L8BloomR

I see comparisons as an effective way to put something into perspective. It is used by almost everyone in R & R, and also in news reports, on talk radio, etc.....on both sides. I disagree that it is to make something Bush did "pale in comparison". No one here thinks that Bush is perfect or has done nothing wrong. But sometimes the inflammatory statements about how terrible everything he does is forces those of us who remember our recent history to remind others that ALL presidents do things that we disagree with. I personally think Clinton was an embarrassment; you think Bush is. That does not mean that I think Bush is a perfect president and hopefully that doesn't mean you think Clinton was. But if someone is horrified by something a president does, it is helpful to hear how other presidents handled a similiar situation in order to put it into its proper perspective. And I can guarantee that if a Democrat gets into the White House and does something that appears wrong or dispicable, those of you on the left will bring up Bush's failings again and again and again.....

Good post, mrspruett. I agree with you. But I do kinda wish I had had someone to raise my children when they were small and to clean my house, also.... :tired

I work with someone from another country, and she has problems with our idioms.... when she tries to say things like the above, it comes out as: "That's like calling the pot 'kettle'!" Of course, she also says things like "She blew up on the handle" and "You're opening up a can of fire".... We laugh ALOT at my office!!

Hey Gary, Guess you and I are on the same wavelength.... your response was posted as I was posting mine!

Actually, he was convicted of obstruction of justice. The person who leaked the name of the CIA agent was Richard Armitage, who was with the State Dept. and was a critic of the war. He inadvertantly leaked the name of Valerie Plame and was never convicted of anything. This was discovered very early in the investigation but Fitzgerald spend millions of $$ in a vain attempt to find additional leakers. I don't know how I feel about Bush commuting the prison part of this conviction, mostly because of how shocked I was by the actual pardons done by his predecessor. They left me sort of numb. Check out this link: USDOJ: Office of the Pardon Attorney - Pardons Granted by President Clinton They say that "politics is a dirty business." Guess "they" are right.....

Green, your sources seem accurate to me! I heard last night that within 5 years, 1/3 of the pollution in California (where I live) will be coming from China. Where are the protests over their environmental policies?? Why do they seem to get a pass? :mad: Sorry, still ranting.....

Green, if I remember my history correctly, the 14th amendment was to protect the rights of people living here but not considered "citizens", like slaves, etc. A necessary law, but one that seems to have grown beyond what it originally stood for.... hence, illegals rioting in the streets demanding their "rights" to U.S. social services and priviledges....

My doctor goes sooooo slow with fills. I got my band in Nov. and am only at 6cc. She is afraid to give more than .5 - 1cc at a time. I am at the point where I am now starting to gain weight if I don't follow a strict diet. Disappointing! But she did say that most of her patients get to their sweet spot at 7-8ccs, so I am hoping that the next fill in a few weeks will do it. Right now the only things that my band restricts is chicken and salmon.....:help:

BJean and Green, thanks for your thoughtful replies. Green, the "anchor baby" rule is based on the 14th Amendment, so changing that would be a huge undertaking! I don't think it can be done. Most of us would be happy if our government would just enforce the laws we already have. That would make a huge impact for the better, I think.

I miss Jack, too!!! "Jack---come BACK!!!"

Bubble, I am with you on this one. I heard this morning that both Canada and Britain used to allow "anchor babies" but got rid of that law over the last few years. Why, if they are in need of more population? Could it be for the potential problems that the U.S. is now dealing with? I really don't think that anyone that is not dealing with the situation can fully understand it or the ramifications. It sounds nice; let all the people in who want to be here, Kumbaya and all that.... Then "press 1 for English" everytime you make a phone call.... wait for hours upon hours in a hospital waiting room with your elderly parent, fighting for a place to sit because the entire room, the hallways, the bathrooms, the parking lot is filled with illegals and their extended families who use the hospital as a combination family check-up/reunion center..... Or try waiting in the small ICU waiting room, the one with the big "No One Under The Age Of 16 Allowed" signs plastered all over it, while your parent undergoes surgery... but end up standing against the wall in the hallway outside for 3 hours because the room is filled to the brim with illegals and all their small children and the nurse is too afraid of being called a "racist" to enforce the rules. I live in California, and have seen so much change for the worse in the last 10 years that I don't know how much longer we can hold out. Our city and state taxes are sky high. Also, I own a small business and I can tell you it is not that easy to weed out the illegals from the legals. The ability of getting authentic-looking IDs has made it a nightmare for legitimate business to decifer who is who, so merely cracking down on businesses will not fix the problem. We need help! Another thing, my sister is a teacher and she has to spend a part of each year in Mexico or in extensive Spanish-learning programs in order to keep her job. Most of her students do not speak English. Please!! If I were to migrate to another country, could I require others to speak my languge? My parents migrated here legally and my best friend is hispanic who's parents also migrated here legally from Mexico. I am no racist. But any town, city, state and country can only take so much chaos before it breaks down. Those of us begging for border control are living in chaos and need our laws enforced, like they would in most other situations. I am a Republican and usually support Pres. Bush, but he has lost me on this. I am so mad at him I could spit. I think he and the other politicians have forgotten that we are the ones "living in the trenches" while they live on the hill away from the problems. It sounds to nice and ensures votes to welcome people with open arms. But when it is YOUR house being invaded, the feeling is very different. :eek:

