If you would like to further educate yourself on this issue

marihuana issue sm [2008-11-05]
Not on ballot here, never tried it, wouldn't know where to get it. Once heard one is equal to 12 cigarettes. Sister died of lung ca., so afraid of it, although I never smoked. There are days though when my back hurts so much I might try it if I had it, so glad I don't have access to it! Can't judge others, just glad I never used it, too much stress in my life, may get to be a habit I certainly don't that!

My dog and my issue sm [2008-10-31]
I must have a lot of this chemical or something. If I am unwittingly *glutened* I get the toots and they are...highly unpleasant, shall we say. Now, I understand that dogs generally enjoy this, but my poor dog does not. She hears the noise, whines and RUNS as fast as she can to other room. Not too long ago, she was being a terrible pest and I needed to get up to work. I made the sound with my mouth. She tucked her ears and tail, and made B-line for the bedroom away from where she thought was coming! This chemical might be good for my blood pressure, but not so good for my dog.

Probably because it's really a non-issue. [2008-10-20]
(She was great on SNL a couple weeks, ago, too! Her 'double-takes' etc. were cracking me up.)

how do you know if you have an eating issue sm [2008-07-23]
i have so many emotions running through my mind every single day, but not going to get into all of them here. i hope i don i grew up in a strict household (my dad was immature and always telling me i was fat and needed to lose weight). i i i gain weight easily. i just get so tired of worrying about what i sometimes i will sneak eating food, because my husband will say things like do you really need that? and he but what i really think isiwant is to join WW and have group support from other people that are going through the same thing. my husband can drink about six sodas a day, eat whatever and he doesn he doesn it just makes me sad that i have to work so hard to not be huge. i i would like to get down to at least 150 or maybe less. my parents used to tell me when i was little not to waste food (we were poor so wasting food was like wasting money). i sometimes i think i(i have never seen a counselor) i have other issues that bother me but won thanks for listening, just wondered if anyone else has food issues. i i don never did drugs. i try to eat healthy. i especially overdo it in stressful situations. yesterday i ate a little less than a pint of butter pecan ice cream. then i felt crappy the rest of the evening. well i stop now.

I don't see what one issue has to do with the other. [2008-06-21]
I don't like the fact that he won, but he's a free to gamble, as are we all.

