Carlene

Evidently, Carol, you do not believe that my Bible is "instructed by God", since it is not on the list you provided TOM. I am very curious as to what makes you think that your Bibles are holier than mine. Does God place some kind of mark on them, like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval? And how can there be more than one version of the "true" Bible anyway? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

There is not one single instance in the Bible where Christ mentions homosexuality - not one.

Carol...not sure I understand your post. If you don't agree with a lot of things the Bible comes up with, how is that different from questioning the word of God????

Sorry....I don't see the correlation between parenthood and marriage. Neither is dependent on the other. Plenty of people (too many,maybe) have children but never bother to get married. Producing children is merely biology. Gay couples adopt or utilize IVF etc to create their families. So do straight couples. I have an adopted son. I had to explain to him that a whole other set of parents was needed in order for him to be born. But no need to worry about him....he's fine. And he knows how babies are made, too. Now he's hoping that his 17 year old knows how NOT to make them.

Jodie... Please post a link to a news source that says one single person starved to death in Jasper, TX as a result of hurricane Rita. Just one. As for Perry's humanitarian act, he declared about 6 counties to be disaster areas, not just the town of Jasper, and then he promptly applied for federal funds to clean up and rebuild. It was the least he could do, as governor. Visiting the aftermath of the storm also got him some great (and free) media coverage to kick off his 2006 campaign with. Texas is a "cheap" place to live? You think so? We pay 50% more for electricity than anyone else in the country. And while we don't have a state income tax (yet), we do have one of the highest sales taxes in the nation. Mine, including local taxes, is 8.25%. TXU is making record-breaking profits, courtesy of the PUC (all appointed by the governor), who allowed 4 raises in just over 12 months. How is that "cheap"? As for Social Security....you think you pay for it, do you? How about the SS taxes that my DH paid for 40 years? Don't you think he might have earned the benefits he receives now? Do you receive any pell grants or subsidized student loans to help with your education? I'm paying for those, you know. Social Security is insurance, not welfare. Nobody gets a dime unless he/she (or a dead or disabled parent) paid into the system. Now Congress...that's a nice retirement package. Serve one term in Congress and you can retire with a really nice life-long pension. I'm sorry that your grandfather chose not to accept SS benefits, but they are NOT "other people's money". If he paid into SS, it was HIS money, too. I assume that your parents feel the same way and will not be accepting monthly retirement checks from the Feds? How about Medicare? What will they do for insurance coverage, once they are too old to work? One heart attack can easily cost 150 K in hospital costs. Even the best planners/savers can't afford to pay for many of those. And most senior citizens do not have a morphine habit, by the way. Surely you can't suggest that is the case, simply because you know of one elderly man who has a drug problem. I just read yesterday how many millions are being spent nation-wide to combat meth addiction and labs. If I'm not mistaken, the meth problem is almost 100% a "younger generation" epidemic. But I'm paying, like everyone else, for stringent control of over-the-counter decongestant meds so kids can't kill themselves quite so easily by cooking and using meth. You see, Jodie, when one segment of society has a problem, we ALL have a problem. As one of the "baby boomers", let me assure you that the last thing we want to do is live off our children and grandchildren. Most of us not only paid into SS but once it became available we also took advantage of things like 401 K and IRA's. Unfortunately the cost of living outdistanced our savings, by a long shot. Property taxes are so high that many of us have had to sell our homes, even after working 30 years to pay for them, because it costs thousands of dollars in taxes and insurance just to live in our own houses. My brother, who did 3 tours in Vietnam, is one of those. Tarrant County kept raising the evaluation on his house - doubling it between 1989 and 2004- until he was forced to sell his home. What a fine job Texas has done of repaying him for his military service. Rick Perry said he would not waste any more money on education. Do you consider public schools part of the welfare system? I don't. I consider them an investment in our future. If we don't pay teachers a living wage, where will we find qualified people to teach our kids? Do you know why there are so few men teaching in public schools now? Because you can't support a family on what Texas pays its teachers, and men are traditionally the primary wage earners. Rick Perry left millions in matching federal funds for Medicaid on the table, choosing instead to cut health care for children. For CHILDREN, Jodie....not drug users or do-nothings driving purple Cadillacs. Children cannot help themselves. They cannot get a job and pay for their own eyeglasses. Did you know that in some poor school districts, children have to share eyeglasses because they no longer qualify for Medicaid? Does that make you feel good, knowing that you support the man who opposed buying glasses for kids, but said he is "all for" cutting the business tax - before big business has to actually pay a dime in additional taxes. Keep studying, Jodie....you still have a lot to learn about politicians.

