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Come on, It's funny....

I've said it before, and I stand by it:  some liberals have no sense of humor.  I get cracked-up thinking about it.  It irks me, too, because I'm Woman Enough to admit when something's funny.  For example, I think some of those imitations of Bush misusing words is just laugh-out-loud funny.  So, why can't they reciprocate sometimes?  Lighten up. Some stuff is just funny.
 
For example, I received this string of email at my office, where I am surrounded by nice, Greenies:
 
______________
From:
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 4:39 PM
To:
Subject: recycling option

Hurray!


 

From:
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 3:48 PM
To:
Subject: recycling option
Got electronics headed for the boneyard? The website www.myboneyard.com is said to not only do recycling of electronic devices but also pay the shipping to send devices to them and, in some cases, offer a payment for what is sent to them for recycling.
 
_______________
 
 
Notice, one person's reply is "Hurray!"--so happy because (s)he loves recycling.  I don't really care about recycling.  So, I was thinking of various replies, all of which strike me as hi-LAR-ious. 
 
Potentials:
 
1. Thanks, but I like throwing my electronics in a heap on the side of the house.  Makes me feel at-home, as if I'm back in Lousiana....
 
2. I think throwing electronics in dumpsters stimulates ecological entrepreneurs to generate new ideas for products. If everything was recycled, there wouldn't be a need.  Dumping is just doing my part. Thanks, though.
 
3. Thanks, but I've contracted with a program that just throws the junk out in space.
 
4. My boneyard. ? . Are they kidding?  Dumped electronics isn't the first thing I think of when I hear "my boneyard."
 
5. Nobody cares about this.  Thanks though.  (My personal favorite)
 
But, I know they won't think my replies are funny.  Just no sense of humor.  It stifles me.
 
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Safeway Perspectives

I changed my hair color and style (auburn and short), and according to my friend, Trinkets, "it took ten years off [my] age!"  I think my blood stream has absorbed the red tint and made me spicer than usual.
 
The Intro:
I went grocery shopping at Safeway during lunch. I am diligent about my weight and, thus, rather precise about what I eat. To the detriment of such, I adore food, especially rich, well-prepared food.  So, if I'm going to be a size 4, I have to watch it.  I eat Weight Watcher's Smart Ones frozen lunches (they really aren't that bad), and in the afternoons, I snack on fruits and raw vegetables. I especially love raw cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and cherries.  When I run out of food in my office, it's off to the grocery on my lunch hour. Hence...
 
The Story:
I love summer time because we get Rainier Cherries.  You know the "regular" cherries:  the dark red, sometimes maroon ones--that are often mushy by the time they are ripe?  The regular ones are ok in a pinch, at the beginning of summer, but my favorites are the red/yellow Rainier ones.  The taste is entirely different, and Rainiers are much more expensive.  Cherries, in general, are very low in calories and satisfy my need for something sweet. Today, Safeway had Rainier cherries!  I picked up two pounds, filled up on Smart Ones, got some liquid paper and a mechanical pencil, and then proceeded to check out.
 
 
 
Two people in front of me was a woman, probably 40 lbs overweight, sunburned, with oily hair who was checking out a basket full of "tasties."  You know "tasties":  all the stuff you want to eat but don't because of your waist line.  Pringles, popcorn, snickers, CASHEWS, ice cream, etc.  She handed the cashier one plastic card after another until all 3 cards were declined.  Eventually, she paid with cash.  Off she went.  Nobody raised an eyebrow.
 
Directly in front of me was an artsy-type older woman, probably late 60's, wearing sandals, tie-dyed capri pants, a tank top, a fanny pack, and a hat with a bee pin (covering very short grey hair).  Her lenses were framed in perfect dark black, thick circles.  Her basket was full of older-person, healthy-sort items (e.g. vitamin supplements and nuts).  She paid with cash.  Nobody raised an eyebrow.
 
Behind me was another woman wearing a tank top with at least ten pounds of extra flab on each bicep.  Her basket was also full of tasties.  It seems it's an epidemic.
 
