Snowflake's Forum

 A few things to talk about: Susan started a thoughtful thread  https://disqus.com/home/discussion/snowflakes-forum/battle_of_the_sexes/ But got worried the subject matter was inappropriate so now on that thread I am getting: Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist. So, does anyone want to talk about the Battle of the Sexes?  Furthermore:  Everyone seemed to like my last thread on songs covered by other bands: https://snowflakesforum.blogspot.com/2024/02/covers.html Is there an author on my list that want to take on the task of doing a music thread once a week or every other week?  Or failing that, how do you folks feel about me doing one once a week or every other week? For example: Bands that made it big but you really can't stand - for me that would be AC/DC                            vs. Bands that don't have a lot of name recognition but you really reall...

In his usual to-the-point style, John Oliver summarized the state of ethics affairs at the US Supreme Court. By my reckoning, ethics are rules or laws that are supposed to apply to behaviors, but morals are personal traits that guide personal behavior. The two concepts often significantly overlap, but in my mind they are not identical. Sometimes they vary widely with limited overlap.   From what I can tell, some Supreme Court justices have little regard for ethics because the ethics are optional for them. They face no repercussions for violating ethics rules. How justices behave in that unique, unrestrained situation reflects their morals, whatever they may be. One can form their own beliefs about how Supreme Court justice morals reflect on them as people in a position of high public trust and enormous power. In my opinion, one can even see their position on the core matter in American politics, kleptocratic authoritarianism vs democracy with less corruption. By Germaine: Inte...

  Not the fed up things from before, but the little things that you do or happen to you on a regular basis, that drive you nuts. Bunny knows he locked the front door.  Really sure, as he always does.  But, the shadow of a doubt has crept in.  Turn the car around and go back to check.    Only takes 10 minutes to get somewhere, but will still leave 30 minutes early…just in case.  Drives Mrs. Bunny nuts. What little, but not vital things, have you going a bit around the bend? J.P.  Bunny

We, as a group, got a nice compliment from our fearless leader, Snowy, today.   He said, and I quote, “I know none of my people have stagnant minds.”   Link.   Yes, we are his peeps and our minds are not stagnant. 😊 Which got me thinking, why is this forum a “success?”   How has it managed to survive the vagaries of blogdom?   IOW, what has made it continue to fly for many years now, still no broken wings?   Sure, we don’t get thousands of comments like some of the more popular blogs out there.   We don’t get into all out wars of one-upmanship.   We are more or less a relatively sedate group. Anyway, here’s the question: Why is Snowflakes Forum a success?   If you agree, list the reasons why.   What can be done to improve it? (by PrimalSoup)

 But nevertheless, the following is a little tidbit I ran across and omg , did it give me some insight into the minds of many on the Right.  To quote: Fixed and stagnant minds have always been and will always be the perfect breeding ground for fear and insecurity. When we close ourselves off to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives, we create a vacuum in our minds that is quickly filled with negative thoughts and emotions. We become afraid of the unknown, and we start to doubt ourselves and our abilities. This is because fixed and stagnant minds are unable to cope with change. They are stuck in the past, and they are resistant to anything that challenges their existing beliefs and assumptions. This makes them feel vulnerable and insecure, and it leads them to lash out in fear. We can see this playing out in all aspects of life. From politics to religion to personal relationships, people with fixed and stagnant minds are often the ones who are most quick to anger, hatred, an...

Despite the fact that studies estimate one in six women and one in 21 men will be a victim of attempted or completed forcible rape in their lifetimes, only 16-40% of rapes are reported to law enforcement. .... But even when rape is reported, it’s rarely prosecuted. According to RAINN, only 5.7% of rape incidents lead to an arrest, only 1.1% of incidents are referred to a prosecutor, and only 0.7% are convicted of a felony. Even fewer, 0.6% of incidents, lead to incarceration. .... Nearly 82% of all sexual assaults were committed by someone known to the victim. Think about that. Rapex is criticized as a medieval punishment of men. Rape is medieval punishment of women, but that though never crossed the mind of the person, very likely a man, who raised a crackpot defense of the indefensible.  Freeze Peach brought most of this to my attention. It merits a post. By Germaine: Unhappy with brutality, hypocrisy, injustice, crackpottery in defense of the indefensible, & etc. ☠️

