Wheetsin

TOM, I always enjoy reading your connections between god and the process of evolution. If I did believe in god, I think your interpretation of these two schema would make the most sense to me. Why would the image of god need a vestigial tail? Or streamlined body hair? Or obsolete organs? Or the ability to swim at birth? Etc. Have you (TOM) by any chance ever studied pre-Socratic philosophy? There was a fellow named Thales you might enjoy reading. He had some very interesting ideas on the origin of mankind.

Sometimes something as little as an "IMHO" can get you farther and have more impact than pages and pages of absolutes. Even an "IMO", if one doesn't consider themselves particularly humble.

Robyn - I completely missed your post. I actually wanted to go, but I totally forgot it was a short month!! I actually have it written down for next week on a post-it at work. :doh: :doh:

I'm one of the ones who goes ON and ON and ON about the differences between PB and vomit, and I CRINGE when they're used synonymously. See below: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/pb-not-synonymous-t27810.html?t=27810&highlight=acid+vomit http://www.lapbandtalk.com/pbing-t29076.html?t=29076&highlight=have+to+disagree

See if what works?

The first thing -- calm down. During your first 2, 3, maybe even 4 weeks post-op your carb count is probably going to be low. So - long story short - your body has released a lot more Fluid than it likes to. As your body moves out of ketosis, it will start to store the fluid back up. It's a fairly safe rule of thumb to figure that of whatever weight you lose during the first 5 - 6 weeks post-op, roughly 50% of it is Water weight that you may (and sometimes may not) gain back. "Weight" is not the same thing as "fat". This is very important to keep in mind. Gaining weight does not mean you're any fatter, and losing weight does not mean you have any less fat. MOST people experience sudden slow downs in weightloss. It's part of the deal, and why we're encouraged to focus on a long-term average of 1 - 2 lbs per week. Just about the only time there's an exception to that, you'll find it's a guy.

googoo, was anything ever done to see if your band was placed correctly?

Ok here's one that maybe I just don't get, more so than is a peeve... but it could be well on its way... I don't even know what they're called. Poeple here put them on their trucks or jeeps... brightly colored plastic "scrotum" that hang from their tow hitches, boats, etc. I googled "truck balls" and found a picture:

You've been missed! It's always nice to disagree (or agree) with a voice of reason.

Yes, I snap at that one too. When someone says, "I couldn't care less", it's like -- "Cool, then you agree with me!" Here are some that have come up recently (though maybe I've already mentioned them, can't remember) Insure is to protect against loss, as in "your policy will insure against damages." Ensure means to make certain of, as in "Please ensure the reports are done by Friday." I constantly see them used in reverse, even in publications. And I also see references to things that are wreckless - wreckless behavior, wreckless actions, etc. None of things can be "without wreck". It's RECKLESS. Accept means to take or receive, except means without. You don't except an invitation, and you don't like all vegetables accept broccoli. And a super biggun for me -- affect vs. effect. Affect refers to things that act upon something else, things are impacted, e.g. you have a chest cold is affecting your lungs. Affect can also refer to things of an emotional nature, such as the affective domain, or having a flat affect, or an affective response. Affect can also be used similar to "pretend" -- you could affect disgust. Effect has much broader application -- bringing something about, a consequence, an appearance, etc. Wars affect everyone, and their destructive effects last for generations.

Top Gear is a British automotive show typically geared toward demonstrations of high-end automobiles, but they headed to Alabama for a for a little friendly contest. Three Brits, three cars, several cans of paint and a camera crew. The rules - you cannot get shot or beaten while driving across the state. The goal - to get one of the others shot or beaten while driving across the state, as a result of what you've painted onto their cars. The contestants: "Country and Western is rubbish" Chevy "Hillary for President", "I'm Bi", "Nascar Sucks" Cadillac "Man Love Rules" Dodge Who wins?: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKz4QgVQBHI]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/ame]

Slightly different instances. Nascar, Hillary Clinton, country music and man love never beat, tortured, raped, or killed anyone. Comparatively they are very benign social facets. Were the people provoked? Sure. The Brits new that going in or there wouldn't have been the antecedent dialogue. Does that justify physical attack? Never.

I've read about that and it makes me a little uneasy. I can imagine sitting there, drinking some tea... my husband gets home from work, hits the remote to raise his garage door, and all of a sudden I'm restricted...

They would have to fight me to get my band. IF, for some reason, I wanted my band gone when I hit goal - well, I can't even suppose, because it would never happen. So let me say it this way: If I for some reason didn't want restriction anymore, I would see about getting an unfill. I would definitely want the peace of mind that would come with knowing my band was there, and could be filled back up if I needed it. There's nothing about my band that bothers me enough to give up the peace of mind it brings, or to be worth another elective surgery. See, I've been at my goal before, I could just never stay there. While on one hand I KNOW I would never let myself get up to almost 400 lbs again, I also don't fully trust myself to keep all of the weight off, and I simply would not accept something in between.

