173 Comments
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Joe King's avatar

The RCC does not need that money. With some estimates for their total net worth at 1.5 trillion dollars, they can hand all that cash to just Bialkowski's victims and not even notice the dip in revenue. A hundred billion for all the victims wouldn't hurt them. They are morally bankrupt, but nowhere near financially bankrupt.

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Tawreos's avatar

Give money to the victims? Do you really expect them to practice what they preach? If they did that then higher ups might have to fly coach or have to choose between the chef or the driver. How could people that have chosen to serve god ever bear up under such hardships?

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regmeyer's avatar

They tell their followers that it is better for them to sacrifice to support the church all the while living quite well of their donations. A classic case of do what I tell you, not what your lying eyes see me doing.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

The RCC is extremely cheap with their foot soldiers, real money doesn't come in until you are not at least a bishop, from there the sky is the limit. If you are interested, search for Spanish retired Cardinal/luxury apartment in Madrid

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

The priests are supposed to swear a vow of poverty /s

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Tawreos's avatar

They swear vows of chastity too, but there are thousands of victims that can tell you the value of their vows.

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Jan 11, 2022
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Tawreos's avatar

This would be a better story if the choice wasn't predator priest versus greedy relatives.

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beads's avatar

'I think it is unfair to assign motive to the relatives at this point. We know from the story, and Kraisins' post, that the priest is a predator who has clearly shown that he is a manipulative person. All we know of the relatives is that they have filed a lawsuit alleging the will was coerced. If my relative was taken advantage of in that manner by anyone, and I could prove, you bet I'd file a case. Should the relatives prevail, great, they've proved yet another illegal act on the priest's behalf. Should they fail, and the priest be granted the estate, the victims should immediately sue for the full amount of the estate.

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Jan 11, 2022
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Tawreos's avatar

I am somewhat inclined to believe that the relatives are greedy, but the original article and a google search would seem to confirm that no real obituary was ever published for the woman. This might have been done to keep some people from finding out about her death until it was too late to do anything about the will.

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beads's avatar

Well since we are all just speculating about the families motives and automatically assigning greed, here's my speculation. The family were close. The husband died. The manipulative priest moved in on the vulnerable woman, convincing here to cut off contact with relatives, while he abused here until she signed the will. Thus the family did not immediately know of the death. They believe they have proof of this and are trying to reveal the crime of the priest. You automatically believe that they are greedy assholes, I'll wait to make judgement until we know the facts of the case.

ETA: My point is, we do not know what the facts of the case are, and automatically assigning motive, particularly automatically assigning a bad motive, is very typical behavior of a christstain. We are better than that. We are NOT christstains, and should do our best NOT to behave like them.

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Jan 11, 2022
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Tawreos's avatar

OT: Christians are texting random numbers claiming to be missionaries wanting to spread the "good" news. I remember when being called a missionary meant you had to go to deepest darkest Africa and get an apartment for while to witness to the local townsfolk, oops, I said natives. and then come back and beg for money so you could continue to do, probably, nothing like what you said you were accomplishing when you were begging for money. Now you can sit in Cincinnati and text a far off and distant number from deep in the heart of Columbus, OH and claim you are doing missionary work. The mind wobbles

For the record all they got from me was a message to delete my number and never bother me again., which they promptly ignored which got them a message from the filthy side of my personality. =)

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

We are thinking of getting rid of our landline for a similar reason. Hardly anybody ever rings except proselytisers, and scam artists. There's a particularly annoying Australian "charity" group that keeps ringing. I don't even live in Australia. :)

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Matri's avatar

My landline is tied directly to my broadband, so it gets the honour of staying.

Meanwhile, my hand phone has been receiving spam & scam messages.

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

They made my landline Wi-Fi-based rather than wired. Which makes it a lot easier to get rid of it, as we only had it in case the the cellular system was down and we had an emergency.

