transformer

Hey Everyone! I haven't posted FOREVER! Glad I was able to find all of you--I saw that the thread was locked for a while. I hope everyone is doing well. It'll take me a little while to read backwards and get caught up on what everyone is up to. I didn't have the greatest 2008, so I wasn't too sad to see it go! I got really tired in May for no apparent reason. By early June I was in the doctor's office with a milk duct that was leaking blood on my left nipple. This lovely symptom was accompanied by a small lump. I had a mammogram and ultrasound that were deemed suspicious a couple days later. I went to a surgeon who thought it was nothing, but set up a sterotactic biopsy. I arrived for the biopsy and found they had changed the order to repeat the mammogram and ultrasound again. Of course, it came back BIRAD4 again--suspicious. Duh! I finally had a lumpectomy done in mid-July. The pathologists couldn't agree on a diagnosis so my tissue samples were sent to the University of Virginia for more analysis. I finally found out that I had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and went in for a re-excision because the tumor margins weren't clean on September 5th. Talk about a long, drawn-out, stressful period of time! The oncologist and surgeon decided that I didn't have to go through radiation or chemotherapy which was quite a blessing. I guess that's the new way they handle things now if they take out a lot of tissue around the tumor. I have to take Tamoxifen for five years. I'm anxious to go for my next mammogram in June. It's hard to believe that all of the abnormal cells are really gone when you can't see it for yourself. In the meantime, my refrigerator died and had to be repaired three times in June (had to throw out all of our food three times!). My dryer died a slow and painful death. I developed what I thought was a cold in August and kept coughing and coughing (more on that later). In early November, I developed a huge abscess where my re-excision surgery was done. I had to go get that lanced and drained. I decided after all of this that pain pills are the bomb! Thank goodness, it's all well-healed up now and back to my "new normal." Back to the coughing fits. It was totally bizarre. I didn't have a cold or a sinus infection, but I kept feeling like I was drowning and couldn't breathe especially if I exerted myself at all. After several trips to the doctor, she decided to try putting me on Advair. After two weeks, I didn't cough any more at all! It turns out that I have asthma--clear out of the blue! Isn't that crazy? I finally got an answer to another nagging medical question. Why did I keep getting hot inflamed joints? I kept telling the doctor that rheumatoid arthritis and gout runs in my family. My left mid-foot area swelled up and hurt so much the weekend after Thanksgiving that I just wanted to cry. So much for my plans to shop! The doctor ran a bunch of bloodwork in early December (lupus, rheumatoid factor, Vitamin D level, CBC, uric acid, etc.) After a decade of being sick like this on and off I finally got a diagnosis--I have gout! I got a prescription for Indocin, a powerful anti-inflammatory that worked like a charm. I took one pill and my foot was better by the next day. I'm taking Colchecine twice a day now, too, to try to prevent another attack. The issue with this is that I'm supposed to eat Protein, protein, and more protein on the lap-band diet, but the gout diet says to mainly have eggs, low-fat dairy products, cheese, and nuts as protein sources. Fish and shellfish have to be limited. The gout diet suggests having only 3 ounces of chicken, beef, or pork once a day. So now I feel like I don't know what to eat! We had a big storm yesterday and a big branch fell off one of my trees and stabbed my house! Whoops! Luckily, it only made a small hole. I'll be able to get it fixed next week. Some people had big trees fall right through their houses. It was nuts! (At this point, what's another bill? It's just been one disaster after another for quite a while)! I decided today that I wish I were rich so I could get my jelly belly chopped off at the plastic surgeon's office! My top half and my bottom half are two different sizes. It's so annoying! My legs fit into smaller pants, but my jelly belly won't make it. Grrr! My son is doing well. Luckily, my bad karma hasn't rubbed off on him yet! I have two puppy dogs now. I got a female dog in April and a male in October from the SPCA. They are both shepherd mixes. The female was about a year when I got her and the male was about 7 months old. They are my buddies! I needed something to cuddle with since my son, the cranky teen, wouldn't be caught dead hugging his little old mama! I'm still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I'm thinking I'd like a job that combines my love of nature and animals, my teaching skills, and administrative skills would be awesome. I finally got my head above Water long enough during the holiday break to start looking at job openings. Sorry I babbled on too much about me and that most of the news sucked! Not too bad for summarizing about a year of my life though I guess! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I'll do my best to catch up on everyone's happenings as soon as I can.

I was just thinking about having to buy holiday gifts and paying to travel all over creation to visit family members. That made me think about being totally broke and what I would do if I suddenly became rich! If money were no object, I would give money to charities, home school my son, get plastic surgery, and travel to fabulous locations like Hawaii, Alaska, and Australia (to start)! Anyone want to play along? Then finish this thought: If money were no object...

I posted this information on another thread or two, but I thought some other folks might find it helpful as well. Sorry it's so long--the short version is that I basically eat what "normal" people eat minus the fat, sodium, tons of carbs, and in smaller portions. No rocket science needed--I promise! If I can do this, you can do this! :girl_hug: The first thing I do is eat out of plastic containers that hold only a cup of food at the most to control portion sizes or I use a dessert sized plate rather than a dinner plate. It's a psychological thing! I usually aim for 1/2 cup of Protein at each meal then add in veggies, etc. Some people can eat more than a cup of food at a sitting which is fine--everyone is different. I'm a little shrimp--only 5'4" so my tummy is probably smaller than some folks'! As long as you're still losing, it's all good! I eat three "meals" a day and I try my best not to eat at all after 6 PM. I never drink when I eat and I don't snack between meals. Instead, I drink Water in various forms between meals (up to 30 minutes before a meal and not for an hour after eating) and strive to get in 64 ounces a day to flush out fat, keep from retaining too much water, and to stay hydrated. I don't really like plain water, so I got a PUR water filter and flavoring cartridge that I attached to my faucet. I either make flavored water by the glass or keep a pitcher in the fridge to fill up my water bottle. I drink Crystal Light, too. For dairy foods, I'll usually eat the low-carb 4 oz. yogurts although I find that yogurt does not do a very good job filling me up! I do still make Protein shakes with store brand skim lactaid milk (I'm still working on my bottomless container of Champion Nutrition whey Protein powder from a year ago)! I usually make it with about 8 ounces of liquid, 1 scoop of powder, and enough crushed ice to raise the volume to 10 ounces. I buy fat free cottage cheese and eat 1/2 cup with different things mixed in. I might add a teaspoon of sugar free strawberry jam (10 whole calories!) or a tablespoon of yogurt just to add some flavor. My doctor advised me not to add fruit like applesauce to it to avoid eating too many carbs. I eat string cheese sometimes with about 4 whole wheat crackers. I tried the lowfat version once, but wasn't too crazy about it. I also eat Egg Beaters for Breakfast often. Some stores sell flavored Egg Beaters--Southwest/Garden Vegetables, etc. Those are pretty good. I usually buy the plain kind and add something to it (chopped scallions, salsa, a sprinkle of cheese, chopped onions, peppers, and tomatoes, etc.). You can also play with spices as well. I eat refried Beans pretty often. I take a 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and combine it with a tablespoon or so of different types of salsa just to make it more interesting (peach salsa, pineapple salsa, etc.). Sometimes I add a teaspoon of fat free sour cream or a little sprinkle of shredded cheese on top (emphasis on little sprinkle--cheese can have a lot of fat). I also eat canned salmon a lot. I'll take a 1/2 cup of canned salmon and stir in different things (chopped scallions, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, dill, etc.). If you buy a couple of plum tomatoes instead of the big ones, that makes enough to mix in without having a lot of tomato left over to spoil. I add to that fat free mayonnaise or a fat free dressing that goes well with salmon. I do the same with canned tuna. I always rinse tuna (packed in water, not oil) in a collander to wash off the salt, too. That's an old habit I picked up from my dad's diet plan after he had a heart attack years ago. I also season salmon steaks with lemon juice and pepper and broil or bake it and then serve it with non-starchy veggies (not corn, peas, etc.). I enjoy other types of fish as well (bake tilapia topped with salsa or canned chipotle peppers with adobo sauce which is very spicy, bake any white fish with a can of chopped tomatoes over it, etc.). All of these fish ideas can be split into smaller serving sizes and frozen. I make stir-fry often with chicken or shrimp and frozen stir-fry veggies. It's very quick and easy, and you can freeze the leftovers in small portions for another time. I find it's too salty if I use regular soy sauce, so I usually buy the low sodium kind. I make a basic soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch sauce found in most cookbooks. I usually cook rice for my son, but I don't usually eat any because I eat the