Sunta

YAY! How fantastic! I know how stressful it is waiting for that. Do you know your surgery date?

I am very unsure of the validity of the study. I know many, many, many lesbians, and very few of them are obese. As a matter of fact, in a room with 35 lesbians recently, I was the only one with a weight problem. Now I know that's not very scientific to say the least, but it's my personal experience. I would have tended to say that between straight women and lesbians, more straight women are obese. I'm not basing that on one night at an L Word party mentioned above, but on a lifetime of hanging out with lesbians. I'm more than a little bisexual myself (mainly Gay but married to a man), so I am speaking from experience. I think more studies would have to be done in order to confirm these findings. How many times have we seen studies where a later study came out that totally discounted the earlier study? Hormone replacement therapy, for example! Not to mention so many conflicting diet/weight loss studies. (Low fat dieters lose more! NO- Low carb dieters lose more!) I'd say that if these findings were true, it would be because women are more accepting of extra weight than men are, and therefore, there is less pressure on them to be obsessed about their weight, because finding a girlfriend is not contingent on appearance.

now, what is the difference between those medieval Christian superstitions, and the new modern alternate superstitions? It hard to tell from my part of the universe.... I'm sure there are lots of differences within how the religion is perhaps practiced, but the main simiarity I see is the very idea of some "hero savior" born of a virgin, in other words, the mythology that permeated in the middle ages is still the same today. In the Cloisters, there were many statues of the mother and child, and they look very much the same as modern day statues of Mary and Jesus. It's like gazing into the future while looking at the ancient past, and it's disturbing to me. It would be as if we still relied on archaic methods and superstitions to cure diseases instead of modern medicine. Basically the people then were fed a detailed story of a hero who would solve all of their problems, and they bought into it due to ignorance and fear. But instead of progressing, religion has stagnated and become mired in an ancient story/belief. As I looked at the statues, I could easily see elements of other myths abounding. There is one where Jesus is killing a dragon!!! It's all the same story of earlier religions, repackaged into one superhero. I find the whole thing to be incredibly bizarre. And "converting" children into it is just plain wrong.

It's a gorgeous dress!!! I would go sans necklace but do some dangling earrings. The reason is that I wouldn't want to take anything away from the gorgeous neckline of the dress as it really stands on its own. I would also add some kind of hair accessory. The last wedding I went to I wore rhinestones in my hair. But I'm really wild about hair accessories. I think either earrings and a bracelet or earrings and a hair thingy would be perfect.

Several people apparently decided to punish me for my political views and were hurting my "rep-power". Doing something like that because of political views is petty and outrageous. I got some negative reviews on some of my posts too, from conservatives, and I received no apology. So I really can't blame you for fighting back.

Interesting article from msnbc.com. I wonder if anyone who advocates for the Quiverfull movement would ever consider doing something like this: MAMORONECK, N.Y. - What does the O'Rourke family have in common with The Dave Matthews Band, Timberland and Expedia.com? They're all measuring their “carbon footprint,” calculating how much pollution their lifestyle causes. Carbon footprints are a way of representing the effect humans have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced. “For a long time, it was easy to not be aware. Now, with so many things at your fingertips, it’s harder not to be conscious of it,” says Steve O’Rourke. The family tallies yearly energy use on the Conservation Fund’s Web site. They measure everything, from electricity (4,000 kilowatt hours — down by using energy efficient light bulbs), oil heat (466 gallons for their two-bedroom apartment), to driving (one car that has about 12,000 miles, car pooling and biking to reduce their miles). They’ve also decided not to travel by air. That’s big savings as one round trip cross country would mean three tons of carbon each. The O’Rourke family’s carbon footprint is just 15.21 tons per year. “We’re not neutral and until we are we feel like we have to pay it off,” says Steve O’Rourke. So they're paying a carbon offset, an investment in a renewable energy project of about $65. This makes them “carbon neutral.” Carbon offsetting balance a unit of carbon dioxide emissions with a product that saves or stores an equivalent amount of CO2. Credits are typically bought and sold through a number of online retailers and trading platforms. The average American generates about 20 tons of carbon each year, and the biggest cause of that is automobiles. A typical family’s footprint is about 45 tons. That offset is worth is about $675. Click for related content Calculate your carbon offset Newsweek: Glossary of earth terms Proponents of carbon offsetting say this doesn’t mean that somebody should pay to have a tree planted and then get in their SUV and go to the grocery store. And a recent study warns that while the offset industry is booming, it’s largely unregulated. Meanwhile, the O’Rourkes try to reduce their footprint by unplugging appliances and recycling plastic bags. “To us, it doesn’t seem extreme. I kind of think we should be doing more,” says Cathy O’Rourke. With cloth napkins at dinner, they’re on a strict carbon diet.

Probably, Christians are upset about the fact that the Website exposes just a little more of the vast hypocrisy of many (NOT ALL! NOT ALL!) Christians. Christian pedophiles, Christian crystal meth users, Christian abortion clinic bombers, Christian Gay prostitute seekers, Christian thieves, Christian swindlers... the list goes on. Surely when things like this are exposed it further undermines the already shaky outlook alot of people have on the right-wing Christian movement. And when the movement is made to look bad, it threatens their ability to "convert" aka brainwash, more people. That translates to less money for their churches, fewer children joining, etc. In other words... it's bad for business.

After all these months of reading these religious-themed posts and listening to people declare that they have a right to tell me and everyone else how we must live, I just got a bit worn out from it. Me too! You want to be really worn out? Go on over to the "Christian Bandsters" thread. Don't post there though, because it's a thread "just for them", and they don't want anyone like you or me posting there. Not even to proclaim that their posts are really disturbing, especially the one about converting 300 children to "receive the Lord". It makes my blood boil to think of innocent children who don't even understand what they're getting into, being brainwashed. Basically what they do is they put on some kind of carnival where they have food and face painting, and invite low-income families to attend, and then brainwash them into becoming "saved" by giving them free stuff. Kind of like missionaries who go to poor areas and brainwash (aka bribe) the people there. They prey on people's vulnerabilities and it makes me so angry. I don't post there because I find most of those people to be very unwelcoming of differing points of view (such as my view that what they are doing is totally wrong), and plus they proclaimed they didn't want anyone who doesn't agree with them posting there. But I do read it and it makes me very frustrated.

I think it looks adorable. That being said, I really feel her pain. I myself was crying (and I'm 37 years old!!!) over my most recent hair cut a few weeks ago. Literally crying and throwing a temper tantrum and calling all my friends and saying I should wear a burka, etc. The thing that helped me the most, is hair accessories. My hair actually goes from looking HORRIBLE (I'm talking 1980's nun) to adorable, with the addition of a headband. So if your daughter still feels bad about her haircut, get her some rhinestone hair clips, headbands, barettes with flowers on them, etc. and she will soon be loving her hair. But it does look really cute though.

I'm wondering, however - if those things that were not acceptable say 20 years ago should now be acceptable due to our current state of enlightenment; will this be yet another one of those things that we find unacceptable today, but as our 'enlightenment' continues will someday become acceptable? To what "things" are you referring? Because I, for one, can't think of one single thing in our society today that is acceptable due to "enlightenment" that is as reprehensible and morally bankrupt as pedophilia.

Something which I have never tasted and would like to try before I die is southern bar-b-que. I have read about this and this is not available up here in the frozen but globally warming north. It's my absolute favorite. The very mention of it had my mouth watering like crazy and wondering if I can get out of my dinner plans tonight to head down to a rib shack here in Philly. What you should do right away, Green, is you should hop on a plane to Memphis. Not only will you find the best Southern BBQ anywhere, but you will also enjoy a fabulous city that is the birthplace of the rock-n-roll and the civil rights movement!!! I went in December and let me tell you, it was a fabulous vacation. Totally worth it.

Hi, I have been having similar stabbing pains in my left side, just under my port. It worsens with tight waistbands and/or any kind of friction to the area. It lessens with complete rest of the area (very loose waistbands, no pressure on area). A CAT scan revealed nothing and my doc wants to do exploratory surgery to see what's wrong. I am not keen on that at all, so have decided to work through it. I find that if i gently stretch the area, the pain resolves. It comes in "attacks" and feels almost as the very underside of the port is "catching" on a nerve or something. I can get attacks as frequently as every day or as infrequently as every two weeks. This has been going on since December 2006. At any rate, a call to your doc is in order to check everything out. Do keep me posted on what you find out!

