Oh well that's different - you don't wanna you don't gotta. I use the "I don't wanna" defense all the time.

I'm just basically a lizard or some cold blooded creature, because I crave warmth all the time. I'm OK with hot temps, I live in a state where it gets up to 110 in the summer, and that doesn't faze me at all, I love it. But any hint of coldness, I feel frozen, sluggish, unhappy. Even if the temp only dips below 72. I just do not like being cool or cold at all. Maybe I should go live in the Sonoran desert or something - I could lay on a rock in the sun and be happy!

I was lucky to have a supportive environment and parents, so I really never felt any "shame" over being gay - and I admit, it's hard for me to understand why anybody would. I do live in a very ultra conservative red state, and I get a lot of bigoted small minded comments, but to me it just reflects that person's own inner turmoil. And I really would choose being gay every time if I was given any choice of sexual orientation.

That WAS me being civil. If I were to write what I truly wanted to write, it would singe your retinas off.

I know you were being sarcastic, so was I. My proposed solution to fascists is not to become one myself. I can ensure myself and my family don't stoop to such levels of corruption, I can fight back if I have to, I can vote them out of office - but really what else can one person do without becoming a fascist themselves. I don't close my eyes to the world I live in - I'm an avid news reader and follower of all news networks and a constant contributor to the guest editorial section of my local paper. I do voice my views and spread whatever small influence I may have.

Anything that creates controversy, the news and the media thrives on it. They keep reporting on the brutality of the Mid East war (and there's no arguing that it is), but they actually love it, it's their bread and butter. ABC spends a half hour news broadcast on it every night. They LOVE this stuff, it's ratings gold. Without this crappola, where would they be. To me, it's like bad advertising, when they talk about trump I simply turn to another channel.

I didn't mean to diminish anyone's enthusiasm about winter. I'm envious of it. I wish I could feel that way about winter stuck as I am in one of the coldest parts of the nation for half the year. If I were a cyclist maybe that would make all the difference!

Yeah there is that instant gratification - the IG factor you could call it. It's hard to resist! But I agree, people should have actual real hobbies, not just spend time trolling online. One of mine is writing, so replying to posts online helps sharpen my critical thinking in some ways. But I don't spend all day on it. I have so many other hobbies that truly are rewarding, and don't come with constant criticism and put downs from others.

That would work, I just think people are always going to call "X' by the name Twitter - that's how we've come to know it and that's the way we refer to it still.

Winter is coming....and I couldn't be more depressed or forlorn about it. Six months of frigid Arctic temps and snow up to our rooftops, the world blanketed in a coating of white stained birdshit from above. I loathe everything about it in every possible way.

I'm gay and came out over 40 years ago. If someone calls me gay, I thank them for recognizing the superpower within me. Gay has been a gift from heaven above, and if we're honest human animals, all of us have a big variety of sexual thoughts and desires. It's all just sexuality, no more important than what your favorite food is, but no less important than food either.

I'm with Stephen on this one. It's so annoying that news reports and news articles have to keep saying "so and so said this on X, formerly Twitter." To make sure that we know what "X" is. What kind of name is that for a social media site? Leave the letter X to strip joints and Las Vegas brothels.

Sort of a vibrant or vivid melancholy, maybe? Some songs by certain groups do that to me also - that song, "remind me" by royksopp always brings on those feelings. I think that listening to music makes you feel like everything in your body is opening up a little, loosening and relaxing and decompressing.

Love it. It's true - imagine all the time we spend on these social media sites that we could use for better purposes. Writing books, drawing, setting things on fire. All the wasted potential!

Garfield minus Garfield is hilarious, it really is a study in goofy insanity. And the strips where they actually put in President Garfield saying "I Hate Mondays." That always makes me laugh.

Well - and don't take this as criticism - I'm very much allied with the police in most situations. I've seen instances were our local police have gone after MAGA extremists, so I've seen a different side of it. They shot and killed a man here (in Utah) who had threatened to target Biden when he visited us. What I've found is, if I'm not doing anything criminal I usually am not bothered by the police. Our local police walk kids home safely from school and help out families in need here.

True. There's nothing nuanced about MAGA extremism to be sure. It makes me truly question the mentality of those who willingly join in it.

I like your responses. I'm not religious, I don't believe in god, but consider myself atheistic. I am gay, and came out in the 1980s - back in the dark ages. And I've encountered so much small-brained "religious" bigotry to ensure I'll never be able to look at religion as anything but a weapon. Who or whatever created me, I'm blessed to have what I have, and being gay has been a gigantic gift for me. And I've been published several times as a writer, I've sold oil paintings and I have mastered the piano - so I haven't just one set of behaviors to my life, but many.

Well you stink like bitch, and shit excuse. So at least I can be glad I'm not you, you filthy cunt.

Untrue, my friend, untrue! We didn't invest in their education infrastructure, we went in like America always does and blasted their brains out. You can live in your world of war and violence all you want - that's not the kind of world I want to live in.