Hmm, it's interesting. The House has passed Bush's budget pretty much as requested only with more cuts to Medicaid and some other social programs. The Senate has passed a budget with fewer cuts, espeically to Medicaid, but more tax cuts (super fiscal responsibility there). I'm not going to like the budget no matter how it turns out, but it's interesting that the Senate Republicans have broken from the Bush line. Also, it's intesting how CNN refers to cuts as "savings". Dude, you're a reporter, you don't have to spin, it's okay to just report.

I have a vitamin query -- iron interacts with the absorption of some other nutrient, right? That's why you can buy multis without it? Which nutrient is that?

I think it's calcium that iron blocks, but not sure.

The senate budget includes estimated income from opening up ANWR to drilling. The amendment to remove that provision went down 49-51.

iron interacts with the absorption of some other nutrient, right?

IIRC (but it's been a while since I had the stern little iron-deficiency anemia talk), it's the other way around -- calcium interferes with iron absorption, so getting both spread through the day in your diet is better than popping a pill (or at least, better than popping both pills at the same time). I don't remember anything about iron interfering with other stuff, but as my problem is not enough iron rather than too much, they might've just skipped that part.

Okay -- cool. I'll get iron pills and take those at night instead.

I think it's calcium that iron blocks, but not sure.

Yup. Well, like amych said above, I don't know which one is the aggressor, but you basically don't want to take iron and calcium together.

And the only way that I've found around that w/r/t multivitamins is to get Flintstones chewables with iron. For whatever reason, those don't have calcium -- you have to seek out a specific Flintstones with calcium if you want that.

Adults get plenty of vitamins from Flintstones (or any kids' chewable), BTW. Because we already get a good amount from our diet, we don't need a multi that has 100% of all the vitamins -- just enough to make up the deficit, which Flintstones does quite well.

I am in love with my bagel place. not only do they have the bagels I like, they do not skimp on the cream cheese and they do not overdue it on eth butter. The extra bonus is that they have decaf hazelnut coffee which is my favorite. I don't go there everyday, maybe twice a week now, but they are starting to know me and remember my order. love that, especially since they are doing it, but not being chatty.

They gave free bagels to the IT department this morning, but by the time I got to work, they were gone. Friggin' vultures.

Whenever I get a bagel, I always specify "just a little cream cheese", but they never listen, and they put a quarter inch slab on it, and I end up having to scrape most of it off.

And the only way that I've found around that w/r/t multivitamins is to get Flintstones chewables with iron.

The Solar-ray vitamins I got have no iron, and I only noticed after I'd opened it. I can't swear for the nutritive value of my food (other than fibre and vitamin C), so I'm drawn to pills with the impressive numbers. Or that make my pee glow in the dark.

but not being chatty.

That's the best. At my crap sushi place I can tell her "california rolls and chicken teriyaki" and she translates it to "Lunch special, no salad, no soup, california rolls and chicken teriyaki." Sometimes I let her ask me what I want to drink. But she never gets up in my business.