Should Burning an American Flag be illegal?

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

I don't like the way you phrase your choices. My simple answer is no.

Have you ever heard/read something that had a huge impact on you and the way you think?

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Many things that I have read have had a large impact on my development and on who I am today. My heroes include Harry Truman, Bobby Kennedy, George C. Marshall, Carl Sagan, Charles Darwin, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Hermann Hesse.

What religion do you view as most threatening to democracy and why?

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

The two most dangerous are extreme evangelical Christianity and the most fundamentalistic Islamic sects.

50 years ago today, one of the greatest Americans ever was shot and killed.

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

I firmly believe that Bobby would have been a truly great president, unlike his brother Jack. He had such intelligence, such great analytical skills, and such real concern for people and for our democracy. I genuinely mourned his death.

Neanderthal dna

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

I also have 3.0 percent Neanderthal DNA. A very conservative religious and very conservative former colleague says that she believes it. When she says it, I take is as a sign of intelligence in me.

There's even more evidence to suggest popular vitamin supplements are essentially useless

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Most diet supplements are eqally useless and a multi-billion ripoff foisted by the culture of greed.

Does anyone else agree that the only sort of competition that is healthy for society is when one ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

The healthiest form of competition is competition with one's own prior performance. But, friendly competition does energize a person. And, competition with destructive thoughts and actions is always warranted.

You don’t have a right to believe whatever you want to | Aeon Ideas

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

It is your right to believe anything you want to ONLY IF you also believe that it is your right to be an ignorant, unintelligent, bigoted, destructive. and immoral person and no one has the right to judge such vile behavior..

Neil DeGrasse Tyson: Science Favors Big Bang Over Jesus

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Absolutely correct.

This post is inspired by this one [agnostic.

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

If someone is blocking you, he or she has a right to. What is your reason in wanting to know who is blocking you?

Yesterday (I think) I mentioned to one of my favorite Agnostics that I hadn't seen any garter snakes...

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

We have a number of black racer snakes living in our yard.

Lefties, how have you adapted to the right-handed world?

wordywalt comments on Jun 5, 2018:

You just adapt or modify things to fit your left-handedness. You have to. Incidentally, studies indicate that left-handers tend to be more intelligent. Word association centers in the brain are associated with intelligence. Right handers only have word association centers on the left side of the brain. Many left-handers have word association centers on bOTH sides of the brain. Unfortunately, others studies have indicated that left-handers suffer a greater incidence of depression.

What is your favorite season?

wordywalt comments on Jun 4, 2018:

Fall. It brings cool weather and a sense of pleasant nostalgia.

Is Turkish secularism under threat? | Recep Tayyip Erdogan | Al Jazeera

wordywalt comments on Jun 4, 2018:

Yes, the current Turkish government and its supporters are a threat to secular government and society in Turkey. The EEU should tell Turkey to mend its ways of leave the EEU.

U.

wordywalt comments on Jun 4, 2018:

Those ICE employees responsible for that action should be fired.

The rampant use of logical fallacies in today’s discourse (political) is to me quite astonishing

wordywalt comments on Jun 4, 2018:

Agreed. And, it is disturbing that so many people fall for the deliberate use of fallacious thinking. Shows a lack of critical thinking skills among a large part of our population -- and this is the way that Republicans want it.

What or Who created the universe?

wordywalt comments on Jun 4, 2018:

The universe has no beginning or end, only cycles of expansion and contraction.

What Religion Gives Us That Science Doesn't

wordywalt comments on Jun 4, 2018:

The only comfort that religion gives is the false promise of life after death. If a person realizes that life after death does not exist, all need for religion is obviated.

I was listening to Dr.

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

There are a few Christians who use their religious beliefs as "floor values" providing a safe base from which to learn, grow, and help. Unfortunately, too many Christians use their religious believes as "ceiling values" -- as a limit to learning, growth and community, concentrating on the"thou shalt nots."

"To find the genetic basis of this quick adaptation, a team led by evolutionary biologist Mark ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Evolution is real and has always been real.

I'm in a quandary. When is enough enough?

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

If I were in your shoes, I would very carefully craft my remarks to tell them that you find their attitudes toward your daughter hateful, cruel, and immoral, and that you expect better from them. Tell them that you would like to give them the opportunity to build a solid relationship with your daughter -- and that if they will not, you want nothing more to do with them.

So, what motivates you to check out another member’s profile?

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Simply trying to get a better sense of who the person is, after reading some his or her remarks. .

