peregrinerose

Just PM me if you want to get her to us. We have 3 cats, 2 dogs (very cat friendly dogs), a rabbit and guinea pig. So she'd have plenty of company and be spoiled rotten. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Oh, that's sick. Hell, if you can't find anyone else, I'll take it. I live near Harrisburg, PA though, so it's a hell of a drive. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Tuna, read my post way back. I did it, I'm not proud of it, but I won't lie about it either. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

The problem with is that sometimes the immune system goes a little bit into hyperdrive, not only attacking the virus, but the person's own body. That's where the problem lies in vaccines. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. I'd rather take my chances with the flu than risk an autoimmune issue. If I was immunocomprimised (anciently old, etc) that would be a different story. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Check out http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/30/iraq.main/index.html Its incredibly sad, so many kids dying. But doesn't anyone else find it slightly odd (not to mention unhygenic) that a sewage plant opening would include a candy distribution ceremony for kids? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

The pic is entitled 'no sleep'?!?!?! Hell, if I killed that many kittens (or created that many puppies) I'd be sleeping like a rock. I'm such a guy, get laid and fall asleep 2 seconds later. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Hmmm, I don't know which I'd like more, creating a puppy or killing a kitten (one of my bumper stickers says 'I like cats too, let's trade recipes). Damn, I'd have a litter of puppies at home if that were the case though. Oooops, did I say that out loud? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I don't know if it's killing kittens for a girl, but if so, that one is good and soundly deceased. RIP kitten. Paj, hope you enjoyed the mental image Time to kill a kitten of your own? Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Yes, I did. I still see the older girl as her best friend lives down the street and she visits as much as she can. Both girls knew their dad was involved with me since at the time he was leaving his wife. Both wanted to call me mom. I wouldn't let them, I always tried to encourage respect for their own mother (even though I couldn't stand her). Both were dissappointed when their dad decided to stay put. The younger girl was only 7, and is very much like their mom. I wish I had more time to work with her. The older girl is 12 and has a good head on her shoulders. She's doing very well. I feel like if I wasn't involved with their dad, I would have had more time to work with the kids and could have made a far bigger difference than I did in the 2 years I knew them (1 with their dad) Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I had a 'dirty girl scout'. Can't for the life of me remember what's in it, but tastes exactly like a thin mint cookie. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I had a year long relationship with a married guy who was supposedly in the process of getting divorced. I got involved because I adore his kids (neglected by mom, I was doing all the momstuff, getting them off to school, tutoring, etc, she was high on painkillers). It was stupid, I will spend every day for the rest of my life regretting it. For anyone even loosely considering this path, learn from my bigass mistakes. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I told my husband I wouldn't marry him unless he stopped smoking. He cold turkeyed that day and hasn't smoked since. 2 years now. I'm so incredibly proud of him since everyone he works with does smoke so he's around it a lot. I know it's tough to stay away from sometimes, but he does it. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

