Personal Questions

[Alex]

Depends very much on the person. The majority of people in a democracy will vote for a single party their entire lives. They tend not to actually know how the party they vote for affects them although they themselves will not recognise this and will vehemently claim otherwise. Those people I don't consider it to be worth my time to discuss politics with. Floating voters, I find tend to more open to discussing what each party does and means for them. Those people I can have a good conversation with.

[RCMerchant]

Not really, because I dislike ALL parties, and tend to call people a***oles- while making an ass of myself.

[ER]

How comfortable are you talking about sex?

Me, I don't get either the taboos about it as a subject or why others seem only able to get lurid and salacious. It's just a topic.

[RCMerchant]

I don't find the need to advertise my sex life.

[Trevor]

Lost my virginia at age 36 and I been celibate since 😳😉🐢

[Alex]

Pretty much an open book here. If I was going to be embarrassed about doing something, I wouldn't have done it.

[Rev. Powell]

Sex in general? No problem. My personal sex life? I'll discuss it without specifics. I may change names to protect the guilty.

[ER]

Ever known anyone you think might truly be....well, brainwashed?

I think my mom is kind of that way. Called her today to tell her happy sixty-third birthday, and even today she couldn't stop telling me all these....

Well, anyway, I do think her mind has been bent by bad influences, and it's maddening and aggravating and frequently hurtful. I mean for one day, one phone call, one conversation she couldn't stay off these topics that have taken her over in the last few years? She's an ethereal artist, absolutely beautiful, how did she reach this point? It's terrible sometimes.

[Rev. Powell]

Ever known anyone you think might truly be....well, brainwashed?

I think my mom is kind of that way. Called her today to tell her happy sixty-third birthday, and even today she couldn't stop telling me all these....

Well, anyway, I do think her mind has been bent by bad influences, and it's maddening and aggravating and frequently hurtful. I mean for one day, one phone call, one conversation she couldn't stay off these topics that have taken her over in the last few years? She's an ethereal artist, absolutely beautiful, how did she reach this point? It's terrible sometimes.

Sadly, that happens to older people more than younger people. I think it has to do with increasing fear and anxiety and the illusion of control conspiracy theories provide. We hope we will be immune when our turn comes, but you never know.

[Trevor]

Ever known anyone you think might truly be....well, brainwashed?

A lot of people my age who grew up in apartheid South Africa and served in the armed forces believing that they would triumph are like that: unable to accept change and stuck in "the good old days". People from my birth country are almost all like that sadly.

[Alex]

Ever known anyone you think might truly be....well, brainwashed?

I think my mom is kind of that way. Called her today to tell her happy sixty-third birthday, and even today she couldn't stop telling me all these....

Well, anyway, I do think her mind has been bent by bad influences, and it's maddening and aggravating and frequently hurtful. I mean for one day, one phone call, one conversation she couldn't stay off these topics that have taken her over in the last few years? She's an ethereal artist, absolutely beautiful, how did she reach this point? It's terrible sometimes.

As you age, the first part of your brain to start shutting down it seems to connected to your feelings of empathy. I remember in her last years, my gran who had been one of the kindest women I ever knew would just start randomly saying quite nasty things about people passing her in the street. It got so bad that I didn't want to take her out anywhere. It wasn't until years later, long after she'd died that I found out the cause behind this. It means people can come to believe things and say things and just not realise how this affects people around them. It hits all manner of things about our personalities from who we vote for (who'd have thought that older people becoming more right-wing in their views was down to a mental health condition and what does that say about those policies, but that is a debate for another time). Had I known this back then I'd have dealt with things entirely differently rather than getting alienated from her. I don't know if that helps how you feel about your situation any, but there you go.

I have met many people who were and are brainwashed. The vast majority have done it to themselves though. However they get there though it seems to always come down to religion, politics or flying saucers.

[RCMerchant]

My brother Glenn. He's always been a racist, but he's so much worse now. He's a full blown Nazi.

In politics, I blame phones. Yes PHONES. No one listens to the issues- just the sound bites. Not many people actually read- and I mean really read anything anymore. If it takes more than a minute or two watching a news bite or a catch phrase, folks lose interest. It has to be loud, a soundbite, a catch phrase. A constant flow of the same thing over and over. That's why Trump won in 2016. It's easy to be a lemming.

[ER]

Look around you. What will be in this space in 100 years?

I'm in my house and I say it will still be standing and descendants of mine will live still here. (And I'll playfully haunt them.)

[RCMerchant]

I'm sitting at home, too. In 100 years. No clue. Maybe the house will burn down. Maybe a tornado will take it out. Maybe someone will tear it down. Maybe it will still be here.

[RCMerchant]

What do you think about abortion?

Myself- no. No. I can understand why some folks are for it, but It aint me.