BJean

kareyquilts: That's a good pep talk. You forgot to mention IRS taxes looming too. :tired At least if we're cutting back on food - especially fast food - we'll be saving money! That's a biggie in the plus column. You're right! Even a plateau isn't a gain and we do have the tool we need to get new resolve. We're way farther ahead of the game than we were in the past! Rah, rah, ree Hit 'em in the knee, rah, rah, rass hit 'em in the other knee. Ooh. My knees didn't like the sound of that one! LOL Only cheer I could come up with on such short notice. :embarassed: Seriously, you make good points and it has made me want to get up, back away from this computer, move around and burn some calories! :clap2:

Ron: God gave us free will so he could set us up? I've known some people who parent that way. They think it will teach the kids a lesson if they learn it the hard way. It seems very cruel to me. I don't think that zel said that you made up your own religion. What he said was "ministry".

Welcome back MOM. Any good leads?

sandraonelle: It has been harder for me this go-round. It seems like most of us could use a little morale boost. I've only lost 1 lb. since the beginning of the challenge. I'm only 10 lbs. from being at a weight that I remember was very much more comfortable for me. You'd think that knowing that, I'd be working harder at making the right choices. Maybe we're all going through a little of that post-holiday blues thing that everyone talks about. Anybody got a good joke?

Swimswiggs: I have never heard of that happening. I never feel anything except the tiny needle for the anesthetic. When you asked the doc about it, what did she say? I think I was supposed to have 2.1 cc in my band and when he withdrew the solution, it was 2.0 ccs. He says it amounts to a couple of drops. I asked if I had a leak and he said no way. But feeling a rush and kind of an uncomfortable or painful sensation during the fill doesn't sound right to me. But someone else here might be able to clarify that for you. Good luck! Please let us know what you find out.

Tommy's the MAN, Green's the WO-MAN! Since I've been having a bad case of walking away with my tail between my legs, your post truly made my day, Green.

Good post, lisah!

After reading Tommy's post, like when I read Green, it makes me think that I should think about moving to Canada.

In all fairness, Mouse, I must admit that one reason I use the term, pro-war, is because so many people use the term, pro-abortion. Neither is fair. When you see your basic civil rights being taken away and you see people who seem so certain that if they don't start shooting, the bad guys are going to get them, you fear that what happened under Hitler is what may be happening in our country. It isn't just the war that I'm upset with. There have been many other things that I think point to such a scenario. For us to sit back and wait to see how this is all going to unfold doesn't feel right. If they have to carry me out and put me back on a reservation, I will still be yelling about having our basic human rights being taken away. I will still be protesting against a president who caused (with his party's dominated Congress) it to happen. From all that I've read here and all that I feel, I believe you and I are both good people. We do have our differences about this political situation in our country. I understand your wish to be a good and patriotic citizen and support the president since he is our president. There is good reason not to demean the office itself, like has been done in the past. But for me to not voice my opinion about all of this is to me, like the Germans who allowed Hitler to do the things he did. His inhumanity did not happen overnight, it was slowly worked on and took hold. It is because of the suffering and horror that people went through under Hitler is the very reason we need to keep those memories alive.

Am I the only one who's noticed that the people who are all for Bush and the war are the same ones who talk about their faith in Christianity a lot? I guess the fact is, I'm a Christian and I'm not pro-war. But then I definitely do not talk about my faith a lot. A couple of the people who do are completely obnoxious about it. I don't want to be classified as one of them. (NOT referring to you, Mousecrazy!)

Darn, Tommy, I just got a fill. You're making my port bulge. That's okay. Don't let up... I can handle it! hee, hee, hee.

