Soap Box Day Today

[greatguns]

I so agree with Rudy!  Don't leave us, please.

[Tobina+1]

Tobina+1, pregnancy has definitely done something for you.  You are so right about everything you say.  Can't find a thing to pick on you about.  Keep up the good work.

Oh Wilma!  Hahaha!  I hope you weren't LOOKING for something to pick on me about!  That would kind of defeat the point of my Soapbox!  Haha!

I agree with David and Rudy, too.  There are so many things to talk about on this forum without engaging in arguments.  As you can tell, even those people who only pop in every-so-often (Maude and Maxine) are fed up with complaining and arguing.  EVERYONE (and I mean EVERYONE) has something to contribute to this forum, and I hate to see people leave with a bad taste in their mouth over one thread or a personal argument with one person.  Also, we have to remember to keep it in the thread (post), and not let it bleed over to the rest of the categories.  Teresa and I got into a heated argument last year over a political post, but yet on the Coffee Shop we were chatting it up like great friends.  I loved that!  Really showed me that we all can have our differences in certain areas, but yet still be friends.
Wilma; thanks for re-opening the Soapbox thread this week!  I think this is a good place for a release, and a place to "get it off your back" without getting another thread off track.  I hope you get your camera battery soon!  It's a great time of the year to be snapping pictures!

[Diane Amberg]

Thank you all, I feel much better about things. A little later I'll give it another try. I do sincerely apoliogize for anything I have done to add to any bad feelings.

[Wilma]

Tobina, Diane, when I opened this thread it was only to vent about how fast things become obsolete, but in view of what has come out of it, I, too, am very glad that I opened it.  Venting about my small problem made me feel a little better, but what some other people wanted to talk about has made me feel even better.

[sixdogsmom]

Several things--- Thanks to Rudy for that lovely post. It shows why he is a 'PRO' and I am just an old gal with few blogging skills. And thanks to Diane for the great spirit she is, and to all the others who remain respectful under fire. And Wilma, you reopened this thread with a pet peeve of mine; the absolute continuous waste of resources just trying to keep all the gadgets etc going, when ten years ago we didn't have these gadgets and didn't need them. We are wasting a great deal just because there is no planning for the future, just get the thing on the market and sell it. Ted used to say that this kind of thing was made just to sell, with little other use. 

[Diane Amberg]

That used to called "planned obsolescence." It sure is true today. Every year's "new model" cars, a two year old computer is "old  technology,"every doo-dad that runs on batteries, very tempting and meant to sell. 
    Thank you folks for the kind words. Now the ones who don't like me will accuse me of trying for compliments. Ya can't win.

[greatguns]

Remember it isn't if you win, but how you play the game!

[sixdogsmom]

Yupper! Tis yah know! 

[Wilma]

The topic today is "added sugar".

Not having really gathered my thoughts on this, I am not totally prepared to put into words my true feelings about "added sugar".  Actually, the words for my true feelings could be classified obscene.

My question is "Why?"  Why does everything have to have sugar in it?  I just had homemade biscuits for lunch and they were the best I have tasted in a long while.  And they contained no sugar.  I checked the loaf of bread that I have been using and guess what.  There is a gram of sugar in each slice.  This loaf is a multi-grain sandwich loaf, each slice has 45 calories.  But why the sugar?  I don't remember my mother adding sugar to her home made bread unless she used starter to make it. 

I have, occasionally, checked the sugar content of food that I buy and there is always sugar.  Even in products that don't need sweetening.  So why the "added sugar"?

[Diane Amberg]

I've asked that very question.  I was told that it's what the American taste buds want. Phooey. I personally think it's the sugar lobby that influences the bakeries somehow. Kick backs? I don't know, but it has to be something. We don't need all that sugar, or corn syrup either. 'way too much sodium too. IMHO. Some things need some sugar for tenderness, texture and browning etc, but not that much. Even the "no added sugar" labels can be misleading. Things that don't have table sugar ( sucrose and fructose together) may still have lots of natural fructose, but at least it comes in the fruit...then there's glucose and dextrose and lactose. Not all are bad of course, but overdoing cane sugar and some others can be problematic.