. i am telling you that because it was sexist, it failed with me. i GET your sense of humor. i did not laugh at this particular manifestation of it. if the humor was based on and LAUGHED AT a ridiculous cliché it would be funny. instead, it was just an example of it. i take your word for it you are more complex and sensitive than the snippet implied and am glad to hear it. g

I really wish if I can find someone to work on my memoir.

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

that can be a gratifying task but it's hard work and takes time and effort. therefore, when i do that, i do not work for free. you have not mentioned compensation. g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@PontifexMarximus the bank does not accept medals in lieu of mortgage money. g

Are you unusually sensitive, too?

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

the only thing that resonates is the foot-wiggling. i do that. it doesn't bother me. the rls does. i kick! g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@LiterateHiker restless leg syndrome. it is exacerbated by antidepressants, and alleviated by antiparkinsonians. i am not on either med so it's there, but not as bad as it could be. g

If you had to recommend someone watch 5 TV series, what would you pick?

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

wow, it's hard to choose only five. i am guessing from your examples that past shows are okay. so how about (in no particular order, and off the top of my head): murphy brown the west wing hill street blues ugly betty northern exposure the good wife doctor who the prisoner the avengers ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@Buddha i KNOW! and i have been watching the old shows in syndication. i can't WAIT! g

It is a recurring theme that liberals/progressives/secular are on average more educated, more ...

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

what regressive left? it's the right that's regressive! liberals don't promote believers of minority religions, and minority religions are worse than western religionists HOW? your assertions make no sense because they're based on other assertions that are patently untrue. back to the left: we ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@kng01 i can't blame you for being depressed. i myself and between depressed and anxious. one small caveat: we don't really know whether trump actually won. this comes more and more into doubt as we learn more about the technical side of the election interference. if his "win" was purely by virtue of the propaganda end of that, then yeah, he won, but if numbers got changed, voters got purged.... that's different. g

Something Instead of Nothing. Why?

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

you may wish to explore the concepts of antimatter and dark matter (which are not the same thing). you may also wish to avoid buying into the kind of verbal tricks my college philosopher teacher used to play (except as far as i could tell he believed in them, which did not endear him to me one ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@DEROB i thought so :-)) hopefully he is retired... probably dead considering how old i am now lol. i'm not wishing him dead; i am wishing him out of the teaching business and out of the philosophy business! g

It is a recurring theme that liberals/progressives/secular are on average more educated, more ...

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

what regressive left? it's the right that's regressive! liberals don't promote believers of minority religions, and minority religions are worse than western religionists HOW? your assertions make no sense because they're based on other assertions that are patently untrue. back to the left: we ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@kng01 that is something that the republicans and particularly the russians spread around in an attempt to divide: convince us we're unfocused and divided and useless. it encourages third-party voting, which DOES divide us. no, i am not misunderstanding you, and i didn't think you were advocating a dogmatic fixed religion. that never even occurred to me. i stand by what i said. g

Logical Fallacies

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

it depends on what kind of stake i have in busting those fallacies. i choose my battles -- wisely, i hope! so sometimes i just dismiss them. other times i may take the time to point out the fallacies one by one. g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@GlaslowII sometimes. not always. context context context! sometimes replying to them, while useless with regard to their understanding, helps other people who are also reading/listening. g

Carolina Chocolate Drops : "Pretty Girl With the Blue Dress On" (FolkAlley.com) - YouTube

Stephanie99 comments on Sep 10, 2018:

I've never seen that wind instrument played well till now. What's it called again?