You are doing great....15 pounds so soon after surgery, and I bet you have dropped another couple since you last weighed! I also heard that more doctors are using the VG, but I haven't met anyone else outside of LBT. Nice to have this group so that I don't feel so unique... Keep up the good work! Karen

Thanks for sharing that, Steve.... it gives me hope! I just got my 3rd fill and am now at 6cc, but still no restriction! I begged my doctor for a larger fill, but she wouldn't do it because she worried that I would get home (I live quite a distance from her office) and then have trouble getting water down. But I am finding I have no trouble getting ANYTHING down!! :phanvan So it is back to willpower only, and that is really tough. I need to remember that this is a slow process and that I WILL get to the place where this works as it should. Thanks for reminding me! And congrats on your terrific weight loss. You are doing great! :clap2: Karen

Oh, Misty, I am so sorry you had to go through that!! Thank goodness you have a good doctor who helped you before it got any worse. You have had an amazing weight loss, and are such an inspiration!! I am glad you are feeling better as that is the most important thing, but I know you are disappointed. Please keep posting and let us help you "feel" like you are still banded and having to watch your portions, etc., and hopefully you will still continue to lose weight and not notice any difference. We are all in this together!! Please continue to get better and let us know how you are doing!! Karen

I just found this thread....and don't understand some of the questions put to Angela about her motives, etc. I have met Angela and I can tell you that she is a generous, loving person and is truly interested in giving information and help to anyone in need. I had heard about this trip briefly, and what I do know is that Angela felt that it would be a fun way for Bandsters to get to know each other in a new way....sharing the beauty of dolphins and the healing of our bodies. I have never heard her here or anywhere else looking at ANYTHING as a way to get money out of people. I believe that she was offering to arrange this trip for truly unselfish purposes. Please don't throw accusations at her..... you don't know her, and if you did you would understand that these accusations are wrong and hurtful.

Well, one time I ordered those "slim pants" or something like that.... even got a size bigger than I needed, and when I tried to put them on, I couldn't get them past my knees!!:cry They were a step-in kind of thing, and can only stretch so far, I guess. So, my advice would be to make sure anything you get has a zipper or some better way of putting it on.... You don't want to go through what I did!! Karen

About 8 years ago our office staff was having a debate about whether homosexuality is found in the animal world. We called a local library, who then sent our question off to some large country-wide information base (I can't remember where it was, sorry). They sent us a lot of paperwork on the subject, with the bottom line being that no animal is a "true" homosexual...the bonobos monkeys came the closest, but it was determined that even they left their partners to mate with a female and raise babies, then they returned to their partners. The library researchers stated that true homosexual behavior is when two same-sex partners stay together or at least remain only with same-sex partners, not engaging in heterosexual behavior to raise a family. I don't know if the research has gone beyond what it was 8 years ago, but I found that an interesting study. They also stated that while many animals engage in homosexual "play", it is usually for other reasons like group bonding, dominance, submission, etc., and has never been observed as the sole relationship in the animals life. I am neither a researcher nor an animal behaviorist, just passing along information, for what it's worth.

