You guys are killing me...LOL!!!!

• Food Stamps - sm
  • "Food stamps" now are paid on EBT cards - federal EBT cards which look the - same for federal employees who (SM)
  • Maybe she BORROWED it , things - sm
  • Snap judgments are unfair. nm - nm
  • Have you thought that perhaps she is a foster mom or....sm - Georgia gal
    • No, unless of course the foster kids of choice - sm
  • Maybe she was buying food for someone? - sm
  • Did you check the registratio you think maybe it did not belong to her? borrowed to sm - grrrr?
    • I agree... - steph
      • I don't know about anyone else, but if I owned an Escalade, I sure wouldn't lend it out. - gd1

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***UPDATE*** The Associated Press reveals more details about the shooter:

The suspect had been disarmed after an earlier incident at the center but returned with another weapon, according to a senior military official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the shootings was ongoing.

***UPDATE*** The American soldier who shot dead five fellow soldiers at a U.S. base in Baghdad is in custody.

"The shooter is a US soldier and he is in custody," US marine corps lieutenant Tom Garnett, a US military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters.

The New York Times adds some perspective to the tragedy:

The killings appeared to be the worst case of soldier-on-soldier violence among the American forces based in Iraq since the invasion more than six years ago.
The shootings, which took place at a stress clinic, highlight the problem of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. soldiers, notes the Guardian:

Stress is one of the biggest killers of US soldiers in Iraq. About a fifth of all US troops are thought to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, contributing to high divorce and suicide rates. An estimated one fifth of the 4,292 members of the US force in Iraq have died from non-combat causes, either in accidents or from suicide.
***UPDATE*** According to Fox News, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs Monday relayed President Obama's response to the tragedy. Obama expressed shock and sadness and is promising to fully investigate what exactly transpired at Camp Liberty, so as to prevent such incidents in the future.

***UPDATE*** AP has another update. The shooting was at a 'stress clinic':

Pentagon officials say five Americans are dead after a U.S. soldier opened fire at a U.S. base in Baghdad. They say the attacker is in custody.

The officials say the shootings happened on Camp Liberty at a stress clinic, where troops can go for help with the stresses of combat or stress from personal issues.

One senior military official in Washington says it's unclear whether those killed are workers at the clinic or were there for counseling. He says officials also are unsure whether all the dead are members of the military.

***UPDATE*** ABC News reports that the U.S. soldier who attacked fellow troops on a U.S, base in Iraq has killed five of them and is now in custody. Initial reports suggested that he had turned the gun on himself after his rampage.

***UPDATE*** AP now reports that the U.S. soldier who went on a rampage against his fellow troops in Iraq may have survived the incident:

Pentagon officials say five U.S. soldiers are dead after an American soldier opened fire at a U.S. base in Baghdad.

The officials say the shootings happened Monday at Camp Liberty near Baghdad's airport.

One senior military official in Washington said it was not yet clear whether the shooter was among the dead. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the circumstances surrounding the deaths are under investigation.

Initial reports indicated the Army soldier shot several others, then turned the gun on himself. But it was unclear whether he, too, had died.

***UPDATE*** CNN reports that 3 other U.S. soldiers were wounded during the friendly fire incident that has left 5 U.S. troops dead. An American soldier killed 4 of his fellow troops before killing himself.

According to the Washington Post, it is the single greatest loss of life in a single incident involving U.S. soldiers since a truck bomb last month took the lives of 5 American soldiers.

***UPDATE*** CNN has just sent out a breaking news alert reporting that senior defense officials have told the network that a US soldier killed 4 of his fellow troops before killing himself. Check back for more information.

McClatchy is reporting that a shooting at a U.S. base in Baghdad has left 5 soldiers dead. The shooting occurred at Camp Liberty, a base near the Baghdad airport.

wonderful responses and so quickly.  I hope we can keep this thread going to help each other out.  I wrote down these ideas and am going to start implementing many of them right away.  Here are some of my ideas:

1.  Utilities - We had 2 cell phones, got rid of one, which was mine, and I hardly ever used it.  My husband has to have his because we run our own business.  We had 2 house lines, one for our house phone and one for a fax machine.  We got rid of one line, and kept the fax line, converting it to accept phone calls as well as faxes. 

2. We heat our house with corn which in Northwest Indiana is a pretty cheap way to go.  It will cost us approximatey $600.00 to heat our 2600 sq ft house for the winter.  We would normally pay almost $450.00 a month with our heat and electric if we paid or electric company who has a monopoly in this area; no where else to go. :-(

3.  I used to throw a load or two of laundry in every day, no matter how big the load (I have an energy efficient washer), to save time and so the laundry did not pile up.  However, I realized that I was wasting soap, softner, and water even though I have an energy efficient washer.  So, I am doing laundry only 2 days a week, maybe three if need be.  Washing bigger loads at a time.

4.  In regards to above, I use my dryer as a time management issue, because I run the office of our business during the day and transcribe at night.  I think I will implement hanging my clothes out next summer, because I do not think it would be efficent in the winter right now - - would it?

5.  I buy all snack foods at Aldi's.  You save $1.00 to $1.50 an item.  I shop at the most least expensive store in the area when possible, only shopping at the higher-priced stores if there is a sale.

6.  Turn off lights, computer, etc., when not in use.

7.  I buy my cleaning supplies and laundry supplies at our area dollar store.  They carry name-brand items as well as generic-brand, but quite a bit cheaper.

I am brain dead now.  I am sure there are many more.

Please keep them coming.  There were many things that you guys mentioned that I never even thought of, and I am sure we can give each other good ideas to implement.  I feel we are in a war here, and we need all the ammunition we can get as we carry out our role as our home managers :-)

We really appreciate the support.

I wanted to share a picture of Chewy with you . . . I had wanted to get a picture of the five of them, all lined up getting treats from Daddy, heads turning in unison watching his every move . . .

this place and the ability to vent and have you guys listen unconditionally.  And thank you for being so kind with your advice.  I know what I did wasn't good and almost immediately regretted it.  But you all are right, what's done is done, and I should just focus on my family and friends who do want to be part of our lives. 

Just a followup, in case everyone was wondering about reaction to my email, I've received two responses.  One from a daughter-in-law of my FIL's wife who offered her ear and her prayers and also told me that she has always wanted to say the same things.  The other response I received was basically "shame on you for airing your dirty laundry" and told me I sounded like a bitter disturbed person which I guess I am.   For right now anyway.

Thanks again, you guys are the best!

about the alert and info on the 9-month-old?  People just blow my mind with some of the things they pull these days!!!

So I've got this thingy set up to "alert" me whenever my "handle" comes up or the name of the company I work for--and it shows this wacked thread!  

I'd love to see a woman in the White House as well, but definitely not the one currently running.  There's something about her that just rubs me.  Oh yeah, the fact that she's still married to that dickhead for starters. 

I'd vote for Ellen DeGeneres...female, gay (really frost the republicans behinds!)...and most important....A FRIGGIN RIOT!   I'd love to believe that the world's problems could be solved with humor.  It'd be fun to see her give it a shot though.  Jon Stewart would make a great vice president.

If I were president, the White House would have a petting zoo, the rose garden would also have petunias in it, macaroni and cheese would occupy at least 1/4 of the food pyramid.  Camp David would be open to the general public.  All UFO information would be declassified.  Political correctness would be outlawed and greenbud would be legal.  Lastly, public schools would have classes on manners, school uniforms, and corporal punishment...but I guess that goes back to my pervy private fantasies again.... 

All marine mammals are protected in the United States by the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972. There are also international laws and treaties that
protect marine mammals. Unfortunately, there are still threats to marine
mammal populations, such as illegal hunting, pollution, and habitat loss.
Learn more about these issues and tell others, including lawmakers, how you
feel about them. Together, we can solve or prevent many of the problems our
ocean friends face.

There are five distinct groups of marine mammals:
Pinnipeds - seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses
Sea otters
Cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises
Sirenians - dugongs and manatees
Polar bears

Who would have thought polar bears?  But, it makes perfect sense considering they swim and forage for food underwater.   Cat     

How come a guy can waltz in and land the high-paying job without a degree, yet the woman has to have the proof of degree in hand, the multiple references (which with us are ALWAYS checked--men hardly ever), and the johnny-on-the-spot answers to such stupid-ass questions as, "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?"  ...all for a job (whether it's this field or whatever) with crappy benefits and crappy pay and even crappier treatment when you want time to also do the most noble thing of all and be a mother. 

I felt 100% better after I vented that.  I wish I would have stopped myself sooner, but I'm glad I stopped at least when I did.  There were a lot of comments I would have liked to have made to that woman and didn't. 

As for winning and losing, yes I was irritated and yes it was selfish of me to want my kids to win that one (I guess that means I'm human).  But more than anything, I absolutely did not appreciate being talked to by her in that condescending manner.

I still do not like the woman and never will, but I will make sure the next game I will be as far away from her as possible and not to take it so seriously.  You guys are right and I thank you for the reality check.  My kids are still #1 to me and always will be no matter what the scoreboard says.

As an aside, I never put down any of the kids, on either team, but in retrospect, I think my behavior over the incident was a childish.  Gotta work on that!

In the kitchen - where you prep food and possibly eat?  How sanitary is that?

The bedroom isn't too bad, I guess, but isn't there anywhere else you can put the things?

And how many cats do you have that you need 4 litter boxes?

I sense a weird *cat lady* amongst us.