I handed the cashier my Safeway card, and she started scanning.  At the cherries, she stopped, held up the bag to my face and said, "These are $8.80/lb."  I smiled, "Ok."  She grimaced after placing my nearly two pounds of cherries on the scale. "It's going to be about $18 for these cherries," she said as she peered around the bag she was holding.  I smiled again, this time my Winning Smile, "Perfectly fine."  Slowly she laid down the cherries, and as she slid them into a plastic bag, she said, "OOOOhhhhhhhKKKKKKKKayyyyy....." shaking her head, with wide-eyes.
 
Now, let's review this: 
In front and in back of me are elephants buying more food than they need and which is bad for their health, and one of them has overextended their credit.  Another woman thinks that wearing John Lennon glasses and tie-dye is age-appropriate at 70 years.  And I'm the weird one who gets a headshake from the cashier because I bought some fruit?
 
The Story, continued: 
I said (loudly), "Well, if you think about it, those cherries will last me probably ten days.  So, that's about $1.80/day.  For fruit.  Or, I could buy" (speaking louder) "a 16 oz. white chocolate mocha at Starbucks every morning for $5.50 and pay a lot more AND weigh a lot more!"  (Flash Winning Smile again)  "I like cherries."  She stopped and stared at me, blinking.  Then, oddly enough, she said, "I never thought of it that way.  That's pretty interesting." 
 
Who knows if she really thought it was interesting.  She looked like the Mocha type, herself.  Still and all, I made my point.  And lucky for her, she didn't really set me off by complaining about gas prices or talking about those stupid plastic grocery bags.
 
 
Tags: cherries  
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Dementia?

You know I like Airfare Watchdog.  I've mentioned it before.  It's one of the blogs I read daily.
Here's a comment in response to this question
What do you think about airlines charging for carry on bags instead of checked bags?
(I hope none of you wrote this...)

"I like the idea of charging for carry-ons and allowing the first checked bag free! I am usually traveling with both a computer bag and a clothing bag that would fit overhead. But, I don't travel enough anymore to warrant preferred boarding, so that means a race to find a place for ANY carryon! Why not charge those who travel for business on a regular basis and prefer to carry on? They're usually on expense accounts and can charge the fees back to their companies. Besides, even if I can find a space for a carry-on, I'm short and not as strong as I was when I traveled on business. The baggage charge is also a real deterrent to any traveler who is less than perfect or physically fit. That's discrimination! Maybe AARP should take up this cause for older travelers."

Truly, what happens to people's thinking as they age?  Sometimes I just want to shake them.  There are so many things wrong with this opinion, I don't even know where to start.
 
 
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The Web has Everything

Okay, this was just a hoot to me.
Imagine the fun a person could have filling in the boxes for all their friends.  I think it might be serious, but I see "great joke opportunity."
 
 
 
 
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Textmess

   I've created another word:  "textmess."
 
   "Textmess" is the rude environment produced by incessant text messaging, constructed by individuals who are either ignorant or selfish. 
 
   I use text messaging; I'll make the disclaimer up-front. "Texting" is particularly useful when I'm in a meeting, and I need to get something said to another person without disturbing the meeting (especially if it's to say something funny to someone else in the meeting about someone else in the meeting, i.e. "He's acting particularly pouty today.") I use text messages to notify friends and family of items not worthy of a phone call, i.e. "Meet me at Pizza Hut at 7."  My daughter sends me sweet little text messages during the day, i.e. "Mommy, I love you!"  But, intense conversations? Forget it. My message screen is limited to 160 characters.  If I wanted to have an indepth conversation, I'd have to resort to writing in irritating "textage" (which, by the way, has nearly replaced English as the language of anybody 23 years and under.  We might should worry more about Texlish instead of Spanglish.). 
 
   Here's an example of "text poetry."  There are so many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to start. After the first line, I have a bonafide headache.
 
f sum1 luvz u
b proud of it,
it only menz dat u have somthn
dat aderz dnt have!
so.. dnt let 8 gone
coz 8z nt easy 2 find sum1 hu really
luvs u as wat sum1 did 2 u!
 
   Frankly, I see this as a rather small extension of the incessant use of abbreviations in email and chat rooms, "LOL" being absolutely the most despised by me.  (In Medicine, "LOL" = "little old lady," so I have a terrifically hard time seeing "LOL" as "Laughing out loud.")  What's interesting is that adults who can spell perfectly also use the language in communication.  I understand it as a form of short-cut, but I still prefer the written word--all of it.  I'm irritatingly precise that way. The only two I will ever use: "IMO" (in my opinon) and "BTW" (by the way), and I really hate myself when I do it.  I find the adult use of language short-cuts provocative because of the implicit message it sends to young people:  write like this, do what we do.  Yet, most young people haven't mastered the art of communication.  Ten years later, we've got 25 year olds who compose reports at their office with the most atrocious grammar and spelling; I'm certain some employers are happy when the report actually says "some one" instead of "sum1."
 
   But my biggest gripe with texting is the rudeness of it all. Young people think nothing, nothing, of looking me squarely in the eye, holding a very emotional conversation, then picking up their phone to send a message to another person as I am speaking.  How shocked that same young person would be if, while (s)he is speaking to me, I pick up a telephone and begin speaking to another, while nodding affirmatively at her implying that I am listening intently (which obviously I am not).  As a Bonafide Expert Multi-tasker, I say it is impossible to conduct two meaningful conversations simultaneously.  Furthermore, who would want to?  I am either important enough for your undivided attention, or I am not.  If I am not, then my preference is that we continue this at a time when you do not have distractions.  I worry about what messages we send to young people when adults will not tell a younger person that certain behavior is rude.  It's as if our society has been taken hostage by teens and 20-somethings, and the Grown Ups are petrified of being labeled "uncool."  And nobody wants to say anything constructive to anybody else's children.  What about the young people who know this behavior is rude.  I think they have some responsibility to help their friends develop into "functional" adults (who can focus and concentrate on one project until the project is finished). 
 
   Maybe I am overreacting, as my grandparents did to CB language.  Over & Out. 
 
 
 
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Can you believe this Crap?

There aren't more Pressing Matters for Congress?
 
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Western Slope in the Summer

Recent business trip to Aspen/Snowmass.
 
 
 
Tags: Aspen  
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Too Cute for Words

He was asleep outside my office last week:
 
 
 
Tags: Fawn  
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A Ruckus

I've been busy lately--too much so to make much noise.  I'm still pretty busy, but I want to stir up something.  So, here goes:
 
Jeremiah Wright and the Obamas.  That's a pretty ghastly crew, I'll admit. Still, let's think about this:  bless his heart, Obama just didn't understand that the sort of views being espoused would potentially harm his chances to lead a great nation.  And who says a person can't attend a church and vehemently disagree with the views of its leadership? One could argue that the "face" of the faith is only that--a face.  Christ is the head of the church, so why should Obama leave when Wright is only the face? Surely there were plenty of people who didn't agree with what Wright was preaching, but they stayed at the church because it's their second family.  Right about now some of you are cringing because you think that's horse hockey. 
 
In a completely contrite spirit, I'd like to ask this legitimate question to the Catholic readers: did you leave your Catholic church over the sex abuse scandal in the early 2000's?  Or, in your mind, is that different?  Why is it different?  Some of the Cardinals who knew about the offenses of their priests (and moved them to different assignments) have been removed (i.e. Cardinal Law), yet Cardinal Mahoney remains "at post" continuing as a definite leader in the faith. And many of those under his tuteledge believe firmly in the security of his position.  (Hewitt did a nice interview with one such fellow, a former Archbishop of the Los Angeles Diocese, Father Gregory Coiro). 
 
Father Choiro holds some interesting positions [emphasis mine]:
1. The media has never been fair to the Catholic church, nor have victims' advocacy groups.  The "story" has been inaccurately told.  In his view, the story should reflect:
"And the other thing about the whole scandal that annoys me is the fact that is has never really been reported accurately. It’s constantly called a pedophile scandal, when in reality there were only maybe 2% of all the priests who were accused, and of that, only 2% were true cases of pedophilia

HH: It was mostly adolescent boys, wasn’t it? 

GC: Yeah, it was really, and people don’t want to say this, because, and I understand why, it was really a homosexual problem, which is not to say that all homosexuals are inclined to be attracted to teenage boys. But 80% of the cases were between adult men and teenage boys who had adult bodies, but they were not old enough to give consent. It’s in so way to say that it makes it better, but I just like to see greater accuracy in the reporting."
AND
 
But I think in terms of what the responsible press would do, would be to look into the organization and say okay, now the Church has made advances, you know, I believe according to the Catholic League in the past year, out of 40,000 priests, there were five accusations made. So obviously, great progress has been made. But is SNAP [a Catholic victims' rights organization calling for the removal of Cardinal Mahoney] ever willing to acknowledge that? They never do.  
 
2. Cardinal Mahoney refused to release documents to law enforcement so that a proper investigation could be performed. Many people accuse Cardinal Mahoney of being involved in an elaborate "cover up" of the actions of Priests.  The opinion of Father Coiro is that:
"But my understanding is that what the Cardinal was trying to do was to protect the privacy rights of the priests under California law, with regard to personnel files. But even beyond that, I think he was making a very important point with regard to the practice of the Catholic religion, and that is the relationship between the bishop and his priests is not the same as the relationship between an employer and employees. There is a paternal relationship that exists with the bishop at the father, and the priests are the sons, and there needs to be confidential communications between the two. And so when he was asked to release files that he felt should be protected, he challenged that in courts, and ultimately lost it at the Supreme Court. But the fact of the matter is that he wasn’t really trying to cover up. At least I never perceived it that way. I think what he was trying to do was to protect an important principle with regard to the way the Catholic Church functions."  
3.  Father Coiro believes Cardinal Mahoney should remain in his position, although other Cardinals have been removed.

HH: But if it is true, and I’m glad we agree on this, that there is that perception and it is widespread, oughtn’t the Cardinal, for the benefit of the Church, to retire

GC: You know, I don’t think anything would be served by that. I mean, he, when you’re appointed to a post such as an Archbishop of Los Angeles, it’s something that you’re supposed to occupy until you turn 75 years old, or transfer to another position. And you know, for example, we can make a contrast between Cardinal Law and Cardinal Mahoney. The documents that came out in Boston showed that Cardinal Law had moved priests from place to place, even though there had been accusations against those priests, where with Cardinal Mahoney, he has been very forthright about the cases where he had known that priests had a problem, and had them go through treatment, had been assured that the treatment was successful, and put them back into ministry, and then they repeated, they offended again. And he said that these are the cases that really troubled him the most. But in Los Angeles, you didn’t see a systematic pattern of priests who were offending being reassigned… 

Of course, no one in the Catholic church has said, "Great.  We think pedophilia and homosexuality is great, and we condone it in our Priests."  Yet, Wright espouses all sorts of unAmerican beliefs--frequently spouted from the pulpit.  Still, I'd have to press the Catholics with this:  Look, people who knew this was going on were deliberate obstructionists to a criminal investigation.  And the Powers That Be of your church think it's great if one of the obstructors remains in his position.  Not only that, but the Powers That Be also think it's fine for that person to lead parishoners and priests in their spiritual journey.  You either agree with this or not.  If you don't agree, then how can you criticize Obama from staying at his church when you remain in yours, when the leadership faces of both organizations are clearly wrong?
 
I'm no Obama fan, and I think he should have left that church after the first 15 minutes of one of those sermons.  I've personally left churches for more narrow offenses.  Still, I'd like the Catholic readers to comment.
 
Please no accusations that I'm a Catholic bigot.  I'm not, so save it. (It's rather hard for people to ask questions of the Catholic church because as soon as the question is out, fierce Catholics like O'Reilly, Hannity, Ingraham and the lot start taking aim with accusations of bigotry.  What's wrong with asking some questions?)
 
