Lucy

I would date a single father if I was interested in him. It would be a factor in my decision, but ultimately the most important thing to me would be whether we enjoyed each others' company and if there was a connection. Oh yeah, and if I wasn't married already. That really throws things off a little bit.

We have awful humidty here in Miami. I had to walk a few blocks outside today and I was covered in sweat by the time I got back to my car. It has been unbearable! I envy the dry heat of southern CA! I'm always freezing in the A/C -- I can't wait until I lose a lot of weight and I'll be even more cold! :confused: I always have a jacket with me so when I go inside I don't shiver all day long.

I agree, too, I was just making a point...

That's really surprising. I'm not doubting either of you, but it's amazing to me that anyone (especially a young employee who probably doesn't make very much) would just say "no, thanks" to the option for insurance. I can understand not wanting, say, life insurance when you are 22, but health insurance is something I would not choose to live without. Still, I think the point here is that it's astounding that anyone should ever even be in the position to choose healthcare or not. How funny that the conservatives don't want us to have the right to choose in, ahem, other aspects of life, but it's okay to allow us to choose whether we have insurance or not.

I would very much like to see some research on this information. Somehow I find it hard to believe that so many people would "choose" to not have health insurance, particularly the "wealthy", who most often got where they are by being frugal -- it's a lot less expensive to have health insurance than to risk having to foot your own bills. There was a time in my life where I didn't have health insurance for 3 years because I worked for employers that didn't offer it. I was scared to death that something would happen to me and I wouldn't be able to pay for it. I certainly didn't "choose" to go without, but it simply wasn't an option for me and I couldn't afford to pay for it on my own. The most unfortunate thing is that even those of us who have insurance still often end up paying for health care above and beyond what our insurance covers. Insured or uninsured, we are all taken advantage of by the medical industry in this country. Until health care is socialized (and yes, I used that dreaded word, "socialized"!) and is no longer about filling the pockets of the few wealthy, white men who run the industry, we will all be screwed in one way or another. If our taxes can pay for public schools (which I never attended -- does this mean the government owes me 12 years of taxes since I went to private school?) and to create an unnecessary war in Iraq, among other things, I think it can use our taxes to provide for our health.

I've heard a lot about coconut oil, actually. I used to know someone who swore by it. She was anorexic, so I don't know if that was all she ate, but there's a lot of research out there that says it can help with weight loss. I put one T of Flaxseed oil in my protein smoothie every morning. I was wary that I was just adding more calories, but it's full of Omega 3 fatty acids and is supposed to help you stay full longer...I don't know if it works or not, but I haven't ballooned up or anything (at least, not any more than I already am). I am getting my first fill on Wednesday and I can't wait! I have been hungry and eating a lot -- at this point I can eat about 1/2 the amount of food that I used to eat before banding and that is still a lot! I don't want to be super tight, but I need some balance! Dez, where on earth did you go that the water was so cold? I would kill to have cold water right now! It is SO hot right now that the pool and the ocean are usually unbearably warm. I've been swimming at 9pm and it's still hot!

I used to design for a company that made a product that everyone owns and uses. Let's say that product was a hairdryer (it wasn't, but let's use it for the sake of example). This hairdryer was sold in high-end stores and in Walmart. But there were different versions of the hairdryer - the one that we sold in Walmart was the cheapest, most basic version of a hairdryer you could ever find. It was still approved and tested for quality and use, but it was basically a piece of crap compared to the hairdryers that we made for the high-end stores. In other words, the same company can make a wide range of products that differ in quality. They cut corners on products to appeal to stores that only care about price, like Walmart, and they make better products to appeal to stores that care more about quality (which is part of the reason why I refuse to shop at Walmart, but that's probably a different conversation for a different thread). If you buy more expensive, higher quality pet food, you are probably buying better pet food. It's probably not all the same. Of course, that's not *always* true. Something like 90% of generic batteries are made by Duracell and Energizer. They leave the labels off and sell them at wholesale cost to Target or whoever. Do your research and you will be a better consumer. And what good American doesn't want to be a better consumer?

Tilapia is a great fish to cook en papillote -- it's a very delicious, healthy, and easy way to cook almost any fish: You need a sheet of parchment paper. Dab a few drops of olive oil on the sheet, then place the filet of tilapia on it. Season with salt and pepper and throw on some of your favorite vegetables -- carrots, broccoli, asparagus, just make sure you cut the vegetables into pieces that are similar in size. Throw on a few splashes of lime juice or orange juice or white wine and some fresh herbs if you want. Bring up the edges of the parchment paper and wrap it up so that everything is sealed inside (you could also staple the sheet together. If you google "en papillote" you should be able to find some images of how to do this). Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful when you open the packet as all the steam will come out. Everything will be moist and delicious and extremely flavorful. You can use almost any fish for this and you can experiment with vegetables and liquids to create different flavors and dishes. It's one of my favorite ways to cook.

I've done 360! Woo hoo! My ankle has been bothering me (long story) so I switched to swimming laps (and "running" in the pool) and I love exercising in the pool.

The first album from The Smiths changed my life. I never knew music could sound like that. Years later, I am still obsessed with them and I just saw Morrissey in concert a few days ago -- he's still amazing. (Toys in the Attic is an awesome album, by the way)

Eddie, I think the best thing you can do is go back to the gym. But you need to work out 5-6 days a week. 3 days a week is good if you want to maintain your weight, but when you want to lose, you need to exercise almost every day. Please don't feel bad when you read this because I'm saying this out of love and I want to help you -- I know it's probably not the answer you want to hear, but working out more is the best thing you can do to improve your metabolism and weight loss. And if you hit a plateau, you have to keep going. I completely understand the frustration you are feeling, I think all of us know what it feels like to be stuck in a place. We are here to support you.

My statment was a reaction to your statement of "I do not care, about any of those 13 million people. My heart does not bleed for everyone else like yours. I will stick to worrying about my family first and foremost, thank you very much." My point was that postmodern people are generally dependent upon one another for survival. Since you don't care about the well-being of others, it is logical to assume you wouldn't want anyone caring about your well-being. Should you choose to separate yourself from the infrastructure of humanity, you will likely be holed up in a cabin in the woods. It was obviously hyperbolic; my intention was nowhere near what you misunderstood it to be. Perhaps your own bigotry is revealed in that you seem to believe that militant Republicans are the ones holed up in cabins in the woods. Based on your posts here and your own reasoning, "a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from their own", this seems to be a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Congrats Stevee on the pre-op, woo hoo! I', glad your insurance at least covers most of the bills. Mine wouldn't cover a thing I've been back in the pool, but it has been SO hot here in the last few days that the water has been uncomfortably hot. I've been swimming after dark, but it's still pretty warm. I just ordered a water-tight iPod case and waterproof earphones so I can listen to music while I swim. It's AWESOME. Hope all of you are doing well. Have a great weekend!

Juli, that's awesome that you are doing so well without a fill! Welcome, Kenti! Things here are going okay. I've been STARVING recently (I have a 10cc VG band) and am looking forward to my first fill next week. I've been having ankle problems (since 2 years) and saw my ankle doctor today who told me to stop walking on the treadmill, which has been my main source of exercise. He did approve swimming, and my lapband surgeon also just approved me to get back in the pool, so I'm very happy about that. In fact, I'm going to go for a swim right NOW. Later, everone. p.s. I heard you guys down under are WAY kinkier than us Yanks. You can't fool me, I've seen Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Heavenly Creatures

"Madame Pipi?" That's awful... In Miami the tip is often included, as well. Of course, many places don't clearly point it out to customers and they end up double-tipping on their tabs. Caveot Emptor to those of you vacationing in South Florida.

I think your anarchist goats would get along very well with my nihilistic cats.

For watstaff, bartenders, hotel staff, and taxi drivers, tipping makes sense. When I was a bartender I was paid $2.00 an hour, the rest of my income came from tips, and I made a hell of a lot more cash that way. In many industries, the tipping makes sense. But when it comes to the Baristas at Starbucks and the guy the the deli? No way. The other thing that kills me is the valet parking. Here in Miami, there are some places where you can ONLY valet park and I hate valet parking my car. If I choose to use a valet, I will tip them. If it's my only option, I refuse.

Carlene, you read my mind. Only I didn't ask because I am quite sure the source of the "bigot" comment lacks the ability to reason or argue with substantial evidence. Of course I'm not a bigot, but it's easier to call me one than to have an actual conversation.

I was on a thread where someone cheated during the liquid stage and everyone on the thread was like "oh, it's okay, you'll be fine" and I wrote that it's really not a good idea to cheat and that our doctors have a plan for us for health reasons. Suddenly I was the bad guy for pointing out the truth! If you cheat, and then you come on this site and tell everyone that you cheated so that we can all tell you it's "OK", what's the purpose of having directions from your surgeon? Just because 10 other bandsters say "it's okay" if you cheated doesn't mean that it is.

I think everyone is different. My husband and I lived together for a year before we were married and it was the best thing we could have done. We got all those arguments about space and schedules and who is in charge of which responsibilities out of the way before we married. I think if we hadn't moved in together until after our marriage, the first few months of marriage would have been consumed by all those arguments and perhaps I would have thought I had made a huge mistake. After we married, we barely argue anymore. I'm not saying that this is good for everyone. Some people would never want to live with their partner until marriage, and I completely respect that.

I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.

Good luck with that. Let me know how things work out for you when you're holed up in a cabin in the woods with your stash of canned food, bottled Water, and ammunition.

No, Derick, I completely get your point. But I find that your point is insulting and misguided. When you break healthcare and insurance down into numbers and forget that you are talking about PEOPLE, you turn this country into a machine with important parts and unimportant parts. This isn't a bunch of numbers you are talking about, they are people. It's so easy to pretend like 13 million doesn't matter when you dehumanize everything down into a statistic. 13 million is a HELL of a lot of people. Let's say you had $300+ million in the bank. If $13 million suddenly disappeared, would you just say "oh well! I still have $300+ million left!". I don't think so. Whether you like it or not, your so-called hard earned money IS spent by the government. And I would much rather pay for universal healthcare than for a ridiculous monstrosity of a war. Carlene and Green, you both make some excellent points here.

That's it? ONLY 13 million without health insurance?! Gee, we liberals are really making a mountain out of a molehill here if there are ONLY 13 million uninsured Americans out there! Thanks for giving me this teensy statistic so I can sleep better at night. You are so quick to speak in comparisons to minimize the disgrace of this country's healthcare problems. I think ONE person without healthcare is too many. And if you and your family didn't have insurace you wouldn't think 13 million was so insignificant. Hey, I have an idea! Why don't the Republicans who wrote this drivel volunteer to surrender their health insurance to the 13 million without it? Surely those who think 13 million is SO little wouldn't mind actually being one of the numbers in that statistic, right?

Scooter Libby is a scapegoat for Dick Cheney. Regardless of whether Libby was convicted or not, the real criminal in this scenario (and many others, I might add) is Cheney. I somehow don't see Cheney receiving any convictions in the near future, so justice isn't going to be served here, Libby or no Libby. Is it really so surprising? Our government is run by right wing, rich, white men who only care about making money and covering their own asses. Libby is just another puppet caught up in the system.