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@GipsyOfNewSpain i've seen her barefootin'. she is SO good! i admire her endlessly! the other drops are also great but she is especially wonderful. g

THIS IS WORTH TAKING A FEW MINUTES--Call your senators today to delay Kavanaugh confirmation hearing...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

too late to delay the hearings. call and tell your senator to vote NO! g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@KingofHarts i noticed, about the dates! very frustrating. but this came up as new (maybe because of a new comment?) and so a lot of people would see the headline and think we could still stop the hearings. therefore i made my recommendation. i didn't mean it as a slur against you or the post :-)) g

Jehovah's Withnesses

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

they are entitled to believe such foolishness as they will. they do tend to have a bit of a problem with sexual abuse within the congregation (whether this involves clergy, as it does in the catholic church, or just the clergy's admonition that the abused remain silent, i do not know). to that ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@GlaslowII i am glad you got away. everything i have heard (most of it from someone who still, as far as i can tell, believes!) is just dreadful and repressive. g

Does the concept of forgiveness and absolution (inadvertantly or otherwise) lead to Christins ...

micktoz comments on Aug 9, 2018:

12 step groups are a religion or cult also. Which religion are you saying makes no requirement for making things right? From what I've seen, most do suggest to make ammends. It's just that as fictional stories and fantasies can do, there are plenty of mixed messages. There are plenty of pragmatic ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@snytiger6 ah, a compromise. those don't usually work out so well. nor have i had an addiction -- well, except to nose spray for a while because i had pleurisy for six months and the doctors gave me afrin; when i went to a new doctor and asked how to stop needing the afrin, his response was to use more afrin! duh! anyway, i eventually found a doctor who cleared my sinuses rather dramatically and in two days i didn't need nose spray any longer. let's just say i never had an addiction that required more help than i just described and thus have no inside experience in a 12-step or other addiction program. i HAVE heard that a lot of folks are unhappy with 12-step because of its religious overtones. i DO feel "higher power," compromise or no, in fact maybe because there was felt to be a NEED to compromise (if it didn't mean god, what would be the big deal?) is a deity, and thus outside of my lack-of-belief system (you're right -- our language is perversely inadequate!) and i have read intelligent articles challenging whether the 12-step program even has a high effectiveness rate, but that might be a different story. g

Does the concept of forgiveness and absolution (inadvertantly or otherwise) lead to Christins ...

micktoz comments on Aug 9, 2018:

12 step groups are a religion or cult also. Which religion are you saying makes no requirement for making things right? From what I've seen, most do suggest to make ammends. It's just that as fictional stories and fantasies can do, there are plenty of mixed messages. There are plenty of pragmatic ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@snytiger6 i don't actually have to broaden definitions. that to me is like people who say god is love, or god is everywhere, in a tree, in a flower. god has a very strong, evocative definition, which may vary by religion but always involves a supreme or at least supernatural being. likewise higher power. it is too evocative to be redefined just for someone's convenience. i balk at it. i always will balk at it. g

Does the concept of forgiveness and absolution (inadvertantly or otherwise) lead to Christins ...

jab60 comments on Aug 9, 2018:

The Jewish people get absolved of their sins once a year. A little fast and good to go to start sinning again ?Pretty economical.

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

that isn't true. part of yom kippur (coming up in 10 days, folks) is asking forgiveness of PEOPLE you've harmed. in judaism, god cannot forgive you for sins against people; only the sinned-against can. not doing it again is a BIG part of it, too. actually, jews do not get "absolved" of sins. that's kind of a christian concept. the important part is asking forgiveness, WHETHER OR NOT IT IS GIVEN (by PEOPLE, i repeat, not by god). it is the penitence that is important, not the "reward" of being forgiven, or somehow absolved. it is also part of the deal to try to forgive, not just ask for forgiveness. if the asking isn't sincere, it doesn't count. that's written in. you're thinking of judaism as if it's christianity. it's not. by the way, i'm a jewish atheist. i like the humanistic parts of the religion but believe there are no gods. you may be surprised to know that (not that it matters, since i am an atheist) this isn't considered a sin. g

Does the concept of forgiveness and absolution (inadvertantly or otherwise) lead to Christins ...

micktoz comments on Aug 9, 2018:

12 step groups are a religion or cult also. Which religion are you saying makes no requirement for making things right? From what I've seen, most do suggest to make ammends. It's just that as fictional stories and fantasies can do, there are plenty of mixed messages. There are plenty of pragmatic ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@snytiger6 in what way is "higher power" not a god or deity? "higher power" has always been god light. g

Do you decorate your home for Xmas or any other winter holiday?

