BJean

Whoever it was that was complaining about Mitt's wealth, just remember that McCain's wife inherited big money.

Marjon I'd still vote for you. I don't necessarily agree that most of Edwards' supporters will get behind Obama. Once Obama and Clinton get a debate going just between the two of them, the lines will be clearer.

I was surprised that Edwards dropped out. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it may have a lot to do with his wife's health. Recurring cancer is pretty ominous. They were trying to be very upbeat and proactive about her being able to battle cancer this go 'roung, but frankly, I don't think it looks very good. They have small children and even if she is able to get a clean bill of health again, those kids need their parents right now.

nina: How depressing!! trish: Just the other night on House, they did a story on this very subject. Dr. House managed to harvest a heart from a woman who was not a candidate to donate a heart because she had Hep C. The man who was dying obviously wouldn't have minded a bout with Hep C if it meant he could get her heart and continue to live. It was an interesting concept.

Derick I so agree with you on finding Obama exciting because he has been able to fairly single-handledly "bitch slap" the Clintons. Hoo-ha! His message is one that Democrats have always SAID they want to put out there - unifying the country, making us all proud to be Americans, etc., but few Demos have been able to accomplish. Maybe this man has the ability to actually do it. The Republicans never have been able to unify the country and they never will. It is all about one word, greed.

I agree that the Democrats are better campaigners too. Not perfect, but better than the Republicans generally at keeping to the issues instead of horrible personal attacks that they are famous for. (Yes, Democrats have been known to stoop to that level too.) But the Republicans are better at getting elected. They know how to pull the strings... whatever it takes.

Elieneation: Good for you! That's what I like. Expressing your feelings and not being afraid to make them known. You're a Repubican. You don't like any Democrats. Fair enough. Many people have gone on about Bill Clinton's philanderings and dumb handling of them as if his behavior is the Democratic party's behavior and belief system. That's pretty offensive to most Democrats since I don't know any Democrats who endorse Bill Clinton's inappropriate sexual behavior or his lying about it. I hated Richard Nixon's Dirty Tricks, foul language and all that he represented, but I don't believe that ALL Repubicans are that mean and nasty.

I agree, green. There is definitely a social aspect to these groups. That works for some and doesn't work for others. If people need that kind of social interaction and support I am glad that there are groups available for them.

Charleston mom: What were your symptoms with the erosion? Thank God you went when you did! How long had you had the band?

Thank you Denise. I just got back from the doc. I have a severe kidney infection and probable stones. I'm struggling with whether to try to wait it out or go on to the hospital. Thanks for your response.

Ok, So I said not attacking Iraq could never be seen as rolling over and then went on to say it could be seen as a serious mistake, when what I meant to say is that attacking Iraq could be seen as a serious mistake. Oh you know what I meant! :eek: Editing used to be so easy! Sigh.

Good Lord Green, I hope you're kidding.

Thanks, Crispy. I have a feeling it is gas pain. But so far it isn't easing. You're right. I should go to the doc. But I won't go to my GP - he tends to quack when he walks. On the other hand, my LB doc is brilliant. He should be able to give me some info.

So you're saying that the local government in New Orleans was corrupt and the people in New Orleans didn't do what they were supposed to so by damn they deserved to be treated shabbily? That's the mentality of some Americans that really shows our tough side. The side that other countries don't understand, and neither do I. We entered WWII because we had been attacked and drawn into the war. The attack on the World Trade Center had nothing to do with Iraq. So why go attack them? I know it made you all feel better and you think that it makes us look strong and fearsome to other countries. But unfortunately aren't stronger. The war has weakened us. And we haven't earned respect from other countries, just the opposite. They know we are weakened and as Green pointed out, our dollar is not strong. Both things are problems that have been exacerbated by the war. Have you seen Charlie Wilson's War? The way our government was working to try to deplete the resources of Russia at that time could be exactly what they're trying to do to us. Other countries sometimes learn more from our mistakes than we do. We certainly don't seem to have learned anything from Viet Nam. Not attacking Iraq could never be seen as rolling over. But it can be seen as a serious mistake. Finding Osama Bin Laden and taking him out might have been seen as much more productive and intelligent. But those of you who like brute force for any reason just will never get it, I'm afraid. The one thing this war may have accomplished is that we have put lots of Americans out there in the Middle East as targets to possibly keep the enemy too busy to attack us here again. That seems to have worked. But is it right or fair? I'm very curious... what exactly in Barack Obama's past frightens you?

What happened? I'm on the edge of my chair today because this sounds so familiar. My pain is all on my left side and the pain in my kidney area reminds me of kidney stone pain or a bad kidney infection. However with a kidney problem, I didn't have the pain that was also on the side but more toward the front (close to my port). Any help out there?

I've been having so much gas that it wakes me up at night and I can't sleep. I swear if you stuck a pin in me I'd fly around the room. My port area is protruding a little and the pain radiates around from the port area to my kidney area. My stomach is so bloated I can hardly wear pants without unbuttoning them. Even my underwear band puts pressure that is uncomfortable. And I haven't gained weight - I've lost some. What tha?

P.S. I've lost about 8 lbs. on the diet in a little under one week. I'm sure a lot of that was water weight.

I'm having problems. I would like to know what the symptoms are, specifically if possible, for erosion? I have been having pain around the region of my port and pain in the area of my kidney on that side. It wakes me up at night because it is so uncomfortable. I recently began a diet that is very heavily laden with soy and I thought I might be having a reaction to that - lots of gas and tummy grumbling. This has been going on for several days. I have also contracted a recurring eye infection which is often related to some kind of stress in my life. I have only been on this diet for a week. I previously had too much restriction for a couple of months, but once I had some removed, I seemed to be okay and began to lose weight again. I lost around 40 lbs. when I first had the band but then had not been able to lose weight after that. That's why I started the diet. I've been banded about 1.5 years. I'm beginning to get pretty scared after reading all this thread.

My biggest complaint right now about Weight Watchers is the new commercial that they are running where they claim, loudly "DIETS DON'T WORK... WEIGHT WATCHERS DOES!" Bull hockey. Weight Watchers is an eating plan that restricts calories and certain foods. By jiminey, that's a DIET! They are losing members to LB surgery and one reason so many people are turning to LB surgery is because we have all learned that diets really don't work in the long run for most of us. We have all been able to lose weight. But restricting our caloric intake and restricting what foods we can eat only teaches us about caloric or point counting and being hungry, and rebounding big time. The reason LB surgery can work is because it actually restricts the amount of food we can consume in one sitting. It doesn't restrict us from eating the high calorie super-foods - like candy, cakes, ice cream, etc. But it does make us stop and think when we overdo it. And if we seriously overeat, we have to physically pay for it in mega pain. I know many, many people who sing the praises of W.W., but who have been members for years and who pay their dues and who are constantly losing, gaining, losing, gaining, on the diet yo-yo that has been so harmful to all of us. So my big complaint is about their latest ad - which I find terribly incorrect and misleading! If W.W. works for someone and they're happy with it, that's a good thing. But for W.W. to make an outrageous claim that they aren't about dieting, I am highly offended.

trish: Don't you watch "House"?

It seems logical on the face of it - allow a person to sell his/her kidney - or his/her heart, whatever. It seems that it would be a good way to reward people for being organ doners. However there are powerful people out there that when desperate, they could offer quite a large sum of money to someone who is healthy but who is without financial means. That poor person may be willing to sell his/her heart to save the family. Eeeuuww. Not only that, but the old crazy urban legend that went around about the guy waking up in a bathtub full of ice in a hotel room with a large scar where his kidney used to be, might actually become a real story. I agree with Aiel that people should donate their own organs if they have that desire. I disagree that we should make cadavers property of the state though. I just don't believe Americans are ready for that. Hell, we can't even wrap our minds around the idea of providing medical care for everyone. We value our freedom too much, even if it is contrary to the greater good - as in driving gas hogs and smoking in public places, or in being buried or cremated with our innerds in tact.

Derick: I'm with luluc, you're charming. I find you hilarious sometimes and your latest is the funniest of anything I've ever read of yours. On the off chance you were being serious at all, I must say that your logic defies logic, and is contrary to reality. On the off chance you listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, it is understandable.

So spending billions of dollars (weekly) on a war we shouldn't have waged is what you think makes an economy strong? And our presence in Iraq is scaring the beejeebers out of the rest of the world and that makes us strong as a country? A more respected country than if we had a woman or a black running our country? And the economy under Bill Clinton was not better than the economy now? And the economy when the Dems were in office was just a facade - only to come crumbling down when the Repubicans took office - through no fault of their own? And the fact that your president, who was involved up to his cufflinks in one deal that left investors poor and reeling, came out unscathed in one of the worst episodes of banking corruption is nothing to criticize? Your personal wealth has grown under his "reign" and so that makes this a good economy? The Fed is having to artificially stimulate the economy any way they can and you think that this is a better economy? You think that the economy was only better under the Democrats because of the so-called "artificial conditions" on Wall Street in the 90's? Say what? I honestly can't understand much of what I've read on this thread by Repubican supporters. Yeah, I know I've jumbled some of the posts together, but that's how it reads to me. I guess that's why we have more than one choice in elections, huh? I can't blame anyone for Democratic Bill Clinton leaving a bad taste in their mouth (pun, intended) but to say that George W. Bush is the better man, the better leader, the more honest man, with higher morals, is ludicrous. And to dislike the whole Democratic party and agenda because of Bill Clinton is likewise ridiculous. At least some of you are willing to step up to the plate and come right out with it. You think that if you vote for a Democrat, you're voting for droves and droves of Americans to just stop working and live off the dole. (Btw, I thought the most promising part of Bob Dole running for office was the promise of his wife's input.) Well I guess how Dubya behaved toward the people after Hurricane Katrina could lead you to believe that there's no chance of people getting a "free ride" with the Repubicans at the helm. That's comforting. I know of no one in their right mind who thinks Americans should get a free meal ticket just for being American. We may need welfare reform, and we have had some that has helped, but Repubicans have had the power for the past 7 years to make that happen and what we got was a measley token tax cut that we all got checks for - which was pretty silly - and now it's about to happen again. Ah, the saints be praised. Want more of the same? Then by all means, vote Repubican. Yes, I do know how to spell. I'm just having fun. :wink2:

It's refreshing to see someone state outright that they're voting Repubican. Sometimes I wonder if people are embarrassed to admit that they're Repubicans. They always tend to say they're voting for the man... but then their choice is always a Repubican.

Edwards actually has some very sound answers and his strategy for handling the economy impresses me. No one running for office is oblivious to China. How could they be? They're the elephant in the room.