Poem (A Friend)

I was going through some papers tonight when I came across a poem I wrote on April 28/99 (yes I was in Grade Eleven). The poem's kind of funny: I was pissy at my friend Laurie cuz I felt like she has changed since she started dating her boyfriend Carl (incidently they are now married). She was my best friend from like grade four until the point of this poem. We don't really talk much now...but she is doing well in Edmonton I have heard from mutual friends. The teenage angst in this poem is hilarious to me.

A Friend

I once had a friend,

who would fight to the end,

of overy argument and quarrel.

I once had a pal,

who was an independent gal,

but that was before a guy named Carl.

I once had a buddy,

who didn't mind getting muddy,

outside when we played in the yard.

I once had a chum,

who rarely appeared glum,

over having no valentine's card.

I once knew Laurie,

who never made me sorry,

for being the person who I am.

I once knew the girl,

who made life a whirl,

before she became a THEM!

Social Faux Pas

So I almost committed a pretty big social faux pas at lunch time...I was on my way home at lunch and listening to my ipod. The song "Golddiggar" by Kanye West came on and I started singing along. Well I have the uncensored version so the song goes "I ain't saying she's a golddigga, but she ain't messing with no broke n***". The n-word isn't something I would say in my normal course of conversation, nor is it something I would EVER say in a derogatory way, but when it's in a song I'm singing I usually sing it. As luck would have it I turned my head to the right and there was a black gentlman in his car, with his window down, staring at me (could have been coinincidence) and I was just about to sing that part of the song. I stopped dead in my tracks. I'm sure if I had sung it, he would have been able to read my lips and would have thought I was saying it to him. That could have been so bad! And I would have felt so bad. You never know, he could be a future boss interviewing me or something and hold that against me. Whew!

Fabulous Reading and Some Great Advice!

I finished reading a book called "Diary of a Mad Mother-To-Be" by Laura Wolf. Turns out it is a the sequel to "Diary of a Mad Bride" but I read it anyway without knowing what happened in the first book. There's an old adage that says "don't judge a book by it's cover" but I do. All the time. I can't help it, I like to read books that are pretty, cute, enticing...so I picked this one up and it was everything I wanted it to be! An entertaining, easy read with a little bit of pregnancy advice mixed in (it’s research remember?). So here’s what I learned (a.k.a. an exert from the book):

Top 21 Things No One Tells You About Pregnancy
-No sushi
-Twenty-four-hour “morning” sickness
-Forty weeks (basically ten months) of pregnancy [not the mythical nine]
-No aspirin
-Dog nose [a.k.a. you smell everything within a mile of you]
-“Glow” is [actually] sweat
-Excessive flatulence
-Heartburn
-Ungodly constipation
-CRC (Can’t Remember Crap)
-Public petting [as in everyone and their dog wants to touch your belly without asking]
-Final erosion of person identity [you are now the baby’s carrier]
-Incontinence [inability to hold in urine when sneezing, coughing, etc]
-Broken capillaries
-Difficulty breathing
-Difficulty sleeping
-No hot tubs
-Spongelike water retention
-Clumsiness
-“Due date” is a figure of speech
-It’s worth it

P.S. - This most definately is not meant to be an advice book, it's purely fictional.

The Lights Are On But Nobody's Home

So on Tuesday night I needed to take my grandma to the Red Deer Regional Airport to catch a flight. First of all I had a hair cut booked for 5pm. Unfortunately my hairdresser was running late and I couldn't get in until 5:30pm. I did the math count down:

Flight Time - 7:10pm

Suggested arrival 45 minutes prior - 6:25pm

Time to get to Airport (had no idea but thought I'd better give myself at least 1/2 as it was somewhere south of Red Deer) - 6:00pm

Time to Pack the Car (5 min) - 5:55pm

Time to drive from Hair Stylist's to my House (10 min) - 5:45pm

Time Left to get a hair cut & pay: Less than 15 minutes...

So I rescheduled sadly since my stylist is gone to Florida for a week I can't get in until March 5th.

So I zipped back to my house to pick up my Grams and we made it to the Airport by 6:15pm (turns out it's a fairly short drive). Get to what is suppose to be the terminal (I think it's like 800 square feet) and no one is there. NO ONE. No security, janitor or homeless guy let alone airport worker. So I called the 1-800 number for the airline in a panic that I some how missed the "real" airport. They assured me that I was probably at the right one and to call again in 20 minutes if there was still no one was there.