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

never having been christian, i do not decorate my home for any christian holidays. one year when my folks were out of town, when my sister and i were young, we decided to see what it was like to have a christmas tree. it shed needles and the cats ate them. that was enough of an education for me....

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@JenBeberstein if it does not symbolize something unpleasant for you, enjoy the fun. it does, to me. g

this is a video of me, some years ago, reading one of my poems, "old woman in the garden.

Lincoln55 comments on Sep 10, 2018:

Any chance you might be able to post the words for those of us that suffer at the hands of cheap laptop speakers?

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

Old Woman in the Garden Arthritis tangled up her hands She had no truck with Chopin anymore nor braided her granddaughter's hair but sometimes did battle in the garden to reinstate the weed-gnarled mint (itself a reddened, folded-inward weed) the scrawny camomile, dog-eared iris exposed fennel root's feathered fronds long since eaten by striped caterpillars This took time. Iris she liked best useless, like her hands, and purple like them and yon dogwood, gnarled but flowering g

How do you feel about people who just want to put people down, whether it's in opinions or ...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

i cannot vote because i view this case by case. i have been here maybe a week, maybe less, and i have only been attacked personally once. oh, some folks have gotten pretty close to blurring the line between disagreeing strongly with what i said and blasting me personally for saying it, but only ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@Akfishlady i always respond at least once for a few reasons. 1. sometimes they sound convincing to the undecided and i want to bust them publicly. it's not for the purpose of changing them; they can't be changed. it's for the lurkers. expose trolls! 2. it is an opportunity to express my thoughts on the topic without starting my own post, since i probably wouldn't start a post just to start an argument lol. having done that, then i would feel free to block. g

“Faith offers no way to discover the truth about anything, but it’s a great way to stay wrong ...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

unfortunately, some folks would rather be wrong than be scared. independent thinking is scary, yes? g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@jeshuey you may be right. i am not sure. i think people fear discomfort too, and thinking is quite uncomfortable for many. g

this is a video of me, some years ago, reading one of my poems, "old woman in the garden.

evidentialist comments on Sep 10, 2018:

She lifts her pallette Where words are scattered Picks a few with care Mixes them just so Then paints a vivid picture Dark, but not bitter My free prose titled ***The Poet*** seemed apropos here. Thank you @genessa

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

yes, appropriate and i like it too! g

If you could make your pet sentient would you?

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

my cats are sentient. they just can't speak english. i try to speak feline to them sometimes but i am miserable at it. they do understand a lot of my english -- nothing complex of course, but we get by. the dog... not so much. i think you mean if the cat could communicate in english and ...

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@Jnei they're right, too! g

I am planning to have a serious medical attention, today as I walked through the hallway of this ...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

i have never met a republican doctor. i have met a lot of doctors, too! g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@m0752532706 and rand paul purports, too, to be a doctor. however, i have never met them. g

I am planning to have a serious medical attention, today as I walked through the hallway of this ...

genessa comments on Sep 10, 2018:

i have never met a republican doctor. i have met a lot of doctors, too! g

genessa replies on Sep 10, 2018:

@Mortal indeed. they also know that more of their patients die or live sicker than they need to be when fewer of them are insured, and when insurance companies decide what is covered instead of the doctor's deciding what is needed. g

The Case for Dark Matter in the Universe

genessa comments on Sep 5, 2018:

it's amazing how despite so much evidence that dark matter exists and so little (well, NONE!) that any gods do (i am not saying that the two issues are related), lack of proof prevents people from accepting the possibility of dark matter, but lack of proof doesn't prevent people from absolutely ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Avicenna unlike dark matter and antimatter, there are no dark gods or light gods, not even any in between gods. g

Pence admits he's not sure Republicans have the votes for Kavanaugh

Trajan61 comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Kavanaugh will be confirmed and why shouldn’t he be confirmed? He’s a damn sight better than those liberal pieces of shit on the US Supreme Court like Kegan, Sonimeyer, Ginburg and Breyer.

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Trajan61 i meant facts that you actually share with us, instead of calling names. uneducated i am not. liberal i am. piece of crap... you call a human being that? what does that make YOU? g

People often talk about raising children with an open mind, letting them make their own decisions ...

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

let's imagine someone was bringing up their kids to make up their own minds about religion, and that this meant exposing them to religions. which ones? all of them? there are an awful lot. would this mean finding a druid for some special instruction? is there still a norse or ancient greek ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@HereticSin i should imagine so! g

People often talk about raising children with an open mind, letting them make their own decisions ...

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

let's imagine someone was bringing up their kids to make up their own minds about religion, and that this meant exposing them to religions. which ones? all of them? there are an awful lot. would this mean finding a druid for some special instruction? is there still a norse or ancient greek ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@JustLynnie yes, exposure is inevitable unless you lock your kid in a tower, so why not take the upper hand there? and teaching him to question everything is important, especially along with that exposure. but there are different kinds of exposure, and exposure without comment could be dangerous. i know people who will just take their kid to different churches and let them see what they like. i wouldn't do that! i think if i exposed the kid to that, i would certainly put it in a context, verbally. g

People often talk about raising children with an open mind, letting them make their own decisions ...

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

let's imagine someone was bringing up their kids to make up their own minds about religion, and that this meant exposing them to religions. which ones? all of them? there are an awful lot. would this mean finding a druid for some special instruction? is there still a norse or ancient greek ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@HereticSin you did the right thing. it is not necessary to say "some people believe that and i don't and here's why." you can be more emphatic. however, it may be confusing even to a bright child why people -- even relatives she loves -- believe that, and that means admitting that those people, or some people, do. i felt it was important information. there are, however, many ways to impart information. what works for you works for you! g

Pence admits he's not sure Republicans have the votes for Kavanaugh

Trajan61 comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Kavanaugh will be confirmed and why shouldn’t he be confirmed? He’s a damn sight better than those liberal pieces of shit on the US Supreme Court like Kegan, Sonimeyer, Ginburg and Breyer.

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

... none of whom you can spell, it seems. ignoring your incorrect and offensive characterizations of the good people on the supreme court, here is why kavanaugh should not be confirmed: 1. he lied to congress about a number of important things when he was being considered for his current position. that's a federal crime. 2. one of the things he lied about was his knowledge and acceptance of stolen documents. that's a federal crime. 3. he has engaged in pay-to-play when helping to appoint other judges. i THINK that might be a federal crime. 4. he was involved in the bush/cheney torture business. 5. less than 10 percent of his documentation is being released to people who really should be considering his ENTIRE record before appointing him, or anyone, to a lifetime position. oh, and he's an asshole. i forgot that consideration. he's a lying, torture-approving, self-serving asshole. but kagan, sotomayor, ginsburg and breyer (you actually spelled that last one right) are pieces of shit? i notice you have no actual FACTS to back that up. actually you have no facts to back ANYTHING up, do you? no, i thought not. g

I was face painting at a church last night (didn't burn up in there, lol) and this girl asked for a ...

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

maybe it was her first time at a church. at the age of 10 i had never been to one. now i am wondering, what WAS my first visit? probably to a friend's wedding. we were all 21 or so. he was catholic. the priest wore tennis shoes under his robes. i was impressed by that, but not by anything...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@pepperjones lol i wasn't playing devil's advocate! to me it was quite possible it was her first time in a church. i did not have the information you hadn't shared, after all. now that i do, i have no other possible explanation. as for my friend... it was not time that tested us. it was religion: his, to be exact. g

Where do you find meaning?

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i don't find the issue of meaning a good argument at all against atheism. of course there is meaning without a supreme being but let's imagine for a moment that life is indeed meaningless. if it is, it is! and if we don't like that, we don't like that! does our not LIKING how something is prove ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Lucignolo the only argument against atheism WOULD be the existence of a god. any other argument would be for making yourself believe in something you know you don't believe in. nihilism is NOT ultimately what atheism offers today. atheism isn't a thing that offers something. it's just the recognition that there are no gods. it's not a system or a religion or anything. not believing in a supreme being is not the same as believing in nothing. one can believe in human kindness. that's not nihilism. as for telling you what you already know, sorry, have we met before and i've just forgotten? i don't KNOW what you know. i just know what you've SAID and ASKED. i responded to that. i don't know what perspectives are new to you. have i repeated something you've heard before? how rude of me. maybe you've heard it before because it's right! and i wasn't trying to offer anything to religionists. i was trying to answer your question. you asked what i thought. (me, and others. plural you.) you didn't ask me what i thought would be a good thing to say to a religionist. g

I am currently reading "Flight or Fright" - it is a book of short horror stories about flying.

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i'm terrified. i do it anyway, or i did when i could afford it. g

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@JenBeberstein life is an adventure! i just muddle along but people have told me my life has been adventurous. i suppose in many ways they're right. g

I am currently reading "Flight or Fright" - it is a book of short horror stories about flying.

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i'm terrified. i do it anyway, or i did when i could afford it. g

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@JenBeberstein i love trains. american trains are not as comfy as they once were, but i love being able to stand between the cars and feel the breeze. riding on the shinkansen in japan is interesting because when i was last there anyway they only had one nonsmoking car, and the sumo wrestlers all travel in it. their heads touch the ceiling when they stand up. they ride sitting and reading manga (comic books). they're gigantic! that was my company when i rode the shinkansen in japan. g

I am currently reading "Flight or Fright" - it is a book of short horror stories about flying.

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i'm terrified. i do it anyway, or i did when i could afford it. g

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@JenBeberstein i lived in japan for 10 years. i had to fly to visit home (america), to get my visa renewed (i went to south korea, as it was the closest country and i had to leave japan to do this), to visit europe at last (and i had to go to malaysia to do it cheaply lol). i couldn't avoid planes. within japan i traveled by train. g

I am currently reading "Flight or Fright" - it is a book of short horror stories about flying.

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i'm terrified. i do it anyway, or i did when i could afford it. g

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@JenBeberstein i do that all the time. i have ptsd (not connected with planes) and i avoid things i vitally need, medically. but it's REALLY hard to get from point a to point b, if they are across an ocean from one another, without a plane. (yes, i know about ships; i don't usually have that kind of time!) g

When and why do people become atheists?

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

i was not raised religiously, and i was not frightened or disgusted away from religion. i simply realized that there were no gods. it wasn't traumatic or anything. why would the world need an atheistic organization that cared about LOYALTY? what does loyalty have to do with the price of ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@4Humanity popular works better yes! lol well, that would be okay i guess. it might accidentally make us look like a religion, though. on the other hand, wow, it would be nice, when needing some kind of help, to be able to get it without being told to pray. g

Would you or wouldn't you?

genessa comments on Sep 9, 2018:

i will have to answer this question soon. my endometrial biopsy isn't until the 17th. i've been trying to answer it in advance and i can't. g

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@Crimson67 thanks :-)) g

Something Instead of Nothing. Why?

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

you may wish to explore the concepts of antimatter and dark matter (which are not the same thing). you may also wish to avoid buying into the kind of verbal tricks my college philosopher teacher used to play (except as far as i could tell he believed in them, which did not endear him to me one ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@johnprytz i can't help you. i'm not a scientist. but my not understanding something completely is not the same as my not seeing the logic in what little i do understand. g

It is a recurring theme that liberals/progressives/secular are on average more educated, more ...