If you would like to further educate yourself on this issue [2008-06-12]
INTERESTING ARTICLE I realize this is very long, but as an expert in this field, I want to re-post information I sent, in September, to another blogger concerned about the Best Friends summit. I want to emphasize that the following information is based on years of dedicated research, and decades of dog training experience. I do not simply pass along information I've heard or read somewhere...which is sadly what most people, on all sides of dog-related issues, do. I recognize that some of your readers may find parts of it quite controversial. That's okay. Facts are facts, even if they conflict with some other [expert's] unresearched opinions. As such, I've opted to leave those sections in, because they're vital in refuting unfounded notions about dogs, canine genetics, and dog behaviour, which lead to myths about canine aggression. Any individual point of controversy should not take away from the overall message of fact and reason that does not support the view that any entire dog breed could be considered dangerous. Only once people stop repeating inaccurate information (no matter how good it may sound), will we ever hope to get to the heart of this issue, and start reducing the number of unprovoked dog bites. The following was written off the top of my head, in response to concerns about the Best Friends' agenda. It is not a composed article meant for publication. Please also keep in mind, it has a decidedly Canadian perspective, although there is ample U.S. data referenced. This is what I wrote (with a few minor clarifications): Dear (blogger), As you know, I am an expert in Canadian dog bite statistics. After years of research, there are a number of interesting facts I right here, in one place. The situation with unprovoked dog bites is not what nearly everyone believes it to be. If I had one pet peeve, it is that most people merely repeat things they’ve heard or read. They don’t really know if what they’re saying is true or not. They merely “believe” those things to be true, and that’s enough for them, I guess. You know what I say, “No matter how often or loudly a myth is repeated, it is still just a myth.” Some people simply like agreeing with others. Some like to pretend they’re especially knowledgeable or have unique insight. Whatever the source for so many of these myths, years of research has proven the majority of beliefs I encounter about dogs are simply untrue. Whenever discussing the issue of dangerous dogs, it's always important to remember a few key points about the dog bite statistics (especially as they pertain to Canada): 1. The most dangerous breeds in Canada are, in order: German Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Rottweiler, and Golden Retriever. Why do I say this? Well, this is not dog bite data, but rather dog attack data based on the reporting information from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP). The CHIRPP members (hospitals, and reporting physicians and nurses) have no reason to lie about the information they receive, surrounding the breed of dog that has attacked. Why do I say the most dangerous? Well, because the CHIRPP data only applies to the most severe dog attacks (i.e. those injuries serious enough to require treatment in hospital). These are not little nips that can be treated with ice or even a band aid. These are severe dog bite injuries that need to be treated in hospital. The dogs that cause the most serious injuries in Canada belong to the above-mentioned breeds, more than any others. Unlike municipal dog bite data (where any bite, no matter how inconsequential, or even against other animals, is counted), the CHIRPP data only relates to the most serious dog attacks against human victims. 2. 'Pit bulls' are rarely in the #1 spot in dog bite statistics. Any measures to restrict or ban the #2, #5, or #37 'breed' of dog in the dog bite statistics, but not #1, is pure hypocrisy. As faulty as the logic may be, if you're going to ban or restrict a type of dog in an attempt to reduce the number of dog bites, then it must be the ones who bite the most and/or cause the most serious injuries. Either way, that 'breed' is not 'pit bulls'. 3. There hasn't been one confirmed death of a child attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history. (There has been one unconfirmed death.) 4. The very first human fatality attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history occurred in May of 2006. Until then, every insinuation or claim about Canadians being in danger of being killed in unprovoked attacks by 'pit bulls' was totally unfounded. (In the Ontario case in May, the dog was actually only part 'pit bull'. It was a Labrador Retriever/'pit bull' cross, and the dog's owner was the victim.) (It should be noted that there have been at least two human fatalities in Canada attributed to unprovoked attacks by Labrador Retriever crosses, yet this was the first for a 'pit bull' cross.) 5. Municipal dog bite statistics often combine reported dog bite data against both humans and other animals. While I don’t have any problems with doing so, those citing combined statistics must be aware that the majority of the dog bite reports aren’t against people. To imply otherwise is, at best, misleading and, at worst, dishonest. For example: Toronto has arguably the largest municipal ‘pit bull’ population in Canada. In 2004, 12 of the city’s estimated 30,000+ ‘pit bulls’ had been reported for biting. (That’s about 0.04% of the population, by the way; leaving 99.96% of Toronto’s ‘pit bulls’ completely innocent of such allegations.) However, the majority of those reported bites were against other animals. Only 2 of the 12 could even begin to be called “attacks” against humans. So, when 2 out of at least 30,000 dogs of a loosely-defined type are involved in attacks in an entire year, is that really justification for not just trying to ban or restrict them, but for making sweeping generalizations about all the rest? 6. No matter what dog ‘breed’ tops the dog bite statistics, the vast majority of bites are still attributed to other breeds. To better help people understand the absurdity of a breed-based approach to dog bite prevention, let’s imagine that ‘pit bulls’ are responsible for a virtually unheard of 10% of bites in some Canadian city. That still leaves 90% of biting dogs unaffected by any breed-based approach. This is the primary reason why breed bans have been such a colossal failure wherever they’ve been tried. The majority of biting and attacking dogs are not affected, so their owners are free to continue to behave negligently. 7. All dogs can bite. There is no such thing as a breed of dog that has never bitten, never attacked, never maimed, or never killed (a person or other animal). 8. It is the size of the victim, not the dog, which best predicts severity of injury in an attack. While even the very smallest dog breeds have killed humans, the very largest dog breeds are rarely involved in attacks. 9. Adults are rarely seriously injured by dogs of any size, while children are the most common dog bite victims. Their attackers range from the very smallest to the very largest dog breeds. 10. The dogs actually involved in attacks are not genetically related in any meaningful way. This goes right to the heart of common, yet completely unscientific, baseless claims about allegedly inheriting aggressive behaivours or being bred for aggression. In short, the dogs involved in attacks are not closely genetically related to one another. This tends to refute the idea that the attack was due to some aberrant inherited gene. Think about it. What could the Dalmatian that bit off a boy’s nose 10 years ago and the Golden Retriever that left 76 stitches in a girl’s face, just a few years ago, possibly have in common, from a genetic standpoint? Is anyone really trying to suggest they’re genetically related, and both inherited some sort of as-yet-undiscovered “attack gene”? Even the Rottweiler that killed a child in New Brunswick and the Rottweiler that killed a child in Ontario don’t share any common ancestors in their pedigrees; making the whole notion of a shared genetic cause for attacks completely ludicrous. Put simply, the individual dogs involved in unique attack incidents are not genetically related in any way other than that which makes them dogs. 11. Psychology defines aggression as learned behaviour. I’ve been researching dog biting incidents since 1999. I have yet to find a dog involved in an attack that didn’t have a known history of aggressive behaviour. Aggression has to be learned and practiced before it is perfected. I have yet to come across a case of a dog that attacked unprovoked, without ever having barked menacingly, growled, lunged, snapped, or what have you. This completely refutes the (quite silly) urban myth that “some dogs just turn”, or that dogs can be THIS unpredictable. (i.e. friendly family pet with no history of ever having behaved aggressively one minute; then savage, unprovoked attacker the next) As an experienced dog trainer (one who has spent many of those years SUCCESSFULLY re-training aggressive dogs), I can attest that dogs are not all that unpredictable. Sure, they might do something out of the ordinary, every now and then. However, for a dog to suddenly behave aggressively in a way that is truly threatening or injurious, it must have practiced those behaviours in the past. This is the nature of all learned behaviours. Only practice makes perfect. (I can elaborate more on that, if you wish.) It’s as though people can’t imagine any other form of aggressive behaviour, other than biting. To help them along, I must point out that aggressive behaviours follow a fairly predictable scale of escalation. It may begin with staring or raised hackles (all merely indicating discomfort with a situation). That can lead to raised lips, growling, stiffened body posture, menacing barking, lunging, and attempted bites. Long before an unwarranted bite ever occurs, there are a litany of warning signs that the dog will eventually bite. Even the most die-hard dog fighting breeders admit they have to start their puppies very young (often at six weeks), to turn them into superior fighters. When asked why they have to spend so much effort training their (allegedly bred-to-fight) dogs, none can provide a scientifically or practically sensible response. Most use made-up terminologies to emphasize what they believe are inherited traits, while playing down the daily training they force on the dogs. Yet it is clear that, without this ongoing encouragement, the dogs don’t become proficient fighters. I’ve researched so many cases where the owner has allegedly claimed the attack was the first time the dog behaved aggressively, I now pay little heed to such statements. The neighbours almost always tell a very different story. To use a more famous case as an example, little Courtney Trempe was killed by a dog the owner claimed had never behaved aggressively before. The owner went on to say he “couldn’t have known” the dog would attack, because it had never tried to bite a person. Well, it turns out the dog had not just attacked previously, but had actually killed two neighbourhood dogs in the past. That is an aggressive dog, by anyone’s standards. But it does bring me to my next point… 12. Aggression is aggression is aggression. The idea that aggression can be species-specific is not based in any kind of scientific, statistical, or practical data. It seems to be little more than wishful thinking. Those perpetuating this notion tend not to have even attempted to validate this theory in any way. There is a very disturbing myth being promulgated by a number of groups that should know better than to perpetuate unfounded myths. The idea that aggression towards other dogs is markedly different than aggression towards humans is scientifically and statistically baseless. (But I realize a lot of people learned this myth, and repeat it as though it is true.) I have to point out that the real-world data, in no uncertain terms, clearly refutes such theories. Of the dogs involved in their first aggression incident towards a human, the vast majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past. Of the dogs involved in their first bites against humans, where the dog had no history of aggression towards humans, the majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past. Of the dogs whose first bite against a person resulted in that individual’s death, and where the dog had no history of aggressive behaviour towards humans, every one of the cases I’ve investigated involved dogs that had behaved aggressively towards other dogs in the past. (see the Trempe case example, above) So, while some aggressive dogs may, for now, limit their aggressive behaviour to other animals, it in no way guarantees it will remain that way forever. Most, if not all, the first-time human biters had only behaved aggressively towards other animals, in the past. Their owners, having believed the myth that aggression is species-specific in dogs, are always surprised when their dog-aggressive dogs bite someone. Again, dog-aggression could remain contained, for a number of social and environmental reasons. Statistically, these dogs are equally as likely to bite a human, one day. Dogs with histories of aggressive behaviour (towards either humans or other animals) are almost exclusively involved in unprovoked biting incidents. 