Are you a day person or a night person

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

During my most productive period of life, I was a night person. I would work all day, then eat dinner and take a nap. Then I did my best thinking, writing, and program design between 10 PM and 2 AN. Today, in retirement, I am a day person.

Do you feel that the current trend in universities being/having a "safe space" is detrimental or ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Yes. That is why universities have general education requirements in the first two years -- to expose students to thoughts and subjects in a variety of areas which they might not seek on their own. Does not "safe space" mean space where one is safe from attack and undue pressure?

Confidence Comes After You Start—Not Before

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Research has long shown that people tend to act their way into believing, instead of believing their way into acting. When people are asked to try something new, they are often hesitant -- even resistant. But, when people are persuaded to try something and it works for them, they quickly change their attitudes to support the new practice. .

The dangers of promoting humans over humanity.

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Race does not exist. It is an artificial human construct. There is no human race, but a human species. To some degree, we do have different gene pools in which inbreeding has produced some characteristics which tend to be associated with specific gene pools. But, those differences are more visual than substantive. The fact of different cultures and tribes has produced far more differences of substance in thought and behavior.

Don the Con in all his splendor.

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

He is a destructive force.

It is baffling that any Trump supporter still actually believes that any of his actions or policies ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Sheer irrationality, very similar to that of a religious "true believer."

What do you find helps to promote drainage in mostly grey clay soil?

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Cottonseed hull mulch helps a lot when mixed in thoroughly. Also diatomaceous earth helps.

I live in a community of these Goobers.

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

What an intellectual and moral idiot!

Should there be a social statute of limitations for misbehavior?

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

No. No one should get a pass for sexual harassment. If young men know that there will inevitably be a price to pay, they are much more likely to keep their raging hormones in check.

Hypothetical: what r ur thoughts if atheists rule the world, would it b a utopia, would wars ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Your view is utopian. Not all atheists are caring, peaceful people. Some are sociopaths. Some are still racist or ethnocentric, some are ultra-nationalistic right wingers. Some believe in the culture of greed. Religion is, by far, not the only source of violence and conflict.

How would you handle a situation if you just met someone socially and they said something you found ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 2, 2018:

Say something like, "Sir, f we are going to be respectful of each other, we need to be honest. In that vein, I find your remark inappropriate for the following reasons . . . "

How the social bias has affected your interaction in society ?

wordywalt comments on Jun 2, 2018:

Social bias has affected almost everyonein some way or another at some time or another.

I would like to start up a seed and cutting exchange.

wordywalt comments on Jun 2, 2018:

Interesting idea.

Here is a question for men: how do you react to a woman crying?

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I embrace her and tell her how sorry I was that she was hurt. If it were true I would also tell her of the anger I felt at those who hurt her. Then, I would ask what I could do to help.

Are there others here with chronic illness?

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I have diabetes, COPD, and a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. My own behavior caused the first two, and the other is genetic. The latter is the luck of the draw. This is the only life I have and the only one I want.

Is anti atheist sentiment only in the USA?

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

Of course not. Any religious "true believer" detests atheists, because the religious dogma forms the core of the true believer's definition of self. Rejection of that dogma threatens the true believers very identity.

Here's a good example of how religion screws everything up.

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

He is simply showing what a corrupt, morally bankrupt and hypocritical demagogue he is. He is simply a despicable excuse for a human being.

Pope laments 'hemorrhaging' of priests and nuns in Europe - Religion News ServiceReligion News ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

As a whole, Europe is more advanced than the US in recognizing that they do not need religion. Jean Jacques Revel predicted that in his 1972 book, WITHOUT MARX OR JESUS.

Random thought - Do you think that the Trump/Kim Jong Un meeting is back on so Trump can hock his ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

No. I think his motives are more devious. I think that his first motivation is to appear to be so busy with important maters that he does not have the time to submit to giving testimony to Mueller. Second, he simply craves the spotlight of public attention.

Trump is not the cause, he is an effect ... the real danger are these people

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I disagree strongly. Never in my life have I seen a man so evil and manipulative that he can bring about a merger of the most evil and destructive forces in our county -- the culture of greed, mindless religious extremists, racists, ethnocentrists, the alt right -- as well was those simply feeling left out. He IS a cause, as well as an effect. He IS the clearest and most present danger to our people, country, culture, institutions. If you care, you MUST acknowledge that and join the fight to rid us of the man. If we can nonviolently remove him from the scene and build a strong moral, inclusive, and patriotic coalition, his devil's brew will disintegrate into less threatening factions.

