Rant and Rave Think Tank 2

[tsetse22]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38604

[SharA2]

I agree with what was said about teeth.

The emotional break involved (if there is any) to stop being nurtured from mommy teat
should match the body's growth.

I think a lot of things have tail-spinned lately. This is another example of societies recent
tolerance to new ways of living... tail spin, imo. (But I'm old and crotchety, so for what it's worth...)

I agree as well. I actually saw that cover-- we get Time magazine and I think Time has had a few sensational covers and I agree it is not about the matter at hand it is about getting tongues wagging and generating lots of revenue whatever way possible. It may be a good topic for Time to place on the cover but they went about it badly in my and other's opinions, the mother and her son were doing the TV circuit after, I feel bad for this little boy.

On the topic of Zombies and that horrific situation that happened in Florida -- If that man who did that to the homeless man had gotten sufficient help and care that would not have happened, I think who ever sold him the Bath Salts needs to be penalized too. I do not find the situation funny, but I do find all the memes that followed amusing, I saw one with Hannibal Letcher and I laughed.

@ Tsetse your link goes to the Get To Know Poster's Game at the start, did you want it going there? I do not know what post you wanted highlighted out of that thread.

[SharA2]

God is a pink Gnome in bikini who created the world with his other pink gnome friends. Who says otherwise?

It is all about belief and faith-- just because you cannot see something does not mean it does not exist. Everyone has different views on God and religion.

[LifeChanges]

Zombies Please this is really a no brainier. There has many stories thru the decades where ppl have eaten other ppl and a few where others ppl have torn off their own face and feed it to their dogs etc and yes it was drugs usually but some is just mental illness or sickos. I know angel dust will make you do this, I know spice is making ppl schizos. I dont even want to talk about this ridiculous idea of zombie even as a joke. I almost makes me mad and I dont think it is amusing in the less bit way it is just completely dumb I can feel my brain cells dying.

Did the part of your brain that controls humor get eaten by zombies? I love the irony of saying "no brainer" in a comment discussing zombies. Priceless!

I was wondering if I was the only one who saw the irony in that. It was so perfect I thought you did it on purpose Soul

[SharA2]

New Topic.

Dubai's underwater hotel....

Have you seen





I would love to go to this place. Why hasn't someone come up with this sooner? I want one here in Cali.

http://flashydubai.com/hydropolis-under ... -in-dubai/

I hope this one works

I know this topic is old but I am going through the thread and looked at the link and wanted to comment as well, since I have not been on for awhile. I would most certainly visit there, not sure how I would pay for it--but it looks like a fantasy spot you would want to see at least once. I would still prefer visiting Israel over that.

[LifeChanges]

So, I've been reading up on the Bath Salts attack. It turns out there are a lot more and this drug has been on the circuit for a while. The recent Miami attack has put a lot of publicity on it. This is a link of several gruesome incidents reported involving Bath Salts http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/08/rudy-eugene-brian-de-leon-and-more-crazy-bath-salt-freakouts.html.

[tsetse22]

@ Tsetse your link goes to the Get To Know Poster's Game at the start, did you want it going there? I do not know what post you wanted highlighted out of that thread.

My bad, I was thinking a link to thread wouldn't ALWAYS bring up a post I made that seemed to fit this thread too:

A Zombie Apocalypse (which is so far fetched scientifically as well as the corny Movies portrayals of such things)
I think it is metaphorically a solid concept. - Soul-less dead people, going around in a trance like state, eating and infecting the living.
The lack of intellectual processing in every portrayal of Zombi-ism I have ever seen or read, quite defines the human race, imo.
After all, we may think we are so smart as a species, but what we ignore is how very much we really do not know, intellectually and spiritually. SO relative to that, we're all already Zombie's.

As the planet dumb's-down, and that is part economic, (which may or may not be some Darwinian scheme to cull the herd..if you want to add a bit of conspiracy theory to it), it gets into the press in a tongue and cheek way and that ironically allows it the convention of reality. Even the CDC has issued statements about the Zombie Apocalypse.

Zombie's were at first a thing from African Voodoo, with some frog or fish derived poison/paralysis drug. It wasn't until Hollywood
got a hold of it that it became like an infectious apocalyptic scenario....Anyway, that said, I'm going with 'metaphorical reality'.

[Guardian7347]

Zombie's were at first a thing from African Voodoo

Haitian voodoo. West African Voodoo is more like ancestor worship and certainly doesn't entail "dark" magic. But you bring up a great point. Zombies ARE real....they just aren't flesh-eating, half-rotted automatons mindlessly roaming in packs like feral dogs.

