I don't really pay attention to people's religions unless they tell me. You find what you look for. I'm not looking for it. I don't look at what people are eating unless they tell me, hence I don't know if someone is meat eating, vegan, vegetarian, etc. If someone has an "I AM A VEGAN" t-shirt on, or "I AM A CHRISTIAN" t-shirt on, or "I AM AN ATHEIST" t-shirt on, I don't hardly notice or care - only when they bring it up in conversation. Why? Maybe they're being ironic or something. Idk. == You notice it because you're looking for it, Lance. To me, they're just part of the backdrop. I wouldn't notice if they were there or not. They don't impact me in any way. == It matters to you, so you see it. I also can't tell you how many beige houses vs red houses there are on my cross street. Why? I don't care what color their houses are. You're looking for it. You notice it. I've seen people with cross tattoos because it looks cool to them. I don't know if they're True Believers or not. I'm talking about conversation. I'll make ONE EXCEPTION though: Fish on the cars. If you see a Fish on a car, they're probably asshole drivers. My mother goes to the Methodist church because the pastor plays rock music with his band every week that she likes. She's told me that he likes to make fun of the drivers with the fish on the cars, and how people who need to make a point of it are often the worst people around. == It's probably the company I keep. I don't know too many religious people who make a big thing of it, outside of "pray for so-and-so who is sick" type of thing, and I see that as a vague platitude rather than something significant. But among the atheist friends, which make up probably 1/2 of my friends if not more, they bring it up... a lot. == his grasp of history is almost as bad as Neil deGrasse Tyson (I like him but I've caught him repeating a few ahistorical myths that reminded me: don't ask a science guy history questions) I think the only followers I probably _wouldn't_ be able to tolerate would be fans of... oh... whoever that young dude it that's talking fire and brimstone. I remember he led Iowa. I don't usually pay TOO much attention until the primaries are over anyway: as an independent in a state with closed primaries, doesn't really matter 'til they get down to two. == Ultimately, I don't care who ends up as President. We have a robust balanced government, designed to keep everything (except war 'cause we're 'meruka and we like war I guess) VERY SLOW and inefficient. Keeps the nation stable in most areas. I vote each election but for all the hot-air whoever is president gives, the stuff they sign or veto when it gets to their desk is usually shit so full of holes and stagnation and inefficiency, that not a whole lot changes much for most people - and if it DOES... the NEXT president usually overturns it. == Carson's out? Ah, I need to keep up. I think Trump is trying to win a bet that he could become President without spending much money - just by being bombastic and staying in the press. Obama would actually make a decent justice. I really haven't followed much of his presidency tbh, and stopped following Bush's moves after he fired his whole cabinet (which was the only thing he had going for him). I think if Cruz became president, some of those Justices will be sure to take life-extension pills just to be SURE they stay on board 'til his presidency is over tongue emoticon == Is that Ruth Ginsburg? You're more up-to-speed with this stuff than I am. I'm not much for politics generally, just that the one we have set up here seems to work ok overall, although I'd much prefer to get beyond a two-party system someday and allow for multiple parties for a little more variety. == Ah cool. I hear the name Ginsburg and I get a sense of fairness about her. Don't know why. I took a political compass test about a year ago and it stuck me as, "social anarchist" which seems about right. I'm apparently even more left than the Dalai Lama, so I'm kinda useless politically tongue emoticon == I do what I feel like and work around rules intelligently that get in the way (there's always loopholes built-in to every system to exploit) but generally keep my nose clean and follow most rules, as most rules are reasonable enough. == Well, I got around all that by becoming President of Earth last Earth Day (according to Google anyway - afaik, a search for President Udut STILL brings this up) - and decided that everybody should just keep doing whatever they're doing and don't bother sending me reports unless they want to. ==