Enjoy!

I wanted to share something non-fattening with you to help celebrate this holiday weekend. I decided on this delicious clip from the fun Cary Grant movie, "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House." Happy Thanksgiving!

All that glitters

I don't usually like Mobama's fashion sense. But, I give her props for this get up:
Thank goodness she didn't don the ever-present biker belt.

"Every time a woman leaves off something she looks better..." Will Rogers

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” [Plato]

This week the government issued new guidelines for mammograms and pap smears.

Apparently after decades of telling women that annual mammograms and annual pap smears save lives, we're now being told that we should limit mammograms to every two years after age 50 and virtually eliminate pap smears.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) website, "...the USPSTF [U.S. Preventive Services Task Force] says the actual number of lives saved is not enough to recommend widespread screening," although they would increase survivorship by 15%.

I guess if you or I are among the 15% of possible survivors, we might debate that.

Funny, just six months ago the same task force issued a warning that the # of women getting mammograms had dropped and this could result in more women dying from breast cancer. Hmmmm, what changed?

Speaking of change. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now says women under 30 should have a cervical cancer screening every two years instead of annually and women over thirty should only get tested every three years.

If you didn't believe Barack-star's healthcare reform would lead to rationing believe it now.

Why start with women's services? Well, by all actuarial accounts women live about five years longer than men--thus, routine preventative healthcare for women costs more than it does for men. Limiting the number of recommended tests translates to limiting the cost. Note that if this nebulous USPSTF board with nary a breast cancer specialist to be found--not even an oncologist(!)--makes this recommendation now it doesn't carry with it Barack-star's fingerprints.

Go ahead put government-run healthcare in place. Then, guess what? Previously issued government guidelines can be followed. Rationing accomplished. Women's healthcare diminished. Lives needlessly lost.

This is the way it begins. Quietly.

Line 11, Page 122, Section 1303

According to Gateway Pundit a recent CNN poll found that 61% of Americans oppose tax-funded abortions and 63% of Americans oppose most or all abortions. Why then would the Senate require a monthly fee for abortion coverage in its nationalized health care plan?

Gateway Pundit quotes the GOP Leader Blog:

...a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan. It’s right there beginning on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.” The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services.

Apparently the government will assess a monthly premium on everyone in the government-run plan. The money will then be used to pay for elective abortions.

Fact is, even if abortion violates your conscience you'll be paying for them under this plan.

Maybe the government gurus could set up a `conscientious objector' status for those of us who don't want our hard-earned money spent on what we consider murder.

Media war on Palin hits new low

I'm thinking about getting a subscription to Newsweek just so I can cancel it.

This cover is insulting and degrading to all professional women. Tasteless in content and presentation.

No wonder the magazine's circulation has dropped 52% in ten years.

Go Big Red!

As promised...photos of my birthday gift from Mr. C:

What would be better for a girl from Nebraska, but her very own Huskers' Snuggie?
The back view is a little weird. In the advertisements they never tell you that cute little snuggie looks like this:I suppose it's reversible, but I prefer to wear my snuggie like it's pictured on the box.

And, here I am in my Snuggie dreaming about another national title for my beloved Big Red--and how I'll look today when Nebraska beats Kansas.

Wrapping up our birthday month, here's a photo from John's family birthday dinner with Mom and James, James' grandpa Art, Art's wife Larraine, and Art & Larraine's buddy Reid.
And, a photo from the sushi dinner with just the two of us. Check out the cute little sushi boat.

Happy Birthday to me!

Wait until you see what Mr. C got me for my birthday. It's not appropriate to post a photo until football Saturday.

Happy Veterans Day!

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." Elmer Davis

"It's not a crime to call Al Qaeda, is it?"

This is a joke, right?



treason  /ˈtrizən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [tree-zuhn]–noun
1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

Stranger than fiction

Remember when it seemed like an episode of 24 could never happen in real life?

Birthday Week

It's been birthday week around here.

First--and best--my grandmother turned 99-years-old on Halloween. I cannot tell you how cool I think that is. You have to know my grandmother to understand. She and her little dog Lucy live by themselves in a nice little house. She has tons of friends. She's very involved in her church--particularly in a benevolence program that she organized and has managed for many, many years. When I talked to her on her birthday morning she told me she's not telling people her age. So hush, hush. Please don't be ratting me out. As you can see from her picture you would never guess the year she was born.

Then it was Mr. C's birthday. We celebrated Sunday night with a big family dinner, then again on Monday with just the two of us. We went to I ♥ Mr. Sushi. [Terrible name, good sushi].

Yesterday was my brother Steve's birthday. He lives in New Jersey and he's one of the political liberals I have to deal with at family gatherings. I sent him a Happy Birthday text message with a note that I hoped he wasn't voting for that slime ball Jon Corzine. I haven't heard from him today, so I don't know how he's feeling post birthday and post election.

