green

Well, there some fundamental differences between our two countries, BJean. Canada is a profoundly secular country with respect to the separation of church and state. In this we are much more like many of the European countries, particularly the Scandinavian ones. To date we have never seen such right-wing religious pundits carry any political weight at all, most certainly there are no Jerry Falwells, Oral Roberts, and the like north of the border. Indeed we have a tendency to lean over backwards in order to accomodate our pluralities and this is generally not a bad thing. But the government of Ontario was seriously considering recognizing Shar'ia law as a code by which our Muslim faction could deal with non-criminal issues between themselves. They were considering this because they had already granted Mosaic law this recognition. It was only when many of us protested that the government was forced to renege on Shar'ia and on their recognition of Mosaic law. All of this lengthy blah-blah is to say that I sometimes feel that our government, one which is profoundly secular and is, moreover, sensitive to the feelings of our various social, cultural, and religious/a-religious folks, is inclined to go overboard in banning symbols which are as much cultural as religious from public life. The dramas which go on at Christmas time can be a little nutsy. And let us not forget that Christians are citizens, too. What makes me uncomfortable when I observe the mindset south of the border is the assumption which a significant number of people hold that their beliefs must perforce be everyone's beliefs, that they are the only right beliefs, and that it is "my way or the highway." These are people who seek to shut down debate and ultimately wish to act in a most undemocratic fashion for they are not prepared to recognise that anyone else may have a valid point of view. I also feel that God really has no place at all in the business of the state. The state is the state and certainly none of the purely secular western European states, nor Canada for that matter, have immoral or repressive legal systems. (Those of you who wish to cite Communism as repressive should be aware that this system, originally an economic system, had been elevated by the tyrants who ran or still run those countries into something like a secular religion. They have done this for their ends: to keep the power in their own hands.) Of course there are many, many splendid Christians! I just don't feel comfortable with the ones who act like bullies, either at home or abroad. (George W would have done much better reading up on the recent history, and the geo-political realities of the Middle East instead of reading his Bible before entering into this ill-advised war with Iraq.)

Congratulations on your bandiversary. Your before and after photos are amazing. You have come a long way in just one year and you look terrific!

At the clinic where I had my banding done, the policy was to treat all patients without the kind of co-morbities which might complicate the operation as day patients and the surgery would be performed in the clinic. Patients who might run into difficulties due to co-morbities would be operated on at a hospital and they would be kept there overnight.

Thanks, Devana, for this recipe. I assume that I can find the ingredients at a health food store?

I am glad that I have always had relatively smallish boobs. The largest they crawled up to was a C-cup. I also find bras fiendishly uncomfortable to wear and never wear them in the house. I do have to wear them outside, however, because otherwise it looks like I am housing a pair of crazed rats underneath my shirt when I walk. I always wear jog bras. They are the least annoying. They are old boobs; I now fail the pencil test. Ugh! :phanvan

Omigawd, her reproductives must be just so baggy by now that if she sneezes she risks having her womb fall out and dangle between her legs! :faint:I'll bet they probably don't have many hobbies. :phanvan

This is my concern as well for although I am an atheist I have no problem with the notion of belief. The country I live in has become a secular one and now is sometimes inclined to carry political correctness to what I believe are idiotic levels. I will now prove this to you by providing you with a couple of examples. Upon receiving the complaint of a Jewish female judge a Christmas tree which was standing in the lobby of a courthouse in Toronto was removed. Most Torontonians who troubled to write into the newspapers about this were disgusted. Teachers in our public schools are now required to refer to the upcoming Christmas holidays as winter holidays even though these holidays exist because they are folded around the Christmas event. Such signs of this time of year, the Christmas tree (originally a pagan tradition), the carols, the creches are as much of our cultural tradition as they are specific to Christianity and I think that as such they have a right to exist. I think that they enliven the social environment. What concerns me is exactly what Mark so nicely stated above, that there are certain Christians who will try to force others to "live by their moral code."

I like your post, Future. I am one of those who counts in the tip as part of the price of going to the restaurant, taking a cab, or getting your hair done. Where we differ is that I will give a lousy tip for lousy service at a restaurant though in the case of an obvious newbie I wouldn't be likely to do so.

I was thinking about this topic just the other day because we had some visitors whom we hadn't seen for many years. When they entered the house they straight away took off their shoes. How Canadian we all are, I thought. We have hardwood floors and a bunch of oriental rugs. They are much better for not showing dirt.

It's a funny thing, BJean, but over the years I have watched all my middle-aged GFs succumb to delicate digestive tracts and I was very proud that my own was still behaving like it was made out of cast iron. :heh: Caffeine and hot spicy foods bothered me not one bit! Now look how this grrl has fallen.... *sniff* I swear I think I am about ready to burst into tears over this mess. :think Argh!

Hah! I never spotted the a joke but then I am a blondie, you know. As to the other stuff, I have given up chocolate, cut my coffee consumption down to one lousy cup in the ayem, am taking a prevacid clone (omeprazole), am taking lots of Tums on the recommendation of my pharmacist, have given up on spicy foods (a real tragedy), have found suitable boards for the bed and have sent my husband off to the cottage with orders to cut them so that we can stack them. I have been less successful with the smoking and drinking as we've been through quite a run of being surpised by visitors - all of them folks who we hadn't seen for a long time. Smoking and drinking seem to go with hospitality for this grrl. Oh yah, I do have acidophilous and I take it whenever I remember. It is good stuff. Thank you, my friend, for the love and care. Green really appreciates it.

Blerff! sez Green, eh. I am not a happy camper. I continue to sound like a goodfellah and I do have serious problems with sleeping. These are due to throat pain, a desire to cough, cough, cough, and the tragic revisitation of unwonted dysentery - complete with cramps, eh, sez Green. Many of you will have noticed Green's fondness for an um er reliancy on peppering her commentaries with eh, eh. She only does this in order to remind you that she is a furreigner, a Canuck in fact, and she wishes to acknowledge her Great White Roots, eh. The truth is that Green is not feeling very welll at the moment. Though she is now a thinnish kind of broad she is suffering from some kind of violent acid reflux crap. And she is drifting back into the zone of unwonted intestinal cramps, etc.......... !! None of these experiences equal happy days for the kinda ruined Green.

And it follows that America is now under attack for America is now under pressure to declare itself as a specifically Christian country. It strikes me that the founding fathers of America were awfully careful to skirt around this issue when they were labouring over the Constitution. It also strikes me that the only other modern countries which seek to tether their sense of self to a strictly religious definition of self are the Islamic countries. Such countries are rightfully referred to as theocracies. It is true that I become chippy when I note any intention on the part of Canada's fabulous southern neighbour to drift into the zone of screw-up. And it is true that I have even met Americans who claim that I am anti-Yank. Hah! They are like so wrong...., sez Green in valley-speak. I am crazy about the U.S. and this is why I am so anxious that the doors to intellectual debate remain open. You all live in a country which has great valuable. End of Green's boring sermon. And she wishes to present you all with her appologies, eh. :heh::heh::heh:

Thank you, L8, for the above response. To tell you the truth, one of the things that I prize about living in the west is that we are able to come together on a website like this one and discuss these matters without personal prejudice. I find this to be extraordinary and certainly not an option available in ever so many parts of the world. We are lucky folks, are we not? I guess what I am proposing is not that atheists get to decide for the rest of you but simply that the atheist point of view might properly be considered to be the default point of view on the abortion issue. By leaving the civil law where it currently stands those individuals who find abortion to be morally repugnant can opt out of engaging in this activity. This would mean that no woman would be forced to have an abortion against her will and no doctor, nurse, or pharmacist who found themselves uncomfortable with aiding and abetting an abortion would be forced to do so. Such legislation will allow those individuals who do not subscribe to this moral ideology to have the freedom to opt out of aborting or assisting in an abortion. It is also to be expected that those individuals who are seeking abortions will be correctly advised when they wander into the arms of pro-life groups, the ones who mask their intentions by claiming that they are pro-choice. I guess what I would like to see is a level playing ground. For sure those people who are anti-abortion must have the right to present their point of view and to proffer options. Equally, the right to opt for an abortion must not be taken away from women.

Interesting stuff has been said on the subject of pornography but I would like to hear some of the male members of LBT weigh in on this subject. I am very aware that we women tend to have a different reaction to pornography than men do. We sure ain't hardwired for visual cues when it comes to sex. We prefer romantic/erotic texts, stinky candles, smelly oils, champagne and a host of other elaborate preparations. Watching close-ups of genitals isn't going to work for us. We are inclined to find this material as being gross or at least capable of leaving us squirming in our seats with discomfort. I do have to confess, however, that there were times when I have profitted from catching a boyfriend watching porn. Crudely put, the dude has his equipment in primo working order and it didn't take much work on Green's part to use this to her advantage. :heh::heh::heh: Green is a practical grrl.

I can certainly understand your position. We do indeed all have our own belief systems. The Hindus believe that it is a wicked act to eat an animal or even to crush an insect for these creatures are but ourselves, the sole difference being that these individuals are in a different stage of becoming sufficiently mature to meet up with God, the final point of our earthly journeys. Although I am an atheist our real difference is that I do not believe that the rights of foetus trump that of the host body or, to express this more humanely, the mother. Apart from that and the fact that I find myself unable to believe in a supernatural Being, we really are much the same. Like yourself I am anxious to see that those who live around me live well and I will help them whenever I see that they are suffering. I am also concerned about the larger ethical issues which are currently in play and which may affect the world in which we live. This is why I do a lot of reading up on such matters and this is why I consider that it is important that I engage in the type of discussions which are available here on Rant and Raves. It is just such a fine thing that we are all able to discuss and swap ideas, isn't it? I certainly do not mean to disrespect you for believing in God and I was sincere when I told you how much I appreciated your account of your own early pregnancy. Indeed, your account touched me very much. I can certainly see that to a Christian abortion is not just about a woman's body. This makes sense within the framework of your beliefs. What I am saying is that there are other folks who do not share this belief system and to insist upon imposing your beliefs upon the civil framework of a country which was founded upon the vision of a secular and civil democracy, not a theocracy, is simply wrong-headed. This is why I suggest that no Christian be forced to involved him or herself directly in this business of abortion. At the same time you must understand that your religious beliefs are yours and thus must not be allowed to inform public policy.

Your mum is right. My ex-husband's infidelities and the fact that I was the sole regular wage earner (he was a musician) certainly blew up that marriage pretty quickly. :omg:

That's a fabulous idea! :clap2::clap2::clap2:

You must pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster and ask Him to unlock the gates of their minds in order that they are able to see the difference.....

I am looking forward to the day when I feel like a normo.

Hurrah for Mark! You have an elegant way of making a telling point. Thank you for your wit and wisdom, sez Green.

What I have always intended to emphasize is that the Christian point of view is not the only point of view and that for many folk this view may be viewed as an errant point of view. There are other areas of the globe where other belief systems carry the same weight as the Christian point of view does in your part of the world. It strikes me that when you make the argument against the right to chose and you choose to base this upon a specific set of religious beliefs you are disqualifying yourselves from being heard by all individuals who do not subscribe to the same set of beliefs. Certainly Christians have the right to express their point of view. Arguably Hindus, Shintos, Animists, and atheists then have an equal right to express their points of view. My complaint is that you folk are unwilling to recognise this plurality. That is my only complaint.

I was banded last September at the age of 57. I recovered quickly and suffered little pain apart from gas pains. I spent the first 3 days post-op in bed, enjoying the pain meds. By the 4th day I was dressed and spending time on the computer. I weighed around 200 lbs when I was banded and I am now at goal and still losing. I now weigh 147 lbs fully clothed and I have a healthy BMI. This has been my personal experience with the lapband and it has been a very positive one. I must mention that my inner and outer selves still do not match. I am accustomed to thinking of myself as a big grrl and I still find myself thinking that I am big grrl. I am under the impression that making the psychological jump from chubby to normo is one of the challenges which we face.

Ask him if he knows what colour your eyes are and if he says that he doesn't just nod and say "I thought as much!" If he is intelligent he will figure it out.

Sounds like you should start a thread and fill us in, sez Green who is cackling cynically while she types this. :heh: