ginger1981

you have to be kidding me. and taxpayers pay for this senile idiot's salary?

He's not a senile idiot...he's actually a very smart, interesting guy trying to prove a point about the ludicrious lawsuits that turn up in court.

you have to be kidding me. and taxpayers pay for this senile idiot's salary?

Well, if the good people of Nebraska elected him........ they are smokin' the same thing he is...

The thing about good ole' Ernie is that he was the only black senator in the unicameral. From the only majority black district in the state. That district obviously had a connection I never had :-p

wikipedia is telling me that he's a former senator but i don't know how accurate that is. anyone from nebraska around to verify?

what i find funny is, i was always taught that god was all seeing so surely he would know that a case was being brought against him?

Former Nebraskan here to answer questions.

It is fairly accurate. Basically, the whole term limits amendment was passed because people wanted him out of the unicameral so much. He's been there for almost 40 years, and he has been known to filibuster just about every piece of legislation that he didn't agree with. As you might imagine...Erinie is quite liberal as well in a state that is as red as red can be. Therefore, he basically was the ire of every person in the state that did not live in his district.

I personally didn't always agree with him, but he was dynamic and a helluva smarter and savvier than the other senators. Being athiest myself I really enjoyed the lawsuit against God for more than just the stated reasons...

#######! I wasn't sure...

Funny they are focused on the southern states. Too much fried foods?

Obesity is a world-wide trend now. Not limited to just the USA anymore.

Very true...the UK is just as bad as the US, especially up north and in Scotland.

Yeah... less earnings, less healthy dietary choices. Under the current food distribution system.

indeed. people don't have the choice of healthy food, they mostly can't afford it. southern food is cheap and generally bad for you. i could fancy some grits right about now

actually I'd say teh made from scratch southern food is not as bad as the boxed premade stuff.. yea they use fat backs on the green beans, but is not as bad as boxed reconstituted mashed taters or something

It costs a couple of dollars to make a vat of vegetable soup. Healthy food is affordable but some people prefer to eat fat, sugar and salt loaded foods, pre-packaged ####### and anything that comes of the cesspits that are McDonalds, Burger King, and Arby's. If you are obese because you eat too much or just eat ####### then its entirely your fault. They are certainly more health conscious here in VA, but I've been to WV a few times, and some of the people are just huge, in motorized wheelchairs, and stuffing their faces in Applebees. At what point do these people look in the mirror and think "ooh I am a little heavy - maybe some fiber and a piece of fruit would be a good idea".

oh please, you don't need to spend all day at home cooking to make a few healthy meals. Most of mine take 15 minutes. Secondly, if Walmart are stocking the worst selection of fruit and vegetables ever seen, why isn't anyone complaining? People can also grow their own fruits and vegetables, or use the tinned variety. "poor fat families" as you state, are clearly eating too much if they are fat !! Why can't they use that food money to make better choices in the store?

Britty, I understand where you're coming from and I agree it can be cheaper and easy if you try, but I'm not sure you quite understand the whole issue. It's easier said than done.

I think a lot of it has to do with education and people not understanding their options. And if they are busy in the first place, who is going to have time to have their own veggie garden (which from personal experience I know it can take a lot of time, effort and expertise). I think it's also part of the instant gratification culture. There are a lot of things than just someone being fat and lazy and poor.

Have you read Fast Food Nation yet? I highly reccomend this...I think it gives a lot of insight into America's issue with obesity that I can't really put into one paragraph.

http://palinaspresident.com/

Make sure you have the volume on...and click on random objects.

I noticed that - I was out here a couple of years ago and *gasp* we had rain in the desert... I never realised that you had to drive everywhere at 5mph as soon as the ground was wet

Been researching more of the States now to find somewhere that has decent four seasons - mild springs, hot summers, fall colours and snowy winters So far I have these:

Colorado

Connecticut

Indiana

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Mexico

New York

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Utah

Vermont

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

I'm trying to narrow it down a bit as well - got rid of the states that had the worst of the natural disasters etc but it's really hard because different areas of each state have different weather!! There are so many options that I really have my work cut out for me! Any thoughts?!

I would totally cross off Nebraska, Minnesota, New Mexico and Wisconsin. For a variety of reasons.