meat and veggies first in my little plastic container and I get filled up. For chicken, I have the best luck if I use chicken broth to cook it. Dry chicken and I don't get along well! Blech! Sometimes I'll cook a whole package of boneless chicken breast in my pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth or a can of diced or stewed tomatoes to keep the meat moist. Once the meat cools, I'll chop it up and freeze it in 4 oz. serving sizes. I'll mix the cold or hot cubed chicken with all kinds of things. For warm meals, I'll heat the chicken up with some salsa, chopped tomatoes, or frozen non-starchy veggies. I'll add the cold chicken to salads, add fat free mayonnaise and scallions to make cold chicken salad, or grind it up with FF mayo and eat it on a few whole-wheat crackers. I use turkey the same way. I haven't quite mastered making pork easy to eat yet. I'm still working on it. I can't eat shake 'n Bake pork chops anymore. Again, if it's too dry, I gag on it! :puke:I do have beef on occasion, but I make an effort to eat fish, chicken, and dairy more often. I do purchase frozen meals sometimes (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.). I try to buy the ones that have just meat and veggies like steak tips and broccoli or roast turkey and veggies. If it's too much, I'll save the rest for another meal. I eat Morningstar Farms veggie patties, too. The black bean ones topped with salsa are pretty good. If I buy a salad, I find that it lasts me for a good 2-3 meals. I dip my lettuce in the dressing as I eat rather than pouring the dressing all over the salad. It stays crisp a bit longer that way. You'll notice that I didn't mention the words bread or potato. I do eat some of these, but sparingly and only after I've eaten my protein and veggies. I'll have a toast with Peanut Butter on occasion for breakfast. I can say now that I no longer eat doughy foods like doughnuts or cinnamon rolls. I avoid processed carbs as much as I can (chips, Snacks in the cookie/cracker aisle, etc.). The fresher the food, the better! Shop mainly on the outside "ring" of the grocery store--produce, meat, dairy, and frozen veggies. I sometimes end up going out at lunch with colleagues which could be a problem. I do my best to pick the lesser of all of the evils on the menu. For example, at Wendy's I'll get just a grilled chicken sandwich, eat the insides of it, and leave the bread behind, get a salad, or I'll order just a cup of chili. At Burger King or McDonald's, I order the grilled chicken sandwich (not a combo meal--no fries, onion rings, or drink--just the sandwich) or get a salad with fat free dressing. If a pizza place serves salad, I go with that or sometimes a wrap sandwich (I usually have leftovers with either option). If the pizza place only serves pizza, I order a slice of veggie pizza and eat mostly the toppings on it. Mexican food can be tricky because a lot of it is loaded with fat from cheese, sour cream, and guacomole. I usually get fajitas and eat mainly the meat and veggies. I like getting that because I get a lot of leftovers out of one meal! Less work for me! :whoo: If I'm stuck picking up something real quick at WaWa's (a gas station convenience store), I look for yogurt, string cheese, cottage cheese, South Beach Protein Bars (19g of protein and low carb!), or Slim-Fast Optima shakes (low carb). No one has ever said anything about my weird eating habits when we go out. They aren't blind--they can see I'm fat! They just assume I'm on a diet and they marvel at my great "willpower." I don't know if any of this babbling helps at all, but at least I've tossed a few ideas out there that might appeal to anyone who is struggling to figure out what to eat! Part of learning to live with the band is changing your thinking--the hardest part of this journey is overcoming what your brain is telling you from years and years of bad habits. If you make the food taste good and look good, you won't miss junk food at all. By the way, sugar free jello/puddings with lite cool whip can help satisfy a sweet tooth, too! I feel like I'm a successful bandster not because I lost 100 lbs. in a year (which I most definitely haven't), but because I'm focusing on the good things I can eat and not bemoaning all of the foods I really shouldn't be eating in the first place. I'm choosing to lose weight at a slower pace than some folks--I'm not in a race with anyone but myself. I'm trying to make good choices to be healthy in order to change my lifestyle. I want to make lasting changes, not fall victim to the "fad diet" quick fix mentality if that makes sense. I didn't spend money to get banded and go back on the cabbage Soup diet, if you know what I mean! My band is just a tool to help me curb my appetite--the behavior modification and exercise is all up to me! Good luck on your weight-loss journey! :clap2: If you have any other fantastic suggestions, please add them on so we can help out anyone who is stuck!!!