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cdbunch's avatar

That still sounds better than random texts from Republicans. Or people trying to sell me CBD gummies or pills to make "my girl so happy". That's what constantly fills up my phone.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

C'mon! Do you expect us to believe there is a "clean" side of your personality. 😉

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Tawreos's avatar

Well, yeah. I can't go to the grocery store and be like "ring my shit up" all the time, I'd get kicked out...or so I have been led to believe. =)

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XJC's avatar

In other Catholic current events, the Pope lambasted people who choose to have animal companions instead of producing children. If there are no children, then the Catholic church has no fodder for their priests--celibate men who produce no children. Another shining example of Christian logic.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The RCC refused to excommunicate Hitler, yet people opting to have pets instead of children gets their dander up.

And somehow they still believe they have the right to talk about morality? *smh*

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regmeyer's avatar

They have the right to talk just as we have the right to not listen and laugh.

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wreck's avatar

If there is a catholic priest involved, you can be sure that somebody is getting fucked.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Simple rule of thumb:

Never give a single cent to Christian clergy of any kind. Especially clergy of a religion that has already amassed obscene wealth.

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Tawreos's avatar

After all this time, is anyone surprised that the RCC has ways to screw everyone that gets involved with them in one way or another.

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cdbunch's avatar

Unless she spelled out in the will that he was to give X to charity and named specific charities, he'll keep it or donate to a charity he or a friend runs.

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Joe King's avatar

The charity he will donate to? The Rev. Bialkowski Golden Parachute Fund for Buffalo Region Accused Priests.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

OT - Oh, shit! The stupid are getting even stupider.

Anti-vaxxer tells supporters the new COVID antidote is in 'urine therapy'

“Now drink urine!” he said. “This vaccine is the worst bioweapon I have ever seen. I drink my own urine!"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/anti-vaxxer-tells-supporters-the-new-covid-antidote-is-in-urine-therapy/ar-AASFObo?ocid=mailsignout&li=BBnb7Kz

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"God's given us everything we need."

Except for a functioning brain, it would seem. *shakes head*

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Matri's avatar

The price of admission, I guess.

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regmeyer's avatar

His gawd must be lining him up for a whooper case of Covid.

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Tawreos's avatar

When you catch a common cold

A bowl of chicken soup can't miss

But when it's Covid that you have

My friend, it's time to drink your piss

Shamelessly stolen from Bill Corbett

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

Yes I saw that this morning. I suspect he's going to be the next well-known antivax eejit to die of Covid. :) And will I be sorry?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

I know what I'll say when he dies:

"Dude just pissed away his life."

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regmeyer's avatar

Well it wasn't worth a piss anyway.

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Tawreos's avatar

But why would they need to drink urine if bleach, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and shoving a UV light up your butt are surefire cures for Covid? Something isn't adding up. I do hope that they catch an even worse non-contagious disease from mixing all this crap up in an effort to own the libs by killing themselves.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

That stuff needs to go through twice.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

You forgot the viagra.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Wow. Just... wow.

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

There was a well-known Indian politician who was notorious for drinking a pint of his own urine every morning before breakfast. He had the piss taken out of him roundly in their Parliament. Pun intended.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

It was Morarji Desai, a former PM (or Pee M, in his case) of India.

The practice of urine drinking had been ascribed to Mohandas Gandhi. His grandson Arun set the record straight in Newsweek:

"I was surprised to read in the Aug. 21 issue of NEWSWEEK that my grandfather, Mohandas Gandhi, drank his own urine. It was not a therapy he believed in or advocated. The person you have in mind is the late Morarji Desai, a follower of Gandhi's and a one-time prime minister of India."

-- Arun Gandhi, Founder and Director, M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, Memphis TN, September 18th, 1995

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Trump used to use urine therapy. He still got Covid.

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regmeyer's avatar

That Russian stuff just won't do the job that good ol' Merican can.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

All that vodka undoes the therapeutic effects of the urine.

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RegularJoe's avatar

That's just silly! Everybody knows you mix a paste of 50% ivermectin and 50% methyl mercury, apply directly to the forehead and genitals thrice daily, and you're pretty much guaranteed to not die from Covid.

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Jan 11, 2022
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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

So true, if he gets "pissed," he will produce a copious amount.

https://youtu.be/LODkVkpaVQA

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NOGODZ20's avatar

OT 3

"Tiniest Supermassive Black Hole Ever Discovered in a Mini-Galaxy"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/animals/tiniest-supermassive-black-hole-ever-discovered-in-a-mini-galaxy/vi-AASFj71

Science continues to slap superstition silly.

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Tawreos's avatar

I dare you to shove more oxymorons into a title than there is in that one.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Sure. Just as soon as I get through enjoying this jumbo shrimp.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

It's more like a clear knock-out.

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

Why would a priest need money? All his needs are taken care of by the church – including sex with little boys.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

Gambling, sex-workers, drugs, alcohol, partying, fancy clothes and accesoires! Did I mention gambling, sex-workers, drugs, alcohol, partying, fancy clothes and accesoires??

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

You forgot a pair of Dominatrix.

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Tawreos's avatar

No, I'm pretty sure I have mine, those must belong to someone else. =)

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Jan 11, 2022Edited
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regmeyer's avatar

Speak for yourself.

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Tawreos's avatar

Both dominatrices and dominatrixes is correct, according to Merriam-Webster. =)

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

Dominas in German; I don't know though if the male counterpart is a Domino.

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Matri's avatar

Well then, pizza just got a whole lot sexier…

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Jan 11, 2022
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regmeyer's avatar

He gets the ecclesiastical discount.

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

A Catholic priest is walking down the street when suddenly a sweating, dirty bum accosts him.

"Pictures of little boys?" says the bum.

"Go away, I'm not interested," says the priest.

The bum is persistent. "Go on - pictures of leetle boyssss!!!" he leers.

"I'm a man of God - go away!" yells the priest.

"Last chance - pictures of leetle boys!!!!!," sneers the bum.

"Oh okay then," sighs the priest, "how many do you want?

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Joan the Dork's avatar

He got his victims and their families to foot the bill.

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BTII's avatar

The priest sounds like an awful human, but we know that many of them are, even if they were not pedophiles themselves, many of them covered for them or turned a blind eye to them. Yet society tolerates them because society values religion over justice and the common good. That's not news to any atheist anywhere.

I suppose we can all think of better things she could have done with the money, but deciding if she was of sound mind is something for the courts based on evidence, which may or may not exist. If she was indeed of sound mind, she is only guilty of not having done her due diligence....which might be laziness, or willful blindness toward her church's dark side, which is something all Catholics are guilty of, even those of sound mind.

It could also be gratitude toward someone who gave her what she craved most after her husband died...attention and help. When I was in grad school, my father left more money to the hired caregiver who cared for him in the final 2 years of his life than he did to his 2 children whom he had an abusive relationship with. I didn't contest his will, even though I thought his judgment was impaired. He had every right to leave her his money, and I wasn't interested in dropping out of grad school to care for him after his stroke, but I also didn't know he was going to die when he did. Ditto my brother.

Con men targeting religious or demented seniors is nothing new, but if the cousins were not part of the picture in life and only got involved after finding out that the horny priest was her only remaining close friendship doesn't mean they deserve a penny just by being closest living blood relatives. I'd rather see the victims sue the priest's ass off before the money gets spent or swallowed by the RCC.

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beads's avatar

Coercing a will out of a person not of sound mind is a crime. Filing a case to contest a will because one party believes the other has committed said crime is not. We actually know nothing about the relatives other than that they filed a case. Stop assigning evil motives to them when we do not know what their motivations are. We can quite clearly understand the motivations of a priest with multiple allegations already against him.

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BTII's avatar

I didn't assign an evil motive. I pointed out that there *could* be an evil motive and that the only way to find out if she was of sound mind is through the courts of law, not the court of public opinion.

I'm sorry that you have a problem with the American legal system and the fact that sometimes families are excluded from wills for good or valid reasons. It is not my fault that our legal system is evidence based, and that we need to use legally acceptable proof of non-compos mentis to alter someone's last will and testament.

The attorneys will make their case but ultimately it will not be up to you to decide, it is a problem for the courts. The priest is a pedophile, and *may* have taken advantage of other people who were not legally competent to write a will, but that doesn't mean that he did so in this case. Churches are often the beneficiaries of their parishioners, that doesn't mean that everyone who does so is the victim of a crime.

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Jan 11, 2022Edited
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BTII's avatar

I would be willing to bet that most people on their deathbeds from a terminal illness are less than lucid as their organs start to fail one by one.

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Jan 12, 2022Edited
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BTII's avatar

When I volunteered in hospices before the pandemic forced me to quit, I used to know a palliative care doctor who would try to convince me of the *magic* of the near death experience. She was a Christian, of course. She'd get excited if they mentioned Jesus.

I thought she was a bullshit artist, but I kept that opinion to myself. These dying patients were typically hallucinating with their advanced diseases while on multiple drugs and having crashing vital signs but she thought their visions were spiritual experiences, except when they were unpleasant, then they'd get even more drugs.

From the Hospice Foundation of America website:

*Signs of Approaching Death*

https://hospicefoundation.org/Hospice-Care/Signs-of-Approaching-Death

"Sensory changes

It is not unusual for dying persons to experience sensory changes that cause misperceptions categorized as illusions, hallucinations, or delusions:

Illusions - They may misperceive a sound or get confused about an object in the room. They might hear the wind blow but think someone is crying, or they may see the lamp in the corner and think the lamp is a person.

Hallucinations – They may hear voices that you cannot hear, see things that you cannot see, or feel things that you are unable to touch or feel. These hallucinations may be frightening or comforting to the dying person depending on their content.

Delusions of persecution and delusions of grandeur – They may confuse reality and think others are trying to hurt them or cause them harm. They may believe that they can accomplish things that are not possible.

Near death awareness – They may report awareness of their imminent death and express that they will soon be able to see their God or other religious figure or see loved friends and relatives who have preceded them in death. It is not uncommon for dying people to speak about preparing to take a trip, traveling, or activities related to travel, such as getting on a plane or packing a bag. Many dying persons find this awareness comforting, particularly the prospect of reunification.

These sensory changes can wax and wane throughout the day and often become more pronounced at night. There are medications that can help alleviate symptoms that appear to be causing distress symptoms. Your hospice provider will decide whether medication is needed for these complex symptoms."

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Kraisins's avatar

I know that priest and one of the boys. I am so not surprised. In the Polonia part of Buffalo, priests are bigger than Jesus. That priest was a big-headed jerk. He and I did not get on well.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

OT 4

One last science-y thing...

"A giant asteroid that's 3,500 feet wide is hurtling toward Earth right now"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/a-giant-asteroid-thats-3500-feet-wide-is-hurtling-toward-earth-right-now/ar-AASDDqa

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

Alert SG-1, Carter surely comes up with something!

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Ben B's avatar

Ah, SG-1, my dream job: hunting gods for a living...

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cdbunch's avatar

Ah, Daniel Jackson, the things I dream of doing with him.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

Ah, Sam Carter, the things I dream of doing with her.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

..., visiting alien planets, exploring different cultures and ancient ruins. What an enjoyable, great space opera that was!

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cdbunch's avatar

And they had an explanation as to why almost all the aliens looked like humans. Unlike some other space operas. :)

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Ben B's avatar

Easily one of my faves, up there with Star Trek.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Did you just show up, or have you been lurking?

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Ben B's avatar

Been lurking mostly, dropped a comment here and there... Been crazy busy lately so when I finally get here to read what's been posted whatever I felt like saying has been said already.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Good to see you again.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

May I add my greetings..

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Ben B's avatar

Same here!

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Hayseed's avatar

This is why we need lasers, not just lasers but GIANT FREAKING SPACE LASERS!! We can knock that asteroid out with one zap, and whenever California acts up start a few wildfires.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

The Jews already have them, just ask MTG.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The Jews had both themselves and lasers in space even before anyone had ever heard of Greene. I have documentary footage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAZhtT-dUyo

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

;>)) lol

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Tawreos's avatar

If the Jews really had them then her anti-semitic ass would have been ashes a long time ago.

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Akira625's avatar

It’s called the Death Star of David.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

That's no moon...

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

They are called Samson's lighters.

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GrandmascienCe's avatar

Speaking from California, THAT'S NOT FUNNY.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Don’t look up.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck.

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Tawreos's avatar

So we either have a weeping angel or my dog has something in her mouth she knows she is not supposed to.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

DOG (with brownie sticking out of its mouth): "Chocolate? What chocolate?"

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

Quoi ?!?!

Moi, ????!!