13. Nearly all unprovoked dog bites would not be prevented by dog control laws. Since dog control laws typically only apply to the conduct of owners (and their dogs) when they’re on public property, it completely negates their ability to affect the circumstances that lead to the vast majority of unprovoked dog bites. When it comes to total dog bite numbers, almost all take place on the owner’s property. When it comes to reported dog bite numbers, the overwhelming majority take place on, or directly adjacent to, the owner’s property. Supervised dogs in a public place account for less than 1% of all bites. This makes public restraint laws especially ineptly-aimed and ineffective in reducing dog bites. Most unprovoked biting incidents involve (typically an unsupervised) dog known to the victim. Whether or not the victim knows the dog, the bite usually takes place on the owner’s property (where the dog is either loose or tethered), or directly adjacent to the owner’s property (where the dog was either allowed to venture off the owner’s property, or “escaped”). Very few unprovoked biting incidents involve a supervised dog. Simple supervision appears to be very effective in preventing dog bites. When bites take place far from the owner’s property, the dogs involved were most likely loose, roaming, unsupervised dogs. Simply put, public restraint laws don’t target the situations that actually lead to unprovoked dog bites. 14. Cities that address the real causes of unprovoked dog bites (i.e. lack of supervision & lack of socialization and training) are hugely successful in reducing the number of dog bites. Calgary is the best example we have in Canada. They reduced dog bites by 70%, even during a period where the population doubled. Calgary’s approach was to first enforce existing laws. They strictly enforce licensing, and boast a licensing rate of 90% (compared to most cites’ 10-20%). In this way, they have a better handle on the dog population in their community, which helps in making decisions and drawing conclusions. They also have a zero tolerance policy for acts of aggression. (Something I’m personally totally in favour of. Dogs are not weapons, and anyone who unethically uses a dog for that purpose shouldn’t be allowed to own one.) Any report of aggressive behaviour of any kind results in a visit from animal control and a warning. City officials are clear, in that they agree one of the biggest aspects of their success was the creation of ample off-leash areas for dogs to be exercised, socialized, and trained off-leash. With reportedly the largest number of off-leash parks in Canada, it’s no coincidence that Calgary also has the lowest dog bite rate of any major city in Canada. Several years ago, I made this prediction, “When the studies are done, we’ll find the cities with the best access to off-leash parks are also the cities with the lowest percentage of dog bites.” Calgary certainly suggests my prediction was correct. Finally, Calgary increased the penalties for some transgressions. Combined with increased enforcement, the large percentage of licensed dogs, along with the higher fines, has led to Calgary’s animal control department becoming financially self-sufficient. It’s win, win, win, in Calgary, all because they addressed the real causes for unwarranted aggression in dogs. 15. Breed-specific approaches to dog bite prevention have failed. There isn’t one region that can claim a reduction in the number, or severity, of dog bites as a direct result of banning a breed of dog. In Winnipeg, officials promoting the city’s long-time ban on ‘pit bulls’ often misleads the public by stating “’pit bull’ attacks” have been eliminated. Well of course they’ve been eliminated. ‘Pit bulls’ are banned in Winnipeg. You don’t have to be rocket scientist to figure that out. There are also no wooly mammoth attacks or saber toothed tiger attacks, either. When Winnipeg banned ‘pit bulls’, German Shepherds, and their crosses, were far and away the most common biters in that city. After ‘pit bulls’ were banned, there was an average of close to 50 more bites per year, for the following decade. In addition to the rise in overall dog bites, the number of bites by German Shepherds and crosses, Labrador Retrievers and crosses, Terriers crosses, and Rottweilers and crosses, skyrocketed. Kitchener is another example. The city of Kitchener banned ‘pit bulls’ in 1997, without ever having done an analysis on the city’s dog bite data. Only after ‘pit bulls’ were banned was it discovered they were #8 in the 1996 dog bite statistics, “right behind #7 Poodles,” as it is commonly said. In what could only be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, officials immediately halted the collection of dog bite data by breed. Even so, while we don’t know which breeds have been doing the biting, we can still determine if the ‘pit bull’ ban has been effective in reducing dog bites in Kitchener. Every animal bite is required, by law, to be reported to the Medical Officer of Health. With a sleuthing, it was discovered that dog bites haven’t been reduced at all, since ‘pit bulls’ were banned in 1997. They’ve remained pretty constant. According to a BBC report, hospitalizations due to dog bites rose 25% after ‘pit bulls’ were banned in England. Officials from most of the cities that have repealed breed-specific laws have used terms like “ineffective” and “unenforceable”. 16. All dog breeds are genetically identical. Even DNA can’t distinguish between a Chihuahua, a ‘pit bull’, a Great Dane, and a wolf. (Yes, while there are occasional claims of in-roads, in this area, using markers, all dogs are still considered genetically identical.) Those rare individuals with the personal expertise necessary to accurately attempt to determine a dog’s breed based on appearance alone typically are not employed in the various occupations charged with enforcing most breed-specific legislation. This leaves the subjective determination of a dog’s breed to the very inexpert animal control and shelter workers. In some cases, police officers must decide the dog’s breed, yet not one police officer is trained to (accurately) differentiate between dog breeds. The same can be said of veterinarians. A veterinary license infers expertise in diagnosing and treating illness, for the most part. Neither practicing veterinarians nor veterinary students are required to prove any expertise in breed identification in order to obtain a license. Any expertise an individual veterinarian may possess, in terms of breed identification, or even dog training and behaviour, was most likely acquired outside the requirements of licensing. Because the people enforcing breed-specific laws are not dog breed identification experts, the likelihood of misidentification is unconscionably great. (In Ontario, several dogs have already been misidentified, under breed-specific ordinances.) 17. The public is not in danger of unprovoked dog bites. For instance, every recent dog-related fatality in Canada has involved dogs and victims residing within the same home. The same could be said for the majority of bites and attacks, as well. This is very important information, in terms of quelling the public’s hysteria. “The public” is rarely involved in unprovoked biting incidents. Most bite victims knew the dog and were voluntarily interacting with it at the time of the bite. Most bite victims are bitten by their own dogs. If you don’t own a dog, your risk of being bitten is very low. If you also don’t interact with dogs, or live next door to a dog that is routinely left unsupervised, or one that is known to behave aggressively, then your risk of being bitten is virtually nil. Even when we don’t account for contributing factors (such as proximity) you are still more than 100 times more likely to be hit by lightning than killed by a dog. (In Canada, the likelihood of being killed by a dog you don’t know or live with is virtually zero.) 18. ‘Pit bulls’ are, if anything, less likely to bite. In the U.S., ‘pit bulls’ are estimated to make up 9% of the dog population, yet they typically only make up 2-4% of dog bites, nationwide. In case your readers don’t understand what that means, it would be expected, purely on population alone, that 9% of dog bites would be attributed to ‘pit bulls’. Since less than half (even a third) of bites are reportedly caused by ‘pit bulls’, this suggests they’re much less likely to bite than should be expected. 19. ‘Pit bulls’ are less likely to kill than people. In the U.S., even extremely conservative estimates suggest that only 0.00002% of the ‘pit bull’ population has killed. This is much lower than the human population (men, in particular). Whatever someone’s views about ‘pit bulls’ might be, it can’t change the fact that at least 99.99998% have never, and will never, kill anyone. 20. 99.9% of all dogs, from all breeds, will never be involved in an attack. Huge generalizations about dog breeds is not only unscientific, it’s not even practically accurate. I like to put it this way, “If any ‘breed’ were genetically programmed to attack, certainly more than 0.1% of them would.” 21. The media. While I don’t want to get into a protracted discussion about the lack of honesty in media reports of dog bites, I will summarize by saying that reviewing media reports of dog biting incidents is not “research” because the media is extremely biased in regards to which stories it chooses to cover. The media reports dog biting incidents involving ‘pit bulls’ to the near-exclusion of all others. In addition, they use other tactics to exaggerate the details, such as salacious language, or references to other dog biting incidents involving ‘pit bulls’. There are countless incidents of media bias. In Ontario, a ‘pit bull’ killed another dog, and it was front-page news, that reappeared in the media for weeks. The owner was swiftly taken to jail. Around the same time, two Labs killed another dog, and attacked a ‘pit bull’ without any real media interest. The owner of the Labs was not charged with any serious offence. There are other blatant incidents, as well. One weekend, two off-leash dogs (one of them being a ‘pit bull’) got into a squabble, and every major media agency reported the incident. That same weekend, a child was mauled by the family’s Golden Retriever, and not one media outlet covered the story. A child was mauled so savagely by his grandfather’s Labrador Retriever, he required treatment at two Ontario hospitals. Only one media outlet covered this story in just one broadcast. Again, relying on the media for the facts of dog biting cases is not advised. Naturally, I could go on. But there you have a pretty good primer (off the top of my head), regarding the facts about the who, what, where, when, how, and why dogs bite unprovoked. Because I kept encountering the same story, over and over and over again, in my research of dog biting incidents, I was led to create a dog bite prevention strategy that deals with the factors common to nearly all the cases I’d investigated. I made it simple, and easy to remember. And I made sure not to include anything that would require an individual to develop some kind of expertise. People who don’t own dogs or aren’t experienced dog trainers still have a right to protect themselves from unprovoked dog bites. The following is what I call, the “3 Simple Steps to Dog Bite Prevention”: 1. Avoid unsupervised dogs. 2. Never leave children unsupervised with dogs. 3. Ensure our own dogs are properly trained and adequately supervised at all times. By following these “3 Simple Steps”, we could virtually eliminate unprovoked dog bites in Canada. It is not just important, but vital, to know what ACTUALLY causes dogs to bite unprovoked, if we ever hope to reduce those numbers. Obtusely theorizing about possible causes or solutions is not helpful and, as in the case of breed-specific legislation, is often harmful to both humans and dogs. If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Marjorie Darby Founder,