Valerie Jarrett--unplugged

Seems Barack-star's right-hand woman-Valerie Jarrett-got caught in a little semantics problem when she tried to make the case that the West Wing's War with FOX News is justified because FOX is biased. But what about left wing MSNBC, Campbell Brown asked her. Aren't they biased? Why haven't you called them out?

Sputter, sputter. Uh, well. No. Yes. Not always. Maybe. I was for it before I was against it.

`Well,' [apparently forgetting she's no longer a community organizer, but an advisor to the most powerful man in the free world] `we speak truth to power' Jarrett replied. Uh, Valerie. You are power.

You just have to hear this Orwellian mess for yourself:



Take away: It's bias when they don't agree with us. [White House]

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." Thomas Jefferson

Happy Halloween from the family

Not here to talk about the past

I'll admit it, I've never been a Tony La Russa fan. I'm more of a "baseball is a little boys' game for big boys" purist. I hate Tony's overmanaging, batting the pitcher 8th, lefty/righty matchups, bad dye job, defending the indefensible (Chris Duncan anyone?), California residency, `he's a lawyer', endless tinkering with the line-up, prickly press conferences--all topped off by this year's three and out post-season play.

About this time every year I start praying Tony will just stay on the west coast and tend to his pets. I'm sure he'd be much happier living with his wife and daughters fulltime and making PSAs in Hollywood for PETA.

Unfortunately, Cardinals fans heard today that Tony's coming back. If that wasn't bad enough he's bringing Mark `I'm Not Hear To Talk About The Past' McGwire with him as the hitting coach. That's right, bring back a 263 lifetime hitter (probably an enhanced # at that) to teach our guys how to hit. Maybe we should have given MM a trial run in September when the bats went silent just in time for the playoffs. MM could at least relate since he had 1596 strikeouts of his own--far outnumbering his 1,414 RBIs.

So now we have the disgraced Mark McGwire slithering back on the payroll, side-by-side with his Manager/Enabler Tony LaRussa.

I used to give TLR the benefit of the doubt. Not anymore. I'm done with him.

My weekend plans, what about yours?

Dinner with Mr. C

Crafting with Wendy




Knitting class




Hockey game//Go Blues!

Halloween Party

Apple pie

The chosen one chooses

No matter what you think of FOX News or Barack-star, this administration's attempts to marginalize the most-watched cable news channel reek of over-reaching for control, intimidation, and manipulation of what should be a free press. It also indicates we've elected a rather thin-skinned president who prefers to be hailed over being challenged.

From Just One Minute:
October 22, 2009
Who Else Has Obama Endorsed?
To whom can America turn in these troubled times, as Hope and Change appear to be foundering? We can turn to Obama for answers!

Having explained to us that Fox News cannot be trusted, Obama has taken the additional and important step of endorsing certain pundits, opinion leaders, and "journalists" as President Approved. Who is on the honor roll:

Here's a curious turn in the White House vs. Fox News fight.

On Monday, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow were among several people who attended an off-the-record briefing with Pres. Obama at the White House. Sources tell us other attendees at the two-and-a-half hour chat included Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, Gwen Ifill of PBS and Gloria Borger of CNN. Perhaps not surprisingly, no one from Fox News was in the room.

...Update: The White House has sent TVNewser the complete list of those who attended the off-the-record briefing Monday: Eugene Robinson, E.J. Dionne, Ron Brownstein, John Dickerson, Rachel Maddow, Frank Rich, Jerry Seib, Maureen Dowd, Keith Olbermann, Bob Herbert, Gloria Borger, and Gwen Ifill. Several members of the staff also attended.

There you have it. Now we know where to look for President Approved Punditry.

It must have been exciting for Ron Brownstein to meet heavy journalistic talents like Maddow and Olbermann.

Interestingly, Barack-star's team cried foul on FOX News specifically for its prime-time opinion program hosts (Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly)...but willingly held a secret 2-1/2 hour meeting with MSNBC's left wing opinionators (Maddow and Olbermann) and other like-minded journalists.

There really should be some outrage about the executive branch of government trying to muzzle the press simply because they don't like what's being said.

Remember the First Amendment to our constitution? Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

In the words of great Americans:
"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Thomas Jefferson

“The freedom of the press works in such a way that there is not much freedom from it.” Grace Kelly

And, finally, ponder this:

North Korea: No independent journalists; televisions and radios locked on government-approved frequencies. All news re: Kim Jong Il is positive

Libya: No independent broadcast or print media

Burma: Citizens risk arrest for listening to the BBC

Cuba: The Cuban constitution grants the Communist Party the right to control the press; it recognizes “freedom of speech and the press in accordance with the goals of the socialist society.” The government owns and controls all media outlets and restricts Internet access.

Syria: The media is under heavy state control and influence. Despite efforts to privatize the press, newspapers that overstep the mark in their criticism are shut down or their editions confiscated.