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cdbunch's avatar

If I could post memes, I'd post the apology to disaster movies.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

So, I actually enjoyed that movie. It was a bit on the nose, but in a really funny way. I know the creators were producing an allegory for climate change, but it was so spot on regarding the pandemic too. I imagine the creators were trying to go wild with caricatures of people, but the movie wasn’t as outlandish as they had hoped it would be. There was nothing unreasonable in the script even though five years ago we would have laughed it all off as flights of fancy. This movie proves that Poe is truly dead.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Did you see the trailer at a movie theater?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Nope. Online. Seth MacFarlane referenced how much he loved it it on his Twitterfeed.

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Tawreos's avatar

What took it so long?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

It's not going to hit us, but I wish it would break in two and take out both Texas and Florida.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

If you see it coming, charter a private jet and head for safety. :)

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Tawreos's avatar

Yeah just stick near Ted Cruz... on second thought the asteroid may be better than that.

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cdbunch's avatar

Ted Motherfucking Cruz.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

"If you see it coming, charter a private jet and head for safety. :)"

Can I borrow a several thousand dollars? I'm good for it. 😉

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Jan 12, 2022
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NOGODZ20's avatar

(in William Shatner's voice): "Well, double dumbass on you." :)

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

First cousins are not distant. A second cousin could be distant, depending on the personal relationship. If the first cousins haven’t spoken in years, you could call them estranged, but not distant. When you call them distant cousins, I assume they’re second or third, maybe once removed or more. I have relationships with my first cousins, in fact I’m going on a trip with a bunch of them next month. She might have had a relationship with her cousin and that cousin might know that the will really is coerced. Or she might just have a cousin who hasn’t been around and is now looking for cash. The relationship isn’t clear, but it is not a distant cousin.

My first cousins are my uncles’/aunts’ children. We share grandparents.

My first cousins once removed is my cousins’ children. My grandparents are the cousins’ great grandparents.

My children and my cousins’ children are second cousins. They share great grandparents.

Third and up cousins share grandparents with additional greats preceding.

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Tawreos's avatar

First cousins can be very distant. My father is from a large family and half of his siblings had very large families as well so I have dozens of first cousins and have only met a few of them that I can actually remember. Add in any other layers and the circle expands exponentially until it covers a good chunk of two states. =)

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

That’s not what distant means in regards to familial relationships, though. I’m discovering new cousins that I’ve never met, but they are not distant relations. They just don’t have a personal relationship with me. I just don’t think distant cousins is the right description when discussing a first cousin, since first cousins are the closest cousins possible they aren’t distant. They could just be cousins they haven’t seen for years or something.

But I’m just being a bit picky.

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larry parker's avatar

I've got 6 first cousins on each side of the family and none of them live close to me. ; )

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regmeyer's avatar

I have 52 first cousin total and I moved far away from most of them. There are just a few that I stay in contact with. Big farm families tend this way.

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larry parker's avatar

Wow. How many aunts/uncles?

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regmeyer's avatar

Nine on one side, Seven on the other.We were one of the smaller families with just three kids.

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CorporalKlinger's avatar

Many priests and preachers remind me of truffle finding pigs when it comes to money. No offense to truffle pigs intended. #follow the money#

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regmeyer's avatar

More like their handler who grab the truffle before the pig who does all the work can enjoy his find.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

OT: But is something odd going on at Patheos? Comments (where allowed) aren't disabled, but it seems Disqus won't load, although Disqus itself seems to be fine.

Also, lots of ads for Gab over there.

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larry parker's avatar

I got comments to load on the old FA, but they are closed. On CrossExamined and Roll to Disbelief the comments wouldn't load and on their home pages it showed 0 for comments for each article.

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Tawreos's avatar

I kind of enjoy that the comment sections are closed now, because I keep picturing the looks on the faces of the christians that prefer to only necropost in the hopes that their comments will not be challenged. Of course, they will probably go around claiming that atheists closed the comment sections because they could not overcome the brilliant logic of "Ma feels tells me that god is real.". Sadly, they will be believed and not challenged.

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Guerilla Surgeon's avatar

I couldn't get comments to load on Cranach, where I figured that things would still be active. Obviously things aren't.

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larry parker's avatar

Maybe the nannybot went rogue and shut everything down.

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GrandmascienCe's avatar

"I can't open the pod bay doors, Dave."

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