igotthis

You can't really compare bowel flora to a galaxy, or even to a planet. And unless you have been eating books, I doubt any bacterium has seen a book. =) Furthermore, believing in the statistics and chaos of the universe does not equate to giving it godhood. It is all a matter of physics, chemistry and biology. IGT

I am not sure how you came to the conclusion we are possibly the only extant civ in the galaxy, from that article. I suspect that Earth is not the only planet in the universe with life. As to intelligent life - I'll rephrase - cognizant life, I don't know, but I would feel very anthropocentric if I thought we were the only ones to have existed in the past or today. We can't know anything about it. We can't place a call to Andromeda or the Horseshoe Nebula (the name might be off). We are only just now finding planets around stars. We really know nothing. As to nihilism - I wouldn't say I am a nihilist. I believe life and concepts have the meaning you give them. I would say that living a life has a goal of living it well - and I don't mean "live fast, die young". Just enjoy it, respect it, and know that when it is over it is over. IGT

An old Industrial band. One of the forerunners of "the drum machine". Best at high volume, but I am not responsible for and personal (hearing) damage. Sorry, I totally meant this one.

Sorry, guys. I am pretty confirmed in the idea that there is no heaven, let alone several of them. Just as there is no hell, let alone 7 levels. We are one planet around one star in a universe of billions+ of stars. We aren't special. In fact, we mean nothing in the scheme of things, if there was a scheme - which there isn't. EDIT: Please remember that this site has a PG-13 policy.

No blanket statements, please. That is just wrong. IGT

Aw, how adorable. I'm so happy the Repugnicans have finally coalesced around such a fantastic candidate. A huge, tremendous candidate. IGT

Sexy Sucker - My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

As a Bernie supporter, I am glad he is finally going to endorse. No, he is not a sell-out. He had a goal, he ran a great campaign, and his ideas will continue into the Convention. The Dems MUST change, they MUST adapt and they MUST update the platform. As a country, we are so behind other Western countries and that is no place for America. These Repugnicans are so behind the times that it is ridiculous. Hate of change, hate of rights (unless its a gun), hate of governance. Annoyed now. IGT

Bizet's Carmen.

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen this week. IGT

Let's hope it is a friendly break-up. Scotland should certainly leave the UK and remain in the EU. Northern Ireland is a topic I won't get into - it is too heated by its history. If Wales left, I would love it. Let's see. So much turmoil right now. I thinkn things need to settle down a bit. There shouldn't be any rash decisions. IGT

Vote Blue or vote for the Apocalypse. I, for one, do not want Trump's stubby little cheetos anywhere near "the button". And the fact that both Russia and N Korea support him is another sign that he is not right for America. We are not a dictatorship. Anyway, as his support rescinds their endorsements, I think Hillary has a better chance. Is she perfect? I don't think so, but she is a logical, smart lady. I would prefer the status quo to that total moron. IGT

Starburst

I really wish that we (the US) weren't pinned up in a two-party system. I was born into a Democratic household and I have never leaned Republican, although 90% of my entire family tree is. I know a lot of people go through transitions and there is this "you get more conservative as you get older" idea, but that is a special group of people, I think. My beliefs haven't changed and I certainly am not going to shift away from liberal ideals. I did most of my exploration as a kid and it has only been reinforced by world travel. When I recognized (or should I say discovered?) atheism in college, it was the final nail in the coffin for any sort of conservatism that might have existed in my head. I am and always will be for the free will of people to be religious or not, to have a support structure from the government (who's place it is to care for it's citizens), to vote how they please, to respect differing opinions, to leave a woman's body to herself, to let people be themselves. It is openness that improves society, not restriction. Restriction only leads to conflict. IGT EDIT: I digressed. If we had a successful multi-party system, I would probably go Green. This election is too critical for me to vote anything but Democratic.

There is a lot to say here. Since no one has explained how to reply to posts on a line by line basis, I will continue to just post my mind. As I have said a few times, I don't really like Hillary. I am a Bernie guy. I just know that he won't win because the 'Establishment' is against him. However, I do find it funny to see the nonsensical attacks against Hillary by Republicans. They constantly whine and moan about Benghazi, as if she did something wrong. She has now been through ELEVEN Commissions and was found not at fault for anything. It is all so stupid that I can't even believe just how dumb people can be. And then we have these Trumpeters who seem to think that he is awesome because "he will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it". Get a grip, people. Mexico is not going to pay for it, and like it or not, we live in a global community. Threats to remove money from our closest neighbor (Canada is stable) is a threat to us and them. Again, stupidity. Trump also has said that anyone should have nukes. What a moronic thing to say. Lastly, some child that thinks that my comment about international people expressing knowledge of US politics somehow equates to international journalistic reporting on politics is the same thing bothers me. It shows just how much we have destroyed our educational system and the encouragement of analytical thought. IGT

