Is is just me, or does this title fit a good portion of the people that post in the Rant & Raves? Personally, I am a Heterosexual Conservative, God-fearing Christian, but to each their own. Before you get all froggy & jump, I have many friends from all walks of life & that includes homosexual liberal.....well, I don't know any atheists.

Basically, I just wanted a reason to post this pic. Ya'll can Rant & Rave about it. Have fun & I'll enjoy reading.

And some must go running for the Bible to decide what they must try to refute.

Umm, no. We use logic and common sense.

See why we got over you a few pages back?

Actually, we Texans owe Oklahoma a huge debt of gratitude. It is what keeps the great state of Texas from sliding into the Gulf of Mexico because......

OKLAHOMA SUCKS!

That's hilarious, Carlene! Never heard that one. (Of course, I'm from California, so it makes sense that I haven't heard it)

I am familiar with tax deed sales, but where I live, at least, the mortgage company almost always pays the back taxes so as not to lose their investment. The rare piece of property that is not encumbered by a mortgage does not go cheaply.

Which counties do you invest in, for the most part?

You want me to give up my investment secrets? LOL

Look in the smaller counties where there is no mortgage co or the bigger cities were errors are more likely to be made.

I disagree that these locations are rare. Are they a dime a dozen? Nope, but they are not rare either.

This brings up an interesting point. What did you study in Abnormal Human Sexuality? What qualifies as abnormal?

If the scientific community considered homosexuality to be abnormal, presumably you would have studied it, and would you now hold that it is abnormal? Did the scientific community every consider it abnormal? Will the scientific community ever consider what is now called "abnormal human sexuality" (it'll help me here once you define this for me) normal? How much are our opinions shaped by lobbies?

Is it possible you know some people who used to consider themselves gay and no longer do? Do you think all of them would tell you about their private struggles if this were the case? I'd be willing to bet they wouldn't.

Nevertheless, I know people who "chose" not to be gay and succeeded. It's a fact. They exist.

You are in soooo far over your head it is almost sad how much you don't realize it.

I am familiar with tax deed sales, but where I live, at least, the mortgage company almost always pays the back taxes so as not to lose their investment. The rare piece of property that is not encumbered by a mortgage does not go cheaply.

Which counties do you invest in, for the most part?

Oh, one other issue. Consider people that die. They leave their homes to their kids.

Who will fight over who pays taxes more than greedy children?

It's a great source of income. Fights speak louder than inheritance.

It isn't amazing that what you say is indeed spew. You dodge the harder questions and pretend they didn't exist. You repeatedly claim others wrote things they didn't. You rarely defend your own comments and then you blame your faults on everyone you post with.

I never claimed there was a gay gene, actually.. nobody did. Yet you continue to stomp your feeties demanding we prove things you claim we said. Truth is, we never made those claims. It's merely your best attempt at debate.

We got over you, maybe it's time you do the same.

You know, BubbleButt, I've been on this board quite a bit longer than you have and I'd be willing to bet there are those who disagree with me on a number of political or social issues who would also disagree with you on this point. I quite often defend my comments (if you don't accept my reasoning that's another issue). I've had very rational, logical discussions on a variety of topics with a number of people here, and I defend both their and my right to hold our positions. I think you have an issue with me because of my beliefs, which is why you have a knee-jerk, vitriolic criticism of anything I say. I can't imagine what I've said, other than disagreeing with your POV, that causes you to be so caustic towards me.

Don't assume you have the corner on intelligence, education, or knowledge because you've "tried" and dismissed Christianity in favor of athiesm. If it's not for you, that's fine, it's not for you. But that doesn't mean it's not for me, and that doesn't mean it's wrong for me. I've never tried to convert you and, unless you asked me to, I never would.

I'm glad my going out to dinner would cause you to "get over [me]". Since that's the case, you need not address me again. But I doubt that'll happen.

You are in soooo far over your head it is almost sad how much you don't realize it.

Then educate me. What is abnormal sexual behavior? In your far superior position?

You know, BubbleButt, I've been on this board quite a bit longer than you have and I'd be willing to bet there are those who disagree with me on a number of political or social issues who would also disagree with you on this point. I quite often defend my comments (if you don't accept my reasoning that's another issue). I've had very rational, logical discussions on a variety of topics with a number of people here, and I defend both their and my right to hold our positions. I think you have an issue with me because of my beliefs, which is why you have a knee-jerk, vitriolic criticism of anything I say. I can't imagine what I've said, other than disagreeing with your POV, that causes you to be so caustic towards me.

Don't assume you have the corner on intelligence, education, or knowledge because you've "tried" and dismissed Christianity in favor of athiesm. If it's not for you, that's fine, it's not for you. But that doesn't mean it's not for me, and that doesn't mean it's wrong for me. I've never tried to convert you and, unless you asked me to, I never would.

I'm glad my going out to dinner would cause you to "get over [me]". Since that's the case, you need not address me again. But I doubt that'll happen.

Blah blah blah...yammer yammer yammer.

::: Yawn ::::

This brings up an interesting point. What did you study in Abnormal Human Sexuality?

Transvestites, transsexuals, various fetishes, pedophiles, necrophilia, bestiality...those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. It's been a long time.

What qualifies as abnormal?

If the scientific community considered homosexuality to be abnormal, presumably you would have studied it, and would you now hold that it is abnormal? Did the scientific community every consider it abnormal? Will the scientific community ever consider what is now called "abnormal human sexuality" (it'll help me here once you define this for me) normal? How much are our opinions shaped by lobbies?

I have no idea what qualifies as "abnormal", and I suspect that the term is no longer considered PC, except for blatantly deviant behavior.

I don't believe that homosexuality is "abnormal", but that's an opinion I formed for myself, not one I adopted from someone else.

Is it possible you know some people who used to consider themselves gay and no longer do? Do you think all of them would tell you about their private struggles if this were the case? I'd be willing to bet they wouldn't.

Anything is possible. It's possible that you know gay people who are "passing" for heterosexuals, so as not to be persecuted by narrow-minded bigots.

Nevertheless, I know people who "chose" not to be gay and succeeded. It's a fact. They exist.

Perhaps they do. I have not personally met any of them. I wish I had. I would like very much to talk with them about this issue. I find it very interesting that the only people who claim to know these gay-turned-straight individuals are the fundamentalists. Why do you suppose that is?

gadgetlady, if you are interested in being fair you are going to have to admit that no one has made the argument that they can offer you biological proof that explains homosexuality. No one has made that claim, yet you repeatedly ask for it in a manner that suggests that you are calling someone on a promise they can't keep. This is nothing more than a way of avoiding what is actually being said. Because you really don't have any way to refute the arguments that are actually being made. The gay "gene" thing is a diversion. But it's not really working. It just makes it look like you don't want to engage in a real discussion.

The thing you don't want to talk about is this: The overwhelming majority of gay people (statistically close to 100%) experience their sexuality just exactly like you do. They are gay because they are. That's it. Just like you are not gay because you are not. There is no "choice" involved for either.

You can keep standing on your stool in the park and screaming about how you know two people who were "cured" of being gay, or you know one person who "chose" to be gay, but all of that is just a diversion. The thing that is so hard for you to face is that the overwhelming majority of gay people are just like you. They are gay because that's how they are. End of story.

Because reality conflicts with your religious training, you are stubbornly trying to find some way to avoid facing reality. You make silly arguments like you know one woman who used to be gay but is cured. You make another silly argument that "of course gay people believe they are gay, a person struggling with mental challenges can't think straight." Or something like that. But those arguments are just transparently silly.

I know how hard it is for you to squarely look at that reality on this point, because it does not fit with the whole "abomination" thing you Christians like to spout. But there is really no way for you to avoid the truth on this. Your diversions and false, red herring arguments are not real debate, they are just ways of avoiding the an honest discussion. An honest discussion has to start with the facts.

So today my religion is to be the best person I can be. If that isn't good enough for some God that might be out there then I just simply can't do better. The only other thing I can do is lie and pretend I believe. Maybe that is what a God requires, but I require something different. My best quality and my biggest fault is my honesty. That just isn't something I am going to change so I am atheist and I'm totally okay with that.

Ditto. I refuse to lie and pretend that I believe in a God or other higher power when I don't. Somehow, I think that if there is a God, he or she would look down on me pretending to be a believer in God more than he or she would on living my life as a good, moral person that didn't believe in God.

You want me to give up my investment secrets? LOL

No, I am absolutely not interested in investing in foreclosed property. I owned rental property at one time. I hated doing evictions.

Transvestites, transsexuals, various fetishes, pedophiles, necrophilia, bestiality...those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. It's been a long time.

Do you suppose these people consider themselves abnormal? Or is it just others who impose their opinions on them and call them abnormal?

I'm asking because I'm seriously wondering how anyone classifies a sexual behavior as "abnormal". Sure, we can all look at someone who engages in bestiality and say "ewwww, gross", but the real question is why do we consider it abnormal (other than we think it's gross)?

I have no idea what qualifies as "abnormal", and I suspect that the term is no longer considered PC, except for blatantly deviant behavior.

Interestingly, medical and science professionals used to classify homosexuality as abnormal. It wasn't too long ago that it was changed.

It's possible that you know gay people who are "passing" for heterosexuals

I'm sure it's more than possible. I'm sure it's likely, although in California pretty much anything is accepted.

Perhaps they do. I have not personally met any of them. I wish I had. I would like very much to talk with them about this issue. I find it very interesting that the only people who claim to know these gay-turned-straight individuals are the fundamentalists. Why do you suppose that is?

They are very interesting to know and to talk to. And they're not often hugely vocal because, as you can imagine, if they went from homosexual to heterosexual it's usually because they felt there was some sin in homosexuality, so they therefore don't broadcast it.

As to why they're fundamentalists, not all of them are, but my guess is something about the strength of their faith assisted them in combatting what they saw to be sin.

The good thing about Tennessee is that while we do have a high sales tax, we don't have a property tax at all.

When I was interning in Massachusetts, the average house price was around $500,000 where I was. This was for a very small house also, usually 2-3 bedrooms, 1-2 baths. In fact, the wildlife refuge I was at was right on the coast of the Cape, and the house and land next to us was for sale for about $12,000,000, for about an acre or two of land.

I personally feel that "abnormal sexual behavior" is anything where one or both partners are not able to legally say "yes". That includes incest, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, etc.

To say that homosexuality not being classified as "abnormal" anymore is simply a function of our society becomeing more PC is a cop-out, IMO. To me, it is because our society is becoming more educated and more accepting of people that aren't necessarily in the "main stream". If we sat around and said that the knowledge we had in the past is good enough for the future, our society would never get anywhere. Black people would still be thought to be anatomically and physiologically different from white people and doctors would still practice blood-letting and would still think that drilling holes in people's heads would cure them of all sorts of evils.