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

what regressive left? it's the right that's regressive! liberals don't promote believers of minority religions, and minority religions are worse than western religionists HOW? your assertions make no sense because they're based on other assertions that are patently untrue. back to the left: we ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@kng01 we might be, in general, and we might be, in some specific respects, but in terms of agreeing with that statement, nope, we're not on THAT particular page together. g

I just thought i would post that i am rather shaken by the recent death of harlan ellison.

LenHazell53 comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Of course a writer's personality comes out in their writing, that is what makes it unique. Ellison was a powerful incisive writer, some times abrasive, but always original, which is what made him unpopular with other writers. When questioned about why he was so litigious his answer was that if ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

indeed! harlan may have been a hothead of sorts but people with lit matches in their hands have no call to complain of it! g

I just thought i would post that i am rather shaken by the recent death of harlan ellison.

LenHazell53 comments on Sep 9, 2018:

My favourite "grumpy" Harlan story was when he was invited to participate in a writers meeting to help develop the plot for the very first Star Trek Movie in the late seventies. Roddenberry kept rejecting ideas and demanding "Think Bigger, I want this to be really Big!" After an hour or so of ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

lol that sounds like harlan! g

I’ve just had my very first conversation with a stranger who is an atheist.

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

small samples lead to lousy judgments. so you met a stranger who happened to be an atheist and also happened to be obnoxious (in ways you have not specified, so it is hard to understand what bothered you about the conversation). i mean, i have NO idea what behaviors you're talking about. i'm not ...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@mychelle okay, that helps a little, it was a date. by wrong i didn't mean evil. i meant wrong for you. g

I had a talk with a Theology Professor Though I am still currently struggling with my ...

skado comments on Sep 6, 2018:

1. I enthusiastically agree that science and religion have maximum potential for mutual support when understood deeply, even though most folks these days see them as incompatible. Both religion and science have made terrible mistakes in the past and no doubt continue to. 2. It's part of human...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@skado i don't know. something that doesn't mean "created," as in "someone created me"? i don't necessarily need a word, or a statement. i just don't like THAT one! g

I had a talk with a Theology Professor Though I am still currently struggling with my ...

skado comments on Sep 6, 2018:

1. I enthusiastically agree that science and religion have maximum potential for mutual support when understood deeply, even though most folks these days see them as incompatible. Both religion and science have made terrible mistakes in the past and no doubt continue to. 2. It's part of human...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@skado correct, religion doesn't make mistakes. religion is, in general, a mistake. religionists make mistakes. yes i exist. that doesn't mean i was created. the multitudinous authors of the christian bible are not known, for the most part, and the ones we do know about are not who we have been led to think they are (even the "originals" have been shown to be forgeries) so i am not especially worried about them. my art is mostly not visual, though i do occasionally paint. i am a writer. i've composed the odd musical piece as well but can hardly claim to be a composer, but i am a writer, that i will admit. i even make initial caps in formal writing! woo HOO! :-)) g

I had a talk with a Theology Professor Though I am still currently struggling with my ...

skado comments on Sep 6, 2018:

1. I enthusiastically agree that science and religion have maximum potential for mutual support when understood deeply, even though most folks these days see them as incompatible. Both religion and science have made terrible mistakes in the past and no doubt continue to. 2. It's part of human...

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@skado you may use the word science as you please but that doesn't make it something that, as an entity, can make mistakes. people make mistakes. in point two you are contradicting what you said in your previous point two. i am not offended by metaphors, if they are apt. i do not consider myself to have been created. i will correct you on your timing for the habit of constructing a world view from objective facts and sound reasoning was invented in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. in ancient times there was an arabian scientist whose name i have forgotten, who, while in prison, made some startling observations about light and reasoned quite soundly about its nature, despite his time's prevalent beliefs that were somewhat less correct. i wish i remembered his name. i probably couldn't spell it if i did, though (and i am a good speller). as for math, i am mathematically challenged and also am an artist, so we appear to have that in common. g

I just thought i would post that i am rather shaken by the recent death of harlan ellison.

evidentialist comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Sad that he is gone, but none of us last forever.