Singapore: The Singapore media is a mouthpiece for the government. Criticisms of government leaders and policies are unheard of in the mainstream media.

China: Restrictions on the press were tightened in China last year. More journalists are imprisoned for their work in China than any other country in the world.

Pet Peeve of the Day. Period overuse.

Just. Stop. It. It's. Very. Annoying. Thank. You.

Coffee break on Kona

Next up? A stop on the west side of the Big Island. Kona, Hawaii. Kona is famous for big game fishing, resorts, golf, the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, and of course—Kona coffee.



Kona was also the home of Hawaii's royal family. I don’t know about you, but I find it extremely cool that the Hawaiian Islands were once ruled by a King.

We had a pretty laid back day in Kona. Shopping, strolling the sidewalks, people watching. John bought an Hawaiian shirt with surfboards on it. Very nice. My mom collects turtles (any kind but live) and Kona is rife with sea turtle (honu) motif items, so we picked up a few. I guess the honu are prolific on this part of the Big Island.



And then we stopped for a nice cup of Kona coffee. Delicious. If you love coffee—this is heaven. It’s the Maserati. The HD version of regular coffee. The Neiman Marcus. The Taj Majal. You get the idea. Apparently dry days, misty afternoons, and volcanic soil are the keys to growing some of the best coffee beans in the world. Kona coffee is grown in two mountain areas—Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Some of the coffee trees were planted as long ago as 1918! The very first coffee tree cuttings were brought to Kona in 1828 by Reverend Samuel Ruggles, an American missionary. Ruggles brought the cuttings from Oahu to plant in his front yard as an ornamental plant. Because it’s so exclusive and soooooo good it’s also really expensive. A pound of 100% Kona coffee can sell for upward of $40/pound. We bought a pound, but John says we can only drink one cup each on Saturday mornings. If you can make 32 cups of coffee out of one pound of coffee that means we're good through about mid February.

While we were drinking our coffee outside a little coffee shop owned by former Michiganians and watching the surfers across the way, a Gekko scampered across our table. He must be used to tourists, because he wasn't camera shy.



And then we made it back to our ship. For more relaxation.

Land, Ho! Hilo!

After Vancouver we spent 5 days cruising in the Pacific. Once we lost sight of land Friday night we didn’t see another ship, island, plane, bird, nothing….until Thursday morning when we pulled into Hilo, Hawaii.

What did we do on the ship? Relaxed! Oh yes, we did! We read, did yoga, got massages, ate, slept, made friends, went to the pool, knitted (me), enjoyed afternoon tea, watched movies, stared out at the ocean, daydreamed, and forgot about work and responsibilities.








On Hilo we were met at the pier by one of John’s clients. Ross and his wife Pat showed us around the island for half the day.

Interestingly, Hilo has been hit by two tsunamis. After the first in 1946 and the second in 1960, Hilo was rebuilt so a park and roadway are between the shoreline and commercial and government buildings. Hilo has black, rocky, craggy beaches.

Hilo was first put on the map, so to speak, by the sugar industry. Sadly, the sugar plantations in Hawaii have pretty much shut down and moved their industry south of the border where the labor is cheaper. No more little C&H girl making her pure cane sugar.

During the famous King Kamehameha's rule in the 1700s Hilo was where he built his ships used to conquer the rest of the islands.

Pat and Ross took us on Banyan Drive which is kind of Hilo’s Walk of Fame. 60-70 years ago celebrities planted banyan trees along the drive. Banyans are trees with aerial roots that hang down from their branches until they reach the ground and another trunk slowly sprouts up. The limbs are filled with wild orchids and ferns. Some of the well known folks who planted banyan trees: Babe Ruth, FDR, Amelia Earhart, Richard Nixon, Cecil B. DeMille.



After that we went to Rainbow Falls. The 80 foot waterfall drops over a cave that’s said to be the home of Hina, the mother of the god Maui. In the same park area is Peepee Falls and Boiling Pots. (Great names, huh?) Water falls over Peepee Falls and flows into an area of rapids known as Boiling Pots where the water rushes through old lava rocks and lava tubes and appears to bubble up or boil as it makes it way downstream. Pat says a lot of people have drowned in Boiling Pots. What a way to go.






We also dropped by the Hilo Farmer’s Market. Pat, Ross and John didn’t think too much was happening there so we didn’t stay long. I was amazed at the fresh flowers and plants. The orchids! The poppies! The hibiscus! The ferns! The palms! So beautiful. I wanted to take them all home with me.























We topped off our island visit with stops at Big Island Candies and Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut plant. Macadamia trees don’t produce nuts until they’re at least seven years old, but they’ll continue to produce for 100 years or so. Another interesting macadamia nut fact? They’re toxic to dogs. A jar of macadamias this big would cost about 4 million dollars. It would cost another 2 million to send it back to the mainland.



Before we left Hilo, Pat bought us real leis. You cannot imagine how good they smelled! Back on the ship a lot of people were wearing fake leis—ha, ha, we were special.

Nobel Clearinghouse Winner

As you know, the Nobel Peace Prize Patrol drove up the White House driveway and awarded Barack-star the Nobel Peace Prize. Along with the medal comes $1.4 million in cash. Even though no one knows exactly why Barack-star was awarded the prize, I was pleased to read he plans to donate the prize money to charity. No word yet what charities will benefit from the Nobel committee's largesse.

This behavior is a positive evolution for the power couple.

According to the Huffington Post, from 2000-2004 the Obamas never gave more than 1% of their adjusted gross income to charity, in 2005 they donated 4.7% and in 2006 6.1% of their agi.

Last year the Obamas were in the top .2% of the U.S. population with earnings, reporting $2.7 million.

Good for them for being on a positive (albeit a little slow) giving track. Maybe the Obama's have discovered the wisdom of Longfellow when he said, "The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.”

P.S. Apparently the Bidens could learn from the Obamas. USA Today reports the VP and his wife averaged an annual charitable donation of just $369/year over the last decade.

2 days in Vancouver

We kicked off our vacation with two days in Vancouver. I've heard a lot of people say how nice Vancouver is, but I really didn't expect to love it as much as I did.

Day 1 we visited Stanley Park...named after Lord Stanley, who is the namesake of the much revered (at least in our house) Stanley Cup. Beautiful. The park itself feels very northwest with rocky beaches, wild rhododendrons, redwoods, cedars, bushy tailed squirrels, even totem poles.







Disaster nearly struck when I tripped over a curb and landed flat on my ---. My ankle swelled up to twice its normal size within minutes. But, being the vacation trooper that I am, I trudged on. Up and down hills, around bends, through the paths until we caught a shuttle bus to Granville Island.

[John took a picture of me right after the accident and when I was writhing in pain]


On Granville Island we went to a fabulous open market that had all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, handmade jewelry and other native goods. We bought some oil of oregano from a native herbologist who said it would be good for my sore throat and cough if I put a couple of drops in my tea and drank it twice a day. Plus, she told me to rub it on my aforementioned ankle to help limit the swelling and help it heal faster.



We had lunch on Granville Island overlooking the sailboats. I drank tea with oil of oregano (very spicy) and rubbed it on my poor throbbing ankle. I think the oregano helped my sore throat and cough more than it worked on my ankle.


Day 2 we went for manicures and pedicures. We had sucker written all over us and were held hostage for a couple of hours getting every service that's legal in Canada. John still won't come clean about how much that all cost.


After we escaped, we checked out of our hotel and did some shopping. Vancouverans (Vancouverites? Vancouverinians?} are very stylish. St. Louisans could definitely pick up a fashion tip or two from these folks.










After buying some salmon and shipping it back home, we went to the pier and boarded our ship--the Pacific Princess. Here's the view from our balcony. Nice, huh?



More tomorrow.

What the heck is this, anyway?

P.S.

It's good to be home.

2 more for the "men can be creeps" list

Roman Polanski

David Letterman

We're home!

We're home--safe and sound. Our final day in Waikiki was really exciting. There were tsunami warnings from about noon until we left at 9pm. I was surprised none of my news friends contacted me for an interview. Contrary to what you might expect, the beaches remained busy. I'll post vacation photos later.

Yes, that's him

OPA Passes The Torch To Younger Woman

RIP. Gertrude Baines, former OPA {Oldest Person Alive}, has left the planet. According to her physician, Gertrude most likely suffered a heart attack but an autopsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death. I always liked Gertrude. She said her hobbies were eating bacon and watching Jerry Springer. Good woman.



Seizing the OPA crown is Kama Chinen, 114, who lives in Japan.





Related Posts:
Oldest Person Alive Dies--Again

OPA RIP

Let's see...

Planes colliding over Arizona

Boeing 737 hijacked from Cancun

Swine flu outbreaks.

Yep. It's almost time for my vacation.

Back To The Future

"The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students."

Republicans? Uh, no. Democrate Dick Gephardt in 1991 after President George H. W. Bush broadcast a speech from a Northwest Washington junior high school.

In 1991 Democrats also launched a full-blown investigation into the production of the speech and summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue.

Did you see this?

Talk about clunkers

This opinion piece from the Wall Street Journal sums up perfectly how I feel about Barack-star's health care plan:

Obama and the Perfect Political Storm
It's hard to sell change voters don't think they need.*

August was the worst month of Barack Obama's presidency. And he seems to know it—he is now planning to deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress 232 days into his administration in a desperate attempt to save his biggest domestic priority, overhauling health care.

He has already had the budget-busting $787 billion stimulus package, a budget that doubles the national debt in five years, an earmark-laden appropriations bill that boosted domestic spending nearly 8%, and a cap-and-trade energy tax that limped through the House with dozens of Democratic defections (and which has stalled in the Senate). These achievements are unpopular, so they are boomeranging on him.

