sgallan

I feel your worry. I am 47, with the chance I have all kinds of pre-existing conditions, common for my age group, that could be treated, but may not be diagnosed because I can't afford insurance for myself. There isn't an ache or pain in my chest that doesn't make me wonder. It bites in that I am a single dad as well. But the money goes into the kid so I forgo the insurance. For me it's a calculated risk...... I probably don't have anything bad, nor will I get it. If I have an emergency where I can't pay the bills then I won't. They won't take a car or house and I don't have much else. Otherwise.... if I die... then I die. I don't worry about such things. Unless they find cures for the wear and tear I am currently putting on my body..... I don't plan on living much past 60 in any event. And there are about 50 families I know who would take wonderful care of my child.

NOT WELCOME ? Hmmmmmmm ..... I'd miss ya sgallon if ya left lol True that.... but my history over the past five years has been to post in bunches, then wear out my welcome fairly quickly, because I am a little to far from the norm, and what is desired as a poster (as defined by rotating mods), so I go away so y'all can forget about what it was I did to annoy, and then I come back for awhile.

Platypus of course..... The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record. The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.

Sgallan, maybe you ought to expose your students to other points of view. Yeah, go ahead and make it sound as if the reason most CEOs, long-haul freight drivers and marines are men is because of institutionalized discrimination but that is actually not the case. You are missing the point..... I don't teach these kids that. They don't even know about it - it never comes up. To them that is the "olden" days. In their minds that world doesn't exist, it is just (to them) ancient history. By the time they get older that world probably wont exist. Women, being the ones who can make babies and being the ones who get sick a lot during pregnancyh and afterwards have the breasts that produce milk, helps to make the saying "anatomy is destiny" the reality of the day. If you are a woman wanting kids your window of opportunity is your late teens to your mid to upper 30s. Sure, you can hope and pray that all your career planning and advancement will leave you an adequate income to have your kid or two when you are 35 - 38 (and you can afford to pay someone else to raise the kid for you) but biology may not be cooperative. Also, women with a more traditional way of thinking in regards to family will start families and forego the kinds of occupations (if they choose to work outside the home) that require 60 hour work weeks or lots of time away from home. I am just suggesting to you what is out there right now, and what I see with kids everyday as well as young women getting into careers. Women are already in the workforce in a big way. With them getting a higher education than are the men, along with an upbringing which doesn't even conceptualize they are not capable of doing it all (perhaps with even a female President soon - no I am not voting for her), it is just a matter of time before true equality kicks in..... or even.... given the education and so forth.... they have more positions of power.

Hogwash. You are most welcome here sgallan. How's your daughter? Reni is doing great. Starting 9th grade math and 8th grade English. I am going to start her up with Spanish here pretty quick. She's extremely active as usual. She recently placed 5th in Greco-Roman, and 3rd in freestyle, in the largest youth wrestling tournament in the country. I challenged her. Because she placed fifth meant I had to wrestle in a beach tournament (do you know where I could get some lungs?). That she placed third means that I have to wrestle three tournaments next year. So I am slowly working into a shape other than round. Kinda funny that the boy who knocked her out of the championship match in freestyle is also the closest thing Reni has had to a boyfriend (in an 11 year old way). Otherwise... still homeschooled but in the band at the local Middle School where she just got elected the first ever 6th grader band President. She was pretty excited about that.

Just curious why certain people come here. I dunno.... I've been around forever it seems (in internet terms).... and while I am not welcome... it is something to do.