Hey! I heard you say Nebraska

It's blazing hot in summer and freezing in winter...so basically it's pretty extreme and there isn't much of a fall or spring. Anyways, I do miss it and how beautiful Indian Caves looks with all the leaves turning or the amazing thunderstorms and tornados we get in the spring.

Nicky does like NE...I think he would prefer to stay in Chicago but I don't think he'd be opposed to moving back there. I personally would move to Omaha as it is a large-ish city (about 800,000) but you don't have to go far if you want to get away from it all.

Nicky and I have been wondering what to do with his family (mom, stepdad, uncle and aunt) when they come over next September. We're thinking we might roadtrip with them to Nebraska...my mom said she'd have a BBQ and we can show them the more "rural" side of the US...typical midwestern life.

I wish I could go to your halloween party Aly. I will be there in spirt....hahaha on the bad pun.

Is Wabash and Ohio were it is?

Cheryl..yes to the tat,,but not a camel on my toe!

I can't wait to meet you all there!

Jackie

That is roughly the intersection!

Ok everyone, I sent everyone who replied on here (aside from Ms. Jackie as she is an awesome given ;-) just to confirm your date and how many guests are coming. I know some of you may or may not be on here everyday, but if you can reply to me by next Monday night to confirm your presence I would appreciate it.

I'm still working out other details with the Pizzaria, and I'll post as I get more info.

PS: Karima and Zhenia_Brent, for whatever reasons I was unable to contact you via PM. If you see this could you PM me with your confirmation of attendence...and also could you let me know how many guests you plan on bringing. Finally, if you would send me your first names (if they are different from your user name) for name tags I would be much oblieged :-)

Lindsay

Deny, deny, deny until it becomes the truth.

Well I made my Christmas cake. Got a good receipe from the BBC food site. Now I just have to douse it in brandy every week till Christmas. At that rate one slice will get you drunk.

World Market is putting out their X-mas stuff...and they had mini and full sized Walker's X-mas cakes on sale. They are a bit pricey, but Nicky got a mini one and seemed relatively impressed with it.

I personally will stick with pumpkin pie. I find x-mas cakes too rich for my taste.

I'm just curious...but are dual citizens treated the same as non-USC? Or is this some sort of gray area as the OP has both US and UK citizenship? I'm just wondering since I thought that you didn't need to go through the USCIS process if you had US citizenship. I have a friend who has dual US/Canadian citizenship and lived in Canada all her life before coming here...from what I understood with her she never had to go through the USCIS when she was moving here.

Your story about Hugo tugged at my heartstrings and brought a tear to my eye. Recently I lost my family dog, Molly and the little idiosyncrisies and personalities our pets had reminded me of my old girl.

Molly was a black toy poodle, who never had her tail clipped and was viscious to every human being on earth except to my immediate family. She was typical of a small dog...often very hyper and high strung. I never saw a moment where her tail wasn't wagging so fast like that of a hummingbird's wings. In the rare moments she would sit still she would crawl into my lap and suckle on the crook of my arm...I guess regressing to a puppy like state was comforting to her.

Molly thought of herself as being a viscious beast and would growl and snarl at every neighborhood child who rode by on their bicycle or get near our fence. Taking her to get groomed was a wholely different venture. She had attacked groomers with her small razor sharp teeth, and it got to the point where we would have to take her to the vet, have her put under and have the vet's assistant groom her. We hated doing that, but being a poodle meant she had to be groomed a good 3-4 times a year minimum. Generally, we would laugh at her acting like a wolf when she was merely a pup, but we knew all the same that if anyone tried to hurt anyone in our family she would give her little life to protect us. She was just a rare animal that was 100% loyal and devoted to those she loved.

She was also a talented acrobat. Molly could raise up on her hind legs and walk and twirl around like a circus performer. Of course a potato chip...her favorite treat...would be necessary to get her to perform, but her talent was unmistakeable.

And love...she had it. A heart of gold. After I had long moved out on my own and would come home to visit she would always greet me with a thousand kisses to my face and a puddle of pee at my feet. I like to say that you know someone loves you when they wet themselves every time they see you come home. My shoes were a small price to pay for such love.

When my grandfather passed away we took in his 13 year old schnauzer named Pepper. She was old, frail and losing her hearing and eyesight. Since Molly was so devoted to us we worried about being upset about having a new dog around...but instead of possesiveness Molly became the companion and protector of Pepper. Like Anne Sullivan to Helen Keller, Molly would lead Pepper around the house and yard on their frolics. When a kid would run by our house, she would lead Pepper to the side of the yard so they could together bark and terrorize the neighbor kid. When Pepper was cold due to weight loss, Molly would cuddle up against her to keep her warm. She would take her out to smell the grass, lead her over to be pet by one of the family members, and keep her company as she slowly passed away.

After Pepper passed away Molly was never quite the same. We thought about getting another dog but Molly was starting to get old too, and we thought a puppy would be too much for her to handle. My mother noticed her tail didn't wag as fast as it used to, and she didn't relish barking at the neighbor kids running by the house anymore.

One morning a few months ago when my dad took her out of her kennel in the morning she wouldn't leave. After taking her to the doctor he prescribed an antibiotic for a minor infection...but otherwise she would be ok. So my dad gave her the medication and that night put her to sleep in her kennel. The next morning my dad went downstairs and found she had passed away in her sleep. It was unexpected, but at the same time it didn't surprise us that a broken heart had ultimately been her demise.

Molly's short life taught me much more now than I realized at the time. She helped me understand what unconditional love is. She brought light to what loyalty is. Finally, she showed me what devotion to another person or pet is.

I truly believe the world would be a better place if more people had the same qualities that Molly had shown in her life as a dog. May she rest in peace.

Polls are closed, Pizzaria Uno/Due it is. I'm going to get a final headcount, and once I get details I'll post them on this thread.

Also, ifLately it's been crazy busy at work and I'm working close to 60 hour weeks...I wish I could spend a bit more time on production but right now my time is fairly limited. I feel a bit bad for asking, but if anyone would like to volunteer to help me out a bit it would very much be appreciated.

PM me if you would be up for the job!

Ok polls are closed....Pizzaria Uno/Due it is. I'll get a final headcount and once I get the details for booking the party I'll post it on this thread.

Lindsay

those things look super yummy. I've had a bit of a baking addiction recently. It's great to have a proper oven again, I didn't have one for sooo long. And I gave myself a joining the union present - a kitchenaid mixer. Omg I love it. it's just a plain white one, the cheapest of all of them, the lovely coloured ones are wayy more expensive for no reason.

So far this week I've made cornbread muffins, 2 loaves of bread, banana bread, oh yeah, and I got a slow cooker and made some pulled pork. God, I need a job.

I've been doing lots of baking too...I guess the fall weather here brings it out of me.

Yesterday I made 3 dozen cupcakes...1/2 chocolate and 1/2 yellow cake, all with fudge frosting. I got a can of the Duncan Heinz cake decorating stuff but I'm not very good at it...the ones I did make look like #######. Oh well, no one gives a shiz when they taste good.

Also made a few loaves soda bread (two white, one whole wheat), a shepard's pie and likely something else for my par-tay tomorrow.

Congrats, Robin, on your NOA1!!

I am happy to report that the sale of my former resince will be closed today at 1:30 PM! Wooohooo!! I'll only own one house!!!!!

Yay...congrats on getting rid of one of the homes. Please keep the other...I think I know a lot of people who will be living in refridgerator boxes soon.

Congrats Robin! Congrats to Julez!! And have a great vacation, Charles!!

I haven't been on here for a week and I feel like I missed a lot. It has been a weird week in the Gareth's Girl Household....I interviewed for at UC Davis in their Geology Dept and got offered the job right away which was super fantastic and totally awesome. However I have now been dealing with the prats at my current job. I gave them two weeks and they got upset and wanted me to give them till November 3rd. I can deal with the comments and attitude, but the owner's son and brother-in-law are tettering pretty close to the line of sexual harrassment which everybody seems to think is ok (I guess they figure I don't count as an employee since it is my last two weeks so they can be gross and ghetto all they want). I am so done with them now and am almost ready to make today my last day....that or punch one of them in the face. Whatever....I am excited about my new position at UC Davis....I have been trying forever to get on there and now I am. Yeah!

Congrats on your new job!!! It sounds like you really need a change of scenery. I'd hate to work with/for jerks like that. Good luck getting through the next few weeks.

Thanks! I hope I don't lose my temper. They are totally morons and I don't really think understand the serious legal trouble they can get into for some of the comments and behavior they are allowing. Idiots.

If you lose your temper...what do you have to lose at this point? It's good not to burn bridges, but when it comes to someone being unappropriate towards you I think it's ok to burn that one.

Otherwise, I've just emereged from a cocoon of work. It's been insane here and I was put in charge by one of the execs to do some projects very important to the company...which is cool. Hard part is I was basically given very little instruction as to how to go about this and present it...I got some vague guidelines and have had to fill in the blanks. I really hope it comes out as she wants...the cool thing is she seems to think I can handle the job but I don't want to epically fail y'know?

People people people

allow me to prove to you how misogynistic this thread is, and many of you are "guilty":

when was the last you heard or said, "He is an embarrassment to all men."

I rest my case.

Time for a snacky poo as a reward to me.

I'm sure that has been said a few times with Bush...

Hee, hee, I believe I have made my point though.

Zoom out every one and look at the big picture.

Oh jeez now you bring our minds in the gutter

Explanation por favor...

key word...."Bush"

Oh and Ginger, so obvious, but someone else suggested a Canadian classic - beer!

LMAO...well that will never be a problem! Though I honestly will pass on the Molson...I don't mind LaBlatt though.

Maybe I could do just a "beers of the world" theme. We have a fancy schmancy beer shop down the street and they carry beer from about every corner of the globe.

People people people

allow me to prove to you how misogynistic this thread is, and many of you are "guilty":

when was the last you heard or said, "He is an embarrassment to all men."

I rest my case.

Time for a snacky poo as a reward to me.

I'm sure that has been said a few times with Bush...

Hee, hee, I believe I have made my point though.

Zoom out every one and look at the big picture.

Oh jeez now you bring our minds in the gutter

People people people

allow me to prove to you how misogynistic this thread is, and many of you are "guilty":

when was the last you heard or said, "He is an embarrassment to all men."

I rest my case.

Time for a snacky poo as a reward to me.

I'm sure that has been said a few times with Bush...

Worse Stranger things have happened (GWB), but I'm not convinced that she'd be in the running for the presidency in 4 years if McCain were to win this election. If I am correct in my assessment of why she was selected I rather think she will be pretty much ignored by a McCain government in favor of his old friends and allies - or more likely that she will capitulate with them and go along for the ride.

Not having friends in Washington is not necessarily a good thing, unless you're prepared to play ball with the status quo (given that you need real influence to effect the kind of change and reform that McCain has claimed she will facilitate). In that respect I think Palin's image does little more than put a coat of lipstick on the same dirty GOP pig.

They like the idea of change far more than the reality. In truth - they simply can't imagine doing things any other way.

I think the GOP has realized how much the majority of Americans want change and that there is no way of winning with at least having a veneer of change painted on the ticket.

Sarah Palin's about as far outside the establishment as you can get...you are right that will be detrimental to her effectiveness if she would get elected. However it looks like she is happy enough already playing a marionette to the GOP elite so I would venture to guess she would probably be happy enough continuing that role. If she is really emphatic about making changes....well she is in for a crash course in Washington style politics and I doubt they are going to care too much about how things got done in Wasilla or Juneau. This is reality, not Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

These days it is usually more like 5 years of college...I had to have 128 credit hours to graduate college. Unless you take 17 credit hours every semester it is nearly impossible to do.

Also, remember in the UK you graduate high school at 16, then have 2 years of college (which in the US is basically equivelent to getting an Associate's Degree from a vocational school). Then you have 3 years of university. Basically in the UK you have 5 years of education that in the US we would typically combine into 4 years at a university.

well, i completed the last two years of highschool (16-18) in under one year at community college... so i guess that's four years, but i never returned to community college after that... that would just be weird?

Comparing the US and UK systems is like apples and oranges! My husband and I have had many a conversation discussing how to portray his education background on his resume and in interviews with potential employers.

Nah, that's just not weird. What is weird is Sarah Palin giving a shout out during a vice presidential debate!

My point is only that she is a Republican who is arguably more intellegent, poised, skilled and has a measure of respect on the international stage. Doesn't mean that I agree with her viewpoints True she is forever linked with the Bush administration but I don't think she has ever come across as an evil scheming crony as much as Cheney, Rumsfeld down to the Delays and Santorums (RIP) of the party have.

