Leaving W, Senior, Obama, and Palin out of this ....  

Wow!

Very educational. I had to wikipedia Wiesenthal and Gatzonyiannis. Are you talking about Wiesenthal's book, The Sunflower? At the risk of showing my ignorance which Mao are you talking about? Is it Tse-tsung?

I want to thank you for being controversial in your last statement. I know you tend to avoid controversy, but you made an excellent point, and one I support in full.

I have to bookmark this thread. I want to research everyone you listed.

:-)

Ladybug you just caught me before I signed off. Wiesnenthal wrote far more than 'The Sunflower'. He was known as the Nazi hunter, he survived the concentraton camps and made it his lifes work, until his death at almost 100 a few years ago, to bring Nazis to justice, his aim being justice not vengeance. He was intensely disliked by many who felt he stole the limelight but has centres named after him in various countries now including Israel. He had a photgraphic memory and his documentation centre in Vienna was the ultimate in information held on Nazis.
Mao as in chairman Mao. When one talks about atrocities the way he controlled a whole culture with his methods was quite unbelivable, changing his mind constantly about which aspect of society was acceptable or not. Some of his policies such as the making of iron literally controlled everyone and it grew into control of parents fearing children, teachers fearing students, the perfect example of totalitarism.

That is where I have a terrible problem. I would want vengeance and justice both. It would eat me alive.

Have you seen "The Painist"? It is based on a true story, and the lead character lost all of his family in the camps. I, personally, would probably go insane with anger, and I would want justice served, but I would hate being nice about it. I don't think I could be.

I am so happy Wiesenthal survived and had such a good memory. The wikipedia article I read said he brought the man who arrested Anne Frank to justice, among many others.

I am so going to have to google movies on Mao. Or netflix something on him. It sounds really scary.

I read 'the Pianist'. I have a huge amount of Holocaust literature as find the whole thing fascinating. Wiestentals approach was to bring people to trial so keep the publicity going, he found people running companies and brought them in and was instrumental in the capture of Adolf Eichmann. The Anne Frank policeman was just a small screw in the processs but he took that one on to stop revisinism when people were saying the diary was a fake. There was a superb BBC film made of his life starring Ben Kingsley but it only got a single TV airing for some reason. He also inspired quite a few films. I find it incredible that he is not more widely known. This time signing off, night.

Excellent discussions you've posted today by the way. I've enjoyed them.

Thanks! I am trying to get my number of posts up to earn the ever valuable "copy and paste" ability, so I thought I would create some discussions. I was going to start asking people their favourite ice cream flavour, which I did, in a way, by asking about the older celebrities they like for eye candy.

I saw that film come up when I googled Wiesenthal. It was listed on IMDB. I wonder if it is on hulu or snagfilms. Might have to resort to netflix.

Back to posting I go. The parody one I did, I am having trouble not getting reactive at, as I tried making it the funny post. Twice now, I wanted to comment back to some of the posters, but did not want to debate so much in that one, as I intended for it to be light-hearted.

A tip then - making discussions will hinder your speed to 500 posts as it won't increase at all by commenting on your responses. The best way to hit it is to just respond a lot quickly as each response gives you a post count. Now if you really could face ice cream and even shirts you'd be there in a couple of hours, no one will comment back to you but you can sound as mad as you like. Just pop shirts in the search engine and you'll be amazed at what comes up for quick responses.

What ever happened to Madoff? Was he jailed? Is he still alive?

I am so happy you mentioned JK Rowling. She is someone to look up to, especially if you are in a bad situation. It shows persistance can actually pay off. I love her success story.

Hiya LaureninLA,

I know you only state three personalities but I would also go against Adolf Hitler, Praise for Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Also a fourth one if you let me Florence Nightingale who did much for England and set a trend to lead England out of it´s dark ages.
She was known as the Lady of the Lamp.
There are a few more that I would mention but that´s dragging it on.

I love your post, but that goes without saying.

Have you seen that magazines even photoshop the waif-thin models? I do think both extremes are dangerous.

Did you see when Kim Kardashian did not want to be photoshopped and said, "I have cellulite. So what?" Mad props go to her.

I hate when parents have their children treated for ADHD, without ever restructuring their nutrition program first. A lot of kids are consuming way too much sugar and no one ever thinks that is a contributer.

I agree that children are amazing, and the parents who encourage them are great. I was at the mall today, and I saw a parent telling her child what "toys for tots" is.

Thanks for the post; it put a lot into perspective for me.

:-)

Hi ladybug,

Overweight issue is big in Spain at the momet. A couple have had their Child taken away from them till he has lost weight. In my opinion not such a good idea. It should be the Family who is reeducated to learn how to eat properly.
Having said that the amount of anorexic Girls is on the increase and they are not getting well either.
For example someone of my size who just weighs 59 kilos cannot find a skirt that fits her just right they are all far too small and tight.
Lady in the Shop suggested that I was overweight?
I actually took at her bulging waistline and thought to myself well what about you lol.
None so blind as those who cannot see?

