Al dente

First imported wine, then reefer, now mix-n-match 'scrip... If crunchy cons are all this much into "better living through chemistry" I might have to reconsider my position.

Well, I'm no reefer guy, but I'm such a spazz in the dentist's chair that if I could talk the dentist into giving me full-body Novocaine, I surely would.

It is absolutely incredible how damning this story is. You're fearful, Rod. It explains many of your political positions and your bad judgments (well, they're the same thing). Too bad that'll always be hidden from you.
-ml

My hubby used to have cavities every time he went to the dentist...for the past 2 years, since we cleaned up our SAD (Standard American Diet) and gave up all the sugar and white flour, he has had no cavities. Of course, as I always say, trying to avoid those things is like trying to avoid the sun, but it has paid big dividends for us.
see here for how we did it... So, Mr. Crunchy, there is a crunchy way to avoid the problem altogether, but it does take a lot of willpower. :)

How mysterious the corrulation someone makes between fear of dentistry and political conviction. This remindes me that only last week a woman told me that Anna Nicole Smith's death foretold the turning point of our 'mission' in Iraq. And to think I almost missed this connect-the-dots swami insight. Twice.

A civil request to my friend above; there is no reason to use this, Rod Dreher's blog, as a forum to psychoanalyze him or dissect his doctrine. He has this blog as an opportunity, not to punish those who disagree with him, but rather to dialog with multiple readers who are familiar with his work. Mr. Dreher has very strong ideas and feelings guided by his faith and his age. But he is not an exclusionist, and to deride him as such is unfair to him as your host, and to you as an intelligent participant.

No gas, no numbing lotion, no nothin' but the shot in the gums and let's get this thing over with. For me it's a control thing. I haven't been drunk or even fuzzy feeling, I don't know how long, thirty years maybe? The last time I got a shot of gas was under duress, dentist insisted, just a touch to take the edge off for giving the shot, it was a disaster, I cried uncontrolably for a couple of hours, not pleasant and not necessary. I was put out earlier this year for a colonoscopy. But only after a long conversation with the anestesiologist (sp). I told her about being wide awake while being paralized when they pulled my tonsils. I was in my early thirties, hurt like hell, not an experience I'd like to repeat. She explained that stuff like that happens. And if you've had it happen once then your chance of repeating are high. I work construction where pain is your partner. Feeling pain is your friend. Saturday I had a scare. It was in the evening and when I brushed my left fore arm with my right hand I felt something stiff sticking out of the muscle. It was a piece of stainless steel wire sticking out. I recognized it as a wire from the wire brush I'd used cleaning welds that morning. I pulled on it. It started coming out. It kept coming out. It was almost one and a half inches long with only about a quarter of an inch sticking out originally. For me it was like pulling it out of your arm instead of my own. There was no feeling so there was no pain, not a good thing. I need to know if there is a problem since I work my myself most of the time. One of my fantasies is being there when a group of wannabe doctors take advantage of the body I've enjoyed for so many years. It would be fun listening to them discussing the scars and broken bones and guessing how they happened.

Rawlins-- You'll be disavowing any mention of people's psyches then, in Rod's blog entries or in the comments section here, right? No mention of Clinton's womanizing tendencies when we look at substantive areas of his presidency? No mention of Rudy's three wives or his close friendships with gays when we think about whether he'll do right by social conservatives? I'm not attributing a particular stance on your part toward either of those issues -- I just mean you will find it invalid for anyone to mention those facts, right? And you too, Rod, presumably?
-ml

I don't mind going to the dentist, but I understand that there are a lot of people who really fear it. I was raised on white bread and twinkies. We didn't have fluoride in our water. I have a lot of fillings that have become crowns. No root canals, yet. I tried a little gas once and hated it. The mask made me feel claustrophobic and short of breath.

Nitrous is my friend. The only downer is that my nitrous'd brain always gets stuck on whatever musical phrase is coming across on the soft rock speakers just over the chair...had to listen to Pure Prairie League singing "There's a million stars in the sky up above..." over and over and over. Oh, the humanity.

Wow -- bold off -- thanks for the clarification, Harve.