I’m just a simple layperson, but I am so thankful for what science has given us, and will give us in the future.  I was thinking about my microwave this morning, when I heated up my remaining coffee for another 10 seconds.  What’s going on in there, in the microwave?  So I looked it up: Link. "Now, onto the actual science . What happened there? How does a microwave heat up food? When a microwave oven is turned on, the microwaves are generated by a device called  magnetron , which converts electrical energy into electromagnetic radiation. Once the waves are produced, they are directed into the cooking chamber and bounce around until they interact with the food. The water molecules present in the food absorb the energy from the microwaves and start vibrating very fast. This rapid vibration of water molecules causes them to collide with other molecules and transfer energy to them, leading to an increase in temperature throughout the food." Q: What (else) does or h...

 NO, not the kind you throw over yourself. No, not book covers or magazine covers. BUT covers of famous songs done by someone else that may be as good as the original or better. According to YOUR taste of course. NOT album covers.  Examples:

A few days ago, I took a look over on BNR.  I came out unscathed but boy is it brutal over there.  It reminded me of why I don’t participate on there anymore.  It became too much for me.  Lots of familiar IDs who are still “mad at the world.”  Or is it? Which got me thinking, why do people participate on the blogs?   Why do YOU participate on the blogs?   Is it: A way to find validation (seek out/hook up with like thinkers) A way to develop/learn tolerance A way to get out your frustrations (a relief valve) A way to kill time (until “real life” calls you back) A way to develop your own thought process (by putting your thoughts down on virtual paper) A way to develop your writing skills A place to get/feel a sense of community/familiarity A place to have fun A place to… Today’s question: What do you get out of blogging?   What’s in it for you?   Explain. (by PrimalSoup)

Okay, something "weekend lite" from the Soup Woman. You give the category and then the answer. Simple example: What is the best… vegetable  Answer: Potato The categories of “the best” abound.  If you don't like someone's answer, debate them on the thing's merits. So, let ‘er rip! ( not a bean reference 😮) (by PrimalSoup)

  Not quite a bucket list, but there are places we will probably never get to visit.  Old age, physical problems, money, closed to the general public….   Money, body, restrictions no problem.  Bunny would love a private tour of the Vatican necropolis,  the private areas of the Colosseum , the Cloaca Maxima.  Where would you really like to go?

 Proving ONCE AGAIN that Trump supporters aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer nor the brightest bulbs in the room. I said I was getting fed up with politics but this has given me the chuckles, it is SO incredibly stupid. A man who authorities said they identified through video because he wore a jacket with his last name and phone number during the  Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol  now faces felony charges in the insurrection. Robert Coppotelli, 27, wore a jacket with the text “Coppotelli,” “732-[redacted]-6050,” and his company logo, “Coppotelli Heavy Equipment Sales & Services, Inc.,” registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation at an address in Toms River,  New Jersey , where he lived, authorities said. More: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/accused-jan-6-rioter-wore-jacket-with-his-own-company-logo-and-phone-number-at-capitol-feds/

I am kinda getting there, with American politics. Not much else gets me fed up. Unless you want to count, that after 30 years, I decided to leave my ex. I guess I got fed up with her too. As I quibbed on Germaine's channel, living in Canada has had the effect of making me feel that I am out of firing range. Though, of course, I am not totally out of firing range. Still it does alleviate some of the anxieties my fellow Americans living south of the border still feel. So yeah, getting fed up with a daily diet of the same old questions and concerns about who will become President, what will happen to democracy, and is doomsday just around the corner? I am fed up with the lack of support for Ukraine. They are likcly to loose the eastern half of their country because everyone is dragging their feet. Sure weapons and money are flowing to Ukraine but not enough to help them win the war, just enough to keep from losing the war. I am fed up with schoolyard brawl between Hamas and Israel. Th...

(“Finally!”, ImperatorMachinarum is saying! 😁 ) Okay, time to bite the bullet.   I’ve been putting off the Free Will OP for long enough.   I’ve been thinking about how to approach it.   Should I overwhelm the reader with technical info pulled in from various pro/con websites?   TMI can lose readership.   Plus, people can get lost in the weeds.   Or, should I keep the OP’s subject to a minimum (ask the barebones questions)? I’ve opted to save the “weeds” for down in the posting section.   Heads up: Bring your machete. Five Questions: What is “free will?”   Define it.   Do you believe you have such free will as you have described? Would the lack of free will mean that no one is responsible for their actions?   What would be the impact on global society if science categorically determined that free will was just an illusion? Do you have faith that science will one day be able to prove free will, one way (real) or the other (not...

  What are some of your favorite (inspirational or otherwise) quotes; and by whom? (by PrimalSoup)

In my opinion, one of the major plagues on America today is capitalism run amok, or as I call it, BKC (brass knuckles capitalism). Corporations in America are far too powerful and getting stronger all the time. They have seriously corrupted both state and federal governments and both major political parties. Corporate rot is everywhere in government, commerce and society. The defining hallmark of BKC running free, wild and butt naked is its complete lack of social conscience.  The only moral value of high priority concern is profit. Harm to consumers, destruction of the environment, limiting civil liberties, and even attacking democracy itself, are matters that BKC elites blithely turn over to the public relations department for dealing with. The PR people are experts at lying, slandering, deflecting, deceiving, subverting inconvenient facts and truths, hiding corporate sleaze in opacity and all other kinds of disgusting, immoral dark free speech.  The WaPo published a review ...

Okay, Super Bowl’s over (that was a brutal six months).   Dangerous car racing is beginning (I think).   Not at all my thing, but whatever crashes yer car... ‘er, I mean... floats yer boat. So, what do you have to talk about today?   It’s a Sunday free-for-all.     Tell us what’s on your mind; the good the bad and the ugly of it.   (Food, money, sports, love, d-i-v-o-r-c-e, politics, religion, vacations, Spring, what have you??) (by PrimalSoup... proud member of a motley crew) 🥰

 Computer still working. For now. Did you wake up woke this morning? https://www.timesrepublican.com/opinion/columnists/2022/12/if-youre-not-woke-doesnt-that-mean-youre-asleep/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/09/what-is-woke-meaning/11425775002/ So, lot's of questions to mull over for a Sunday morning? 1. Do you consider yourself woke? 2. Does it bother you to be called woke? (not me, I am a snowflake after all) 3. Do you think the term is just stupid or can you easily ignore it?  4. What does it mean, in your estimation, to be woke, or to be not woke?

 Hope I don't end up leaving you all for a few days, but it might happen. My desktop, which is how I communicate with you, is acting up. And poor me, I am NOT computer savvy. So, I will gladly take your advice as to what might be wrong with it. I already talked to a friend of mine who has some computer savvy and he had a few thoughts. The internet works fine. But with each passing day, searches load slower, as do my bookmarked sites like this one. If I open multiple sites, or just one or two site and then try to access some files or documents on my computer, I hear a whirring sound.  I have taken the side panel off and cleaned out the inside, it was dusty with a few dust bunnies, but not as bad as other computers I've seen. Didn't help much. Of course I am always cleaning up old files and cookies and checking for malware. Everything ok on that front. My friend suspects it has to be one of two issues: either the fan is working too hard (the whirring sound) and needs to be re...

 O kay , today is SOUP RECIPE DAY!  I will offer my family recipe for Matzoh Ball Soup.    Okay, now, fellow chefs!  Can you top that?  Let's see! AlextheKay likes soup.  Doesn't everybody?

  Those of us who are not mesmerized by our smartphones, tend to bring a book on the plane, or to occupy ourselves when traveling.  It’s supposed to be a book that you probably have read before, and can dump it when the travel is done. But, we don’t dump it.  For Bunny it is either Needful Things by Stephen King or River God by Wilbur Smith.  Have read them both several times and are engrossing enough to keep reading, even though the holiday travel is done. Are there any such books for the literate among us? J.P. Bunny

 Here are a few arguments in favor of supporting abortion: https://reproductiverights.org/maps/worlds-abortion-laws/ Worth delving into but some key points: The World’s Abortion Laws Globally, there is an overwhelming trend towards the liberalization of abortion laws. Over the past 30 years, more than 60 countries and territories have liberalized their abortion laws. From Ireland to Nepal, abortion rights are becoming recognized as fundamental human rights for millions of people worldwide. And in Latin America, the Green Wave is ushering in a new era of liberalization in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and elsewhere in the region. Only four countries have rolled back the legality of abortion. Can you guess which four? https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/sexual-and-reproductive-rights/abortion-facts/ Key points: Criminalising abortion does not stop abortions, it just makes abortion less safe Almost every death and injury from unsafe abortion is preventable Criminalising or restrictin...

Our resident funny lady, Freeze Peach, wants us to post a recipe.   Today, the theme will be  "beans."     (But do any of us here ever stick to the theme? 😁)   Still,  let’s give it a shot. Q: Do you have any bean-based recipes you can share? (Posted for Freeze Peach by PrimalSoup)

Perplexity is a free online artificial intelligence-driven search engine. I recently started using it to see what kind of answers it would come up with for various topics, e.g., How are gold and uranium created? and What is the best beef stroganoff recipe?. The answers that came back were pretty good. They can be made more on-point by asking a follow-up question on a part of the platform called Copilot. The answers come with links to the information sources (shown as numbers in little circles) the AI based its answers on, so one can easily fact check Perplexity to see if it is hallucinating or being reasonable. The What is the best beef stroganoff recipe? question came back with this: That's not a bad response, but a Copilot follow-up question or two would probably be in order to find a good recipe online that one could copy if one is not familiar with beef stroganoff. Since I cook a lot and have been making beef stroganoff for decades, that general answer would be good enough for...

Fear is a natural instinct.  Further, it’s a self-preservation mechanism.  As soon as an organism reaches the “sentience threshold,” it will have an understanding of and is capable of experiencing the concept of fear, with all the usual physical and psychologically associated aspects.   There is not a person here who has not experienced some kind of fear sometime in their life.   So… What do you fear most?   Do you know why?  There may be/are different categories and levels of fear (phobias, anticipations of potential danger, apprehension of something fearful previously experienced, believed repercussions from dire mistakes you’ve made, etc.).  But, fundamentally,  is all fear the same, a one-size-fits-all kind of thing?   I.e., it’s like a switch; it’s either flipped or it isn’t, on or off?   Explain/make your argument(s). (by PrimalSoup)

  'Stone Cold' Steve Austin: 'Never say never' to WWE return (say it ain't so) Steve Austin was working on a project recently that required him to look back at his huge return match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 two years ago. "Stone Cold" said he couldn't discuss what project that was, but going over the tape of that bout -- his first in 19 years -- was illuminating. "I dissected what I did, and I know that I can improve on what I did," Austin told ESPN in a recent interview. Does that mean we could see yet another match from one of the most iconic performers in the history of professional wrestling? Austin would not rule it out. When asked whether he had an idea of what opponent he would want in what would likely be his final career match, Austin said he did. But he did not want to mention the name, because he was not promoting the match, nor did he want to add pressure on WWE or the foe to make it happen. That doesn't mean Austin...

 From a discussion on Germaine's today.  I was talking about things I experienced that I don't believe I experienced because I don't believe what I experienced existed. Is that a word salad or is it too short for a word salad? In fact, what is a word salad? a mixture of words or phrases that is confused and difficult to understand : I don't buy it. I have known a lot of word salads that were easy to understand and not at all confusing, but were repetitive and wordy. So, let's try another definition: More often,  word salad  describes utterances perceived by others as nonsense—especially when the speaker is trying to make a somewhat serious impression or speak about a serious topic: Now THAT makes more sense. Take this thread for instance. It may "perceived by others" to be a word salad, while here I am trying to make a somewhat serious impression.  Now you aren't buying it, right? Take some of the threads posted on various forums, that are long and wor...