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

we sure don't. i just miss knowing he's in the world. g

I just thought i would post that i am rather shaken by the recent death of harlan ellison.

pixiedust comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I have not seen such an assertion nor would I believe it if I did. I just read his short story "Z is for Zombie". I suspect his personality gave him the insight to craft the pithy, incisive narratives we love to read. So boo, hiss to jealous mediocre writers of crap obits.

genessa replies on Sep 9, 2018:

@pixiedust aww 'blush thanks! g

Here is a game adapted from one i've seen on facebook.

memorylikeasieve comments on Sep 8, 2018:

Kali of Duty Johnny Quetzalcoatl Sutekh-nical Difficulties This Odin House Bonus Even More Fictional Ones Hastur Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Bubba-Nyarlat-Hotep

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

lol g

It is a recurring theme that liberals/progressives/secular are on average more educated, more ...

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

what regressive left? it's the right that's regressive! liberals don't promote believers of minority religions, and minority religions are worse than western religionists HOW? your assertions make no sense because they're based on other assertions that are patently untrue. back to the left: we ...

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@kng01 um, none of that is actually true. g

I seem unable to find a search line or link around here.

Tomfoolery33 comments on Sep 8, 2018:

A lot of posts have hashtags. You can try searching using your topic with a hashtag. I've never tried it, but it might work.

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

okay, it's a start. thanks! g

I just thought i would post that i am rather shaken by the recent death of harlan ellison.

pixiedust comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I have not seen such an assertion nor would I believe it if I did. I just read his short story "Z is for Zombie". I suspect his personality gave him the insight to craft the pithy, incisive narratives we love to read. So boo, hiss to jealous mediocre writers of crap obits.

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@pixiedust oh, he was giving a lecture at usc, a million years ago, and i was a little late for it. the auditorium was quite large, so while it was by no means full, there were still a lot of people in the audience -- but for some reason they were mostly sitting in the back half of the hall, except for a handful in the front right quarter. so as not to disturb anyone coming in, i went to the front left. ellison directed his words to the places with the most people, of course. after a while, though, he suddenly turned to me and said "and how are YOU today, sir?" i happen to be a woman. i don't even think i had short hair at the time. i immediately looked down at my bosom, then back up at ellison, and called out "they're not THAT small!" he blushed, turned away and never looked my way again! after the lecture i presented a poster of his face for him to sign. he signed under the nose, his name forming a mustache. he didn't say anything to me; he just gave me the strangest look! g

I just thought i would post that i am rather shaken by the recent death of harlan ellison.

pixiedust comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I have not seen such an assertion nor would I believe it if I did. I just read his short story "Z is for Zombie". I suspect his personality gave him the insight to craft the pithy, incisive narratives we love to read. So boo, hiss to jealous mediocre writers of crap obits.

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

i was pissed off at that writer too. ellison was brilliant, any way you cut it. by the way, i once made him blush. i was quite pleased with myself for that! g

Who Is Your Favorite Fictional Deity?

weeman comments on Sep 8, 2018:

gilgamesh demi god but im sure thats fine

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

yep, demi works too! g

I’ve just had my very first conversation with a stranger who is an atheist.

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

small samples lead to lousy judgments. so you met a stranger who happened to be an atheist and also happened to be obnoxious (in ways you have not specified, so it is hard to understand what bothered you about the conversation). i mean, i have NO idea what behaviors you're talking about. i'm not ...

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@CoastRiderBill i tried to answer her question, which was difficult because her question was so vague. i had to hearken back to what she said before asking the question to try to figure it out. a lot of that struck me as illogical. this is what directed my comment. i don't know what else i could have said that would have been at all helpful, and my purpose in answering was to be helpful. it turns out my attempt to help was unappreciated and maybe even resented. i did my best. oh WELL. g

I’ve just had my very first conversation with a stranger who is an atheist.