Gorgeous picture, you guys!! And the best part: the words "fat", "heavy" and "over-weight" never entered my mind.... you just look like two cute, average-weight women, out having a good time!! Must feel good, huh? A terrific picture---thanks for including it here! Vikki---I hope we get to meet someday..... Ventura County is not that far from Orange County! Angela---I really enjoyed our fun lunch date...let's chat soon!! Way to go, you two!! Karen

Thanks, BJean, for a nice way to end the day....:notagree Karen

BJean, the only generalization I have done is wonder why Democrats (specifically you) would speak for Republicans. Beyond that, I have tried very hard to respect everyone else's viewpoints, even if I don't agree. All I was asking is that instead of dismissing views you don't agree with, why not respect that they could be just as well-intentioned and well-researched as you feel about your own? I believe that seeing people or political parties in black and white terms or as "good" and "bad" is not only unfair but stifles debate. It appears that every response I post seems like criticism to you, while your posts seem like criticism to me. So let's call it a night and agree to disagree, OK? Have a nice evening.....

Actually, I work hands-on with the elderly, many of them poor and in need. I have been in the elder care field for over 20 years, under Bush #1, Clinton, and Bush #2. I also spend much of my free time in volunteer work with lonely seniors. In addition, I have very elderly parents, one with lung cancer. So I am very familiar with the needs and trials of the elderly, and the maze that is Medicare and health insurance. I have seen it under 3 presidents, and it is the reason I started a business in the early 1990s, so that I could reach out and do more to help. I understand how confusing, frustrating and awful it can be to worry about how to get much needed meds and services. But I also know that it is not a simple matter to fix...and just throwing more money at the problem won't change it. There is so much fraud, abuse, and incompetence within the system, it is unbelievable. Do we need to change things? Of course! But without getting rid of much bureaucracy and stemming the tide of fraudulent claims, unethical doctors, and corrupt agencies, etc., we will never be able to afford many of the services needed. It is a complicated issue....and one that no president can fix with just a wave of his hand. Neither Presidents Bush nor Clinton could do it, so I am not sure what the answer is. I do know it will not be a simple one nor a painless one. P.S. We have something in common.... I used to be a Democrat!

BJean, if most of my posts started out with "Democrats do this, and Democrats feel that", you would feel included in that too, and take offense. You don't usually put in the word "Some" or "Many" or even use the term "in my opinion"..... you just come right out and use inclusive terms as if all Republicans feel this way or that. I disagree with you in what you think the Republican platform stands for. So why are YOU right in your definition of the party, and I am wrong? I am not attacking YOU, I am attacking the idea that Democrats can define Republicans; and that we do not know our own party. Not all Republicans are good, just as some Democrats are not good. You and others always seem to leave that out. I would find it refreshing if you could at least allow for the fact that people can feel differently and still have good motives. Does everyone in your life agree with you, or can you adjust to the fact that people come at problems from different angles but want the same good results? I just never hear that from your side. Sorry if the fact I find that offensive upsets you, but I AM entitled to feel differently than you about what I stand for. I don't pretend to speak for Democrats... please don't speak for me.

1. Ann Coulter didn't get any more laughs than Howard Dean did when he ridiculed Charlton Heston for having Alzheimer's Disease. 2. The elderly have had problems with this long before Bush came into office.... and from what I hear the new drug program put into place last year is finally getting to the ones who need it most. I am in the elder care business, and I have seen it working. 3. Last I heard, we haven't taken any oil from Iraq, it is all going to the Iraqis themselves.... 4. The people in Guantanamo are enemy-combatants, the worst of the worse. Yes, maybe we should just shoot them like the insurgents do to their captured enemies, but we don't do that. Were there a few people that didn't belong there? Yes, but they have been released and the remaining people are truly the "bad guys". This is war, ugly as it is.

Bjean, you know nothing about me, yet you and others consistently say "Republicans/Conservatives believe this....blah, blah, blah" (fill in the blank). You have no idea what I believe, much less what "Republicans" believe, as if we are a group of robots all walking in lockstep. You have no idea what I do for a living or how much of my time, energy and money I give to help others. You would be surprised especially at the number of my Republican friends who also give and help where ever they are needed. None of us are wealthy, quite the opposite, actually, but we give what we have. So it really offends me to hear how selfish and evil you think "right-wing" people are and all the mean-spirited comments that are made. How on earth can you or anyone else make such rock-solid assumptions about someone else's motives or beliefs? Do you really think that anyone wants to see others go without health care, food, shelter, etc.?? There are many sides to every issue and different, well-intentioned people see solutions differently. Debate the solutions, if you will, but stop pigeon-holing people into slots you invent!

You are doing great, Brooksie!! It is wonderful to get to see just how much so in pictures---thanks for posting them! Karen