Whenever you suck up to and pander to one group you are going to MASSIVELY insult other groups. Biden screwed up bigly. WHY?

No, nothing new at all---kind of wondering why I came back.  

It was the death of logic that I experienced on June 22 that has kept me away for so long.

Just because you are surrounded by illogical people you withdraw from the battle? How could you tom?

All the more reason for you to hang in speak up stand your ground. I noticed your absence but I never thought it was because you were giving up. C'mon! When the going gets tough the tough GET GOING! Right?

Anyway for however long you're here I'm glad. If you could see your way clear to GET BACK IN THE GAME that would be awesome. Just what I think for what it's worth. STAY SAFE. This post was edited by RosieG at August 8, 2020 3:40 AM MDT

Oh, i was in "time out" for a month---which begins like a Badge of Honor and becomes not at all unlike a paid vacation---from which I return renewed and refreshed..

And I extended the month to six weeks. 

If a site has a Term of Service that treats all opinions with the same deference that it treats accurate statements, I would expect both the death of logic (how else can one defend error unless one becomes illogical) and the appearance of some psychopathy.

And unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I witnessed both in my last session before the time out.

Of course, some people in various walks of life have allowed me to frustrate them in the past; and we all know that frustration frequently breeds aggression.

Having "girded my mental loins" I feel up to maintaining a more regular presence.  I have been called a "truth teller" by others for years.

Okay then! Let's just say you were on SABBATICAL and you have returned refreshed. Timing couldn't be better in my opinion. As for what I believe you allude too it is quite obvious quite prevalent and another aggravating and frustrating thing humans do all the time. PLAY FAVORITES. FAVORITISM. AARRGGHH! You point it out and they do not see it. They say they are strictly by-the-book fair but you notice they skip entire pages when their "friends" are involved. They do not apply the rules in the same way to friends and those whom they dislike. I think not realizing it is ubiquitous. Unfair it is when we observe at a distance. When they're always in the middle of it they are in no position to judge themselves and find themselves wanting or lacking because they are incapable of it. And so we lose people. A few of my pals have been BANNED for doing nothing the "friends of the court" didn't do. That's the problem with judges. They judge. It's life. As for me I simply never engage with the troublemakers. I haven't the patience nor the inclination to argue with anyone whose entire purpose is to agitate aggravate make waves. It is what it is. Our great illustration awesome pumpkin said that. So we either keep quiet and obey and be docile to survive or we say what we think and get kicked out OR my way? Avoid it altogether. Choose with whom you engage WISELY. Only engage with those with whom you can disagree with civility. It's what works for me. On occasion I get my wrist slapped and a question is removed. I don't care what happens to questions after they're asked. It's the asking that's my carrot. Of course if it happens to trigger things in others so they respond and we can engage in a substantive conversation I like it even better! So m'dear welcome back. Everything is far worse now than when you left temporarily. As if you didn't KNOW it would be that way. Happy Friday tom. STAY SAFE!

I remember that one basketball player showed up on he internet with a video he had taken on a commercial plane of a level that remained, well--'level" as he described it--as he flew from (I think it was New York to LA) and observed that since the level didn't react to the curve of the earth, then the earth must really be flat.

Unfortunately, his reasoning was unenlightened by the fact that gravity works as if all of the mass of the earth were concentrated at its center and therefore the plane (and he and the level onboard) are essentially always tangent to the surface of the earth and therefore remain perpendicular to gravity (and therefore) remain "level," and do not register any tilt.

And then of course, he extrapolates that result---assuming, I suppose that a level that was manufactured in the USA would not work properly for someone building a house in southern Chili.

This is not unlike trying to accurately explain reality without understanding basic facts---for instance, thinking that salt melts ice by raising the temperature of the ice. (Actually, the reason is almost the exact opposite.)

In addition to planes and levels, I am preparing an explanation of a possible problem concerning the bifurcation of a certain reality into "what matters" and "fluff." This post was edited by tom jackson at August 28, 2020 2:24 AM MDT

I surely hope you plan to unveil that explanation here where we can all access it. I'm trying to understand why anyone holding a level (the kind carpenter's use) in a plane would think it has anything to do with earth curvature. Doesn't it just mean the plane itself is what the level is measuring? I mean c'mon are they all that stupid? By "all" you know  the whoms to which I allude. Seriously how can anyone with half a brain "think" that? And they have babies and the babies have babies and before you know it we get a dipstick president. Inevitable. SIGH. Thank you for your reply tom and Happy Friday to thee and thine. STAY SAFE! :) This post was edited by RosieG at August 28, 2020 3:35 PM MDT

I will.

So we have a deal then tom? Good. Thank you for your reply! :)