Whoopi Goldberg | 10/10/2008 12:00 am

Whoopi Goldberg Is Keeping Mum

In response to: Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had an out-of-body experience or felt an otherworldly presence you couldn't deny?

Yes, yes, yes! But they don’t like me to talk about it. I do one movie and now I can’t get rid of them.

Read more about: Film, Ghost, Spiritual, Supernatural

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My original point was that it is not for you to determine whether or not these people have had these experiences, just because you yourself have never encountered anything supernatural. My point is that if you say you believe in the Biblical God’s implication that these things do not exist, and therefore you’ve never come into contact with something otherworldy, then I will believe you because that is YOUR TRUTH. Just as I believe those who say they HAVE seen ghosts and aliens, etc…because that is THEIR truth. But the way you came in here and immediately denounced everyone else’s experiences as though you KNOW EVERYTHING, when in actuality your pseudo-facts are based ONLY on YOUR life experiences…that’s what I am taking issue with you on. And yes, it is technically quite fallacious of you to keep dodging THAT point which I keep having to repeat…in favor of mocking my style of writing and, ironically, accusing me of being a snob.

By Kryssi K on 10/10/2008 6:29 pm

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Frank amuses me. He reminds me of X-Hubby #2. Very opinionated. Opinions are like assholes….everybody’s got one. But I digress… Why begrudge another for having a good vocabulary? That’s just silly. What’s the big deal about using $10 words? If you don’t understand it, use the dictionary. You might learn something useful. My Father gave me a huge vocabulary. He worked the graveyard shift at Boeing, and it was his way of keeping in touch with me. He is an uneducated man, but very intelligent. When I was growing up, he made me look up a word a day. I had to pick a word, learn the spelling, learn the definition, and use it correctly in a sentence. I had to write it aaaall out on paper and leave it out for him on the kitchen table. I hated doing this, at first, but it became interesting, after a bit. I can’t thank him enough, now. I passed this “gift” on to my own kids, and the results were the same. They hated it, but now they can be quite eloquent in speech and written word. I love it! Kryssi…yer doing a fine job of being an intelligent human being. Frank…yer doing a fine job of pissing people off. Tread lightly, my friend. The question of the day was simple. Do you believe in ghosts? It’s okay if you do, and it’s okay if you don’t. Not very complicated. Me? I do. I’ve seen some strange stuff in my 53 years. Some of it was even witnessed by others. Mass hallucination? Dunno. But I know what I experienced. Cannot convince me otherwise. Opinions and beliefs are a very personal thing. It doesn’t make you stupid, one way or another. It’s just your own, personal take on stuff. Attacking an individual for what they believe or don’t believe is like saying someone is a horrible person because they like pop music instead of thrash-metal. Apples and oranges. So, anyway…I’m new here. I don’t want to make enemies, but when I see someone getting bullied, I have to speak up. There’s no reason for this kind of behaviour. You can express an opposing opinion or belief without getting haughty, snotty or nasty about it. Civil communication is getting to be a dying art-form. Ever seen the movie Barry Lyndon? You should. It’s a good movie, if you can stick with it. It moves along slowly, but it’s interesting in that it shows how important civility, good manners and being polite was in days of yore. Specifically, the 18th century, when the story takes place. You could end up on the business end of a sword or in a duel, if you weren’t careful. That mode of thinking, for the most part, seems to be long gone today. And more’s the pity for it. Society, particularly in America, has a rude face. We keep to ourselves. We don’t know our neighbours. We are suspicious of everyone. We are always ready for a fight. Rubbish. We have become anonymous to each other, and that’s just plain sad. It’s just too easy to spout off online…because we can. Would we be saying bad things to one another if we were face-to-face in a room? Probably not. And why not? Because it’s not as easy. If we did behave like this, in person, it might get more ugly than you’d want it to be. It’s just fine to express an opinion, one way or another. How you do it is the key. People don’t wanna listen to you if you’re mocking or belittling them. You can’t get your views heard if you attack others. I’m sure Frank is a very nice person when he’s not trying to shore himself up by cutting others down. So…let’s all play nicely. It’s better for all of us. *steps down from her soapbox to make room for the next participant* And yes…I still believe in ghosts.

By Eener Atrebor on 10/12/2008 5:43 am

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Eener, I am reading this post a number of days after its original psoting, but I feel compelled to respond to a couple of things you have expressed. One, thank you for your appreciation of a good vocabulary. To me, it is the epitome of a well-rounded and urbane individual. For persons such as these, there is no need for usage of vulgarities! It is very simple to insult someone, and they hardly grasp the import of your comment. (I’d give you a battle of wits, but I see you’re only half prepared.) Secondly, yes, you are, in my opinion, so on point with your statement that these threads, as I believe they are called, should be written with civility. Why denigrate someone you do not even know! Surely a pure expression of opinion in this country is a pleasure and a right, and need not be done simply to disparage! Thanks for giving me the impetus to espress an opinion I have wanted to put out there for some time, but perhaps did not have the courage or forum. JBoylynn

