I just returned to Texas from Phoenix

[Horse with no Name]

Wow what a trip!
My apologies first to Lonestarnt for not being able to get together.
The day we got there we were stuck in traffic for HOURS from a bad wreck on the freeway, then we caught(and still have) the flu everyone out in Phoenix has (emergency rooms had over 9 hour waits).
We returned home through the wildfires in Texas.
Got gouged on hotel rooms both ways.
However, was one of the best Christmases in recent memory.
I hope everyone here had the same.
A couple of highlights--you have to realize that most of my family is not very political, at least in obvious ways...
I needed some medicine from the store. Was asking my mom where the closest place to go was, she gave me directions.
She told me not to go to WalMart because they didn't have friendly business practices and she didn't like the way that they ran the mom and pop businesses out then raised their prices. Said she was even on a local committee and blocked a WalMart from being built in their area.:)
My brother who is a SGT in the Marines was joking around, and said that the soldiers in Iraq know the score. Heck, they even call the Iraq War "Operation Iraqi Liberation", but for short, they just call it "OIL".:)
But even better, I bought my 89-year old Grandpa Jimmy Carter's new book for Christmas. He was so pleased. Knew it was #1 on the best seller list and said (paraphrased) that he was the last morally decent President we have had. He was more than a little discouraged that the average person believed the biggest lie that George Bush has told the American people--that he was a Christian. Said that people should be able to see his actions and KNOW that he isn't a Christian.
Also he was very disappointed that people aren't smart enough to figure out that the Republican goal was to eliminate the middle class and leave only the very rich and the very poor.
In all, that was about the extent of the political undertones of my trip--however, I was veryyyy pleased that three VERY mainstream people that are NOT political junkies actually GET IT.
Happy Holidays to all!

[Warpy]

1. That flu is in NM, too

If you're on the east or in the upper midwest and haven't had a flu shot, GET ONE. This is one mean flu. I just spent four days with a temp of 103 and now I feel like I got run over by a bus.

But yeah, more and more people are angry and they're not worried about being bullied by right wingers and fundies any more. They're speaking up.

[Horse with no Name]

2. Very sound advice

Although I am not sure how much the flu shot is effective.
This flu is terrible.:( My family in Arizona said they have had it for weeks now.

[Bridget Burke]

3. I've heard this year's vaccine is pretty effective for this year's flu.

Although there was no shortage, poor distribution slowed vaccination programs this year.

Also--flu victims can be infectious for days before symptoms appear. And your body may need a couple of weeks to build up antibodies after the shot.