ChasUFarley

I can't believe how much you've contradicted yourself, Pond/MJ, in just less than 24-hours. This is almost funny. I'm impressed that someone with their head up their @ $ $ can still talk out of both sides of the mouth. And I find it hysterical that you're a smoker. You're an addict! You're in denial! And yet, you're so ignorant about other addictions that I find it hard to believe you've been on this planet for long. So, put down the cigs for a day and tell me you don't think of them - even once. C'mon. Do it. Yeah, that's addiction - but you'd cut your nose off to spite your face and claim otherwise. You come in here and insult a decent size of the population and take no ownership for it. You spew stupidity and ignorance like it's your gospel and then turn around to cover it up like a cat in a litterbox. You know nothing about the subject - but you've obviously done a little reading as of late - and you continue to post on. I don't get how you consider AA to be a "club" - good grief! Like there's a password, secret handshake, and little photo i.d. with a decoder ring you get when you join. You claim alcoholics need attention - but that's really your reflection of your own flaw on others - you know that? WHY? Why do you care? Why do you continue to post about this? You're posts and thoughts are a waste of time - you know that? You do this for attention, like Belle said. Why do you give a rodent's anus about any of this? Really? Or do you just like showing your @ $ $ to everyone - because you do it a lot MJ?

Isn't this what we all dreamed of when we were kids, learning about man walking on the moon and space exploration? It was bound to happen sometime - I think it's scary but facinating at the same time.

I'm back at the PC after playing with iPhoto and iWeb for an hour. I designed half a website and created an iMove in just that short time - and all on new software. iThink I'm iTired and I need to get to iBed now...

You obviously didn't get Shellon's post either. Do ever remove your head from your @ $ $ when you read the forums? I think you're blinded by your spincter muscle around your eyes.

One of the perks about being married to a teacher, other than free child care for the summer, is that I've discovered he gets an education discount at the Apple Store. Hubby had a nice little G3 iMac (Blueberry) that looked like it should belong to our 5 year old son. However, the 5 year old would have NOTHING to do with it. Not because it was a Mac - but because it was "the slow computer". He'd bug me to use my computer (an HP Pavilion w/ 1+GB RAM, etc.) rather than wait for pages to load, etc. on the G3. Hubby wanted something that would work for home recording. I wanted something that would work for video editing. We tossed around the idea of getting a G4 or G5 on eBay (used) and decided that for about $300 or so more, we could get this: We got the 17" screen with: Processor: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 4MB shared L2 cache Memory: 1GB (2x512MB) Harddrive:160GB Serial ATA, 7200 rpm Opticaldrive: 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) Graphics: ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB of GDDR3 SDRAM OS: 10.4 Tiger We got a printer, iWork, iLife, and AppleWorks. The thing screams online - downloads are fast. Graphics pop. It's super intuitive, as Macs are - you'd swear it has a brain. Downloading and installing drivers for the first day you have it doesn't happen here like it does with a PC. My only "complaints" are that (1) it's a pain to plug in a USB becuase they're behind the monitor, so you have to move it everytime and (2) the speakers are a little cheesey - but easily upgradable. I'm a software junkie and I'm really enjoying iLife - lots to play with there. Nice ride - I can't wait to boot Hubby off it later tonight! LOL!

I use it for ...work - www.oakhilloffice.com. ...banking and paying bills. ...shopping - especially this time of year - as I HATE malls. It makes comparison shopping very easy. ...selling - eBay, Craig's List (www.craigslist.org). ...music & entertainment - and dump it all to my iPod - I love my iPod. ...learning & reference - gotta Google! ...socializing - like now. ...teaching my kids - my oldest is a little tech wiz and very adept for his age (5) on the computer already. ...getting my news and weather. ...scheduling car repairs - I have a Land Rover and they email me when my car is due for something. Which is all the time lately. Besides, I even met my husband via the internet - Waydale! By the way - I wanted to add that my computer allows me to be a stay-at-home-mom now. If I didn't have it, I would have to work outside the home. I work outside the home now by choice, just to keep my retirement up. Otherwise, I wouldn't do it at all!

I never used a recipe - I just make it up as I go and cook by the smell of it...

Belle -- Sams did a Double Bock that I would give my left _____ for, if I could still find it. It was the best ever. I usually like thick English/Irish beers - Guiness, Murphy's, etc. - but this was a little lighter than those but had a rich, almost chocolate taste. It's still quite thick and very sweet. Great stuff. I think they do a Chocolate Bock that you can get in most states - sometimes the proof of the beer will be too high for certain states - NH has a law that you can't have over a certain proof, therefore we don't get most of the special Sam beers here. I usually stop at a specialty shop in Maine when I'm there for such treats - maybe once a year - HA!

dmiller - I think the editing of the orig. post and what's left now shows that *SHE* doesn't even want her own logic out there... pathetic.

pond - your logic has been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Here's the facts: POINT #1: It most certainly is a disease. Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease with symptoms that include a strong need to drink despite negative consequences, such as serious job or health problems. Like many other diseases, it has a generally predictable course, has recognized symptoms, and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors that are being increasingly well defined. (SOURCE) Most experts agree that alcoholism is a disease just as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis are diseases. Like these other diseases, alcoholism tends to run in families. Alcoholism is a chronic disease. “Chronic” means that it lasts for a long time or it causes problems again and again. The main treatment for alcoholism is to stop drinking alcohol. This can be difficult, because most people who are alcoholics feel a strong desire for alcohol after they stop drinking. (SOURCE) At times, scientists, clinicians and others debate whether or not to call alcoholism a “disease.” Usage of the term is usually acceptable if it is properly defined. When one considers the wide scope of damage that alcoholism does to the human body, mind and spirit, the condition can, indeed, be legitimately described as having become a disease. Over a period of time, alcohol abuse alters brain-cell function, induces nerve damage, shrinks the cerebral cortex, imbalances the hormonal system and damages vital organs. Scientists have found that repetitive alcohol abuse wreaks a certain common havoc on the psyche that is perhaps even more insidious than the damage sustained by the liver, the heart and other vital organs. During early and middle stages, alcoholics may be able to function, but their productivity will be progressively hampered; their psychological disequilibrium will magnify small problems and render them unable to cope effectively with stress. This altered state of psyche will prevent them from seeing the reality of a situation and thwart the normal process of emotional maturing that enables people to assimilate and learn from lessons of experience. The condition of alcoholics changes them into people who think, act and feel differently than they should. Calling the condition of alcoholism a disease is not a cop-out for alcoholics. To the contrary, when alcoholics become aware of the far-reaching damaging effects of their condition to their own minds, lives, families and society, they have more responsibility, not less, for seeking treatment. (SOURCE) POINT #2: It is most certainly treated in the physical realm - which ties into referring to it as a disease. See above and sources for more information. There are medications out to treat it physically. There is a reason why people go through detoxification - it has to PHYSICALLY leave their body - and it's not pretty to watch. It's a lot more than someone ....ing it out and having a hangover for a day or two. Good grief. POINT #3: The medical community most certainly addresses the side-effects or other physical scope of effects that long-term alcohol abuse has on the body. I dare you to find a hospital which does not have a Chemical Dependency department or has one they can refer patients to. I double dog dare you. This would be as illogical as saying the medical community does not treat the health conditions that are related with morbidly obese patients - that would rule out heart diease, respiratory disease, and other stresses or conditions placed on the body because someone chose to eat too much - yeah, those conditions are never treated, right? Some of the most serious diseases associated with chronic alcohol abuse include cancer of the liver, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and breast. Alcoholism may also lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack; damage to the brain, pancreas and kidney; produce stomach and duodenal ulcers, colitis, birth defects and fetal alcohol syndrome, impotence and infertility, premature aging, sleep disturbances, muscle cramps, diminished immunity and other diseases. Alcohol abuse and cigarettes are one of the worst possible combinations, greatly increasing the risk of heart disease and cancer. (SOURCE) POINT #4: Placing alcoholism on the same plane as a "bad choice" is, in itself, a bad choice. You're saying that someone who may get several speeding tickets, or may loose 40 lbs, or may decide to get their GED because the chose to quit school, is on the same plane as someone who is controlling an incurable disease by modifying their own behavior and maybe taking medication to assist with that. You obviously have no idea what it takes or the support that is needed in such situations. Most people don't think of alcohol as a drug...but it is. Alcohol abuse has destroyed more lives, broken apart more families, caused more diseases and contributed to more auto fatalities than any other drug. It is the major contributing factor in the growing epidemic of domestic violence. More than half of all adults drink, but, not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. Alcholism is a complex psychosocial disease. Those who drink risk becoming an alcoholic. It impairs your judgement and affects the way you think, feel and communicate. The cause of alcoholism is unknown, but, like heart disease, there are both controllable and uncontrollable risk factors. Having an alcoholic parent is an uncontrollable risk. You are at risk if you are angry, lonely or sad or have few or no friends. Those who are poor or under great stress are also at risk for alcoholism. Alcohol addiction has 4 characteristics: 1. Alcoholism carries an overwhelming urge to repeat the experience of getting high on alcohol. At times, this urge will go beyond the strength of a person's will to resist, no matter how much risk or harm may be involved. 2. Satisfying the urge to drink becomes the top priority in the alcoholic's life. This urge can become stronger than sexual needs, stronger than the need to satisfy hunger, stonger even than the need for survival. 3. The urge to get high with alcohol becomes linked to all other aspects of life. Tension, depression, anger and excitement can all trigger the desire to take a drink. 4. No matter how long an alcoholic has been sober, he or she will always be at risk for alcohol abuse. As time passes with sobriety, the urge to drink weakens and occurs less often, but it can return with ferocious and overpowering strength at any time. (SOURCE) Book 'em Dan'l. And here's Pond's original post that I was responding to that was widely edited (above): Some claim it as a disease , disease = money in our culture, it has not been classified as a disease . yes health problems flourish in those who abuse alcohol.. as in many addictions. but addictions have their own clasifications and are treated as a mental health issue not in the physical realm. that is why they have AA medical commuity does not address other than the physical symptoms and health problems from alcohol abuse. i know those who love alcohol feel strongly and those who have a still strong attachment eventho not drinking feel even more empowered to justify addictions and bad choices by blaming whatever.. alcoholics are not victims... violent crime, cancer , car accidents illnes truly beyond our control etc. are victims. alcoholics make bad choices and have volumes of books and essays telling them all about WHY.. we all know why we all grew up in this culture. they are the only ones shocked when they realize the truth of addictions.. but some how we all are supose to think they are victims they are in the sense of making and repeating a bad choice and vice in life.. just like smoking or driving drunk or playing with rabid grizzly bears. but because of the cost it has had on their life and those who have loved them and being sober now hurts that reality we all are suppose to say oh im sorry your such a hero NOW? not me. i do congrats those willing to get their life together after years of abuse good for you! hero? no . they have accomplished nothing more than any other person on the face of the earth that has not made bad choices.

