oenophile

I know that I am getting ahead of official celebration on Saturday but I will be traveling on that day. So Happy Birthday to a very kind and a very, very good friend!

Thanks Ron. I've been thinking of the tragedy at the Jamboree but your reminder is a gentle nudge for me to pray more. Robin

(((((((Exie)))))))

I am definitely a possiblity. :)--> What could perhaps push me over the line is if I were to hear Sudo and his "better than sex" stew would also be in attendance.

I'm coming. Shell, make sure they don't run out of Guinness before I get there. OK?

My 3cents, No, I did not add any hardware so I will try rebooting when it happens. You know...it seems that it happens if I am on the site for extended periods of time, like when I am here reading and posting in the forums.

No, nothing there but thanks for the suggestion.

I have some too!

I doubt anyone will read this but here goes... A young lady is walking wearing a t shirt that says IDAHO on it. A "gentleman" pulls up beside her and opens his car door and asks her to get in. The young lady responds "I will certainly not get into a car with a total stranger. Who do you think I am?" "Well your shirt says U DA HO!" the man replies.

Can you say...Paper fetish.

Clinton and Monica Bush and Iraq Which is harder to swallow?

Well, I think we were the ones who got snowed.

Ever hear of Take Six. They harmonize beautifully.

I wish there was a channel I could turn to watch "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" anytime I wanted.

It is refreshing during these times of cynicism (often rightly deserved)directed at "charitible" organizations to find one that is actually faithfully fulfilling it's mission and making a real difference in the lives of people. The International Justice Mission is one of those organizations and I offer it for your consideration of support whether spiritual or monetary. IJM is an international organization of attorneys, law enforcement professionals and social workers who are actively professing their Christian faith by pursuing one of God's passions-Justice. Slavery it appears and is alive and well in the 21st century. Girls as young as single digit years are being trafficked into forced prostitution in many parts of the world especially in SE Asia. They often come from desparately poor rural areas. Traffickers are often relatives that approach parents with the promise of giving them a job and a better life in the city. The "job" is having to service 20-30 "patrons" a day and the "better life" is the lost innocence of childhood, suffering abuse by customers and pimps and thrown out on the street to die of a sexually transmitted disease. What will these girls say to you when you tell them of a God who cares for them? Slavery also takes the form of people being forced into working in sweat shops, coal mines and farms. A little boy who worked in a sweat shop making tennis shoes. When the owner of the shop saw him not being as productive after several hours gruelling work he struck the little boy across the face with metal object which drew blood that spilled on the shoes. Instead of bandaging the wound, he cauterized it with a lit cigarette. What would this little boy say to you if you told him about God's love for him? IJM works undercover rescuing victims from these grotesque situations and bringing the perpetrators to justice and assisting with their prosecution. The rescued victims receive counselling and love by dedicated social workers. To learn more visit http://www.ijm.org.

Happy anniversary Belle. We celebrate with you as we celebrate how you have enriched our lives also.

I love Christmas because it seems that it is the one time during the year that people give themselves permission to come together as family and friends to celebrate and honor each other. It gives us a chance to say to the people in our lives "my life is richer because you are in it." Ofcourse, it is a shame that we only seem to come together with certain people in our lives (usually family) during the Yule season. I think of my own family gatherings at Christmas. I often thought as my eyes scanned the room during these gatherings "why do we do this every year?" Of all the people I am connected with in my life's journey these are the people I know least about. Yet each year there is this magnetism that brings us together at this particular time. Why? It seems that we come together because we are bonded by blood. It is good that we recognize that significant bond by honoring those who proceeded us and passed to us the gift of life and embracing those that we have ourselves have passed the same precious gift. Perhaps that is the real significance of the act of gift giving during the season...as a metaphor for a gift significantly more precious in the context of celebrating even the greater Gift as we honor God for keeping His promises. There is something transcendent in the trees, fruitcake, decorations and lights if we allow ourselves to be open to the meaning of the season.

Ham, Most all of us have done things while in twi for which we regret. I know that I have hurt others also and I'm sorry. The difference between us and the abusers who would suggest that "we get over it" is that we recognize and accept the responsibility for the hurt we have caused. They marginalize and minimize their responsibility and shift blame to the victims. Their guilt remains with them. The stories need to be continued told and retold so others can learn and heal. We need to keep telling the truth about twi so no one need endure the abuse. People who have had their rights trampled on need to seek justice and relief from the courts and we should all support them in that effort. Unlike "getting over it" there does come a time after one has had time to grieve and to process sufficiently that one can move on with their lives. Moving on with our lives is the best repudiation of the suggestion "to get over it" because we understand the truth about twi. We continue share our experiences and know that the only way to be free is to reject the abuse and to choose our own way.

I'm was non-corps flunkie. So I never really gave a damn about any supposed Corps pedigree but I did resent the haughty snootscoping by those who were Corps toward us who were busy having a life. So you're Way Corps Nth? It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm B.A. East Carolina University 1976. Can we dispense with our labels and be real now?

Dot, I am really, really glad to see you back. I have really, really, really missed you. interesting about the vitamins also R

Bluzieq wrote: No kidding. How about older guys of a good vintage year? We are mellow because we have figured out fighting is futile. Heady, because there is more of it to see because there is less hair and finally at our age we usually exhibit a lush, round body.

Welcome to Greasespot, Bluzieq! I remember once upon a time in twi we first generation wayfers would look upon you second generation wayfers when you were kids and say something stupid like " Oh, you don't know how fortunate you are to not have to go through the junk we had to endure." The reality is (in most cases) that a childhood spent inside twi compared to a childhood spent outside on the junk meter is like comparing the city landfill to the recycle bin on my computer desktop.

I have to agree with Zshot and Oak. Vickles, it is just the way we men are hardwired. We can tell whensomething is upsetting you women what we are not so good at is knowing what is bothering you. So my question is why do women insist on playing the game of "guess why I am bothered today." It is not that we don't want to know, we would love to know because first we actually do care about you very much and secondly, so we can avoid the emotional mine field but you have to provide us with information in the form of words, pictures, graphs, spreadsheets et.al. Otherwise, we don't get it. Get it? Why not make it easy on yourselves and us by opening your mouth and speaking? Duh? I will allow that perhaps sometimes (and I think that this is the case more often than not) women really don't know themselves what is bothering them. If this is the case, my advice as a knuckle dragging, neanderthal male is that couples need to have an emotional safe space to which they may retreat to gain understanding. This space would be free of judgment, egotism but a place of honesty and concern that takes into account our differences as men and women. The goal (see my linear male mind at work) of this exercise (oops, there it is again) would be really trying to understand each others point of view without jumping to conclusions about the other person. A good preface to any sensitive emotional issue would be as follows: "I feel (fill in the blank with appropriate emotion) and I need (fill in blank with appropriate need).

Steve, Happy Birthday! I will simply have to make it across the Lake to see you guys very soon. R

WB, i dont remember you as a a@@hole way back when.