BJean

gadgetlady: I'm pretty sure that we're on the same wave length here. Sometimes it's hard to get there when we have to use words without inflection and body language to give clues. By the way, I didn't say (or mean to) that the churches where I had bad experiences said that women are inferior. I said that they taught that women should be subservient to men. That women should do all they can to help their husband, etc., although they didn't say that men must treat women in any particular way.

Sunta: Did you just get a fill? Why do you think your port was causing pain? Mine has from time to time and it has always been after a fill.

Ron: One does not have to be religious in order to be a person with a firmly entrenched code of ethics and very high moral standards. We've also learned that one's religious beliefs and their being vocal about them, does not necessarily mean that they have high moral standards or a good code of ethics. They may say they do but it just isn't always true, unfortunately.

gadgetlady: It sounds like you've been very fortunate to have had nothing but great experiences with your church. Remember, my experiences that I spoke about were from many years ago. I have no way of knowing how those churches discuss marriage and men's and women's roles in the family today. And it also sounds like you weren't involved in a church during the time I was referring to. I am glad if the organized religions of today are helping women and men understand that they can live their lives however they want and still be a good Christian spouse.

Both of my schnauzers have cropped ears. Both of my kids have Min. Schnauzers too (3 dogs, Abby, Stella and Dora) and none of them have cropped ears. The youngest, Abby's ears are hysterical. They behave independently from one another and she looks really silly sometimes. She has very cute markings and is sort of chocolate colored with tan and silver markings. She isn't AKC so there could be some non-schnauzer mixed in (but don't tell her that!) My DH always gives ours their baths in the shower. I do the brushing and he uses a hair dryer to fluff and dry them. Their coats are longer this winter because of all the cold weather and they sure get gamey sometimes! My son and daughter used to think that a bigger, less yappy, dog was what they wanted in their households. DS got a well-trained and beautiful Pit Bull. She and I became friends but I never trusted her (and neither did they). My DD had a Weimeraner (drop dead gorgeous) and a half Wimey half Lab. They ate them out of house and home and when they had a daughter, they were too big to have around such a tiny toddler. Once the kids spent some time with Min. Schnauzers they decided they couldn't live without one too. So we're a 100% Miniature Schnauzer family!

Well said, TommyO! Not all believers preach hell, fire and brimstone. Thanks Karen. I know I'm very fortunate and I am always thankful. I guess all the bra-burning and yelling that went on has helped women overall. With my weight loss I'm afraid I would scare the natives if I burnt my bra.

TommyO: I think that there may well be a whole lot to what you've said about fear, war and being afraid of death, as playing a big part in religion in America. Some preachers seem to home in on it and use it in their sermons to keep their congregation faithful. Even our president has used it to justify a lot of his decisions about the war. It is extremely distasteful to many United States Americans.

As I was busily typing, Enterprise, laurend and chubbola stuck up for Anna. I think they're right and very sweet for having a such generous spirit toward Anna Nicole.

Yeah when I was growing up people did call girls names for doing anything that showed that they were sexual human beings, but I thought this day and age we women had learned to care about and empathize with other women. I'm sure you were a single parent some of the time, Carlene, weren't you? Just because you were smart enough not to choose stripping or posing nude for Playboy as a way to make a living for your family, doesn't mean that everyone else is that smart or fortunate. Anna Nicole didn't even finish high school and yet had a child. The father obviously didn't take his responsibility very seriously and she had to feed herself and her son and put a roof over their heads. I guess since she used her body to make a living we can call her slutty and stupid, but what's the good in us calling her names? Who exactly does that help? Or does it just make us feel superior?

Jackson sounds very neat and similar in temperament to my two min. schnauzers. One of mine is darkish silver with bright silver markings, and charcoal around the eyes, nose, etc. She is hailed by all the family to be the quintessential striking, posing beautiful schnauzer. She is serene most of the time, but when she needs to alert us to an intruder (squirrels, rabbits, birds, the UPS guy) she looks like she could take down an elephant. Sophie on the other hand is very dark salt and pepper and scruffy looking even when groomed. She doesn't get as much attention as Maggie, but her heart is pure gold. She has a tendancy to take after me and gain weight at the drop of a hat. Maggie is all muscle, doesn't gain an ounce. They get the exactly the same amount of food and go on all the same exercise walks, etc. Doctors should study them to figure out what goes on with my dogs diet and caloric burn to maybe get closer to figuring out what happens when humans gain weight. I'll bet my two would love to meet Jackson!

Some people consider the soul as just energy. If that were true, would all creatures have souls because they all generate energy?

Thanks Karen! I agree completely that women were too hard on other women about having a career, husband and children, and the motto was "you can have it all!" At first, I was a single parent working hard and having to leave my baby with babysitters until he was 4 yrs. old. It was one of the most difficult and emotionally draining times of my life. When I remarried, I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my kids. I truly think they benefitted from having a parent available when they needed one. They also realized that I knew where they were all the time. I also worked in Real Estate as they got older. It was a job that had somewhat flexible hours and a potentially high rate of return for the time invested. I worked when the kids were in school and sometimes on weekends and at night when my DH was home. Not exactly what the women's libbers had in mind, but it kept me from feeling completely cut off from the career-minded adult world. I never was completely happy being a homemaker full time.

