Ttessa

Mandatory Draft Bill Snuck In - To Be Debated 6-6-6 On February 14, 2006, Congressman Charles Rangel (Democrat - NY) introduced a bill (Universal National Service Act of 2006 - HR 4752 IH) aiming at drafting everyone - men and women alike - from the ages of 18 to 42 into the military for a minimum period of 2 years. Or to quote the bill: "To provide for the common defense by requiring all persons in the United States, including women, between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." The House is to convene on June 6 (06/06/06] to debate and possibly adopt this bill, that is, unless a vast public outcry succeeds in derailing this insanity, which you can do by writing a letter of protest to your congress person through http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm or http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html Phone calls are even better. The numbers of all US Representatives are at: http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.html If you question the validity of this bill, go to: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h109-4752 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4752

If you have a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in your area, you have a lot of the old-timey candies & gum. I've seen Mary Janes, Bit O Honey, the wax bottles filled with colored 'water', Black Jack gum, Beeman's gum, Teaberry gum (the old chewing gums are my favorites). Apparently, Ace Hardware still deals with Lestoil. Online, you can buy it by the case. I've bought Bon Ami in the last few years - but can't remember where. Probably Dollar General store. Are they only in the South?

The Billboard Days In those days, I was using the nick 'Redeemed'....long story why I changed it (nothing to do with the billboard project) . My participation in the project was to help Jimextwi coordinate and communicate the details. There was also a military guy, Jeff, who tried to help with collecting the contributions for the costs of the billboard. There were lots of ideas & suggestions of what to put on the billboard, where the billboard should be placed, etc, etc. 'We' posted on Waydale the goals, and the hurdles (being the expenses) and asked those who wanted to contribute to send what they could. We didn't want to post anyone's address directly on the Internet, so a system had to be worked out to 'screen' givers without offending them (emotions ran high on every topic, it seemed) before giving them Jim's address. As money started pouring in, Jim had some personal problems - I can't remember now, if it was moving several thousand miles or his health or his wife's health. But I quickly found out that trying to e-mail Jeff & Jim was not an acountant's dream LOL. Communication was a challenge I didn't expect, and emotions ruled over practicality IMO when it came to accounting for the contributions. At some point AFTER the billboard was up successfully, I realized that there were many questions about how much money was contributed and where it was because Jim claimed that much of the expense came out of his pocket. But no one was actually keeping track, apparently, of how much money was contributed. At some point he or someone else told me that the quoted cost was covered. I still have paper copies of all the e-mails, posts, and notes I took - in case anyone ever seriously questioned what happened to the money that was contributed. My memories are foggy of the whole event, but I thought there was another billboard that said something to the effect of " The Emporer has no clothes." - or "Grease spots by midnight? No, I don't think so."......or maybe those were some of the submitted ideas for consideration. We held some kind of Waydale vote, didn't we? Those were the days......

I can't remember exactly what I heard, but I thought one of the tv newscasters said, before Katrina, that Cat 4 was the worst on the scale, that a Cat 5 had never been experienced yet. Is Cat 5 a new category? Will the NWS make a new category if the next one is stronger than Cat 5? Where can I get this information?

Paw I've been using Mozilla for some time now - love it. What is the name of that plug=in?

Yep - it IS faster. And that's quite an accomplishment for a computer (mine) on dial-up! Thanks Paw

This takes a few minutes to load - but it's worth the wait...... http://mypage.bluewin.ch/screenclean/

I originally heard aboutTerri Sheivo at least two years ago. A friend who emails me often and who also sent many emails regarding his desire to see Roe vs Wade overturned, was the first one to tie this Sheivo matter to abortion. He is my friend but we don't agree on every issue that we've discussed. I don't understand (I can't relate by imagining) many points on either of these issues. Which makes me think that I'm not alone in not understanding some of the arguements. So, at what point do I, Ttessa, decide to allow my 'feelings' (intuition) to color my final opinion? That's always a hard question and I instinctively lean to the 'rational thought' side rather than the 'emotional'. For some reason I suppose it's 'smarter' to suppress the feelings & emotion. But the feelings and emotions are there for some reason. So, maybe it's not so 'smart' to squash them. Mark, Thank you for your comments. I agree that "truth was a victim in this case." I don't have enough information about Terri Schiavo to say that I "advocate" permitting her death. I don't think any of us who must rely on the media reports can possibly be confident about which pertinent facts we believe. If Terri was only functioning with her brain stem, If Terri actually could not swallow on her own ability, if, if if........ There are a lot of factors that that I would consider if I were to systematically analyze the issue. But honestly, I've just spent about 45 minutes writting the last two sentences (trying to find the right words to express what my thoughts are). I grasp at facts and they dissappear ......it's kind of like trying to grab mercury. I don't know. I'm just glad it wasn't me who had to make that decision. Should I have been euthanized rather than rehabilitated? Um, my understanding of the concept of 'euthanasia' is that the act is a purposeful, intentional act to end the life of a living person, although motivated by mercy for their circumstances. That wasn't an issue with me. I was never on life support of any kind. I am not opposed to the concept of euthanasia, but think every person merits individual consideration. For those of us who have the ability to make a Living Will - I think we should. And we should make a legal statement about how we wish our dead bodies to be treated. Autopsy or not? Burial or creamation? I do not like the idea of 'policy' or 'law' deciding those issues for myself. My opinions about my own circumstance are complicated; they're affected by many many experiences, both good and bad. Overall, I am proud of my accomplishments and grateful that my circumstances are mine. I deal with what I've been given. I've experienced hardships that very few can understand. So, as I wrote my post a wide variety of feelings surfaced. I know of no one who shares my exact circumstances, so whether my "opinion is universally true" or not doesn't figure into my purpose for relating my thoughts and feelings. Some of the posters on this forum are really complete in their writtings and I marvel at their ability. I appreciate the effectiveness of presenting one's opinion in such a manner. I am and have been frustrated at the limitations I experience. Truth is, I don't know if "complete expression" is a learned ability or a cognitive function. Either way - I had to think long & hard about whether or not to post anything at all. On that Ben Franklin T technique - the Don't side had a lot more reasons than the Do side. The Do side said - You have a unique perspective, a gift, you should share it for the benefit of someone who might be comforted by a your perspective. I wasn't sure than anyone would read my post. I am surprised at the responses to it - both in variety and number. But I hope you will try to understand that I'm not willing to get into any more specifics than I've already revealed in this public forum. My email address is available for anyone who wants it. Thank you to all of you who posted supportive comments. They lightened my heart. MJ412 - yep, I've often offered my perspectives and experiences to motivate others who can benefit from my help. I am active in Brain Injury Support groups locally, and always try to inspire hope.

