mousecrazy

Denial is also a refusal to acknowledge all the attacks over all the decades against all the United States' interests in all the countries and on all the different coalition assets around the world. Military assets, embassies in Tehran, Beirut, Kenya, Tanzania, Kuwait City, and Greece, the bombing of the Kohbar Towers, the 1993 WTC, the Spain trains, the subways in Japan, the subways in London, the clubs in Bali, the USS Cole, the wedding party in Kuwait (I think), kidnappings and beheadings of journalists, hijackings of aircraft, the hijacking of cruise ships, killing of diplomats in Pakistan, bombings of airports, bombing of a club in W. Berlin, kidnappings and beheadings of American contractors, Pan Am Flight 103... and, of course, 9/11. I did not put these in any particular order, but was just brainstorming them. I probably left some out and made some mistakes. I guess I am just paranoid.

That's the direction I've encouraged here...we DO have a situation here, and it's in the present, and it concerns the future. There are forces who want to destroy our country. Is that okay with everybody? Not me.

gailannr, I never can spell his name right, so let me just call him the President of Iran. I would say there can only be one reason for him to go on the World Anti-American Tour (I believe he calls it the United Against America tour), and that would be to pull together his resources and support to continue his quest for world chaos so his messianic world view can be achieved. To achieve this, there cannot be stability or peace. This is where the "wage peace" supporters have it a little confused. Not everyone wants peace. He would be on the top of that list. Even Clinton cut off Iran. This is not new. Chavez backs Iran's nuclear intentions. Clearly, this is not going to be good news for the U.S. Chavez has the $$ and Iran has the hate. My world view see the War on Terror as a war with many fronts...right now, we have drawn the enemy to one area, Iraq. This is an advantage for us. We have a concentration of effort in the one area, which makes it easier for us, and we are also able to protect the petroleum supply, which like it or not, is important to us. Imagine your life without it. If Hussein did not have WMD, and I'm stealing this a little from Dennis Miller, this will go down as the worst bluff in history. Well, oops, now we're back to Groundhog Day again. Look to Iran and Syria for the answers to this Great Mystery. If you are not of the opinion that there is an effort to destroy America, do some more research, Carlene, and read the actual words of the leaders of Iran and Venezuela. They say it in plain language. Are they not credible? Are they too silly to be believed? I believe them. Check out Mr. North Korea. It's all connected. I think it's better to draw them to one area. It might not be the perfect plan, but it's better than sitting around here waiting on another visit. It's better than reading about more and more killing fields and mass graves and torture and rape rooms. I do not believe it is possible to talk them into "liking" us. In fact, I don't really want them to.

BJean, if we are not the good guys...who is (are)?

Me, too, Patty. I don't know about Cobra insurance, so have not words of wisdom there. I do believe that God's plans are right on time, though, and have faith that everything will happen as it is meant to be. Maddening, I know...I have many times railed against those plans, just as you are now. Then, looked back at my anger to see how foolish it was, and how right the plans were...I just couldn't and didn't see what was ahead for me. I know you have depended on your faith in the past, and I hope you can hold on to it now. Take care of your kids, do your best with your health, with or without WLS right now, and step by step, the plans will unfold. I'm so sorry this is so hard right now. It doesn't seem fair. (((Hugs))) Cindy

We must deal with Iran. Iran is sending the weapons that are killing our troops, and causing all sorts of mayhem throughout the world. To refuse to acknowledge that reality is foolish. We cannot operate our foreign policy without taking a clear and open-eyed gaze at the forces against peace. It is NOT us. Newsflash: We are the good guys.

Thank you, Jack. I do my best, but you never fail to state the case with consisiveness and reason. I just love reading argument based in the world of reality.

Seriously, how many examples of good Christian generosity would it take to get you to believe it is real? What is the formula? Xnegative > Xpositive It's obviously not an equal exchange...and I am concerned about that. It seems like if there has ever been a negative experience, or say 10 of them...then even thousands of positive experiences are not enough to balance the scales. As Leatha described, our church also provided almost the same exact type of response to Katrina survivors...families relocated here, and we provided housing, supplies, help with enrolling children in school, etc. To my knowledge, only one of those families chose to attend our church; certainly no requirements were made for our assistance. We give as an expression of God's love for us, and to shine that light to others.

