BJean

I just watched a debate on whether the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy should continue in the military. Democrats against it, saying gays and lesbians should be able to serve in the military and be open about their sexual preferences. The Republicans say that they should not and that the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is working. However the question came up partially because some very needed linguists were discharged recently because they came out. Also it was brought up that a lot of gays and lesbians served in Iraq and then were discharged when they came home because they were known to be gays and lesbians. How can anyone in their right mind think that excluding gays and lesbians in the military is the right thing? Other countries have an open policy in their militaries without regard to sexual preferences. Are we living in the dark ages, or what? Who are we to go telling other countries that they do not practice good humanitarian policies when we disciminate against a whole segment of society, based on their sexual preferences?

I wish some of the other young movie stars would learn a lesson from this. If she had been allowed to come home with an electronic bracelet, they sure wouldn't have learned anything. Maybe the judge was trying to make an example of her - afterall she's the ring leader. Whatever Paris does, so goes the rest of the tribe. She has several things going for her (that the public, especially teenage girls are impressed with) and that's why she gets so much media coverage: 1. She's rich. 2. She has tons of self-confidence. 3. She loves all the publicity. I think she's one of those people who would rather have bad publicity than no publicity. Didn't they say that she wasn't really unhappy that her sex tape was all over the internet? 4. She's tall. 5. She's skinny. She can wear all the designer fashions and by wearing them and posing for the cameras constantly, she gets the designers publicity. They feed on each other. 6. Because she gets all the attention she wants, she gets to drag out all the newest fads first and whatever Paris considers cool, is bought by other young girls, all across the country. Once she showed up with her puppy in a designer puppy carrier, all the little starlets had to have puppies in pretty little puppy purses. Now young girls all over America are doing it (at least in my town.) 7. She's such an anomaly, even we people here at LBT are talking about her. Go figure.

That's truly commendable gadget. How many babies of different ethnic origins have you adopted to date? I think it's great that you've put your money where your mouth is.

I have a solution. All those pro-lifers up in Alberta can really put their beliefs to the test and up the population of their country in one fell swoop. They must each pledge to support a minimum of 2 unplanned recently impregnanted women in the U.S. They will pay for food, clothing, medical care (including vitamins) and housing for the women while they are pregnant. Then pay for the medical for the newborn infant and pick them up at the hospital (of the biological mother's choice) as soon as they are physically able to leave hospital. Then they must legally adopt that infant and take care of them until they are fully grown, send them to college, pay for their wedding (if the child chooses), babysit the grandchildren. But they must vow to never dampen the doorstep of the biological mother, ever. Everyone wins.

Never heard of Bentley Little. You make me want to check his stuff out. I'm not a big Steven King fan, but enjoyed some of his movies - probably because I hadn't read the books. I'm like you laurend, I can't put a book down until I finish it, if it's a book I really like. Enjoy James Patterson a lot too. I've read all of Patricia Cornwell's books although there have been a couple of clinkers in there.

Yeaaaaa, Carlene... just what the doctor (or Nurse Ratchet) ordered!!! Now hop to it, Green. Oooh Carlene, your gym/spa sounds fabulous. Do you mind me asking which one? We almost live in the same neighborhood, I think. I'm going to be going to Larry North in Southlake for a while, but I hope to be looking for one with more amenities after that. Your jeans getting more comfortable yet?

Butch: The only good that comes of it for me is that I get to vent my spleen and I also get to know about the latest stuff is that is going on within the anti-abortion movement. Their tactics make me furious but it's stuff that we need to know is going on. You are right though - I doubt seriously if anyone's mind is changed one way or the other. We've all formed our own opinions and beliefs about the subject by our particular exposure to the question from the clergy, the news media, our friends, our families, our own personal experiences and from (in some cases) careful study of the issue. A few posts here aren't likely to change those beliefs. Btw, I went to high school with a Butch Stepp. That isn't you, is it?