Mr. Obama's problems are legion. To start with, the president is focusing on health care when the economy and jobs are nearly everyone's top issue. Voters increasingly believe Mr. Obama took his eye off the ball.

In addition, Mr. Obama is trying to overhaul health care without being able to tap into widespread public unhappiness. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans say they have coverage—and large majorities of them are happy with it. Of the 46 million uninsured, 9.7 million are not U.S. citizens; 17.6 million have annual incomes of more than $50,000; and 14 million already qualify for Medicaid or other programs. That leaves less than five million people truly uncovered out of a population of 307 million. Americans don't believe this problem—serious but correctable—justifies the radical shift Mr. Obama offers.

Moreover, he's tried to sell it with promises Americans aren't buying. He says ObamaCare will save money, but Americans believe it comes with a huge price tag because the Congressional Budget Office has said it will.

Workers are also rightly concerned they won't be able to keep their current coverage. Many businesses will drop their health plans and instead pay a fine equal to 8% of their payroll costs, which is less than what they pay for employee coverage.

Families believe they will be pushed into a government plan as the "public option" drives private insurers out of the market.

Health-care providers fear they'll be forced to follow one-size-fits-all guidelines drafted by bureaucrats, instead of making judgments for specific patients.

And seniors are afraid of Mr. Obama's plan to cut $500 billion from Medicare over the next decade, including $177 billion for Medicare Advantage. It's simply not possible to cut that much from Medicare without also cutting services seniors need.

Each of these concerns is energizing opposition among many previously uninvolved voters and political independents. Members of Congress, especially those in closely contested districts, saw this firsthand when they returned home in August.

The administration's problems have been compounded by tactical mistakes. Allowing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to push for a Democrat-only bill shatters any claim Mr. Obama can make to bipartisanship, a core theme of his candidacy. Leaving the legislation's drafting to Congress has tied the president's fortunes to Mrs. Pelosi, who has a 25% approval rating nationwide, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, whose approval rating is 37% in Nevada.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) was inartful but basically correct when he said if Mr. Obama loses on health care, "it will be his Waterloo." It would destroy confidence in the ability of Democrats to govern. Mr. Obama knows this, which is why he will stop at nothing to get a bill, any bill, on which the label "health-care reform" can be stuck.

Given the Democratic congressional margins, Mr. Obama has the votes to do it, but at huge costs to him and his party. Legislation that looks anything like the bill moving through the House will contain deeply unpopular provisions—including massive deficit spending, tax hikes and Medicare cuts—and create enormous ill will on Capitol Hill. This will be especially true if Democrats rely on parliamentary tricks to pass a bill in the Senate with 51 votes. The public's reaction in August showed that the president is creating the conditions for a revolt against his party in the 2010 elections.

On the other hand, if Mr. Obama jettisons the public option, he may spark a revolt within his party. The Democratic base is already grumbling and could block a bill if it doesn't include a public option.

Presidents always encounter rough patches. What is unusual is how soon Mr. Obama has hit his. He has used up almost all his goodwill in less than nine months, with the hardest work still ahead. At the year's start, Democrats were cocky. At summer's end, concern is giving way to despair. A perfect political storm is amassing, and heading straight for Democrats.

* By Karl Rove

Even more curiouser...Michael Jackson's first date

Thought you'd enjoy some of this vintage video.

Curiouser and curiouser

As if the whole Michael Jackson thing isn't bizarre enough...now there are reports that Macaulay Culkin is Blanket Jackson's father. Blanket is MJ's youngest son.

RIP Dominick Dunne 1925-2009

Ahhhh...Dominick Dunne. What a great writer. What a great story of redemption.

Dominick was born into a family of privilege, but said he always felt like an outsider among the supremely wealthy. He worked in the heyday of television and hung out with the beautiful people of the sixties: John Gregory Dunne (married to writer Joan Didion) was his brother, Elizabeth Taylor, Truman Capote, the Reagans, Stephen Sondheim, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly, Steve McQueen.

Eventually years of partying caught up with Dominick and he faced up to his addictions to alcohol and cocaine. He'd lost his job, his wife, his friends. He left Hollywood in 1979, and holed up in a one-room cabin in rural Oregon. He sobered up there. And he wrote his first book there, The Winners.

About his wife, Lenny, he said, "She was the real thing, and I became a fake." Even after they divorced he remained devoted to her. Dominick was beside her all the way through her 25-year battle with multiple sclerosis in 1972, until her death in 1997. After she died, he said their divorce was his greatest regret and that Lenny was his one true love.

After Oregon, Dunne moved back to New York. His second career as a writer was lucrative. He wrote for Vanity Fair...first a chronicle of the murder trial of the man who killed his daughter Dominique. Later, articles on the OJ Simpson trial, Claus Von Bulow trials, the Menendez brothers, Phil Spector, William Kennedy Smith, and Ethel Kennedy's nephew Michael Skakel.