[Soulkiss333]

Gurdian
I am tired of all the zombies talk...for over 2 years now and lately it seems to be in a lot of movies, video games, posters everywhere and it seem to get brought up at least a few times a day, I just done with it being in 1/3 of the conversations that I get into to...isnt there anything better to talk about, even here in Japan that is what all the boys are talking about. I only have dark humor

However, if y'all want to talk about Voodoo (Vodun), Hoodoo or Santeria that is different (being from the South (Louisiana and Alabama)I know a lot). Tho, it is still not zombies as what we think of it (the truly dead) just trances they go thru. Vodun means sacred object, spirit or god and I think Zombie was a snake god (dont quote me on that). Many of them do believe in the walking dead of the superstitious population. they believe a magician can restore the dead to life---BUT AS A SLAVE!!!!!!! The zombie belief made many converts during the labor shortage in Haiti's sugar plantations in 1918. So, sorcerers were alleged to have corpses, revived them and sold them as slave. But the authorities believe that these "slaves" were drugged into a coma, taken for dead, buried then dug up again, and revived with other drugs. Before selling the victims, the sorcerers first cut out their tongues, so that they could not reveal their origins. The practice was widespread and laws was introduced and found this was murder. Many sorcerers were hanged for this. So, no zombies are not real just drugs and murders are.
Also they have devil dancers which was used to charm away disease and at this time it was smallpox. So if someone got the disease they believe they were infected by the devil because of the scars and the delirium characteristic of the disease so the family of the infected hired professional devil dancers to induce the devil to switch to one of the dancers (exorcists).....they drink large quantities of a locally brewed strong liquor called arrack and dance violently (in these religions....when the drums were in rhymes it was good deities dances and when the drums were wild and off-beat this was evil deities.) The priest or priestess would slit the throat a goat and drinks it's blood and other dancers would bite off the heads of cockerels, gyrating etc. Once the dancers believe they are possessed by the devil they run off into the countryside...taking the disease away with them.

Now a good movie about this kinda of zombie and it was based on the voodoo religion (the story isnt true. they said it was based on a true story...some of it was the report was a real guy ) was this 1980s movie called The Serpent and the Rainbow. They have real footage in the movie of dancers in a trances and eating glass (I watched the making of it when I was a little girl ). In the Voodoo religion the serpent symbolizes Earth and the rainbow is heaven and everything is between them must live and die, but man has a soul he can trapped into the place in between it is a terrible place and death is only the beginning because there really is no death.

Also there is debate where exactly voodoo started because it is a mixture of Africa beliefs, Catholicism, Native Americans it is not just from Africa. I heard it mostly started in Haiti (esp the zombies stuff) tho many traits of it was brought from west Africa. But it was all about the same time.

[LifeChanges]

Sorry Soul, I have more to talk about zombies Only this time it doesn't have to do with humans. I remembered watching a documentary once about a fungus that attacks the brain's of ants. It causes them to become "zombies" in a sense and controls their bodies to help the fungus reproduce. The ants lose control of their bodies and climb to the top of a blade of grass or leaf. Normally not a place where an ant would go. The parasitical fungus causes the ant to clamp down on the grass and dangle there for weeks. While it hangs there, the fungus grows out the back of the ants head and sets spores into the air. Later on other ants can pick up these spores on their legs and the cycle begins again. There are several fungi specifically evolved to attack different insects: other species of ants, grasshoppers, moths...

There was one neat one I saw, a parasite, it attacked the nervous system of the ant, ant crawled to the top of a blade of grass and clamped down, the ant was eaten by an animal (let's say a rabbit), the fungus then grew into a flat worm inside the liver of the rabbit, released it's spawn to be pooped out by the rabbit, the poop is then eaten by a snail, the spawn grows in the respiratory system of the snail and gets covered in snot, then expelled from the snail, and the snot is eaten by the ant. This is the only way that particular parasite can reproduce. How's that for a complicated life cycle?

[tropicalheatwave]

zombies in america????? nah, can't be. everyone is too busy doing this:




seriously speaking when someone ask me about things like zombie apocalypse, end of the world, the economy, and other things going on in the news, i simply shrug. not because i don't care, or to be rude. there is just nothing to say about it.

[Justified]

@ Tsetse your link goes to the Get To Know Poster's Game at the start, did you want it going there? I do not know what post you wanted highlighted out of that thread.

My bad, I was thinking a link to thread wouldn't ALWAYS bring up a post I made that seemed to fit this thread too:

A Zombie Apocalypse (which is so far fetched scientifically as well as the corny Movies portrayals of such things)
I think it is metaphorically a solid concept. - Soul-less dead people, going around in a trance like state, eating and infecting the living.
The lack of intellectual processing in every portrayal of Zombi-ism I have ever seen or read, quite defines the human race, imo.
After all, we may think we are so smart as a species, but what we ignore is how very much we really do not know, intellectually and spiritually. SO relative to that, we're all already Zombie's.

As the planet dumb's-down, and that is part economic, (which may or may not be some Darwinian scheme to cull the herd..if you want to add a bit of conspiracy theory to it), it gets into the press in a tongue and cheek way and that ironically allows it the convention of reality. Even the CDC has issued statements about the Zombie Apocalypse.

Zombie's were at first a thing from African Voodoo, with some frog or fish derived poison/paralysis drug. It wasn't until Hollywood
got a hold of it that it became like an infectious apocalyptic scenario....Anyway, that said, I'm going with 'metaphorical reality'.

That is a nice take on the situation, tsetse22. Makes you think abit more about it.
I see people going through their days empty, wandering aimlessly, similar to zombies. Almost like they have given up on themselves and on life, even people who have so much they don't know what to do with it. I saw that movie Soulkiss mentioned, it was a good movie.