About 6:50pm I called Peace Air (the airline) again and told them no one was there and to make sure that if we were somehow at the wrong place that they'd wait for my grandma. They tried calling the counter lady and were unable to get ahold of her but left a message. Reassuring [read with sarcasm]. It's now 7:05pm. I go outside to check on all these vehicles that keep driving past us to somewhere else. It's a parking lot labelled "staff" so no secret airport there. A girl is walking across the parking lot towards me. She asks if I am flying out that night. Told her my grandma was. She's like "oh I didn't know I had any passengers tonight". Good for you. So she opens her area and my grandma checks her bags and gets a slip of paper written on in pencil as a boarding pass (their technology amazes me). The girl says the plane will arrive "soon". We are relieved to at least have another soul in the airport.

Then we go back to where we were sitting (by the pamphlets) and wait. And wait. And wait. About 8 o'clockish a plane lands on the run way, but it has the wrong airline name on it "infinit air". Turns out this is still the plane my grandma will get on. This is a full hour after the plane was suppose to arrive and a full two hours from when we arrived. We said goodbye (sadly) and she left. The kicker is that I totally would have had time for my haircut if I had the right information.

SIDEBAR: If you're reading this Grams it's not your fault I missed my haircut...so don't say sorry or feel bad.

Words from my Friend Diana

I just wanted to say "thanks" for trusting me and confiding in me. I feel lucky to have you as a friend, and I am happy to listen to whatever you want to talk about. :) You are really great to be around, and I always enjoy our conversations. I hope you have a fantastic long weekend!! Let me know whenever you run out of X-Files! hehe. Talk to you soon.
Luv, Diana :)

My letter to the radio station Big 105 AND their response

Hi There,

I've recently started listening to your station during my workday (due to the "beat the banker" contest, which he hung up on me by the way) and have a few questions or tips for you about your songs and play lists.

1. Why do I hear "How Bizarre" by OMC everyday? This song was released in 1997 which is a decade ago and I didn't like it that much that year let alone 10 years later and here we are still listening to it. I understand I need to suffer through Alanis Morisette and Barenaked Ladies so that you can meet your CanCon quota but as far as I can tell OMC is not Canadian...

2. Speaking of CanCon: I'm sure there are more than 5 successful Canadian artists so why do we hear such a limited variety of them? I understand that this is a time consuming request but maybe you could start featuring new, non-top 40 Canadian artists like once a day or one a week? Especially during the 9-5 time. P.S. - Please do not interpret this as a request to hear more Celine Dion or Shania Twain.

3. Perhaps you have a non-repeat work day but the same work day seems to play Monday to Friday! And even if you played the same artists they do sing more than one song so we shouldn't have to hear the same song day in & day out…

3. The whole clip of "this is new music" and the teaser song clip, then the actual song playing is really annoying. If you're going to be playing the whole song right away I don't need a teaser clip.

Overall I have been enjoying your station, the Dj's have a good energy and are funny and entertaining. I bring these points up because while you may be Red Deer's best station, I'd like you to be one of the best in Alberta.

Thanks & keep up the good work.

Crystal Nelson

Hi Crystal:

Your FAX was passed on to me for my review. After reading it my first thought was ‘Wow’! You listen a lot. In fact, in the radio world you’re what we’d classify you as a ‘heavy’ radio user. You’re rare, but it also explains most of your concerns and questions.

As a broadcaster, you represent the ‘perfect’ listener because it sounds like you listen all the time. I noticed on your FAX that you work in an office setting which, I’m guessing, means the radio is on most of the time. However that does create issues of its own. Radio stations are never designed for ‘heavy’ listeners because they make up such a small percentage of the overall audience (In the last BBM ratings survey there were less than ten ‘heavy’ listening ballots out of a 400-ballot return). An average listener would listen for 2-4 hours per week, so compare that with how much you’re listening and you’ll get the idea. I also get the impression you know a little about radio and music since you make reference to Cancon percentages and top-40 artists. As a radio programmer you have to play familiar artists and familiar tunes which means the biggest songs by the biggest artists to have the greatest impact…and remember I only get 2-4 hours per week to make that impression with the average person. Playing unfamiliar tunes, generally, only appeals to fans of an artist or true audiofiles. One of the best analogies I’ve heard is comparing unfamiliar music with being at a concert. In a crowd of 20-thousand you’ll have your die-hard fans, your average fans, and those who got free tickets. When the band plays a new song you’ll notice the crowd goes quiet and people get up to go to the bathroom or get in the beer line because they’re unfamiliar with the tune. Our experience has shown that humans are creatures of habit. They like what they know and generally don’t have a tolerance for something new…and it gets worse the older they get.