He used to boink, even won three awards for boinking because he was so incredibly good at it. The only problem was the minor detail that the girl was faking, but of course he wouldn't admit that part. So after he was done boinking, he decided it wasn't such a good thing after all, so hit the protest trail on the anti-boinking, pro-chastity belt tour. His children were products of immaculate conception and/or the times that in a moment of weakness, he was pro-boinking, but then he realized just how wrong he was. Damn, makes me want to go do some boinking myself. Too bad I'm at work. Hmmm, guess I'll have to take things into my own hands...... Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Although I don't like Kerry, this kind of thing can be really misleading. Bills aren't as simple as one topic, one statement, one policy. Each bill starts out simple, but then a bazillion add-ons are introduced which complicates things. You can be for a bill and adamantly against an add-on, which way do you vote? If you vote against the bill, it looks like you are against the main gist of it, even though it was the add-on you had a problem with. If you vote for the bill, then it looks like you also voted for the add-on even though you were against it. So this who voted for what when thing I tend to tune out since it is so easily misconstrued and twisted around. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Even the initial flu vaccine had its problems. It caused Guillain-Barre syndrome in the 1976 version. Since these vaccines are changed every year, the possibility of it happening again with another strain does exist. G-B syndrome is where the autoimmune system attacks the nervous system of the arms and legs, causing weakness. It isn't fatal, but isn't good either. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I agree. So many people are on meds for diseases that are in part preventable.. diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, then on more meds to help counteract the meds they have to take, etc. Family docs prescribe antibiotics like candy just to psychologically appease flus and colds and 'pink eye' even though none of the above are generally bacterial. All they do is create resistant strains of superbacteria which are increasingly becomming a problem. I always advise my patients never to take meds of any kind unless they know exactly what each one is for. Their health and their bodies are in their control, too often they mindlessly just take drugs or have surgery or whatever just because the doc said so. Too often docs don't really address the problem, don't refer to nutritionists or weight loss programs, for example, with regard to obesity related health issues. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I think it is interesting, but not really useful as a realistic portrayal of world views. The vote is voluntary, looking at the initial stats it is european christian or athiest white collar young people (25-35). That's not really an accurate portrayal of the world. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I hate my first name, Jennifer. Far too many Jens in my age group. If you call anyone from 25-32 years old Jen (who is female), chances are you are right. I'd have to go with Scout. I love that name. Read "To Kill a Mockingbird" way too much as a kid. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I thought that DPT was still required to enter school? I'd rather my kid get whooping cough than autism any day of the week. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Yes, there are a lot of studies with regard to socioeconomics and HIV status. You'll find more data out there than anyone could go through in a lifetime on this one Most people don't advertise their HIV status, even to their own doctors sometimes. So I'm not sure where the guy was coming from on that one. Methinks it's more a drunk guy spewing idiocy than anything else. If you're going to publish your paper, just make sure that you do have the hard facts. Editors go throuh your study with an extremely fine tooth comb before publishing. I only tried to get published twice, both times had the papers accepted, but it took a lot of fine tuning and work on both. Good luck with your study!! Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Hi Jen, Honestly, anecdotal information that you are looking for isn't going to give you any real information worth basing a study on. You'd have to poll hundreds, if not thousands, of skydivers, basically with a yes/no question. Do you have HIV, yes/no? Only by compiling this data, taking into account the people that don't answer, then finding the statistical incidence of HIV in the skydiving population then comparing that to the general population can you really get an answer. To complicate things, you have to take into account any racial or gender influences on the skydiving population, as well as economic and educational levels. The skydiving population is very skewed toward males, it isn't an inexpensive sport, so you aren't going to have very many skydivers that are below the poverty line. You'll probably find (and this is also completely anecdotal so worthless information ) that skydivers are more often white, male, educated, between the ages of 18-40 and not poor. All factors that would influence the incidence of HIV. What would be your best bet is to come up with a completely anonymous questionairre, send to all skydivers willing to participate in your survey with the condition of total anonymity, no identifying factors at all, then compile the data. If you are very serious about undertaking this project and making it one worthy of a graduate research project, you could contact USPA for some help in getting the word out that you are looking for volunteers to participate. I'm sorry to make things so much more complicated than you expected, but I was a grad student and had to produce publishable papers, so know what really goes into them to make the project worthwhile. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I have never had a flu shot, nor will I. Vaccinations can be just as deadly or detrimental as the disease. I wouldn't even let my kids have vaccinations if it wasn't for schools requiring them, since they have risks to them and the diseases are virtually non-existant at this time. Of course the bonus is that I work in health care, so have about every antibody known to man Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I'm all for this. Teacher's have to put up with so much crap in the schools now. It's nice to see one addressing the problem, even if the parents are too immature to send their kid to school properly clothed. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Damn, can I make citizen arrests for that? I get really pissy when people are in my exam room and decide to answer their cell phone and talk really really loudly so everyone in the office can hear them. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I was questioning Nightingale's statement that it is the 'captivity' part that peta is against when it comes to eggs. Using that logic, if my hypothetical chickens aren't really captive or cooped up, etc, why wouldn't the eggs be acceptable to eat? Admittedly, I don't have this set up yet, but plan on a small farm in the not so distant future. At that time plan on raising my own chickens for eggs (and beef cow too, and fresh chicken... but it's only the egg thing I'm curious about). Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda