Jim

Fellow Unbelievers,

The spurious War on Ranching.

Before I comment on this, let me just say a-rat-is-not-a-pig-is-not-a-dog-is-not-a-boy. Man, The Rational Animal is not the same as a hooved, four-legged, four-stomached primitive-brained ruminant, raising livestock is not equivalent to child abuse, spouse abuse, chattel slavery, or the…[Read more]

@_Robert_ – Yes it is a concise appraisal of the topic. The bit about the Pope recently getting a patch update from God was good.

If anyone needs an excuse for a Dublin Pub crawl, make it a literary one 🙂

@Davis – any people left in Scotland today? There are thousands here and on the beer having a good time…..even if they lost the Rugby to the best team 🙂

Reg and Fellow Unbelivers,

Here is hoping that, despite the wars, persecutions, famine, and superstition in Ireland’s history, that everyone has a great day on St. Patrick’s Day!

The “luck of the Irish”: The history, folklore, meaning and mythology of Irish luck
Written by Ciaran Vipond on Mar 13, 2024 | 0 Com…[Read more]

World of Woo: Tik Tok is a cesspool of wellness pseudoscience and misinformation.

So, of course, Trump is saying “Hands off.”

I think a case can be made for merging the Air Force into the Army and either shutting down the Air Force Academy or removing the current command structure and replacing them with Army air force officers.

The Army seems a far more tolerant and diverse bunch.

@ Jake

One thing I learned from my intensive studies of Wittgenstein (for my MA) is that words have no meaning…apart from context, apart from what they are used for.

Fun example: A couple is out for a stroll in the local mall, passing a jewelry shop. She stops and observes “that’s a pretty bracelet.”

That could be taken at face value, the…[Read more]

Todays Coffee Break Video “The Case for Atheism” pretty much nails it.

Have a great week everyone!

@Jakelafort – After a day on the trail anything edible tastes like manna from the spaghetti monster. 

Yes, I am just back from a 4 day hike around Lisbon. So many hills!!!

jakelafort wrote:
But what do you think of the litmus test if you will of some of my best friends are…?

I don’t think a White person who genuinely loves their Black friends can be racist towards them except out of ignorance.  All of us are still discovering how racism works.

“And yet, you seem to rely on a parallel—and equally nonsensical—construction when it comes to attitudes toward Jews.” If i was a robot or wokester i might have relied on it. Instead i questioned it.

I would not be so sure it tells nothing. Certainly in context if we know a person and their linguistic speech patterns it might betray bigotry or…[Read more]

@ Jake

You’re not getting me: It tells you nothing. It’s not a “tell.” What matters is what is in one’s (figurative, of course) heart and soul.

@ Unseen

No idea why you continue to misconstrue/misunderstand.

Let me try again.

There is a common perception that when a person says something like the following it means they are a bigot…I can’t believe you are accusing me of hating Balhoonians! Some of my best friends are Balhoonians.

I have questioned the validity of that so called…[Read more]

@ Jake

If I say some of my best friends are atheists, it does not mean I harbor a conscious or unconscious hatred of atheists.

And yet, you seem to rely on a parallel—and equally nonsensical—construction when it comes to attitudes toward Jews.

Simon i don’t want to be associated with any political parties. I always considered myself far more liberal than conservative. But seeing the progressives in action sickens me.

I think minorities always need to be hip to racism. It seems like the conservatives at Fox like to have Blacks to show how fair minded they are. Racism from the left…[Read more]

Not enough fat on that corned beef sandwich. Man i am gonna love having lab meat although the plant based is getting better and better.

You misunderstood me i think. I am questioning the tell for bigotry. It seems to me that having friends of a particular ethnicity might well indicate no racial animus. It is certainly not dispositive of the issue…[Read more]

jakelafort wrote:
Curious to know the impression of others here on that chestnut…some of my best friends are blank.

I have a friend who is mixed race (Welsh (I think) & Black American airman) and she was involved with a group of Labour party activists (left-wing, supposedly anti-racist).  They used their anti-racist virtue-signalling as a co…[Read more]

@ Jake

Be careful. Your implicit definition of what having a Jewish friend means sounds a bit prejudicial. There are friends (bosom buddies, best friends for life) and there are friends (someone who one likes and whose company is more than tolerable). I currently have only one real male friend. He’s not Jewish. He’s Bengali. I’m not a highly…[Read more]

@ Jake, when I said “neat” I meant it like when served liquor neat, which means no water or ice cube, just the liquor. So, in the context of a corned beef sandwich, no lettuce or slaw, no tomatoes, no banana peppers, just the proper condiment(s). Mustard + horseradish is a very common combination of condiments on corned beef, even among the…[Read more]