green

If I find that I need that lung, a big bunch of money.

I have never been involved with any programme such as WW. I did have a friend who once went to one of these organisations in order to lose weight. (It was one where you paid for the food.) It worked for her but she was highly motivated and she only needed to shed about 15lbs or so. I have also known a few morbidly obese women on a very casual basis through work who have gone through these programmes and who have remained morbidly obese. I suspect that these programmes may work best for those individuals who have 30lbs or less to lose. I figure that the public yet supportive environment may serve to keep these women on track with their diets. As for myself, I have never been good at following rules. I have never met a rule that I didn't want to break. This is why I had never even attempted to go the diet route once I realised that I had become a fatty. I knew that some sort of surgical intervention was in order if I was to be rescued from my own personal lardiness. I was thinking liposuction until a GF told me about the band. The band has worked like a charm for me; it has presented an actual physical barrier between me and my gluttony. And I have also done some research since being banded as to which foods are the best ones to eat. The band was kind of inspirational this way. And I now make a point of reading the nutritional facts on the labels of all prepared foods. As for losing weight through exercise alone, well, I tried that method before getting banded. It didn't work for me. My fat got firmer is all. Still, if obese folk persist in continuing on with programmes such as WW even though these programmes are obviously not working these people are still getting something valuable out of the experience, are they not? My hunch is that these overweight folk are enjoying the social and psychological aspects of these programmes. Think about it for a minute! WW offers these people a place to go, to hang with other folks who are like themselves, to have a chance to talk comfortably about their weight issues without experiencing any feelings of embarassment or defensiveness. I believe that it might be the social component of these programmes which serves to draw those failed dieters back again and again.

Man, that is so stupid and so depressing....

I am in the market for a lung. I have type B positive blood.

A restraining order sounds like a good idea.

It seems that I am gonna have to do a really big mea culpa, Jack. I truly wasn't aware of all the foul-ups and straight-up corruption going on at the local and the state level in the Katrina tragedy. This certainly is horrible! And the outcome has been tragic for that region. Thanks for setting me straight on this. It is true that I am no fan of mini-BushCo but I do like to have my facts straight and I do like to play fair. Thanks, eh, sez Green.

Many Republicans like to comment that they are voting with their wallets. It is important to understand that there are both long term as well as short term benefits to various fiscal policies. Sometimes short term pain is best for long term gain.

It strikes me that the American economy was in better shape under Clinton's watch. At the present time you have a huge deficit, you are engaged in this Iraqi war, and the price tag for this stunt is already in the trillions. Some economists have commented that this government has mortgaged your grandchildren's future. There is, moreover, the sub-prime mess, another ugly business which is losing you more foreign friends since money knows no borders: you should be aware that foreign investors have been indirectly exposed to this bluddy mess. (Indeed, I am one, sez Green grumpily.) The Katrina calamity was so horribly mishandled that Cuba offered its help. Certainly the first folks on the site of this disaster were the NGOs - the non-governmental organisations. These are charitable organisations (such as the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, etc) which are typically found operating in third world environments, ones which are in extreme distress. The federal government really did drop the ball on Katrina. I am aware that Americans are awfully fond of Ronald Reagan. (As a foreigner I never got it.) But something of which you should be aware, however, is this: your national economy was healthier under Clinton's watch than it was under the Gipper's. When he left office he left behind a rather unattractive national debt load. This had been whittled down under the Clinton Demos but now that mini-Bush is engaging in expensive wars and cutting taxes your fiscal health is looking pretty lousy. What does this mean in practical terms? Well, first of all, ask yourselves how these wars are going to be paid for if taxes are cut? Where is the money going to come from? If the government isn't going to pay cash then the government is putting it on the credit card or on an international loan. This means that you, citizens, will get your lousy short term tax break but will end up on the hook long term for all of you American tax payers will be stuck paying interest on these loans, won't you? This is why those economists have commented that this ill-advised Iraq war has mortagaged the future of your grandchildren. The second effect of this financial mismanagement is that the American dollar no longer has the same street cred on the international financial money market. This means that the dollar will have less value and that anything which you wish to buy internationally will cost you much more money. This is a drag for anyone who wants to go for a holiday. It is an even bigger drag when your country is buying fossil fuels. I don't know how much the average American profits from tax cuts. Our current Conservative government has presented the Canadian citizen with tax cuts but to tell you the truth for most of us the actual benefit which the middle class Canuck sees is less than a thousand bucks. And that is no big deal, eh.

It seems that the new N-word is the C-word and, nope, Soviet Canuckistani* Green is not referring to those fun Anglo-Saxon words which refer to this biz of our genital equipment, eh. Far from it! I have heard that black folk are now referred to as Canadians in the deep south. It seems that this is in the way of being a euphemism.... Well, what can I say other than I am oh so excited, eh. You must understand that up until now Canucks* have suffered from a very bluddy dismal street profile. Oh, yah, we rank high among the world's most boring nations. Of course I am pretty excited. The truth is that I am now anxious to tell my story. This is going to be called Canuck Like Me, Eh? *It was the ill-educated and ultra right-wing American politician, Pat Robertson, who first referred to my country as Soviet Canuckistan. As for me, I find that I now have my new fantasies........ I am thinking of a tell-all memoir story: Canuck Like Me (eh). I am certainly feeling much more comfortable about this notion of pulling up my biggy grrl cheap junk-ass synthethic-material panties

It seems that the new N-word is the C-word and, nope, Soviet Canuckistani* Green is not referring to those fun Anglo-Saxon words which refer to this biz of our genital equipment, eh. Far from it! I have heard that black folk are now referred to as Canadians in the deep south. It seems that this is in the way of being a euphemism.... Well, what can I say other than I am oh so excited, eh. You must understand that up until now Canucks* have suffered from a very bluddy dismal street profile. Oh, yah, we rank high among the world's most boring nations. Of course I am pretty excited. The truth is that I am now anxious to tell my story. This is going to be called Canuck Like Me, Eh? *It was the ill-educated and ultra right-wing American politician, Pat Robertson, who first referred to my country as Soviet Canuckistan. As for me, I find that I now have my new fantasies........ I am thinking of writing a tell-all memoir story: Canuck Like Me (eh). I sure am feeling much more comfortable about this notion of pulling up my biggy grrl cheap junk-ass synthethic-material panties now that I am aware that there are whole bunch o Canuckis loitering south of the --- hmmm --- border.

This grrl is highly amused to hear about this biz of that appalling raft of mean-spirited, ebonics-yapping bunch of fellow Canucks causing grief south of the border, eh. Green sure is hoping that all Canucks display her ease in comunication, and she sure as hell is hoping that her fellow Canucks will cut her some slack because this grrl can't dance, can't jump, and can't play any instrument apart from a sound system.

It seems that the new N-word is the C-word and, nope, Soviet Canuckistani* Green is not referring to those fun Anglo-Saxon words which refer to this biz of our genital equipment, eh. Far from it! I have heard that black folk are now referred to as Canadians in the deep south. It seems that this is in the way of being a euphemism.... Well, what can I say other than I am oh so excited, eh. You must understand that up until now Canucks* have suffered from a very bluddy dismal street profile. Oh, yah, we rank high among the world's most boring nations. Of course I am pretty excited. The truth is that I am now anxious to tell my story. This is going to be called Canuck Like Me, Eh? *It was the ill-educated and ultra right-wing American politician, Pat Robertson, who first referred to my country as Soviet Canuckistan. As for me, I find that I now have my new fantasies........ I am thinking of a tell-all memoir story: Canuck Like Me (eh). I am certainly feeling much more comfortable about this notion of pulling up my biggy grrl cheap junk-ass synthethic-material panties. I feel that I now have rhythm. I even feel that I can now toss aside the ultra-mega-final and exreme sunblock which has kept me trapped, like some kind of freak, skipping out of enjoying some of the land of daylight city.

You dudes are so smart! This is why the i-net is fun.

I read somewhere that many European nations, the Netherlands being one, are considering or have already in place some sort of cultural assessment programme for new immigrants. This is designed to weed out those immigrants whose values are not compatible with the host country. This sounds like an interesting idea. Too bad I can't remember any of the details. :frown: I guess the fact that I am blonde ain't false advertising, eh.

:frown: Brilliant! :tt1:

Has she always behaved like this or could her behaviour be due to her father's death? Perhaps her father's death has badly unhinged her. Do you feel that you could take her aside, maybe take her out for a meal, and talk honestly with her? You might wish to open the discussion by explaining how sorry you are for her loss and asking if there is anyway in which you can be of help to her. Allow her to talk about herself for awhile. Then you could explain that you are sure that she must have forgotten due to her grief that you had advised her of your vacation plans by leaving a message on her cell after you had tried but been unable to speak to her directly. Tell her that you are very sorry that this resulted in a foul-up. Advise her that a similar misunderstanding appears to have arisen over her play. Then explain to her that because you do not want to be a troublesome employee, and you certainly do not wish to disappoint her, you would like her advice as to handle these issues in the future. Re-iterate your wish to help her during this painful time of loss. Of course, this means that you will have to take a submissive position with her but bosses often appreciate that.... I suspect that she is not firing on all cylinders at the moment, that she is unable to concentrate on anything, and that is the real reason why she thinks that you are screwing up. She gets those messages and then forgets them. The fact that she is playing solitaire instead of working would seem to indicate this. This is a real bummer for you. Good luck.

:smile: J'adore les tigres. Geau Pip! :smile:

Intellectual debate is quite different from a "love-in." If you want a love-in then R&R is not the place for you. On this site we have had some Christians claim that those who belong to other Christian sects are not true Christians. We have had individuals express their distaste for followers of Islam. We have also had individuals express their belief that homosexual practices are sinful. We have had other individuals who have expressed dissenting opinions. These are people who do not agree. Whenever anyone opts to air an opinion on this site they are expected to back this up. Whenever an individual opts to back up their argument by citing their religious beliefs this automatically opens the door for the validity of these beliefs to be debated and, yes, attacked by their opponents. This is how debate works. If you do not want to see your belief system attacked then do not introduce this into any intellectual debate. R&R is a rough and tumble environment. It is here for those people who enjoy the intellectual exercise of examining beliefs and of sharing ideas. For those of you who want to engage in a love-in and enjoy Rose Wolf's perfumed Care Bear prose there are other corners of this forum. To insist that Christians are undergoing a systemic persecution on this forum is both specious and foolish. There are many fine Christians who have and still do engage in debate in R&R. These are individuals whose voices are deeply valued by all of us who are regulars in this corner of LBT.

Wowie, zowie! Gadget and I have done a bunch of jousting over certain issues but I, too, am awful fond of Gadget and I trust that she has a sneaking fondness for me. This is how debate ideally works, eh; you can dislike the opposing view but retain respect and deep affection for your opponent. Speaking bluntly, most of you girls who have posted are a bunch of straight white Christian chicks and certainly all of you live on this fine continent. You surely are not serious when you claim that you are being persecuted simply because you are Christians. That sounds pretty drama queen to me.

Now that I am old and have inherited money, I buy shoes made by Thiery Rabotin. These cost a bunch of bucks but the uppers are made from kid glove leather and the shoes weigh as much as dust. Their walking shoes are the most amazing foot gear I have ever worn and I have been living in these. I also wear Puma shoes and shoes made by Ecco and a few other European makes. The most truly decadent experience, however, is a Thiery Rabotin shoe for what you get is a comfortable sole which is made of space-age light-weight materials and yet at the same time your foot is housed in a kid glove leather sleeve. This is a truly sublime experience. They ain't cheap and this is kind of a drag. On the other hand you will get a lot of wears per cost and this will reduce the overall investment.

Fairy Facade, I recognise where you are coming from and I respect this. As you have said, you are Christian, one who admittedly does not care overmuch for the politics of church, but at the same time you derive great comfort in your belief. I have no problem with this but you are surely aware that there are fellow believers who do believe that one of the requirements of truly engaging in a relationship with Christ is to engage in a fellowship with other believers, in brief, to commit to a congregation.... I mention this only in order to show you that even to those of you who share a Christian belief there will inevitably be points of conflict. As for this biz of jollies, well, I have to admit that you are right. The individuals who choose to frequent Rant&Raves do get their jollies through engaging in engaging in debate. Rants&Raves has been specifically created for those of us who find the notion of digging up and pawing over all those contentious issues to be both exciting and of intellectual value. Many of the discussions in which we have engaged have been entirely politically incorrect. This is why I felt that I must challenge Rose Wolf's opening post. Christians, the ultra-dominant belief group in the United States, has not been unfairly picked upon here in R&R. The truth is that just about every group has had a smack-down here on R&R. Maybe you, Rose, should spend some time reading the archival material in this section of LBT. Rant and Raves exists for those of us who are anxious to engage in debating ideas. We enjoy doing this. We enjoy swapping information and we enjoy the intellectual exercise involved when attempting to defend our own positions. You are welcome to introduce your beliefs into an argument. It is only fair, however, that your beliefs will be challenged and that you will be expected to defend your beliefs in these discussions. This is the way debate works, and if you choose to view this as a sign of Christian persecution, as something akin to what the early Christians did experience, then I say that you are making a thoughtless and possibly wicked mistake. Certainly your early martyrs were subjected to much more than the trials of open discussion of beliefs, were they? Get a grip, grrl.

I can only wear sensible round-toed flats. This is because I have great big boney feet which are shaped like a duck's flippers. I tell people who try to get me into grrly shoes that I have Lesbian feet - well, I tell everyone this except for my best GF who is a Lesbian and who wears men's shoes. Heels hurt my feet. Cheap shoes hurt my feet and I do a lot of walking. I need spongey soles and the uppers have be made out of very soft leather or they will rip the skin in my feet. I hate my feet.

I don't think that you should even think about joint counselling at this time. You did offer him the option and he refused. Now you should do this for your own well-being. Trust me, counselling can be a useful tool when you are in a situation like this. You have all my thoughts and sympathy, girl.

I was both shocked and saddened when I heard the news. Another young and very talented actor lost to us. The death of any young individual is always a tragedy.

A guy I used to know liked to say that a politician is "a whore with the heart of a whore." He was an alcoholic and a speech writer. He also liked to listen to opera. He was prone to announcing this while he was plastered on scotch and listening to opera blasting on his sound system. Of course all politicians sell out. They must do this in order to be elected. This is all about advertising, this is all about spin. And the more disparate your electoral base the more shadowy and vague your candidate will become if you are actually looking for content, not form. Up here in Canuckistan we have a broader range of political platforms from which to chose than you do but what inevitably holds true is that once a party finds itself in power it does begin to drift towards the more workable centre. The right wing becomes a little less rightish and the left becomes a little less idealistically left. This is not to say that it doesn't matter who we vote for, that we will end up with the same party in the end: this is most certainly not the case. What it does mean is that the problems of actually applying these political theories does kick in once the party achieves power and often these ideals will of necessity be modified, become watered down....be made workable.