Trust me, playing unfamiliar tunes by non top-40 artists would be the death knell of the station, and I’d be banging on your door looking for a job within a year.

With regard to OMC’s HOW BIZARRE. This was interesting. I checked how many times this song was played since Jan. 1/07. We’ve played it a total of 18-times spread over 24-hours a day/seven days a week. If I break it down to strictly office listening (8:30a-5p; Mon-Fri), it’s been played eight times in seven weeks. I kid you not!!! However your perception is it’s being played everyday. Since you said you didn’t care for the song when it came out I would think this one song simply rubs you the wrong way.

Finally, I’ll be honest. I love the ‘New Music’ teasers. We’ve been doing them for about eight months and you’re the first person who’s voiced a concern. I think the best compliment we’ve received on them is that recently CKGY started doing EXACTLY the same thing. Since we’re the only station in Western Canada that presents our new music in this manner we know where they got it from.

Crystal, I truly appreciate your comments. I wish there were more listeners like you who’d take the time to tell me their thoughts on our station(s). Please keep in touch. If I can ever help to clarify things for you, be sure to drop me a line.

Jim Hall

New Year's Resolutions for March

Since February is half over I am going to take a break and plan my NYR's for March...they are:

1. Take my supplments as prescribed.
2. Stay on top of my budget.
3. Complete taxes for Tyler & I.
4. Continue attending super fun water aerobics (even if the water is SUPER cold) and work out hard.
5. Utilize my PDA for effectively (i.e. I still haven't read the manual and don't know how to do 90% of what it's capable...that makes me really sad cuz my mom spent a lot of money on it and I haven't taken the time to use it).

NYR: An Evaluation for February

Here is January’s Mini-Goals:
1. Attend water aerobics starting Jan 15
2. Plan at least one social event.
3. Make at least one “Rachael Ray” recipe per week.
4. Hit the sack at 11:30pm on week nights.
5. Keep in-law rants on blog or to friends: not to Tyler.

Evaluation:
1. Um, I missed 3 classes. That sucks. BUT I was totally sick/ill/exhausted so I am not going to feel guilty.
2. I totally planned and executed a social event: card night. It was fun, there was about 6 people other than myself & Tyler. We played Taboo & Cranium. I lost at both. :-(
3. I've beeen doing not too bad at this one. I would say I've averaged a RR recipe each week.
4. Missed this mark on this one. It's super hard. My night owl tendenacies are deeply rooted. Despite the fact that I have woken up super exhausted like every day this week I keep staying up until like 1am...
5. I think I've minimized my in-law rants pretty good to Tyler.

Alternative Health Care: The Visit

So yesterday I decided to try going to this alternative health place, there they read your body to see what is wrong with it and/or what it needs. I’ve been feeling fatigued lately and having ruled out some things (pregnancy, thyroid, etc) I thought I’d give this a shot. It was really interesting!

So I saw Darlene at about 1:30pm. She asked me to hold on to this electrode and then she read my body using this machine and vials of liquid that were numbered. Everything she tested she wrote down on a piece of paper that I get to keep.

According to these tests my lowest vitality areas right now are:
1. Blood
2. Hormones
3. Parathyroid
4. Digestion

And the highest stressors in my blood (the number one vitality area):
1. Metal Poisons
2. Fungus
3. Flukes
4. Virus
5. Radiation
6. Parasites

So my body asked for the following supplements/oils/vitamins (info I found on the internet post below):
1. Dolphilus Plus
2. Acidophiles
3. Adrenal
4. ChlorEssence
5. Vitamin A & D
6. Evening Primrose Oil
7. Sea Salt (cuz my sodium is low)


Towards the beginning of our session she said my stomach was “up” and that was what is causing my chest pains. When she was talking about it, it sounded really familiar. Then I remembered where I had heard it before: at the psychic’s that I had gone to see about a year and a half ago. So that’s crazy. I had totally forgotten about it cuz at the time it was really not relevant.

She also went through a list of foods of stuff I should avoid right now as my digestion is out of whack (according to her I am only absorbing 20% of the nutrients I am eating).