Why Are Blacks Being Singled Out for Kneeling? Jehovah's Witnesses and Amish Don't Stand.

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

Because it suits the purposes of the bigoted and the alt right.

Does anyone else find Trump's pardon/clemency talk odd?

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I find almost all of Trump's speech patterns at best semi-literate, garbled, impulsive, cynical lies, manipulative distortions of truth to benefit himself. His talk about clemency is just more of the same.

Conspiracy Theories

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

None.

Private schools' curriculum downplays slavery, says humans and dinosaurs lived together - Orlando ...

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I agree. Schools which are founded by religious and right wing political groups are likely to teach falsehoods which are part of their ideological dogma. Even in public school systems in South Carlina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Parts of Georgia, parts of Florida and Tennessee choose textbooks which teach about slavery and the Civil War in a very slanted light. They also often choose books which eliminate any reference to evolution.

On Empowerment - a great concept misunderstood by those doing the training & the management who feel...

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

You are absolutely correct and there is much research to prove it.

Happy June, hope it is a good month for everyone.

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

Here in Florida, the best time of the year has gone. Am already looking forward to mid-October.

Why Do Atheist Seem More Depressed Than Theists? | Atheist Experience 22.19 - YouTube

wordywalt comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I am absolutely convinced that religious "true believers" are more mentally unsettled, ergo more prone to depression. Ergo, the question has an underlying false assertion.

Is it uncomfortable for men to be in a relationship with a women who is more successful ...

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

Those are issues that mean nothing to me. All that matters to me in a relationship is that we treat each other with full caring, dignity, and respect and that we add quality to each other's life.I would find it difficult to maintain the best of relationships with a women who was accomplished.

I just moved in to an "Old Folks Home" in Tucson.

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

You might do well in that setting. I would not. I am 81 years old and will never voluntarily live in such a facility.

Is ignorance bad?

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

Is that q question? Ignorance limits what a person thinks and the way he or she thinks. Anything that limits human development is bad.

As a non-believer, do you find yourself preferring one political candidate over another based on ...

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

The only difference it makes for me is that I will NOT for a die-hard evangelical Christian.

27% of American agnostics believe with certainty there is a God compared with 23% of European ...

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

That does not make sense. By definition, an agnostic is not sure that any god exists. By the way I lived in Salina for 10 years. My daughters (and ex-wife) still live there.

Help.

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

There is an Ortho product named Orthene. It is a white power. Use it very selectively. Find the trails on the ground that the worker ants use to go back and forth to the plants. Sprinkle some of the powder on the trails. The ants will get it on their legs, antennae, and bodies and take it back to the next -- and it will wipe out the entire nest.

BREAKING: "We have to believe that at some point, common sense will prevail.

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

Trump is a modern day Nero, in the process of destroying his realm. He is a destructive sociopath.

If you like to read, who are your favorite authors?

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

I suggest that you also sample Hermann Hesse and Ralph Ellison.

Do our lives depend on facts or values the most?

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

The course of our lives depends on our knowledge of facts and on our choices. Our choices depend on both our knowledge of facts and on our values. There is no way to that one is more critical than the other.

This is a big deal, not only for science, but for theology as well.

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

Anyonewho chooses not to believe in evolution is either ignorant or a fool -- or both.

Does anyone have experience with ravens and crows.

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

A pair of crows has nested in a tree just across the street from our house for several years. They use the birdbath in our back yard several times every day. When they are calling, I frequently try to emulate them and often carry on a "conversation" with them for several minutes. Crows are very intelligent birds. I enjoy having them as neighborhood "friends."

Angry Young Preacher: The Bible Says Gay People Should Be Executed (Humanely) – Friendly Atheist

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

What a vicious,hateful demagogue.

Does intelligence lead to atheism?

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

It can, providing that the person does not have his or her reasoning clouded by excessive commitment to political and/or religious ideologies.

Trying hard to keep my sense of humor...

wordywalt comments on May 31, 2018:

These are really good!

What does your book collection say about you?

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

At one time I had a personal collection of over 2.000 books. One section included my professional books, research-based books on teaching, learning, school excellence, effective teaching, educational philosophy and sociology, etc. I also had a large collection on organizational excellence and leadership. My holdings on history and on government and politics was large,including a section on political ideologies. Mu fiction holdings had a wide range -- Mailer, Ralph Ellison, Saul Bellow, Hermann Hesse, Mark Twain, Russian authors, John La Carre, and many more.It said that I was (1)interested in excellence in school, organizational and personal performance, (2) driven to understand "why", and (3)an iconoclast. .

