Clinresga, your logic seems fine, though I think your assumptions about my hand wash water usage is inflated. I've done a lot of it this last month, and have a pretty good idea of how much I use and how much the machine that didn't work was rated for. Your argument is just not to the point. I'm not looking for "correctness". I'm looking for clean, dry dishes. I do see how forcing wet dishes from the dishwashers on the masses, or forcing them to accommodate to what the dishwasher does, is a societal good for water and energy savings. That doesn't mean it works for every individual, and I think you've misunderstood me. I'm not saying that the world should eliminate energy saving dishwashers. The point of my original post is that I'm amazed that so many of us don't mind when the dishes don't come out dry. (And I do know that many people report having dry dishes with the no heated dry ones. This is a highly variable outcome which depends on water type, chemicals used, and mass of load to hold heat.) The reason hand washing (using water waste avoidance techniques, though possibly using more than the DW would) would be better than air drying from the DW is that there's no way I'm keeping an open DW in the middle of the kitchen, and no way I'm moving everything to drying racks outside the DW to be in my way and get dirty again from splatter while they're drying, and no way I'm wasting my time shaking them off and letting them dry when I could just dry them and put them away in one step. And since the biggest part of the chore is the drying (I guess I'm better at the washing part than your average person), that's a big deal reason for having a labor saving machine. I save an awful lot of energy that other people expend: I rarely drive (work at home, shop nearby, etc.), I have a large solar electric plant, I don't use a lot of lighting, etc. I save my usage for computers, TV's and kitchen appliances. And my choice is to have a dishwasher that actually gets my dishes dry rather than keep the lights on during the day, driving around all day, and things like that. So no nose is being cut off here. I found a dishwasher that dries my dishes. It uses more energy than on the cycle that leaves them dirty and wet. Too bad. This is how I choose to use my share of resources. Dianne, what a great story! I've lived by and worked with people who came from primitive areas and had no notion even how to use indoor plumbing. It's so amazing to hear of someone who is privileged, and presumably has access to television, who is so stymied by 20th Century technology. Thank-you for sharing! I spent a year doing my laundry in a bucket (no tub) and hanging it out in the rain to dry (which it did eventually). And during that time I did have a dish drainer and let most of the dishes air dry. I do appreciate modern marvels. :) I think my frustration was that we seem to have taken a step backward in marvelousness on some items, that in trying to meet some arbitrary goal we're producing inferior products that won't do the job right and won't last very long (creating a big resource suck at the manufacturing end). I totally misunderstood what you mean about flicking off the bowls. That part is fine with me!! I'd just take a towel to those and not worry about it. In my reply to you I thought you were responding to when I said that the dishes were drier when I hand wash them and set them to drain because I flick the water off before putting them down. I don't mind toweling where the water accumulates in the well at the top of a mug or bowl, or under the rim of a container. It's soaking wet everything that takes 40 minutes to towel off (or leave pulled out in the racks for hours since the DW is too well sealed for them to dry inside--I tried that with the first DW and they were still wet 2 days later). To be clear, what I'm talking about is wet all over. Not slightly damp, even, but soaking wet. Have a heated cycle for long enough to dry the accumulated water in the wells at the bottoms of things would truly but a terrible waste of energy. I've never asked for that. When the rest of the dish is dry and there's just that bit in the well of the rim, getting it dry is no big deal, whether by air or towel. Really. As far as I can tell, my new new DW dries the dishes just fine on the use more energy cycles, and doesn't even get the dishes clean on the normal cycle. My hypothesis is that the normal cycle is called that to be competitive, and the other ones are there to actually get the job done. Whatever. Works for me. The added effort of pushing the correct buttons to select a decent cycle is not too much for my winsome and delicate self to undertake. :) Much, much, ever so much better than a DW that doesn't dry the dishes. I wonder if one could put a couple of ceramic bed warming bricks in a Miele dishwasher and have all the dishes come out dry without having to have more mass in the dishes themselves? But then, it's having to think of these things that made me post this topic in the first place...

As a wife of a military member (Air Force Guard enlisted) who has served 15 years, is a veteran of the Iraq war, and is currently still serving in the military, some of these responses are so different from my own experiences with the military. I'm not a parent, but I would support someone's personal decision to serve in the military, including my own childs. The military is a very large organization, just because you're in the military does not mean you will see or experience combat up close and first hand, even in times of war. In fact there are probably more jobs that support missions than people who are actually out there involved in doing the missions. My husband was deployed over there during the war and never left the base he was stationed at, never once saw combat, as did other military members stationed over there at the base he was stationed at. The military is also so much more than just fighting in wars. They do a fair amount of humanitarian missions, and are mostly national security. I do think being in the military in some ways can be what you make it, you do have some options as to career, officer/enlisted, guard/active, and branch of military. If you know how to use your time in the military, the benefits and training they offer can be an advantage for someone's future career, when they decide to get out, however unfortunately some go in without future plans in mind and then get out with no direction. My husband switched his career field in the guard from satellite communications to computers and is now working full time as a IT contractor at US Strategic Command, along with his part time one weekend a month job in the guard. He wouldn't have his current full time job had it not been for his connections, volunteer deployments, and training/schooling through the guard. As far as benefits, in my personal experience with the military, my husband received 40,000.00 for college (GI Bill), which he has used with no issues for his bachelors degree and there are additional military grants for guard members that if they attended a state school in the state they are serving, their tuition would be waved. He also has received two associate degrees which he earned in the guard through their training and schooling at no cost. We used his VA loan for the house that we currently live in, which can have some perks over traditional loans and was nice to have in a time when banks got strict about home loans. If he stays in 20 years, he will receive retirement benefits. There are benefits on base that are nice, free gym, tax free shopping, inexpensive hotel lodging, HOPS (flights), etc. During the times he has been federally activated (which for the most part have been volunteer deployments, his choice to be a part of, not mandatory) we received full benefits, they paid 100% of our housing, and medical bills along with his active full time employment pay. While he was deployed the FRG was in contact with me often along with someone from his unit to make sure I was taken care of while he was gone. And by law his current full time employer kept his job and it was waiting for him when he returned without any issues. His mandatory deployments lasted no longer than 3-6 months, usually less than that though, and a couple of his state side volunteer deployments/missions and training/schooling I got to travel with him so we weren't apart. The reception my husband has received from others being a military member and a vet, has been nothing but kind and supportive, from gracious hand shakes and thanks yous, to people buying him free drinks, paying for meals at restaurants unexpectedly etc., also lots of military discounts from various places of business, recently we got 500.00 off our car purchase at a dealership. However I realize this is not always the case for every military member. My husband told me last night that the military is trying to provide more mental health programs and are very aware of the PTSD and suicide issues. He said that his base and unit have received a lot more training on mental health in the last few years and more programs are being made available for military members and their families. Some of it has to do with budgeting, and the cuts in military spending though, decisions made not by the military but by our government. Also being someone who has been diagnosed with PTSD from a trauma that happened to me in college, I know it's not always easy to ask for help or seek help even when it's made available, there can be feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment involved among other difficulties and emotional struggles. I'm not sure about the idea that the military shouldn't be all volunteer but equal responsibility, there are some people I wouldn't want to have to depend on fighting in a war, and having people serving in a war that had no choice at all to be there (didn't volunteer) could be dangerous in certain situations and cause loss of life. For some they are proud to serve, they want to serve, they feel honored to be a part of the military. They know and accept that there are risks that can come with the job. As can be similar risks for any other service job like police, fireman, EMT, etc. Some of the service men and women I know wouldn't be happy at a desk job working 9-5, they like the excitement, the travel, feeling like you're part of something bigger than yourself, and the comradery of their fellow service men and women. They do not all come from poor families, many could have just gone straight to college, like my husband, but wanted to serve their country instead. My experiences with the military have been more good than bad, I know it's different for everyone though, and I'm sure DH being in the AF guard instead of active and not gone as much on mandatory deployments and having a fairly "safe" job that he choose is part of that. I'm sure if he was on the frontlines fighting, I would probably have a very different outlook on the military.

After finding nodules on my thyroid during the ultrasound, my doc's nurse told me the blood thyroid results were in & normal. But my GYN said the TSH was borderline at .37. I don't know what all was tested, but I don't think it was a complete panel. Yet my doc's nurse said I needed to schedule a follow up with my doc to discuss the also normal radioactive scan & uptake results. They NEVER discuss normal results in person, just over the phone & that is that. So I went in & was told the results showed the nodules are cold. Now my doc's worried it's cancer but hubby thinks it's just hypothyroidism. But I need a biopsy. My doc may have me get an MRI or CT scan to check the parathyroid too. I had serum calcium & am awaiting those results. Perhaps all the stuff I've been complaining about over the years is due to hypothyroidism? I have so many of the symptoms that anyone can find on the internet. Every provider has only checked T3 & T4, & said they were normal, & treated me for different things. So they've only been looking at pieces of the puzzle versus putting them together for the big picture. GRRR Maybe now I need to start looking into hypothyroid medications for the best one(s) & not take what they give me just because it's cheap or readily available. Case in point, they want me to see an ENT versus an endocrinologist for the biopsy! I'm so sick & tired of military medicine!

My sister has told me that sometimes when my BIL has a flight and gets in at odd hours of the night, the USO will pick him up and bring him home so my sister doesn't have to get the kids out to pick him up. They don't request it; it's just something the USO offers to help ease the burden on the families. About 8 or so years ago, my brother went on his first deployment. He was in Yemen when the USS Cole was attacked. The Ombudsmen called my parents after it happened to report that my brother was alright. It was a huge relief! It was a hard 1-1/2 years for him. He called me one afternoon and was really candid. He said that he arrived at the airport, walked through all of his buddies and friends greeting their wives and kids and families, got on a bus and headed back to base. He felt so alone. He walked into his room in teh barracks and there was fruit basket from the USO welcoming him home and thanking him for his dedication. They also bought groceries and stocked his fridge for him. It actually lifted his spirits! He didn't feel so alone anymore. It really made a difference for him and gave him a sense that someone cared about him; just a single man doing what he can for his country. Another good organization is Navy Relief. They have helped my sister's family so much. Like when it has taken abmormally long to get moving expenses reimbursed, they have loaned my sister's family money to pay their bills and have bought them groceries until their reimbursement came in. They even gave the girls Christmas presents when they moved close to Christmas. It was so wonderful! You're right, Pfllh, there is much more support now for the military. Your story made me teary!