Please Mouse, don't put words in my mouth that I didn't say. And don't read between the lines and accuse me of saying something that I don't mean and haven't said. If you don't want to negotiate or use diplomacy or work at finding out what people are really up to, how are you going to figure out which ones have "plans to harm us"? Where do you want to start in keeping terrorists out of this country and not allowing Arab Muslims to convert us (under duress) all into Muslims? Because that scenario has been brought up a few times. Hitler is not alive to use people as his puppets. We don't have to worry about Hitler except to learn from him and his reign of terror, how he went about it, and how he managed to get so many followers. No one I know says any of those detained at Gitmo are innocent. I am certainly not saying that. I am saying that if they are guilty of something, bring them to trial, if we find them guilty, punish them. Yes, there is a huge expense in doing that. But there is a pretty big expense holding them where they are for so long too. The expense isn't all monetary. The point is, what is right and fair? It is just like the Geneva Convention argument with respect to how we treat prisoners in Iraq. What is right and fair? How can we expect our men and women, who are taken as prisoners in Iraq, to be treated decently under the rules of the Geneva Convention, if we do not recognize the rules of the Geneva Convention? Yes, Gitmo is different, as you pointed out, but what is right? Terrorists in the Middle East took a man who works for my husband's company hostage, and later beheaded him. Do you believe that I think the men who did that deserve mercy? Maybe they don't deserve my mercy, but do you think that I endorse our taking some Arab Muslim hostage and beheading him here because that's what they did? Would that in any way make us different than they are? Do we live by Christian principles in this country or not? Or do you pro-war people think that "An eye for an eye.." is the only way to handle heathens and terrorists?

Thanks, Mouse. Like I said, do some people want to round up all the Arab Muslims and put them in camps? Nobody said that Hitler did it alone.

It's always enlightening to read opposing viewpoints. Infuriating sometimes, but enlightning.

What do we do, Tom? They've gotten away with murder. Personally I think that the past two presidential elections were rigged. How do we stop them? Is this how some of the Germans felt when Hitler grabbed more and more power? Many Germans thought he was the Messiah. I do not understand that. I do not understand why so many people at this site are so strongly in support of this administration and why they support Bush so strongly, in spite of everything they must know in their hearts and minds. Is it because they hate the whole ideology that the Democratic party stands for? Is it because they honestly think that their taxes are going to go away or drop dramatically under a Republican president? Is it because they are wealthy and greedy they want more wealth? Do they hate poor people that much? Do they think that preserving our environment should not be a priority? Do they really think it is good and fair to tell people what they should believe morally? Why do they support war so much? Why do they think that war is the way to stop terrorism? Would they like to round up all the Arab Muslims and put them in camps?

I want them home in one piece now too. My heart aches for them and their families. I pray for them every day. I have believed from even before the day Bush sent our troops to Iraq, that it was incredibly wrong, dishonest and a path to destruction with no reasonable benefits to the U.S. Unfortunately many Amercians and many of our Allies were correct in that assessment. However I am not so sure that just bringing our troops home today is the only fair choice considering what we've done. We have made a commitment to the people of Iraq by going in there and bringing down the house. How can we just pull our troops out without assisting them in some way to rebuild and establish some peace? We promised them safety from mass killings, we promised them a democracy, we told them that we were the good guys on white horses. It was wrong. It has been horrible. The price for ridding their country of Saddam was too high. I'm mad as hell at Bush for doing this to us and to them, but how can we pull out our troops without helping them establish some peace and a safe place to live? Can we really go on living our comfortable lives as before if we don't? How can we go on believing that we are better people than Saddam Hussein himself?

Guys don't lie about what they like. A very smart woman told me once that we have 100% of what men want and that we should never forget that. They like to see pretty picture-perfect girls in magazines, movies, etc., but what they like even better is a nice, warm, willing, girl who's available. And that's the TRUTH.

Someone else remembered Golda Meir! I was thinking about her too. She's proof positive that a woman with a good head and good heart can be a fabulous leader.

Congrats! I thought about saying you just needed to get laid, but I figured that was a little shallow. The upside to him having your ex's name... you don't have to worry about accidentally calling him by the wrong name when you're outa your head. LOL Seriously, it is a great thing that you allowed yourself to be open to a relationship with someone who might not fit in the mold of your perfect mate. Those perfect guys seldom come along for anyone! Way to go, Jodie!