I really think that the folks who've taken a 'position' on Terri's demise, have done so with 'good intentions', little accurate information, and even less honest thought. I realize that what follows will not change everyone's position. I admit that I am lacking in skills of persuasion but perhaps my experiences with 'brain damage' will help a few understand some of the issues. I was ( still am) significantly brain damaged due to a stroke when I was age 21. It was caused by a blood clot. I was totally paralyzed on one side, and left with aphasia. In my case, I could not speak nor could I understand language for a time. I still have difficulty speaking and hearing. To this day (more than 30 years later) an MRI shows that a significant portion of my brain is 'dead'. There are certain, specific mental tasks that I cannot do in spite of a higher than average IQ. Physically, besides the weakness on one side of my body, I also have a difficult time swallowing and have choked while drinking water to the point of fainting. (Swallowing is, I'm told, a common problem among stroke survivors) Losing brain cells is a far, far cry from a coma! The cells are dead - they no longer function. They are not 'asleep'. There is no function - no memory, no thought, no awareness - to the dead cells. The best way I can relate the experience of "dead brain cells" is this - For many years, each time someone asked me a question that I'd not been asked before - I would pause, search my brain for my response, and often I would simply say, "I don't know." Because, if you can imagine, my brain had NO response, no answer... nothing - a huge empty cavern. This would happen no matter the type of question. "Would you like to meet for lunch this week?" "What year is this?" "What day is it today?" "Would you like to teach our Bible Study group about this topic you've studied?" "Why didn't you see that?" "Who is the President of the United States?".........the first time a person posed these exact questions to me, I had no answer. I 'drew' a total blank. Answers to questions sometimes warranted a systematic analysis of facts known to me. I can not do that (it's a higher cognitive function). The questions that simply ask for facts became easy, once I discovered the answer - I retained it. (Some might call that "learning") To this day, I must use specific coping techniques to recognize when the situation calls for me using more coping techniques to respond to situations that require systematic analysis. (Writting is much easier for me, than speaking. And in this statement, I am using some of the coping techniques to relay my experiences. I do not claim or intend to persuade by means of logic or any 'system' of thought leading to a conclusion - except what seems to me to be obvious ......although, it is hard for me to 'stay on topic' because I do have a lot of emotional baggage hanging on to these memories). Shortly after my injury, neurologists told my friends and family that I would NOT recover, that I would stay mute, non-responsive and paralyzed. (Just goes to show - doctors don't know everything). I have been able to relearn some cognitive skills - basically, I understand the process like this: Unaffected, healthy brain cells, somehow, accepted the electrical impulses that allow new skills - much the way a new baby 'learns' to associate certain stimuli to a corresponding function. A normal baby learns that she can respond to the feeling of fear, lack, danger, or hunger by crying. A normal baby learns that her fingers are attached - they can be seen, moved, and felt.......all of the truly basic things that humans learn. Some areas of my brain were affected by the stroke - some were not. Some functions were lost, some are retained. For example, the 'filters' that we humans develop in order to be social creatures were lost. Until I was re-taught that using the F-word is not acceptable in certain situations, I used it often, not comprehending the relationship between my actions and the responses of others. I had to re-learn publicly acceptable posture and conduct. Now, I am often confused so I stay quiet, and check to make sure my body is covered. Neurological medicine has made huge progress, generally, since 1970. The therapies that are common and expected today, were not known or widely practiced then. My circumstances are such that, most therapy is not available to me. I was released from the hospital 12 months after being admitted to the ER. Afterwards, I struggled immensely with basic tasks of living for many years. But - it could have been worse. I am thankful to God for the healing I have realized. So, you might assume that I would champion the cause for Terri to continue to be sustained artificially. I do not. Without memory, there is no awareness of life. The possibility of being retrained to function as 'normal' is, in my experience an absurd myth. Yes, I function well, now. In fact, most people never find out that I am 'brain-damaged'. But - I KNOW what I used to be able to do, and will be frustrated for the rest of my life because I can not attain that level of ability. We live in a cruel world with mean people. I will need to use medications for the rest of my life. I struggle each and every day, with living in a limited vessel ( prison) and have daily asked my God why I wasn't spared from this continuous, lonely, life-long struggle. But many more fundamental Life-questions determine what makes a life valuable. I don't have all those answers. I only know that helplessly living in a human body with absolutely no control is a horror that I don't wish on anyone. In fact, it seems to me, that anyone who would want to prolong Terri's existance, could not possibly want that for her sake. To be blunt, it seems quite selfish to want Terri's body to continue to exist.

Labrador Retriever.....hahahahaha.

People who know me well, really like me a lot. The 18th was my birthday...I turned 55.

Back when she was first arrested, I read that she had suddenly stopped taking a common anti-depressant (maybe Prozac?). The drug companies don't want that information well known, but if you want to blame anyone....please consider her medical 'team'. The woman in NC who killed her 2 kids also suddenly stopped her anti-dpressant. In both cases, I have not been able to find out WHY they stopped suddenly - but Prozac, Paxil, Ritalin and others are extremely dangerous to quit suddenly. I believe Yates' actions were drug-induced, and therefore she should be set free with close medical supervision (and education).

psssstt.....anyone wanna tell her that her number of posts has not changed from 1142? ......not me!

Okay - now try the High Scoring one. http://www.onechance.com/penguin/penguin2.html

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mkos/pinguin.swf