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

small samples lead to lousy judgments. so you met a stranger who happened to be an atheist and also happened to be obnoxious (in ways you have not specified, so it is hard to understand what bothered you about the conversation). i mean, i have NO idea what behaviors you're talking about. i'm not ...

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@mychelle "is this what it's like?" isn't asking for an explanation? pardon me for trying to answer what i thought you might be asking. a more specific question might have gotten you an answer you wanted, although i try to answer truthfully rather than as people want me to answer. g

Are you a romantic? Are you passionate in a nonsexual context?

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

i think i am romantic but my guy is sentimental. this causes friction now and again. g

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck well i love him so how bad can it be? but i think he thinks sentimentality and romance are the same, and sometimes he gets a little weepy over ideas. i think he gets sentimental over the IDEA of people who died instead of actually remembering those people. admittedly he has memory issues and did so even before the onset of alzheimer's, but it bothers me that he can't remember a single interaction from his childhood between him and his mother, although he loves his mother, gets misty looking at her picture, and "remembers" her fondly. but what does he actually remember? that's sentiment. i know i've drifted from the kind of sentiment that one might compare with romance, but i am trying my best to get specific about my guy. g

I am wondering about your feelings toward movies or books with fantastic religious themes, ...

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

i don't sort things i like by genre. my favorite horror film is the manchurian candidate (the original). if something is well done, and makes me suspend my disbelief, i enjoy it. that's all. g

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@BoingoOingo42 scariest film ever! g

I had a talk with a Theology Professor Though I am still currently struggling with my ...

skado comments on Sep 6, 2018:

1. I enthusiastically agree that science and religion have maximum potential for mutual support when understood deeply, even though most folks these days see them as incompatible. Both religion and science have made terrible mistakes in the past and no doubt continue to. 2. It's part of human...

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

1. religion is a (usually organized) system of belief regarding a number of issues, usually including creation and the existence and characteristics (and demands!) of a supreme being. science is a study. how can a study make mistakes? science has made terrible mistakes? you mean some scientists got it wrong? that's NOT the same thing! 2. there is no law that says we have to understand old stories only in their original context. it is helpful to do so. it is not helpful to do so to the exclusion of all other contexts. 3. which bible? whose bible? why does a magnificent universe prove god exists? why do i have to take YOUR word for it that this universe created me? what bosom? does god have teats? this assertion is patently fantabulous and i don't mean that in a good way. and quite frankly, there are some pretty ugly things in the two books that two major religions refer to, separately, as "the bible." as for objectivity, it wasn't invented. it is a way of seeing things. unless you're talking about some former hominid that somehow couldn't observe anything objectively and yet had the wherewithal to express stories of that sort, this assertion is TOTALLY ridiculous. 4. make sure that the sensibilities you're trusting are your own before you trust them. examine them, too, to make sure they are sensible sensibilities. g

Synesthesia.

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

i am envious, although i imagine it's hard to adjust to if you were not born with it. i have, ever since learning of its existence, wished i had been born with synesthesia. it sounds just wonderful. i actually can imagine it, or i imagine i can imagine it. but then, i am an atheist lol. one ...

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@William12354 yeah i can dig that. of course, if you'd been born that way.... again different. i like the idea of auras though. (i do not attribute supernatural characteristics to them, though.) g

Something Instead of Nothing. Why?

genessa comments on Sep 8, 2018:

you may wish to explore the concepts of antimatter and dark matter (which are not the same thing). you may also wish to avoid buying into the kind of verbal tricks my college philosopher teacher used to play (except as far as i could tell he believed in them, which did not endear him to me one ...

genessa replies on Sep 8, 2018:

@DEROB i assume you're talking about my idiotic professor and not me lol! g