By J Boylynn on 10/13/2008 5:33 pm

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Dear JB ~ You are so very welcome! Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad that I could help to spark something in you to get this off your chest. Speak up in a constructive way, like you have! The more people who do, the more others might mind their Ps and Qs a bit more. Or not. Sometimes you have to keep at them. I do it in a kind way, and hope they’ll respond like-mindedly Sadly, some people are just a lost cause. It’s difficult for me to tell when someone is such a thing, and I should ignore them and not respond, or if I can somehow sway them if I only tried harder…maddening! The negativity, bad manners, insinuations and rudeness that seem to have a habit of permeating the serious and/or frivilous conversations, on The Interweb, makes me angry, sad, and quite crazy. It makes me want to respond in kind, and that’s just not the person I wanna be. It’s one of the reasons I have to back away, at times, from some of the forums and blogs that I enjoy so much. Civilities: I really feel badly for some people who consistantly attack others’ points of view, grammatical errors and whatnot. It makes me wonder what their day-to-day life must be. What was their upbringing like? Did they have a hyper-critical parent who constantly berated and bullied them? Is this all they know about dealing with others? How are their real-world relationships with the people in their lives? Do they act this way with them? Are they so miserable with their own place in the universe that they feel the need to make others miserable, as well? Is it a self-esteem issue? Is it a complete power trip to intimidate and belittle others to make themselves look better? What makes these people tick? I always try to be polite and courteous. I try to be genuinely interested in the people behind the comments. This mode of communication is a marvellous thing! It’s amazing, to me, that I can have a nice conversation with someone in, say, Australia…from all the waaaay up here in little, ole Washington State! How great is that? Unfortunately, it’s also sooo anonymous and detached. A person can say anything to anyone and not really suffer any concrete consequences. The worst that can happen, that I can see, is that you get permanently banned from the site. A way around that is to go to another computer, to have a different IP address, and make yourself another identity. It’s not the same as standing next to someone, saying something totally rude and getting a punch in the face. Some humans really seem to get-off on spreading hate and discontent. I don’t understand this at all. What’s the point? It’s just plain useless, mean and wrong. Vulgarities: In real-life, I have a real potty mouth. LOL I grew up with my potty-mouthed Dad and my potty-mouthed Ma. I raised potty-mouthed children. But we all know that there is a time and place for that sort of thing. Not in front of strangers, lest they get the wrong idea as to who were really are as individuals. Not in front of certain persons (like my dear Aunt Dorothy) who have delicate sensibilities. Not in church or school. Not in public for the sheer shock-value factor or showing off. Not in the library or the librarian will shush you. (heehee) Some sites are more particular about swearing than others, and I do my best to observe that. Other places, I can swear like a drunken sailor on shore leave. I know that, generally speaking, vulgarities make a person appear in a bad light. Like they have no other way of communicating or know no better. Sometimes a person knows better, but it’s just a really bad habit. I tend to reserve that sort of thing for more private, informal and relaxed settings, around people who know me, and like me in spite of it. This goes for the real world and the online world, as well. So….go forth and enjoy this place, and others! Don’t let the ignoramuses get you down! Use your wonderful eloquence and intelligence for good…and not eeeevil! :D For the time being, I’m bracing myself for election night. It might get real ugly in here…

By Eener Atrebor on 10/14/2008 10:44 pm

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Kryssi K, I think you along with a lot of others on this site would not want to be called ‘Ordinary folk’ I for one aspire to move beyond ordinary………..If Frank wants to wear the badge of Ordinary, so be it. As I’ve stated before I do believe in Ghosts and have seen them…………I also communicate with those who have passed over to the Other Side. I also have no problem with people who don’t believe. Most things in life are taken on Faith. That’s the wonder of living………….we all have the right to believe anything we want. I would never consider shoving my belief’s onto someone who doesn’t believe. I would just hope that people like Frank who don’t believe would have the decency to honor others. As you’ve been trying to state to him………… He just doesn’t get it I guess. By the way Kryssi, I enjoy your writing and also enjoy your intelligence. If someone thinks being intelligent makes one a snob they evidently are not as intelligent as they think they are.

By Dona Howlett on 10/13/2008 4:18 pm

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Your fallacy, Frank, lies in the fact that your posts are those of a swine: “Fallacious” sorry you didn’t recognize that as a word, tsk…it is most unfortunate.

By S M on 10/10/2008 8:53 pm

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What makes you think I didn’t recognize fallacious as a word? As for your comment that I’m a liar, thats what is most unfortunate. Let me correct your grammer. You’re is a contraction of you are. The word your,is not.. tsk…unfortunate? Yes, but you know that. Do you have a nose problem, or have you always been a budinsky?

By Frank Marks on 10/10/2008 9:18 pm

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You’ve really lost me on this “your” and “you’re” business… Dude! Lighten up. You’re gonna blow a gasket. I worry for your health. Why so serious? You must be a Type-A personality. I suggest taking up yoga, or a nice stroll in the park to take care of that unbridled hostility. Breathe…..everything is going to be just fiiine….