I need a 10 step program for this... Hi. My name is Krista. I'm 36 years old and I don't know how to decorate Christmas cookies for the life of me. I have two young kids who would love to make and decorate cookies but the best I can do is bring home the pre-packaged sugar cookies that are decorated with the colored dough, that you just bake and eat. I have tried to paint the cookies and think I still have stains on my dark green counter tops from the miserable effort. I have used sparkling sugar but it just fell off. I need an intervention....

Okay, it's been a while since we've had a good beer thread... I haven't found any good ones in a while - hows about you? What's good? What seasonal brews have you running to the package store? What's good to stay away from? Post on, oh, worshippers of the mighty hops, barleys, and yeasts.

I don't care for the okra in it either - too slimy. Sorta like eating a cooked lizard smothered in Crisco. No thanks. I like mine with seafood - like Sudo wrote about - and I like it HOT - not tons of chili seasoning, but lots of cayanne pepper - the hots. I also like it so that a spoon stands up in the pot when it's done cooking - none of that soupy, watery crap. Cajun cooking rocks - that's some good stuff!

Sorry, I thought everyone had heard of it... (although I admit I didn't know much about it before meeting hubby - it's his favorite!) Here's the recipe.... 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked 1/4 c. butter 1/2 c. flour 2 2/3 c. chicken broth 1 c. cream 1/4 c. sherry 1 tsp. salt Pepper to taste 1/2 lb. mushrooms 1/2 c. chopped green peppers 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese In large pot, melt butter; add flour and whisk. Add wine, cream, seasonings, cheese, turkey, mushrooms and green peppers. Place cooked spaghetti in bottom of baking dish and top with tetrazzini mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

She seems like a very bright kid but I think her parents use poor judgement in teaching her how to place so many labels on people at such a young age and then making her an icon or spokesperson for their beliefs. I bet she doesn't know what 45% of the words she is speaking really means. $20 says that 20 years from now she's the wife of a preacher and a staunch member of the GOP.

I've been to a few BBQs where this was a featured entree and I'll be totally honest... ...I'm not a vegetarian or anything of the like - I like meat .... But... Many guests, especially the women, were really turned off to this - but they'd never say it outloud. Several sorta whispered it - politely - but didn't really want to eat it (or see it) because it was a baby something... I feel the same way - it just put me off a bit. That and... I remember dissecting a fetal pig in Anatomy - totally grossed me out. I don't think I touched pork for a year after that. The sucking pig looks the same, just bigger. (I hope you don't think I'm rude - I don't mean this that way at all...)