Couples here have their overweight children taken away from them in extreme cases, like if they suffer a heart attack at 14, or weigh 400 pounds.

Anorexia is probably big in the states, I think it is big everywhere now with the social websites like myspace and facebook. People love posting pics of themselves at parties or the beach, and consider the boney look, or just the right amount of curves, "hot". Anything a little too jiggly or squishy gets you placed in the "not" category.

I have my own weight issues, too. I am told I am underweight, but I am making myself eat more, and I don't like to, because I really want to wear a bikini in the summer. But, that is what exercise is for. I also limit what I eat because of my chosen lifestyle: vegan. It sometimes makes it hard to pack on weight.

And I do the ultimate 'no-no'. I will induce vomit if I ate something that was made with butter without my knowledge (or something along those lines).

I don't know how people battle eating disorders easily. We have what is called "fat camp", and we institutionalize people with anorexia. I'd rather go to camp than translate the lyrics of RadioHead songs in a psychiatric ward.

I heard people have their ribs removed to make their waists look skinnier? Do you know if that is true?

Annie, I agree with number three on your worst list. How many people have run to the doctor to get a drug they don't really need and have been harmed by it or another drug they have had to take to counter the side effects of the first drug? I've known people who have taken drug after drug to counter side effects and have ended up loony or dead, often times, loony and dead. Allowing pharmaceutical companies to advertise was a foolish mistake.

You made some excellent points.

I agree that a consumer is at fault when making a purchase, but McDonalds has some really tricky advertising up their sleeves. Big companies like that hire psychologists to find out what compels a person to purchase, appeals to the "nag factor" a child gives a parent until they yield, pays plants to sit outside busy buildings eating their food and showing their logos, etc.

It removes some of the choosing from the consumer, because it is very manipulating.

When I was a freshman in high school, I was taking some classes at a local juco, because I already completed the level at that age, so I do agree with that, as well. The school systems should be reorchestrated.

Hi 14generaldefence,

This theme about McDonalds sparks something off for me that I saw the other night about two American Men really overweight. One made it and slimmed down and has stayed that way the other has reverted back to his old eating habits.
This is second program that has moved me to tears because I think more than anything these People have an addiction to this Food but they just don´t realise it.
Can you become addicted to this kind of food? I guess you can but the really problem with them are emotional ones too.
One of the Mens Doctor was so understanding and treated him with such compassion I think that this also saw him through his ordeal.
Now he is able to walk again with crutches but he is not looking back.

In the states we have 12-step programs like "overeaters anonymous" which helps people overcome some of their addictions.

I think the fact that McDonalds is so appealling to kids is what gets me. They have the most indoor playgrounds that any fast food restaurant has and the branding is so easy for kids to remember.

Has anyone seen "Supersize Me" or "McLibel"?

Very interesting movies with regards to McDonalds.

I put a couple links below, including one that shows their slaughterhouses (graphic). They have more ethical methods of slaughter in the European McDonalds' and it would cost them NOTHING to insist their US factory farmers practice those same methods. They just won't.

Supersize Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Tv_mihMBA

McLibel
http://video.google.com/v...#

Unhappy Meal (graphic - grab kleenex if you watch!)
http://www.mccruelty.com

I agree with everything on your list. Did you know that they have to rotate the prison guards for Charles Manson? They say he has such controlling mind powers that he has convince a couple guards to help him escape.

I didn't know that but I definitely believe it. Thanks for the info.

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Your response doesn't surprise me any, but why do you say Pat Robertson hates homosexuals? He is apposed to the act, but he doesn't hate the people. Did you check out, "Operation Blessing"? What do you think of it?

I am not surprised that you are not surprised at my response.

It's weird how feminism and homosexuality are to be blamed for families breaking apart, but never "divorce" or "dissolution". Always something empowering for someone else seems to be "confusing women" or some such nonsense.

To the naked eye, operation blessing is nice. It helps orphans, it helps with disaster relief, hunger relief, medical care etc. Digging further, I have a dreadful feeling that they advance their christian evangelical agenda by offerring such help. I will bet they offer mandatory church services with the bowls of rice they donate.

Pat Robertson, a bible literalist, is still profiting nearly half a billion dollars a year, and such investments are forbidden in the bible.

He has made many defamatory comments regarding feminism and homosexuality. IE, he denounced Disneyworld for creating "GayDays", saying accepting homosexuality will result in hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombings, and possibly a meteor.

He agreed with Jerry Falwell when Falwell stated the 9/11 was caused by pagans, abortionists, feminists, homosexuals, lesbians, the ACLU, and People for the American Way.

He says that feminism is a "socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destory capitalism, and become lesbians."

He hates women and homosexuals.

Nice hero.

I went back to look at our lists. You criticize James Dobson and Pat Robertson because, you say, they hate homosexuals and women. You hate Christians and men. By your way of thinking, I can't see much difference in you and them.

I don't hate men. Quite the contrary.

I will say that I am opposed to organized religion. I find it to be oppressive and divisive, and I think it is so distorted and bastardized from its original intention.