anonemouse

Own up to it, Ron. You're wrong.

Dude, people HAVE posted evidence, you are just willfully BLIND. Here's the link again: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_05.html

How about you go back and look at the link that was posted on page 91 by TOM, or the graph that was posted by Wheetsin? The proof has been posted, you just haven't looked. You see, the difference between our opinion and your opinion, is that ours is backed up by actual evidence.

Ron, not only are you a bigot in my opinion, you're apparently blind. Both Wheetsin and TOM posted factual rebuttals to your so-called "opinion" earlier in this thread, around page 91. They were statistics from the FBI, showing that your observation is w-r-o-n-g. I'm not. I have friends and family that are Christians and that I love dearly. I just don't like so-called "Christians" like you, who use their "faith" and "Christianity" to be bigots. Have you been here for this thread, Ron? Or has someone been taking over your body? Read the damn thread, it's there in black and white (or black and blue, actually, since those are the LBT colors).

I had to get pulmonary clearance just because my insurance requires it before they approve. I doubt you will have any success in getting the surgeon to waive it, if it is something that he requires all his patients to do.

Wheetsin, it's really getting to be pretty amusing. Honestly, it is. Ron has a very predictable pattern. He spouts off about something that he really has no clue about, then gets super upset when people correct him. Instead of admitting he might be wrong about something, he starts screeching about people attacking him and his "Christianity". And then he storms (as well as someone can storm on the internet) off in a huff, not to be seen for a few days. I mean, really. It's gotten to the point where I am sort of guiltily revving him up just to watch him go.

I assist in a biology class for education majors as part of my teaching assistantship duties for grad school. Some of the students are going to be wonderful teachers. Others, well, let's just say that they aren't the brightest crayons in the box. Some are very motivated, and others are incredibly lazy and whiny individuals. I'm hoping that those are the ones that will get drummed out by the system.

Personally, I believe that we are better off with limited sugar products. After all, most of them aren't going to make you fat if you indulge once in a while, it's just over-indulging that gets you in trouble. One of the reasons (besides the metal taste) that I avoid artificial sweeteners is that I don't like the idea of putting all those chemicals in my body. Another reason is that I just don't really eat that much sweet foods, and never have. If I am limited in what I am eating anyway, I figure that I might as well eat the real thing. Now, if you are a cola or candy addict, of course the sugar free is better for you in the long run. But I would personally eat limited amounts of real sugar than a lot of sugar substitute.

Well, Hugh Houston is the most experienced lap-band surgeon at Centennial. I am pretty sure he is the only one there that has enough experience doing the surgeries to be considered an "expert" by the manufacturer of the band. I was originally going to be using Dr. Olsen at Centennial as my surgeon, but he wasn't in-network.

See, Ron, this is what I don't understand. Instead of considering other people's information, you keep blustering. In this case, you are wrong. Stand up, be a man, and admit it. Not only are we saying you are wrong, but the Justice Department (you know, the guys that actually arrest people and put them in jail) says you are wrong. I may believe that the Easter Bunny exists because that's what I've been told, but that doesn't mean it's true.

Yes, but that doesn't mean that they are all in jail for attacking whites, as you implied earlier. The fact is that people of color are far more likely to be convicted of a crime than white people are. That's why prison statistics aren't necessarily indicative of actual crime rates.

Oh wow! I hope you and your daughter keep doing well! You looked beautiful in the pictures.

What surgeon are you interested in? I am also in the Tennessee/Kentucky area. Well, in grad school in Kentucky right now, but I am from Tennessee and will be having surgery in Memphis (hopefully).

Ron, she was being facetious, which I thought was indicated pretty clearly by the emoticons. Wikipedia ain't exactly the holy grail of sources, if you get my drift. Yes, it does have a great deal of good information, but anyone can add to it. That means that there is also a great deal of erroneous information and facts floating around in it.

I hate to break this to you, but homosexuality is only against "the laws of God", not the "laws of nature". There are lots of animal species out there that practice homosexual behavior.

But what if you don't believe in God or if you believe in a different deity? There isn't a problem then. What makes your beliefs more important and worthy of being made into laws than the beliefs of other people?

Yes. We can agree to disagree, with no condescension on either side. That's why I like you!

I'll try to figure out how to best state my beliefs about abortion. I think we should differentiate between "a life" and something that is actually "living" or "sentient". I don't deny that a fetus is a life. I don't think very many people really do. But I don't consider a nonviable fetus to be sentient. It has the potential to become a living, sentient being, but at the point of a legal abortion, it isn't yet. To me, a fetus isn't sentient until it is of the age where it has the ability to live outside the womb. At that point, it becomes a living, breathing person, with all the rights bestowed upon it as everyone else. Does that mean I think the decision to have an abortion should be easy for every woman out there? No. I think abortion is a decision that should be weighed carefully, because you can't go back and unabort your fetus. Do I think that women should be able to have an abortion up until the point where they are in labor? No. I think they should be limited to a specific time period in early pregnancy, unless the fetus is already deceased or is certainly dying or if the mother is in grave danger of dying.

Speaking out against them is one thing, making laws that govern people that don't believe as you do is another. I have no problem with people believing that gays and women who have abortions are wrong and that they are going to hell, that's their prerogative. I don't agree with them, but I think they are free to believe what they like. But I do draw the line at people making laws that outlaw gay marriage and a woman's right to choose. I don't believe that either is wrong, and I don't believe in sin or that they are going to hell. If you are ordained and you and your church members don't want you to marry two men or two women, don't. That's your choice. But you don't have the right to tell other people who may not believe like you do that they can't join them in matrimony.

Another peeve concerning clothing that I just thought about is when designers tweak a certain style and it no longer fits you. Target was where I would usually buy shirts, because I could get v-neck t-shirts that fit really well and held up beautifully to long-term wear. I always bought several at a time, just different colors in the same style. Well, I went a couple weeks ago to see if I could find some more long-sleeve shirts, because I hadn't gotten any since last winter. Guess what? The shirt that used to fit wonderfully was tweaked by the designer, so now I can't wear it at all. It now has an extremely deep v-neck, deep enough that I would be showing the world everything I had if I bent over. The torso of the shirst is too long now, hitting below my hips. I used to wear a 1x in the shirt, but the fit is so wonky now that even a 24 (they changed the sizes) is a little too snug for my tastes because of the way the torso lies. I hate it. That was basically the one place I could get shirts that weren't too tight or too loose, too long or too short, too low-cut or too high-cut. I ran into this same problem in jeans, too. I used to be able to buy Tommy Hillfiger jeans that fit fairly well. They were straight legged jeans, which are pretty hard to find in some stores. I can't wear boot-cut jeans or other fashionable styles because my legs are too short. I could get them in a length that fit perfectly. I went back to the mall to get a few more pairs when mine started wearing out, and the style was no where to be found. They don't make them anymore, apparently. I have just about given up on finding semi-attractive clothing that actually fits. I think I am just going to go shopping for clothes I like and just take them to a tailor or someone who does alterations.

It is the same with truly petite fat women. I'm 5'3" and I have a lot of trouble finding clothing that is short enough for me. Most plus-size clothing is built for taller people. I can't even find clothes in Lane Bryant most of the time. Their petites are about 4 inches too long. Apparently maufacturers think that women get taller as they get wider. Pants are hard to find not only because of length, but also because of scale. I carry a lot of my weight on my belly, but when I can find pants that will fit my waist, the hips, thighs, and ass of the pants are super baggy. Style is a problem, also. Being short, fashionable styles generally don't look good on me. Boot-cut jeans wind up looking like bell-bottoms. Shirts are a pain to find as well, because I have wide shoulders and shorter arms. Petite sizes will have shoulders that are too narrow, but the sleeves fit. Regular sizes have shoulders that fit well, but the sleeves are too long. Three-quarter-length sleeves look like long sleeved shirts that shrank on me.

I looked to see if I could find anything on him on Obesity Help, but I couldn't find his name. There was a Dr. Joseph Colleta, though, in Boca Raton, but he does RNY.

They weren't legally married. I think they just had a commitment ceremony. They were going to be legally married in two weeks when she died.

I recently had to go buy a pair of scissors because I lost mine. Guess what? I needed scissors to get the plastic band off the scissors I bought.

about diet drinks. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/13/health/webmd/main701408.shtml Really makes you think about what you put in your body. I personally feel that most people drinking diet drinks and thinking it is making them healthier are fooling themselves. I never drink them just because I can't stand the taste and the aftertaste. One of my aunts always carries around a giant travel mug of diet coke. She has been on Weight Watchers for years, but has never had any lasting success. I keep wanting to tell her that while diet drinks may be better calorie-wise than regular cokes, she would still be better off drinking water.