It seems much harder to reply to things now from when I was here before. So many comments, with no known way (for me) to reply comment by comment. Yes, both parties are puppets, getting corporate money and SuperPACs to fund their campaigns (thanks for Citizen's United, SCOTUS, you buggers). This is why I am a Bernie voter. I will still vote Blue, no matter who. As to Trump funding his campaign by getting money from his companies and then getting donations to pay it back - yeah, it is underhanded, just like him. I think it was LexusInfernus that mentioned not all Liberals are comfortable with the Clintons. This is true because I am one of them. I don't really like the whole situation. I have to vote for her, though (she will get the nomination) because I simply cannot have a Republican in office. Especially a racist, misogynistic, flippy-floppy, insulting bully in office. As to "the claim"... of course the source makes a difference. That is why I don't bother with either Republican or Democratic stations, for the most part. All should be taken with a grain of salt and international news is better because they tend to be more objective. Realize that Trump gets something like an hour and a hlf of coverage from media compared to about 30 seconds for Bernie. It doesn't matter if one thinks the media is right or left. Everyone should just recognize that they are all about ratings. They don't do news anymore unless they think it will get more viewership. It is ridiculous. IGT

I'm sorry. =) Listening to MOLG. IGT

I am fairly confident in saying that any liberal/progressive woman has a good touch of feminism. While she is not my first choice, calling her a 'corporate puppet' is 'the pot calling the kettle black' for any of the Republican establishment. Trump is tricky though. His corporatism is having his own businesses fund his campaign. As to your second point - proof, please. And it shouldn't be from Conservative websites like breitbart.com. IGT

That's good! Yet realize that CA is not like other places. The East Coast is not like CA, although both tend to be more Liberal. What I call the Deep South is also different and has its own quirkiness. Florida is quite different from Georgia, which is quite different from Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas. I guess it might be like saying everyone in the UK is the same. York is like Norwich which is like Manchester which is like Southampton which is like London. What I am trying to express here is that there are so many factors and behaviors in play that general judgments and categorizations are simply out of whack. In the beginning of this election cycle, I found Trump to be running to be quite funny and I laughed a lot. But then the lice spread from the head to the crotch and it wasn't so funny anymore. Just the fact that this misogynistic, racist, contradictory ignoramus has now secured the Republican nomination bewilders me and most of the sane in this country. The Republicans, if your news told you, were terrified of him so much that they were willing to attempt to rally around Cruz, who was the most hated Republican in office. Yet their constant antics in the media (and, no, it is not Left) for the last 15-20 years created Trump. They made him, so now they have to suffer the consequences. With regard to the Left, I don't really think the world understands the Big Picture. I'm sure some do, but I know nothing. Bernie has little to no chance of winning the nomination, but what he is doing is inspirational. He has already made an impact on Democratic policy. He has made his mark and will continue to until the DNC. I think Hillary will clinch it and it will be a misogynist vs a feminist for the POTUS. Funny, but scary because of the lice. The US could actually end up with VD. IGT

Well, sure! There is all sorts of news about it. In fact, I tend to only read international news, not our corrupted "get ratings higher" press. So while I see where you are coming from, I still cannot agree that you know anything about the States. For example, have you ever been here for more than a vacation? And if so, was it in New England or the Deep South or the Midwest or the West Coast? Or Alaska or Hawaii? You see, I don't pretend to know the politics of countries in Europe or Asia or South America and I do not judge what happens there. I may have an opinion, but my opinion means nothing to the people who live there. You see? IGT

Not to sound too negative, but I think that anyone outside the US posting about candidates have no real clue about America's politics because it is not anything like Europe or Asia, or even Canada & Mexico, for that matter. Sure, you see some things that many Americans see, as well, and even the most conservative European is far, far left of our conservatives. It is not an easy thing to predict. I, personally, am a Bernie supporter and I will vote for him when CA comes to primary. However, I do not see him winning the nomination. Primaries are where you vote with your heart, the General is when you vote with your head. I will vote Blue, no matter who. Bernie and Hillary are not that different, in the long run. I don't really like the idea of another Clinton in office because I don't think families should have such control over a nation. George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, a break with Obama, now Hillary Clinton (she will win). But I would never, ever vote for a Republican. They espouse small government, but want to control a woman's body, where a person can go to the bathroom, use but mistreat immigrants, make Social Security a private business, deny climate change, destroy America's countryside, and eat our children (okay, I made that one up). Anyway, screw Trump and Cruz and McConnell and Paul Ryan. They will send us back 50 years and then want to send us back another 50. IGT

Thanks for clarifying. The sad issue in Alberta, though, is not an example of anything. Local and nations always come together for a short-lived time in periods of disaster. The US may be divided, but divisions mean little in these situations. Look at 9/11. We united (and then did stupid things like Iraq - but let's not go there). IGT

I worry about Turkey. They always want to cross the road, just like Canada geese. Horrible hazards, no matter how pretty they are. IGT

This thread has turned bizarre since it's creation. Nonny, I am not sure about your meaning. How does "The greatest good for the greatest number" come into play when it is not about "The greatest good" at all. It is about supporting bigotry, which is "The greatest harm for the smallest number". IGT