It has been a really long day, followed by a dinner out with multiple margaritas, so I am ready post my first LBT Rants and Raves post.

I won't follow the herd anymore. Ever. I stopped doing that years ago when I realized that I made every decision based upon how I could make the most people happy (or prevent conflict). That's simply not healthy. And it takes all the fun out of life.

I hate absolutes. Absolutely hate them. I can't stand to lump a group of people together for any reason. All people at LBT are not sweet and perfect. All people at OH are not cheerleaders and ***** supporters. All Muslims are not extreme radicals. Not all of us Texas women are Southern Belles (ok so that one is debatable). All women are not subservient (ok I know you ladies agree with that one). We are all, quite simply, just people.

I don't want to be told I have to do something because it is the Christian thing to do. Are you my priest? My rabbi? My high priestess? Where do people get off on judging other people????? I don't freakin' get it. Each of us have own spirituality or lack of it. Each of us have our own moral core - although some are harder to identify than others. Don't attack me because I don't agree with you - hire a yes-man for that job - it doesn't pay enough for me to take it. And don't push your personal belief system off on me.

I like most people. Really I do. And I get along with most people. Some people just get to me, and I don't have to like them. There is no rule about that. There is only one person on my bad list at the moment, and if I ever get a personal apology that person will come off the list. You and I don't have to like the same people or have the same ideas to be friends. I prefer friends who are different from me. If I wanted everyone to be like me - well then I would become a hermit(ess) and just have ME for companionship.

I love our differences. I love the passion in which so many of us debate what we believe in. I just hate the herd mentality that says we all have to believe the same thing, or like the same people, or hate the same people....because ya know what? We don't. We are different. Our differences make us unique and teach us more about life than any book will.

And one more thing. I rarely drink and I really love Margaritas! :whoo:

My Mom taught me that you can tell a lot about people by the friends they keep:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sandyr/uzone,friends/userid,90275/mode,friends/page,3/

Nancy B. listed on SandyR’s friend’s list.on obesityhelp.com

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sandyr/uzone,friends/userid,90275/mode,friends/page,13/

Chelle B. listed on SandyR’s friend’s list.on obesityhelp.com

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sandyr/uzone,friends/userid,90275/mode,friends/page,3/

work_n_prgrss listed on SandyR’s friend’s list on obesityhelp.com.

I think that pretty much says it all.

Not sure what your point is.

I accept all friends requests and have 366 on my list.

Not sure what your point is.

I accept all friends requests and have 366 on my list.

Work-n-prgrss has 234.

Nancy B has 43.

Here is a previous comment on how LBT is very different from OH in that there is no prejudice shown to who one is friends with.

"I'm telling you, things are different here. People (except Sandy, most here don't like her) are not attacked for who they are or what their opinions are. We disagree, but we don't attack. We attack the ideas but not typically the people. You have to work pretty hard at being attacked around here.

We have friends around here but not cliques. Lauren and I happen to not care for Dee but if Dee would have been a friend of mine Lauren might look at me with a raised eyebrow but she wouldn't give a rip who my friends are. The cliques just don't exist. Friendships do, but not groupies."

Here is Wendells take on it:

"My Mom taught me that you can tell a lot about people by the friends they keep: I think that pretty much says it all."

So he is... according to others here at LBT in line with the OH mentality, which they all dislike intensely.

Here is a previous comment on how LBT is very different from OH in that there is no prejudice shown to who one is friends with.

"I'm telling you, things are different here. People (except Sandy, most here don't like her) are not attacked for who they are or what their opinions are. We disagree, but we don't attack. We attack the ideas but not typically the people. You have to work pretty hard at being attacked around here.

We have friends around here but not cliques. Lauren and I happen to not care for Dee but if Dee would have been a friend of mine Lauren might look at me with a raised eyebrow but she wouldn't give a rip who my friends are. The cliques just don't exist. Friendships do, but not groupies."

Here is Wendells take on it:

"My Mom taught me that you can tell a lot about people by the friends they keep: I think that pretty much says it all."

So he is... according to others here at LBT in line with the OH mentality, which they all dislike intensely.

Something I would like to highlight or point out from the above is:

The cliques just don't exist. Friendships do, but not groupies.

Something I would like to highlight or point out from the above is:

The cliques just don't exist. Friendships do, but not groupies.

So if I have someone on my friends list..I am a groupie of that person? I am a groupie of 234 people?

And that doesnt address the fact that Wendell directly contradicted what LBT is supposed to be about. I am supposed to by your admission have the freedom to be friends with someone without be attacked or ridiculed for that. So far that hasnt happened here at LBT.

I guess that depends on YOU. Would you show up in a pack... er ...group to defend all 234 folks?

So if I have someone on my friends list..I am a groupie of that person? I am a groupie of 234 people?

I didn't make that claim at all. I just wanted to highlight the rest of the part that makes a difference from my comments that you quoted.

I don't happen to agree with the friend's list saga. I have people on my friends list on OH and I have no idea who they are. They sent me invitations and I accepted. Doesn't mean they are my friends, I know nothing about them.

And that doesnt address the fact that Wendell directly contradicted what LBT is supposed to be about. I am supposed to by your admission have the freedom to be friends with someone without be attacked or ridiculed for that. So far that hasnt happened here at LBT.

Just as Wendell doesn't speak for me, I don't speak for him. I explained what I see LBT as being. And that is what I see.

There are a couple of people here that many do not like in the least, but we don't form groups and attack that person. Not only would members not tolerate it, the mods wouldn't tolerate it either but the best part is that it just wouldn't be likely to happen over here anyway! We don't start threads about people without using names (bending the rules), we don't start threads and talk about people knowing full well everyone knows who we are talking about even without names (Sandy excluded, she seems to be special around here). We don't typically dislike a person because they like someone else.

There is only one time I did that myself on OH. That is when I told Dee if she didn't come clean about her sock puppet I would expose her. She declined so I posted the information. She then threatened me with telling people I have fill parties. Something that was totally untrue AND something I had already posted about here, on LBT. A fill party it was NOT, it was an emergency and the party was all by myself. I started a thread telling what really happened before she had the opportunity to tell people information that simply wasn't true. I decided to take the high road and post the truth for myself.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/honest-32629/

It should be noted that I started that thread on LBT long before the issue came up on OH. I was hiding nothing.

I fully admit that I have a lot of negative feelings about OH. Some I can back up with a gazillion examples and some are from when I was a newbie and was chased off OH by the cheerleaders. At that time Dee was a cheerleader but of course, that changed over time. I was a newbie and I needed help and I couldn't get it there. I dared to disagree with Sandy on a couple of issues and I was attacked for it.

Well, I'm not a newbie anymore, I know the band quite well. I've read more studies than I can count, I have researched new band stuff daily since before I was banded and I do it to this day. Just as I am not a newbie I am no weak anymore. I am much stronger now, I have better self esteem (not a lot, but better), I am not the same person as I was then. There is no chasing me away from anywhere by anyone. I just wish I would have had this personality way back when. Things would have been different.

In a way it's not all bad, I found LBT. I don't really think I would have made my goal weight in the time frame I did without folks here. They gave me the dose of reality I needed, they supported me, they gave me information and all the help I needed. I didn't get those things from OH. And you know what? That's a shame.

There are a lot of people on OH that are seriously damned fine people and they have a lot to offer but they don't want to go up against the cheerleaders so they read and decline to participate. I don't know, maybe I needed more than the average banded person but what I do know is that I got it here. It wasn't available on the same level at OH.

I am a huge LBT fan, I am indebted to the people here and I consider them to be very special in my life. They don't judge me for my lack of religion as some OHer's did, they don't judge me for the way I choose to use my band, they don't judge me for anything. They just help me. Big difference here vs. there.

I guess that depends on YOU. Would you show up in a pack... er ...group to defend all 234 folks?

I believe currently I am defending myself, which by supposed LBT standards I shouldnt have to do.

I believe currently I am defending myself, which by supposed LBT standards I shouldnt have to do.

Nobody made that claim either. Not sure where you are getting that.

People own their own actions around here and a dose of reality is often offered. But gang attacks are not the norm. Threads about a single person and how much everyone hates them do not exist. Again, Sandy excluded.

But you are taking comments that have been made, changing them to suit your needs and taking off with them. That doesn't fly well.

I believe currently I am defending myself, which by supposed LBT standards I shouldnt have to do.

:rolleyes:How so? You were never attacked. I don't think you were even mentioned. You said you were asked to read this thread but I read back over it and don't see any place where you needed to defend yourself. LBT is different things to different people and that is OK here. So chill:cool:.

:rolleyes:How so? You were never attacked. I don't think you were even mentioned. You said you were asked to read this thread but I read back over it and don't see any place where you needed to defend yourself. LBT is different things to different people and that is OK here. So chill:cool:.

I was mentioned...read again..in Wendells post in a derogatory way for having Sandy on my friends list. If you do not recognize his intent then we do not need to discuss it further. No use in trying to persuade me that he had positive intentions with his comments.

I am quickly learning what LBT is to me and do not need to chill. thank you.

You were already here when he mentioned you....

Nobody made that claim either. Not sure where you are getting that.

People own their own actions around here and a dose of reality is often offered. But gang attacks are not the norm. Threads about a single person and how much everyone hates them do not exist. Again, Sandy excluded.

But you are taking comments that have been made, changing them to suit your needs and taking off with them. That doesn't fly well.

The post above is saying that I have a pack mentality, is it not? or is it passive agressive? I dont have to change anything ...when I hit on a certain point..then so far its just denied.

You had even already posted before he mentioned you.....

The post above is saying that I have a pack mentality, is it not? or is it passive agressive? I dont have to change anything ...when I hit on a certain point..then so far its just denied.

No, you are attempting to read between the lines of something I wrote. There is no reason to do that and what you are coming up with is quite inaccurate. Instead of reading between the lines it would be much better to read the actual lines.

One thing I am not is passive aggressive. I'm about as blunt as they come and my biggest problem in life is that I bottom line everything.

Gotcha! Goodnight!