Ooohhh! I just remembered... TURKEY TETRAZZINI! Yum

It's okay Belle - it's actually Twinky. I've had the black cat now since 2000 on Waydale. I guess I can share. :)

Paw - OMG - My mom always talks about them - I think I'll try to find out more and maybe some CD's or something for her. She'd love that sorta trip down memory land. I like listening to old radio shows from the 1940's. There's a station out of Maine that plays oldies shows - it's all about supporting the troops, winning the war, etc - I can usually get the signal in on a nice clear night. Thanks for the post - very cool!

Dove - Your posts indicate that because YOU didn't experience it, IT did NOT happen. I don't see anyone NOT taking ownership for their decisions. I don't see anyone saying they didn't have choices. So, I guess I'm confused as to why you are trying to discredit the opinion of others? What do you have to gain by it? I'm not picking at you - honest - but man, I don't get where you're coming from in your posts. You seem to have had a wonderful time in TWI - this isn't a dig, but WHY did you leave? Again - I'm not picking or looking for a pi$$in' contest with you but I agree with the poster who thinks you're sounding a bit calloused and it's not really like you, from my experience. Peace.

MotherofTwo, Welcome! You don't have to be associated with The Way at all to post or read here - you are certainly welcome. There is quite a cross section of folks here - we have several countries represented here at times, many age groups, many income levels, gay, straight, Jewish, Christian, agnostic, etc. The one thing we have in common is a link, somehow, to The Way. And yes, there are several members here who have gotten into mainstream Christianity after leaving TWI. If some haven't posted about it already I am sure they will. Personally, I've looked but most of the churches in my area (NH) aren't too lively but I keep looking - I am interested. It's got to be the right fit. You are most welcome! -Krista (also a mother of 2)

Interesting thread and I think some people took the first post a little too seriously. And maybe themselves. What I understand Rascal as trying to say is that we were sometimes placed on compromizing positions where we had to sometimes bend the rules or go against what we thought was right in order to keep in the game. I don't interpret her post as meaning we were forced - i.e. gun to the head - but certaily there were times when the cringe factor was up to a 10. For example - when the whole M&A thing was hot and heavy. I remember we had a leader who M&A'ed a young couple because they wanted to get married at DisneyLand and they were going to foot the bill pretty much for everyone who could attend, but obviously they couldn't afford to invite the whole state of AL to the wedding. They refused to change the location of their wedding because they had already made reservations and it's what THEY wanted. If they had changed their plans, they wouldn't have been M&A'ed. See what I mean by being placed in compromising positions? They made a choice and the outcome was negitive by the standards we were being taught at that time. Notice I didn't say the teachings were RIGHT - nope. Didn't say that. I also think that this standard for making choices that you probably knew weren't right - as in, right on the Word or right in your heart - but RIGHT by the standards of those who were around you - was probably worse for women than it was for men. For example - my first husband had some serious anger management problems - that's an understatment. After one time when he'd roughed me up pretty badly, and I told leadership, I was then told that it happened because I didn't submit to him enough. His idea of submit was that I didn't say "boo" about anything at anytime - basically it meant I had to let him do exactly as he wished - no matter WHAT. I knew that was off - I could have and should have said something. Frankly, I should have left him before our marriage was 6 months old - but I didn't it. I felt I would have failed my marriage and the vow I had made before God no matter what - no matter if the bastard raped or beat me. Didn't matter - that was the Word, right? I felt like if I left him then I wouldn't be accepted anymore by the ministry. I would be M&A'ed I compromised what I had been taught - I made that decision. But since I'd ....ed off all my family and friends because I was in TWI, I felt I really had no where to go if I did leave. And I felt I'd be "outside the household" - the adversary was going to get me. To this day I blame no one - I could have walked at any time. Sure. I think I understand the *heart* of what Rascal is trying to say. Been there. Done that. Sooooo over it!

ahem... I was talking about how us Yankees talk up here - you know, the phoenetic spellings, etc...

That looked like a Ford Festiva pulling that thing - scary

See - nolonger is speeeeecccchhiiiilllll! :blink: If they don't work - re-try 'em - you'll get in. If I had more time, I'd look it up myself but it's quite a blast from the past...