Quin

I don't answer Qs Im clueless on. At least... Not regularly. q

Everyone snaps. Go check o any parenting forum, and you'll get 10 me culpas/ bad mom moments/ just shoot me now posts Compassion fatigue. And yet...When you snapped... It sounds like you STILL did a pretty amazing job. So good on ya. In all the myriad ways you COULD have snapped, instead you broke down and spoke hard truths from the heart. If this is you snapping... I'm totally excited for your "in the zone" days, and "completely ROCKED! it" days. With my grandmother, before she as to go to long term care... I was designated hitter for about 3 years, and then the rest of my family took turns. "DH" was actually a job decided over breakfast (based on people's moods). What that meant, is no matter what rant she went off on (usually on Tommy, though) I (or the DH) went the opposite way. "That Tommy! He's just not right." "Tommy is AMAZING." "He's mean and sneaky." "He's one of the kindest, funniest people I know!" "I HATE that sniveling, pinko, blah blah blah." "Man oh man, do I love that kid." "He stole my jacket!" "Tommy would only steal Crown Jewels, or state secrets for MI6, dropping in with zip lines and music and gorgeous girls hanging off him like diamonds as he saves he world" broad wink to Tommy with mission impossible music while slinking with him through the kitchen. It may sound like arguing, but the smiles are there because I/DH would make the statement as if it existed in a vacuum / totally sparkle. We thought I was enough, but after Tommy tried to commit suicide at 13, with his note saying that only Auntie Quinn liked him, and he didn't want to be a burden on everyone else and didn't want to make his mum choose between being nice to him or nice to her mum (she didn't handle things as well as you, she tried to keep he peace / was of the mind that kids are resilient &/or he knew it was just gran being gran)... It became clear that my voice wasnt enough. So everyone pitched in after that. Even so.... We STILL had bad days. One of the few nice things with dementia... Is each day is new. Good sleep, and things will be better in the morning. Or lunch. Or tea time. But, darnit, new days. Q

LOL... Before I converted... I had no problem with that! Since then, though, there are all of these edicts on what not to wear, eat, drink, speak, do... Whom to have sex with (and whom not to)... What to spend money on, what to buy/ how much/ when, as well as time... It all gets a bit overwhelming. And that's before people start adding on their own predilections, takes, and versions on what's officially handed down. It just turns me into an 80's (60s) rock anthem: STOP! In the naaaaaaaaaaame -oof- Aaaaaaaaaaargh Don't get me wrong... I'm used to "Oh, Im a lacto-ovo-pescatarian-vegetarian except for bacon" or "Classical-CharlotteMason-Montessori, with a little bit of Unschooling, and a smidge or two of Waldorf on an overall Unit Lesson framework, Collwge prep, of course". People can parse THEMSELVES however they durn well please. But it doesn't make someone BETTER than to have highly personalized choices. Homeschool, DaySchool, PrivateDaySchool, Boarding School... SAHM/ WAHM/ WM - SAHD/ WAHD/ WD... Gourmet, Foodie, Meat'n'potatos, Vegetarian, Vegan, Popper, Freegan... Breast feeding/ Bottlefeeding... Whatever. These are all just equally valid, different choices in our lives. Some work best for one family, and worst for another family. None are inherently better, nor make us better people, than someone making different choices. We eat, school our kids, follow the Word of Wisdom & keep our covenants. Pure. Simple. Done. There are enough people out there who are honestly holier than I for me to grin at and look up to. Having fewer holier than thou people running around kicking people's shins and dragging them down for not "really" loving god, or their kids, or their health would be a bonus. LOL, although Im officially assigning me'self a penance! Since I've spent 20 minutes thinking grumpy thoughts about holier than thou dissection causers... I'm going to to spend 60 minutes looking up enlightening awesome people. And then do what you suggest (and I've somehow forgotten how to) spend a couple hours not giving a fig what anyone else thinks! I may even test myself with a really atrocious sweater. Q

I'm lucky in that my family encompasses many many many different religions. Which means that when someone gets huffy about omething in mine... I can usually point out something in theirs & others that is pretty similar. Catholics = confession & precana, for example. But... Since she's making YOUR wedding about HER... And jeeze. It's only FIFTEEN YEARS later. I suspect that any kind of "reasoning" at this point is kinda like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. Sure, you could try. I doubt you'd be successful. Instead, I might try ignoring what she's arguing ABOUT, and simply dealing with feelings. Like: Im sorry you feel hurt, that wasnt our intention. Or Since we don't tear your church apart, and mock, and ridicule both it and you... Do you think you could show us the same respect that we show you and not tear our church apart and mock and ridicule us? Q

Why isn't this enough? The only point of intersection between you & your ex are your children. Since she loses custody until she tests clean... Then she won't have your kids... So there's no point of intersection. As far as updating it, due to age-ing out... It "should" be fairly easy, since you have a stack of failed tests. If she'd tested Clean for most/all, removing it is proper. As she hasn't tested clean, there's clear evidence for the need to keep that in place. The "should" is because anything in divorce-land can be exceptionally difficult. I refer PURELY to extending the previous drug testing standards based on prior bad acts. Not completely modifying it to include treatment (inpatient or outpatient) and other provisos. I have something similar in mine that expires every 2 years. I just went in, with my stack of documentation, and the judge extended for another 2 year *barring contestment*. A notice is then sent to my ex, and he has yzx number of days to contest. The other stuff... Yeah. Even if you went via Child Servces/ the police (welfare checks showing her high/ having her arrested for child endangerment, etc.)... I'd expect to pay about 5k at a minimum. When my ex put our son in the hospital, it cost me almost 20k, and ALL he was court ordered to do was attend a weekend seminar on anger management. Divorce-land is ridiculous. If ANYONE other than our exes was doing the same thing they were to our kids? They'd be rotting in jail. Even of we were still married, Xhild services would remove and place in foster care. But when it's divorce... It's like the courts couldn't give a rats patoot about abused kids, they're so focused on "both" parents. As a sympathetic judge once told me after session "He'd have to actually kill your child before the law lets me do what should be done right now. I'm so sorry. My hands are completely tied. Just pray he kills himself first, or gets bored and doesn't want visitation any more. Or does this to anyone else's kid." Q

Gah. And here I find myself on the fence again. <grin> MY beloved drinks aren't in the WOW, either. ...but I DO take issue with people extrapolating and/or viewing their personal choices as being more holy than mine or anyone else's... When there is absolutely nothing doctrinal about their decisions. The WOW says nothing about abstaining from orange juice. If I extrapolate that hot drinks/tea&coffee are something that people drink in the morning to wake up... As is orange juice... Therefore I abstain from orange juice... How does that make me more holy than the family next door having orange juice with their breakfast? Yet people go ahead and extrapolate caffeine from hot drinks/ coffee&tea, and are now more holy because they don't drink caffeinated beverages or eat chocolate??? It just makes me very leery to take the ANY word of God, or prophetic advice... And extrapolate "above and beyond". Mostly because that is the conclusion: ABOVE = BETTER. When, oh so often, more = worse. Like, if 2 vitamins are good for me, why not 20? Or 200? (Brought in by ambulance) If I can fast for 2 meals, why not fast for 20? Or 200? (Funeral held at 4pm) Q

<cough> don't put your full name on the Internet <cough> Q

On the university avenue... Think of State Schools. State Schools are funded by tax dollars. We all pay for them. But Not all of us will qualify to attend. Not all of us will qualify for Federal Student Aid via the FAFSA. Not all of us will be able to afford the schools even with aid, or have the CV to,be competitive if we can afford it. In fact... 2 of the top nursing schools are state schools. Even a 4 point GPA and being homeless (or a billionaire) isn't a guaranteed admit they're so difficult to get into. Over 1000 applicants per spot for one. This isn't just academia. Govvie jobs Firefighters & Police often have even worse odds at acceptance (I know people waiting for 6+ years to get a CHANCE at a paying job as a firefighter in some cities... And then have hundreds of applicants they have to score better than. Teachers have had a hiring freeze for years and years in many places. When I left my old job, over 700 applied for it. Yikes. That's scary. (I originally got the job because I was homeschooling, and a local principal had her kid sign up for one of my public classes, asked if I'd consider teaching part time at her school. BEFORE the hiring freeze, obviously.) There are soooooo many things in life that boil down to luck & timing. Someone who "works hard" may not SEE hat as good luck. But someone else who works hard but had a parent die, or an illness, or whatever WILL see the space where all they had to so was work hard AS luck. LDS Family Services, BYU, __________ ... And everything else. Sme will be able to take advantage of the programs. Some won't. I LIKE that we have these programs out there. Even if Im not lucky enough to be able to take advantage of them. I have faith that I'll be lucky in other avenues. Q