 
 
   
 
 
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Me in my Swimsuit

   Yeah, that's me.  Ok, not exactly as advertised, but I knew I'd get the hits.  And, who doesn't like to pick scabs?
 
   This is me; my cousin, Darryl; and my other cousin, Darryl.  I was the first in my family to go to graduate school and am the oldest of the, now 3, women physicians in my family. 
 
   This photo is of me and my two cousins at the graduation of the youngest on May 18.  My cousin, Darryl, is in academic regalia also because she performed the hooding ceremony on her younger sister.  I am humbled at God's continued hand in our lives, and thank Him for our aptitude and accomplishments.
 
 
(Right to Left):
Shiningcity (UT Southwestern Health Sciences Center @ Dallas, Doctor of Medicine; BC Internal Medicine/Pediatrics & Infectious Diseases)
Darryl (UT Health Sciences Center @ Houston, Doctor of Medicine; BC Radiology)
Other Darryl (May 18, 2008 UT Health Sciences Center @ San Antonio, Doctor of Medicine; residency: Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, June 2008)
 
Cool.
 
 
     
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What Happens in Vegas...

 
I've returned from a recent business trip to Las Vegas where I stayed at Caesar's Palace (only two days, and I didn't leave the premises.)  These photos are for business purposes.  Click on the little bubble in the lower left hand corner, and you can read my comments.
 
Vegas is a bit of a strange place.  The spa at Caesar's is called "Qua."  Here is one of the treatments offered:
 
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What do you think of blue sky? Oh, it's blue because Bush is an imperialist, and we need to grow more corn.

   I swear.  Everywhere you go, it's just Lib madness.
 
   I travel a lot and have subscribed to daily email alerts from AirfareWatchdog--to get cheap deals.  I love this site because of its main feature:  a blog about airlines.  They deal with issues like the 2nd bag charges and travel insurance.  So today, I'm scrolling, checking out the newest blog topics.  And I'm stunned (at first) to see this one.  This particular blog entry created quite a comment thread (of course, I didn't read it.  What might they be saying that I haven't heard before?)
 
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   "This is a tough one."  A tough one?  Really?  This?  Man alive--how screwed up some perspectives are.  Or rather, how ridiculous is today's PC language.  I'm looking for airline tickets?!!! 
 
   Next, a colleague comes to show me the newest Annals of Internal Medicine (a journal published by the American College of Physicians--an internal medicine physician organization.  Ok, well, the leading IM organization).  It's no secret that the ACP is very liberal--these are some of the physicians pushing National Health Care.  Still, Annals has remained one of the foremost IM publications--peer reviewed, sophisticated, professional.  This column, entitled "Lies to a Patient" in the section On Being a Doctor, is a personal story written by a lesbian physician.  She details the private struggle she feels after lying about whether or not she is "married" to a "husband" to a patient, while performing the woman's pelvic exam.  Yes, that's what I said:  during the woman's pelvic exam.
 
   An excerpt:  "I was asking my patient about her grown children as I inserted the vaginal speculum and opened it to stretch the vaginal walls.  I saw the vestibule and the vaginal walls, and they appeared normal.  Just as I was about to take the first sample for the Pap smear, she asked me whether I was married, and I said 'yes.'  Actually, I am gay and have been with the same partner for the past 20 years. . . Learning that I was married, my patient, with a vaginal speculum stretched inside her and my hands inside her most internal organ performing a cervical specimen collection, asked me whether my 'husband' was also a doctor. . . " 
 
   And so it goes.  On.  And on.  And.  On. 
 
   Lest you think there's edification at the end, let me assure you:  no.  There isn't.  In my opinion, the piece simply, well, degenerates into a self-obsessed inquiry:  (cue head on the forehead in dramatic pose) "Would she have been uncomfortable having a pelvic examination done by a gay female physician, whom has been attracted to another woman in a physical way?  Was it important for her to know this truth about me?. . . "
 
   Please.  I'm begging, on my hands and knees.  Can we please just go back to work?  Can the people of the United States of America quit having their personal crises publically?  If you're reading about cheap plane tickets, can you please assume that others on the site are also there to read about cheap plane tickets?  If your job is to do a pelvic exam, can you please just do it without telling the rest of us all the sordid details? 
 