I for one don't plan on giving any negative reputation remarks, because I don't think it's fair to affect someone's reputation on the board just because I happen to disagree with their opinion. I think opinions and reputation should be separate. There are several people here who I vehemently disagree with on a number of topics, and yet I still feel that they deserve a good reputation on the board. In fact, there's no one here who I feel deserves a bad reputation, except maybe spammers. That's just my two cents.

Thank you MsDad for telling your story!!! Now, if only people would listen to it and actually learn something from it! I always wonder what certain people would say to you after hearing your harrowing experiences. After all of that, would they still say "I'm sure you can choose to be straight."??? I wish more people who have had your experience would start making some noise about what they've been through. We need people like you to be vocal so thank you again for sharing your experience.

Here are some things I bought that I thought I'd never use, but that I use constantly: 1. Manual Pasta machine from Bed Bath and Beyond. It cost $20 and I use it often! You crank the dough by hand and then run it through the blades. Soooo yummy! 2. Old fashioned mortar and pestal. I use it all the time to crush pills, herbs, you name it! 3. Cuisinart. Couldn't live without it! Here are some other things I love: 1. Balance bars. I keep them in my purse for when I get lightheaded from hunger. One will fill me up for hours! 2. Crystal Light individual powder packets. You add to a bottle of Water and viola! a non-carbonated delicious sugar free drink! I loooove these little things! They are perfect for traveling too. 3. cheese sticks. Great for a snack. 4. Bath and Body Works heel cream. I think it's called "heel of approval". It's the only thing I've found that remotely softens my feet, and I've tried alot of products. 5. Cottage cheese and fruit combo packs. Perfect for a light lunch and delicious. 6. Chewable Tylenol. Carlene, we have an espresso machine at work that cost $1,000. I use it every single day, sometimes twice a day, and so do my co-workers. If I had it at home I would use it even more. It makes coffeehouse quality lattes and we love it.

It's a couples shower, Sunta. He will be there (from what I gathered) Oooooooh! A couple's shower!!! OH I missed that! That's a horse of a different color! Ok, then yes, she should buy a couple's gift, and address it to both of them (do not get something "just for him" because it will make the bride feel left out and bad). She can get them a household item but it does not have to be from the registry. I recently found this awesome set of crystal martini glasses from Boscov's for $50! It was for my friend's wedding but I liked them so much I got a set for myself! Champagne flutes are nice too. Anything for the kitchen would be fine as well.

Her's her latest emphasis: assume she's going to both events (she plans to). Since it's a couples shower but the bride is a total stranger, does she buy something for him? Or something for both of them? Ok, so she plans on going to the shower. If she goes to the shower, she buys a shower gift for the bride. This could also be for "both" of them like something for the house. But she should not go to the shower and buy something just for him (he won't be there anyway) because that doesn't make any sense and will make the bride feel really left out. She should address the gift to the bride. It could be a household item, a kitchen item, or even lingerie. Those things are traditional for showers. Since she's going to both events, she needs to buy two gifts. One for the shower and one for the wedding. But, she does not have to get gifts off the registry. She can get some nice lovely crystal for the wedding as I mentioned above, or even some other household gift, or she can simply give a check of whatever she feels is appropriate. The registry is for the guest's convenience, but gifts definitely do not have to come from the registry. Not at all. If it were me I would get some gorgeous lingerie for the bride (from Macy's for like $30; you'd be amazed at the nice stuff they have), and some $50 vase for the wedding or a check.

I am hovering just three pounds away from Onederland!!! Dying to get there!!! We can all do it. In order to get to Onederland, I am cutting down my drinking from three glasses of wine a night to one or two. This will eliminate 700-1,400 calories a week and so should equal an extra quarter pound a week or so. I'm also going to start exercising! (As soon as this tenacious sinus infection/cough goes away). We can do it!!!

Let me remind everyone that recent studies have shown that all fluids, regardless of whether or not they contain caffeine, are equally hydrating (with the exception of alcohol). So in reality, Coke and Water hydrate the body equally. As for the other facts about the other stuff in it, I'm not too sure, but in terms of hydration, coke or water will both do the trick.

I'm pretty big on etiquette (even read Miss Manners and everything!!!), and here's what I'd do: Since I don't know the bride, I would not attend the shower. I would, however, RSVP and let them know I would not be attending, not just blow it off completely. The person throwing the shower needs to know how many people will attend for food, seating, etc. Miss Manners says that if you don't attend the shower and aren't close to the bride, you are not obligated to send a gift. I would probably attend the wedding if I had the day free and would be seeing other family members there. But I generally love weddings and socializing so I've never missed one. I would bring a gift to the wedding from the registry, and I think $80 is a fine amount to spend, especially since I didn't spend any money on the shower. If I did not attend the wedding, I would send a gift from the registry, or, if budget is a concern for this person, there is also the option of buying some beautiful crystal goblets or a vase. I always find these types of things on sale at Macy's or Boscov's for between $30-$50. Crystal is a beautiful gift and always in good taste. So even if they don't attend the wedding, sending a gift is proper. It's easy nowadays as they can just go online and have it shipped right to the person's house from the registry and not have to worry about packing it up and all of that. If they really don't want to send a registry gift and are not attending the wedding, a check for $50 is always appreciated.

Wow-- lets just kill all the babies! Oh wait a minute we already are doing that! I guess if I had children like yours, I would stop having them too! What are you talking about?

I was elaborating on my thoughts for others who might be reading this thread. And I might have been working out my ideas for my ownself, too. You know,...thinking out loud Yes, totally, me too

Ooooh Carlene, what a bummer! I keep going to the complications forum and coming out depressed! BUT, the great news here is that your situation is completely able to be fixed! That's the great thing about the band; most complications are fixable. I'm sure your esophagus will heal and go back to normal, and in no time you'll be doing great again. A great liquid I found is to make homemade vegetable soup and then blend it. It's delicious and packed with Vitamins. I have this if I PB or if I'm sick in general. Keep us posted!

Hi, It might be because they don't break down very well and some people (including me) can get stuck on them. I do still eat them, but am very careful to chew really well.

I think you will be truly amazed at the changes you will feel once you are given the opportunity (via the band) to truly be "full". I believe that the majority of overweight people are much more hungry and have much lower blood sugar than thin people. We eat to try to balance this out and feel full. People think they are only "head hungry" but what if they are really physically hungry? If the majority of people were only "head hungry", then they would not succeed with the band because they would find ways to eat around it. (Some people do eat around it but I think that is more the exception than the rule). For example, I was totally addicted to fast food before I was banded. I would go to McDonald's, Wendy's, or Burger King at least three or four times a week. Nothing made me as happy as hot McDonald's fries slathered in ketchup and salt. I thought about fast food when I wasn't eating it. I also loved all other kinds of foods too and would eat huge portions. I never felt like I could eat enough. I never felt truly full for any length of time. I thought about food 24/7. I would drive an hour out of my way to go to China Town to get fried sesame balls and sticky coconut rice. I would constantly be planning my next meal. After banding, I finally know what it means to be full!!! My life has changed dramatically. Firstly, I not only never eat fast food now, but the very thought of it makes me sick. I recently went into a Wendy's for a diet lemonade, and the smell of grease was so disgusting I almost had to leave. When I think of fast food now, I think of the grease. I don't even eat hamburgers any more, because when you have to chew food so completely, you get down to the gristle and it is disgusting. Secondly, I don't really think a whole lot about food. I still greatly enjoy it, but it's not that obsessive "drive" to eat that I had before. Not every meal now has to be some elaborate huge feast. I often will have an ounce of cheese, some pretzels, and a few apple slices for lunch and I'm perfectly happy. Simple meals now taste just fine to me and fill me up great. So, my whole attitude changed automatically. I didn't try to change it or use willpower, it was just by nature of my finally being full that it changed. It's amazing what being full will do for you!