Does this Group cover mainly temperate zones?

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

I live in central Florida, which is sub-tropical.

Would you get cigarettes for a family member with serious health concerns?

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

That is analogous to getting whiskey for a drunk. As a former smoker, my answer is no.

Philosophically speaking, "Is there any difference b/t a wiener & baloney?"

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

They are both processed meat, but with somewhat different seasoning and ingredients.

I feel like real communication is a difficult accomplishment between male and female.

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

Two things: First, exploring the establishment of a relationship with a women includes finding out what the other means by the terms he or she uses. Our connotations and denotations can be quite different. Second, there are always cynical and untrusting people who are constantly looking for hidden meanings, hoping to find something to attack. It is their means of establishing control.

Rep.

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

What sheer, fraudulent lunacy. In my mind, there is NO connection. She is lying and knows it, but thinks it will earn her some votes from evangelicals.

Looking back at my religious upbringing I feel like the creeds, common prayers and even the hymns ...

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

Not really. I was "saved" in revivals 3 times as a child and early teen, but somehow it never seemed to "take" for long.

More than white

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

Those who stand with Rosanne may be white on outside, but are dirty on the inside.

How do you view the term “politically correct”?

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

You are absolutely correct. People who are engaging in uncivil conduct don't like it when they are called out for their behavior. So, they invented the term "political correctness" to disparage their chastisements.

I guess there’s no chance of Roseanne getting a job with Starbucks

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

Too bad (chuckle).

Ok, be sensitive because I am talking about someone I love very much.

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

You simply manage. And, if your relationship has been a good one, you cherish the memories.

Do you find it offensive when theist think without a belief in god/gods, it’s impossible to have ...

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

I don't care what they think. I know that I have a strong moral code -- and that is all that matters.

I'm old enough now that I'm starting to think a little bit about my legacy.

wordywalt comments on May 30, 2018:

Of course, people are your legacy -- in several senses. First, their is your progeny. Second, there are the people whom you have influenced directly during your lifetime. They, in turn will influence others withe some of the thoughts you have generated or passed on, and it never ends as long as the human species exists. Finally, if you have written a lot expressing your ideas and shared those writings widely, people will be influenced by what you have said in writing. As a person who has tried to live a good, helpful life, as a high school teacher, as a teacher educator, as an educational staff developer focusing on improving teaching, learning and school leadership, as an educational writer, and as a school administrator, I don't worry about my legacy. I do sometimes wonder how widely my influence has spread.

Morality is Very subjective, As an individual you decide what is Moral.

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

Some laws are not moral, but imperfect expressions of cultural biases. Some laws are to be resisted if we are moral people. Example: The Jim Crow of the American south prior to the late 1960s.

I have always wondered why this happens.

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

I don't understand that response. I feel that I still have a lot to learn about human psychology and cognitive development and love to talk about the topics.

What's the one most negative/detrimental effect religious teachings had on your life?

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

The most negative thing, and the thing I fear most, is the aggressive and intrusive way that the evangelicals are moxing religion and politics and how it is trying to force its dogma onto us with the force of bad law.

Italy is in the midst of a constitutional crises.

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

The EU has always shown more intelligence, rationality, fiscal sanity, and moral authority than has Italian politics and political figures. .

I do like the idea of a site like this, and I hope it does well.

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

Don't expect this to be a uniform group. There are a number of people on this site whom I would consider friends and colleagues. There are others I find downright obnoxious or repulsive.in their beliefs and behavior.

Dishonesty In looking back over decades in American Baptist Fundamentalism I must say this one ...

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

There is no doubt that in the institutions of the Southern Baptist Convention, the tyranny of the group prevails. Fandamentalistic "true believers" dominate the culture of most Souther Baptist churches. Those true believers use all means at their disposal to force all others in the group to share the same unquestioning beliefs in the evangelical dogma. If anyone shows any deviance from of questioning of any segment of the dogma, they exert pressure on him or her. The pressure many take the form of sweetly being nice to the person to convince him to come back to the fold. It may also take the form of judging and shaming. If the person does not "shape up", they will either make him or her so uncomfortable that he or she will choose to leave the group, or they eject him from the group That is cognitive dissonance just as Leon Festinger defined it.