Glass ceiling? Give me a break. The reason there are more men at top managerial positions is due to the fact that women have wombs. Yes, women are the ones who have babies. So unless a woman wants to give up the opportunity to have children (many do unfortunantely) they are at a disadvantage at getting into positions that often require a religious-style dedication in hours and effort to climb to those kinds of positions. Which is exactly the type of view the kids I teach, and have taught, would lead them to look at you as someone from another planet. They wouldn't even conceptualize what you were talking about. I could bring it up to virtually ever kid I teach and the response would range from "deer in the headlights" to "indigination" from the smarter ones. Also, don't be too sure about "antiquated views" dying out. Again, following a Darwinian principle it goes to reason that people with more traditional views on gender and ideal family goals will wind up reproducing at a far greater rate than those of the more "modern", "Sex in the City" way of thinking. I know you have one daughter -- I have four. And study after study indicates that the values you were raised with will determine (usually) how you will live. And and just a note, I expect my daughters to do all the fun stuff they want as well as excell in academics -- I would hope, however, they would have the values that are more akin to what the LDS Church teaches. Indeed your cultural, and familial teachings will probably win out with your daughters (much as my child is best described an agnostic at age 11). And of course you can raise your kids as you choose. That is none of my business (outside of an obvious abuse situation). But the LDS culture is - statistically speaking - not all that significant. The number of women exceeding in the various levels of business and education suggest a change that apparently is beyond your cultural specific paradigm. Within that paradigm (a religious one that is in the single digits statistically) you are probably correct. Within society as a whole I suspect you are not in-tune with what is actually happening.

Sneaking in for a moment.... Teaching grades (as a sub) K-12, I can tell you there is a whole generation of girls/women(some in college now) who were raised not even really knowing much about feminists or the feminists movement. Yet if you even suggested to them that they had proscribed roles, or couldn't chase their dreams, they would look at you like you were from mars or something. They win the elections in school now. They go to college more than the boys. Some as kids play football, box, wrestle, and participate in any number of sports. They continue this into college. Give them a generation.... perhaps sooner, and that glass ceiling will be broken down. Because those with the antiquated views of an era long gone now are starting to die off. FWIW, I am a single dad and have been for quite sometime.... I'll measure up my parenting skills with almost any mom.

sgallan you remind me of the intolerant people of the 60's that said "America love it or leave it" well its their America too. You did not really mean that did you? No, I rather like diversity. But he seemed to want a theocracy. I was just pointing out where one was. I am rather happy with the United States and it's Democratic Republic. Somehow I get the feeling an athiest wouldn't fair very well in a theocracy. Nor would a certain minority religion that a lot of other Christians call a cult.

Can a people ever be safe and trust a government that has publicly rejected the protection and inspiration of G-d in favor of separation of church and state? You could always go to Iran. I hear the Church and State is pretty much the same there.

We sort of skip Mothers Day around here..... though I will call mine. No need dwelling on that bit of dysfunction, and the kids mom is pretty hard to get ahold of.

Well I've met all kinds of people who I first came into contact with on-line - mostly in amateur wrestling venues. This even includes one dating situation.... it didn't work out but we are still friends. As a result in our many journeys to wrestling tournaments and camps I rarely have to get a hotel room which is REALLY nice since I can't really afford one anyhow.

I think I'll bow out. Other than a handful of scientists, and some gadfly types on the right, the debate about global warming being real and measurable is pretty much over. It is now a matter of "what needs to be done". You are basically just background noise stuck in another era while the debate has moved past you. Feel free to come up with a snippy one-liner.

Wow.... your erudite comeback was just so VERY convincing. You got your degree in climatology from where? Let me guess, you probably listen to a lot of talk radio? American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) statement adopted by their council in 2003 said: There is now clear evidence that the mean annual temperature at the Earth's surface, averaged over the entire globe, has been increasing in the past 200 years. There is also clear evidence that the abundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased over the same period. In the past decade, significant progress has been made toward a better understanding of the climate system and toward improved projections of long-term climate change... Human activities have become a major source of environmental change. Of great urgency are the climate consequences of the increasing atmospheric abundance of greenhouse gases... Because greenhouse gases continue to increase, we are, in effect, conducting a global climate experiment, neither planned nor controlled, the results of which may present unprecedented challenges to our wisdom and foresight as well as have significant impacts on our natural and societal systems. [16]

My general view on the naysayers on this board is; because it was originally a liberal cause, and because Al Gore did a documentary on it..... it is such a political thing for you folks that you wouldn't buy it even if you were on fire. As far as global warming in general..... it is already happening in the arctic. In a big big way. Especially the northern arctic. The vast majority of scientists, and scientific community... including the climatologists, say it's real. I am aware of the notable exceptions... like Dr. Gray. But I think I will go with the concensus on this one. FWIW.... I am not a doom and gloomer. Global warming will just be different... but not the end of humanity. One more thing on global warming.... you can always find scientista who are naysayers. You can always find the exception to the rule. You can always say.... "but it's snowing in Atlanta in mid-April" therefore global warming doesn't exists - which is kind of dumb but people do it all the time. Heck it's the internet..... I can google a hundrend links to support anything from the lock ness monster to the moon landings being a hoax. That is why, since I am not a scientist, I look at a more macro view, look at the macro data that comes out, look at the very large concensus of scientists... including climatologists.... and well dang, there sure is an awful lot out there suggesting global warming. And if something from the 70's or earlier is brought up.... well it is a new century now.... we have a heck of a lot more technology now.

Hmm, I am guessing science stuff is pretty much just a political thing with you then? Don't bother me with the science when my favorite talk show people send me out with some talking points? I take a different view. There is global warming. Any of our friends in the arctic can confirm this in a number of ways..... now don't jump to conclusions here.... I haven't suggested in causation. But I don't look at this measurable reality as a doomsday senario. Just different. But, if we don't react to the change in climate, than the effects will be profound. On the otherhand.... if the results are so profound that a goodly portion of humanity dies off... well that is just the way the system works. We wouldn't be the first speices threatened or exterminated. Just the first speices aware of ot.

A name tag? Actually, when I look at a name tag my name changes. It becomes.... ttocs. Then i really get confused. I guess I suffer from halfheimers.....

First initial.... last name. So I can remember it.

I like history a lot. Most of my history is through the people who were up front during it. I have read about eight books on Jefferson. Books on about 2/3's of the Presidents. More books than I can remember on Lincoln (he is my favorite historical figure by far) as well as several on Roosevelt. Worldwide Churchill is a must. As is Napoleon. I've read serveral on Hitler. I just couldn't get how that guy was able to do what he did.... after all that reading... I still can't. Books on Stalin and Lenin and Mao. i AM HAVING MY kid read Miracle at Philadelphia (about the Constitution). And I have read several books of that era as well. Some civil way 'military tomes' but they don't interest me as much. I guess it is safe to say I like American History the most, followed by the history from 1919-1952. Probably because those are the histories that most affected my life. Or were in my imagination.

did you know in the 50's it was a great ice age scare, that large areas of the world were going to freeze over? what ever happened to that? Maybe.... just maybe... as time goes by we get better at the science of this sort of thing. I mean, for example, do you know what a computer looked like in the 50's? A roomful of computer had a fraction of the comuting ability as my kids I-Pod. Perhaps we have gotten a little better at reading the climate as well? What with more computing power to crunch the data that more monitoring stations, satellites, and so forth have given us. Not to mention there are more first world nations now, than in the 50's, who are willing to share this kind of information. Just a though.

No problem here. :)

I don't read much into my dreams.... but I do have several recurring ones. They are usually mix and match dreams of various locations in the various places I have lived. All in color, and since they are recurring I can remember them pretty well.

First.... I am NOT a gun control person. This country has 300 years of a gun culture, with the VAST majority of gun owners being, well your law abiding next door neighbor. I also know how to maintain and safley shoot any number of weapons. My dad and late step-Father were both sharp shooters in the Marine Corps with my late step being one of the Chosin few. I don't own a gun, but I shoot them fairly often and enjoy it. Having said that.... those of you who seem to want everybody packing.... are you nuts? Man, I know people... who could easily pass concealed weapons tests.... that I would not want to have one. Lots of them. Crap, even the police in adrenilin charged situations (something they are used to) miss more than they hit. A person, who doesn't get in these situations everyday (even with gun training) is going to do better? LOL to that. I have to laugh.... I have gotten on this board and told of these situatios I have been in, and extreme sports I have done.... and many of you say, "I'd never do that". They call me crazy and so on. Well one thing is for sure.... I know how I handle exciting and charged situations - I live for them. Yet you'all think you are going to handle a gun in your face, know exactly what to do, win a firefight, against somebody who has a LOT less respect for life than you do..... by some sort of miracle. Most of you..... even with a gun.... would probably just freeze. It's all tough talk until you've been there. Ben - you of all people should know these things. I'll give Ben the benefit of the doubt. The rest of you "I'm a packing" types, do nothing but make life exciting. Especially the guy who is an uncaught felon carrying a concealed weapon. That makes me feel SOOOO much better. Of course that sort of works for me. I've been faced down by a gun three times. Once it was a cops. Twice in Mexico (all interesting stories). In every situation had I been carrying..... and pulled it..... I would have been killed. In all three cases I just thought it was an interesting experience. As far as in my house..... yeah that is all I want to do is get into a firefight with somebody as crazy as I am, with my kid in the house, and bullets and/or shot flying everywhere. That sound REAL practical. While Miss America in a walker in the boondocks packing is a good thing, it's not real functional here. I got two dogs.... one will take the shot (and probably inflict some damage) and the guy had better be quick on the shot with good aim.... me and the other dog will then kill the perp. Yes kill.... I am not remotely interested in a "his word against my word" situation after it is all done. He won't have a word... he'll be dead. Scott - Lovin' these tough keyboard warriors.

I think my church raised us with the right teachings. We're in the world, but not of it. We have gospel truth that must be communicated worldwide. Bringing people to Jesus is more essential than any temporal fun the world might offer. It is hard for me to see this attitude as anything other than..... "I am better than you because I have this". In this regard you are not communicating a message that would seem to be something a lot of people would want. Quite the opposite actually..... it would seem you are chasing people away who might consider your attitude as arrogant. It would appear it is yet another group of people saying you ######, but I am good because of my religion. Heck, I see that in the news all of the time. Some people even try to kill other people as a result of this attitude. Now don't take this as too personal. I see this attitude all of the time, and it just confounds me as to how you think that by calling somebody lessor than you (basically saying you are a piece of garbage), will win them over? I don't think I'll ever get that. As far as missing out (to get back on topic)..... there is something everybody can miss out on. I would like to climb Mt Everest, but I think that window of opportunity has passed. The same with sailing around the world. As far as the parties, the dead cousins/friends, the dead motorcycle friends, the dead extreme sport friends..... hey, everybody dies. The extreme friends went out a little early, but they died doing what they loved. The suicides.... well one was sad, and the other was probably for the best. The only regret I have is not following up on my wrestling potential after HS. That is about it though. The good, and the bad, and the things I didn't do that I would have liked to, well it just life. The partying experiences...... they were what they were. Good, bad, and just what I did. They were experiences. If I hadn't of done that, then I would have done something else. They are part of me. Let me illustrate the dynamic..... my youngest brother was a meth-head who drank too much and did way too many other drugs. Well the thing is..... part of his make-up requires that he gets some sort of "rush" or "experience" in order to make life worth living. That is the way he is, and nothing is going to change it. He no longer does drugs, and hasn't for quite sometime. Now he is a BASE jumper (Bridges, Antennas, Structures, Earth - jumps off those things), along with being a skydiver and up for anything else as well. I would suggest that what he is doing now is every bit as potentially deadly as what he did with the drugs. But he isn't going to change. We all have things we do. Or don't do. Not everybody can skydive. Some people freak out because of bird flu (which has killed hardly anybody) and forget how deadly just driving down the street is. We have our fears, limits, and phobias. I am born into a family of adrenelin junkies..... and that is not for everybody. But for me, if I am not living life that way, then just shoot me now, as I would rather go quick, than die of boredom. Yet, many are cool with the concept of dying at 98 in a nursing home, unable to recognize anybody, because that is what you are supposed to do. I am rambling, but regrets are (mostly) a waste of time, unless you do something productive with the regret. And going out and doing drugs or alcohol doesn't seem all that productive, unless it has been a life goal of sorts. And had it been that..... it is so within reach, you probably would have already done so. Yet having said that, and seen what I have seen, I also don't regret any of the things I did - including the substances. Nor would I recommend them.

Ray - An honest question..... if a fundamentalist practioner of Islam were to say the samething, in support of some the more extreme things done in the name of that religion, couldn't they make the exact same logical argument that you make? FWIW, this is not as much the strawman argument as it first may seem. It is only a perceived strawman argument because your (our) culture, and (your) faith, doesn't (usually) go to such extremes. But the 'logic' of the justification is almost identical.