[dreamweaver123]

I'm pretty sorry, because I was really lashing out this friend, Terri, I had and was pretty mad at her. She mentioned to me that I had a problem with my dad and I love my dad a lot, and it is her that has a problem with her dad trying to get at his will. She is a foolish lady and I totally forgive her, but I think she's out of her mind and needs to see a shrink. Supposedly, she's very bright and I found some of her hang ups to be dumb and utter lunacy.
I don't hate women or men...sometimes, I think my ex-boyfriend are jerks, but I forgive them all. Basically, our friendship wasn't meant to be. It's just kind of threatening and scary when someone tells you you'd be happier in a state hospital. Man, I don't want or need to be in a mental facility or jail and I'm not breaking the law.
Her latest claims that I stared at her breasts are dumb. First of all, I'm not a lesbian and I don't want to sleep with her. Secondly, what is the point of the lies, to get rich and get laid, on my dime??? I don't want to support her bratty lifestyle and I was not put on this Earth to take care of some baby of the family brat will never grow up. There are good and bad babies of the family...I have a youngest brother who I love to death who wouldn't stoop to that level.
Well, I forgive her and I was just letting off some steam. Sorry because I shouldn't have written all that nasty stuff, but this topic was rant or rave, and I was definitely ranting a bit. Again, please forgive me if my words were scary!
I'm much happier now that I got the anger off my chest. It's just that I think the lunacy about people needing to be institutionalized for expressing free speech is totally ridiculous. Do you think I threaten to lock up Terri when she calls some innocent woman a catwoman or bugs on women and thinks men are saints...she's just annoying as Hell!
I get sick of this sexual harasser nonsensical garbage. I'm sure sure a bag lady looks at men's butts!! And pigs fly...lol. I don't stare at people's anything...well, thanks for allowing me to share all of this in a safe place where I can be myself and not be accused of having a staring problem. Have a nice day.

[SharA2]

@ Tsetse your link goes to the Get To Know Poster's Game at the start, did you want it going there? I do not know what post you wanted highlighted out of that thread.

My bad, I was thinking a link to thread wouldn't ALWAYS bring up a post I made that seemed to fit this thread too:

A Zombie Apocalypse (which is so far fetched scientifically as well as the corny Movies portrayals of such things)
I think it is metaphorically a solid concept. - Soul-less dead people, going around in a trance like state, eating and infecting the living.
The lack of intellectual processing in every portrayal of Zombi-ism I have ever seen or read, quite defines the human race, imo.
After all, we may think we are so smart as a species, but what we ignore is how very much we really do not know, intellectually and spiritually. SO relative to that, we're all already Zombie's.

As the planet dumb's-down, and that is part economic, (which may or may not be some Darwinian scheme to cull the herd..if you want to add a bit of conspiracy theory to it), it gets into the press in a tongue and cheek way and that ironically allows it the convention of reality. Even the CDC has issued statements about the Zombie Apocalypse.

Zombie's were at first a thing from African Voodoo, with some frog or fish derived poison/paralysis drug. It wasn't until Hollywood
got a hold of it that it became like an infectious apocalyptic scenario....Anyway, that said, I'm going with 'metaphorical reality'.

I see, that was worth the wait I like how you think, tsetse and I agree with what Justified said that is a great post that you made.

I always thought zombies were just people being placed into trance states and being manipulated by the person or persons who placed them there, a hypnotic state, no magic required, only a level of mind control. I read that the homeless man that was attacked and eaten is recovering-- he has a strong will, I hope he makes it through alright.

[KRSTYSTLCLR]

I think that describes Congress.

[Jeff_in_Time]

That Florida face eating cannibalizing story of the homeless man by the sick fook on the Bath salts was creepy as hell.
That was one of the weirdest stories I have heard in a long time O_O
I get why Soul is sick of hearing about it, but it was fascinating how that crazy bastard just wouldn't die.

[JeremyM]

Bumping this up for some new action. Did all the active users in this thread take off?

Is it our own fault we are a nation of fatties or is it the fast food franchises fault for dangling cheap unhealthy food at us? I think we control our lives and our weight - the easy out is to blame anyone or anything else. It isn't McDonalds job to care if we are healthy, they are out to make a buck at the expense of our backsides. 2c.

[JessicaBunny]

i was looking for this thread last time. . . i think lots of poster's did leave, Jeremy. i was off for awhile too.

i think it is our own fault, not the fast food industry and our lack of will power, people can eat healthy if they want too. . . busy lives and no time to cook is what makes people go fast food take out more. right now you can get lots of healthier options at all those places, salads, whole wheat bread and buns, grilled chicken, veggie. . . they use less salt on fries too. . . you make your own choices, they don't for you, so make better ones and exercise to keep your weight down. if you want a better fast choice go subway.

[Dorn]

Is it our own fault we are a nation of fatties or is it the fast food franchises fault for dangling cheap unhealthy food at us?

Darwin at work, I'd say. Besides, forcing everyone to pay for the continuously unwise choices of the unhealthy is just bad policy.

Moreover, California has just banned foie gras ...

[LifeChanges]

if you want a better fast choice go subway.

I only eat fast food if I have no other choice http://www.subway.com/Nutrition/Files/usProdIngredients.pdf

I think the reason our nation has an obesity problem is lack of education. I don't think people really know what's in their food or understand what half the ingredients are. When I am under a time crunch I will eat out. I don't really like it, doesn't taste right to me. When I have the time, I try to make my meals from scratch and limit the ingredients. I use fresh meats that are processed as little as possible. I also use fresh vegetables and herbs wherever possible. I try to limit my bread intake, but it is almost impossible for me not to eat bread. When I do, I eat whole grains. I always check the ingredients list on anything I buy, and get what has the least amount of ingredients in it. If it has a bunch of names I can't pronounce, I'm most likely not going to purchase it.

[LifeChanges]

I will be moving in a couple of months, and it is very possible that I will end up living in the ghetto. Not my first choice, but my finances probably won't allow for a more upscale place of residence. I am considering purchasing a hand gun, and procuring a concealed handgun license. I'm going over the pro's and con's to having a handgun. I have child, so it will need to be kept out of her sight and reach at all times. And I'm wondering if it's really worth it to have a gun.
I'm thinking about a time when my brother's place was broken into. He and his friends were all held at gunpoint while being robbed. If my brother had a gun and tried to use it, he would probably be dead. I wonder if in a situation like this, would it be better just to give them what they want and not put up a fight?
What are your thoughts?

[Soulkiss333]

Well, I work in the music industry so I know a lot about advertising and dont ever underestimate it. There is a reason why I dont watch TV and listen to little radio or read the paper. The advertising industry is more powerful than you can imagine...case in point is the topic I told y'all about in the adult section where they got everyone believing that everyone and their mother can do this (can't really discussion it up in this section) when it isnt true (very very few can if any at all). Everyone is buying into it...dont be so fast to believe esp if it sound cool. Anyway, where I am going with this is that in school we study the effects of advertising (in more forms, ages, gender, area, countries etc) one of the studies was about the hungry. We learn most hungry is mental not biological therefore we advertise a lot here in America on food thru the radio, tv, billboards, magazines, paper...so we have food(advertising) in our faces all the time...24/7 telling us to eat, eat, eat,eat, eat, eat, eat,eat....I do believe we have education here in america about food, we have many healthy food places, we started the cal. counting diet, and many other diets and so on. But the advertising is worse here than any where else (America) esp when it comes to food, medicines, and electrons. I do believe we can control our lives but not as much as ppl think and think we are control by the news, advertising a lot too but you just dont notice it that much well you do but not really (you get it...u see how it effects others just not yourself). In studys they should how that our stomachs will even growl even if we just ate not too long ago...this is all mental. I know sometimes I will eat breakfast and I will get to school and half way thru my first class my stomach is already growling and I know I am not hungry I just ate. I had a lot of notes on this topic since we study it but I sold my book and all my notes are back home. But I do believe we have some power but the more advertising you exposed yourself too the less free will you have and I really believe that....KILL YOUR TVS. I keep telling y'all that. I am in the music biz and we deal a lot with advertising...dont underestimate this stuff, I am serious.

Here is a article about the (no) free will and advertising I cut out most of it but left the food part...From Psychology Today: The Natural Unconscious......New study: TV food ads provoke automatic eating in adults as well as children by John A. Bargh, Ph.D.

SHOULD WE TELL THE PUBLIC THAT THEIR BEHAVIOR IS BEING CONTROLLED?

....concerning informing the public about experimental evidence about limitations in the scope of free will, or of situations and domains in which people believe they are exerting free will when in actuality they are not. This is not the same as telling the public that determinism is an established scientific fact, or that free will is an illusion (in an absolute sense)............... But it also can cause problems when it leads us to ignore or dismiss the possibility that there may be powerful influences on our behavior that we don't know about -- even for important behaviors such as who and what we vote for, or the kinds and amount of food we eat. If we believe that we are the absolute captain of our soul, then we don't worry too much about these potential influences -- and thereby leave ourselves wide open and vulnerable to them........Television and other forms of advertising is expressly directed at getting us to do something that is in the best interests of the advertiser, but not necessarily our own. We have already recognized this in the case of cigarette (tobacco smoking) advertising and as a consequence it has been banned now for many years. In the new study, Jennifer Harris and Kelly Brownell of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale and I showed that passive exposure to food advertising on television may contribute to the ongoing obesity epidemic by automatically triggering eating behavior, right then and there while watching TV. Experiment 1 focused on elementary school children because the Federal Trade Commission has reported that they see an average of 15 TV food ads per day and that fully 98% of these ads promote products high in fat and sugar. We simulated the natural television viewing situation for our young participants by having them watch a 5 minute cartoon that contained a few 30 second food ads -- or, in the control condition, non-food ads. While they watched the cartoon a bowl of goldfish crackers was made available to them. As we had suspected, those children exposed to food ads during the cartoon ate significantly more of the snack food than did the children in the control condition. Unexpected, at least to me, was the size of this effect: children consumed 45% more of the snack food when exposed to food advertising.

[tropicalheatwave]

When I am under a time crunch I will eat out. I don't really like it, doesn't taste right to me.

well you can try to plan ahead. for example, when i use to work at the bank, i would cook on sundays lunch meals that would last the next four days. that way i would carry my own food to work and all i had to do was heat it up in the microwave. or if i'm in a place where i may be waiting a while or busy you could carry granola bars, fruit (apples, bananas, grape, the other fruits can be messy), and water bottles. i usually do this when waiting at airports, except you can't carry water bottles past security therefore you either have to buy water there or drink from water fountain.

[LifeChanges]

When I am under a time crunch I will eat out. I don't really like it, doesn't taste right to me.

well you can try to plan ahead. for example, when i use to work at the bank, i would cook on sundays lunch meals that would last the next four days. that way i would carry my own food to work and all i had to do was heat it up in the microwave. or if i'm in a place where i may be waiting a while or busy you could carry granola bars, fruit (apples, bananas, grape, the other fruits can be messy), and water bottles. i usually do this when waiting at airports, except you can't carry water bottles past security therefore you either have to buy water there or drink from water fountain.

I normally do plan ahead and make large meals when I have the chance. I'll take them with me and use the microwave, or bring a piece of fruit like you said. But, there are times when there are much more important things on my mind besides food. When that happens, it's fast food.

[Soulkiss333]

I will be moving in a couple of months, and it is very possible that I will end up living in the ghetto. Not my first choice, but my finances probably won't allow for a more upscale place of residence. I am considering purchasing a hand gun, and procuring a concealed handgun license. I'm going over the pro's and con's to having a handgun. I have child, so it will need to be kept out of her sight and reach at all times. And I'm wondering if it's really worth it to have a gun.
I'm thinking about a time when my brother's place was broken into. He and his friends were all held at gunpoint while being robbed. If my brother had a gun and tried to use it, he would probably be dead. I wonder if in a situation like this, would it be better just to give them what they want and not put up a fight?
What are your thoughts?

I have a gun..actually 2. I keep one in my car (beretta 92) and a shotgun in my house. However, I dont have kids but I do have roommates. My advice would be not only do research but go to classes...safety classes, shooting range (even if you know how to shoot) this will keep you in practice and make you become comfortable with it. I think ppl become in danger with a gun when they just buy it and think it is going to protect them...it isnt as easy as it sounds. I remember when I was first learning...I sucked and I didnt think it was going to be so hard, you just aim and fired...but there is the kick which if you dont know how to control that it will throw you shooting off big time. I was scared of the kick so I was always anticipating the kick which threw me off. The teacher was like stop anticipating the shot and I was like How? I didnt know how not too. So he had me close my eyes and he removed the magazine (bullets) and so I shot it and my arm went up way like it always does, but there was no kick because there was no bullets...so he was like see you are anticipating the shot...so he had me practice with no bullets so I can learn to relax and hold my arm straight...when he finally put the magazine back in...I was calm and he told me to say the word slow in my mind as I pull the trigger and I made 136 out of 150 score (my first couple of scores before this was a 16, 26, 23)...improve in less than 10 mins. But if you decided to keep one make sure you go to safety classes and learn to hold and carry and shot properly...it will make you more confident which will make it more safe for everyone.

Also, with that being said...there is the part to know your own fear. I mean gun and fear is bad news. I dont think you will have a problem but dont rely on a gun. That is another reason to get lessons...I rather just wound someone than kill them. The better shot I am the better chances I will beable to control the situation. I wont just shot in fear...I can wound them instead of them killing in some cases. I dont really want to kill someone, they might be a bad seed sort of speak but who knows, they might have a family, just really poor, not that is an excuse but I rather give them a wake up call than game over. Plus, when you feel threaten the fear goes up and you might misread what is really going on and in some cases shoot the wrong person by because of the confusion started by fear, not holding the gun right...this is usually what happens. Guns arent bad as along as you are comfortable and know how to properly use them.

And to answer your question just because you have a gun doesn't mean you have to use it. I have only use my twice...both from my car. Never had to fired it tho. One I use it to break up a guy beating up on a girl outside his car on this remote road. I held him there until the cops came. Most of my battles I fight with my mouth and temper (body). My shotgun I only had to use it to scare wild animals away when living in the country...or to shoot wound animals...mercy killing.

[Justified]

On the fast food topic: I agree with JessicaBunny and also Soulkiss333 in regards to what each had to say. It is our own fault but a lot of people suffer from a food addiction and can't stop themselves from wanting that cheap, fattening, greasy foods. Same as alcoholics want their booze, or a drug addict wants his/hers crack. Brains are wired differently and have no will power to stop ingesting it.

But the fast food outlets have recently recognized this and switched a lot of their menus to be healthier. I agree on Subway too, JessicaBunny. You can get a 9 grain, no cheese , no mayo, lean meats, with a bottle of water and baked chips at lunch, walk to lunch and back or park a distance and still get exercise in at lunch.

I eat a lot of beef, burgers but I cook that myself, not at fast food restaurants and I work out regularly.

20 worse foods in America 2012 link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/1-worst-food-america?slideshow=185560#sharetagsfocus

[JessicaBunny]

Moreover, California has just banned foie gras ...

i've never eaten that. some restaurants must still serve it, what a weird thing to ban.

@ lifchanges. i love Subway for my fast food choice. all my friends want MD's, or KFC & that stuff is gross to me. i'd rather eat something that gives me energy and doesn't make me groggy after.

[JessicaBunny]

20 worse foods in America 2012 link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/1-worst-food-america?slideshow=185560#sharetagsfocus

this breakfast from IHop looks good.
IHOP Big Country Breakfast with Country Fried Steak & Country Gravy

2,440 calories
145 g fat (56 g saturated)
5,520 mg sodium

This smorgasbord is an unabashed siren call to gluttons everywhere. It's a 12-ounce steak breaded, fried, and dripping with gravy; three eggs; hash browns; and three pancakes crowned with an ice cream scoop of butter and a sugary tide of syrup. Heck, this meal wears its pride in its name. You could feed a small nation with the Big Country, though doing so would be grounds for UN intervention.

[Guardian7347]

I'm an ardent supporter of individual ownership of firearms, and of people carrying them for personal protection. There is case after case where the weak and vulnerable were able to prevent harm to themselves and/or their loved ones simply by being armed. I think Soul summed it up pretty well though. Too many people think the firearm is going to protect them, like a genie in a bottle. It doesn't work that way. It takes the mindset of being able to pull the trigger. Without it, there's no point in having one. And like she said, you don't have to shoot to kill. You don't even have to shoot them most of the time. The willingness to pull the trigger is the biggest factor. Criminals are cowards. They don't want shot over your TV. Scare them with a shot or two, and they typically won't hang around to see if your aim improves.
While I would recommend getting one, I agree that it should be in conjunction with some quality time at the range. .38 special revolver is a fantastic self-defense pistol for women.

[LifeChanges]

2,440 calories
145 g fat (56 g saturated)
5,520 mg sodium

This smorgasbord is an unabashed siren call to gluttons everywhere. It's a 12-ounce steak breaded, fried, and dripping with gravy; three eggs; hash browns; and three pancakes crowned with an ice cream scoop of butter and a sugary tide of syrup. Heck, this meal wears its pride in its name. You could feed a small nation with the Big Country, though doing so would be grounds for UN intervention.

My blood sugar spiked just looking at this

In regards to owning a gun: I don't know if I would have the guts to pull the trigger. I fully understand that I would need to be comfortable with the gun and practice shooting it.

[tropicalheatwave]

you could always settle for a water gun.

[Dorn]

Moreover, California has just banned foie gras ...

i've never eaten that. some restaurants must still serve it,

It includes an import ban, which means that this place will lose the proper function of its name.

what a weird thing to ban.

The geese are killed by means of being force-fed to the point of liver failure. But since the dish is rare and expensive, which frightens the vast majority of consumers, it doesn't quite deserve the attention it has gotten (in California).

[Jeff_in_Time]

Bumping this up for some new action. Did all the active users in this thread take off?

Is it our own fault we are a nation of fatties or is it the fast food franchises fault for dangling cheap unhealthy food at us? I think we control our lives and our weight - the easy out is to blame anyone or anything else. It isn't McDonalds job to care if we are healthy, they are out to make a buck at the expense of our backsides. 2c.

I have a friend who is addicted to Mickie Ds.
He weighs about 225 right now and complains all the time about his weight.
But where does he eat at o_O
They know peeps will consume it daily, like lambs to the slaughter, ya know.
The price is right for students and peeps on less incomes too.
We are trying to get him healthy this summer, I took him walking 4 times already.
Trying to go for 25 lbs. He needs to let go of his junk food love.

[Jeff_in_Time]

20 worse foods in America 2012 link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/1-worst-food-america?slideshow=185560#sharetagsfocus

this breakfast from IHop looks good.
IHOP Big Country Breakfast with Country Fried Steak & Country Gravy

2,440 calories
145 g fat (56 g saturated)
5,520 mg sodium

This smorgasbord is an unabashed siren call to gluttons everywhere. It's a 12-ounce steak breaded, fried, and dripping with gravy; three eggs; hash browns; and three pancakes crowned with an ice cream scoop of butter and a sugary tide of syrup. Heck, this meal wears its pride in its name. You could feed a small nation with the Big Country, though doing so would be grounds for UN intervention.

Man, oh, Man. Look at that.
See these obscene portion sizes don't help either.
People pay for it and feel obligated not to waste a crumb of it. >.>

[LifeChanges]

I think some people look at that and see it is the same price as say a healthier, smaller portioned food. They want more bang for their buck and choose the less healthy version. I would rather pay more for less, but increased quality.

[KRSTY]

There was an interesting article in the New York Times very recently about Government/ Law Enforcement Related Requests to cell phone carriers for access to private cell phone numbers, locations, text messages and e-mails. I am trying to post the article. If I can't get a link because of my new account, perhaps someone could post it for me. Here goes............................

nytimes.com/2012/07/09/us/cell-carriers-see-uptick-in-requests-to-aid-surveillance.html?

I'll have to check back and see if it works.

My question's are....Do you think this is O.K. for the Govt. to do?
Shouldn't a warrant be required before the cell phone carriers just give out this information?
Is the number or records being given out excessive?
Does it violate what you think our American right to privacy is supposed to protect?
Do you think your rights are secure as provided for in The Bill of Rights?