Just stick with it, it's well worth it considering the potential consequences. My liquid diet wasn't that long, but each surgeon has his own specifications. Branch out your food options as much as possible - SF Jell-O, popsicles, juices, broths, broth-based soups that have been strained, etc.

From a conversation book I've had for years and years... What, if anything, is too serious to joke about? If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or one ability, what would it be? Whom, if anyone, do you envy enough to want to trade lives with them? If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what woud it be? If there were a public execution on tv, would you watch it? Would you rather arrive at a party underdressed or overdressed? What's more important: actual experiences, or the memories that remain from those experiences? In real conversations, do you tend to talk more or listen more?If you had to chose one, would you rather be blind or deaf?

He was my surgeon and I think that he and Billy (his nurse) are amazing. I have not had the best experiences with all of the office staff, but I would still go to him again if I had to do it over.

Can I ask - do you think much of it stems from people wanting "proof" that it happened? Are those the types of messages you're receiving? I would imagine you were given some very personal stories. And people, without having "proof" that there actually was a prize, may now be feeling that they did it as part of a trick, or a joke - sent in these stories for some reason, when there was no free lap-band. I'm NOT NOT NOT saying that's what this was, I'm just putting on the other pair of shoes for a minute and imagining some of the things that could be going through their minds to elicit the response you said you have received. It's a tough spot for you to be in, if that's the case -- the demand for proof versus the requirement for anonymity. And it is absolutely unfair, if that is the position you're in, because I'm sure that's not something you would have anticipated nor hoped to "earn" through your generosity. Perhaps if anyone who left you a negative message is reading this, they will see that there are much more constructive ways to get their message across. And as I've said before, don't leave the forum because of a few people. Never give someone else that much power over you.

No, I would not. I would tell you that I am a highly visual learner, and perceive information through the written word quite well pending no distractions and a logical order. If there is something in writing that is not clicking with me, it's most frequently due to the logic behind its structure. While random, I do not process randomness effectively. And I would also tell you that I read things fairly literally, so when someone types something that doesn't make sense to me, or when someone is not a strong writer in general, I often struggle to "find the meaning", because I am not good at filling in the blanks -- though it can, on occasion, happen. (Which is part of why, with situations like "eD", I'm absolutely in the dark about its meaning). I'm not nearly interpersonally intuitive enough to be good at it, though. And had you offered to draw a diagram, I would have thought, "Cool! Maybe someone else knows this stuff too!" and started a dialogue.

Hmm, already replied to this, though I can't find it now. So if this does end up being a duplicate, my apologies. I don't remember saying that in the last month and a half, but that certainly doesn't mean it couldn't happen. And since no one wants to go and look, let's just call it even and say yeah, sure, that's exactly what I said. In which case, it still shows nothing. I am an atheist, and not teething. That doesn't mean I have never teethed.

I'm sorry, I don't understand the first part of what you said, so if it has impact on my reply, don't hold it against me. But yes - I'm sure your time is stretched. I've never questioned that. But if you question whether or not something happens, and you're told it has in other threads, then sometimes the onus is on you to check it out of you doubt the message.

No, not at all. You obviously are not acquainted with any of the "what do you do for a living" threads, or any of the countless other threads where I have shared (including one BJean had up not that long ago). A large part of what I do professionaly is to understand the different ways that people assimilate and process knowledge and information. Part of this is understanding that not everyone communicates or learns in the same way. For example, some people learn visually and cannot process information without some visual stimulation, whereas others might process kinestheticaly, and could find visuals distracting. Of course it goes much deeper than that, but that's another thread. I had said the same thing something like 4 or 5 times, if not more, and you were not understanding it. Hence, the possibility that you do not assimilate well through the written word, and that something graphic, associative, contratative, etc. might better get the message across.

Wow, it's a big deal for you that I'm wrong, eh? Will I own up to it? Is this about proving me wrong? Because that sounds very much like a challenge. Why make it that way? Why "us v them"? I have no problem owning up to it when I am wrong. If that's something you're craving, just spend some time persuing different threads and you'll find plenty of instances. More than enough to satisfy whateever it is you're after, I'm sure. And yes, I accidentally misrepresented what you had said. You said you were in christian ministry, and over the month and a half that passed since I read that post, I remembered it as you were a minister. That is my bad. But you may have missed my point. Your words to me were "I said I was in ministry, which is not the same as claiming to be a ministry". And I never made the claim that you were a ministry.

Have you ever wondered why you would assume I don't have a background in biblical studies? You're, again, making a lot of assumptions about my intentions. I have said things like 4 or 5 times now, and you still don't seem to get it. What else should I do? Are you a visual learner? Is there a better means of communication for you other than the written word, e.g., diagrams?

Umm no, see post #1809 where I stated very clearly: truly am sorry that you have physical challenges in being able to type, or other challenges in being able to spell. (And BTW, keep in mind that not everyone reads every post. It would be easy for someone to have not seen your posts re: arthritis, but you should not be so angry toward them for doing so). So again, you're wrong. But when I'm wrong, it's a matter of whether or not I will own up to it (and if you'd read beyond this read, you would have seen me owning up to it several times). I never said you were a ministry. :)