Best: apples, lemons, red fruits and veggies (I.E. red peppers, carrots, raspberries), garlic and onions. Also bananas, oranges, spinach and potatoes for potassium.
Avoid: milk products (cheese, milk, cream), sugar, aspartame, pasta, wheat, coffee.

I’ve never been good at avoiding foods (hence why I’m a horrible dieter) so I’m not sure how that part will go. She also said that my electrolytes and/or sodium was low so to take some sea salt everyday (like 1/8 tsp) and to drink a Gatorade a day for three days.

I'm scheduled to see her again in about a month to check back and see how the treatments helped. She said she starts from scratch again the next time so she doesn't keep a list of what happened in this appointment.

Hmm...hope I didn't miss anything...if I did I'll just post a comment.

What do you all think about this?

Alternative Health Care: Supplements

My Supplements as per the Internet:

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose is a rich source of omega-6 oils. The body can use these oils to build prostaglandins needed for a wide range of body functions. Fatty acids are required for many body functions including regulating temperature, building nerve sheaths, and producing energy. CRYSTAL: I believe this was for regulating my hormones.

D, Vitamin

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is required for the absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus by the intestinal tract. It is necessary for growth and is especially important for the normal growth and development of bones and teeth in children. It protects against muscle weakness and is involved in regulation of the heartbeat. CRYSTAL: Aid in digestion and decrease depression.

A, Vitamin

Vitamin A prevents night blindness and other eye problems, as well as some skin disorders such as acne. It enhances immunity, may heal gastrointestinal ulcers, protects against pollution and cancer formation, and is needed for the maintenance and repair of epithelial tissues. CRYSTAL: Um, it came with my vitamin d?

Adrenal

The adrenal cortex helps to maintain salt and water balance in the body. It is also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of blood sugar. Symptoms range from simple exhaustion to much more complex problems. New Roots Herbal Adrenal concentrate gives the adrenal gland support to meet the challenges of today's high stress environment. It boosts your endocrine system resulting in a higher tolerance towards stress. CRYSTAL: Help with metabolism and fatigue.

ChlorEssence

It can be used as a nutrient-dense whole food or a food supplement taken to ensure you are obtaining all of your dietary needs. Fatigue and mental depression, which are so common today, are signals from the body that something is wrong. Chlorella serves as an overall health and immune booster to encourage and maintain good health. It is excellent for vegetarians due to its B-12 content and wide range of amino acids, including all 8 essentials. Many people report that taking Chlorella before meals acts like an appetite suppressant. Because it contains such a wide variety of nutrients and fiber, Chlorella can easily satisfy our nutritional needs and therefore, our appetite is diminished. Also Chlorella is known to be an adaptogen or a biological response modifier (BRM) meaning it helps the body lower hormones associated with stress. These stress hormones have numerous negative effects on the body that can cause us to eat more, but our ability to digest that food slows down, leading to weight gain. If we lower those stress hormones (as with Chlorella) our food cravings diminish and our digestive system can work more effectively! Chlorella is mostly recognized for it's rich composition of phytochemicals that support the body's natural self-defense mechanism, detoxify and nourish the body and assist in achieving longevity and well-being. It makes sense that if your body is weary, run down, undernourished and etc. that where ever there is a weak area in the body, that area will probably suffer and with the proper nutritional support those problems can be reversed. CRYSTAL: So yeah, that all sounds good. I'll take all of it.

Dophilus Plus (Acidophilus)

Antibiotics kill off good and bad bacteria indiscriminately, allowing the more aggressive pathogens—which are usually kept in check by an 85:15 ratio with healthy bacteria—to grow out of control. This imbalance can cause excessive gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, and poor nutrient absorption. Moreover, it can leave undigested food in the intestine, where it can putrefy (rot) and release toxins that invade the body and compromise health. CRYSTAL: That would be for the building up of good bacteria.

Words from Catharina

My friend Catharina wrote the following to me:

"You are truly amazing and should consider making this (mentoring and couseling) your career.
Downside of it, you will have to listen to everyone's problem and have a solution.
Upside, you will see how good you have it, and not all these problems that people tell you about, lol

Your opinion, info and advise, truly is worth gold. And you are so right about it too."

Thanks Cat!

