I found it interesting how it started by describing a significant other pointing out your friends foibles as intentionally controlling and isolating you, then later suggests that you looking for these foibles and isolating yourself is a positive move. Telling someone to isolate themselves is controlling, telling them you notice and object to others disrespecting or abusing you may be consoling.

I also found it telling that the suggestions are "end it....or try to communicate", in that order. Sounded amazingly backward.
I feel like the writer has had a long string of toxic relationships and no healthy ones.

I've been with my wife since 92, married her in 98, we are the only people in either of our extended families still on our first marriage, so I do have some small experience with maintaining a healthy relationship.

The rap was written by one of his staff writers, Lawrence Dai, who never saw the show - so was forced to binge-watch all 67 episodes, as seen in this video:
*related=https://videosift.com/video/Lawrence-Dai-binge-watches-67-Episodes-of-GoT

I consider you my friend. I can't stop you from letting you get away with abuse which makes you derelict to yourself, family and others. That must be your choice. You've already implied you're hopeless.

"I believed in good cops for quite a while, and couldn't find them, that why I stopped believing."

That only tells me one thing. You don't believe how powerful you really are.

A loaded gun in the hands of a child can be devastating because the child doesn't know the power of the gun.

You have talent. I think you are a great writer.

Don't use disappearing ink.

I'm not sure that all of Spain considers it ok to be as "masculine" as some proportion of Spanish men (but not all) think they should be.

I mean--what could be more masculine than the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain? Hemingway, the famously macho writer, literally wrote about it.

But--when a WhatsApp group calling themselves the "Wolfpack" harassed and raped an 18 year old girl there in 2016--and received a "sexual assault" but not a rape conviction for their actions---the lighter sentence was not well received. The guys think they they should appeal to go free; the other half of the country is outraged.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/05/spain-court-upholds-wolf-pack-verdict-of-sexual-abuse-rather-than-rape-pamplona


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43915551

Urp. I just threw up in my mouth a little...thanks a lot.

Ok....mea culpa. After decades of being the propaganda wing for the far right, I do automatically think anyone willing to defend them must be a fan. I'm not a CNN fan, but I often defend them.

I agree, they offer the "other" side's view, often drafting it themselves. What I can't agree on is them being a source of information beyond what the right's talking points will be. As I noted before, their viewers are astonishingly less informed than people who watch zero news.

I agree, there is slant in most news today, sometimes outright zealous bias, and that's a bad thing no matter who does it.

I am surprised Fox can still think ahead enough to back freedom of the press, especially their nemesis CNN, considering the short sightedness and hyper partisan nature of their hosts and writers....pleasantly surprised. I often hope I'm wrong in my assessments, which are invariably cynical.

Great ad, but the music writer was certainly "inspried" by the Rolling Stones!

I like to pretend the writers stuck in a life where they have to write these things slip in stuff like below on purpose:
"...Inject thick savoury sauces deep into meat..."

The chart is quite informative thanks. If you put aside your focus on believers in God (as that's a separate topic to my first post) and try and see the difference between atheism and agnosticism in relation to scientists, you'll see what I mean.

There is a great difference between one who "doesn't claim to know no god exists" and one who "claims to know no god exists". Exactly as described on the chart, on the definition of athiest from Merriam-Webster (one who advocates athiesm) and dictionary coms definitions and synonym study. Or Merriam Websters own distinction between the 2 "The difference is quite simple: atheist refers to someone who believes that there is no god (or gods), and agnostic refers to someone who doesn’t know whether there is a god, or even if such a thing is knowable."

Richard Dawkins would fall into the category of gnostic athiest I suppose. He is adamant that no God exists and he is fully at odds and advocates, actively, against such a belief. Whereas Thomas Huxley however, who may have coined the word 'agnostic' according to various dictionaries and other sources, is more someone who doesn't claim to know.

"Agnosticism, in fact, is not a creed, but a method, the essence of which lies in the rigorus application of a single principle. That principle is of great antiquity; it is as old as Socrates; as old as the writer who said, * Try all things, hold fast by that which is good"

Here he is actually describing a Biblical passage from 1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Test all things; hold fast to that which is good" which is the scientific method in a nutshell, regardless of what you think of the rest of the book.

He goes on "Positively the principle may be expressed: In matters of the intellect, follow your reason as far as it will take you, without regard to any other consideration. And negatively: In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the agnostic faith, which if a man keep whole and undefiled, he shall not be ashamed to look the universe in the face, whatever the future may have in store for him.

The results of the working out of the agnostic principle will vary
according to individual knowledge and capacity, and according to the general condition of science. That which is unproved to-day may be proved, by the help of new discoveries, to-morrow."

A vast difference to the likes of some others in science today who boldly claim there is no God and ridicule those who might believe in one. Sorry for the long reply.

You know, and it gets into this whole issue of border security
You know, who's gonna say that the borders are secure?
We've got the House and the Senate debating this issue
And it's, it's really astonishing that in a country founded by immigrants
"Immigrant" has somehow become a bad word
So the debate rages on and we continue
And just like that it's over, we tend to our wounded, we count our dead
Black and white soldiers wonder alike if this really means freedom
Not yet
I got one job, two job, three when I need them
I got five roommates in this one studio, but I never really see them
And we all came America trying to get a lap dance from Lady Freedom
But now Lady Liberty is acting like Hilary Banks with a pre-nup
Man, I was brave, sailing on graves
Don't think I didn't notice those tombstones disguised as waves
I'm no dummy, here is something funny, you can be an immigrant without risking your lives
Or crossing these borders with thrifty supplies
All you got to do is see the world with new eyes
Immigrants, we get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
We get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Immigrants, we get the job done
It's a hard line when you're an import
Baby boy, it's hard times
When you ain't sent for
Racists feed the belly of the beast
With they pitchforks, rich chores
Done by the people that get ignored
Ya se armó
Ya se despertaron
It's a whole awakening
La alarma ya sonó hace rato
Los que quieren buscan
Pero nos apodan como vagos
We are the same ones
Hustling on every level
Ten los datos
Walk a mile in our shoes
Abróchense los zapatos
I been scoping ya dudes, ya'll ain't been working like I do
I'll outwork you, it hurts you
You claim I'm stealing jobs though
Peter Piper claimed he picked them, he just underpaid Pablo
But there ain't a paper trail when you living in the shadows
We're America's ghost writers, the credit's only borrowed
It's a matter of time before the checks all come
But
Immigrants, we get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
We get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Immigrants, we get the job
Not yet
The credit is only borrowed
It's America's ghost writers, the credit's only borrowed
It's America's ghost writers
America's ghost writers
America's ghost writers, the credit's only borrow-borrowed
It's America's ghost writers, a credit is only borrowed
It's America's ghost writers, a credit is only borrowed
It's America's ghost writers, a credit is only borrowed
It's
Immigrants, we get the job done
Ay yo aye, immigrants we don't like that
Na they don't play British empire strikes back
They beating us like 808's and high hats
At our own game of invasion, but this ain't Iraq
Who these fugees what did they do for me
But contribute new dreams
Taxes and tools, swagger and food to eat
Cool, they flee war zones, but the problem ain't ours
Even if our bombs landed on them like the Mayflower
Buckingham Palace or Capitol Hill
Blood of my ancestors had that all built
It's the ink you print on your dollar bill, oil you spill
Thin red lines on the flag you hoist when you kill
But still we just say "look how far I come"
Hindustan, Pakistan, to London
To a galaxy far from their ignorance
'Cause
Immigrants, we get the job done
Por tierra o por agua
Identidad falsa
Brincamos muros o flotamos en balsas
La peleamos como Sandino en Nicaragua
Somos como las plantas que crecen sin agua
Sin pasaporte americano
Porque la mitad de gringolandia es terreno mexicano
Hay que ser bien hijo de puta
Nosotros les sembramos el árbol y ellos se comen la frutas
Somos los que cruzaron
Aquí vinimos a buscar el oro que nos robaron
Tenemos mas trucos que la policía secreta
Metimos la casa completa en una maleta
Con un pico, una pala
Y un rastrillo
Te construimos un castillo
Como es que dice el coro cabrón?
Immigrants, we get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
We get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Immigrants, we get the job done
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Look how far I come
Immigrants, we get the job done
Not yet

Except Hollywood never does it this well.

This is a random, real-life event, which, in theory, should be LESS interesting than a scripted show, because writers, directors, actors, etc. have the opportunity to ADD to reality. Instead it's the opposite. Hollywood never seems to make it half as interesting.

" Directed by Rich Moore ('Zootopia,' 'Wreck-It Ralph') and Phil Johnston (co-writer 'Wreck-It Ralph,' 'Cedar Rapids,' co-writer 'Zootopia,'), and produced by Clark Spencer ('Zootopia,' 'Wreck-It Ralph,' 'Bolt')"

Oi, you lot -- quit muckin' about with this nonsense and get on with making Zootopia 2!

I have hope for this. Shane Black (writer and director) was in the original Predator and he’s done some good stuff in the last few years (“The nice guys” was great)

Sometimes he sees the obvious horsepoo for what it is (probably his writers) but as usual he singles out Fox News while leaving CNN out of it.
Fox still falls back on it's claims it is entertainment but what is CNN's excuse?

This is EXCELLENT.

And I know how to talk about this subject that doesn't bring on the care....ful.

Talk about the socialization of our girls and how we need to empower them from a young age.

All the other ways to address this are valid and carry that minefield aspect to it.

And yes, we do need to train up our boys differently, to understand consent. That is a great idea.

AND if we teach our girls to empower themselves and stop making "nice", it doesn't matter if they meet up with a boy who WASN'T trained up to understand consent. Because she will school his ass. (Or as one lesbian op-ed writer said -- school HER ass, if a woman is on a date with another woman. The writer's experience was that women can ignore consent issues, too.)

Nobody has a time machine to go back to fix the past so the present is different. So let's talk about the future, yeah? That is what we can have a productive effect on.