Out of Africa

[Lyon]

and certainly did not want to be seen as some shyster trying to extort money from sick people... Shocked

Hi Ally,
Well, that does go on here from time to time and people do get rightly upset about it, but in those cases it's obvious that there is no underlying humor involved.

Besides, this exact subject has come up before (chocolate vs MS) and I think it was agreed that in regards to chocolate, favorable clinical trial results aren't needed to prove its "curative" effect!

Bob

[AllyB]

Thanks for moving the thread - apologies to Pookpook (love that name -makes me wish I had been more imaginative with my own online name - my name really is Allison!).

More importantly - yeeeeehaaaaa and hallelulah, I knew there had to be a saving grace regarding ms, and we are blessed indeed that it is the almighty cocoa bean...In its' chocolate incarnation, of course.

The thing is, that because it is online, you don't really know the person who is posting, but it feels intimate and trust seems natural as we all relate to each other on a very basic level because of ms, and I did not want to lose that for the sake of some choco/ebay humour!

So I had two concerns - either I would suddenly get flooded with requests for chocolate, and get sent lots of money (not that that is unwelcome per se - I have nothing against money itself, but I have no Paypal account with which to collect it); or there would be lots of people complaining about my hidden agenda and affiliation with Swiss chocolate manufacturers, and kick me off the site.

I wish to state categorically that I have no such affiliation (wish I did!), but will persist in my pursuit of a permanent paid position as an official taster for Lindt

Failing that, I would perhaps be persuaded to consider Cadbury, but the money would have to be brilliant, I wouldn't do it just for the chocolate - I am not a choco whore!
Will keep you posted on my progress towards this noble goal, and may pass out free samples in celebration, should I ever succeed....

You are great Bob, not only are you clever and wise, but you make me feel better too - I love this site:D

[gwa]

bromley sent me chocolate mints many months ago and it was very good. The box even had the House of Commons logo on it, just like he said it would.

I am going to send him an Indian thing, but am going to get something the next time I go to Arizona.

He is for real and probably even a nice guy when he wants to be.

gwa

[AllyB]

Hi Gwa

The chocolate in Britain is great - huge variety for the fans to appreciate - maybe a can get Bromley to send me some Galaxy - it is the best (I was born and grew up in the UK)!

Have to find out if he needs some rooibos tea or something in exchange (google it, it is great stuff, but maybe too healthy)...Or maybe some african potatoe cream??
Or with the way the Rugby world cup is going, maybe a sprinbok rugby jersey Although England just beat Australia, they have no chance of winning again Bromley will know what I mean.....
Even nice guys get mean over rugby....

Do you go to Arizona often? It must be fascinating - makes me think of old cowboy movies ( I have only been to LA, New York, and New Orleans - many years ago, sum total of my experience of the States). I have dear friends living in Texas and may go visit them next year - they are coming to me for Christmas - what should I ask them to bring me - they want ideas

Take care

[gwa]

Ally,

Texas is known for its barbecue, so I would ask them to bring me some jars of the best sauce that Texas has to offer.

That should pump their egos and it is stuff easy to find there.

gwa

[Lyon]

I haven't eaten yet today. Even though I've never had Texas bar-b-que....that sure sounds pretty awesome right now. Even better than chocolate!

If we're famous for any kind of food here in Michigan, I guess it would be pasties. Even then, I suppose those in the UK deserve first credit since the pasties were introduced to Michigan by the cornish who immigrated here to work in the mines in the 1800's.

Bob

[AllyB]

Hi there

Thanks Gwa, it does sound really good - we call barbeques braais here, and we have them frequently! So will definitely get some of that sauce - is it good with ribs?

Bob, I love cornish pasties - can't comment on the Michigan ones, but the english ones sure are great.

I guess SA is famous for putu - it looks a little like mash potatoes, but is made with maize meal, and is eaten with a spicy tomato/onion chutney, also boerewors - a spicy sausage, great on the braai!
Also, we have a huge Indian population where I live on the east coast (right on the Indian Ocean - great waves for surfing), fantastic beaches, and very hot/humid weather - never had so much as a frost in winter), so we also have amazing curries and breyanis...Getting hungry now, also have not eaten yet....What else, oh we also have fantastic Karoo lamb chops, and the most wonderful range of tropical fruit (pineapples, pawpaws, nectarines, peaches...mmmm).

It is spring now and the temp today must be around 30C, so the kids are outside in the pool - must head out there now myself (after I have foraged for some grub, of course).
It is great to exchange such interesting cultural information
Take care, and if you want some rooibos tea, let me know!

[Lyon]

I guess I'll have to fire up the google earth. I should have paid more attention in school because I hadn't even realized that any of Africa is in the Southern hemisphere!
Bob

[AllyB]

Bob - you're kidding, right...Ha ha ha?

Almost half of Africa is in the southern hemisphere...I am in Durban, South Africa, about 400kms below Mocambique on the east coast, short flight to Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles; northern border of SA is with Zimbawe (Robert Mugabe HATES George Bush, but he is a lunatic anyway!), Botswana (great game reserves, both here and Botswana), western border with Namibia (where Brangelina had their baby!) - South Africa, bottom most country in Africa - aparteid, Nelson Mandela, Kruger National Park, Cape Town, high crime rate; Durban, great surfing and diving destination, fantastic beaches, brilliant weather etc. This has gotta be the most beautiful country on earth - beaches, mountains, bush, wildlife, and there are direct flights from New York and Washington DC to Johannesburg...(Atlanta too, I think).

I grew up in the UK, so am not actually a citizen here, just a permanent resident, but with the coming of democracy in 1994 (Nelson Mandela), this place opened up, I moved and married a South African, so my kids have the good fortune to be citizens of two countries and have two passports - great choices when they grow up.

Come on, I knew Americans were supposed to be bad at knowing where other countries are, but you have to be joking, and i have lost my sense of humour since I just shot up with Avonex and took my first ever baclophen....Terrible terrible headache, feel like someone is sucking my brain out of the base of my skull with a needle, but no muscle spasms/cramps, thankyou Neuro...! Now I just need another new tablet for the headache....

Great joke - you got me, I am now chuckling, just took me a while to catch on - shouldn't kick a girl when she is down

[Lyon]

(Robert Mugabe HATES George Bush, but he is a lunatic anyway!)

I'm not familiar with Robert Mugabe, but you must be referring to Bush because he's a card carrying lunatic.

Come on, I knew Americans were supposed to be bad at knowing where other countries are, but you have to be joking

I was going to mention that very point, but you beat me to it. I can't say that I'm representative of all Americans, but I imagine a good percentage, like myself, never considered whether part of Africa is in the Southern hemisphere.

Botswana (great game reserves, both here and Botswana), western border with Namibia (where Brangelina had their baby!) - South Africa, bottom most country in Africa - aparteid, Nelson Mandela, Kruger National Park, Cape Town, high crime rate; Durban, great surfing and diving destination, fantastic beaches, brilliant weather etc. This has gotta be the most beautiful country on earth - beaches, mountains, bush, wildlife

Makes me think of the old black and white Tarzan movies I used to watch when I was a kid, although I imagine even deep, dark Africa has changed a lot since the 1950's
(Yep, I'm almost as old as Dom)

Bob

[viper498]

AllyB,

If it makes you feel any better I did know that Africa was in the southern hemisphere. I hate to say it but Americans have become more ignorant than ever. I leanred all of this stuff in fifth grade geography, and the many National Geographics that I've read over the years.

Bob, Shame on you!

Brock

[Lyon]

If it makes you feel any better I did know that Africa was in the southern hemisphere. I hate to say it but Americans have become more ignorant than ever. I leanred all of this stuff in fifth grade geography, and the many National Geographics that I've read over the years.

Bob, Shame on you!

I see how it is....you were one of those people I've heard about. Someone who actually paid attention in school

Bob

[GeoGuy]

AllyB,

Thanks so much for the details on were you live. And the picture of you and your boys. It's really makes this site so much more human, not just an electornic message board. I really appreaciate you sharing. And oh ya, those two boys look like a real hand full. I never had kids myself, my sister divorced when I was thirteen and moved back home with two kids and stayed all through my high school years. So I did get to fix bottles and change diapers, but it cured me of any desire for having my own. I always thought of them as my kids. I'm still close with Sharons daughter, Heather. She lives in Tuscon, Arizona. If you get the chance to see Arizona, you should go. The Sonoran Desert is really something.

And for all those that are geographically impared, I suggest Goggle Earth.

Take care, hope the headache has calmed down. How is the Baclofen working for you?

Jack

[AllyB]

Hi Guys

Been out of commission for a while, but over the Avonex now (for another week!), so sorry for the late reply - but thanks for all those responses - make me realise that I was wrong to generalise - all I can say is that Bob lead me astray!
So, yeah, Brock, I do feel better - at least I now know that Americans' do in fact get an education (if they want it) and don't all spend their time in high school playing football and being cheerleaders.... (sorry, 5th grade is primary school/elementary school). We get satelite TV here (Friday Night Lights?) and I remember having an American exchange student in my last year of high school....All I will say about Sheri is that she was ...different!

Jack - the way to any mother's heart is through her kids...They are a handful, very active and energetic, which is not usually a problem as we have the pool, and a jungle gym in the garden, but a bad storm hit here Sunday night, the temp has dropped to around 18C and it is still raining, so playing outside is out for now - too cold! But they are so damn beautiful - I look at them when they are sleeping...

