Raf

Then why haven't we gotten into trouble? By the way, you can express a legal opinion, even as fact, so long as you are not doing so under a veneer of "objectivity." For example, I can say "O.J. Simpson killed two people and got away with it." He can't sue me for that. But if I wrote it as a journalist in a non-opinion story, I could get sued.

Legally, you cannot libel the dead, so the discussion pretty durned well ends there. TWI has no legal standing to sue to protect Wierwille's reputation because, legally, Wierwille HAS no reputation. Reputation, in the law, expires on the same date as the person who has the reputation. Legacy has no legal standing. That said, I feel perfectly confident in calling VPW a smooth-talking snake oil salesman who abused his position as a minister and twisted the plain meaning of scripture in order to satisfy his lust for sex, money and power. Sue away!

As I said, I don't think I need to break the habit while I'm OUT of my routine. I've shown that I can do that. Unless I can break the habit IN my routine, I won't succeed. I need to stop smoking while I drive. I need to stop take smoke breaks during work hours. I need to stop smoking outside my front door in the morning (mission accomplished there because I get up too early to get to work anyway). The thought of a cigarette right now digusts me, and that's new. If this drug works as advertized, I'm definitely feeling it. If it doesn't, then my mind has convinced me it does. Same effect. Right now, I don't WANT to smoke. And that's progress.

I do wonder if my lack of desire to smoke these last few days is real (a physical change due to taking Chantix) or psychological (my will power kicked in, just as it always COULD have whether or not I was taking a drug). I don't know for sure. I do know that I have not wanted a cigarette since Friday morning. Yesterday, for the first time in ages, I worked a full day without taking a puff. I think that's the key that's missing. The last time I was successful at quitting for a short time was about a year ago, when the family went to Georgia for a week's vacation. It was hard, and I craved, but I managed about 10 days. Then I got back to work, and puff! It's (relatively) easy to quit when I deviate from my routine. I need to quit when I'm IN my routine. Cigars, in the meantime, are a guilty pleasure I enjoy about once a year, if that.

Correct. I was afraid someone would put dumb and dumber, but I don't know many people who hate Clinton who think he's dumb. I would also have accepted Liar LIAR!!!!!!! or, LIARRRRRRRRR Liar.

So, looks like I tried to quit in 2005. For the record, I failed. Big time. Got much worse for a while there. Now I'm trying again. I have a wife and two stepdaughters to worry about (among other things). I've got a sister dying of an incurable disease and a best friend facing the end of his life due to esophagal cancer. He's in his 30s! I only started smoking about 5 years ago. Bad, I know. But supposedly that will make it easier to quit. Visited a doctor for a routine physical the other day, and he read me the anti-smoking riot act. Name it, he said it. "You stink." "You have ashtray breath." And much worse. He prescribed Chantix. I had my last cigarette at 11 a.m. Friday. I took my first pill at 11:05. I have not wanted one since. Still, I'm reading some things about this product that worry me. And my doc claims to have a 100% success rate, which I think is horseradish. I don't see any dispute about how it works: Nicotine attaches itself to receptors in your brain that release a small amount of dopamine. Chantix blocks those receptors, thus breaking the physical nicotine addiction. Behavioral addiction, on the other hand, needs to be addressed by the patient. And it looks like there are some danged troublesome side effects in a tiny minority of users. "Stop using if you have thoughts of suicide." WHAT?!?!?! So I'm being real careful and alerting my wife of things to look out for. If my behavior changes, the drug goes. I tried cold turkey. I failed. I tried gum. I failed. I tried the patch. I failed. I don't blame the methods. I lacked the will power. So here we go again: Round 500 in the I'm-going-to-quit-and-I-mean-it-this-time marathon. Will it work? Well, three days without so much as a craving is a good sign. If it's the drug, great - for now. If it's psychological, even BETTER! I still taste the tobacco residue in my mouth, even after three days. Here's hoping that goes away soon. DMiller, did you have more success than I did?

Sorry, yes, George was right. I'm lost ont he Sinestro quote, though. :)

A little bipartisan fun here. I think this has been done, but what the heck.

"Are you ready to begin?" "I-I can barely stand..." "Death does not wait for you to be ready! Death is not considerate, or fair! And make no mistake: here, you face Death."

Tequila Yam Debbie. Akilah and the Bee

Charlie's Angels

It's not that I prefer weather underground: it's just that the pic links work there. I can't get the NHC's to work.

That's more like it. :)

This has got "it's coming right for us" written all over it.

Been a nice season so far. No one wants to ruin it.

Greystoke, the Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

Steve Gutenberg Three Men and A Baby Nancy Travis

London Bridge is Falling Down? ;)

???

Sorry for the delay. You are correct. Your move.

Undocumented alien enters the U.S., passes himself off as a farmboy, lands dream reporter job with no experience and leads somewhat interesting nightlife.

Waterworld

George is up.

I've never seen Bladerunner. That is not the plot I was attempting to describe.

For those who know me, this is easy. So WordWolf, stay out of it! Felon who is guilty of all charges becomes fugitive, buys a hooker's child and drives the cop chasing him to suicide.