Green: I'm glad you addressed the issue of that Bigtimer quote. I love your term "gasbag." I would like to think that most of us can see through a load of propagandized garbage whether it is pro-left or pro-right or center of the road. I suppose we're just needing validation for our beliefs so bad that we're willing to endorse something or someone like this, even when it is drivel that has been laced with emotional hot button verbage masquerading as patriotic or Christian (or both).

MimIN: Fabulous story!! That is really impressive - both the run and being able to wear a 14 and a large from Jrs. Wow. It's those kinds of stories that give me courage and the strength to believe that even though I am having some problems, I can still reach my goal. Congrats to you for your really good NSVs.! I did finally get a fill today. Lots of dietician talk about how to get myself out of this slump and lots of talk from the doc about what other people have done that was helpful. I am lucky to have such a support team. I just hope I can get back with the program!

TommyO: You seem to always enter with a beautiful statement and leave me gasping for breath! Oh my side!!

Sunta: Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

Hey Mouse. Thanks for small kindnesses. Were things the same for you when Clinton was in office? They weren't for me. They weren't for a lot of people. Things were different under Jack Kennedy than they were under Richard Nixon. There will be some changes that affect us when a different president takes office, whether he's a Democrat or a Republican. Which party controls Congress also has a bearing. The reason anti-war people talk about about loss of freedom here, at least for me, is because people who are suppport Bush and this war in Iraq keep talking about it being a war that is being waged to protect our freedoms, that it is an effort to keep terrorists busy over there so they won't come over here and force us pray to Allah one day. You can't be serious if you are saying that an "excuse me" or "I'm sorry" is a stab at negotiations or diplomacy. You know what is involved in diplomacy and negotiations, probably as well as anyone here. You also know that for one of us to come up with a plan or how-to book is a pointless exercise. What we need are people in the White House who care enough and who are smart enough to work at it. It isn't something that is accomplished overnight, like flattening Saddam's residence. Do you remember the diplomacy that Clinton accomplished while he was in office? As soon as he left office, it went down the tubes. It makes a difference who we have represent us. If it didn't none of us would need to get all involved in discussions and research trying to figure out who will be the most honest and effective person we can elect. I know I don't sound like I understand that you and Jack are trying to show us the big picture. I know you all think we are just air-headed idealists, who would mess around and let the bad guys infliltrate our country to do us harm. But that is not the case with me. I may be air-headed, but I don't want our country to be overtaken by Muslims, Iranians, Chinese, Korean or anybody else. But I also do not think we have the right, nor is it correct, for us to invade and overtake them unless they have threatened us. I care about evil dictators and how they treat people. I just disagree that it is our job to invade a country, kill its' citizens and flatten their infrastructure, in order to take him out.

Ron: Thank you for being sad for me. I have never in my life had such a bad feeling about a person as I have for you here. You over and over insulted, demeaned and used name-calling to make your point here. It made me sad for you and then, when you continued even after so many people tried to tell you how inappropriate you were being, I felt indignation. I thought I would do my best use what psychologists everywhere use to make a point: that is, to parrot back similar language with similar content. Since you consistently and constantly denied using ill temper and condesention in your language, I thought someone needed to show you how you sounded. In the process, you did get the point, however I'm not sure that it has made one iota of difference to you. Having other people tell you how right you are and how badly others have treated you tells me that perhaps I have overreacted. I should never, ever have gotten pulled into the fray, especially since I had no argument with you about religion. I just do not like bullies. Whether they are Christian or not, makes no difference to me. Although I must say that it is especially unattractive coming from someone who professes profound religious faith. I have prayed on this and although I cannot bring myself to apologize to you, because God has told me that you were way off base here, I call a cease fire. I have no quarrel with you any longer. Post whatever and wherever you like. I will do you no harm. You were doing a good job of showing people who you are and what you are up to, without me. Good luck and God Bless.