Study Finds Link Between Brain Damage and Religious Fundamentalism

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

There is no doubt that the behavior of all fundamentalistic religious "true believers" is different from the normal and that indicates that something is impeding rational judgment. It is definitely abnormal and irrational behavior.

‘It’s a toxic place.

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

In general, white nationalists live in a world of hatred, fear, and irrationality. Facts, honesty, and truth are the least of their concerns.

Why do we pay twice for the same services, police and military with our tax money?

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

Your question does not make sense to me.

The hospice service for which I work is proud to "honor vets".

wordywalt comments on May 29, 2018:

I am an 81 year old vet, and it would bother me too.

When logic is used against you

wordywalt comments on May 28, 2018:

sheer hypocrisy in action. All too typical Republican behavior.

Fake news at their best :P

wordywalt comments on May 28, 2018:

What a despicable sociopath!

If you had to choose between keeping 30 grand or bailing a loved one out of prison with the money, ...

wordywalt comments on May 28, 2018:

The only conditions under which I would put down $39,000 for a person's bail would be (1) if I were convinced that the person was not guilty of the charges, and (2) I really cared about the person. Even if I really cared about the person, if I thought he or she was guilty, I would not put down the bail money. If uou did the crime, you need to accept all of the consequences.

If you had to choose between keeping 30 grand or bailing a loved one out of prison with the money, ...

wordywalt comments on May 28, 2018:

The only conditions under which I would put down $39,000 for a person's bail would be (1) if I were convinced that the person was not guilty of the charges, and (2) I really cared about the person. Even if I really cared about the person, if I thought he or she was guilty, I would not put down the bail money. If uou did the crime, you need to accept all of the consequences.

If you had to choose between keeping 30 grand or bailing a loved one out of prison with the money, ...

wordywalt comments on May 28, 2018:

The only conditions under which I would put down $39,000 for a person's bail would be (1) if I were onvinced that the person was not guilty of the charges, and (2) I really cared about the person. Even if I eally cared about the person, if I thought he or she was guilty, I would not put down the bail money. If uou did the crime, you need to accept all of the consequences.

If you had to choose between keeping 30 grand or bailing a loved one out of prison with the money, ...

wordywalt comments on May 28, 2018:

The only conditions under which I would put down $39,000 for a person's bail would be (1) if I were onvinced that the person was not guilty of the charges, and (2) I really cared about the person. Even if I eally cared about the person, if I thought he or she was guilty, I would not put down the bail money. If uou did the crime, you need to accept all of the consequences.

Xtian Nationalist Legislation

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

These damnable nuts are a serious threat to our democracy and civil rights. They should be condemned.

How do you feel when someone gives you sympathy?

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

Depends on how I feel about the person expressing the sympathy

What do you usually listen to in the car?

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

Classical music.

If you could take any trip anywhere where would you go ? Would you take someone along ?

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

The Great Barrier Reef. My wife and grandson.

Hormel just announced they're recalling 20000 pounds of spam. Do you like spam?

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

Yes, I like lite Spam. Have been eating it since World War II.

I like this!

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

Sounds DAMNED good to me!!

What Do You Do When You Are Sad?

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

I listen to comforting or nostalgic music. I write pieces expressing my thoughts. I sit and think. I do not seek company. Like Mark Twain, i feel that "misery can take care of itself."

What do you think about the social determinants of health?

wordywalt comments on May 27, 2018:

The culture in which one is raised and the income level of the family are large determinants of behavior. Genes and behavior determine health. I was raised in the deep south with a lot of fried food and carb-laden food, and which smoking was widespread. Systematic exercise was not. I was overweight for much of my life until I became a diabetic at the age of 45.I was also a heavy smoker. I developed diabetes at the age of 45 and became more serious about weight control by diet and exercise. I developed high cholesterol and high blood pressure at the age of 65 I quit smoking at the age of 56. At the age of 69, I had a heart attack and had to have a pacemaker installed. The smoking has led to COPD. Today, I eat healthy food and healthy amounts of food. I have walked 3 - 5 miles a day for years, and now am on a very heavy weight-lifting regiment. With proper diet, heavy exercise, and the proper medication, the diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol and are under full control, as is my weight. My heart is stronger than it was over 20 years ago and my COPD is manageable. My point is this: One's health is largely controlled by one's personal cjoices and behaviors. Regardless of the culture, one can and should choose to live a healthy lifestyle. And, even in middle age, one can still increase quality of life and life-span by choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. If one does not, he or she will pay the piper. .