and it helps you poop, too, right? That is what I remember, anyway!

Hmmm...very interesting combo topic LOL _ smoking, politics , tourism and obesity problem
In my humble opinion, which is very" opinionated" lolflag: , obesity is product of growth hormones introduced in our food chain through milk, cheese, meat and even water since all of that junk ends up in our water supply at the end ! Next biggest factor is physical inactivity - people work too much, kids spend too much time doing "busy" schoolwork and than staying inside the home at free time and it is getting impossible to go anywhere without a car - either due to distances, or safety, or lack of good public transport.
I was in Italy 2 years ago - didn't see anybody fat LOL, I think once one lives in the USA - all other nations look slim as a stick . When I first came here I was mortified by seeing "morbidly" obese people - I never
saw that in my life before and just could not believe what I was seeing. I did not even made connection with obesity, I thought those people have some horrible disease that makes them that huge !!!
Regarding tourism and USA, it depends what one enjoys seeing. There are many great National Parks to bee seen, cities can be skipped LOL, all look the same more or less. Anything older than 50 years is a landmark LOL, and more than a 100 is considered an "antiquity" , which I still find amusing !
The only really extraordinary place is state of Hawaii - heaven on earth !
All in all, USA biggest assets are natural beauty and WONDERFUL people !!!!!!!!!
Politics - I will skip that one - had more than enough in my life of that crap of "prostitution" of the nations - never will get it- period
Smoking - if it makes your life enjoyable - do it LOL. You can be hit by a car tomorrow and than what LOL! Moderation is the key for everything ! There are people who never smoked and got lung cancer and those that smoke and never get any cancer. Yes, one rises the odds - butt what were the odds of me getting a fissure with healthy diet , no IBS, no constipation EVER in my life, no colorectal problems EVER before - 0%, AND I GOT ONE - so... there.. Fissy has spoken
HAUG !

Thats the routine Lecia !!!
But really it doesnt i know that :roll:
Fiss
I love to read your opinions..... You are one wise lady !

What is funny is how the poorest people in the US eat the most, and get the fattest.

Kim
Bad food is cheapest, isn't that the reason? Fruits and vegetables are quite expensive....

The most convenient food is also the most fat-laden, typically....and cheap, Corsi! No doubt! I always saw supersizing as a sales gimmick, guess I lucked out onmissing a few extra pounds that way!
Veggies aren't terribly expensive here, at least not here locally.
BTW, I wasn't being disparaging of poor people, just noting the point that typically you'd expect them to be leaner, I guess...

Kim, you are an intelligent man :)

Kim wrote:When 9/11 happened, the whole world stood with us and mourned with the US, but then to see all that goodwill vanish down the drain just two years later was horrific for many if not most Americans.

Kim, I love to discuss politics, but I have to watch "my tongue" so that I don't insult somebody. I just wished that people in Europe, the USA, and other western countries had more knowledge about why for example 9/11 happened, why the muslims behave the way they do in the Middle East, why there are problems in South America, why some of the African countries are in such chaos, etc. etc. We (the people in Europe, the USA, and other western countries) are very much to blame, we (= our leaders earlier/today) have treated them so badly for so long. They are frustrated, what can they do? What has life teached them? How have we treated them the last 100 - 200 years?
I do not, in any kind of way, support terrorist attacks, they are cruel and will always kill innocent people. But still, I can understand their frustration, and I think we owe them to try and understand them and why they behave the way they do. Don't forget that some of the western countries have killed a lot more people through history than terrorists did on 9/11.
This is too big (and controvercial) a topic to discuss here, and I don't think there is one easy solution.
The reason the goodwill went down the drain is very much because of what the Bush administration (and others) launched after 9/11: "War on terror" & "Kill Osama B L", and the war in Iraq where they went to war without listening to the UN (that really shocked us...big time!).
Of course terrorism should be eliminated, but how? More agressive US threats of wars/wars? Or maybe we should try something else? Diplomacy? Justice? Dignity?
I think our political leaders should be humble, look back in history and try to correct some of all the awful and unfair things their countries have done earlier!
Corsica

Tabby
Do your cigs help you to get a BM? I didn't know that....coffee does it for me :) I know one isn't supposed to drink coffee when having an AF, but I need my coffee in the morning (I drink 1 litre of watre with each meal, is that too much?).
I would love to get rid og my AF and be able to live again. Enjoy good food and a glass of wine. I also would love a glass of Coca Cola again.
Is your A/D in September (8th)?
Corsica :)

Corsica, there is so much I want to say in response to your wonderful political treatise, but in the end i will hold back as I suppose politics have little place here except for maybe the occasional rant-- I don't want to upset anyone and I probably would since I am such a liberal!! But I do agree with you and I can see you are quite passionate about your political views, too!
That is a spectacular waterfall in your avatar, love it!!

I smoked occassionally from about the time I was 17 to 24 years old. I remeber that it really made me have to go to the bathroom. I would never want to be stuck in traffic with a smoke, a coffee, and a bran muffin!