BJean

I don't think any of us has a desire to see companies' profits taken away. Do you really think that's a problem with oil companies, Jack? What we've been doing is subsidizing oil companies and Americans have been supposed to be thrilled with the fact that oil is less expensive and more readily available here than in many other countries. The fact is that with all the help we've given oil companies, we're probably not paying less - just less at the pump. I cannot understand why Americans think that by making corporations pay their fair share of taxes, that it is going to be unfair to them or do them harm. Many things were put into effect to incentivize them and by gosh, they have been incentivized to the max. Are you happy with all the enormous profits that they are enjoying now? Is it helping America? The Republicans have spent the last over 7 years making things ultra favorable to corporations in the U.S. And they love the idea of the "trickle down theory" which has never worked and never will. It's all about greed and the more they make, the greedier they get. It's time to slow it down a bit. Checks and balances are in order. I don't want the pendulum to swing back in such a way that wealthy Americans and corporations are being penalized - I just want them to give a little back so that we less fortunate folks don't have to give quite so much. And Plain I am sorry that you do not understand why I say "the Republicans" or "the Democrats" or "the Independents" instead of referring to an individual who is running for office. Each party has a platform that they adopt - things that they believe in and want to put (or keep) in effect. That's what the Republican party and the Democratic party and the Independent party stand for, each as a group. Yes, those groups are made up of individuals but it isn't one individual who is making the policy, it's a group. Therefore referring to them as a group is the only proper way to discuss what they stand for and what they endorse. John and Cindy McCain aren't the Republican party - they are only members of the party. They will do, in some cases, what the Republican party asks of them as representatives of the party. That's why if you like McCain, but dislike the party platform, and you vote for the man, you're still getting the party platform. Perhaps that's not very important to you, but it's important that we understand how this works.

Looks like Americans are going to demand an aggressive new policy on energy. Things have been swept under the run for far too long. Washingtonians like to blame the people for enjoying their cars, but we haven't had any reasonable alternatives in most parts of the country. Have any of you seen the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car"?

I do not believe that fertilized eggs have rights. I do not believe that fetuses have rights. Sorry if that is offensive to you, but them's my beliefs and they are just as valid as yours. They have no bearing on this issue really, because what we are talking about is women's rights. And women do have rights. They have the same rights as every other individual in this country. Let me paint a little scenario for you: If you were compelled to have sex, and let's assume it's against your wishes, and someone told you that because of that, you had to have a child, Mr. Man, and that you had to have a fertilized egg implanted in your abdomen, you had to take pills to ensure that your body provided the proper nourishment so that the egg grows and is healthy, have the baby-making process completely rule your life and your job and make you uncomfortable, physically distort your body, change your hormones and all that and then after nine long months you must then go through hours of painful labor and delivery; and then you had to support the baby once it's born and raise and nurture the baby, take care of all its' needs: food, clothing, shelter, education, protection from harm, take care of it through all of its' illnesses, miss work and have your job put in jeopardy because of the missed work, provide it medical care; then help it go to college and become a productive member of society, certainly help it learn how to love and marry well and then help it when it goes on to have babies... I don't know if your eagerness to ban abortion would be quite the same as it is now. Naturally there is no way you could possibly know how you would feel about it since you will never, ever be faced with any of that in a way that a real woman would. But that's not all you need to consider... then if the government decided that we need more children in this world, but only girl children because they can reproduce, and they decided that you had to try to become impregnated with a girl baby but you couldn't have a girl baby, and you must abort any boy baby you become pregnant with, would you still believe that it is within the government's rights to dictate what you must do when you get pregnant?

God Save the Druid Sacrifices.

Hey Ghost, thanks for the positive comments and the not so positive ones as well. And thanks a bunch for going ahead and reposting after having lost your original one. I've had that happen and it is extremely frustrating! I am married to a Republican. He's from a whole family of Republicans, all of whom I love dearly! Of course all Republicans aren't representative of the way I characterized them in my post. When I refer to the antics of the Republican party or of the current administration, I am not saying that each and every person who works at the White House or who is registered to that party, is guilty of that behavior. But I can say that the group is guilty of something as a whole, and be accurate. Just like I have to take it when people label all Democrats as extreme liberals who like to make the government bigger, collect and spend more taxes, take away all guns, hug all the trees and throw red paint on people who wear fur. Of course we aren't all like that. I'm sure not. So please when I'm referring to a group of people, don't think that I believe that everyone who is registered as a Republican believes that the war in Iraq was a brilliant move or that everybody should own machine guns and hollow-core bullets, or that global warming doesn't matter. We're all individuals. We do, however, sometimes work collectively for things we want to achieve for our country. And doing that sometimes causes us to belong to a group that we don't agree with 100% on each and every issue. That's just the breaks of the game. We have to take the good with the bad sometimes. And hopefully, we can make sure that more good than bad happens. If we disagree with the political tactics of our party, we can be vocal about it and disavow that behavior. It sounds like you are doing just that and I commend you for it! Thanks for your heartfelt post!!