My husband and i were very lucky, we bought our house 8 yrs ago (before we had kids) and have managed to get a big old house on a half acre plot just 10 minutes drive from the city centre - before prices went through the roof in the area...But maintenance is a problem! I have lots of friends who don't have kids and they manage to live very happy lives - mostly as God Parents or aunts and uncles, who can hand the little munchkins back after a couple of hours! I never thought that I would have kids - they came as a surprise to me when I was well into my thirty's (another story), so I take each day with them as a blessing.

I am glad that you guys don't mind me talking about personal stuff - I really love the scientific information I find here as it is so cutting edge yet easy (generally) to understand and not stuff that even my Neuro talks about, but i also like to connect with other people - SA has a population of 40million, but only 3000 people with ms, and I have never met any of them, we don't have ms clinics or specialists (just general Neuros who are lucky if they have three or four patients in their practice with ms), or even support groups, though we do have a website, it has been essentially inactive for years, so I enjoy the friends I am making on this site as I don't belong to any other sites/groups.
I also don't mind that you know where I live - Durban is a big city!

Jack, it sounds great that you are so close to your sister's kids - it can give a new perspective on how the next generation thinks - I have a nephew who is 18 (he lives in the Uk with my sister - his mother), and a niece who is 17 (she lives in Zimbawe - think Victoria falls - with my brother - her Dad), and I have cousins in Vancouver and Ireland, best friends in Houston, LA, and Miami (they are like family - people we went to school with - 20 odd yrs ago, especially the folks in Houston as they are God Parents to my kids), so we are truly a global family!

I would love to visit Arizona - my Texas buds have been and say it is awesome - the only desert i have seen is in Namibia - went sand boarding - fantastic country. If I get to the States next year to Texas, I will get them to make a plan for me - I know Vegas will be on their list as they, for some strange reason, love it - now there is a weird place, never seen anything like it before!

You guys should think about a holiday in Africa - there is so much to see and do - even the landscape is foreign and ever-changing. The exchange rate is also in your favour...If not South Africa, then Madagascar, or Kenya, or Botswana - can't recommend Zimbawe to anyone right now because of Robert Mugabe (the lunatic - Bob, I would never dare say something like that about your president - I would either get kicked off the site, or interrogated by the CIA). Mugabe is the 80 odd year old president of Zim - he is a dictator who has run his country's economy into the ground - terrible human rights violations, no food, highest inflation rate in the world (at something like 2000%) - you need a shopping trolley to carry the cash you need to buy a loaf of bread - terrible, as it is a beautiful place, the people are real friendly, and the land is very fertile - it is a real shame what has happened to Zimbawe.

As you can all see, I have bounced back with a vengeance from my shot - the baclophen was amazing for the muscle spasms as I was pain free from those - but I noticed two side effects - one good(?), one bad. The first was that it totally knocked me out - I slept most of Sunday, Sunday night and Monday - woke up to watch Grey's Anatomy (I love that show!), then went back to sleep again...I only take it Sunday and Monday, so at least I am awake now (Tuesday)- and that was only a half dose (5mg)...The bad effect was the headaches, got a hold of some tylenol/codeine mix that helped a bit, so all in all, I would say that the baclophen was good - I feel very refreshed after so much sleep, particularly as I usually battle to sleep after Avonex because of the spasms!
Any way better go now after rambling on so much (Jack - don't encourage me!) - kids are clamouring for attention - I am sitting on the open veranda watching the rain as I type on my laptop, and the naughty brats are starting to push buttons on the keyboard to force me to stop....Do other parents of young children seem to spend half their time shouting? I never thought that I would be this way, but they don't listen if I speak in a normal tone of voice.....Do you think this site would stretch to parenting advice?

Take care all & chat to you soon.

[TwistedHelix]

Hi Jack,

I sent a PM to Bob a little while ago with an attachment from Google Earth pointing to my house, (mainly so he could target his missiles accurately), and I thought it would be fun if we could do that on this forum to get an idea of where we all are around the globe. Like Ally, I think it's nice to get a fuller picture of each other but I can't see a way of doing such a thing using this website – do you have any ideas? I just thought it might pass the time while the research front seems to have gone so horribly quiet.
I'm a bit shocked that no one seems to have heard of Robert Mugabe, since he is one of the most evil dictators alive today, (coming a close second to George W) – he's constantly in the news in the UK, but I suppose he won't reach American ears until oil is found in Zimbabwe.

I know Americans have a bit of a reputation for general ignorance about the rest of the planet, which I don't think is any more deserved than for any other country, (in my opinion, the standard of education is at rock bottom in the UK), but I still found this Australian programme funny: