Wanha

Hey FDR, I changed all the names to protect identities. Actually I like to write quite a bit, and I haven't seen the style before, but when I write I like to name characters by really blunt things like that. Check out my FDR profile to see an instance of this I wrote in 2008. One more thing, I wrote this as a statist republican ... I didn't quote--wake-up--un-quote until like Zeitgeist came out, and not even really then, maybe during the 2012 election when I followed Ron Paul -- maybe when I started listening to FDR . Anyway I hope the rest of my life is like that, this iterative set of life-scope enhancing realizations. I appreciate the conversation that has occurred just since I posted this thread with an image hosted on my google drive.-Wanha

@andkon @tjt I like how you universalized rape culture toward black men -- That would sound racist Wow, I never thought of that, or to ask that. If I generalize this to other horrible things it makes perfect sense. Thank you for the input! @500 Am I correct in assuming you believe "rape culture" is a useful term and that "if you can do so at relatively low cost to yourself"" generally expresses how you feel about the topic? Also I appreciate your honesty even if you disagree with me or others, and I appreciate you arguing in a courteous manner.

@hannahbanana, Thank you for your female persepctive! @MrLovingKindness Interesting video, thank you for sharing! I wonder if that concept could be applied to the hyper-agency people give to the government as an oppressor, but consider it incompetent at anything. ON RAPE CULTURE: I personally Didn't dismiss rape-culture instantly because in my head I was thinking: Do we have a hyper sexual culture? Is it plausible that a culture that elevates sex itself as a virtue may have a higher incidence of rape? Of course this doesn't match the loose-bullet-pointed-"definition" of the article, or the definition supplied by "feminist.com" So What should my take away from the conversation above be? -- Just don't surround myself with people like that? Or don't engage if I am? Or don't maintain a "nice" tone if it is unrequited?

I don't take that as you being uncompassionate -- Good Question.At the time I thought of the girl who posted it as my friend, and after acquiring a little bit of self knowledge ( thank you FDR ) I no longer engage w/ her at all. I was sincerely bothered by the article and tried to bring up the points that bothered me, but was basically shot down for being like "every damned man"I still hang out with the "AFriendOfAFeminist," but this person seems to never take sides on anything and looks at happiness itself as her ideology.I haven't pruned out all of my abusive relationships yet, but I feel like I've come a long way in terms of being honest with myself and others. Frankly I'm a bit afraid of having no "friends" at all If I do that.

Hey Choir, [PREACH:] I read this article because it was posted on a "friends" facebook page: A Gentlemen’s Guide To Rape Culture - Zaron Bumett III Needless to say, I got upset after reading it and decided to respond to my "friend" ( quotes because I really don't think of her as a friend anymore, not because of this article ... but because I genuinely think she is an awful person in general ) -- See picture below w/ changed names and blurred faces. Also note that I barely stuck my pinky-toe in the FDR swimming pool at this point. What is your thoughts on the article? What are your thoughts on "rape culture." If you are a guy are you guilty simply because your 23rd chromosome isn't as big as your 46th? Or because you happen to have testicles? -Chris

Hey Guys,I also enjoy "randomness" and encryption, and I ironically do program, but I know much less about it than you do.Something I enjoyed and hope it is at least superficially related is this video on the Enigma machine by Numberphile.I recreated a similar idea by taking a "string" or set of words number characters that I wish to "encrypt" and I asked myself how many unique characters are there? 26 letters, punctuation, etc. and I mapped them to numbers then translated the numbers via a key like 3,1,4,1,5,9,2,6,5 (pi per digit basically) and then took those translated numbers and remapped them back to letters.It proved difficult for my friends ( no encryption, decryption experience ) to decypher, and it also proved typical by decypher programs people have put on the internet.Regards,Chris

I live a stone throw from Atlanta and would be highly interested -- I'll check out the meet up group. Savanah is a bit of a drive from North Atlanta/ Perimeter.I'm new here btw, I joined a little while back after listening to Stef, but today is the first time I've posted.

Hey Anna, I read and enjoyed your well thought out letter. ( And last year -- so I know I am reviving an older thread ) You thought "calling a family meeting to announce [your] nonbelief seem[ed] melodramatic?"Does a letter sort of increase the drama causing as well? I think you are completely valid in your desire to be honest. When asked the question: "what is the best outcome of coming out to these people?" My first thought, is that you don't lose respect in yourself, and you get to keep your integrity which is important to you. I came out, as an agnostic after reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged (which changed my life). & I came out on a case by case basis. If I was asked or invited to something religious or contradictory to my beliefs I would tell the truth or say I didn't think it was a good idea (which inevitably required me to tell the truth). My family hated it and my mother told me I was atheist and selfish, and that I secretly believed in god but deluded myself that I dont. But over time those relationships turned cordial and I'm happy for having told the truth, and continue to do so, without having to necessarily "come out" but to just be me. Although I must confess I do tell people I'm atheist more often than agnostic because it gets the general point across. When I tell people I'm agnostic, they often take that to mean confused -- which I'm not.I hope everything went well with you letter,Chris