wayout

Hope all is well Four Aces...and hope you see these message of well wishes.

A simple and sincere "Thank You". I think you have set the bar pretty high for whomever follows in your footprints. A job well done.

I suppose that the question is how much less safe those folks feel. I would not be surprised at that happening but would be surprised if for most that it would be a significant impact.....and likely it is a temporary "blip" and that it will pass over time. Human nature is such that the fear of the unknown and uncertainty will increase after such an unexplained situation. Whether it is greater or less than the impact from an explained situation is unclear to me but certainly both can have some negative impact on a feeling of safety/security on many, albeit only for a limited time I suspect. Do I feel less safe because of MH370, Perhaps, but if I do it is only because it is in the back of my mind as I will be flying this weekend but it is almost unperceivable. And, assuming to further news or events, that feeling will soon disappear. RA1, can you provide a bit more detail as to what that increase invasion of privacy you are referring to? Is it related to checking luggage, the personal screening procedures/methods, collecting info, etc. Not saying I don't generally disagree, just looking to understand from your perspective specifically where you feel the line has been crossed in what is being done.

I agree with Charlie that there can be a big difference between two locations of stores in the same chain, both in regards to service and selection. I shop mostly at Giant Eagle and go a bit out of my way to go to one that is nicer and better in regards to service and selection. Being retired I can go on off times so I don't have to deal with the crowds and also I have found that I will go to different places rather than one stop shopping....a local butcher for my beef/poultry, a fruit and vegetable market, bulk warehouse for paper products, etc. Kind of going back to the way my grandparents would go to specialty shops before the chains came about. I tend to think I am getting better quality that way and even think I do pretty well on the prices, even considering the extra driving I may do. A side comment/observation....Not sure if this is common elsewhere, but around me there is a tendency for most of the chains to use mildly autistic adults for bagging and taking care of collecting shopping carts from the parking lot. I think that is a great thing and I am assuming they are being paid a standard wage. Oh and one other thing while I am at it...I think the greatest development in chain supermarkets has been the introduction of self checkouts. I can do the scanning and bagging myself in half the time it takes for a cashier to do it (and I like the way I bag things myself). Now if there were cute guys as cashiers then I might make an exception but unfortunately for me that rarely happens at the times I go

I have been tracking my bp for about two years now on a semi-regular basis (almost daily). Although my bp is in the relatively normal range (per the chart below that I use but I suppose now may be revised at some point), it has been on the higher side for the last several months. This made me wonder since I have been steadily working on reducing my weight by better eating habits and exercise for about 6 months now. Talking to someone this morning about bp, it was mentioned that perhaps I am not drinking enough water and may be somewhat dehydrated. That got me thinking that in fact with increased exercise I have likely not been drinking enough water. That and also increasing my caffeine intake with more coffee, which I understand is a mild diuretic, may be part of why I am not where I think I should be. Anyway, this has been a great thread as it has provoked me to get a better understanding of some issues that I can do to help improve my numbers. Here is a link to an article about bp and water intake: http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/144397/blood/

7 Strange but True Facts About 'Dr. Strangelove' at 50 https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/yahoo-movies/dr-strangelove-trivia-170458997.html

Great idea...I will do that on my next appointment. Thanks

I seem to only have high bp when I go see my doctor. I believe they call that white coat syndrome. Fortunately she seems to understand that and hasn't been trying to get me on medication. I just hope my home bp monitor I use most every day that says I am "normal" is working ok.

How things change over time....