[JessicaBunny]

Moreover, California has just banned foie gras ...

i've never eaten that. some restaurants must still serve it,

It includes an import ban, which means that this place will lose the proper function of its name.

what a weird thing to ban.

The geese are killed by means of being force-fed to the point of liver failure. But since the dish is rare and expensive, which frightens the vast majority of consumers, it doesn't quite deserve the attention it has gotten (in California).

gotta love cali, for the good things and the stupid way some think. ridiculous at its best. the rich will still eat that, especially since most feel it says i am rich, like caviar and champagne does. . . i still love cali, but sometimes it can be an embarrassment with how some think and what they will and won't allow.

[JessicaBunny]

There was an interesting article in the New York Times very recently about Government/ Law Enforcement Related Requests to cell phone carriers for access to private cell phone numbers, locations, text messages and e-mails. I am trying to post the article. If I can't get a link because of my new account, perhaps someone could post it for me. Here goes............................

nytimes.com/2012/07/09/us/cell-carriers-see-uptick-in-requests-to-aid-surveillance.html?

I'll have to check back and see if it works.

My question's are....Do you think this is O.K. for the Govt. to do?
Shouldn't a warrant be required before the cell phone carriers just give out this information?
Is the number or records being given out excessive?
Does it violate what you think our American right to privacy is supposed to protect?
Do you think your rights are secure as provided for in The Bill of Rights?

the gov't is monitoring so much and so many that it is not surprising. if they do it and they do it to mine, i will deal, i have nothing to hide. do i think it is right to do, no. . . what reasons do they say this is warranted to do? because of terrorists threats?

[BLUE]

Will somebody please fix Krsty's slinky please. I am on the patio with my kindle No I am not going in

[JessicaBunny]

fixed, i hope.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/us/cell-carriers-see-uptick-in-requests-to-aid-surveillance.html?_r=1

[BLUE]

Thank you!

[BLUE]

Oh I am all about the black and white if this one. Guidelines need to be set and followed, period. Infringing on someone's privacy and rights is wrong. Go through the courts and get the proper paperwork. In case if emergency fine. How hard is that to prove? I like my privacy but if kidnapped..yea I would like to be found. No one should have the right to just look up someone's cell history just because.

[Soulkiss333]

Well, that was a lot to take in, it will take me awhile to process it. But for now I will say that is a bit much, crossing the line I think. However, I am not one of these ppl who gets off going after the government or authority, tho on the surface it is easy to attack the government, state etc. so this will take time for me to process. You know one part of me says, this is going to far but the other part of me doesnt pretend I know exactly what law enforcement is up against....I know there has been a lot of budget cuts which has down size the police forces but also there is more and more people/crime to deal with and fix...also crimanals have a lot more excess with phones, hacking, fraud, setting up dates, sending stuff thru the mail...I mean before criminals esp well plan out crimes that involved many ppl..they would have to meet with others somewhere etc where now they dont and there is no paper trails like the days of the past, it is a different world from less than 2 decades ago..and all the information--world connection--so much easier for criminals--even brainwashing, stalking and Kidnapping is easier (do it all on the phone and online to set meetup dates).so I dont know what police are up against. So, when the part of me says that they should do what they have always done with phones no matter if it is cell or landlines the same laws should uphold also with mail (e-mail, text), but I know how many more ppl there are nowadays with less cops to protect us. So when I think we shouldnt go this route, if they are more murderer, kidnaps (tons more kidnapping nowadays then 20 years ago), crime... then so be it, it doesnt give authority the right to watch and listen and read what we are doing for the bad seeds out there, however, I do believe if you want crime to go down and give the police some help then we need to be stricter, I think America is way too nice and if we gave real consequences, harsher punishments (stop babying everyone) I believe crime would go down a lot and then we wouldnt have much of a reason to track, listen and invaded ppl privacy except only for emergency with strict standards in place and if misuse by authority then heavy penalty should place on them.

[KRSTY]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Thanks JessicaBunny for adding the link.

I am thinking like Soul on this. I can understand their need for access at times, but think it should be the same as when they had to get a warrant for a phone tap or to search someones home. I think the numbers that were reported are staggering if you consider how many non-target people are affected by those requests. So if they listen to one persons calls for 1 week at that person makes about 20 phone calls a day, that is 140 other conversations that have been involved that may not have been target in the first place. Same with phone records. And cell tower requests, text messages. I think for every million requests, there are possibly 20 million other Americans affected inadvertently. I think that is out of control. With numbers like that, I think everyone of us has had a part in one investigation or another in the last 10 years. Things didn't used to be like that.

Then there is the kidnapping cases. I understand that. Especially if it is a kid.

I disagree with Soul on the criminal sentencing thing though. I think our system is failing terribly. There are European countries that don't have near the repeat offender rate that the US does and don't have death penalties. In many other countries, once you have served your time, you are considered to have paid your debt to society and are not put through the kind of probation scam the citizens here are put through here. There is a lot of money in the criminal justice system and of course we have laws for everything, rules for everything, consequences within the law that don't match the crime. Say a rapist gets 4 years for a rape, then someone with 3 drug selling offenses can get life. Or saying "Im going to kick your ass" is a terrorist threat and a felony, but actually kicking someones but is assault/battery. Just a few loose examples there.

