Posted 1:25 PM by Bonnie

Dang Nabbit! Well, I was working to take off a pound and a half this week to make my 40 lb. loss mark, but fell short by one stinking stupid idiotic 1/2 POUND!! Sigh... oh well...next week. Next week we are having our ARD (Area Recognition Day) and I am supposed to get a couple charms there, for some accomplishments during the year. I will fill you in after the happening. This week I will lose that 1/2 pound and more!

Posted 8:47 AM by Bonnie

From Tuesday Newsday:

DEBATES
From CNN

The Democratic and Republican nominees meet three times in 13 days, the first 90-minute forum beginning Thursday at 9 p.m. in Coral Gables, Florida. Their respective running mates, Sen. John Edwards and Vice President Dick Cheney, will debate on October 5 in Cleveland, Ohio.

1. Are you going to watch any, or all, of the debates?

Yes I am going to watch as many as I can. Even though I already know who I am voting for I still find these interesting.

2. Who do you think will win them?

If the votes are on content and who makes the most sense, from what I have heard so far I would say Kerry will win the debates. But if it goes to the one who can't dazzle you with his brilliance so baffles you with bullshit, then it will go to Bush, but I still have faith in my fellow Americans that they will see beyond the rhetoric and bullshit.

3. Do you think they will make a difference in the election?

I know it won't make any difference to me, but I also know people who are waiting for the debates to make up their minds, so yes, to some degree they will make a difference.

4. Are there going to be any local debates in your state or area? If so, will you watch, or attend those?

I haven't heard of any in my area, but if there were I would try to attend. It would be an interesting experience.

Posted 6:58 AM by Bonnie

My Tampa Bay Bucs! It was bad enough when the Bucs management decided it was a good idea to fire Tony Dungy. After all, all he ever did for them was to take a losing team, a team that was the laughing stock of the NFL, and took them to the Super Bowl! But they didn't win, so the management in their infinite wisdom said he had not done enough and fired him. The John Gruden comes in, gets the great team Dungy built and wins the 2003 Super Bowl. But, Chucky, as he is affectionately? called because he resembles the Chucky doll, started getting rid of key players and the team lost it's momentum.

But now! Now they have cut me to the bone! They didn't renew my man, Warren Sapp's, contract! How dare they! This man was the heart of the team! The motivator! The one who when things looked the bleakest could spark the team and the fans with so much enthusiasm they could pull a win out of what looked like a sure loss.

He is now with the Oakland Raiders and who do they play this weekend? Yep, Oakland hosts The Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

"It's the hype that becomes bigger than anything else," Sapp said Wednesday. "The game's still played 11 on 11, bone on bone, first and second down, third down. You've got to bottle your emotions and go out and do what you're supposed to do.

"It'll be no different. I got no friends on offence. All my dogs play defence. I'm not going against them."

But he admits this one is for bragging rights. It also will be an emotional rematch of the 2003 Super Bowl, won 48-21 by the Bucs, who are led by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden.

Sapp, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, agreed to a seven-year, $36.6 million US free agent contract with the Raiders in March.

Earlier this year, Sapp was optimistic about re-signing with the Bucs. But Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen - Al Davis' longtime senior assistant who left the Raiders in January - never made Sapp an offer.



The team just isn't the same with you Warren! So who's next? My beloved Martin Grammatica?

Oh and this season, without Warren Sapp, The Redskins beat the Bucs 16-10 and The Seahawks beat the Bucs 10-6. Good going Buccaneer management! You sure know how to take a winning team and turn them into a bunch of losers.

Posted 1:06 PM by Bonnie

Well, I didn't do it this week. I wanted to lose 3.5 pounds to reach another step in my weightloss program and reach the 40 lb. loss. I did lose 2 pounds which only leaves a pound and a half, so that will be next week. I guess I was asking too much of my body to drop 3.5 in one week, but others have done it so I thought, why not I? I wish I knew their secret and they aren't telling, because this week I drank lots and lots of water, walked, worked out at CURVES, even started moving books and book cases around the apt. No, the latter wasn't just for the hell of it, but by request. My husband would like all his math and stat books in his office and we decided all the videos that are currently in his office should go in the bedroom, since with the new arrangement I have the TV set up for easy viewing from bed. As my husband said, that is pure decadence! We love it! So, everyone wish me luck and keep thinking of me as thinner and thinner during the week!

The good news is one of my favorite women in the group, did get her first 20 lb. loss charm today. I don't know if she would want me to say her name, so JulieBird, if you are reading this I just want you to know how much you inspire me to lose. She never gives up no matter what happens. Oh sure, she gets down and depressed, but she pulls herself back up and gets back on track and keeps on going. She does so much for the group it seems we could never give enough back to her. We love ya, JulieBird!!

Posted 9:48 AM by Bonnie

I'm going to combine my We Have Brains response and my Tuesday Newsday response, since both link the same topic.

From We Have Brains:

Will women decide this next election? And if so, for whom will they decide? An article on NPR this morning said that Bush is winning the women's vote, in particular in the Bible thumping swing states like Ohio, where they are coming out in droves to vote for Bush because he is against gay marriage.

1. Does this worry you?
2. What, if anything can/should we do about it?
3. If you are planning to vote for a 3rd party candidate, does this information have any impact on you at all?

In response to the first question, YES!! Of course, it worries me. Any woman who would vote for someone wants to take away the rights we fought so hard to achieve, simply because they have a problem with same couple marriages is beyond me. Do they forget there was a time WOMEN had no rights and we had to fight for them? Now, women would deny others the same unalienable rights that once were withheld from them based on their sex?

What can we do about it? Vote! Make sure your vote counts and find others who have no way to get to the polls and take them with you. I live in the bible belt and believe me I am going to make my vote count!

I was not planning on voting for a 3rd party candidate so the information would not affect my vote. I am voting for the candidate I feel will best serve our country, our people, and be more fair and open minded in his judgement. How I wish I were saying in HER judgment.

From Tuesday Newsday:

1. Does this information have any impact Does this surprise you?
2. Do you think gay marriage is really the reason, or is something else causing women to lean toward Bush?
3. If you are planning to vote for a 3rd party candidate, on you at all?

1. Does this surprise me? Living in the bible belt I find it disgusting but not surprising. We are constantly having religious issues pushed down our throats even when we think we are in a non-religious place. The self-righteousness of it all is what bothers me, when they preach judge not lest ye be judged yourself and then sit in judgment of everyone who is not exactly like them.

2. I don’t want to believe it is just the gay marriage issue that is moving women towards Bush. He paints himself as the Christian president – he lied, he cheated, he stole the vote, he sent young boys to die in an illegal war – he has committed just about every sin listed and broken every commandment, yet because he SAYS he is a Christian and wants to put this so-called god into everything including war J, he has persuaded the bible belt he is their candidate. They are too easily led by astray and that is sad.

3. Has already been answered above.

Posted 9:04 AM by Bonnie

Poetry in Sumter! Someone has finally opened up a forum for us poets here in Sumter, SC! I have tried to get open mic at our local coffee house, but they didn't want to stay open at night. Our only book store is in the mall, so no go there... but!! last night someone with some pull got the Opera House (which is no longer used) to open up and let some poets from Columbia, SC come in and wet our appetites for more.

The day started with a 4 PM poetry workshop, where we learned about imagery, strong endings, and having a question that needs answered in the poem. Kimberly Sims, a performance poet headed the workshop. What was sad was only one other person showed up. We need more culture in this little college town, but it is hard to get people to understand the beauty of poetry.

At 8:30 Kimberly performed some of her poems and also read some from page. I was totally impressed. She has a website if you would like to learn more about her. She has also been on the Columbia, SC slam team that won various competitions.

The South Carolina Slam team was great!! They did individual presentations and ones where they combined different views. One between the Minister and a young gay man each defending their point of view was especially exciting and awe inspiring. It was titled Only One Time and I am going to try to find the CD if only to share that one poem with everyone I know.

After they completed their performance they had open mic. Only 6 of the 25 people in the audience signed up for it and yes, yours truly was one. I performed my poem written for my maternal grandfather titled Irish Songs and was surprised in a 95% black audience that it was received so well. My poems aren't as loud or dynamic as what most performed, but I think my quiet poem after all the yelling into the mic might have been a pleasant change. Another young man, from Mexico, who learned to speak English but never to read it, read his poem in Spanish and he had the English translation, so one of the men from the Slam Team read the English version. His poem, like mine, was quiet and more personal and very very moving. What courage it took for him to get up there hoping someone would read the translation for him. He told me he writes for his soul and you could feel it in his words. As I told him, I didn't care if I couldn't understand all the words in Spanish, his reading was so moving you didn't care what the words meant, just how it made you feel.

Then the fun began!! Improv poetry!! What a hoot!!! The Columbia Slam Team does this for entertainment purposes only :-). They have people from the audience shout up ideas for a poem and each of them has to come up with a poem centered around that theme. One was chocolate shoes which one of the members actually managed to turn into a moving poem about her mother and a love of chocolate. When no one else could come up with a subject I suggested hummingbirds and two of the three, from the 5 member team, who were there did wonderful poems off the cuff. The third, the clown of the group, had us rolling on the floor with tears streaming we were laughing so hard as he walked to the mic, softly sang... oh hummingbird, oh hummingbird, I know nothing about you hummingbird. Then went on to do a little poem asking why someone would want him who knows nothing of hummingbirds to do a poem about hummingbirds, and then ended with his little song.

The evening ended on that note and a reassurance that this would become a monthly event in Sumter. I hope so!! I loved it!! I had a ball!! I wish it could be once a week!

Posted 12:48 PM by Bonnie

This is a favorite recent picture of me. Taken a few months back. The owner of this horse will not allow anyone over 200 pounds ride the horse. I only have 16 more pounds to go! It has been so long since I have ridden a horse and I am hoping to have it off by fall. There is nothing more exhilerating and freeing than being on horseback on a beautiful fall day. Of course, the fall here isn't the same as up north, but it will do in a pinch.



I had a gain of a pound this week so three more pounds and I will have lost 40 pounds since joining TOPS a year ago. Not too shabby. I only have 57 lbs. more to go to reach my goal of 160. I remember when it was 94 pounds to goal and it seemed so far away and almost unattainable. I've had my ups and downs, but more downs (losses) than ups and am slowly getting there. I am now believing YES! I can do it!!

Posted 12:38 PM by Bonnie

This is a test, this is only a test. If I finally have this figured out a picture of Keith and Mosby will appear below.

Posted 10:34 AM by Bonnie

If it wasn't for the Tuesday Newsday my blog would not have as many weekly updates. Looks like I missed last weeks, but this weeks has not eluded me.

ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

It is still Monday as I write this. The assault weapons ban ends today. Do you think it should?

No, not only should it not end but the word ban should be changed to law. We ban smoking in public places, we ban spitting on sidewalks, but using the word ban when applying it to something like assault weapons seems wrong.


Some people have claimed that no law is better than a faulty law. For example, the current law bans AK-47s but gun manufacturers can issue weapons that slightly differ from the AK-47 and suddenly be legal. Does this invalidate the current law, or is having some weapons banned better than having none?

As I stated above this should become a law not a ban that can be lifted, like a curfew. Not only should it become a law but it should be made stronger. To say the ban should end because it doesn't cover enough areas is ridiculous. Our govt. should just admit the strong influence of the NRA has on their decision to lift this so-called ban. If the current ban or law isn't strong enough, make it stronger!

And finally, if you could write your own weapons ban law, what would you ban?

No weapons that can fire more than one bullet per pull of the trigger will be sold to any individual regardless of standing in the community or weapons training. Assault weapons or repeat fire arms are for military use only and are not necessary for hunting or self defense. Therefor there is no reason for an individual to own such a weapon.

Concealed weapons should be limited to small arms that are not repeat fire weapons and the person must carry their concealed weapons license and proof of weapons training at all times. If the weapon is used in any case other than self defense the person will lose their license, be subjected to fines and jail regardless of the use of the weapon.

Collectors will be limited to weapons that are disabled and no longer usuable as weapons. If a collector has an enabled assault weapon in his or her collection that person must render the weapon disabled and will be subject to fines and or jail time for possession of an illegal weapon.

Posted 3:07 PM by Bonnie

Hurricanes and Florida: This is just my humble opinion on why so many hurricanes have been hitting and destroying Florida these past weeks. Remember the last election when Al Gore won Florida, then suddenly he didn't and then thousands of the votes for Gore were lost and the others couldn't be counted for various reasons and lo and behold because of all this chicanery we now have The Shrub in office. Now, Shrub and family claim to be good christian god fearing folk. Hmmmm.... let's see, they lied, they cheated, they stole the election. In office he lied, he cheated, stole from the poor and gave to rich, stole a lot of our freedoms while we were sleeping, started an illegal war and justified killing thousands of innocent people... and now, here we are coming up on another election and he's out their toting his stuff again and I think this god of theirs is totally pissed off at him and his family and has decided this. Since it was the fault of Florida and Mr. Jeb that the Shrub is in office now, well, why not just wipe Florida off the map and then we won't have that problem come this election. Make sense?

Posted 12:48 PM by Bonnie

Another Tuesday Newsday:representation

Now it's the Republican's turn for a convention. Do you think this convention represents the Republican party as you see it? The speakers, the location, the subjects?

And speaking of representation, I must admit I find CNNs choices of commentators for the Democrats versus the Republicans to be particularly offensive (okay so much for unopinionated questions.) For the Democrats they had, among others, Mo Rocka, whom I enjoy but who is basically a comedian, down on the floor interviewing the Dems. For this convention, he has been replaced by Carlos Watson, a conservative political analyst who is anything but funny. To me this says they are putting a much more "serious" light on the Republicans than the Democrats. What do you think?


UPDATE: Mo Roccas is BACK! So either more people than me saw the discrepancy in the representation, or my blog is more powerful than I could have imagined. (Yeah, right!) However, he has been added to the list of pundits, which is longer than the Democratic list, still giving the Republicans more representation than the Democrats.

My response: I'm not watching the RNC because from what I saw they are sinking as low as they can go in their speeches. Cheney trying to make jokes about Kerry changing opinions fell flat. They act as if someone who stubbornly clings to his decision regardless of how wrong he is proven, is better than someone willing to listen and make changes if he finds he made a wrong choice.

As for the commentators I have to agree it does seem they are trying to bias people by acting as if the DNC was a big joke and making it look like the real joke, the RNC, should be taken seriously, but what they should take seriously are the 300,000 people marching and protesting the RNC. I have always watched CNN for up to date information, but they are really irritating me with this tactic. You have to wonder how much the RNC paid them.

I find it tacky on Bushes part to hold the RNC in NYC trying to take advantage of 9/11. But like I said they have sunk pretty low. I did see part of Bush's wife's speech and she was pretty bad stumbling over words and such, but then maybe she was just trying to make her hubby not look so bad when he gets up to make his speech.

Just my humble opinion.... :-)