tink: No the doctor was not prosecuted. None of the administrative staff or the medical staff in the hospital would have dreamed of bringing that guy before the Medical board much less a court of law! The medical profession does not work that way. It is almost always up to the patient or his family to do the dirty work. That is one reason so many doctors get away with making terribly poor decisions with not even a slap on the wrist. That's a good reason for not putting limits on monetary judgements in malpractice suits. It's one of the few checks and balances we have as a society when it comes to this very powerful profession. Of course, we didn't exercise that right in my own father's case. I don't believe that most other people, who have legitimate reasons, exercise that right either. Right now in America we are governed by the insurance companies with regard to our medical care. We are also pretty much dictated to by doctors. We have to be pro-active when it comes to our health. It isn't easy, but it is absolutely necessary. In fact just last night my MIL, who is in the hospital after falling and breaking her pelvis and spending time in a nursing home (supposedly for rehab.) Most of her family has no experience with doctors, hospitals or nursing homes. My DH and I showed up at the nursing home last Sunday afternoon to find her all alone, in bed, still in her nightgown, and in excrutiating pain. She was nearly delirious and her blood pressure, as it turned out was 208/174. Her left shoulder was causing intense pain, coming in waves. We sprung into action, got her some immediate help from the nursing staff. Once they realized the condition she was in, a doctor was summoned right away. They took her blood pressure with every type of blood pressure monitor they had available. Her stomach was bloated as if she were 8 months pregnant. She said it had been that way for 3 days. No one in the family had noticed it - including us. They rushed her to intensive care in the hospital and did lots of emergency tests. She's now in a hospital bed after the discovery that she had an intestinal blockage. They determined that her shoulder pain was caused from deferred pain from the gas in her intestinal tract. She also had a bladder infection. (TOM said on another thread a while back that if you ever have a family member in a nursing home, watch out for bladder infections - patients always get them in nursing homes because of the staff not making sure that they are hydrated because they don't want to change their clothes or bedding often - how right he was!) We think the reason she didn't have another stroke (first one was in Dec.) or heart attack was because she was on so much coumadin. (blood thinner) This is Saturday. She is still in the hospital and being kept on lots of pain medication to manage the pain, but they told us that the pain medication that she was taking before the fall and pelvis break, probably caused the fall as well as the intestinal blockage. We're now being told that if she won't allow surgery for exploratory purposes, she will be discharged from the hospital right away. We have located a better rehabilitative nursing home (we hope), but she's in no shape to be moved anywhere and what possible good at this point would surgery do? She's 81 and very fraile. I would love to be able to tell you that our experiences are different than most. It just isn't true. We are no more or less savvy than the next person when it comes to medical care. Our experiences are very likely the norm. I know we were talking about euthanasia, but I can tell you that right now after what this poor, tiny fragile woman has been through, she'd implore him to rescue her and put her out of her misery, if she could. As it is, she will probably live months, perhaps years, longer in a nursing home, in pain and being treated worse than an animal. Do you really think that is what God wants for this woman?

Green if I could get hold of you right now, I'd paddle your fanny! Well, that's an exaggeration, I'd probably just get in your face, scold you and wag my index finger at you. Where's Carlene when you need her? You really cannot put this off any longer. I know you're loving the weight loss, but you can get yourself in a dehydrated and potassium depleted state that can be life threatening. Harvesting your own doody is not like flirting with an Italian Stallion (I probably shouldn't even put it in the same sentence!) but it is a necessary evil just like flirting. Please take the time to just DO it! You will be so glad you did, even though the whole thing is a bit degrading. Remember, you need to refrigerate it if you aren't taking it to the lab immediately. Don't make the same mistake I did and after placing it in the proper container, placing it in another sealed plastic bag and then in a taped down non-descript brown paper bag, then reveal to your DH what's in that bag. Don't do it. Big mistake. To all you potential and new bandsters: I have never heard anyone say that you have to give up red meat forever. Although it probably wouldn't hurt any of us to do that. Chicken used to be an almost daily part of my diet before the band. I've been banded since September and I still can't eat chicken easily. But the first meat I was able to eat comfortably was a ground beef pattie. Later I learned how to eat filet mignon. Fish of some kinds are easier to eat than any other serious protein source, except when my band was too tight recently. I found that mahi-mahi and talapia both made me PB. (That is a pretty descriptive term for what we do - it's better than "upchuck" and not like a true vomiting session.) The most important thing you should keep in mind is that you do not want to do that - PB - if you can possibly avoid it (and you can.) My doctor gave me a refrigerated medication that is good for one year. If I contract a tummy virus, I was told not to allow myself to vomit. If you get into a real problem with continual vomiting, you could cause the band to slip and we don't want that. My nutritionist harps over and over to all of the patients that the size of the bite that we should be trying to eat is half (yep, one-half) the size of a carrot coin. It should take us about 45 minutes to eat a meal, but no longer than that. The best advice you can get here at LBT though is to listen closely to what YOUR doctor tells you to do and follow HIS advice. If he has told you not to eat red meat, be sure you understand his reasoning before you go off and try to do it. He may know something about your particular case that we don't know. As for the gas and left shoulder pain that most LB patients have after surgery, it took me almost exactly one week to get it all out of my system and no longer have the pain. I had read that the more you walk, the quicker you get rid of it. I was pretty sedentary at first, but some people are very active right away. They're the ones who have very little problem with the deferred pain from the gas. I also did not take ANY pain medication after I left the hospital. Not even over the counter stuff. Just didn't need it. I could use it right now just for the buzz but I hate trippin' alone. :heh::heh::heh: Green, don't make me come up there!

Unfortunately I guess they're everywhere. Not just in Iran or the southern parts of the U.S.A. Oh yeah, except maybe for Canada. They seem to be all over it there, from Green's teachings anyway.

laurend when I was in high school I belonged to the First Christian Church which was a part of the Disciples of Christ organization. In our little southern town, our minister spent a lot of time speaking to the congregation about tolerance and love and forgiveness. Bias of any kind was not acceptable. I was married in the First Baptist Church into a very conservative, religious family. They practically owned their own pew in their very large church. The atmosphere in that church was quite a contrast to the First Methodist Church's teachings and the First Christian Church's teachings. That Baptist Church, which was a fundamentalist Southern Baptist Church, was all hell, fire and brimstone. I could tell you some stories that would raise the hair on your arms.

Wow, laurend, you win!! I have the most incredible risotto recipe with mushrooms and asparagus - and a nice Parmesan Reggiano in wide shavings over the top. It doesn't get much better than that, does it? Have you ever had crispy penne pasta? I had it at the Hollywood Athletic Club, in LA. The way it is cooked with a honest-to-goodness parmesan reggiano atop, causes it to be slightly crisp on top, but buttery soft and creamy on the inside. mmmmmmmmm.

You know, as much as I would like to get to know you and share some kind of understanding, I am pretty sure we are just not on the same wave length. Each time we exchange posts, we just get farther apart. Well we can't say it was for lack of trying, can we. You should be proud that your thread got so much attention and lasted so long. But right now, I'd like to discuss a nice, soft, slightly warm French Double Cream Brie, with low-cal water wafers.... mmmmmmm.

Gee dude, who said it was your fault? It is what it is. We are who we are. You are very happy with your belief on the subject, proud and vocal. When you are vocal about a belief that you have, it will obviously cause people to react to you in certain ways. I only meant to say that I thought is was sad that if they are good friends, they didn't feel comfortable sharing a difficult time with you, since you're their friend. You brought up the Bible and I was just observing that Jesus wouldn't condemn his friends for doing something that He believed was wrong. He would be supportive, try to understand, and show them love and acceptance. You're not Jesus, you're just like the rest of us, which is of course, fine. But you're the one who brought the Bible into the discussion and you're the one who chose to tell us about your friends. I didn't want to ignore one of your posts. It seemed very heartfelt.

There were a couple of other pro-lifers who were extremely graphic in their posts. You have been much more graphic than I thought was necessary, but that's your tactic. Whatever floats your boat. I'm with Mark on that part of the issue. I think that it is extremely disgusting to most people and doesn't make most people want to jump on your bandwagon. Of course I understand that you do not think you should sugar-coat anything, for anyone, because you equate it to the era of Hitler and slavery. Both dispicable in everyone's minds, so who wouldn't align with those analogies? One would have to be a Nazi, with racial bigotry in your heart not to agree with you, right? Maybe it works on some people. Probably people who do not think it through and see it for what it is - another clever tactic in the right-to-lifer's well-stocked arsenal to shoot down any person or thought about a woman's right to choose whether go through with an ill-conceived pregnancy, without government interference.

396: You question whether I'm new here? Are you new? I wasn't suggesting that you were or were not bringing it up to your friends. I was addressing the issue that they had not decided to discuss it with you, their friend. I am sure it was a loving thing for you to do to not discuss it with them because you knew you would not be able to be generous in your support of them. I'm not criticizing you for not talking with them about it, just observing that I find it sad that if they are good friends of yours, they didn't feel comfortable sharing something that was probably very important in their lives, with you. It's back to the old respect thing we were discussing, really. You know not being able to respect others with differing opinions and beliefs.

I'd like to know exactly how you found out that I'm rich. gadget: Mark, and I believe Laurend, made it quite clear that they respect you and your opinions about murdering babies. Although you said earlier that you "could care less." So I'm surprised you're asking. I hate that this has become some kind of personal jab posting stuff. It reminds me of some of the other discussions that have gone one earlier having to do with religion. They served no constructive purpose and just made us all feel bad. I think many of us just got completely fed up with the incredibly graphic and inflammatory verbage that pro-lifers like to post to try to insult and lay guilt upon those who believe in a woman's right to choose whether she can have an abortion or not have an abortion without the government's interference.

Green, BJean is jealous. Where's a nice hot Italian Stallion when you need him? I do not discriminate because of age. Sex yes, but not age. Unless he's as old as I, and that's just too depressing. All kidding aside...:rolleyes (not) (good thing my DH isn't looking over my shoulder! He might not think I'm really kidding.) I have had a great week with regard to the LB!!!! I finally found out why I was having such a difficult time. Surprising to me, I was overfilled. I had heard so many people here talk about PB'ing too much and all that, and even not being able to swallow water (or spit!) Mine was not THAT tight, but I was having a lot of trouble eating regular good food. I could eat about 3 bites of something and if I didn't eat it quite slowly, and in very small bites, I would PB. Later I would be ravenous!! That's when I decided to allow myself one square of chocolate. That was so satisfying it lead to another. Then I decided I could handle a child's size Italian Gelato. That lead to a regular size one, which led to a large. (not all in the same sitting, mind you) The next thing I knew I was not losing weight and I even regained the few pounds I had lost in the previous few weeks. I was scared to death to go for another fill since I figured I wouldn't be able to swallow my own spit and I was already so hungry with the fill I had! I had no idea that being overfilled was just as bad for causing hunger as being underfilled! I haven't read anyone here state it that way. I just couldn't imagine anyone sabbotaging their band with junk. Now I understand exactly how that can happen. Well, I had an appt. with the nutritionist and doctor, and today the exercise physiologist. I'm so happy!!! I am back on track and after just a couple of days of the proper fill, I am losing again. Not fast, but able to avoid the really high calorie junk foods. I can eat a decent meal (slowly, small bites) and consequently I am not starving and obsessing about food 24/7. Woo hoo! I just hope this continues and I can really lose the next 40 lbs.! I was accepted in a freebee Larry North exercise program designed just for LB patients. Starts on the 19th. I am very pumped! I have shot knees and the physiologist said that the only restriction at this point is no squats or stair stepper type exercises. Yea. Wish me luck!

My point was, oh gracious and wonderful mother that you undoubtedly are, that I was speaking to the person to whom I directed my post, not to you. I wasn't in fact presuming anything, I was sure of it.

As a matter of fact, gadget, in presidential debates all of the participants are very quick to state that they respect their opponents and their opponents viewpoints. They know that if they don't respect others in a debate, it will make them look stupid and it will give their arguments less credibility because of that stupidity. By the way, you said that if someone doesn't respect your opinion, that you could care less. How much less?

gadget- you are so presumptuous about some of our posts. You just love to put words and meanings into other people's posts. Always negative ones when you disagree with them. I was not snapping my fingers at you. I was, by my post, observing that you probably felt the way you've now stated that you do feel...disrespectful for anyone who believes that women should have the right to choose to have or not to have an abortion, without interference from the government.

Eddie, you're a cool dude. I wish I could single handedly make things right for you and your man.

Good post, Green!

Hmmm, Mark, I hear crickets.

396: I did not accuse you of judging people. Although from your post about judging people, quoting the Bible, etc., it seems that maybe you really are judging those friends of yours. Otherwise why mount a defense when no one was attacking you about it? I don't wonder that they wouldn't want to discuss something as important and personal as abortion with you if they already know you're going to judge them in a negative way. Afterall, they're your beliefs, your convictions, so very much more important than your friends or their needs. Since you brought up the Bible, do you think that Jesus would make negative comments about his friends if they had had an abortion? He might not recommend an abortion to a friend in trouble, but I doubt seriously if he would not be totally loving and supportive of a woman in trouble, even after she had brutally murdered her human being (clump of cells.)