And (those of you who know me know how I love an impeccably dressed gentleman) he was a natty dresser: french cuffs, gold cufflinks, dark jackets, gray flannel slacks, starched shirts with club ties. He used a fountain pen.

Last spring he summed up his life, "I enjoyed every second."

RIP Teddy Kennedy 1932-2009

John Edwards gets sleazier

Ambulance chaser-turned politician-turned two time presidential candidate loser-turned cheater on his terminally ill wife-turned baby daddy-turned hush money payer--John Boy Edwards just got sleazier.

Didn't think it was possible, did you?

In an about face to "do the right thing" John Boy Edwards is getting ready to acknowledge he's the baby daddy to New Age, sometimes-videographer, Rielle Hunter's 18-month-old daughter, Frances. Frances is the same baby John Boy Edwards' dying wife called "it" on a memorable Oprah interview a few months ago. Finally acknowledging his paternity is a stand up thing to do {albeit a little late, and there have been a couple of years of denials, and apparently he did insist on a paternity test}.

I'm not so enamoured with JB's reported plans to move Rielle and Frances into the same neighborhood as his wife and other three kids. Apparently, dying wife Elizabeth isn't too keen on the idea either. Those same reports have Elizabeth packing her bags when JB told her about Rielle and baby's big move.

In case you're wondering, I'm sure none of this about-face on John Boy's part has anything to do with the grand jury that's meeting in North Carolina right now and investigating allegations that campaign donations were used as hush money.

Cast of sleazy characters:
John Boy Edwards: see above

Rielle Hunter: formerly known as Lisa Jo Druck, had affair with John Boy resulting in out-of-wedlock baby, Frances. In addition to the baby, Rielle/Lisa Jo also produced a few You Tube videos for John Boy's campaign

Elizabeth Edwards: wife of John Boy, found out about his affair with Rielle/Lisa Jo a day before he announced he was running a second time for the presidency, but still publicly supported his candidacy. Denied knowing anything about JB having affair until she released her own tell-all book: Resilience

Pigeon O'Brien: Friend of Rielle/Lisa Jo who claims the affair began in February 2006--six months before Edwards hired Hunter to produce videos for his campaign...hmmmm...someone's not telling the truth here.

Andrew Young: Lifelong friend of John Boy Edwards, agreed to coverup Edwards' affair with Hunter by claiming the child was his and moved Rielle/Lisa Jo into his home with his wife and three children. In exchange John Boy agreed to `take care of him forever'. Young is now working on a tell-all book of his own, John Boy isn't talking to him any more.

Fred Baron: Texas trial lawyer who made gobs and gobs of money on asbestos cases, retired from the legal world at 55-years-old and immersed himself in politics raising money for the Democratic Party and other special interests. Admitted to giving money to Rielle/Lisa Jo & Andrew Young et al to set up housekeeping in Santa Barbara, but claimed he paid her directly, and didn't use campaign money. Baron also claimed (insert laugh here) that John Boy had no idea he had given money to Rielle/Lisa Jo and Andrew Young to go away. Baron was paid nearly 1.1 million dollars by the Edwards campaign for his service as a fundraiser. Baron died in 2008 of multiple myeloma.

Throw the book at her

I can honestly say I've never felt like bullying anyone. It's just not in me. Maybe it's because I lean more toward low on the self esteem continuum than high. I always relate more to the bully-ee than the bully-er.

That said...what is it with Missouri and the cyberbullies?

This is seriously embarrassing. First we had Lori Drew. Drew is the Missouri woman who anonymously harrassed a poor teenage girl on the internet to the point that the thirteen-year-old finally committed suicide. Unfortunately Missouri didn't have an appropriate law to charge Drew with, so the feds came in and charged her with violating MySpace's terms of agreement and a federal conspiracy. She was charged in California because that's where MySpace is headquartered. Long story short, Drew got off with a hand slap and was found guilty of a couple of minor misdemeanors.

Fast forward to today. Now we have a second grown woman (again from the St. Louuis area) accused of cyberbullying a teenager. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Elizabeth Thrasher posted a 17-year-old's picture, e-mail address and cell phone number on Craig's List in a posting saying the girl was looking for a sexual encounter.

This time the woman is being charged under the cyberbullying law that took effect last August after the Megan Meier/Lori Drew case. Under the law a cyberbullying offense can be charged as a felony if a victim is 17 or younger and the suspect is 21 or older. Under the new law Thrasher is facing up to four years in state prison, or up to a year in county jail, and a $5,000 fine.

Man oh man. Some people are really sick.

RIP Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Sorry to hear about the passing of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. I consider her one of the "good" Kennedys. I know you're wondering what I mean by that.

Here's my personal list of the good and bad Kennedys.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver: Good
Rose Kennedy: Good
Joe Kennedy Sr.: Bad
Joe Kennedy Jr.: Good
John Kennedy Jr.: Good
Jacqueline Kennedy: Good
Caroline Kennedy: Good until she ran for NY Senate
Ted Kennedy: Bad until he was about 70 and gave up drinking
Michael Kennedy: Bad
John F. Kennedy: Good and bad
Bobby Kennedy: Good and bad
Robert Kennedy Jr: Bad
Jean Kennedy Smith: Good
Patricia Kennedy Lawford: Good
Joan Kennedy: Good when she's not drunk
Michael Kennedy: Bad
Kerry Kennedy: Bad
Patrick Kennedy: Bad

There are lots of other Kennedys that I don't have an opinion about (ie. Rory, Maria Shriver, Kathleen Townsend, Kara Kennedy etc.)

Lookin' good

I've been dieting for about five weeks. I'm having a particular "thin" day today. Wish you could see me.

Sign of the times

fur·lough [ fúr lo ]

noun (plural fur·loughs)

Definition:

1. leave from duty: leave of absence from duty, especially military duty

2. grant of leave: an official paper authorizing leave of absence

3. U.S. leave from prison: a period of leave granted to a prisoner, usually as a reward for good behavior and to reduce incarceration costs

4. U.S. work layoff: a layoff of workers, especially one that is temporary

Yep, I'm facing week 1 of an unpaid, involuntary furlough. The economic crisis continues, and regardless of what the politicians are saying there's no real end in sight. Friends, family members, co-workers have all been affected--whether through temporary or permanent job loss, decline in investments, or loss of security. Reflect on that and do what you can to help each other. Folks are hurting.

Things I don't understand {cont'd}

#13. Tuxedo t-shirts










Other things I don't understand:
#1-#3
#4-#5
#6
#7-#9
#10
#11
#12

Beer Summit

In honor of the beer summit, here's what's on tap for us this weekend:

• Frittata with fresh-from-our-farm-co-op eggs and veggies



• Lots of knitting and purling



• Read some more of this month's bookclub selection: The Moonflower Vine and some more of The Glass Palace



• The Right Stuff & Shopaholic moviethon with Mr. C {I know which one he'll like best}
  



• Tomato sandwich on white bread with mayo, basil and fresh mozzarella



• At least(!) one afternoon nap

Even more food rules

I can't use condiment packages unless I'm the one who's picked them up at the fast food place. There's a whole pile of individual unopened packets of ketchups, mustards, soy sauces, bbq sauces, taco sauces at our office available for `communal' use, but I'd rather do without.

I'll skip dessert rather than reuse my dinner fork. If I have a spoon I'll use that, otherwise no dessert.

I HATE toast crumbs left on butter in a butter dish. I've actually thrown partially used sticks of butter away that are crumbed, washed the butter dish, and started over.

Soupy, saucy, runny foods have no place on a dinner plate with other items.

I can easily go through 3 or 4 napkins at any meal.

I always drink out of a straw at restaurants.

I HATE having my silverware sit on a bare table in a restaurant. Immediately upon sitting down I need two napkins--one for my lap, one for my silverware to rest on.

I never finish the coffee in a cup.

I have to put pepper on white foods: Potatoes, cole slaw, rice, etc.

And, finally {for now}, pass things to me left to right. Thank you.

Related Post: Food Issues Nearing Obsessions & Compulsions

P.S. To Sean & Wendy...does this mean you're not inviting me over?

Stuffed to the gills

I'm intrigued by those people who can't throw stuff away. You know, the really hardcore hoarders whose houses are filled with trash, and junk, piles of clothes, old food wrappers, dirty dishes piled everywhere. The bigger the mess, the more I like it. I think I've seen every Oprah show on hoarders.


I'm not a big fan of the animal hoarders. Stuff hoarders are more my cup of tea.






Maybe it's because my mother wasn't very sentimental and tossed stuff out or gave it away willingly to Goodwill. I'm kind of the same way. Mr. C on the other hand will keep anything. In our garage rafters we have some sort of contraption that cleans swimming pools. We don't have a pool, but he got it after his mom died 20 years ago and he thinks it might come in handy.

When I got ready to move into his house, I cleaned out a closet that had no fewer than 500 little troll dolls. Seriously.



Regardless, Monday night at 9pm A&E is running a tv show about hoarders. It is scheduled on my TIVO.

To sleep, perchance to scream

Do you have nightmares? I do. I have a sort of recurring thing happen. It's not the same nightmare, but the same response. Basically, someone is strangling me or pinning me down or pointing a gun at me and no matter what I do I can't scream. Weird, huh? The other night it happened and I finally eeked out a peep loud enough to wake Mr. C up. I told him to hold onto me because "they" were after me. He did. All's well that ends well. I guess.

Danger on the high seas

Less than 2 months until our cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii. Time to resurrect the cruise horror stories.