Green: I totally agree with you that sometimes I fear death and other times the thought of it can be comforting. I believe the thing that scares me is that I might be in agony for a long time, hooked up to machines. My loved ones would suffer even more than I would at a time like that and I would not like to cause them that kind of grief.

Debbie: You will probably see great results from the pre diet as well as the post-surgical diet. Once you have the band, you should experience restriction because of the swelling from surgery, so don't worry about getting too hungry. You will be happy when you eat your first solids, but it doesn't seem to be too difficult for most bandsters who've posted at LBT. In fact, when the swelling goes away (6 weeks or so) we seem to all wish we still had that kind of restriction. Best of luck with your surgery and keep us posted on your progress. If you have questions you can get a lot of really helpful answers here, but be sure to call your doctor if it is a medical problem.

Renee: So when you cut back on food the pain stops, but the more you eat the more you have the pain? My dietician says that it is very, very important for us to make a meal or snack last between 20 to 40 minutes. If we eat as quickly as we used to, we will experience the kind of pain you describe. 20 minutes for a snack, 40 minutes for an actual meal. I have often had the kind of pain you mention except for the radiation to my left arm (which I did have right after surgery). Now that I have slowed down, take really tiny bites and chew for about 20 to 30 times (depending on the food) it has gone away. By tiny bite, she demonstrates by showing us a carrot coin and saying that about a third of a carrot coin is what she means by tiny bite. I don't think I've ever managed to make my bites that small though! I don't know if this will help your particular case at all, but it sure has made a difference for me.

P.S.S. I was lucky enough to be present at a debate between Phyllis Schafley and Betty Friedan in the 70s. Ms. Schafley was positively venomous in her diatribe about women's "place" in the society. Ms. Friedan allowed her to rant on and on about how women should stay home to take care of the kids and support their husbands, just like it says in the Bible. Ms. Friedan asked Ms Schafley about her own stay-at-home status. Seems Mrs. Schafley was a lawyer and went about the country lecturing on the necessity of women voting against ERA.

P.S. My FIL has a car business. He is very active (is a Deacon) in his Catholic church. All of the nuns and priests in his parish buy cars from him. They even bring their friends and acquaintences to him for cars.

L8BloomR: I'm a little older than you. I went through all that stuff in the 50s, 60s & 70s. I wasn't talking about society's influence, I was talking about my specific experiences with a couple of organized religions. I honestly am always very happy for people who are firmly entrenched in their church and personally involved with their clergy. It just didn't work out that way for me. It isn't that I haven't given it a lot of consideration and study. In fact, when I was 12 years old and deeply committed to my First Christian faith, I knew that I was destined to become a missionary, like my cousin and her husband. I still have a personal relationship with God, I just have found many organized religions too hateful and critical of other human beings. It goes against my own "religion."

Victorianna: Could you clarify something, please? What does your sentence, "What I appreciate is the level of transparency you have given" mean? I can see it from a couple of different directions and they are diametrically opposed to each other in meaning.

Man, talk about your loser parent! I watched her mother last night on 20/20 and she should be ashamed. I too, watched her when she said that Anna Nicole died from drugs, and she had a slight smile like ha, ha, I'm right, I TOLD HER SO. Her biggest display of emotion was when the interviewer asked her if Anna Nicole had ever given her family any money. It was quite revealing. I have a friend who decided a long time ago to drop out, do drugs, work as little as possible. Now he has complete rage against his father and sister because they don't share their wealth. Why do some people think that a relative who has more than they do owes them something just because they are related?

There's a special tonight about Anna Nicole on 20/20 9 o'clock CST.

kedasmom: Best of luck with your surgery! Sounds like you have a great attitude going in. Keep it up and you'll be thrilled with the results. I'm 61, had the band since 9/11/06 and have lost 36 lbs. and 37 inches! Still have that much and a little more to lose, but I can finally walk without pain most of the time and all of my blood work stats have improved dramatically. My exercise physiologist told me that what I've lost is a 36 pound child who is 37 inches tall. What a shocking idea that was - I've lost the equivalent of my granddaughter! That's like I was walking around carrying my granddaughter all the time. No wonder I was told I needed both knees replaced. I don't know what age is considered too old, but 61 is not too old for me. I am learning more about my part of the job of getting to goal. It is not to be taken lightly because the band can certainly be sabbotaged by me. I am hitting a plateau where I have to readjust my diet again since my initial weight loss. I had gravitated away from all the protein gradually and toward eating more carbs. Eating more carbs meant craving carbs. My body just can't handle most simple carbohydrates and it's a fact that I have to learn to accept and live with for the rest of my life. My very best to all of you wonderful people who are sharing in this journey with me. Thanks for all your encouraging words and great photos. Carlene, you are definitely a terrific inspiration!

Yep, us too. Min. Schnauzers Sophie: Sophie Marie, Sophie-dophie, chubs, chubby-dubby And Sophie's big sister, Maggie: Margaret, Margaret-Ann, Maggie-Patag-ie The worst is when I have a senior moment and call Maggie Sophie or Sophie Maggie. Neither will respond to the other's name! They look at me like they're thinking, "There she goes again. Another brain fart. Just ignore her, she'll figure it out sooner or later. Sigh"

Does Maury have a special show on "Who's my baby's mother?"

Well I'm gonna set the record straight. I am the mother of Anna Nicole's baby. We met up at an auction in Cotton Patch (near Mexia) one night. It was a one-nighter, but I know for sure that it's my baby.