BJean, you have a point of view, and I have one....they are different. Neither is naive, not was I insinuating anything. I am pretty blunt, if I do say so myself. By presenting my point of view, which is different than yours, it is not my intent to be insulting. Nor, I am sure, are you insulting me by expressing your point of view. What I suggested was that people read some of the military blogs. You made a judgement, whether you read them or not I do not know, that they are deluded by Bush lies...which I think is a pretty big assumption. And if I was one of the bloggers, I would be insulted by that, just as you seem to be insulted by the implication that you might be deluded by a media that just might be presenting only limited information to you.

Can we move this discussion past the Groundhog Day point? We are in Iraq. We are in Afghanistan. There is an effort, worldwide, to attack the US for its freedoms. We all agree we love our country and want to protect our freedoms. This could be difficult if under continued threat by Islamic fundamentalist terrorists to say the least. Can we grit our teeth and support this one last attempt at success in Iraq? I believe one of your faves, Hillary, is there now, meeting with the Iraqi goverment leaders, so perhaps she can work out something. I know it is in her interest to oppose Bush, but even she knows that it is in her interest to be President of a strong country, not a weak one. A winning country, not a loser. You guys know my political alignments, but honestly....the aim is to keep Americans safe, protect our national interests, stay strong in the international arena (and not just because we are the world's doormat and meal ticket), and defend our freedom and liberty. I do not want us living in a Islamic controlled society, and I hope we are not so politically correct that we will just keep handing over our culture, one little inch at a time, until we've lost ours. Just for the eye-opening experience that it is, look up milblogs.com and read some of our soldier's own words. And yes, I understand we have private contractors in Iraq/A-stan. Our military protects those people and assists them. I still do not understand what is wrong with companies doing that work, but apparently some people think it is wrong...I have a friend or two who work for Halliburton, and they are perfectly nice people. I suppose they are evil and don't deserve to have their jobs. How dare they work for such a company. Would the other companies like Lockheed and McDonald-Douglass and Raytheon be evil, too? If people work jobs that support the military, should they just quit their jobs? I do not understand this argument, because, it is frankly ridiculous. Most of us are old enough to remember what happened when we backed out on Vietnam, and remember the blood bath that followed. Do we want that on our hands again? Especially since it might be on the hands of our new president, the one elected in two years...This legacy is not good for the U.S. Let's give up the past...and deal with the present. Here we are NOW. What is best for the nation, NOW. This constant wringing of hands, despair, doom and gloom is frustrating. I realize it's fun for others, and it serves the purpose of Bush-haters, but I would rather get behind the effort and support it, for the good of the country. No one wins if America fails.

If it's not broke...don't fix it! That's a saying we use around here in Texas...LOL! I waited about 6 weeks, I think... Every journal is a personal one...make it work for you, and go for a fill when you are ready.

It is interesting to read some of the military blogs. These are written by men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their point of view is decidedly different, and they certainly do not see themselves as victims. They are offended at the thought. It is ridiculous to think that the President sees the military as toys. Absurd.

See, we are not just involved in the continued death and destruction in Iraq. Did you not know that we are also involved in the continued rebuilding of the schools and hospitals, and the infrastructure that will allow the people to benefit again from their natural resources? We are supporting the people in establishing a democracy in the Middle East. That is incredible and important work. It is admirable and righteous work. I am sorry that our media chooses not to educate the American people about the work that the military actually is doing; but then, it wouldn't play to the agenda quite as well. I feel sorry for those men and women who are working their butts off, completing their missions, building and protecting Iraqi troops, schools, roads, etc., and then are characterized as participating in the death and destruction of the Iraqi people. Sad.

Hi! First of all, it will most likely take more than one fill. That said, please be patient, and go slow toward your "sweet spot." It is easy to miss, and go further. I think I may be there now...at least I consider it my sweet spot. I can eat real food, like meat, salad, veggies, fruit, etc. Even some bread. I just eat small portions, and chew reasonably well. I have never had a PB. I don't have acid reflux. If I eat too big of bites, or too fast, I will get the "golfball" feeling. I also get that same feeling if I try to eat too much. So, I consider this to be just perfect. I lose weight relatively steadily, with regularly spaced plateau periods, for adjusting to new weight levels. No problems at all with my band, thus far. I always say the secret to success is patience and big picture view...don't rush things and get yourself in trouble. Good luck, and hope you get some information that makes sense to you!

Thank you, Maggie, for stating your beliefs, and your personal experience is powerful. I wanted to pop on and give you some support, because it's the little you'll get on this thread. God bless you.

Mandy, hope you have a good time meeting some of the bandster friends up there! Take pictures! The three of us had a blast, and the time passed so quickly, none of us could believe it! Kat, glad you got home safely, and I'm sorry I laughed when I read about the dinner plans last night! I know it was the last thing you wanted to do, but it was sweet in a way, too. My mom would have been the exact same way about snowflakes hitting the windshield, so you gave me some funny memories of her, too...hope you are relaxing today! Beanie...yes, yes...I have my goddess hat (isn't that something like unwashed hair?) and my special mom bow (sweatshirt) and have marched DH to the attic to bring down the piles of Christmas tubs to fill them up again. I have a plan, a new strategy...I will play for 45 minutes, then pack for 15...I figure that's 15 minutes an hour better than I've done for the past two weeks! LOL! Hi, Eileen! You're on here, probably typing as I am...hope you are making plans for a good weekend! Did you have a good week? Has your raise kicked in yet? Anne, Cass, Darcy, Chrispy, and all the rest...have a great day, and we'll see ya later!

What a busy Friday! Patty, I'm sorry, sorry about all the developments. (((Hugs))) I wish it could be in person. You'll figure something out, or a way will open itself to you. Use your weekend for some reflection, and see if something comes to you. I will continue to pray for your path. Darcy, you show that bod who is the boss, girl! That is so funny! My bod knows who is boss; the boss is lazy, too, I'll tell you that. Sherry, glad your office is getting all put together. I like your picture with the quote. Very nice. I never get acid reflux, so my first reaction is that any is too much. Probably not what you want to hear. Sorry about that, but I don't want you to have bigger problems down the road. I really don't want that. Beanie...I'm going to make the tree disappearance one of my goals for the weekend, too...looks like we're gonna be a little stuck with bad weather anyway, huh? Hi, Dianne...I'm glad you are there for your inlaws...and sorry about the bad situation. Good luck with all of it. Let us know how things are going. Take all her meds to the pharmacy and see if they are interacting. Are they all from the same pharmacy? Jules, bummer you can't get the closer place, but with all that extra dough and a flexible schedule, you'll be okay, right! You are doing great with the exercise...and you're gonna make me feel guilty as heck. Stop that. LOL! The field trip went very well, and the plasticated cadavers (BodyWorlds) were really fascinating. The kids were great, no snickering, and they behaved themselves beautifully. All in all, a successful first field trip experience for me, I'd say. Check your national weather...us little Texas gals are gonna get some freezing rain/ice storm stuff this weekend...how about that? What kind of weather are the rest of you having? Hugs all around, Cindy

Sorry, Mandy. As usual, there is a reason for these delays, so it'll be for the best somehow. (((HUGS))) Beanie...I bet you had fun working out to some good music! Good for you! Darcy, I'm still parking in the driveway, too...the garage is still a bit full with "leftover" furniture and stuff from the flooring adventure! LOL! I guess I better get to work on that...and the Christmas tree...right after tomorrow's field trip... Jules, when's the new gig? Did you get to move to the closer place? Cass, have you recovered from your moving weekend and how's the new place? Eileen...it's almost Friday! You're almost there! Well, part of the wireless network is working okay, but it's not really right yet, and I'll be busy tomorrow, so maybe Sat. I'll get some more work done on it. The basketball game was okay; we lost, but not by much. It was a tough game...lots of heart. Kat, good luck with the weather...they were even talking about a little freezing stuff down here for Sunday...we'll see. See ya'll tomorrow! Cindy

He accepted responsibility as commander in Chief, he explained the stakes, and made clear that this is not a political party situation, but a national situation. It won't be just the Republicans that lose, it will be our entire country. Failure won't be failure for President Bush, but failure for the United States. The American people are not pleased with the political handling of this war. That is very different than being opposed to the war, or the tactics of the war, or the strategy or reasons for the war. I think both parties are guilty of politicizing this effort, and it's a shame; it is a shame that many people get their entire impression of world events from sound bites. (Probably not anyone who write on this thread...everyone here is more engaged than that). I hope we can all just send our prayers/good energy to our troops, and hope for the success of this mission, for their sakes, and the sake of our country.

I see Sherry is here, probably either reading or typing...sometimes I only have time to read! This morning, I get to call Linkys tech support, oh joy! We finally got our modem from Embarq, so now I can enjoy a nice long chat with the Linkys people and get the wireless network up and running again, and my laptop back. I hope it doesn't take 4 hours!!!! Mandy, I'm going to look for those jeans...they are just too cute! Betty, have a good day at work!

Patty, keep after it. It's a glitch. Life is full of them (like I have to tell YOU?) Check up on it tomorrow, and see what's up, and let us know. I'm crossing my fingers for you. And praying. Mandy, those are the cutest jeans EVER!!!!! I want them. NOW. Sigh. but a 12 is soooo far away. I'm gonna look around for some, though, seriously. YOU LOOK GREAT!!!!! Cute dogs, cute mom, cute kids. Hang in there girlie! Cass, glad to hear you are healing up from the wisdom tooth surgery...that's a toughie. Betty, poor girl. Take it easy...is this your first round with the Crud? I've gotta go now...sorry Beanie, Jules, Sherry, Kat, Pat (where are ya?), Darcy (fun chat! Are you still trapped?), Anne (new job?), who did I leave out?????? I'll see ya in the morning...tomorrow afternoon is driving the basketball team down to Big D for a little game...they are so cute! Hugs, and good night to all, Cindy

Good morning! Much slower pace today, thank goodness...I'm going to get a couple of listings done for Ebay, and go to the post office (daily thing). Then Haven has a basketball game and Girl Scouts. BTW, it's cookie time...now, I know they are evil and all, but see if your local troop has the Troop to Troops program...you can buy boxes of cookies to send to the wounded soldiers here in the US and in the hospitals in Germany, which is a really nice program. That's it for my sales pitch. Darcy, I used to take Lexapro, and it did help. I'm happy to say I don't take it any more, but when I needed it, it was very good for me. I hope for the same for you. I had thyroid problems, too...that has corrected itself also. I guess I should know your age, but I don't...I wonder if this is something you "grow out of"? LOL! That sounds funny, but I wonder? Good for you for staying with the Y program! Not much new going on...I'll check back.

The food is great, the atmosphere is really interesting. It's been years since I've been there, but Cafe du Monde is where the beignets and coffee are...and I think Three Sisters is where there was a great Sunday jazz brunch. I'm not sure what all is going on there now, after Katrina, but that should be interesting, too. One thing, I would not choose New Orleans to be inebriated in, and unaware of what was going on around me. There is lots of violent crime, or so I heard on the news this weekend (6 murders?) As always, stay aware of what is going on around you.

LOL! I pop in from time to time, just save their marriages!

Hi pals! Sorry to say this is just a "fly-by" post...I've been running around all day, and I need to make some dinner for the "kids" (DH & DD) before I go to meeting tonite...oh, the wonderful world of the retired!!! Glad that Chrispy is moved, Mary is feeling better and has some meds, Betty is an angel (!), Sherry is doing well on her Reiki journey, Kat is inspired, Beanie is gettin' happy about mortgage lending, Darcy is going to the Y, Eileen is gettin' more $$$, Mandy's dog has a name, Patty is back from vacation, and hopefully, Cass is happy with her fill! We ARE a busy group! :welldone: Betty, thanks for the inspiration to do random acts of kindness. I do believe we are all happier when we look for things to do like that...or at least recognize them when they are right in front of us. Way to go! My cruise is not until June, so we have lots of time to get ready for that! We still have wedding to plan around here for Cass, right? That's gotta be more fun! Gotta go peel potatoes! (I love it!) Cindy