Wise Words from Wise Women

"I can't stand makeup commercials. 'Do you need a lipstick that keeps your lips kissable?' No, I need a lipstick that gets me equal pay for equal work. How about eye shadow that makes me stop thinking I'm too fat?" - Maria Bamford

"I don't try to be a sex bomb, I am one." - Kylie Minogue

"They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?" - Diana

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once." - Jennifer Unlimited

"I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on." - Roseanne Barr

Mother in laws

Some of you may think this is weird but I am jealous of my mother-in-law's relationship with my husband. They had 18 years to build a relationship before I showed up so naturally they would have a closeness that I cannot match. However sometimes "they" just feel weird together. My sis-in-law Kim and I have a discussions about it as well as I have had discussions with a few friends of mine.

An example: in my wedding pictures I have a photo of my husband dancing with his mother and he has a look on his face that you would expect when he is dancing with his wife. What should I make of this? That the look carried over from our dance? Except that he doesn't have that look in our dancing pictures...

Tyler and I got into an arguement the last time he was home. He works in Fort McMurray and is carpooling with a guy from Edmonton so he drives through there. I asked him if he was going to stop at his mom's everytime he goes through (cuz technically it's not on the way) and he says "Why not it's only 15 minutes away?" I said cuz "that's 15 more minutes you could have spent with me before you left!" Considering he is home only on the weekends and sometimes not every weekend. However for the last few weekends Kim has given us stuff to drop off at his mom's requiring him to stop there.

When I tell/advise Tyler to do something he never trusts that I am a credible source. But then if his mom says it than he runs out and does it. Example: I told Tyler that it would be a good idea for him to get a credit card to build himself some credit (he's really good with his money). He scoffed at me saying "I don't need a credit card". Then his mom tells him the EXACT same thing and suddenly it's a good idea!

I think some of the creepy vibes I get from them is due to the fact that Mary (the mom) has consistenly chosen bad men for herself and Tyler feels like he needs to "save" his mom. But she's the parent and she should have been protecting her children not the other way around. Even a few years back, Mary got laid off at her job and Tyler lent her money. He was maybe 20 at the time? Why should a 20 year old have to lend money to his 40yr+ mother?

One more rant...I feel like Mary is very superfiscially driven. As in she bases a lot on people's looks. She continues to bleach her hair blond and still owns leather pants. Example: one time we went out for her birthday to a karakoe bar...there were 3 skanks singing "earl" by the dixie chicks (my least favorite band) and Mary says, pointing to a skinny blond girl "I wish she was my daughter. I always wanted a daughter and she is so cute." Um hello? What am I?

Thoughts?

Warm Fuzzies

I just got this email from my friend Kyla:

"You know, I’ve decided that you must be an extremely approachable, and you are very trusting. Because.. you are always the first person to know things...it’s great! :D Just thought I’d let you know that so you’d feel special You are a wonderful friend! "

Thanks Kyla! Your comments made my day.

P.S.

My chest still hurts.

Baby News

Calm down. I'm not pregnant. But anyone who knows me knows that I am anal when it comes to planning and preparing. So, I am starting my baby/child research (some of you may have even heard me say that I was going to have kids solely as a great big psych experiment but don't worry I've passed that stage of thinking). You know how childless people always say "my kids won't be like that/do that?" Well I am one of those. But parents quickly forget all the things they said that about. Therefore I decided to write myself an advice book for parenting. That way when the time is right to procreate I have this handy "bible" so to speak on what to do. Yay! So exciting. I've started watching the "Mom Show" and I'm taking notes. Any advice out there? I'd love to hear it before it's too late.

My Opinion: BC Sextuplets

ARTICLE TO WHICH I AM OPINIONATING:

The Vancouver parents of sextuplets born in January are now in a legal battle with the province, claiming the government violated their religious rights when social workers seized three of their newborns to give them blood transfusions.
The parents, both Jehovah's Witnesses, argue the province had no right to step in against their wishes to take temporary custody of three of their four surviving sextuplets.
B.C.'s director of child protection seized one child on a Jan. 26 order under provincial child-care legislation. An order for a second child was sought the following day and a third on Monday.
Two blood transfusions were done, and the babies were returned to the custody of their parents on Wednesday. The couple says their constitutional rights were disregarded because, as Jehovah's Witnesses, they oppose any treatment involving blood transfusions.
In a motion filed to block future seizures of the babies, the parents, who can't be named under a publication ban, issued their first public statement:
My wife] and I deeply love our babies and want them to live. We continue to be heartbroken about the death of [two of them]," the husband wrote in an affidavit. "We will not, however, consent to blood transfusions. We firmly believe that our creator commands us in scriptures, such as Acts 15:28-29 to abstain from blood products."
Court documents show the parents had a strained relationship with the doctors assisting the birthing process and that the father repeatedly rejected suggestions from medical experts that aborting two of the fetuses could give the remaining four a better chance of living.
Two newborns already dead
Two of the sextuplets — Canada's first ever — died soon after being born at the B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Centre on Jan. 5 and 6. All of the babies were 15 weeks premature and weighed less than 2.2 pounds each.
B.C. Minister of Children and family Services Tom Christensen made it clear that regardless of a family's religious affiliation, "the obligation is to ensure that a child in need of protection … gets the treatment required," even if that means the ministry must step in.
But Shane Brady, the lawyer representing the family, said the government must first give the parents a fair hearing, which the parents never received.
"They are very frustrated and deeply hurt by this unwarranted interference in this very difficult and challenging part of their children's treatment," Brady said of the parents.
The parents will be back in court in late February, when they will demand a government apology for violating their religious freedoms, and then try to persuade the court to end the possibility of future seizures.

MY OPINION:

Alright so here it comes, but first a warning: this is only my opinion and others are entitled to theirs! Please feel free to post comments.

While I believe the parents have a constitutional right to refuse blood transfusions for themselves I do NOT believe they have any constitutional rights to impose their beliefs on their children. In fact I think as a society we have an obligation to see that these children are not forced into their parents belief systems and die because of them. Therefore I 100% support the decision to remove these children from the parents care and give them what they need to survive. It is my understanding from talks with a JW friend of mine that JW's commit to their religion when they are old enough to do it for themselves (unlike say Catholics who baptize babies) and so these newborns would not really be JW's yet even by their own standards. So by this logic their argument has no merit. I am also outraged that they are saying they deserved a "fair hearing". I can only assume that this fair hearing would be a time consuming event that in itself could put the babies in danger by delaying treatment/care.

All that being said I have to admit that I personally don't really respect the JW religion. I do not claim to know 100% of what they believe but what I know is bloody ridiculous (pardon the pun). Before I go into that I'd like to share with you a little story:

A community is suddenly overwhelmed by a flash flood. The water is rising very, very quickly so a man and his family escape to their roof for safety. As they are waiting there his young son looks up to the father and says "Daddy what's going to happen to us?" The father replies with confidence "Don't worry God will save us." So they all sit their praying for help.

One of their neighbors approaches their roof in his boat and yells through the rain "Hop in I'll take you to dry land". The father says "No thanks. God will save us." The neighbor tries to convince him but eventually motors off shaking his head, off to save others.

The family stay shivering on the roof and keep praying to God to save them. One by one the other people on the rooves are picked up by the neighbor's boat and others. Pretty soon the family is all alone on the roof. The water is rising very quickly.

Then a helicopter flys towards them, hovering above they drop their ladder and using the bull horn shout "Use the ladder. We'll get you outta hear." But the father refuses saying "No. We don't need it. God will save us." The rescue crew try to persuade them but it's of no use and they leave.

A little while later the water rises so high that the whole family drowns. They find themselves at the Pearly Gates. The father is angry that God let his family down: they were good people. The father marches over to the Saint guarding the gates and demands to speak to God. The saint says "I'm sorry he's very busy. What can I help you with?"

The father, angry, starts to yell at the saint "We did good deeds. Went to church. Tried to live our lives without sin. Then God just left us there to drown on our own roof!"

The saint looks at the father in disbelief, "He sent you boats. He sent you a helicopter. What more did you need?"

The morale: God gives us miracles every day. He helps us learn, find, create/invent things that make our lives easier and help us live longer. Miracles aren't always apparitions, jesus shaped potatoes and lights shining down from heaven. Don't wait for this type of "miracle" to save you.

Now the reason I bring this story up is because my JW friend told me about the blood transfusions than she showed me an article about a girl who was dying and the doctor's said she needed blood but her family stood fast and refused and she lived! It was a miracle. Pile of crap as far as I'm concerned. The girl (if she even exists) was proably one in a billion. God helped us discover how to give the right blood to the right people so we could save lives! Another arguement I have for JW's is that if God tells you to abstain from blood products than why do you eat meat? Does that not have blood in it? Don't get me wrong, I love meat, but like most religions they pick and choose how they want to use the scripture and how it's applicable.

Now let's hear everyone weigh in!