Hi! What would you include in a "Bandsters Constitution?" With all the drama of being a "newbie" vs. an "oldie" we really need a laugh. What "rights" should bandsters have? What "laws" do you think all bandsters should follow? We, the Bandsters, in order to form a more perfect union....you get the idea! The Bandsters' Law of Gravity: 1. What goes down, might come back up (especially if you're not supposed to be eating it)! The Bandsters' Bill of Rights: 1. You have the right to admit you're starving to death on the oh-so-evil pre-op diet. :hungry: What would you add?

I guess the only statistics that really matter to me are how my own finances have been throughout the years. I suffered the most during the mid to late 1990s...they totally sucked. The bottom fell out of the housing market, so we lost a house because it wouldn't sell when I got divorced. That was an enormous financial hit that took years to overcome. I had to drive a lousy, rolling tin can car for years. Those were some of the worst years of my entire life. :hurray: Myself (and my extended family) have fared the best during the 80s/early 90s and especially during the post-Clinton period. I've been consistently moving from barely making ends meet to almost thriving in the last 5 years or so (I don't want to jinx myself by saying that too loud). Everyone in my family has gotten a new, higher-paying job in the past 2 years (one sibling is earning $60,000 more than before!). Four out of five of us have bought a larger home in the past 4 years (I don't need a larger home, so I haven't had the itch to move). Everyone has a car that is less than 3 years old and in good working order. Keep in mind of course that all of us actually work our butts off, pay for our own education in order to advance, and don't rely on government handouts to survive. When we were dirt poor years ago, all of us walked to work if we had to, worked multiple lower-paying jobs while going to school, etc. Anyone can get ahead if they are determined enough and are willing to work hard. The bottom line is that I don't want anyone in the government to take my money and give it to others who refuse to do the same (although I definitely don't object to TEMPORARY public assistance for people who are in crisis or truly disabled and unable to work). It's the zillions of frauds collecting government assistance that I have an issue with. Public assistance should not be a career goal! I also don't think the government is responsible for bailing out idiots who took out mortgages they couldn't afford or who were too ignorant to understand the terms of their adjustable rate home loans. It's called personal responsibility--you crap in your bed, you clean it up! Natural consequences rock! Those are the only facts I care about at this point because after all, it's all about me! LOL!

So true! It's like "Inspector 12" is watching you! :smile:

Love it, love it, love it!

Touche! Thanks for explaining the "oxymoron" statement, marjon! I sometimes read these threads way too late at night and sometimes it all goes right over my head! I had never heard that word used that way before. I missed the democratic debate last night, but from what I heard on the news, I should have watched it with a bowl of popcorn and a hockey face mask on! So, what do we do if we decide that ALL of the people running are scary?? Who could the "write in" candidate be, I wonder?? :biggrin:

As a former New Englander, I have to go with the Patriots! Sorry Giants' fans!

Just like anyone else, Tommy boy can believe whatever the heck he wants. But I agree that he needs to keep his "medical" (I use the term EXTREMELY loosely here...) opinion to himself. When was the last time he gave birth? What the heck would he know about post-partum depression? Until he gets some extra letters behind his name that don't spell "S-C-I-E-N-T-O-L-O-G-Y" (e.g. MD, etc.), he needs to shut up and occupy his time controlling every aspect of his new wifey's life. I am proud of the fact that I haven't contributed a single cent to his career since he started leaping on couches and slamming people about psychiatric disorders!

EEEWWW!!! Oh my innocent eyes! LOL! Thanks a bunch for the LOVELY mental image right before I head off to bed!

Chelle--I'm with you on this one! My son and I didn't eat at our hotel at all during our trip over the holidays. The hotels don't want to lose too much money, so they serve more inexpensive carbs rather than spending their "dough" on protein! LOL!

From the posts I've read over the past year or so, people on all sides of this issue overreact from time to time. Everyone has had their turn appearing to be "oversensitive" to someone who held an opposing view. That being said, no one should be jumping on someone just because of his/her religious beliefs (or lack thereof) in the first place. It's one thing to debate someone with respect and share ideas in order to gain a greater understanding of one another. It's quite another to be attacked and called derogatory names just because of your beliefs. That should not be acceptable behavior anywhere at any time. Hopefully, everyone can agree with that!

I just don't trust Hillary and I would be very disappointed if the Clintons returned to the White House. We've already been there, did that, and bought the t-shirt. I want the country to move forward, not backward. It's time for different leadership! I would never vote for anyone just because the candidate was a woman, a certain race, or a specific religion. Some folks seem to be jumping all over that bandwagon, but there really ought to be a more substantive reason for voting for someone. This isn't supposed to be the same as voting for prom king or queen or class president in high school. It's a serious decision. In any case, I haven't decided who I'm going to support yet, but at least I have until the February 12th primary to make up my mind!

I never said that any Republican or Democrat presently holding a political office, those who have formerly served, or that anyone currently running for public office actually possesses this all-important leadership quality. That's the whole problem with this election. Some voters are actually stupid enough to vote for someone just because they are...___________ (fill in the blank with whatever quality you like--a woman, black, white, old, young, the same religion, from their home state, cute, ugly, graduates of the same college, etc.) instead of critically assessing their character and leadership qualities. Instead of blindly selecting someone just because of one of these "flimsy" reasons, I think that we should really consider whether or not the candidates would sell their own mother's dentures (or their soul, if you believe in such things) to win an election. Do they have strong principles or are they just another slime bucket who is just spouting off what they think you want to hear? I want to be clear that I don't think that a person running for president can't have flaws. What I am saying is that any leader should be an ethical person (a synonym of ethical is moral). Ethical means "conforming to accepted standards; being consistent with agreed principles of correct moral conduct." If a leader is not committed to a strong set of principles that guide all decision-making, he or she is extremely vulnerable to becoming corrupt. Politicians are very, very good at "getting into bed" so to speak, with the highest bidder. As Jack said, the equation "politician = honest" does not make sense and hasn't for a very long time. There are obviously ethical issues on both sides of the aisle--duh! That's the whole point behind my wanting a "different animal" to run for the presidency. Maybe it's time for everyone to stop being such "rabid" Republicans or Democrats and start paying attention to the leadership displayed by the people who are running for office. I don't know that I've actually seen any of the candidates demonstrate true leadership ability yet. I've just heard a whole lot of meaningless crap from all involved so far... BTW--what do oxen (a cattle-like beast with horns or somebody who is regarded as unintelligent and clumsy, especially somebody with a large build) have to do with oxymorons (a phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, e.g. "wise fool" or "legal murder")? You lost me on that one, marjon! I don't get the joke! WAAH!

I haven't watched a Tom Cruise movie (not even a rerun of an old one) after his rant about anti-depressants when he attacked Brooke Shields about postpartum depression (what a couch-hopping loon he is). He's welcome to have his own opinion about psychiatric drugs, but he shouldn't run around condemning people about disorders he knows nothing about (when was the last time he gave birth?)...idiot! His views on disorders like AD/HD, etc. are equally moronic. While not every person needs medication, it is extremely beneficial for some individuals and enables them to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Without meds, my child would be institutionalized by now (or incarcerated). So, I don't want to hear it from Mr. Scientology. He ought to stick to posing for the covers of glossy magazines and making movies. I feel sorry for his new little wifey and that little kid...whoever her daddy is!

It's good to have you back! I hope all is well and that you'll be all better really soon!

Well, they certainly want to pretend Bush is up for re-election anyway! DOH!

It's not that I'm ignoring Bush's ethics. Since this thread is about who we WILL choose for president in 2008, Bush really doesn't figure into the equation...at all. We're supposed to be debating the current presidential candidates' policies (and insulting their hair). He's not running, so I'm not picking on his hair or his platform because his ethics have no bearing on the outcome of the upcoming election. This isn't the appropriate forum. We could always start a "What Bugs Me About Bush" thread if there isn't one already! Then we can rant away! Jack--Sorry you didn't catch on that I was kidding around about my sister. If any of you have a sister who is the oldest, you know just what I mean! :tt1: She is actually an excellent leader (and not just by being bossy). And thanks for reminding everyone about Janet Reno, Waco and Ruby Ridge, etc....that's exactly my point. Things were not all sunshine and roses in the 90s. I'm not quite sure how those years get remembered so fondly...could it be that lots of people around the country "inhaled" too? LOL! Gadgetlady--You are 100% on target--whatever happened to personal responsibility? That will be one of the cornerstones of my platform when I run for president. It's all beginning to take shape now! And now, presenting the first in a series, Building Leadership Skills for Presidential Candidates, Lesson 1: The number one requirement of any great leader is that they possess a strong moral compass. If they don't have that, it doesn't matter what any of their other policies are. Slimebuckets do not great leaders make! :mad: Paid for by the Transformer for President campaign. :mad:

I'll try this one more time just for fun. Once Bush is gone from office he really will be gone. All done. Finito! Everyone sing with me now: "Na na na na--na na na na--hey, hey, hey--good-bye." Off to the Crawford Ranch he goes! He can mispronounce all the words he wants in private at last! From what I can tell, Laura Bush is not running for president so she's not dragging him back to the White House. Jeb Bush is not running for president so he isn't bringing "Dubya" back. "41" is not running for president so his son isn't coming back either. Barbara Bush (41's wife) is not running for president, so she won't be bringing her son back to Washington. The twins aren't running for president either. In about a year from now, he'll be outta here. None of the current candidates will be stupid enough to follow exactly in Bush's footsteps and adopt all of his policies. Everyone is going to distance themselves from Bush as much as possible if they want to win. So, we need to carry on about Bush's policies as part of the current presidential election why exactly? I could see the connection if he was up for re-election for his second term...but that's not the case. If it were, I'd happily join in and slug it out with everyone, but under the current circumstances, I don't think it would be a worthwhile use of my energy. On the other hand, it's just a wild suspicion of mine, but I think Bill Clinton is likely to accompany Hillary Clinton to the White House if she is elected...which means that his past misdeeds are suddenly quite relevant to all of us (thanks for reminding everyone of the seriousness of his actions Elena...he is no angel and the things he has done should not be glossed over). No one would have ever had to think about Bill Clinton again in the first place if HIS WIFE wasn't running for president! They are being marketed and sold as a package deal which is a VERY different and disturbing situation. Just the thought of it makes me long for Ross Perot and his little pointer stick...sob! Bring those cute little graphs back, man! I just want to pinch those jug-handled ears of yours (anyone remember the old Saturday Night Live skits about him? Hilarious)! Derick--thanks for the history lesson about politicians making sure that Black Americans are kept "in their place." You are right on! Anyone who can't see the manipulation that goes on behind the scenes needs to take off their blinders. Thanks for mentioning Fort Marcy Park, too. (Memories...light the corners of my mind...Vince Foster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). I'm actually looking forward to having a ring-side seat as things heat up! TownDrunk--I heartily agree that a woman could do the job without a doubt. We just need to find the right one and then go for it! Jack--All I have to say about "the woman's touch" and its effectiveness is that you haven't met my sister. Trust me, she'd have everything and everybody straightened out in a jiffy. She doesn't play! She's going to lead and you'd better follow or get the hell out of the way! Come to think of it, she'd make an excellent campaign manager for me!

A wise teacher I used to work with used to say that you've gotta clean up the mess in your own back yard before you clean up someone else's. We have enough needy folks right here that people like Oprah could be helping out. Perhaps Oprah does charitable work here in the U.S. as well. Maybe it isn't advertised as much. It's the "in" thing among the stars right now to adopt babies from Africa, so maybe that's why her girl's school has gotten so much press vs. anything she's working on here?

It doesn't matter if Bush is horrible, because he's going away. Let's not invite the Clintons back in either--that is not a GOOD change! It's called a change for the worse! I just want someone who isn't related to anyone who has been in the White House over the past 50 years or so...is that asking for too much? Not everyone would agree that life was so frickin' fantastic in the 90s either. All depends on what side of the fence you were on...

I think I'm going to make bumper stickers out of that one! "Beware! Old Fart with Landing Lights on Her Ass Dead Ahead!" LOL!

I never said I wanted to keep the current leader...but I don't think we need to go back to the past either. It should be dead and buried, never to be resurrected. It's not so much the bodily fluids that bothered me as the total lack of integrity he exhibited by lying under oath. Besides, continuing the "Bush bashing" isn't going to get anyone anywhere at this point. It is a done deal that he is leaving office, so I don't feel the need to even address him or his policies as part of the current race for the presidency. It's a moot point. I remembered another amusing anectdote about Bill Clinton. My son was just a young un' then, but he asked me why our president was on the TV telling all of our enemies that we didn't have enough bombs. What an awesome Commander-in-Chief of our military! NOT! :smile:

Like I said after doing the neat on-line tool that matches your beliefs with a candidate--Obama is my polar opposite! I actually don't think I'm for any existing party any more...I just want the president to do things for the country that actually make sense. I could give a rat's hiney if he/she is a Republican or a Democrat. All I can say is that I am eternally grateful that I live in a country where I'm not forced to believe the same things that others do! Otherwise, I'd have to bid our fair land goodbye! LOL! As far as Giuliani, I just lost my mojo due to the late hour. Whoops! My son thinks he looks like a walking, breathing skeleton—it creeps him out! His nickname for him is “Skeletor.” I'll ponder on this one some more...hmmm! Maybe I can pick on him for riding the "marriage-go-round" until he got dizzy? When I look at him, I see 9-11 and not too many funny thoughts come to mind I guess! Sorry, green, bashing Hillary for blatantly riding her lousy hubby’s coattails driven by her blind White House ambitions was most definitely not a cheap shot. The truth hurts. Can you honestly say you’d stand by your man after all the details of his disgusting sex life with the skanky little intern and the countless other women were paraded on broadcast television internationally for months upon months without end? If I heard about that damn blue dress with the semen on it one more time, I was going to break my television! Geez! That was our damn PRESIDENT they were talking about. It was SO embarrassing to have that man be the face of the U.S. that we presented to the world! My brothers were still in the military then and even they were totally humiliated. We aren't talking about ONE indiscretion that the wife discovered in the privacy of her own home and then the couple went to counseling and worked it out. Give me a break! Their marriage has been a total joke for decades. She's just kept him around to leverage her into the frickin' Oval Office. He owes her big time for the hell he put her through--make no mistake about it! What we're seeing now is her turning the screws--it's time for Bill to pay up! Trust me, in that household, I seriously doubt that a few dozen roses were going to make up for what he did to her. Hillary's getting him to campaign for her instead. I just can't get past the fact that I can't stand that woman--from her annoying voice, mannerisms, ideology, shady past--remember all those "associates" of the Clintons who mysteriously dropped dead or committed suicide years ago? Their "people" (i.e. publicity machine) conveniently swept all of their little scandals under the carpet because they are the "holier-than-thou" highly revered Clintons. :mad: They had their happy little eight years in office and they need to move on with their lives, find some "noble cause" to champion (like Al Gore), and travel the world to "raise awareness" far away from me. I've heard you get paid buckets of money for speaking engagements, you get to make fancy PowerPoint presentations, and you can even win international awards! Maybe they could invent the "next generation" of the internet? :doh: LOL! I’m just gonna agree to disagree with you on this one (which doesn’t happen often I might very happily add). As for Obama, I didn’t say he was rich at birth, although he seems pretty gosh darn well off to me now, don't you think? He’s one hell of a lot richer than I am (using myself as a gauge of what an average American earns)—bet he hasn’t had to count out a can of beans in a ‘one for me, one for you’ manner in quite a few years. I'm once again scraping and scrimping to make my last paycheck last for 6 weeks instead of 4 due to the holidays (unlike the candidates, I actually know how much bread and milk costs!). My original point was that "regular" working-class people can't run for president any more which is a huge problem. You can't run if you aren't filthy rich--all the candidates do these days is try to "buy" the election. In any case, I just don’t agree with anything Obama says on the campaign trail (lots of bluster, impersonating MLK Jr., and little substance IMO--blah, blah, blah) and I personally could care less what drugs he did when he was a teen as long as he's sober when he's near the big red nuclear holocaust button. Whatever. We have all had our wild times (I mentioned that specifically to slam Bill, not Obama. The point was that Obama owned up to his past while everyone’s “hero president” Billy-boy conveniently develops amnesia whenever it serves his purpose even while under oath--what a fine upstanding citizen he is. I'm so proud!). I just can’t align with Obama’s views although he seems like a genuinely good person and I certainly admire all he has accomplished so far. I don't care about his race or religion, I just don't think he's ready to run the country yet. He needs some more experience. That being said, if I had a gun cocked and pressed tightly against my temple and was forced to choose between Clinton or Obama, I'd go with Obama and hope and pray that he surrounds himself with really good advisors! At this point in the election process, I'm still totally committed to voting for myself as a write-in candidate! I'm going to create my own political party, too! More on this fascinating idea later! :heh: