Carlene

I will settle for seeing him out of office...the sooner, the better. Oh, and his buddy Rick Perry, too.

Ann Coulter is a lunatic. This is an example...her attack (in print) on the 9/11 widows. "These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them. ... I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much ... the Democrat ratpack gals endorsed John Kerry for president ... cutting campaign commercials... how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy." Even the Republicans weren't comfortable with Coulter's nasty assessment of these women, dubbed by her "The Jersey Girls", whose only crime was that some of them endorsed Kerry for president. Personally, I'm glad as hell she's not a Democrat!

Gary Condit (Democrat) has been romantically linked with Jennifer Thomas, with flight attendant Anne Marie Smith, and with Chandra Levy, the missing intern. Condit, the son of a Baptist minister, was a harsh critic of Clinton's behavior during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Condit has co-sponsored legislation encouraging the posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings. Jesse Jackson had an affair with Karin Stanford, a former professor who was a staffer at the Washington offices of Rainbow-PUSH. Jackson fathered a child with her (born in 1999), while acting as a spirital counsellor for Bill Clinton during the Monica scandals. Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Secretary of the Treasury and the most prominent member of George Washington's Cabinet, had an affair with Maria Reynolds. Tim Hutchinson, Republican Senator from Arkansas, carried on an affair with a former staffer, Randi Fredholm. Senator Hutchinson voted to impeach Bill Clinton, by the way. David Schippers (Republican), chief investigative counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, carried on a long affair with his office manager, Nancy Ruggero. The affair began in the early 1970's, and lasted for a quarter of a century. As Schippers summed up the prosecution's case against Clinton, Schippers' wife looked on. And so did his ex-mistress, and her husband Al. Now that's family values! Robert Livingston (Democrat), former Speaker of the House, admitted on December 16, 1998 that he had "on occasion strayed from my marriage". Henry Hyde's (Republican), Illinois Representative, had a mistress named Cheri Snodgrass.Congressman Hyde, supposedly famous for his integrity, now describes the affair as a "youthful indiscretion". In fact, Hyde was 41 when the affair started, and nearly 50 when it ended. Back in 1977, when Newt Gingrich (Republican) was a professor at West Georgia College, he had an affair with Anne Manning, the wife of another professor. "We had oral sex," Anne Manning revealed. "He prefers that modus operandi because then he can say, 'I never slept with her.'" She added that Gingrich threatened her: "If you ever tell anybody about this, I'll say you're lying." Democrat Gary Hart's 1988 presidential bid was derailed after an affair with model Donna Rice was revealed. Wilbur Mills was the long-time Speaker of the House, a Democrat from Arkansas. He had an affair with exotic dancer Fanny Foxe, "The Argentine Firecracker". Wayne Hays, Democrat from Ohio, ran into trouble after he put his mistress, Elizabeth Ray, on the payroll as a secretary. Bob Packwood, long time Republican Senator from Oregon, was forced to resign after revelations of his chronic habits of sexual harrassment of women. Democrat John Tower's nomination as Secretary of Defense was derailed after his long history of drinking and womanizing became public Senator Strom Thurmond (who switched from the Democratic to the Republican party in 1964) was famous for his opposition to desegregation. However, it was later revealed that in his youth he fathered a daughter by his family’s black maid, Carrie Butler. Lyndon Johnson ( Democrat) had a long-term relationship with Alice Glass, the girlfriend of Texas newspaper publisher Charles Marsh. Glass broke it off because she opposed the Vietnam war. James Garfield (Republican) had a brief affair with a Mrs. Calhoun in New York City in 1862. Garfield's wife caught them. Bob Dole (Republican) had an affair with Meredith Roberts, an Australian-born secretary, from 1968 to 1972. At the time, Dole was still married to his first wife, Phyllis Holden, whom he divorced in 1973. Roberts decided to speak out, she said, because she was offended by the way Dole has been promoting the theme of "family values". George Bush (senior) is widely believed to have had a long-term affair with one Jennifer Fitzgerald, a retired US diplomat. Warren G Harding (Republican) had an affair for 15 years with Carrie Phillips, wife of Harding's friend James Phillips. I still say they are about even.

This may be the ultimate thread killer. Below is a photo of something called the "Kitty Litter Cake". My friend, who sent me the photo, swears it's 100% edible (quite tasty,even). If you want the recipe, let me know.

Geez....how far back do you want to go? Thomas Jefferson (Republican) had a mistress and several illegitimate children. Franklin Roosevelt (Democrat) had a mistress while in office. Dwight Eisenhower (Republican) had a mistress prior to being elected. I don't know if that relationship continued afterward or not. John Kennedy (Democrat)...well, we all know now how many girlfriends studly Jack had. Bill Clinton (Democrat)...we know plenty about Bill, too. And those were just the presidents. I'd say the two parties are about even. The Mark Foley scandal, however, is much, much worse because it involves underage pages. This is not just a "sex scandal" - this involved children, and that is a new low, even for a politician.

I absolutely LOVE Dr. Smith. He will NOT, however, treat patients banded in Mexico. The reason I mention it here is that one woman I know of broached the subject with him. He was offended and pretty vocal about it. She was very embarrassed. This is not "rumor"...I talked to Dr. Smith's nurse after it occurred and she confirmed it. Right or wrong, Dr. Smith feels that it is an "insult" to go to Mexico for surgery (to save money) and then seek treatment from an American surgeon when problems crop up, or because it's too inconvenient to go back to Mexico for fills. I would hate for Lindsay to have a bad experience with Dr. Smith. He really is a nice guy...this is just one of his "hot buttons".

I am AMAZED at how many people believe this to be true. Utterly and completely AMAZED. The scary part is, these people are allowed to vote!

No one is anti-life...no one is pro-abortion. Abortion on demand, however, is anti-responsibility. Why does a premature baby, born at 24 weeks, have rights and protection under the law, but an unborn fetus, also 24 weeks old, have none? That just defies logic.

Here is a photo (before and after) of a woman in my local support group. She was banded 7 years ago in New Orleans, as part of the FDA trials. She has lost 210 pounds. Pictures often speak louder than numbers, where weight loss is concerned.

I have been banded for almost 2 years (11/29/04). I have had no significant problems. I have had to have small unfills (twice) because I developed reflux from being overly restricted. Other than those two non-events (each took about 5 minutes in the doctor's office), everything has been GREAT. I've lost 97 pounds and look/feel like a new person. My husband is also banded, just 2 weeks after me. He has lost 76 pounds and his Diabetes meds have been cut by 3/4.

Here's a similar one...

When we are older and/or out of circulation (not married), we begin to focus more on health and less on looks, I think. But when you play the dating game, and especially when you are younger, looks (unfortunately) are what it's all about.

He will know it's the "looks issue", no matter what you say. Ditto for "It's not you, it's me" and "I'm just not ready for a relationship right now." This isn't his first rodeo. I'm sure he's heard all the let-him-down-easy stuff before. Not that I think you should tell him his obesity turns you off. But he will know. We all always knew, didn't we?

Sometimes what people say and what other people hear just aren't the same thing. A guy goes to the supermarket and notices a beautiful blond woman wave at him and say hello. He's rather taken aback, because he can't place where he knows her from. So he says, "Do you know me?" To which she replies, "I think you're the father of one of my kids." Now his mind travels back to the only time he has ever been unfaithful to his wife and says, "My God, are you the stripper from my bachelor party that I laid on the pool table with all my buddies watching, while your partner whipped me with wet celery???" She looks into his eyes and calmly says, "No, I'm your son's math teacher."

I see that Jack is off his meds again. Seriously, it's perfectly normal to feel this way. I gained 5 pounds between my approval and my surgery date. Just do the best you can, but the less you gain, the less you will have to lose in order to reach your goal weight.

Gail... The "Rants and Raves" section of this forum is set aside for discussion of ANY topic whatsoever, including politics and religion. People come here to vent their spleen, discuss, and argue (as long as it's mannerly - no flaming and no name-calling of members). You are welcome to join us, and you are welcome to ignore us. You just aren't welcome to censor us.

I think there are groups, or drugs, or something for what ails you.

I think you need to stop harassing poor Jeff. Most people would understand, just as you did, that "Use Other Door" meant use the left one.

The wind blows hard against this mountain side, across the sea into my soul It reaches into where I cannot hide, setting my feet upon the road My heart is old, it holds my memories, my body burns a gemlike flame Somewhere between the soul and soft machine, is where I find myself again Chorus: Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night Kyrie eleison, where I'm going will you follow Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light When I was young I thought of growing old, of what my life would mean to me Would I have followed down my chosen road, or only wished what I could be (chorus repeats out...) Kyrie eleison is Latin for "Lord have mercy".

Well...it's not as if anyone has a God-given right to get high without consequences. I think every 20 year old should know that there are huge risks associated with indiscriminate drug use, including death.

I don't know if she's got anything to worry about or not. As you guys get older, however, size really does matter. How big is your....... 401 K? What??? Did you think I was going to say something else? You aren't a tired old man...you are a DIRTY old man.

I have no problem drinking alcohol. I drink, I fall down....no problem.

Sometimes what you say isn't what they hear. The other night, my DH and I went to a restaurant. While we waited for our food, I read him the trivia questions off the little coffee Talk paper that I had picked up as we came in. "What part of the plant is used to make mint jelly?" What would you have said? My DH said, "I don't know....the back room?" I almost rolled on the floor, I was laughing so hard! "No, silly. It has nothing to do with a factory. It means what part of the mint plant- the stem, the leaves, etc - is used to make jelly." Shortly thereafter, a couple came in and sat at the next table. The wife proceeded to read her DH the trivia questions. She got to the one about the mint jelly, and his answer was, "The back room". Must be a guy thing....

When my youngest son was about 5 years old he loved to sing a popular C&W song called Jose Cuervo. Kelly had been singing it for weeks when he mentioned one day that he didn't think they were allowed to use bad words on the radio. "What bad words," I asked. The words in that song," sang my sweet, innoncent child. "Jose Cuervo, you are a friend of mine I like to drink you with a little salt and lime Did I piss off the cowboys? Did I shoot out the lights? Did I dance on the bar? Did I start any fights?" The correct line is "Did I kiss all the cowboys." Same kid....another song. The Oakridge Boys recorded one that I don't remember the name of, but it contained a line that went, "Come on in, baby take your coat off Come on in, baby shake the blues off." Kelly asked me what "the blues" meant and I told him it means "sad". Now in school, they had a saying for making someone feel good - it was "warm fuzzies". But if you made someone feel bad, by name-calling, for example, you were guilty of giving them "cold pricklies". Kelly asked me if "the blues" was the same as "cold pricklies", and I said they were. Next thing I knew, he was singing, "Come on in, baby take your clothes off. Come on in, baby shake your cold prickly off." His dad's friends used to give him money to sing that song! Poor kid, he thought they liked his voice.

Of course it's improper. Leave out the "me". My granddaughter and her friends talk like this all the time. I correct them and they shrug their shoulders and say, "Whatever."