P.S. I believe that the way for Americans to come together is for whites to understand what blacks have experienced at the hands of white people. By the same token, I believe that blacks need to understand that most young white people today do not feel threatened by black people and are not bigoted towards black people. Education, communication and understanding is the key. Also, we have to WANT to heal this open wound. Ignoring it will never make it better. Pretending the past never happened won't make it better. We need to acknowledge each others' misunderstandings and ignorance about each other. Get it out in the open and embrace each other as fellow human beings on this earth. Work together, not stay divided. I believe it can happen. I believe that we have already improved things in this country, but it didn't happen because time heals wounds. It happened because we forced the issue. We became knowledgeable and we acknowledged our own shortcomings and each others' ignorance.

Elenation I definitely believe that you and I both are being influenced by our political beliefs on this issue. I am glad that you approve of him backing out of the church and away from Rev. Wright. Some people have said that his walking away from Wright was simply a political move and that it didn't mean anything. As for my influences along the way, I lived through the race riots. I have known of lynchings of black men in the south at the hands of bigoted, hate-filled white men. I have been privy to information about the Ku Klux Klan and some of their hideous mob scenes that incite white against black... things like church bombings come to mind. I have read papers written by college kids who are black and who have experienced a bucket load of hate and discrimination at the hands of their white teachers and classmates. It is shocking to realize what some white people are continuing to do to black Americans. Perhaps you haven't been privy to all that. I am sure that many white people haven't been either and do not have a clue about what it means to be a black person in America. But most of us do know about the discrimination and bigotry. And yet amazingly, after knowing all this, some white people expect black people to just humbly bear it and not lash out in return. Not be angry. Not feel persecuted. They're expected to pretend it never happened, and that it is not happening even today. I don't believe that is very realistic or understanding. I think that is short-sided thinking.

I'm a doofus. Right after I hit send, I realized what you were talking about. The fact that the thread shut down right after I responded to one of your posts I think. Anyway, I guess we're probably on the same wave length now. Different courses, but same wave length.

I agree! It is amazing what people are capable of, isn't it. I too am in the D/FW area. I listen to several talk shows on the radio but not for political commentary, purely for entertainment. I can only think about and be involved in religion and politics for a little bit every day, otherwise it could become an obsession.

Oops MrsFlipFlops, I was responding to a post by Cosmos. But you're exactly right. Neither you or I are going to change our basic beliefs on this subject. If we were all the same, this world would be pretty boring, wouldn't it?

MrsFlipFlops what part of Texas? Not that it really matters. But I live in Texas and I was just wondering. I did wonder a little bit about what you said about pressure being put on black people by other black people for not voting for Obama. You said that it wasn't on TV that you had seen it. But that you had heard a couple of hours of call-ins on a radio program where they were doing that. And you said that you've heard friends doing it. I think it is kinda pitiful that people pressure other people in that way just because they want their candidate to win so badly. But people do all kinds of stuff to try to get folks to vote their way. How does your husband feel about friends accusing him of not being black enough because he isn't for Obama?

What do you want me to say? That we did abortions when they weren't convenient and when we were all Christians? Well, that is true. Where were you going with your assertion? I didn't mean to shut you down. Post all you want. It rather sounds like you know what I said is exactly the point. All the pages of posts have come full circle anyway. Except maybe for your new and insightful thoughts on the ancient Babylonians. Which are so relevant to the discussion. Anyway, thank you for my new moniker "BJean the thread killer." Yay me.

Who be bringin' up yo eff bombs, froggie??? Twern't me.

froggi: I didn't say that Obama intends to cut taxes for the wealthy. I said he is for cutting the tax BREAKS for the wealthy that they are getting now. The wealthy are not paying the same taxes proportionally as the middle class pays. That being said, you seem to be very knowledgeable about his proposed tax plan. I guess I am not because I hadn't heard anything about those $500 and $1000 credits you're talking about and haven't heard about the possibility of some people not having to file taxes (is that what you meant when you said there would be 2 billion in savings due to not having to prepare taxes?)

Wasa: I actually do believe in tough love. I just think we need to understand the feedback we're getting and if it is not having the intended/expected results, we need to change our direction. It absolutely is not the best help you can give someone who is fragile and who is trying. Btw, Wasa, I'm curious... why did you have to have the sleeve put in and the band taken out?

Geeezoman! I am so happy that some of youse guys can read what I post and actually get what I'm feelin! I just hate the fact that I can't sum everything up in a couple of lines. I do not like that it takes me so long to say stuff. The admiration goes both ways. I'm getting to know some of you newer bandsters and I'm really liking you a lot. For a while there was a whole lotta teeth gnashing going on at LBT. I honestly do appreciate the kind words directed my way. Thanks.

froggie, what does "ew McCain, sorry I don't agree><" mean? I am not being a smart a$$, I really don't understand and I really do want to.

As for the Rev. Wright fiasco, that is laughable. Since when does a member of any congregation take the responsibility for things his minister says? It's only been since Obama ran for president. What a joke. If someone here is from Chicago, then they must realize that the church in question is a very popular church where many very successful black Americans have gone to worship. No one is holding them to the standard of answering for Rev. Wright's comments. Also, Obama never said that he was unaware of who Rev. Wright is. He said that he had never heard Rev. Wright make statements like those played over and over in the press. Those statements were blown up and taken out of context when he was speaking to the plight of black people in America. They were not made on a regular basis from the pulpit every Sunday. It is not insincere or surprising that Obama would back away from that kind of language. He had to back off. He had no choice. He was being crucified by the media and the Republicans (who are still beating it to death) for those clips of the Rev. Wright blasting the way blacks in America have been treated. No one can deny that black people have been treated badly in America. And if I were black, I'd be angry too. First you say he's really Muslim. When that won't stick, you accuse him of endorsing his preacher's raw, hateful, angry remarks. Neither of those things should stick to Obama because they are not true.

You wondered how Obama is going to raise the taxes in order to fund his proposed programs. He's said it over and over and has been very forthright about it. Which I think is commendable because he could definitely lose some votes in the process. He is planning on cutting all the tax breaks for the wealthy - you know, the ones that the rebublicans have put in to effect since they've been in power. He's also planning to stop all the tax breaks for the corporations like the mega-wealthy oil companies. Good grief, if you all are so rich that you need to worry about him making you pay your fair share, you definitely should stick to your guns and vote for McCain, because if you are wealthy, you've definitely been getting a ride while the republicans have been in power. We've managed to not just increase the number of BILLIONAIRES in tihs country, there are many, many more now than when Bush took office. For middle America, things have gotten worse and the rich have been getting richer. If that suits you, definitely vote Republican. As for the Bush legacy... he promised to cut taxes and he ran on the idea of less government. Which is also something McCain talks about. The fact is that since Bush has been in office, we've had MORE government, not less. And the only real tax breaks have been in the form of refunds - whoo, hoo. What all did you buy with your big checks?

It is interesting to hear someone say that black people are putting pressure on each other to vote for Obama. I personally haven't seen that. In fact, I have noticed just the opposite. Guess we've been hanging out at different TV spots.

Brandy the reason I thought many people were being vitriolic was because that is how it sounded to me. I don't know how many times I've read posts about people who do things to get around the band. They sabbotage their band and then can't understand why they aren't losing weight. I didn't think that you were one of those people. Maybe I didn't read enough of your posts. But I was under the impression that you were actually having problems reaching your goal and that it wasn't for lack of trying. Lots of people have problems with the Lap Band. I think many people at LBT find that scary and they react negatively when they hear about problems because they haven't had those experiences and they just don't want to think that it could happen to them. They think if they do everything just like the doctor directs that they couldn't ever face a situation that is uncomfortable, dangerous or non-productive. I do understand why they feel that way. But I did feel that you were reaching out for some answers and what you got was criticism. Don't take it personally. We have to understand that what people post has everything to do with their experiences and what they think and much, much less with what is happening to you or about what you're thinking. Hang in there darlin'. You may find yourself back on track and feeling well without changing much of anything. This road is a process and it isn't the same for everyone and it is laced with lots of side trips for lots of us.

Brandi I just came back to this thread to check in. Good grief! I can't believe what's been heaped on your head. Encouragement is one thing - slapping someone in the face is another. Some of it reminds me of one hilarious doctor who told my mom that she needed to exercise... by pushing her chair away from the table. Har-de-har-har-har. That's really helpful. I believe we both have some issues that we aren't dealing with. I believe that you and I both take on a lot of other people's problems and sometimes that doesn't leave a whole lot for ourselves. (By other people I mean family members and friends.) But that isn't the whole answer either. The one thing that I was told when I was told "this is only a tool", was that I wouldn't be hungry. Yeah, right. I have broken knees and both need to be completely replaced. Like I can really obsess about running a marathon. Or tramping on a treadmill. Right... Every other day, I do any combination of Water aerobics, the recumbent bike, upper body free weights and floor exercises for at least an hour. Those things are helping, but my metabolism actually is shot and it is very hard for me to burn enough calories to get it to any reasonable level of burn again. (I've been told this by my doctor and by my exercise therapist.) The one thing that I have been told and that I have proven is that I can no longer skip meals. I have to take in enough calories or my very efficient body (at saving fat for the times that I don't eat) will shut down any weight loss possibility. So much for thinking that not eating was a good thing. This whole diet thing is complicated. Everyone wants to believe that it is simply calories in, calories out. But in fact it is not that simple for everyone, just MOST people. I too have considered the possibility that all my obsession with dieting and weight loss could be planting the seed in my mind that I will fail like I have in the past. That has made me want to just continue my exercise and eating decent food and getting on with my life and stopping the infernal obsession with losing weight. Btw, if you will take a serious look at the numbers game with the lap band, many, many people have an approximately 40 lb. loss in the first 3 to 6 months. Then they plateau and begin the battle. Many stay at that weight for a couple of years. Some people after the second year go on to lose more. The younger you are and the fewer medications you're on, the higher the rate of success. This is not a simple thing and for others to dismiss your frustration out of hand and decide that you are a slacker because you're not willing to do what they have done to succeed only proves that they have no idea what you are going through. Please don't let it get you down. You are not alone. We are not freaks of nature. Hmmm or maybe we are. We have unique problems that many others are unfamiliar with. I know Wasa thinks she's the expert on banding, but she obviously is not. She may have enjoyed a large measure of success and I congratulate her on that, but to judge you, me and others so harshly is pretty darned unattractive. I'm right beside you, girl. I'm not giving up the fight, but I'm also not going to accept comparison with others who are far younger and have far fewer medical and probably emotional issues than I have. No excuse, just fact. I don't care if they understand or not. They have to live in their skin and I have to live in mine. I am darned happy with what I have accomplished and I am not going to feel like a failure no matter what they say. I hope you won't either!

Hey Babe, I'm not shooting the messenger! I am sure that Americans everywhere have thought about it. I just hate the fact that we are living in a world where people use violence to gain power. It has become an epidemic. A person should be able to run for public office without having to worry about some nut job shooting him. Just like kids should be able to go to school without having to worry about an idiot toting a gun on campus and firing away.

This discussion has taken a gross turn for the worse as far as I'm concerned. I wonder if anyone has given any thought to the fact that the forward thinking liberal types are the ones who always get asassinated? I mean that right wing racist from Little Rock was shot and paralyzed, but who else other than people who care about change and the underdog has actually been assassinated? Why is it that no one is concerned that John McCain might be assassinated? Or Geroge W. Bush? Or Dick Cheney? They certainly have the ability to rile people. Guess they just don't rile the wrong people. As far as colorful language is concerned, I agree with Jack. I guess in a debate it often means that objectivity has gone out the window and raw emotion has taken over. But I don't agree that it is always a bad thing. Sometimes it is good to vent. Not good to the people who are offended by bad language of course, but obviously in this day and age where every other word in movies and on the radio and on TV is colorful, we need to consider the source and turn off the TV or don't read a thread any further if it contains language that offends us. In some social circles, colorful (or if you prefer, foul) language is not only acceptable, it is expected and a part of everyday conversation. I guess I'm a live and let live kind of person. Yeah, in fact you might say that I feel that way even about killing a presidential candidate. I say let the man live. Give him a chance. Beat him fair and square or sit back and see what happens. Assassination bothers me one hellofa lot more than foul language.

Well Elenation I wasn't actually thinking about Hamas as far as negotiation and diplomacy are concerned. I was referring to the big uproar that came about when Bush was in Israel meeting with their leaders and made an assinine comment about Obama wanting to talk with our enemies. And then John McCain jumped on it and backed up the president and even went further with it. He even at some point declared that Obama has no business speaking about the war in Iraq because he's never been in the military. Good God. I know things get said in the heat of the moment, but the guy is so off the wall on that it is scary. I actually used to think I liked McCain but again I was wrong. Like I said, I've learned a lot and am still learning. I wish politicians would treat each other with some level of respect. Debate the issues, drop the personal garbage. But I'm dreaming if I really think that could happen. Although I'm hoping Obama will be so cool that he makes the others look like idiots for making such outrageous accusations and declarations about him.