Isn't this whole Q in the back issues? q

I'm only familiar with type I diabetes (passingly familiar with typeII only in gripes... My type I family griping that everyone keeps trying to school them on advice for typeIi). For type I... Yep. That's exactly how it works. When they're working well. Their little islets of langerhan sank into the sea with Atlantis... So every since we were little... They do both baseline insulin, and the adjust/tweak dosage as necessary. More for pasta or cake, less for steak or bacon. It's when they get into funks (usually in middle school / highschool) when there's this "I can control via diet" or "I can control by ignoring, Becuase then it will go away" and they WOULDN'T adjust their insuline depending on what they ate that things stopped working well... And we got to go flirt with doctors. What drives my (beanpole) cousin absolutely insane is when we're out and people try to get her to eat "healthy" (in general) but SPECIFICALLY by wanting her to substitute something fairly low on the glycemic index with something fairly high. Like rice for anything cake. A big ole serving of rice and veggies versus her cake pop will turn her into a sarcastic vampire. I'm an admittedly a terrible person because I looooove it when this happens. <grin> So much fun to watch! As someone who loves her... I just completely ignore her. One of my uncles died of diabetes complications, while the other is more healthy than his non diabetic brothers. She's smart. She can choose her own life. It's like smoking, or obesity, or pregnant with #6. They know what they're doing. If they want to make bad choices, I want to be able to have a "mourning brownie" when I'm fat, too. What I do... Is ask what to do. Like asking where they want to eat lunch. They choose the restaurant = they know what they can eat. A smoker will pick a place they can smoke outside, a pregnant lady won't usually go for sushi, and when losing weight a fat person usually doesn't choose the Cheesecake Factory. But if they do... That's their choice, and Im assuming they either need to, or there's something I don't know. Or both. Usually both. Q

Granted... - I've been in school for more than 10 years (some part time college when my kiddo was a baby & some postgrad) - AND started after serving in the military (started school at 23) - AND was still one of the "youngins" ... Since about 20% of my classmates were 30s & 40s, and there was at least one 50yo in nearly all of my classes (50 still means 15-20 years of work after graduation, more and more 40s & 50s are returning to -or starting- school to get better paying jobs, or after making significant money returning to school to work in a generative field. I met a LOT of stockbrokers & computer programmers, with degrees in finance or compsci, turning toward healthcare/psychology/social work. Add in all the military, 24yos (financial aid reeasons, couldnt afford school until they werent linked to their parents income), etc. meant ANYWHERE in your 20s was still considered young / not late. Even a lot of early 30s (a lot of divorcees & parents whose kids were now all in school) are considered in the young crowd. Only about HALF of the students were 18-22. Which makes me wonder: What's the magic number of 28? Why would it be so bad to be in school at 28, but fine to be in school at 26? And what about 27? If you have a lag year, or double major, or have to be in school for 5 years for any other reason... Would you just drop out? Even if you'd be paid better with your masters or doctorate... Would you refuse to, to avoid being in school? I'm just a bit confused. I'm NOT saying "go on a mission" ... It just seems like a very arbitrary / artificial drop deadline to not be in school at 28. Kinda "this message will self destruct in 5, 4, 3" or "If I don't have kids by 30 Im going to jump of the Golden Gate Bridge" kind of reasoning... So Im curious as to the rationale behind it. Q

How I do things: 1) Where can you turn? Heavenly Father. The Holy Ghost. 2) How to reconcile others' beliefs and our own? I grew up outside the church. I've spent significant time surrounded by the faiths of others.... And I found God in each s d every single one. Which is why I never "chose" a religion (obv. That changed). Because wherever I was, he was at. Including not in houses of stone, etc. But staring out over vistas, in the eyes of strangers, in the split second of a car accident. In a warm room with a blazing fire while the sleet slammed down outside... And crouched under plastic trying to keep my fingers from being frostbit out in the durn storm. I found God in soaring cathedrals in Rome, and the rickety roadside shrine in Asia. In the voices raised in song in Jewish Temples. In the Buddhas' teachings. In the words of the Prophet. Dancing in Southern Baptist churches or taken neat the British way. I could (and occasionally do) list out dozens to hundreds of places (when Im feeling all warm & glowy... or near tears). But you get the point. HF was, quite simply, everywhere. All I had to do was listen. Why on earth did I convert? Because this is where I hear best. Gloriously, giddily, resoundingly best. I believe in an omnipotent & omniscient God. As such, I can hardly believe that he wouldn't have the ability to speak differently, to each as they can hear him... As needed. And that, once we die, and can hear even better (enter plan of salvation here ; ) 3) Your brother? One of my brothers has had fairly similar PR. He's Calvinist. He's one of the best people I know. But I also know that the BoM would push him AWAY from HF. Like rubbing a cat backwards. So, score another one for the Spirit, for directing him to find the path to God that he can follow. I don't worry a bit. Once we die things will be sorted out. And in the meantime... I revel in this life, and all the marvelous people in it... And in such a wise Father as to bring his children to him, as best THEY are able. <grin> I rather like (most) other people's differing views. As it shows their own heartfelt effort to be closer to God, and to do his Will, and to be the best people they are able. In differing views; I find far more similarity than difference. I find my own faith strengthened, not challenged. As I contemplate how utterly amazing HF truly is. And I can only catch a glimpse of creation. ...Guide me to the straight path The path upon whom your grace abounds Not those upon whom anger falls Nor those who are lost.

I thought to myself.. She's changed her icon to an ornament!! Then I thought that either Xmas magic was involved or I need to replace my contacts. Always a good thing to do before wielding scissors and scotch tape! So, deca-thanks! (All 10 of my fingers thank you), and Merry Christmas to you & yours!!! Q

Park. City. Noooooooooooooooo!! Q

Answering backwards... If so, after seeing the show does it scare you? 5) No. Polygamy doesn't scare me at all. I've been in close proximity to polygamy off and on my whole life in various parts of the world (including polyandry, twice). Polygamy works about as well as any other form of marriage... Meaning some are amaaaaazing, some are horrifyingly abusive, and most are somewhere in between. What scares me: Loss of freedom. Which is one of the three defining factors in American cults (charismatic leader, religion, total control). One finds a whole smorgasbord of cults across America (and other places, but Im most familiar with "ours"), with an equally diverse ideological line. Even more if one adds in the non-religious groups (some militias, hate groups, etc.). When there is no freedom of movement in ANY group... It makes me exceptionally nervous. Heck. Even the military has time limits/tours & leave. And the military is the most restrictive group (outside of prisons) I can think of. In every other avenue of life in this country... We can stay/go as we please. With the changes in law regarding marriage, do you think polygamy is on the horizon again? 4) I hope so. Regardless of what ANY religion teaches (including my own), I want there to be one law applicable to everyone. If 2 or 20 legal adults want to enter into a legally binding contract... I believe they should have the right to do so. If they want to be wed in the eyes of their god... That's up to their religion. But as far as LEGALLY speaking: I believe all adults should have the same rights. Our religions may dictate what constitutes a holy marriage to those of us choosing to follow those religions. But I do no believe that anyone else's religion should dictate how I love my life. I am a staunch and firm believe of separation of church and state. * everything harmful about cults (child abuse, neglect, endangerment, assaults, restriction of movement/unlawful detainment, rape, fraud, etc. are ALREADY illegal... And are applied to every other non-polygamous cult. It's not like polygamy laws are the thing which protects people from abuses). How do you feel while watching it? 3) Concerned. I worry whether this kind of publicity is going to help, or seriously hurt the people in these communities who want to leave but can't, and the efforts of those who are trying to help them. I'm also super vexed at the lady who is counseling the girls on transitioning. Every time they mention something good about their lives... She smacks them down with things that are wrong. Lady. Your uber defensiveness is going to make them defend the very thing they're trying to leave! Aaaaaargh. I just want to shake her... Or send her to foster parent, batter spouse, or trauma survivor training. It reeeeeally scares me to think how many she's pushed back to the life they're trying to leave by denying them the rights to their own memories, cognitive dissonance, and inciting them to argue FOR what they don't want until,they actually want it. Do you watch it/ what do you think? 1&2) I hate reality TV, but also loooooooove looking at other cultures. So it's wacky thing for me that I do in small doses. It makes me nervous (see above) & also because I worry about reactive legislation / people's responses. Especially as this compound / Warren Jeff's is only one branch of FLDS... Not only will a lot of people paint ALL FLDS with the same brush, but many will also paint all LDS. I'm a little sick and tired of people saying Im in a cult, when Im in a religion I can leave at any time, and am not only granted autonomy within that religion but encouraged in my autonomy. I do hope, though, that it brings more funding/support for those trying to help the boys on the street, and the girls trapped. So it's a mixed bag on several fronts. Q

You may also consider taking out some kind of restraining order (there are many many many different types... When I divorced my ex "the" restraining order was actually a stapled packet of all 11 applicable restraining & no contact orders that directly applied to my situation, plus 9 each for each of my kids, and 1 each for each pet -because animal cruelty isn't even a misdemeanor, unless theirs a broken court order, which kicks up the level of seriousness... So if he poisoned the dog, or killed the cat to hurt us... It would go through family court) against those individuals ... That there were sooooo many different types & severity levels of restraining orders was completely mind blowing to me. Oh. So I could have gotten one -no big deal- when my old coworker was harassing me? Sheesh. Live and learn! Just as good practice if they are continuing to harass you &/or your family. Also, if you run into any problems changing stakes, the order gives sufficient cause if they need to justify it. Q

A calorie is a unit of measurement. Like degrees F or C, or inches, centimeters, whatever. Proteins Lipids Carbohydrates Those are the 3 major groups of edible/digestible foods (fiber is indigestible)... Otherwise known as macronutrients. One also has: Vitamins Minerals O2 H2O That are also all necessary. As well as some symbiotic relationships (beneficial bacteria, for examples). That article you were reading is either full of nonsense (a lot to most diet relatedarticles are pseudoscience designed to get you to buy something, or written by an amateur who needed 500 words on her editor's desk by 5pm, so she just cobbled together something she didn't understand herself) , or it predicated an understanding of organic chem / you misunderstood it. Nutrition is a required college class for all health care professionals, but it can also be a DEGREE ITSELF. Otherwise known as... Nutrition is a very very complex thing. Nutritional needs change over the lifespan (infant, toddler, young child, child, teen, young adult, middle adult, older adult, elderly ALL have very different metabolic needs/ nutritional needs), in different climates (England v Arizona), under different demands (offic worker vs athlete, for example.... But ALSO snow athlete vs heat athlete, and muscle athlete v bone athlete -like swimming v running, etc.), different medical conditions (pregnancy is a well known one, but also ANY illness, most diseases -ESP cancer-,, injuries, etc.). Which is my big fat caveat for the following. Which is a Barney Style nutrition basic. If its something you're really interested in... I suggest going and auditing a nutrition course up at your local community college. Although, mostly what it will do is to teach you how little you know AND to completely disregard 99% of "nutrition" information out there (as its mostly people selling snake oil, or talking out their wazoo to make their publication date). As there is NO way to make human metabolic needs simple. And NO way to one size fits most, much less all. Whew. Okay. That but done: 3 major nutrition sources (proteins, lipids, carbs) have different BASE calorie counts. In GENERAL (and it changes with each person's actual metabolism Lipids = 9kcal Proteins = 5-7kcal Carbs = 3-4 kcal Proteins are complex chains of amino acids. Lipids are simple to complex fats Carbohydrates are simple to complex sugars Meaning no 2 proteins (lipids, or carbs) are the same. UNLESS they're literally the same. Like two lactose sugars are identical, and have identical nutritional properties... But are not identical to galactose, fructose, sucrose, etc.. Each individual type of macronutrient has many different sub categories. They ALSO are found in different combos (like proteins in a nice marbled steak are found in closer proximity to more lipids, that a silky piece of salmon...even if both portions have 22grams of protein. ALSO that the person eating the steak may NEED the higher fat content, or may NEED the lower fat content of the fish. (It's not necessarilly bad to be eating high fat foods... Kids under 5 should never* have low far diets, and many disorders & lifestyles require high fat diets in adults. (* unless they have certain extremely rare medical conditions) Or, or, or, or. See what I mean about complex? And this is still day 1 of Intro to Nutrition. If you'd really like to know about YOUR ideal nutrition needs... Make an appointment with a nutritionist. Of you'd like to learn more about nutrition for EVERYONE, go audit that class. (Again, you won't learn what each individuals needs are, but you'll learn the spectrum. And see why it's a durn 4 year degree to become a nutritionist!! All my best! Q

This probably won't help you...but... I grew up outside the church. Often in pagan circles. Literally. One thing that was true in both ancient Japan (I lived in modern Japan, but the old religions still flourish; born Shinto die Buddhist), and the EU Wicca traditions (and some shamanistic traditions arising from the Middle East).... As well as recognized by some branches of JUdaeism/Christianity/Islam (which is my understanding on why the wise men brought them)... Is Frankincense & Myrrh. As in INDIVIDUALLY, they're used to summon demons &/or evil spirits. TOGETHER they're protective (one invites demons, and one binds them). Which means I walk around in a semi-horrified state all Chrismastime as people give/sell one or the other INDIVIDUALLY to people. As they see them as a birth of Jesus token, but nothing more beyond what the catalogue or the Christmas carols say. Is it true? Shrug. I don't know. I'm just Horatio, here. But as I prefer NOT to muck about... Whenever anyone well meaningly gives me a pendant, charm, or box with one of the suckers in it, I immediately mix it with the other... Or I throw it away, and pour about a pound of salt on top. And then smudge everything. And then get a priest involved. I've seen too many things anecdotally not to. Since its her room... And it's Frankincense & Myrrh (And! And! And! Why don't people get that? Frankincense AND Myrrh) season. I'd personally check to see if someone has given her a candle, charm, token, perfume, sachet, etc. that contains one or the other of them. And then drop the sucker in a box of salt. But that's me. I'm not a member of the priesthood. I don't even know if the church has anything canonized on the subject. Q

This stems from the English /European practice (no longer followed) of branding or tattooing criminal's Right hands. F on the palm for Felon P for piracy M for malefactor BC for bad conduct discharge (military felony) Etc. This practice tapered off in the 1800's... But we'd already written our constitution & judicial code by then. Before the age of fingerprints, DNA, social security numbers, photo ID... It was pretty easy for criminals to just move and reinvent themselves. We also branded slaves, runaway slaves, deserters, and others... But in other places. In some old court cases, you'll read of victims & defendants being asked to disrobe for inspection, or bear their breast. Doesn't make a lot of sense, until you realize the court is looking for your criminal history, old school style. Although, (not quite oldschool) up until just recently, the Swiss would still cut off the index finger of forgers (they may still, the swiss take money & art as holy, but my deutche ist nicht so gut, and English google is failing me). Of course, many Islamic states still cut off your hand for stealing. But, as far as I know, that didn't enter into our criminal justice system means of identifying prior bad acts. This wiki-article touches on some of it. Human branding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Q

I am soooooo sending that recipe to my mom! She'll love it. She's been trying for a fluffy sugar cookie for years. But I will never eat them. Cookies need to be FLAT. Flat flat flat. Not necessarily 2 dimensional (although wafer thin has its place), but oooooooh so flat and oooey goey (even half baked is just fine) ideally, although crisp works as well. I'm flexible. As long as they don't puff up. I think my love of flat cookies may stem from the "ruined" ones my mom "threw out" (aka let me eat)... Or the glorious hybrid of brownie texture and cookie flavor that happens when all the air is mushed out of them. Q

When I lived in the desert we stored water in - old bleach containers (the permeated plastic keeps water safe to drink) - Wine casks (ditto) In the Islands... We added rum to the cisterns under the house, and in the rain barrels. Won't get you drunk. Will inhibit microbial growth. (My personal,view is that this is exactly WOW compliant...as the alcohol is being used to clean. I'm sure many will disagree). In wet places... The ratio is 1 goldfish : 1 rain barrel (for not potable water needs). I usually added 2. So they wouldn't be lonely. Anyhow... They eat any bug eggs (like Mosquitos). A few 50gal rain barrels will keep your garden going -and laundry & bathing & flushing- through the dry months. In many places I've lived (no running water) I get the 5gal bottles (like for water coolers). Including flushing 4x per day, cooking, and simple bathing... One (or a smallish family) uses apx 10gal per day. Those sterilized / sealed plastic bottles last for months without any noticeable effect......... Wash your dishes & your clothes with water you'll later flush with (aka if you have a machine, fill by hand, and take the "out" to fill into a basin instead of the plumbing. Then flush through the bowl instead of the tank to keep the tank clear. Alternatively, one can always pee in a jar, and poop in a bag. But my standards for civilization make this an unemployed option unless there is no alternative. ... I sincerely doubt that drought conditions will really merit most of the above. But it's always good to have supplies on hand/ "Oh! That's how!" in reserve. :) Q

