green

There does seem to be a curious split in the American psyche. On one hand there is still a powerfully guilt-ridden and puritanical streak. I suggest that the modern expression of this is most powerfully voiced by such groups as the Moral Majority and by the religious right. On the other hand, there is also a strong streak of prurience - and perhaps it may be argued that this is the flip side of puritanism - in the American public. This is expressed through shock TV, an overwhelming interest in serial and mass murders, and the sexual misbehaviour of public figures. Stateside the news of Anna Nichole's death and the fate of her baby certainly eclipsed anything more serious in the way of current affairs. You Americans are probably the single most fascinating people in the world at this time. You produce some of the finest television shows I have ever, ever watched. Such series as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Scrubs, 30 Rock, Dead Like Me, and I can cite more, are brilliant TV. This is sophisticated, creative, and adult television. But along with this we have the spectacle of the moral majority working its collective self into a lather over Janice Jackson's tit! And you have provided us with the truly awful sound bite style of reportage, something that is beginning to seep north of the border. By selectively choosing to report only a few spoken words anyone with an agenda can make the speaker look like a fool or a wise man. By watching American news reports on mainstream TV any foreigner would think that Americans collectively suffer from ADD. Of course this ain't true.

This is a most interesting post. I think what you and your family are doing is wonderful, Betsyjane. There are so many creative and often low-tech, low-energy ways of dealing with the challenges of the environment - the heat of the summer, the cold of the winter, storms, etc - available to us. Often an examination of how other less advanced cultures handled or handle these problems can give us insights into new ways of approaching these issues.

Once I get my Benny Hinn costume and dead squirrel hair piece I plan to make my money by setting myself up as a Mistress of Discipline. Those who want to pay to be smacked around will be my disciples.:rolleyes It will be a great way to spend my retirement/golden years.:mad:

Thanks to everyone for the advice. The immediate reason we need the laptop is that my husband will be away in Mexico for a month or more and we would like to be able to keep in touch. He wants to take pictures and send them to me. In the long term, however, the computer will end up being used by me and I will use it for blogging, internet, and for photography. I do want a fast one and I will need enough memory for Photoshop and for photographs. Saving money is not be as important as getting a reliable machine that will be able to perform. We are also figuring that although we are not set up for Wifi with our machines at home, maybe the laptop should have this? We don't really know any computer geeks and this is why I am asking all of you to give me your input. Actually, I used to know some geeks when I was working but kinda lost touch with them when I retired. And I myself have no inner geek, alas. :cry

I had a colonoscopy. Actually I had two. :tired The first one was awful - lots of pain and she never did get around all the corners and finish the route. The same doc did it again 3 years later and she did a much better job the second time around. I guess practice does make perfect. Make sure they give you lots of drugs. It is less unpleasant that way. With enough drugs you might actually enjoy the experience and you will get to watch yourself on the colon TV network. That can be kind of a trip....:rolleyes

A local judge up here in Toronto, Canada was complaining that there is a trend for defendants to represent themselves in court and he figures that this is due to watching too much Judge Judy. He complains that the problem is that most of them don't know what they are doing, come unprepared, and end up wasting the court's time. He says that the fools often attempt to do this in serious cases, such as those dealing with divorce issues, and their actions generally result in real ugly legal messes.:clap2:

That wasn't a smilie. That was a pukie.:faint:

Well, it does come down to this business of differing belief systems, I guess. With respect to this debate there are a variety views as to when the fertilized egg actually becomes a human being. Some of us believe that life must not be tampered with once the foetus can survive outside the womb, others believe that this begins at the moment the fertilized egg implants itself in the wall of the uterus, others charge that life becomes life at the moment of conception. Depending on your beliefs you will hold differing attitudes towards this question of the legitimacy of abortion. We all firmly believe that we are correct and are the most compassionate in our own chosen viewpoint. Right to lifers are focussed on the rights of the pre-born. And those pro-choice abortionists are primarily concerned with the situation of those women who are already here and find themselves stuck. The present laws are reasonable, I think. No one who doesn't want to have an abortion will be forced to have one.

Sure, go for it. You never did have a church wedding! Have your day.

Woodys makes a good point. Folks were voting for the personality, not so much the voice. Melinda was the least interesting to listen to when she was not singing. And maybe, too, she lost out because she was nasty Simon's fave.

It was the gas pains that killed me, too. They say that walking helps to dissappate the gas. I spent my time in bed goofing on the lovely drugs instead of strolling around the house. This was not an altogether good thing. I am pleased to hear that you have crossed the divide and are now banded. Welcome to the club! sez Green.

LOL Most of my understanding of the American legal system is based on years spent watching Law & Order.

I used to live in France. Toplessness at all beaches was the norm and this was way back in the early 1980s and certain beaches were nude beaches. A five year old French kid would have seen more breasts in his short life than most American or Canadian men will ever have the chance to see. Europeans were certainly accustomed to the notion of sexual infidelity in their leaders and did not view this type of activity as anything to make a fuss about. Indeed, the names of the mistresses of their leaders were open secrets. On the other hand, few people other than farmers and cops owned guns or wanted to own guns. Gun culture was viewed as an American aberation as was, indeed, the distress which Americans feel over signs of sexual misbehaviour in their leaders. The lifestyle and the values in continental Europe are very different in many ways from those in America. It took me awhile to get used to life over there.

Yes, according to Law & Order a beating which causes a miscarriage is considered murder even if the intent of that beating was to cause the miscarriage. The particular episode to which I am referring concerned a young pregnant woman and her boyfriend who were attempting to obtain an abortion but fell into the hands of a right to life group pretending to provide abortions. The clinic delayed her chance of being able to abort until it was too late under New York state law and thus she resorted to having her boyfriend beat the unwanted child out of her. The pair of them ended up being charged with murder.

I think that is so hot! :clap2: I'm going to see about getting myself a Benny Hinn costume. Got to find me a dead squirrel for a hair piece first.

Oh, yeah! Blue cheese. Olives. Booze. Mmmm. Very good.

Hahaha! I think his stylist is called road kill by other saner folks, eh.

Whoohoo! You go, baby! Congratulations:clap2: and how are ya feeling?

Mmmm, quiche.........

Ohmigawd! Melinda was blown off! She was the best of the three. Blake has a weaker voice but could be a fine jazz singer. He is more cerebral and has much more cool. Jordin is lovely and talented young woman and has a better voice than Blake. Still,....Melinda was extraordinarily gifted. Oh, well. All three of these individuals are talented.

The problem with the site being membership supported is that this will discourage new members from joining. This is the reason why I believe that putting up with the ads might be the better approach.

Omigawd, I have always been nuts about olives and dill pickles. When I was a little kid I often used to spend my candy money on jars of olives and dill pickles. I particularly liked the green ones stuffed with red pimientos. I still have a real salt tooth. And I this is how I became fat; it was through eating carbs, fats, and far too much salt.:tired

Jerry Falwell: moral majority? maybe; intellectual midget? for sure.

Yah, that Benny Hinn is a nasty piece of work. I heard that he is currently conning his flock of sheep out of their cash because he wants a private jet. He plans to call it Dove. And all that naked greediness performed in the name of Jesus! Now that is just plain weird. Love that description, by the way...bloody freak bubble.:faint: LOL

Some lives are deemed more precious than others. In the case of civil suits concerning wrongful death the cash pay-outs are based on this. A young woman's life is more important than that of a recently fertilized egg, I believe.