john5746

Looks like Obama did the right thing http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-vladimir-putin-orders-troops-to-return-1.2647181

Not sure if Putin is really reacting to sanctions, but important point is he can pull back and save face. If we had shown some military bluster, he would look like a coward pulling back. The pro-Russian groups would also be more energetic and the Ukrainians would probably be pissed that it was escalated.

It's both beautiful an sad.

Thanks for posting.

I'm pretty pessimistic, I don't think we evolved enough to handle an issue like this. Hopefully, I am wrong.

Censorship?

You asked this with a link to an article broadcasting Rubio's position. He hasn't been censored, quite the opposite. His speech will get blasted everywhere and will be taken seriously. I guess the answer would be NO.

Facepalm? YES

I agree with that. Global warming supporters/people are definitely ideologues!

Along with the gravity and evolution ideologues.

Drones and killing treasonous Americans are low on the priority right now. My biggest concern with drones is one of them falling on me or dropping a parcel on me or taking a plane down. That and any noise they make if too many start buzzing about.

Michael Sam is the first openly gay man to enter the National Football League. He was drafted in the last round, so emotions were pretty high.

He cried and kissed his partner after hearing the good news. The kiss was appropriate - not overly done or anything. The type of kiss that straight guys and their girlfriends have with no issues expressed.

But, some players and others expressed outrage, using children viewers as an excuse.

I think it is especially great if children were watching, so they don't grow up ignorant.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/ex-nfl-player-rips-espn-showing-michael-sam-kiss-article-1.1788608

What do you think? As long as the same actions are considered OK for a straight couple in front of children, shouldn't it be OK for gay couples?

Yep, this will replace the "believe in evolution" question for Repub candidates as a litmus test. It will be interesting to see if ANY republican candidate will say they believe in man-made global warming.

Suppose President Putin orders his Russian army to invade eastern Ukraine. He will get away with it. Because he has nuclear weapons that he can fire at America and destroy it.

That's assuming Putin is a psychopath, hell bent on taking all of Ukraine, no matter the cost.

America won't commit suicide by starting a nuclear war with Russia, and everyone knows that. All this American posturing about "economic sanctions" is horse-manure.

I really don't think that's the current issue. Ukraine is much more important to Russia and Europe. The US isn't responding militarily to much of anything anymore. It ain't worth it.

Sanctions is a better option than sending our young people to kill their young people, don't you think?

So isn't it remarkable that Putin has not yet sent his troops in?

Not really, they still remember how painful it can be to occupy countries that don't want them. If Ukraine implodes and some of it sways his way voluntarily, that is a much easier and popular outcome.

In my ignorance of US politics I am hoping that there exists a Jeb who isn't spawn of GHWB that I haven't yet heard of.

Yeah, should have included last names. Jeb Bush, actual name is John Ellis Bush.

Aren't the primaries where the damage to these candidates really gets done? $10,000 dollar bets? Not remembering part three of your own three point plan? Or finding your clear blue water has been taken by a more skilled and speedier political operator? It seems that primaries have become a least-worst selection device seeking boring but safe mediocrity - but the ability to survive in a race against your supposed political allies seems to bear increasingly little connection to the ability to win in a race against a political foe

Yes, the republican primaries at least have increasingly become a balancing act between appeasing the ideologues who vote and the big money supporters who want a horse they think can win. Bush will have the big money support and will just have to take the right lumps on certain issues, like immigration in order to squeeze through the primary and win the general.

If Jeb wins the primary, he will be difficult to beat. Only Hillary would have a chance and it will be tough. He'll get more of the Latino vote than Romney. She might look old and tired in the debates compared to him and will need to defend Obama's administration, since she was a part of it.

I think Jeb has a very good chance of winning the primary, especially with Christie damaged. Rand is more political than his dad, but he has foot in the mouth disease and still speaks to a rabid minority.

I found discussion online stating Einstein was really an idiot. A lot of this is saying the fact that we CAN go past the speed of light means that the idea that we could not means that Einstein was stupid or the fact he was a German means he was an idiot since all Germany cares about is destroying Jews. Even if his old Research and ideas are today proven incorrect does that necessarily mean hes a complete moron or just that we are improving on ideas he created?

Should have posted this link to whomever made this claim

We better turn our full attention toward saving Bees.

Craig's Bond loses to Sherlock hands down.

If we consider Connery's Bond, well Sherlock captures him and while revealing his elaborate method to do so, Bond uses a gadget with some incredible luck to escape and then strangles Sherlock unconcious. He then utters an awesome one-liner and walks away with Irene Adler

I think the rubber will meet the road when someone wants to open a meeting with a prayer that praises Allah. If that request is denied, or there are other problems, then I think this will have to be revisited.

This is my main concern in regards to mentioning specific sectarian prayers. As an atheist, I take the high road in regards to the general "God" in prayer - I recognize tradition in that sense and I don't get butt-hurt with this fiction. But, I know the people who are most energetic in regards to these prayers will be the first to fight any mention of Allah or other non-Jesus counterpart.

So Phi, you would believe that those that pray like that look down upon people who do not pray? A bias perhaps?

Yes, many just see it as part of their heritage. So, rejecting it is like rejecting their country, family and history. It becomes un-American.

My brain realizes that ultimately, the best answer would be a non-religious statement, like "We the people..." in place of Gods. But, my heart realizes that the culture isn't there yet. I would hope that they would at least use general prayers and recognize that other religious people get just as butt-hurt as they do in regards to their favorite stories.

It is a form of peer-pressure, so I do think its an important issue, but pragmatically, it isn't a battle worth fighting at the moment, IMO

I think we should send our well-armed and un-regulated state militia's over to Ukraine. Ted Nugent could be first in line.

I think they are using fistulated cows. That would greatly increase maintenance if scaled. Looks like grains increase methane, so yet another reason to avoid feeding them grain(increases gas, sickness(more antibiotics) and lowers omega 3)

Isn't Christmas being a nationally recognized and respected holiday a contradiction to the first amendment?

 

Is lying to children for benign reasons worth the distrust that the parent earns after the child learns the truth? Is it wrong to assume that a child who is not lied to by their parent is probably going to have more trust and respect for that parent?

(Santa Claus, for those of you who don't understand the relevance.)

 

At least I'm adamant enough with these thoughts to think about them when Christmas is nowhere near. Any opinions are appreciated.

It doesn't establish a religion, but yeah it is unfair to those who have different beliefs. Some places allow those with different religions to swap that day for their day, but it really isn't very practical, since most people take it off.

Making up stories for children, well I guess it depends. If the child is really curious and questioning, it can lead to many, many lies. For many it really is just conforming to society. That is an important lesson when really young. Besides, you don't want to be Mr. Transparent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZlZZGi_YZk

Perhaps there is hope for humanism and rational thought.

Maybe, but it doesn't necessarily follow from losing religion. Hopefully, they will use the extra time to do more than facebook and shoot'em up games

and why victims?

they were jailed for insulting the feelings of believers

They burst into the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and insulted millions of believers,and was arrested for it,and it correctly

why not think about the rights of millions of people who have been violated by the act pussy riot

they are victims of their stupidity but not Putin...

Just read a little about it, I would agree that maybe some fine would be warrented, assuming that's what they do to people who disrupt services like that.

As far as people who were not in the service being insulted - that's not a legal issue, not even a moral issue.

The recent topic of 'Is sexual preference a choice?' has spurned some interesting posts. Most people, if not all, who posted were in support that it wasn't a choice, which brings us to this topic. There are different categories available with regards to sexual preference: heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, bisexual, perhaps even bestiality ,but according to that thread, for different reasons, none of them are a choice. If sexual preference isn't a choice what makes something a choice? At what level does an individual qualify for having made a choice?

There is a wide range of freedoms in choices, so people were trying to express the lack of freedom or great difficulty in certain choices. I can choose not to have sex forever, but I can't choose to be asexual. One is very, very difficult. The other impossible, without surgery or medication. This is much different than choosing vanilla instead of chocolate ice cream. That would be arbitrary for me.

It's hard to define the "level" you ask, just as its hard to define when art becomes porn. Still, we can see the extremes pretty clearly.

My sexual preference is a choice, I like curvy women most would call fat but I say they are beautiful...

even that may not be as much choice as you think

...(mostly because this is getting me no where and it's getting boring)...

Your fault. Don't start a thread on an issue and then ignore all evidence and reason.

Of course if you assume a God, you may think it helps start your car, heal your sickness and create a universe. If that is what it takes for someone to feel better, that's one thing, but if they are arguing with scientists and telling them IT MUST BE REQUIRED, that's different.

Just be honest about why they are inserting God. It isn't because of observed evidence or logic.

Then what is the 60%? And no genius, I wasn't expecting a tail, but a defining chromosome might do.

I've heard people try to connect being gay to being black, in that being gay, or having any sexual preference, is not a choice. That you are born gay and you can't change that, and that's people's arguments on why gay people shouldn't be segregated against (witch I think is extremely insulting to black people because they went into slavery, gays aren't even close to that).

I don't think the argument for embracing homosexuality is that it is hard to change, it is that no harm comes from it and much harm comes from fighting it. The reason it should be stressed that it is difficult/impossible to change is for people to understand that they aren't just trying to be difficult or irritate everyone and that it is damaging to make people hate themselves.

I haven't heard anyone compare gay rights to slavery, but sometimes compared to civil rights struggles of the past. Of course there are differences - one being that many homosexuals could hide their true selves from society - this both avoids and causes different problems. Another is that African Americans usually were not hated by their own families for being black.

My argument is that there are no defining characteristics about a gay person that make them gay

You expect a tail or something?

Read this and please understand that when they mention 40%, don't read that as meaning 60% choice. Far, Far from it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10637532/Being-homosexual-is-only-partly-due-to-gay-gene-research-finds.html

Seems to me you could at least standardize the cable to be USB, then if a different connection is wanted, an adapter has to be provided at no cost. Of course the company will put the cost into the product, but that seems to be more sensitive to the market.