And that's liberalism--an incessant need to make everyone around you aware of your own issues, feelings, cares, emotions, logic, thoughts, drives without any discernment or discipline.  I knew I was wise for never having subscribed to Annals.  It saves me time today from having to cancel.
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McSame

This is just funny.
 
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Scarlet suggested an idea to me.  See it here.  It's official.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Dollars & Sense

   Now that I've finished poking fun at Earth Day, I can tell you how I acquired my disdain for this topic. It's rather simple, really.  I live in Colorado.  In case you didn't know, this state has been co-opted by retired hippies and the new generation of hippie wannabe's.  It's an obligation or something--if you want to become a hippie, you have to move here.  They're everywhere--lecturing me from every angle about being "green."  I must confess it's not so effective.  (I keep wondering why they didn't choose a different slogan; all I can think about is Kermit the Frog's performance of "It ain't easy being green.")
 
   My recent encounter with the Green Movement came in the form of car shopping.  I want to sell my Subaru and get a larger vehicle (even though I only have a family of 3).  I drive long distances on business trips, so I'd prefer a luxury interior.  The Navigator & Escalade were my first options, but I kept urping at the $55,000 price.  I've done quite a bit of research and have settled on the new Chrysler Aspen.  This vehicle meets several needs (AWD, V8 hemi engine, seats 7 but in a smaller build) and has a luxury interior without the Navigator price.  Plus Chrysler has added a few cool things:  1) life-time powertrain warranty, 2) AWD --> "low" 4WD and a "high" 4WD, 3) the "MDS" system (new techology where the V8 downgrades to a 4-cylinder when the extra capacity isn't needed), and 4) a V8/hemi hybrid due this Fall.  Basically, Chrysler took the Durango, gave it a luxury look and added the MDS/hybrid technology so the gas mileage is projected to equal what I get in my Subaru.  I like it.  Where do I sign?
 
   In my research, I visited several auto blog sites--looking to see what the experts are saying about the Aspen.  I noticed a couple of things.  
   1.  At your generic auto blog, supposedly the commenters know cars.  I'm looking for somebody to talk about the rather unusual drive train (how is it performing in the snow & ice?  What about hitting bumps and skids?)  Tell me something about the MDS and actual gas mileage.  Any news on the release of the hybrid?  I was disappointed to find--well, exactly what you might expect--that the comments about this SUV are almost exclusively about the likes/dislikes of the body style.  Doesn't that describe our current culture?  Everybody's obsessed with "looks" and ambivalent about function, use, and substance.  Sigh. 
 
   2.  I visited a site called Hybridcar.com.  Voila!  An article on the Aspen.  Against my better judgment, I read it.  You may find the opener interesting.  (The article does end on a rather fair note, giving Chrysler credit for manufacturing a vehicle that makes some sense.)  Yet, the tone of the entire piece is quite condescending--check out this excerpt (emphasis mine).

Hemi Hybrid Hijinks

The introduction of Chrysler’s first hybrids could be misconstrued as a bad practical joke. That’s because Chrysler’s Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrids will pair up a hybrid gas-electric system—the symbol of automotive virtue—with a powerful Hemi engine, which is best known for winning car races. . . Chrysler’s 5.7-liter V8 Hemi hybrids are very likely to offend the die-hard hybrid drivers, a group easily riled by any corruption of hybrid ideals. From the Prius point-of-view, DaimlerChrysler is flaunting its disregard for the environment by marrying sacred hybrid technology with an obscene amount of horsepower. . . Even after hybridization, these vehicles will barely break the 20-mpg mark—a fraction of what the average Prius driver achieves.

. . .Releasing two Hemi hybrids is a form of technological triage—another example of today’s ultra-light form of green consumerism which asks for no compromise from the buyer. Thanks to technology, more is still more—for now.
       Wow.  Apparently the Greenies want us to give them something like, oh say, a kidney.  I mean, nothing's "good enough" for this group!  Because apparently one flogging isn't enough for me, I read the comments.  Check these out, and see what happened when one poor guy (Choose) tried to defend The American Way.  "Check your six" though--typical response comes from kballs, replete with foul language, guilt, superiority and all:
kballs says:  Going from 14-16MPG may save more oil than going from 35-50MPG, but going from 14-50MPG saves even more. While a 2MPG bump is a good thing for delivery trucks, garbage trucks, etc., some people can't really justify driving a land yacht. They should consider something "big enough" to meet their needs without waste. It's a vehicle, not a living room. You don't need 4ft of leg room and shoulder room. You probably don't really need 7-9 seats for the 1 time/year that you carpool with your friends to the ski slope either. . .
 
Richard says:  Justify, what's justify got to do with it. Choice baby, now they can have that Hybrid snobery in powerfull Hemi to boot.
   
Choose says:  I really like the idea of a hybrid, or all electric, and I would like to one day have a home that uses renewable energy sources.  But when I read these forums, I get turned off by all the preaching of everyone telling others what they "need" or "should have". If someone chooses to have a big car, little car, hybrid, diesel, or whatever, then that is their choice. Why should anyone tell you what you must drive, or what job you should have, or who you should vote for?  The green movement is feeling a lot like the old communist movement, in that they want to control our actions "for the greater good of the planet/society/politik". Am I the only one who sees this line of thinking, this willingness to tell others how to spend their money as scary?
 
kballs says:  That's right, you can choose to be wasteful ifn you damn well fcuking please.  People who think they are being told what they must drive should wake up, the world doesn't revolve around you OR tell you what to drive... or do you feel that guilty?Most statements are of more of a "reevaluate your needs" nature than saying "everyone must drive a Prius, SUVs should be illegal".  There are people who use their big trucks and SUVs to capacity for a majority of their miles driven. But there are a lot of people who commute daily in their big gas hogs, completely empty... their reasons for "choice" are along the lines of "I like the space, which I never stretch out in because I'm always behind the wheel", "It can haul stuff, which I rarely do, but it's cool, unlike a minivan or wagon", or "It's safe because it's big and heavy and I 'win' in collisions by killing and maiming the other people."  So you're welcome to choose to be wasteful. In fact, I'm going to freely express my god-given freedom and patriotic right to be wasteful by buying a Prius, and all the gallons of gas I save over a Suburban I'm going to set on fire for all to watch. I have a right to impact the environment and it's future effects on our race to the full extent of everyone else even if I don't need to, because it's about choice, not needs, practicality, or moral obligation.
 
"Most statements are of more of a 'reevaluate your needs' nature. . ."???  Yeah, the last time somebody swore at me with the f-bomb, he was just trying to convince me to "reevaluate my needs."  Thanks for the clarification.
 
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Healthy Nails

NATIONAL TOENAIL DAY!
 
Last Installment
 
Healthy nails require a life-time of devotion.  While the state of your nails should never cause you a loss of self-esteem, leading researchers acknowledge that good nail hygeine is best for your health.  Dr. Prettynail at UC San Francisco's School of Podiatry says, "This issue is a lot like obesity.  We know what's best for our health, but a balance exists between mental and physical health.  If someone is going to lose self-esteem over their weight, then it might be better if they just accept the 'Big is Beautiful!' adage.  In the same vein, we never want to marginalize people with unsightly toenails.  We just give suggestions for how to keep the nails healthy.  But, 'ugly nails' are beautiful, too."
 
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Failing to devote proper attention to your nails can result in disastrous consequences.  Marathon runners have grown to expect bruising and eventual loss of nails given to the constant pounding of foot on pavement.  This group, though, has found a way to embrace this necessary ailment of training. 
 
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Links to care for your nails:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HAPPY NAIL DAY! 
LOVE YOU. . . LOVE YOUR NAILS!
 
 
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