By Eener Atrebor on 10/12/2008 6:08 am

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Did you want to know the difference between your and you’re? Or are you just letting me know my grammer is incorrect? Make sure you also check my spelling. I’m a serious guy when I see a person like Obama that won’t level with us regarding his Islamic associates and others. He had Pakistani roomates in college. Instead of going to a spring break location, Obama went to Pakistan. Where is his senior thesis from both Clolumbia and Harvard? Princeton released Michelle Obamas thesis. I took a stroll this morning. Yoga? I don’t think so.

By Frank Marks on 10/12/2008 8:39 pm

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frank, you make me look rational—-no easy thing—-best take a ‘breather’—-otherwise? ya will be fired—-time for a ‘graceful-exit’—-don’t feel bad, i’ve made a few—-

By gulliver fourmyle on 10/13/2008 12:45 am

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Fraaank? Settle down, now. The blood pressure is surely going up. I can almost see you flailing about, and this is only supposed to be a friendly exchange of ideas and thoughts. No need to work yourself into having a cerebral hemorrhage. I’m not your enemy. I’m just trying to follow things in here. Sometimes these threads get fouled up and comments are placed where they make no sense. I’m unsure how we went from ghosts to grammer to Obama. LOL Let’s take this item by item, shall we? Did you want to know the difference between your and you’re? Or are you just letting me know my grammer is incorrect? Make sure you also check my spelling. I know the difference betwixt “your” and “you’re” perfectly fine. I couldn’t see the relevance, is all. I still don’t, but perhaps I’m missing something. I don’t make a habit of correcting others’ grammar or spelling unless it’s asked of me. Personally, I think that sort of thing is rude and childish. And before you take umbrage at that statement, I wasn’t saying that you were rude or childish, merely the general action of doing so. There’s a difference. I’m a serious guy when I see a person like Obama that won’t level with us regarding his Islamic associates and others. He had Pakistani roomates in college. Instead of going to a spring break location, Obama went to Pakistan. Where is his senior thesis from both Clolumbia and Harvard? Princeton released Michelle Obamas thesis. Well, being serious about issues that are important to you is a good thing. Nothing wrong with that. We all have things that we’re serious about. Me? I have a serious issue with the dillwad that keeps stealing my newspapers. If I could get the opportunity to actually read the damned things I’m paying a $12.95/month subscription for, I might know to what you are referring. I’m not certain what the Obamas, college theses, and trips to Pakistan have to do with ghosts, but I’ve given up trying to find the posts that contain this content. (My head hurts and my computer is slow and ill…no patience tonight.) I took a stroll this morning. Yoga? I don’t think so. A stroll is great! It’s relaxing and gives a person a chance to clear their head and enjoy nature. And yoga isn’t for everyone. It was just a thought. So while nothing has gotten resolved, I feel better all the same. How about you? ;)

By Eener Atrebor on 10/13/2008 2:39 am

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I apologize that was most undignified and broke the commandments of wowowow.

By S M on 10/10/2008 9:52 pm

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If one beleives in reincarnation, which I for one do, then it stands to reason that having a visit with a long deceased friend, relative, etc. is very possible. Not because they are ghosts but because we never die. And why not be able to visit during the time inbetween incarnations. My children, my granddaughter and I are all very psychic, though we all manifest it differently. I was not raised to beleive in ghost, psychic abilites or anything supernatural, nor did I teach my children these things. I just beleive that with God anything good is possible if we only beleive. Most of us have had some kind of experience with the so-called supernatural. The difference is whether or not we choose to acknowledge it. As a result many people think they have never had an experience when infact they just did not recognize it for what it was or they did not acknowledge it. So many people are just too afraid of the unexplained. They would rather deny its existence then open themselves up to the possibilities. Lastly I beleive that those that choose to accept any supernatural occurance or ability as a gift from God are going to have more experiences with it… that’s just common sense.

By Christine Cline on 10/10/2008 1:32 pm

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Not so sure about ghosts per say as in “A Christmas Carol” but I know that we have (some) access to spirits and angels. Why and how some people experience super-natural entities or experiences while others don’t is a mystery. That some of the most important spiritual people among us are unable to tap into this energy despite great effort and prayer while others are born with a natural ability is just how it is and should never be considered to be proof that these experiences, entities or abilities are false, or evil.

By E . on 10/10/2008 2:54 pm

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I love horror movies. My mother says its because I was born with a “veil” over my eyes or head, can’t remember. No horror movie is to gory for me. She said even as a baby I would make baby talk in my crib for no apparent reason. When I was a young between 6-13 years old, as I remember, I used to have horrible, horrible dreams about demons and devils. My mother used to come into my room and pray over me. I slept with a bible under my head until I was 15 years old opened to the 23rd Psalm. My mother and I would recite it over and over until I went to sleep. I won’t frighten you by recounting the details of my dreams or whatever.

By Andromeda Jakes on 10/10/2008 4:24 pm