wordywalt's Profile

One of My Heroes just Died Ive been on Vacation this week.

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

It is sad. But, we have such great memories to replay at will.

Is it in anyway, even if just barely, reasonable to think / believe that this nation's ills are ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

We, the people -- taken as a whole -- have been very negligent. We have allowed large segments of our culture to stagnate and grow in ignorance, misinformation, and racism or ethnocentrism. We have allowed a new set of propaganda media to misinform, inflame, and manipulate. Bu not taking on the right and obligation to get involved in our democracy, we have allowed self-serving ideologues and special interests to take charge. We can -- and MUST -- do better than that. .

Everyday I learn new words, now there's "Gerrymandering" that's a new one to me, how does this ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

Both Democratic and Republican politicians and parties have used gerrymandering before to create an unfair political advantage the "stack the deck." But, today, Republican gerrymandering in states now controlled by Republicans at the state level that they are trying to create a stranglehold which will keep them in power for a long, long time. It has poisoned our politics at all levels -- local, state, and national.

Interesting read that gives a clear example of why trying to bring reason and logic to some ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

As a man born in that period and raised in the rural South, I can testify that every word in the article is true. We CANNOT let the ignorant and racist religiosity of both the southern culture and of evangelical Christianity poison our politics and run the future of our democracy. We must hammer this issue at those segments until they finally wake up and fly right.

In the nicest possible way is this just another 'piss up the wall' contest?

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

I don't give a damn about the points. I just enjoy good dialogue on topics of my choosing. That is motivation enough.

Trump’s ‘marching orders’ to the Pentagon: Plan a grand military parade - The Washington Post

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

The arrogant and absurdly wasteful egomania of the man is beyond belief.

It looks like the new in thing is the Kindle--representing someone being classy and knowledgeable.

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

My wife has one and really likes it. She says that most of the time, it is quite easy to use.

What are your thoughts about fact oriented professions and fact based policies in the current ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

Your last question is a bogus question. Fact-based decision making is divisive only when one group simplu does not want to recognize and abide by facts. Fact-based decision-making leans neither to the left or to the right. It leans toward reality and proper functioning The problem today is that the political right of today relies more on questionable ideology than on facts and reality.

Are you a simple creature?

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

No, I am not a simple creature. Rather, I am a multi-faceted creature with internal contradictions.

I am surrounded by friends and family who still ascribe to christianity.

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

True believers are hopelessly lost without their total commitment to their defining dogma. That possibility is so traumatizing that they cannot deal with it.

What do you consider to be the greatest nation on earth if you had to choose?

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

I would say either Canada or Sweden.

See if you can keep a straight face with this one.

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

Love it!

Can well educated people be given the label as being an intellectual?

wordywalt comments on Feb 7, 2018:

An intellectual is one who asks deep, probing questions about the nature of things and pursues the answers in a combination of rational thought and in all legitimate information sources, including dialogue. Learning intellectual thought processes is easier in settings like college. It takes an extraordinary person to become an intellectual without organized educational institutions.

Kentucky Passes ‘Don’t Say Darwin’ Bill

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

The uneducated people of Kentucky and the politicians who pander to them do some damned strange things!

Graves and burial plots?

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

I agree. When I die, here will be no grave or burial plot. To have my body buried in a cemetery plot would cost my family close to $10,000. Cremation costs less then $800.

I am surrounded by friends and family who still ascribe to christianity.

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

True believers ARE totally emotionally dependent on their dogma. It defines who they are and aspire to be, in their minds.

This quote by Adam Smith the Scottish political economist (1723-1790) said this; "The disposition to...

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

It is certainly of the greatest reasons for corruption.

Pope Francis accuses Chilean church sexual abuse victims of slander | World news | The Guardian

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

I thought he was a better man than that.

People who think about leaving religion but don't are more likely to feel depressed and hopeless

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

They literally mourn the fact that they did not have the courage to break away.

Do men ever find women with short hair attractive?

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Depends on both the hairstyle and on the personality of the woman.

Not meaning to whine here (okay, I'll indulge.

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Rest and do what the doctor wants. I know from past experience that it can take 6 months or more to recover if you let this get worse.

Millions willing to Work for Mueller for Free If That Would Speed Things Up- Borowitz Report

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Whatever it takes to get the job done!

"We are opposed around the world by a monolith and ruthless conspiracy.

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

The "New World Order" is pure, non-existent crap -- the product of fevered minds searching for villains on whom to blame things. Find something productive to do.

I Helped Sell the False Choice of War Once. It’s Happening Again. - The New York Times

wordywalt comments on Feb 6, 2018:

Powell is right. The Trump cabal is dangerous.

One of the first things I ever read that helped validate some of the doubts I was having about ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

No. Atheism has existed as long as religion has. There have always been doubters, and we comprise an increasing percentage of the population.

Correct me if I am wrong BUT I grew up believing that “men of God” were supposed to lead by ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

Greed, greed, greed.

Why was Britain's universal health care blasted by US minority-elected president?

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

Trump blasted it because he thinks doing so will resonate among his uneducated and ill-informed base who have falsely led to believe that any single payer health care system is bad. Also, by nature, Trump supports any profitable business, even if it soaks the consumer.

Does Nunes pose a conflict of interest?

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

Nunes's behavior is more than a conflict of interest. It is an unconstitutional and illegal attempt to deter and block a totally legitimate -- and constitutionally critical-- investigation. He should be prosecuted along with Trump.

Any Paul Simon lovers? He's just announced his final tour. He's retiring.

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

He will be missed. He is a very creative man, and the Simon and Garfunkel duo was the best musical pair ever!

How proud are you of your state?

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

I live in Florida and I am not proud of the state. The politics of the state are backward and somewhat corrupt. It is stupidly pro real estate development and does not show the intelligence to invest in education and infrastructure. It makes little or no effort to diversify its economy, and does not produce near the quantity of good paying jobs needed and the dominant political forces try to hold wages down.

Purpose

wordywalt comments on Feb 5, 2018:

Something that you enjoy doing and that offers the possibility of accomplishing something worthwhile.

I live in West Tennessee and just about every road here has several churches why do we need these ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Because they can't even agree on which dogma to follow.

Being Completely Honest, Is There A Bible Or Cross Anywhere In Your Home Right Now?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I do not have any religious symbols in my home, but my wife does. She is a devout Catholic who respects my right to disbelieve.

What places have made you the happiest? What made you feel that way?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Berlin, Germany. at that time --1960 -- the Germany people had gone through hyperinflation that wiped out the middle class, had survived the depression, World War II and the Nazi. The City was 110 miles deep in Russian controlled East Germany and surrounded by 17 divisions of Russian troops. Any jet aircraft flying over head was Russian military. The West Berliners, protected by less than 10,000 American, British, and French soldiers, were rebuilding their city and their democracy and moving ahead, At the same time, given what they had faced and what they were facing, the atmosphere was live for the moment -- living every moment of every day to the fullest extent (not in the sense of cramming experiences in, but in the sense of taking that which came and enjoying it. The atmosphere was that of a connoisseur of fine brandy would snift the aroma and savor the bouquet. It provided an intensity and immediacy to life that was fantastic. .

Dating multiple people at once.

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

When I was dating, I sometimes dated several women at the same time, with the idea that the comparison would enable me to make better choices. That was my sole motive.

Is Mardi Gras a religious holiday? Or is it an in-your-face-Pope holiday?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Mardi Gras is a cultural event and an excuse to celebrate. Just like its equivalents in Brazil -- Carnival -- and in Germany -- Frsching. For most people, it is nothing more.

Existentialists often combat depression because life is so pointless in light of the fact that it ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I am an existentialist and have been for 60 years. I have never found the perspective depressing. Instead, I find it freeing and exhilarating. I am free -- free to make my own choices, to create my own meanings free to make my own mistakes and learn from them, free to be and learn. So what if what I do will be lost within a few generations. At least I mattered while I was here! What is depressing about that?

Why all or nothing

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Agnosticism is usually just a stage in moving from religious belief to complete religious disbelief. If that stage is what it takes to get to the end, so be it.

A good friend and I are toying with the idea of creating a sex ed blog containing content for both ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

If you blog would be based on accurate information and give good psychological advice, you could do some real good. If not, you could do some damage.

Anyone annoyed by snotty liberals?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I get angry at all people who fail to treat others with dignity and respect -- whether they be liberal or right-wing. I find that more such people tend to be right-wing and/or religious -- and they are also the most ill-informed..

16 yrs ago today I quit smoking so every Superbowl It's celebration time.

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

You deserve it. Quitting smoking is hard. I smoked for over 40 years and quit 22 years ago.

Football, Kneeling and Respect

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Kneeling is a sign of deference or respect. What is being disrespected are the players civil rights the whole issue, and the flag by Trump's idiotic attempt to appeal to his reactionary base.

I would like to know which system of the brain gets activated by religion in order to produce what ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

It is the same part of the brain which is involved in violent mob activity.

How much stock do you put in a college education these days?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

If your child has the ability to benefit from a college education and if his or her career choices require further education, a college education is always worth it. There will be many benefits, including increased lifetime earnings.

I'm not a big football fan, so I found this picture funny. Are you excited about the Superbowl?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

No. I was much more excited about the first Super Bowl in 1967.

What to do when in a full slump?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Look for something that you can accomplish and DO IT! The important thing to stir yourself into action, and keep moving.

How do you spend your Sundays (or, if from a Friday-Saturday sabbath-groveling background, that same...

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Vegetable gardening, taking care of he year, listening to and watching news programs, listening to classical music, cooking, on the net.

Ancient history suggests that atheism is as natural to humans as religion

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

We would not have all of the religions burdening us today were it not for the self-serving priestly cults at the core of each religion.

Is the idea of not eating some animals such as pork just because they are not clean some sort of ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

The idea of not eating pork came from the fact that, in the past, pork was often infested with trichina worms. Eating trichina infested pork could result in severe illness, if not death. Today, given differences in swine production and the quality of USDA inspections, trichina is no longer a problem.

What are some of your favorite (relatively clean) jokes?

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

One of my all-time favorite jokes was told by Julian Bond: In the Georgia legislature of that time, the Georgia Medical Association provided a free medical clinic for state politicians. One day, the well-known, highly racist governor at that time, Lester Maddox was not feeling well and went to the clinic. After examining him, the physician said, "Well, Lester, I have good news and bad news. Which would you like First?" Maddox replied, ?Give me the good news." The doctor replied, "The good news is that you are going to die." Lester sat up, bolt upright: "That's the good news? What in the hell is the bad news?" The doctor answered, "You are going to die of sickle cell anemia."

Pat Robertson is recovering after suffering a stroke

wordywalt comments on Feb 4, 2018:

The world will be a better place when he dies.

At what point?

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

In what sense or senses?

Gays, Lesbians and Transgenders

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Fist, they don't understand gays. lesbian, and transgender people. Second, That lack of understanding links with their being blind true believers to make them vulnerable to manipulation. Third, hate-mongering preachers and religious leaders tell the true believers that different people are evil.

Our relationship with food

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I am a picky foodie. I love good tasting food, but eat no sweets other than fruit and really limit my intake of carbohydrates. I eat lots of fresh vegetables, and both animal and vegetarian protein. I like many cuisines -- Indian, Asian, Cajun, and more.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

That I do not understand.

What are some surprising things you've learned, or realized, about yourself or others from the ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Oh, yes. Living in Berlin, completely immersed in the German culture, gave me the opportunity to see my own beliefs and culture without blinders on. It showed me that I still held elements of the racist, and blindly conservative culture of the southern USA in my belief system, and enabled me to get rid of them and stop being an apologist for them.

Did leaving religion left you with a void?

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

You are processing the existential nature of life. It does not trouble me that I will never see people I have loved again. I still have them fondly tucked into my memory and recall them frequently with pleasure. It does not bother me that I will soon die -- that is the nature of reality. Why should it bother me that this planet and all traces of human life will eventually be obliterated? The only meaning that our existence has is that which we give to it here and now through our decisions and actions. That is fine with me. It is reality.

Theres a lot of hatred/ dislike towards religious people among the non religious crowd.

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

The Only religious people I dislike are those who fail to treat ALL people with dignity and respect and those who try to impose their religion on me.

What wildlife do you commonly see where you live?

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I live in a city -- Tampa, Florida -- but a regularly see opossums, raccoons, squirrels, an occasional armadillo. and many different bird species -- from hawks and eagles, to herons and egrets, sand hill \\cranes, ibises, cardinals, blue jays, doves, and many more. Have seen bobcats and coyotes.

Fox News Is Driving Us Toward A Constitutional Crisis | HuffPost

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Fox is not in control of America, but that propaganda organization is badly damaging and threatening our democracy. It is an entirely reprehensible organization which has NO redeeming quality.

How to answer religious people's prejudiced remarks?