All in all, I think there really needs to be more accountability for keeping accurate records of what kind of requests are made and through what department etc. I think there has to be a warrant issues because it is a search and seizure and should be covered under the Bill of Rights.

Technology is changing so fast that law makers can't keep up with laws that are needed to protect our citizens. They need to get on this and set some sort of uniformity standard and require a warrant in a very high percent of these requests.

[KRSTY]

Will somebody please fix Krsty's slinky please. I am on the patio with my kindle No I am not going in

and

[Guardian7347]

The ability to wiretap or request phone records is an important tool needed by law enforcement agencies, both federal or local. Being able to access the GPS capabilities is also extremely valuable, not only for law enforcement, but as already mentioned, in cases of kidnapping or missing persons. All very necessary and useful tools that should continue to be at their disposal. So long as they remain restricted to their constitutional limits. I LIKE for them to be able to wiretap and track individuals who are engaged in nefarious activities. I think that's great! I also think that sort of activity allows plenty of time to request a warrant and utilize just cause. The use of emergency powers should be limited to times when imminent loss of life may result if immediate action isn't taken. A child is seen being kidnapped off the street. Ok, if you turn it on right then, you can track where that child is being taken. The kidnapper will probably take that phone away soon enough, but it at least gives you a good start. That warrants it's use. If a cop wants to track the movements of a suspect, but doesn't quite have enough for a warrant, then clearly he is outside his rights to ask for any information in the first place. I firmly believe in limitations on what those who are supposed to work for us are allowed to do.

[KRSTY]

Oh hell, we agree.

[JessicaBunny]

Back on jeremym's food topic. i found this article from april this year, that says fast food is linked to depression. i'll paste the article below.

There is a direct relationship between eating fast food or commercial baked goods (doughnuts, cakes, croissants) and the risk of developing depression, according to a recent study by scientists from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada.

The findings reveal that consumers of fast food are 51 percent more likely to develop depression than minimal or non-consumers.

Furthermore, the connection between the two is so strong that “the more fast food you consume, the greater the risk of depression,” said Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, Ph.D., lead author of the study.

The results also showed that those participants who ate the most fast food and commercial baked goods were more likely to be single, less active and have poor dietary habits (eating less fruit, nuts, fish, vegetables and olive oil). It was also common for individuals in this group to smoke and work over 45 hours per week.

The results were equally consistent in regard to the consumption of commercial baked goods. “Even eating small quantities is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression,” said Sánchez-Villegas.

The study sample consisted of 8,964 participants who were part of the SUN Project (University of Navarra Diet and Lifestyle Tracking Program). The subjects had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants. They were assessed for an average of six months, and during this time, 493 were diagnosed with depression or had started to take antidepressants.

This new data supports the results of the SUN project in 2011, which recorded 657 new cases of depression out of the 12,059 people analyzed for over six months. This study showed a 42 percent increase in the risk of depression associated with fast food, which is a lower percentage than found in the current study.

Sánchez-Villegas said that “although more studies are necessary, the intake of this type of food should be controlled because of its implications on both health and mental well-being.”

Previous studies suggest that certain nutrients play a preventative role in depression. These include B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil. And an overall healthy diet has been linked to a lower risk of developing depression.

This study has been published in the Public Health Nutrition journal.

[Guardian7347]

Seems speculative at best. What other factors were overlooked in this study? People who eat a lot of fastfood also tend to be overweight. Overweight people may be more vulnerable to depression. People who work 45+ hours a week also tend to run a sleep deficit, and a lack of sleep has definite ties to depression. And that's on top of the possibility that they may be overweight, and overly stressed, and stress can lead to depression. Last but not least, overly-stressed, over-weight mid-level managers often ARE single due to job requirements, and being single or just a lack of sex period can also lead to depression. I think blaming the food itself is a red herring personally, but that's just my opinion.

[Dorn]

Let's look at obesity (technically, a body mass index higher than 30 kg per square meter) from a national perspective. Fresh stats from the OECD places America at number one, with more than a third of the population aged fifteen and older classifying as obese.

Consider the worst nations:

1. U.S. 34%
2. Mexico 30%
3. New Zealand 27%
4. Chile 25%
5. Australia 25%
6. U.K. 23%
7. Luxembourg 22%
8. Iceland 20%

Those are high numbers compared to France, Italy, Sweden, and Norway--all weighing in at around 10%. But can anyone tell me why that is the case? Why is, for instance, Luxembourg more like Mexico than France, or Iceland more like the U.K. than Norway? Is there a logic behind the stats or is it mostly random?

On the bottom of the list you'll find South Korea and Japan, both scoring slightly below 4%. Anywhere else this would be an indicator of extraordinary health, physical and psychological. However, when it comes to suicide rates--the strongest indicator of clinical depression--South Korea and Japan are far worse off than any of the nations mentioned above, be they obese or slender.

For the sake of clarity, I'm not looking to discredit the results of the study. There may well be a link between obesity and depression, and if there is one it should be made available to the public to increase awareness. Nevertheless, it is equally important to not let a singular finding overshadow the very dynamic and multicausal phenomenon that is depression.