Yes, they know and it's fixed. Not virus some Javascript issue. [2008-04-29]
//

Is it a necessary medical issue or just something [2008-03-19]
x

I wouldn't want to make policy on this issue [2008-03-11]
With my own cats, though, I have always harness trained them. You put a harness on them instead of a collar and hook the harness to a long leash that's clipped to the clothesline. They can run up and down the length of the clothesline and it seems to satisfy their need to be outside. They can chase butterflies, watch squirrels, and sniff all the good smells that are out there. I didn't want them running loose because there are too many things that are dangerous and could hurt them. I also didn't want them getting into neighbor's trash. I'm not in favor of cats running loose b/c it's too likely they'll get run over or otherwise hurt, but I'm not sure it's as bad as the article states. Atleast not with domestic cats. Sounds to me more like a feral cat problem. They need to know for sure before making laws that might not even fix the problem.

So many aspects to the issue - my reply [2008-02-19]
Some other view points... Please note, my capitalizing the word SOME below is not intended to be yelling or sarcasm - I would have bolded it and kept it lowercase if I could. My purpose is only to stress that we all feel and think about the issues different, from our own perspectives, and some of us think thisaway... 1. ALL of the candidates are bad mouthing each other. Yes, Hillary is doing bad mouthing too. So is her husband. 2. SOME people do not count being First Lady as governmental experience. Some people actually PREFER Barack Obama's (a beautiful name, to some) relative inexperience because they have confidence he is a very smart man who will surround himself with others in his cabinet to make up for any area he might be lacking in. 3. Being open-minded might not including saying things like let which could imply people might be considered (I am trying to post this but it will not let me include the word that was just included in post I am replying to that started with stu and ends in id) if they don't do as you are encouraging them to do... or implying if we were older or using our heads instead of our hearts, we wouldn't support Barack Obama... Maybe some of us STILL support Obama and we are of all ages..of all colors... of all religious affiliations (even Jewish, or even no religion), and we are fully capable, fully informed to do so with a balance of both our hearts AND our heads... 4. SOME people might consider the trail of corruption surrounding the Clintons (and that means Hillary) as a deterrent. Some people think Barack Obama is surrounded by less corruption... I said LESS, not none. 5. SOME people consider Hillary to be the good old boy candidate - i.e., the Status Quo candidate, and that is why they don't support her. They want change. She does not offer this from what many in this country can see. 6. SOme people feel that Bill - her husband - is a liability and does not add to her supposed years of experience. 7. SOME people might consider Hillary to have shown incredibly poor judgment by making the highly public choice to stay with a philanderer, a liar, and a man who has been accused not just of marital infidelities but of even worse and darker actions towards women (try a Google on Bill if you forget...). SOME people believe those past choices show how power hungry she is... and SOME people feel she might show the same kind of poor judgment in being the head of this country. 8. There is NO squeaky clean candidate out there. Peace.

Now you sound like you have issue in the money thing [2008-02-14]
talking about the money husband makes and my getting a lot of money, sounds like greenen-eyed jealousy to me. This son has not visited me since when I married in early 2000s I said closing the ank, it was very obvious from then what their terms were. I do not care nor will I be around people who do not care for me. As long as I came across with $$$$$ it was visit time, DIL calling, etc. etc. - that stopped suddenly- so now think about that.

I have it too. I know this isn't going to solve the stigma issue (sm) [2008-02-05]
but it is a start

Also didn't mention the money issue at the party, just in private to her (nm) [2008-02-04]
x

The gender wouldn't be an issue with me, because [2008-01-30]

Weighing in on the communication issue [2008-01-22]
My husband (of 25 years) is also reluctant to talk about certain things from the past. I have gleaned some information from his sister and others. I do know that some things about his childhood were painful, and so I only hear bits and snatches of things that he remembers with fondness. My husband is not being secretive; in fact, he admits that there are things he just does not want to have come into his mind all the time, so he doesn't want to talk about them. I get that. Perhaps something that seems mundane to the rest of us like schooling really has negative emotional connotation to the OP's husband. I would surmise that his not telling her has nothing to do with whether he is forthcoming or honest. It might have to do with his own emotional well-being and he is much happier keeping it in the past. I would rather my husband be happy than to fixate on something that I don't need to know about.

Bigger issue - a 16 year old living withi a 29 year old and liability [2008-01-07]
Are you still not responsible for him until he is 18, how can he tell you where he will live? Unless he emancipates himself and he does something wrong, can they go against you since you are his mother and legally responsible for him? I worry more about him living with a 29 year old sister rather than returning a house key to me that is a bigger issue.

I think you brought in issue when you said biracial. [2008-01-01]
NM

I'm going through a similar issue. [2007-12-23]
Iright, she needs to pursue it. I don't think it's normal to be in pain every day.

Apparently so many confused on this issue!! [2007-12-10]
His aunt, who died, knew him by this name. His brother does not respect his new name and has been asked to call him this PRIOR TO ANY FUNERAL. Friend apparently does not think silly after having asked before to be called that - numerous times, not just now. Most women when they marry have a name change- would most of them want to go by their old names? Most, underline that- so it is not taken out of text, would want to have their new name. Why is it different for a man?? His family comes around his new stepdaughter and son-in-law and calls him by his old name which they stepdauhter and SIL DO not know him by. Those are his wishes and here in America, I think most of us want our wishes to be observed. Oh about who cares- he does.

I think it is more of an issue of not supporting [2007-12-06]
things/people that I find morally wrong. Granted, the God hating was not translated from the book to the movie, but that is not the point. The point is, that this author had the audacity to write in his books about wanting children to kill God and that is wrong to ME. I have every right to boycott this movie for that very reason because I am not giving this man a dime of my money and support. It's not just about whether the movie is going to wrongly influence my children, it's about standing up for what you believe from the beginning.

There is also the behavior issue of (sm) [2007-12-01]
submissive piddling. You can buy something called a Belly Band for him to wear in the house. If he dribbles with it on, he gets himself wet, so this can teach him not to let that happen. I've just heard that not all pet stores call it a Belly Band or know what that is, but you can Google something like house training, canine belly band, and you can read about it and maybe order on line. Corgis are so cute. You can post pictures here on the gab board.

I think Consumer Reports mentions cameras in the gift issue. See if [2007-11-29]
s

Hmmm...there never was a stray issue in that city! [2007-11-14]

yes tell them....educate them. [2007-11-13]
nm

Today's Oprah show is on the healthcare issue [2007-09-27]
Looks like an interesting show. Lisa Ling confronts some insurance companies on why they woncover certain procedures, etc. It should be an interesting debate. What a mess our system is! One suggestion by a guest on the show is that all companies provide the same healthcare package, same rates, etc. Now that's a great idea!

I think about it a lot but different situation (sm) [2008-11-20]
My two children are almost the exact ages of yours. My husband doesn't have the drinking issue but has plenty of personality issues. I think you absolutely should leave, no ifs, ands or buts. I just think being in that environment is awful for your kids, he is saying it is not going to work anyway and talking about ending the marriage. I say if he doesn't change then yes, go, without a doubt.

Always thirsty [2008-11-15]
I drink water all day long and still usually feel thirsty. I have very dry skin too. It just feels like the water evaporates right out or something. I'm sure there might be an underlying issue. (I haven't been to the doctor in several years but really can't afford it right now.) I have had abnormal thirst for a few years now. Anyone else have this problem?

I just bought flooring on sale and put it in the garage. [2008-11-15]
I know that next year, the inventories will be low which will result in a supply and demand issue. Closed stores also will be a problem and may cause prices to sky rocket. Let's hope the boys at the G20 summit keep us from ending up in a soup line because the stores shelves are empty.

Well I bought my first Christmas gift today...sm [2008-11-12]
for this year, and it was a big one. My son has been wanting a Playstation 3 since they came out, which I think was last year. They were $500 last year, and luckily he didn Well I saved a little this year so I could buy him this gift for Christmas this year. He says that is what he wants. They are now $400 this year. I saved and saved and I had the money put back to get it. So I gave my mom the money yesterday, and when she went to Walmart this morning, she bought it. I am so relieved because this is a major portion of Christmas bought. I only have the one son. No more children. I am so glad I was able to get this for him this year and so glad I already have it bought and put away for Christmas. Has anyone else started on their Christmas yet?

for sky..............sm [2008-11-11]
It was not me who defined these 3 points of intelligence, this is taken out of a study. I have no attitude. Why is is that one gets immediately insulted if one says something that is not readily accepted by the posters? We were talking about IQ scores and not about the complications that hinder people to take full advantage of their intelligence. There are so many excuses brought up if somebody is not able to take full advantage of one's intelligence. This is either a sickness of some sort or also a kind of stupidity. I disagree with the suggestion that the smarter people are the less happy they are. Why should intelligence make us unhappy? This borders on sickness. This should not be, then they should consult a psychologist or psychiatrist. I do not want to go into a deep discussion about this issue because I do not want to make myself the target of insults which is so common on this board in case people disagree with one's opinion. Why should I do that?

Those pit bull attacks are ashame...sm [2008-11-10]
I don't know why these dogs attacked. I don't know if these dogs were provoked or what. It is hard for me to imagine a dog just attacking for no reason. I can't imagine my dog ever doing that. I know other people who have pits as pets and they have never had a problem with attacks. I think every good owner should know their dog inside and out and know their little quirks. Now I could see a pit bull attacking an owner who was sometimes mean to them or mistreated them in some way. I could see them getting enough and attacking. A lot of times I think that is really behind attacks and we don't know that. Still a dog never should kill a human. When you own a pit you have to have the utmost respect for the fact they could kill an animal or human if they wanted. They are physically capable but most are not emotionally capable. My dad had a couple different pits and I have learned my great grandfather had pits for many years. He would only have one at a time. He took his pit hunting hogs and the pit would hold the hog and my great grandfather would put a rag over the dogs nostrils to cause him to have to let go of the hog and he would do whatever it was he then did with the hog. I didn't ask details. But what I am saying here is this was an man who was in close interaction with a pit and was right there when they attacked hogs and he intervened and had to pull them away from the hog by cutting off breathing from the dog so he would let go. He was never attacked or bitten. My dad said that was never an issue. The dogs knew he was the master and they never got out of line. If these were as unstable as some are made out to be and some may be but if they were really that unstable they could have attacked and killed this man. But he never had to worry about this. All of his pits loved and respected him as their owner. Now one deciding factor could be he never mistreated his dog. Never ever. He always treated them good. I think this may be why his dogs never showed him anything but kindness. Again there are some dogs (pits and others) who are unstable. They are just flat out mean and would do anything. But not all dogs are like this. My husband often says when people say aren't you worried CJ could hurt you one day. He says no I KNOW in my heart with everything in me this dog would die before he would hurt one of us. This pit is the most loving affectionate dog I have had the joy to own. Don't ask me how I know.. You would have to know CJ.

pitbulls [2008-11-09]
Lolabug is using phrases that some owners use to defend the breed simply because she obviously isnbreed issue. One thing about the pitbull breed that isn't in any other breed is that they are the #1 most abused dog in the U.S. and they are in serious need of good homes, and that is why I own them and will continue to own them. Instead of passing BSL around, they need to make people take dog ownership classes and get certified to help ensure they know how to take care of the dog, and frankly they ought to do this with all dogs and not just for pitbull owners. You can't let dogs raise themselves. Just like children need guidance and discipline so do dogs.

wish I had the answers [2008-11-09]
I really wish I had all the answers to everything, don't we all? I don't know why pitbulls are the most talked about and abused breed. And yea there are alot of criminals that use the dogs to fight in order to get them some quick money, it's sad it really is, and yet the dogs suffer for it. And you know with the pitbulls it is almost like a race issue to me. It is no secret that the jail cells have more blacks than whites, so does that men all black people commit crimes then??? no it doesn't. Like I said before I always look at the bigger picture. I hate dog attacks happen I really do, I wish we knew why in every single case, but we don't and it's very sad.

I have had the pleasure... [2008-11-09]
....of working in several nursing homes as a CNA and nurse before coming to medical transcription. It's hard work and usually staffing is sometimes paltry, even in the good homes, but we really do care. Really. Every place has bad eggs, the hospitals, home care, etc., but everyone usually has to have some sort of heart to work in a nursing home. First things first...I always would check for jobs with this litmus test, and I recommend anyone do this. This is a make or break kind of ordeal. You look for the state inspection report. It HAS to be placed in a prominent place in the facility. If you cannot find it readily, ask where it is. If there is anything going on with hiding these documents, you leave and never come back. The other thing is to smell for stale urine or strong air fresheners. If you smell either of those, leave. (Do not check for BM smell--the smell often radiates and may be new, for lack of a better term.) Look at the residents. Do many of them seem content? Do you see aides with gait belts around their waists? Do the nurses look terribly stressed? Please also do not judge by tones of voices in the direct care staff. Often the staff must talk very directly, succintly, and abruptly--it sometimes comes off as harsh, but it's not--for particular residents to hear and/or understand. If you go in a facility in the evening, often the place is chaotic, particularly if there are demented residents. There is a condition known as sundowning that is very, very real. The ones with dementia who are sundowning may give the impression that care is not being given due to the chaos and behaviors brought by the condition. It's not the case. Usually these residents are kept in common areas until they are calm enough to retire for the night. If you go in the nighttime, often there is one night nurse for about 65ish residents. If you are so inclined to come in at this time and do not see anyone at the nurse's station for some time, know that the nurse may be tending to a medical issue and the CNAs are tending to personal care of the residents. If you ever see nurses eating a sandwich in one hand and writing in another hand while sitting at the nurse's station, this is sometimes the only break he or she gets. It's not out of disrespect that this is done. It is so that nurse can care for the residents as best as he or she can. What you are describing in your original post, unfortunately, is quite common, from what I have seen. Two people who are married a long time will often pass not too far apart. It seems people often do decide when they will go. As a nurse, it's one of the more incredible things I've seen. When I saw it happen, I always had the sense there is an extremely strong bond between the spouses that absolutely nothing could break. I'm not trying to say anything is amiss with your mother. I'm not. It doesn't always happen that way. I hope I don't come off that way. I'm sorry you are going through this, because no one wants to send a loved one to the nursing home, yet caring for an ailing parent is one of the most stressful things anyone can experience. I have never been in your position, so I hope I don't come off as too forward, rude, or presumptuous, but I wanted to tell you a little more about what you may be getting into. If you live in Iowa, I'd recommend you to a great one that has the best nurse I've ever met working there now. He has cooked up oyster soup in our kitchen when a resident stopped eating because the resident loved oyster soup. He has taken residents fishing for the heck of it. He wears a scrub shirt with chickens on it because many of our residents were farmers and like the shirt (and because my husband has a silly sense of humor and a wife with a sewing machine). I've known CNAs who buy (with their own money) residents pop and even steak just because the resident wanted it and could have it. Shoot, lots of us do it, even when we don't have a lot of money to our names. I loved to sing with the residents that had dementia (music seems to be retained) and chat about life with the residents who had their faculties. I promise it's not all doom and gloom. Sure, nursing homes could do better, but if you find the right one, it may just work out. All my best to you and your mother.

Yes, I did (and still do) want your opinion [2008-11-07]
Thank you for posting! I did not expect that everyone would agree with me. As an MT, I respect the thoughts and feelings of my fellow MTs and enjoy many of the discussions on this board, both those relating to the medical field and otherwise. I was really hoping for more of a response, from either side of the issue. There is a pill form (synthetic THC) called Marinol, but from what I understand it is not as effective and/or has adverse side effects (I know, smoking it has adverse side effects too). I have also heard about the possibility of vaporizing it rather than smoking it, but I don't know a lot about how that compares. There have been some studies done in regards to driver impairment issue and, to a degree, I believe that it has been found much safer than driving under the influence of alcohol. Apparently pot smokers tend to slow down and drive more carefully, whereas drunk folks oftentimes donto a degree, I believe there has been some delayed reaction or other adverse findings associated with a significantly high level in the blood. I know I have a lot more to say about this, but just realized I have to leave in four minutes to pick up my son and I am not ready to go, but thanks again for posting!

The 90210 episode is season 8, episode 3 - sm [2008-11-05]
I remember sometime last year when we were getting Rolling Stone magazine we got an issue with them all over the cover and a huge article inside, certainly coinciding with the release of It Won't Be Soon Before Long. I didn't know who they were then and let the magazine be thrown out. I could kick myself! haha. A Meet and Greet?? Oh what a dream come true that would be!

I would really like to know how [2008-11-05]
you all feel about the medical marijuana issue, being in the medical profession. So, I probably should've said, poll time!!! I understand that this was on the ballots in some states, but not where I live. Personally, I would have voted for it. I would also vote for decriminalization, if given the opportunity. I believe the money being spent locking up otherwise hard working, tax paying American citizens could be better spent, and I also believe that itwould bea better medicinal choice for some. What do you think?

This is a hot topic and I need some opinoins. I have asthma and the lady downstairs..sm [2008-11-01]
in the apartment below me must smoke 4 packs a day. She never leaves the house and she just closets herself inside smoking all day long until about2 a.m. and then sleeps late. I can SMELL the minute she wakes up. I KNOW this is second hand smoke and I have been hospitalized three times in the last two years with bronchitis. I really cant afford to move. I have complained to the apartment manager about it and she basically said there is nothing she can do. I have canvassed the apartment and have blocked up every hole I can that this might be seeping through. Now that the colder weather is here, the windows are closed and it is even worse. I need bigger balls to deal with this and the DH is no help at all because it doesn but I feel that because my asthma is so bad and I am living with this in my home that he should step up with me on this issue. I have lived above this lady for 3 years and I am through.This lady knows my problem, I have THREE hepa filters running in my house and have given her a $500.00 ionic breeze quadra professional unit for her living room.Any good words?

I am in California but I remember 15 years ago sm [2008-11-01]
requesting to be placed in a non smoking area of the apartment complex. I guess I am naive - I thought they pretty much had to work with you on this as it is a disability - your asthma? It sounds like a chronic health problem. I am not really saying actual physical disability enough for the ADA but saying it is a health issue and your apartment management should be more cooperative. I do not agree with below posters who say nothing can be done.

The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure... [2008-10-30]
Amelia TomasLiveScience StaffLiveScience.com amelia Tomaslivescience Stafflivescience.com – Thu Oct 23, 3:21 pm ET A smelly rotten-egg gas in farts controls blood pressure in mice, a new study finds. The unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide (H2S), can be a little too familiar, as it is expelled by bacteria living in the human colon and eventually makes its way, well, out. The new research found that cells lining miceno doubt produced in cells lining human blood vessels too, the researchers said. Now that we know hydrogen sulfide said Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., a co-author of the study detailed in the Oct. 24th issue of the journal Science. Snyder and his colleagues compared normal mice to mice that were missing a gene for an enzyme known as CSE, long suspected as being responsible for making hydrogen sulfide. As they measured hydrogen sulfide levels taken from tissues of the CSE-deficient mice, the scientists found that the gas was depleted in the cardiovascular systems of the altered mice. By contrast, normal mice had higher levels of the gas, thereby showing that hydrogen sulfide is naturally made by mammalian tissues using CSE. Next, the mice were subjected to higher blood pressures comparable to serious hypertension in humans. Scientists had them respond to a chemical called methacholine that relaxes normal blood vessels. The blood vessels of the CSE-lacking mice hardly relaxed, indicating that hydrogen sulfide is a huge contender for regulating blood pressure. Hydrogen sulfide is the most recently discovered member of a family of gasotransmitters, small molecules inside our bodies with important physiological functions. This study is the first to reveal that the CSE enzyme that triggers hydrogen sulfide is activated itself in the same way as other enzymes when they trigger their respective gasotransmitter, such as a nitric oxide-forming enzyme that also regulates blood pressure, Dr. Snyder said. Because gasotransmitters are common in mammals all over the evolutionary tree, these findings on the importance of hydrogen sulfide are thought to have broad applications to human diseases, such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The research was supported by grants from the U.S. Public Health Service and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as well as a Research Scientist Award.

Who needs them [2008-10-28]
Yesterday I was saddened beyond words. Who needs enemies with family like this. DH was talking to his half brother (15 years younger than DH) and these are some of the statements brother made to him. First let mesayhis brother is from a second marriage. MIL hates to acknowledge her3 kids from her first marrage. She has always felt they are inferior to her youngest. They live in a different state so we don So here is what his little punk half brother said to him. Even though it is brought on by political talk, this is more of a family issue post so didncomments (whichwere spoken with fake southern accent). 1. I'm not dumb, I went to a University (husband went to state colleges). 2. When told he should be prepared if he gets drafted he said oh no they wouldn't draft me, I work for a prestigious company and I went to a University and if I was drafted I would automatically be an officer, I wouldn't have to do all the other stuff the uneducated ones do. 3. Why do you live in that state you do? Only bumpkins live there. 4. Why do you keep moving? Have you done something illegal and are trying to hide? (Weve been at the same address for 2 years. 5. You should be happy is O gets in, you When DH said what in the world makes you think I donyou do? (I think it's odd that he didn't even ask DH what he does). 6. You know your just stup!d because you voted for GW. When DH said to him what makes you think we voted for him? He just said you didn We all thought you voted for him. DH said, no I didn 7. He made a comment about there might be a bloody war coming in the middle east and then said Oh I. DH said well no, why would you say that. Then the little *(% changes the subject. In the past we have been told that only the stup!d uneducated people go into the military (we were both in the military - me for 3 years and DH for 12 years. Husband also has an IQ of around 129, but he has always been told he is inferior (not in those exact words) because he didnUniversity. DH told him I wanted to go to this place or that and if mommy daddy could pay the way for me too I would have been able to go(not in those exact terms) and then his brother got upset and was trying to say DH was saying he was stup!d. Then his mom got in on it and told DH he's picking on him and jealous, etc. I just canhis own brother could say such hurtful things. I could understand if its someone you donItthat he He said their true colors really came out. And if you want to talk about intelligence DH will bring up subjects like what All he wants to talk about is sports (which DH hates sports) or who the Survivor or American Idol winner is. It is just really sad to be treated like your nothing by your own family. We have decided we will not be answering the phone from now on if he calls and just not talking to him for a long long time and let him think about what he did. Me particularly, I don Just very very sad. Okay, Sorry so long, just felt heartbroken and had to get it out.

I am glad things are going well for you but sm [2008-10-26]
The debt is not my main issue. My marriage is. All of the other problems are a result of the marriage being bad, and working at home in isolation. The problem is I feel I have no choice but to work at home because of my husbandnight fishing one night a week, leaving straight from work and getting home about 1 a.m., on a work night! He is very rude to me all the time and acts like he doesnI wonder what my life would be like if something ever happened to you mom. It wouldn My daughter I worry about too though not as much. I donhis and daughter is mine even though I regularly remind him that we are both parents to both children. So yes, the debt is there and it does worry me but just showing my husband my debt is not going to solve my problem. If anything it would put me more under his control and anger than I already am.

I was not out buying designer clothes or stuff for myself - sm [2008-10-25]
in my case it was we, mainly him, spent way more than we make. Everytime one of his cards got a large balance (he never looked at the statements and I pay the bills) I would tranfer it over to one of my cards, which again he never looked at, and I had a P.O. Box for--so in my case it was very, very easy to do, and with paperless statements today even easier. We had a lot of things happen in our life over the past 4 years which made the money/credit card issue much worse, easily added $40K onto it (at $89K now)--family death, serious child illness--still dealing with that some--, job loss on my part, private school tuition ($12K a year---no longer go there for the last 2 years), inability to pay bills and heavily borrowed on cards----d-u-m-b I know. So don't be so quick to judge, it is not always so black and white. Yes I did get a few things I should not have, but I know during some of this time I was depressed though not horribly so but enough so as to buy a few things I never should have, but for 95% of it it was my DH never denying himself anything (though he would have if he'd known, and now he is --granted not too happy about it---one tiny concession he has made is only 9 beers a day, down from 12, so maybe he can get 3 days out of a case of beer instead of 2.) So my days of robbing Peter to pay Paul are over. We plan to have an open book when it comes to finances once his are paid off, and mine are enrolled with a debt management plan--- then only use his cards for gas, and work stuff basically--I won't have any as they will all get destroyed and cancelled in the DMP, and will use my debit card for everything --which I do now anyway, so it won't be a huge change for me. I don't think she is lamenting, just realizing what a horrid mess she has to deal with, it is hard, and I have to deal with my DHs comments for years to come, he did a few zingers last night. I will be okay though and have to pay the piper, it is worth it not having to go through a nasty divorce and custody fight as I know it would not have been pretty.

Please verify this for yourself by [2008-10-25]
google or medical dictionary before you do another report. Melanotic refers to melanin (pigmentation of the skin), having or characterized by black pigmentation. Melenic stoolrefers to melena,dark tarry stools containing decomposing blood. Not being mean, just trying to educate.

No birth control sales, no candy sales, [2008-10-24]
CHANTILLY, Va. — A new drug store at a Virginia strip mall is putting its faith in an unconventional business plan: No candy. No sodas. And no birth control. Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy is among at least seven pharmacies across the nation that are refusing as a matter of faith to sell contraceptives of any kind, even if a person has a prescription. States across the country have been wrestling with the issue of pharmacists who refuse on religious grounds to dispense birth control or morning-after pills, and some have enacted laws requiring drug stores to fill the prescriptions. In Virginia, though, pharmacists can turn away any prescription for any reason. I am grateful to be able to practice, pharmacy manager Robert Semler said, where my conscience will never be violated and my faith does not have to be checked at the door each morning. Semler ran a similar pharmacy before opening the new store, which is not far from Dulles International Airport. The store only sells items that are health-related, including vitamins, skin care products and over-the-counter medications. On Tuesday, the pharmacy celebrated a blessing from Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. While Divine Mercy Care is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, it is guided by church teachings on sexuality, which forbid any form of artificial contraception, including morning-after pills, condoms and birth control pills, a common prescription used by millions of women in the U.S. This pharmacy is a vibrant example of our Holy Father said Loverde, who sprinkled holy water on the shelves stocked with painkillers and acne treatments. It will allow families to shop in an environment where their faith is not compromised. The drug store is the seventh in the country to be certified as not prescribing birth control by Pharmacists for Life International. The anti-abortion group estimates that perhaps hundreds of other pharmacies have similar policies, though they have not been certified. Earlier this year in Wisconsin, a state appeals court upheld sanctions against a pharmacist who refused to dispense birth control pills to a woman and wouldn't transfer her prescription elsewhere. Elsewhere, at least seven states require pharmacies or pharmacists to fill contraceptive prescriptions, according to the National Women's Law Center. Four states explicitly give pharmacists the right to turn away any prescriptions, the group said. The Virginia store's policy has drawn scorn from some abortion rights groups, who have already called for a boycott and collected more than 1,000 signatures protesting the pharmacy. If this emboldens other pharmacies in other parts of the state, it could really affect low-income and rural women in terms of access, said Tarina Keene, executive director of the Virginia chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League. Robert Laird, executive director of Divine Mercy Care, believes many of the estimated 50,000 Catholics within a few miles of the store will support its mission and make up for the roughly 10 percent of business that contraceptives represent in a typical pharmacy. Whether Catholics will be drawn to the pharmacy is uncertain. According to a Gallup poll published last year for an extensive study of U.S. Catholicism called American Catholics Today, 75 percent of U.S. Catholics said you can still be a good Catholic even if you don't obey church teachings on birth control. Catherine Muskett said she plans to shop at the drug store even though she lives more than 20 miles away. Obviously it said Muskett, one of about 75 people who crowded into the tiny shop for Tuesday's ceremony.___On the Net:http://www.dmcpharm.comhttp://www.naralva.org/instate/pharmacy.shtml

I just went thru something similar - sm [2008-10-24]
I was the one back in late August and then back on Oct. 13 or so----I had racked up a ton of debt on his and my credit cards which he knew nothing about. I finally confessed to him, he reacted pretty well considering the bomb I dropped on him. He does not want to divorce over it thank God but some amazing miracle. Obviosly your situation is a bit more complex. My DH is not that controlling. I was/am the one to get the mail, and would decide what he would see or not see, though he had no scruples about reading my mail, he would get upset if I ever read anything personal sent to him. As I know it is nothing to get bent about I let that one go. He has never cheated and even confirmed that when I confessed my deceit and financial infidelity to him. Luckily he still loves me enough to keep it together. He is trying a little more, though he has backed off doing a few things he used to around the house, I have taken on more responsibility around here, the price I have to pay I guess. I did 85% of it before, now, 95% (he used to cook dinner....now it looks like I get the pleasure of doing it from now on as he has not done it once since the 13th. Granted any reference to buying anyting is , we cannot afford it....which we can, but yes things are going to be a bit tight for the next five years, but we will manage. I have not done it yet, but Monday going to get the wheels rolling and do CCCS for my debts. His will be taken care of soon as we are selling off a bunch of mutual funds from the 401K (loan) so no penalties though with the economy we will have to sell more than we would have a few months ago which stinks. ---He is willing to economize now that he knows there is an issue though (he makes about 4x what I do). You will have to bit the bullet and confess as well. It is not easy. I wrote him a note and then left the house for a short while, then came back and we talked it all out. I figured my marriage would be over, but I think for the kids and still some feelings for me he wants to keep it all together. We have a good life together for the most part and he knows that. We do things together as a family, still have enjoyable sex once a week (took him 9 days after my confession), and are in tune with each other and the kids. Considering it he has been so good after it , you never know your husband might surprise you like mine did. He has not really made any comments for a week now, which is amazing in itself. My DH generally is the type of guy who blames everyone else for his mistakes and takes no responsibility for anything, so that is why it was such a shock that he is handling this all so well. Generally he acts like a 3-y/o and holds grudges. So it is possible your husband can be a standup guy. I guess it will depend on how much he cares for you, keeping the marriage together and not becoming a part-time dad or having to give you the house or a ton of money.....I am sure that all factored in in my situation. All I said was that no one would win in a divorce. He has been divorced before so I know he does not wnat to go thru that again, sees it as personal failure. But I feel so much better for telling him, a huge weight has been lifted. I still have a lot to get thru but the worst is over. I know my streess is still up there some, but I know longer have to worry about him finding out, etc. So you need to formulate a plan, maybe set aside some ready cash, and and tell him what is going on. You can email me if you want. I hope it all works out for you.

That is my mom, she just doesn't get [2008-10-21]
it. She also thinks it is because of my husband. Nobody is good enough for me. Doesn She has been telling everyone it is because she will not lend us money. My husband and I both work our butts off and have never borrowed money from anyone but the bank. My brother and I have not been the closest and about two weeks ago, I called him. I now believe that a lot of reason why we arenot close is due to my mother. He is four years younger and I was out of the house by the time he was 13. I always got my mother She told me he doesn He and I thought we didna lot in common, so most of the communication was between him and my mom, then mom would tell me. He doesn He said that she was always intervening in his life, no matter what it was. She kicked him out of her home when he was 15 and he has never looked back. He now has his PhD as a recent graduate and is very successful. We both believe it is a control issue with her. That leads to this, I have researched grandparents rights as well. In Michigan, as long as the parents are married and fit parents, grandparents have no rights. If you were never married, separated or divorced or worse yet, proved to be unfit, then they have rights to see the children. Something to think about.

Wow guys [2008-10-21]
wonderful responses and so quickly. I hope we can keep this thread going to help each other out. I wrote down these ideas and am going to start implementing many of them right away. Here are some of my ideas: 1. Utilities - We had 2 cell phones, got rid of one, which was mine, and I hardly ever used it. My husband has to have his because we run our own business. We had 2 house lines, one for our house phone and one for a fax machine. We got rid of one line, and kept the fax line, converting it to accept phone calls as well as faxes. 2. We heat our house with corn which in Northwest Indiana is a pretty cheap way to go. It will cost us approximatey $600.00 to heat our 2600 sq ft house for the winter. We would normally pay almost $450.00 a month with our heat and electric if we paid or electric company who has a monopoly in this area; no where else to go. :-( 3. I used to throw a load or two of laundry in every day, no matter how big the load (I have an energy efficient washer), to save time and so the laundry did not pile up. However, I realized that I was wasting soap, softner, and water even though I have an energy efficient washer. So, I am doing laundry only 2 days a week, maybe three if need be. Washing bigger loads at a time. 4. In regards to above, I use my dryer as a time management issue, because I run the office of our business during the day and transcribe at night. I think I will implement hanging my clothes out next summer, because I do not think it would be efficent in the winter right now - - would it? 5. I buy all snack foods at Aldi You save $1.00 to $1.50 an item. I shop at the most least expensive store in the area when possible, only shopping atthe higher-priced stores if there is a sale. 6. Turn off lights, computer, etc., when not in use. 7. I buy my cleaning supplies and laundry supplies at our area dollar store. They carry name-brand items as well as generic-brand, but quite a bit cheaper. I am brain dead now. I am sure there are many more. Please keep them coming. There were many things that you guys mentioned that I never even thought of, and I am sure we can give each other good ideas to implement. I feel we are in a war here, and we need all the ammunition we can get as we carry out our role as our homemanagers :-)

I need advice. I think my16y son is smoking weed... [2008-10-17]
He downloaded some pictures on MY computer for his MySpace page. Anyway, there isa picture of a bag of weed(I was young once, I know what it looks like so he cant try to convince me it was oregano) and a picture of his friend holding the bag of weed.By the way, the bag was on my table so hecaneither. I really don A long time ago I found a pipe in his room. I honestly thought it was over with after that. (guess I can be niave). Between his dad, my husband and I we dealt with it in a mature and appropriate way.But I always stayed cautious after that so I was always watching. I hadn Haven Anyways, my problem is what to do now. I really do not want to tell his dad because hewill be soooo angry. See, dad was really p**sed the first time and told my son that if he ever finds out he I know that sounds harsh, but I know his dad, he will kick him out but only for a little while just to make him think.Tough Love, he calls it. I think he may have even threatened him with a beatin (That is just a scare tactic. He I thought that by me telling his dad the first time he'd know that I was serious and that he wouldn't be able to get away with it with me. See, my problem is that my son idolizes his dad. He I can almost feel his pain already.I feel like heI He knows it too. I hate it and I I know some of you are thinking well he should But remember when we were 16. We didnThat So I have understanding, I just can't let that interfere with tolerance. So what do I do? I haven I know one thing I have to do is forbid him from hanging out with this friend anymore. Which is another issue....Do I tell this boy A part of me wants doesnHeIt Oh, and I haven Heanything my son likes.He wouldnHe tends to overdo the punishments. Then there What if he sneaks out? What if he tries to be....what's the word???...um, like just rebel and walk out anyway or worse, what if he runs away? I know what a lot of you are probably thinking right now. I KNOW I I KNOW III hate it. I I really cannot help it. However, this is a very serious issue to me and I want to find the right thing to do. I doneither (but he doesnYet I don He has to learn. This is not acceptable. Not even to me. If I let it go who knows what the future will hold for him. So any reasonable suggestions out there that a doormat like myself can put to use? I really appreciate any help. I

Talking with a nonChristian about Jesus [2008-10-17]
I have been reading this and I just wanted to offer a few thoughts: 1) No, you cannot go up to someone and say YOU ARE A SINNER! REPENT and expect a positive reaction. I think that God will give you opportunities to talk to people. When those opportunities arise, you ask for their permission to speak with them about it. If they say no, you drop it. I believe that God will open the hearts of those who are ready to hear it. If they do give you permission, you donYOU are a sinner because I saw YOU lying to so and so, I heard that YOU were sleeping with so and so and you At the moment of witnessing to someone, you better believe Satan is standing right there waiting for you to slip up so he can turn it against you. I think a better thing would be to say Well God tells us in the Bible that WE are ALL sinners no matter what we do. That is why we need Jesus. 2) Back you're claims up with Bible verses. That way no one thinks you are saying this in you're own words. Some good Scripture for witnessing: Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. These are just some to get you started. If the person you are talking to has opened their heart to hearing you, I doubt they won't want to hear the verses. 3) If you get a positive reaction, don't leave them to figure out the rest by themselves. Support them, invite them to church, introduced them to other loving Christians. Look, our nation is at war, but we are in a much bigger war. Satan is wreaking havoc in our nation and for to long we have sat by and let him. But just because the situation is dire does not mean we can just stand on our soap boxes and start proclaiming out loud that everyone is a sinner and they must all repent now. It requires personal connections with people. All throughout the Bible you read about Jesus having a personal connection. He spoke to people one on one. He allowed them to discuss the issue with Him, to question Him. One of his disciples even doubted Him! I know many of us, myself included, probably questioned all the way up to the aisle before we gave our lives over to Him. It is our nature to do so. As much as we all pray for a revival in this nation and in our churches, I doubt it will happen. Any of you who have studied and believe in the Bible know the time is drawing near. It is also said that every nation will turn against us before He comes. It's time to come together and be ready to support one another, because times are going to get tough. If you are sitting on the fence, you better choose a side, because Satan owns that fence. Call me crazy, call me fanatical. But I KNOW that my Lord is the living Christ, and I know that he will come back, and I am much more concerned about what He thinks about me then what YOU think about me! :) True Christians love everyone. We just hate sin. I hate that I sin everyday. But I thank God that I can ask for forgiveness and He gives it. All this mess about oh you Christians hate gay people, hate abortion supporters, hate blacks, etc is simply not true. I have friends who are gay. I love them just as much as I love my Christian brothers and sisters. I just don't love the sin. Abortion is a sin. And I'm not sure why you say we hate black people unless you're saying it's because we don't vote for Obama, but black is just another color and Jesus doesn't pay attention to color, therefore neither should we, and I believe most of us don't. The ones that do are sinning and will have to ask for forgiveness. If anyone is seriously interested in discussing this or just wants to talk, please email me. If you just want to be hateful and bash, please, just save it.