Dinner Christmas Gumbo Oysters w sorrel sauce & bacon (and on the half as I snitch ones and stab 'em open before they go on the BBQ) Shrimp étouffée Devilled eggs Dessert Mincemeat pie Plum pudding w hard sauce Bûche de Nöel Noshing (all day) Norweigan Sandwich Cake Brunch Waffles & sausage

Hmmmm.... Terretorial/Geographic States v Multinationals/Corporate States. Reminds me of a Heinlein passage: From Friday, by Robert A Heinlein. " About then the loudspeaker that mumbles the arrivals and departures interrupted itself with: "It is with deep sorrow that we pause to announce the total destruction of Acapulco. This flash comes to you courtesy of Interworld Transport, Proprietary, the Triple-S Lines: Speed-Safety-Service." I gasped. Captain Ian said, "Oh, those idiots!" "Which idiots?" "The whole Mexican Revolutionary Kingdom. When are the territorial states going to learn that they cannot possibly win against corporate states? That's why I said they were idiots. And they are!" "Why do you say that, Captain?-Ian?" "Obvious. Any territorial state, even if it's Ell-Four or an asteroid, is a sitting duck. But fighting a multinational is like trying to slice a fog. Where's your target? You want to fight IBM? Where is IBM? Its registered home office is a P.O. box number in Delaware Free State. That's no target. IBM's offices and people and plants are scattered through four hundred-odd territorial states groundside and more in space; you can't hit any part of IBM without hurting somebody else as much or more. But can IBM defeat, say, Great Russia?" "I don't know," I admitted. "The Prussians weren't able to." "It would just depend on whether or not IBM could see a profit in it. So far as I know, IBM doesn't own any guerrillas; she may not even have agents saboteurs. She might have to buy the bombs and missiles. But she could shop around and take her own sweet time getting set because Russia isn't going anywhere. It will still be there, a big fat target, a week from now or a year. But Interworld Transport just showed what the outcome would be. This war is all over. Mexico bet that Interworld wouldn't risk public condemnation by destroying a Mexican city. But those old-style politicians forgot that corporate nations aren't nearly as interested in public opinion as territorial nations have to be. The war's over." "Yes, and it would still be a beautiful place if the Montezuma's Revolutionary Council wasn't rooted somewhere back in the twentieth century. But now there will be face-saving. Interworld will apologize and pay an indemnity, then, with no fanfare, the Montezuma will cede the land and the extraterritoriality for the new spaceport to a new corporation with a Mexicano name and a DF home office... and the public won't be told that the new corporation is owned sixty percent by Interworld and forty percent by the very politicians who stalled just a little too long and let Acapulco be destroyed." Q

Eowyn beat me to it! Sigh. Although... Honestly... The ammonia in windex DOES kill off a lot of microbes (pretty much all the ones immune to our soaps, detergents, bleaches). I've actually used both windex (skin infections) & cigarette smoke (eye infections) successfully. Back on topic,.. One way to get rid of cortisol & other stress related chemicals is to USE it. Meaning, go nuts at the gym, or -more fun- go chat your husband up. Double Sigh. I miss that Rx. Q

My hometown (where I grew up) needs ID to enter. Once inside, you can send a 4yo out to play until sunset, and know they'll be totally safe & looked after. 5,6,7yos on up roam the streets, travelling miles from home, on roller-skates, bikes, and boards. The community pool is Olympic sized, free, and open all day long (none of this two hours 3x a week nonsense). Movie theatre, only one screen, but it played movies 24/7, and ditto... Was free. Just walk in. I've come to realize I grew up in a town kinda like the fictional "Eureka". We even had super snazzy tech years before the public. Videophones in 1989. Internet even earlier. Huh. ((I currently live in hotels & airplanes. Hence the late entry. When, wait a sec!, inspiration dawns.)) Q