We begin with a variation on an ever-popular theme. Yes, that oldie but goody, husband kills wife in stateroom.

This time a middle-aged California couple {"former high school sweethearts who found each other decades later and renewed their love"} were cruising home from idyllic Cabo San Lucas. Something went awry and the husband confessed to the authorities he had killed his wife "in the bathroom of their cabin with his bare hands."

Alrighty, then.

Friends shocked as LA man charged in wife's murder

Food issues nearing obsessions and compulsions

I'm worried. I'm starting to develop weird food habits. I don't think I've reached the OCD level yet or require medication, but I may need to keep an eye on this.

Tell me if these are normal behaviors or if I've gone off the food cliff:

* I can't eat food unless I know who has made it. No untraceable potluck foods for me.

* I can't eat cereal once it gets too mushy from milk or yogurt.

* I don't like to eat leftovers that have been stored in plastic baggies. They have to have been stored in plastic containers.

* No food groups should touch another on a dinner plate. Keep my vegetables away from my fruits.

* No leftovers after 48 hours.

* I can't drink out of anything but clear glass.

* No fruits cooked with meats, eg. raisins, pineapple, etc. don't belong in pork chops, chicken, beef or seafood dishes

* No vegetables masquerading as dessert, prime offender this time of year is zucchini bread or cake or whatever it is.

* Ketchup is a condiment only to be used on french fries. Also, it should only be placed on the side of the fries in a little blob...not spread all over the top of them.

* No eating off of or drinking out of chipped dishes, EVER.

* Salad forks should only be used to eat salad or dessert, never a main dish.

* Margarine is a bad invention.

* Dessert is to be served on a fresh plate. Never, ever, plop a dessert on a used dinner plate.

* I have to leave something on my dinner plate at the end of the meal. A completely cleaned off plate makes me nauseous.

* I want my finished plate removed immediately upon being finished. No lingering on the dinner table staring back at me.

* DO NOT eat off my plate. Don't worry I won't eat off of your plate.

There's more, but I've embarrassed myself enough.

The final solution?

According to Kim Priestap's Political Insights blog, HR 3200--the epic length health reform bill--has a provision in it that requires the elderly to visit their doctors and nurse practitioners (note: not their lawyers) every 5 years to discuss information regarding living wills, hospice, durable powers of attorney, and other end of life decisions.

This is where we're headed folks. The government now interfering in those pesky "end of life decisions"...all in the name of saving money. It's sad when the greatest country on earth no longer values its elders.

Lest you think we're just devaluing the elderly, think again. The bill also has provisions for the government to pay for abortions. HR 3200 defines abortion as an "essential benefit."

I'm wondering what other nuggets are hidden throughout HR 3200.

By the way, Barack-star went on record today in a conference call with liberal bloggers like Daily Kos and the Huffington Post that he'll do anything to get this thing passed--regardless of public opinion.

Where did our democracy go?

Ch-ch-change. Change of Fools.

This morning on one of the news channels I heard some common tater explain to me that Barack-star is determined to be a Transformational President. The context was the healthcare debate. It came up in the discussion that right now a majority of Americans say government-run healthcare doesn't seem like such a hot idea to them.

Too bad what we think. This common tater insisted that since Barack-star is hell-bent on being a Transformational President we ought to just let him have his way. After all, this is Barack-star we're talking about and he's on a mission for change.

Some people love change. Some people hate change. I'm not risk averse, but I do think it's silly and immature to think that change for change sake is necessarily a good thing. It makes me crazy when I hear common taters or other folks say, "well, people voted for change when they voted for Barack-star."

What a lot of hooey.

Change in and of itself is neither good nor bad. By way of example, following are 20 examples of changes that someone originally thought were good...but obviously didn't work out too well.

Consider this a cautionary tale.

1) Break up of AT&T
2) Susan B. Anthony dollar
3) Bringing kudzu to the U.S.
4) New Coke
5) Moon boots
6) Imitation crab meat
7) The Roper's (Three's Company) and Joanie Loves Chachi (Happy Days) sequels
8) Vietnam War
9) Spray on hair
10) New math
11) Leisure suits
12) The Spruce Goose
13) Breast implants
14) U.S. vs. Microsoft Anti-trust case
15) Speed 2: Cruise Control {Sandra Bullock attempts to corral a runaway cruise ship}
16) Red Sox trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees
17) Smell-o-Vision
18) Dan Quayle
19) The Edsel
20) Sony sticking with Betamax instead of switching to VHS format

Gallery of bad ideas:

Yankee(?)Babe Ruth

Spray On Hair

Break Up of AT&T

Joanie Loves Chachi

Moon Boots

Kudzu

Leisure suit


Support for Barack-star's healthcare plan*:
April 57%
July 49%

Support for Barack-star's economic plan*:
March 60%
July 52%

*{Washington Post/ABC News Poll}

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