Here is my take on it, admittedly from someone without children but I believe I am fairly observant of what goes on around me. Without a doubt it is a complex issue but one of the root causes, imho, does relate to parenting (or lack thereof). It also seems to me that there has been a fundamental shift in the balance of power, for lack of a better phrase, between authority figures and children. The result is a lack of respect for parents, teachers, rules, laws, etc. This often leads to behaviors that progressively get worse because corrective actions aren't taken early enough or aren't as effective as they might be. Years ago that respect may have come from fear to some extent but I think there were many other factors at play as well. Much too often parents are more absent these days, either physically, emotionally or spiritually, because of single parent families or both parents having to work (often multiple jobs). It is easier for parents to be "friends" with their kids rather than deal with real issues such as discipline, teaching and nurturing. Unfortunately, as this progresses through generations, good parenting practices becomes diluted over time and setting a good example for the kids becomes less and less likely. I often read in the local paper about a parent being arrested for shoplifting while with their kids. Consider those not caught doing that and we get an idea of what message they are sending to their offspring. Add to that the need for constant stimulation, instant gratification, greater peer pressure, searching for something that they aren't getting at home, a depressing outlook by many for their future, an ever increasing materialistic society, etc etc and we start to see a spiral downwards. So I am not surprised at what lurker is experiencing. I try to be optimistic about the future but this makes it very difficult to be that way to be honest. As far as parents being better informed, I would argue that while there is more information out there, it is questionable in my mind if that information is always better. So perhaps the reality is that the gap is just getting much bigger....the good parents are getting much better but the bad parents are getting much worse. The question is whether we just pay more attention to the bad or is there really much more on that end of the spectrum?

The conspiracy theories are flourishing so I hope they can find it to put it to rest (although there will always be those who will proffer conspiracy theories regardless). Here is one that I came across while casually surfing the net this morning: Malaysia Airlines Mystery Deepens After Top Disease Experts Rushed To Indian Ocean http://www.eutimes.net/2014/03/malaysia-airlines-mystery-deepens-after-top-disease-experts-rushed-to-indian-ocean/ Personally I think it will be found with almost certainty...it just may take years. And not to digress, but speaking of how there is always someone out there with wild theories and/or claims, just the other day I saw a claim that it was impossible for the two airliners to crash into the twin towers: http://www.americasfreedomfighters.com/2014/03/07/ex-cia-pilot-gives-sworn-testimony-no-planes-hit-twin-towers/

A man moved into a new apartment of his own and went to the lobby to put his name on his mailbox. While there, an attractive young man came out of the apartment next to the mailboxes, wearing a robe. The new tenant smiled at the young man and he started a conversation with him. As they talked, his robe slipped open, and it was obvious that he had nothing else on and had a huge erection. The new tenant broke into a sweat trying to maintain eye contact. After a few minutes, the open robed young man placed his hand on the new tenant's arm and said, "Let's go to my apartment, I hear someone coming." They went into his apartment; he closed the door to his apartment and leaned against it, allowing his robe to fall off completely. Now nude, he asked him, "What would you say is my best feature?" Flustered and embarrassed, the new tenant finally squeaked, "It's got to be your ears." Astounded, and a little hurt the naked man asked, "My ears? Look at this body; it is fit and trim. I work out every day and my butt is firm and solid. Look at my skin - no blemishes anywhere. Look at my cock, it is hard and huge. How can you think that the best part of my body is my ears?" Clearing his throat, he stammered, "Outside, when you said you heard someone coming, that was me."

The whole fascination with the mystery is in itself fascinating. I haven't been watching the news that closely but I imagine it is a major topic there. Realized how much it is a focus of attention when I got an email from SiriusXM about a special program on the matter: Malaysia Air Mystery – A Listener Roundtable Tonight 6:00 pm ET SiriusXM's David Webb hosts an interactive special dedicated to connecting listeners to experts in the fields of aviation, intelligence, national security and more as it relates to the what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. I suppose human nature to speculate as someone else has mentioned. I may just listen in to hear what people are saying, especially the "experts".

I'll keep my acceptance speech short. What a wonderful surprise and I'd like to thank the Academy...and of course TotallyOz!!!!

An Irish man is sitting a a bar drinking A gay man comes up to him and asks, "can i give you a blow job?" The Irishman stands up and punches the gay man. The bar tender comes over and asks, "Why did you hit that guy?" The Irish man replied, "He said somethin about me gettin a job"

The long hair on this ginger is just fine...more to hold on to. Love it.

I'll leave this to hito to find something good to say about this.... http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_sudh4ysc

Absolutely fantastic...if I were the jealous type it would almost make my head explode btw, would love to hear more about your plans relative to the Peace Corp.