I agree with you on Condi being more intelligent than Palin - but I think what this is about is perceptions. McCain has already been slammed for voting with GWB 90% of the time, a few months ago he was accepting endorsements from GWB and offers to help campaign for him in the general election. That doesn't seem to have materialized and given how Bush was essentially snubbed by his own party at the convention - it seems fairly clear what's going on.

The GOP wants to pretend that they're all about new ideas, just as the Democrats are pushing the idea that Obama represents "new thinking" (ignoring Obama for a sec - they have a slightly better case for that argument given that they've been out of power for 8 years). McCain can't push that angle if he's hanging an albatross of the previous administration over his neck. The administration is so incredibly unpopular that it would be easier to make claims of Bush III, if Condi were in the running alongside him.

As much as Obama has been derided for having a following that is born out of a cult of personality (though I think this is a simplification for people projecting their own aspirations onto Obama - in regard to what he represents), Palin certainly fits that bill. She somehow "energized" the GOP party at the RNC with little more than some "down-home" folksy talk and anecdotes about her family. More than a few people fell in love with the perception of Palin, the reality less so.

IMHO of course.

Good analysis. I wasn't quite thinking about it from the Bush III angle...I was thinking someone who was more fit for leadership.

So what I am wondering is...say the Republicans get another 4 years of office. How will the GOP utilize her...as a tool for rallying the base? Will she be cloistered from the public?

I guess I just have a hard time understanding how some may think she represents America well on the international stage. She may have been ok as mayor of Wasilla or even governor of Alaska, but I can't imagine her being taken seriously at all by any world leader from what I have seen so far.

Those look delicious. I think those are going to be given a go...

Good thing I have a bunch of people coming to help me eat all this stuff.

Interesting thread. I sometimes refer to myself as Irish American...mainly in the fact that I'm proud of both my Irish and American background. But honestly if I was to spell it all out I would have to say that I'm Irish English Welsh Czech American lol. But I guess the way I look sort of lends credence to the Irish part of my genetic background.

There is nothing wrong with feeling one way or another...it's a matter of personal preference. I tend to prefer to use African American as I don't think of my friends of that background should be labled solely as a color (just as it is rather insensitive to call someone of Asian background "yellow"). Colored doesn't really work either as we are all colors and negro for obvious historical reasons. I always saw it as simply the best way to describe someone of that particular background.

Please explain what this background is.

Why do we always feel it necessary to describe and judge people by things they have little or no control over, rather than the traits that actually define who they are?

I mean, when will we say "Do you mean my friend John who's a liar, a cheat, and will drive this country into the toilet or my friend Barack who's very intelligent, a great speaker, and has some innovative ways of planning for the future"?

Instead, we talk about the old guy and the Black guy.

Because I'm associated with a STEREOTYPICAL background, mostly cultivated by the media and entertainment industry, people PREJUDGE that I like certain music,

certain clothing, certain cars, and certain sports, which I actually do not.

One of the MOST ridiculous stereotypes of racists is that people of this particular background are lazy.

They forget that these are people who for hundreds of years built this country called America through hard labor, for long hours without smoke breaks, without vacations, and without pay.

Does that sound like lazy?

A person whose ancestors came from Africa.

I think all human beings tend to use physical descriptives if we are speaking of someone...it is not limited to one group of people. I think it has something to do with most people liking to have a visual picture in their mind of a particular person. But that is just my armchair psychiatry...

Some people would say that describes ALL of us.

That is true.

I see where you are coming from in regards to how you feel about being called African American as it is a valid point we should all be seen as just plain "people" in one another's eyes. But at the same point, I think most people who use the term African American are well meaning and have no ill intent.

there are so many reasons that people are embarrassed by her, it is not simply because she is a woman it is because she was a bad choice by mccain. everything about her is bad. everything. i am yet to see her represent ONE of my views... this is why many women, including me, don't like her, because she does not represent us. it has nothing to do with some garbage a republican reporter fabricated to try and make her look like she is hard done by.

Agreed. How silly to think ALL women do not like her because they are envious/embarrassed by her. How many colleges did Sara Palin attend to? Let's see:

In 1982, she enrolled at Hawaii Pacific College but left after her first semester. She transferred to North Idaho community college, where she spent two semesters as a general studies major. From there, she transferred to the University of Idaho for two semesters. She then left the University of Idaho and attended Matanuska-Susitna community college in Alaska for one term. The next year she returned to the University of Idaho where she spent three semesters completing her Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism, graduating in 1987.

I mean come on..how many years does it take you to complete a degree in communications?

There are several reasons why I think she is a crackpot. Most of them come down to her being a complete knob. Any one with half a brain can agree with that. I do not want an non-educated, unintelligent mess representing me.

amen to that

a bachelors degree should take three years. i wonder what grade she got

usually 4 years.

a bachelors is three years, masters is four.

are we talking in the usa or in the uk?

uh, well i'm from the uk... four years is for those who work for a year of their studies or fail and have to retake. yall take four years? jesus.

These days it is usually more like 5 years of college...I had to have 128 credit hours to graduate college. Unless you take 17 credit hours every semester it is nearly impossible to do.

Also, remember in the UK you graduate high school at 16, then have 2 years of college (which in the US is basically equivelent to getting an Associate's Degree from a vocational school). Then you have 3 years of university. Basically in the UK you have 5 years of education that in the US we would typically combine into 4 years at a university.

The contestants in reality TV are chosen for the entertainment value they will bring to the show. Hardly a good example of brilliant women in the workplace.

Palin doesn't make the grade with intelligent women because she IS an embarrassment, and wholly unprepared for such a high ranking position on the world stage. Looks are subjective.... it's all in the eyes of the beholder. If she is confident (and I don't believe for one moment that she is) it is based solely on a very limited area of experience.... apparently achieved by hanging out with Joe 6-pack at the local soccer games. You know.... maverick style.

Palin has zero foreign policy experience, cannot give a straight answer, plays by her own rules and does not have the speech or poise of anyone that I would want representing American on the world stage (I'm sorry but anyone can memorize and regurgitate information). Hilary had the poise, speech and experience. Although I was an Obama supporter I did like Hilary and it was a tough choice for me to choose between them.

I feel that Sarah Palin is an embarrassment to all American women...I'm a middle class schmuck but she hardly represents me...she only represents a particular type of middle class person.

As Krikit noted, she is very confident based on her limited experience. For example, could she negotiate with Palestinians and Isrealis successfully? Would Putin regard her seriously or think that she is another "maverick" joke like Bush?

I am confident that Obama has the poise and skill to be able to do these things. He may not be as experienced as McCain is in politics, but poise and skills are a huge part of the job. Sarah Palin has nothing to fall back on...no poise, no skill and no experience.

This why women are incompetent to run the country.

And there isn't an incompetent male as president right now???

And what do you base this on?

Prove that women can do better!

You are the one who made the original statement - therefore you are the one that has to prove your point.

There are plenty of women in the conservative party who would do a very fine job of VP, in fact, I would imagine it would be hard to find a women less intellectual and less up to the job than Ms Palin - but she was McCain's choice which makes most sensible thinking folk question McCain's thinking and find it lacking rather than question whether a woman would be up to the job.

How about Condoleeza Rice? One of the most intellegent and respected women in the world.

You mean aside from the fact that she was one of the principal architects of the deeply unpopular Iraq war and is indelibly linked to the Bush administration?

If McCain picked her - his campaign really would be McSame. The thinking behind Palin is that she's a fresh face from outside the current (deeply unpopular administration), the idea being that she represents the kind of new blood and desire for change that the other side is pushing.

Of course what we have seen so far is that Palin only pays lip-service to that idea (and in the debate not even that - seeing as she ignored the question that would have given her a golden opportunity to talk about Washington Reform). Quite simply an old-fashioned conservative pretending to be interested in the Environment, renewable energy and Washington Reform. Its a thin veneer rather than a genuine commitment.

My point is only that she is a Republican who is arguably more intellegent, poised, skilled and has a measure of respect on the international stage. Doesn't mean that I agree with her viewpoints True she is forever linked with the Bush administration but I don't think she has ever come across as an evil scheming crony as much as Cheney, Rumsfeld down to the Delays and Santorums (RIP) of the party have.