That's certainly what Perry is hoping for. Right now he is in a solid first place with 30+%, Bell is second and Strayhorn a close third. Carol's supporters are very loyal and unlikely to switch, even to oust Perry. RP probably lost as many votes to Strayhorn as Bell did....maybe more. She used to be a Republican herself, after all. I hate that we are going to elect this jackass by voting FOR two better candidates, instead of voting AGAINST Rick Perry. Oct. 29, 2006, 12:06AM CHRONICLE-11 NEWS POLL Voters are likely to re-elect Perry</SPAN> Despite poor job reviews, he has 38% support while Strayhorn, Bell split ticket By R.G. RATCLIFFE and LISA FALKENBERG Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau AUSTIN - A majority of likely Texas voters say they are unhappy with the job Republican Rick Perry has done as governor, but he is likely to win re-election because his opposition remains splintered, according to a new poll conducted for the Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV. Perry leads a five-person field with 38 percent support, according to the survey. Democrat Chris Bell has 22 percent support, and independent Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has 21 percent — a statistical tie. Independent Kinky Friedman trails badly at 10.5 percent, and Libertarian James Werner has just 1 percent support. Disapproval of Perry's job performance is almost universal across Texas' demographic groups, according to the survey. Perry still has solid support from conservatives and Republicans. "Could this have been a competitive two-person race? Absolutely. But it was never a competitive two-person race," said pollster John Zogby. "You get back to that one point: Bell and Strayhorn are blocking one another." Bell — despite a saturation television-advertising buy paid for by $2.5 million in donations and loans from Houston trial lawyer John O'Quinn — remains largely unknown to four of every 10 voters. And Bell has yet to consolidate even his own Democratic base. Strayhorn shows strength among women, blacks and self-identified independents, but she has failed to make significant inroads with Democrats or Republicans. Friedman simply is disliked by half the state's likely voters. His disapproval rating may be caused in part by racially insensitive remarks he has made and his poor performance in the gubernatorial debate, but the respondents were not asked to say why they approved or disapproved of any of the candidates. The result: Because the winner need only get a plurality, not a majority, Perry probably will be elected to another four years in office on Nov. 7. "The difficulty here is Perry has solidified in the high 30s," Zogby said of the challengers. "It would take two candidates to implode, and the odds of that happening are very, very nil."

Jodie... And exactly WHY would we vote for a man who hasn't "come through on his promises"? Maybe because RICK PERRY IS A LIAR? I am totally underwhelmed with the opposition but I am not voting FOR Bell, Strayhorn, or Friedman...I voted AGAINST Rick Perry. Rick Perry does not value children, education, teachers, or the working class. Want to know why we have so much money in the state coffers now, with more pouring in all the time? Because Rick Perry cut Medicaid to millions of poor Texas children and elderly. He skimmed money off dedicated programs (special license plate sales, lottery, utility assistance,etc) and added it to the general fund. Now he wants to do away with the business tax, which hasn't even gone into effect yet. During Rick Perry's watch, our electric bills have more than DOUBLED. And Perry wants us to believe that total deregulation of utilities will fix that? HA! Rick Perry is the best friend big business ever had....well, since George Bush, anyway. Are you sure you can afford to support Rick Perry?

This is the "Rants and Raves" forum, where you are invited to comment on anything and everything. Vent your spleen...but remember not to flame the members of LBT. A similar forum is the "Talk Lounge". Everything off topic (not about Lap Band or weight loss) should go in one of these two forums. You are welcome to join us, but if you prefer to avoid discussions (and sometimes arguments) about a whole host of stuff, you might want to skip R&R and TL.

Last night was Trunk or Treat at church. This is a photo of me and Dead Fred.

I am somewhat familiar with Parkinson's Disease. My mother had it for years and eventually died from complications of PD. It is a neurological disease. I don't understand the connection between your GI tract and Parkinson's. Could you elaborate on what your doctor told you regarding this, please? I am already concerned about PD, of course, although they tell me it is not genetic.

What??? That's interesting. I have seen people fly (not on SW) wearing some really outlandish clothing. Most recently a very pregnant woman with gauchos worn under her belly and a shirt barely covering it. Because my DH and I fly free, we are required to conform to a dress code. While not as stringent as in years past, it's still no denim (in first class), athletic shoes, sweatshirts, shorts, flip flops, etc (even in coach). We joke that you can always tell the non-revs because we are the best dressed people on the plane.

A brochure on the door of the Episcopal Chaplain's office at Stanford University reads, "What did Jesus say about homosexuality?" When the brochure is opened the inside is completely blank. Episcopal Chaplain Penelope Duckworth explains, "For we, as Christians, pay particular attention to the words of our savior. Jesus said nothing regarding homosexuality, and in his ministry spoke more about the sins of the spirit than the sins of the body...Our reading of the Bible in its entirety is one of a loving, forgiving and nurturing God who wants us to help create a world that accepts and empowers us all." (Letter to the Editor, by Rev. Penelope Duckworth, Elizabeth Cook and Cynthia Stotts Howard, the Stanford Daily March 1990).

Here is my take on it...

I'm all for it! Let's put the "under" back in underwear! By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News A proposal to ban saggy pants in Dallas gained steam Wednesday as City Council members discussed how to deal with the popular clothing trend. Several council members voiced support and asked the city attorney's office to research whether such a rule is enforceable. Dallas school trustee Ron Price recommended the ban at Wednesday's council meeting, following through on a plan he announced Tuesday. Mr. Price wants the city to create an ordinance to allow police to cite people who wear their pants too low. "Too low," he said, allows too much underwear to show. Most of the nine council members who addressed Mr. Price at the meeting said the idea merits discussion. Some said an ordinance was needed, while others felt a public campaign involving the city, schools, parents and the community would be the way to go. Some of the 14 council members said nothing. Two who spoke – Angela Hunt and Gary Griffith – opposed using police to enforce a ban. "I'm not going to be in favor of using police officers to track people whose pants are low," Mr. Griffith said. Mr. Price, dressed in a suit, his usual attire at public meetings, said the effort is aimed not only at children, but also grown men who walk around with their underwear exposed. "We have a problem in our city," Mr. Price said. He ran a slogan by the council that he's given to the initiative: "Pull it up, or pay up."

Won't happen. Pete's right. Most of Kinky's supporters are people who usually would not vote.

You would be surprised at how many moms I've seen who have a "crack problem". In Fort Worth they recently adopted a school dress code for TEACHERS. Who would ever have seen that coming?

Thank you all for your kind words. I'm grateful too that I have Lucy, my little Shih Tzu who has issues and is loved by no one but me. Like most Labs, Sarah loved all living creatures. Her greatest joy was pleasing humans. It's too bad that people don't care as much about people as that big yellow dog did.

I would like to make it through just one day without glimpsing anyone’s underwear except my own. And it's a simple thing to tell if your pants fit appropriately or not…if you can’t sit down without showing your undies, either your pants are too low, or your shirt is too short. Then you should adjust accordingly – please. I know some people think the rest of the world wants to see what kind of thong they're wearing, but most of us don’t. Really, we don’t. It’s called underwear for a reason, people. Now jump up and down a couple of times. If your pants fall down, they’re too big. Put on a belt, for crying out loud. Trust me, when you have to walk like a duck just to keep from losing your pants, it’s not cool…it’s weird.

I live in suburban Dallas/Ft Worth. My granddaughter goes to school in a primarily white district. They have a "no sag" dress code. And a "no midriff" one, as well. Skirts and shorts may not be more than 4 inches above the knee. Girls have to wear "appropriate undergarments". That means they can't come to school bra-less. I was amazed to learn that 14 year old girls had to be told to put on a bra.

I had to fill out some paperwork when my mom was in ICU....what they could do to prolong her life, and what they couldn't. It was awful. I felt like I was signing her death warrant.

You are so BAD, Kari.... Carol, I did not say your boobs were shaped like bananas! Not that there is anything wrong with banana boobs, just in case they are.

Carol... I think you are a lovely person, and I agree that being a Christian doesn't mean that you can't have fun - even shake your banana tits, if you want to. But you can't just say "it's true because the Bible says so" and not expect to get some feedback. My point was that if you take every passage literally, the Bible condemns all kinds of things - not just homosexuality. And if a gay relationship is wrong because the New Testament says it is, then it's equally wrong for a woman to cut her hair, or divorce her husband, or speak her mind. My church, by the way, agrees with you on the issue of homosexuality. I think they are wrong. I think gay people are gay just because they are, not because they chose to be part of a persecuted minority. How smart is that?

Oh, me too. But I'm not known for being quiet, proper, or modest. Pass the vino, please.

Someone already pointed that out. And Carole said you do not have to be boring to be a Christian. I agree...but the "proper conduct, modesty and self-control" thing has me a little confused.

Okay...let's talk about the New Testament. First of all, do you know its history? Many Protestants do not realize that the New Testament they cherish so was given to them by a Pope - the holy and wise Spaniard Pope St. Damasus, in the council of Rome. It is the same collection of books used in all Protestant Bibles today. So, how do you feel about divorce? The Old Testament permitted it, the NT does not (unless a woman commits adultery). The NT says a man who divorces his wife (or vice versa) and remarries commits adultery. Anyone in your congregation living in adultery? Do you cover your head when you pray? Cut your hair? The NT says "But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved. But it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved and she should wear a veil." Here's a nice little piece of news for those of us who like a little white Zen... "Stop drinking only Water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses." (cough...cough) Slavery is okay, according to the NT... "Slaves are to be under the control of their masters in all respects, giving them satisfaction, not talking back to them". Back to us women... "Similarly, too, women should adorn themselves with proper conduct, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hairstyles and gold ornaments, or pearls, or expensive clothes." (Please PM me for my address so you may send me all your gold ornaments, pearls, and expensive clothes.) "A woman must receive instruction silently and under complete control. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet." (yeah....when hell freezes over) And finally, from St. Paul... "Avoid foolish and ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels. A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth and that they may return to their senses out of the devil's snare, where they are entrapped by him, for his will." This is just a very small sampling of the New Testament's teachings that you might not like/agree with. However, if you are going to embrace the NT, you have to embrace it ALL - otherwise you ARE "cherry picking".