AND ON A HAPPIER NOTE.....

This has to be the most "feel good" video ever.  With all of the technology, know how and creative ideas that we have,  why can't we Americans do something like this?  We can, we just don't.    What you are seeing is an ad for Volkswagen but the staircase is real and is in operation in Sweden.   People are now taking the stairs instead of the escalator.  What a great idea!!

THE MAYANS BELIEVE that the world will end on December 12, 2012.   Somehow their celestial predictions indicate that is  a reality.  If this is so, if we are really done as a planet, then does this means that I can stop watching my diet and denying myself all that great ice cream out there, eat tons of lobster dripping with butter,  spend every dime I have on shoes, clothes, that Lamborghini I have my eye on, traveling the world and just spend time having fun   for the rest of my life, which by the way, is only   two years from now.  On the other hand,  what if they're wrong..........

WALMART IS NOW SELLING CASKETS, and urns for your  loved one's ashes.  Well that's a welcome bit of information.  This sure makes my Christmas shopping easy this year.

I DISCOVERED THIS GEM while watching a little show on the FoodTV network called "Unwrapped."  They did a piece on butters and spreads for bread and crackers and this came by on the screen.  Had to rewind it when my eye caught the words,  dark chocolate and peanut butter on the jar.   Naturally I had to get on the internet to find out more about this company  with the clever name:  Peanut Butter & Co. take a look.  Discovered that my local supermarket carried this, bought it and wow!!!  great  on waffles, French toast, melting over ice cream  or scooping out of the jar with a spoon,  (you know you all do that.)    They also carry a hot and spicy peanut butter.   Satay sauce anyone?

WILL JAY LENO SURVIVE  the prime time spot?   I love Jay Leno and his show has always been the one I watch  (can't take the obnoxious Dave Letterman)  but I'm not sure the prime time audience "gets" a lot of the humor on Jay's skits.   His  Headlines,  Jay Walking and 99 Cents Store products skits are still the funniest things on TV.  Maybe it's because those segments deal with real life and real people.   You just can't make up the stuff on these  bits. 

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE are losing their jobs and homes by the week, but we still have to stand in line at restaurants.   Why hasn't the recession made a difference here?   No matter how little money people are left with, they're NOT cooking.  Period.  LOL.

ARE YOU GETTING AS TIRED AS I AM of all the religiously inspired e-mails that keep telling us to send  on to 5, 10, 15 people and we'll have something wonderful happen to us?  Do people not realize that these things are started by computer hackers, who know you'll send it on?  When you get these e-mails take a look at the dozens of names and e-mail addresses that show up on your copy.  Hackers get names for spamming and phishing from your e-mails.   This is why they start the religious oriented sites, because they KNOW you'll send it on and on and on and.......think about how many multiples there are in sending one e-mail on to 5 people ad infinitum.  Don't buy into this scam.  God doesn't work through the internet.

 I AM SADDENED AT THE OUTCOME of the elections in New Jersey and Virginia. not because of who won, but why they won.  During interviews of some of the voters on the street,  many of them commented that they were voting Republican in protest of Obama and his policies.  Are we putting people in office not because they're qualified, but because we have an "I'll show you " attitude?   If this is so, we are in big trouble.  Remember, Obama was elected because many people voted for his color.

JUST GOT MY NETFLIX COPY OF one of  the most talked about videos in recent years,  FOOD INC.    This is an interesting and  scary account of the food industry and one everyone should see.   Nothing gross, nothing to make you queasy, just  an expose  about the food we put into our mouths and how it's processed and grown and scariest of all, how it's controlled and by whom.    I'm not so sure it's even real food anymore.  Very interesting information. Worth a look.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, I GRIND my own beef.  In view of the constant recalls of ground beef contaminated with e-coli and God knows what else,  and in view of the recall last week after 3 people died and dozens ended up in the hospital,   I'm lovin' my grinder more and more.   Y'all oughtta think about it. 

And that's all I'm saying.  

 

KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF - A LESSON LEARNED.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE NERVE, YA GOTTA HAND IT TO THEM:  And speaking of "hands"   Carrie Prejean, the Miss California beauty who was passed over for making a controversial statement on gay marriage, is back in the news yet another time.   Like Jon and Kate she just won't go away.   

Seems this "holier-than-thou" Christian goody two shoes, is showing those shoes on clay feet.  First came the expose of her topless photos,  forbidden by pageant rules,  and lying about their existence  til the photos surfaced on the internet,  magazines, newpapers and TV.  Then came the revelation that she had breast implants paid for by the pageant people,  (you mean she isn't a natural beauty? gasp!)  Then she filed a wrongful termination lawsuit saying the pageant officials fired her for her deeply religious and moral views and NOW, the blockbuster of them all,  "Carrie baby" dropped the lawsuit minutes after it was discovered that she did a porno sex tape in which she is having sex with- her favorite person - Carrie herself.   The tape is a graphic showing of her uh, handiwork,  and in such detail that it can't be shown on YouTube and several news sites have been told not to air it on the internet.

  But you can bet somebody will show it as soon as they can find a buyer who is interested in paying the $10,000 price tag.  Christian morals?  Carrie was due to speak at an event on "Defending the Family"  but was removed from the schedule when the tape information became public.

Had she answered the gay marriage question that she was asked instead of showing off her "moral character" by giving her opinion, which wasn't asked for, she'd be wearing the crown and she and her family wouldn't be facing the humiliation they face today.  

  Carrie  joins the Hypocrites Hall of Fame along with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, who bilked  thousands of followers out of millions of dollars  in the name of God;  Oral Roberts,  whose  lunatic ramblings that God appeared to him and said he would "take him to heaven now" if he couldn't raise 1 million dollars,  got him sent to  a rest home;  Rev. Tim  Haggard who lied about not having a sexual relationship with a gay, male  prostitute and using chrystal meth;  the crying, lying, Jimmy Swaggart, who raved and ranted on every segment of his televangelist show on the evils and degradation of pornography, including calling for a boycott of the 7-Eleven stores because they sold dirty magazines.   Jimmy was arrested for solicititing a prostitute, one that he had used many times. While  searching his home police found boxes of porno mags, books, videos, etc.   His show was cancelled shortly after he came back to cry like a baby asking forgiveness.   Three months later he was again arrested for soliciting a prostitute on a street corner; and the father of the year,  "balloon dad" for teaching his children to lie.  

And of course, the thousands of priests who have been indicted for forcing small children into anal and oral sex.  This one is the vilest of them all.  There can't be a punishement hard enough for these snakes.

One St. Louis priest was recently arrested for trying to pay for sex with a 16 yr. old on Craigslist.   They found tons of child pornography material on his computer.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR SENSE OF MORALITY?   Why are we using God to play our little  lying,  cheating,  "let me show you what a good Christian  I am"  games?  Why do we keep making the same stupid mistakes over and over never seeming to get  that we will be caught?

We can't believe anyone anymore.  Do you really know who the good people are?  No you don't and neither do I.  

 I hope God does.

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED

This will be short and funny.  I hope you get  the same kick out of the video that I did this morning.  If you missed the  newscasts,  here is the incident as it happened. 

The accident took place in Russia in a vodka distillery.  The warehouse forklift driver wasn't injured but  but he was shaken up and ohhhhhh the martinis that went to waste.  Hundreds of cases of vodka and cognac were destroyed to the cost of $150,000.00.  Was this a case of drink driving?   His career may be on the rocks. 

Take a look and enjoy this.

HALLOWEEN, BRINGING OUT THE WORST IN PEOPLE

It's about to hit the fan, trust me.  If it doesn't I'll be suprised. 

Lester Holt, The Today Show's  weekend anchor and all around nice guy, donned a Halloween costume sure to get some people irate and others writing letters, e-mailing , phone calling  and, well, blogging.

Lester, a black man, came out in white face as Susan Boyle, the singer of America's Got Talent  fame.  Now with all the hullaballoo about the Australian talent contest,  with the white singing group in black  face, mimicking the Jackson Five, and the Tanya Banks' white models in black makeup causing such a stir, dontcha think this is going to cause some problems too?  Will we see a double standard here or will whites be as outraged as blacks were?  Gonna be interesting to say the least.  And that's the least I can say.  Click here for the video of this morning's segment. 

Another segment on the show featured a young man, an employee of Home Depot who was fired for wearing a badge that read: "....one nation under God, indivisible."  The man said he was fired only for wearing a badge that had the name of God written on it, but Home Depot said he violated company policy which forbids the wearing of ANY badge except Home Depot's own badge that reads "United We Stand."  It was agreed by his lawyer, that Home Depot has the right to set company dress standards. 

The man was asked to stop wearing the badge but continued to wear it saying he was supporting his country, his God and his brother, who was about to leave for Iraq.   Seems to me that United We Stand pretty much says support for his country and his brother.   He insisted that HD fired him because of religious discrimination and is sueing HD.  The company has said that  religion had nothing to do with the firing and he was given every opportunity to remove the badge and wear the UWS badge.  He refused over and over.

Now the way I see it, looks like "badge guy" decided to  hell with company policy and thumbed his nose at the rules.   He did what he wanted to do BUT, the big  words to keep in mind are "God, and Fired."  A law suit in the making for sure.  He's going to get paid.  Why? Because he found a way to make money by screaming "religious discrimination."  Home Depot will, in all probability,  settle, which of course means "badge guy" will  come out a winner, the badge goes away in the drawer and so does the issue.  

This ain't over yet, you can bet on it.

WILL THAT BE CASH, CHECK, DEBIT OR HAHAHAHAHAHA OUTRAGEOUS CREDIT CARD?

I'M ON A REAL RANT THIS MORNING!

Yesterday's Today Show featured a segment on the new credit card rules put into place by Bank of America with others to follow.   The new rules will punish anyone who does as we were asked to do; pay off our credit cards, don't carry a balance if we can help it, and try to curb credit card spending by keeping your purchase level low.

Well, as Suzy Orman says, "guess what.?"  We're being punished for being good consumers.  This is what is now in place and is already happening with Bank of America:

If you pay your bill in full each month you will be charged a fee from $29.99 to $99.00  depending on the amount you've charged. Even though every merchant pays a fee when you use your credit card in their shops, the banks will still charge you for carrying you on their books.  Okay I get that and I might even go along with it but read further...

If you keep your balance too low, even though you don't pay your card off in full, you will be charged a fee.  You must carry a revolving balance of $2400 per month in order to avoid the fee.  That means that you have to charge that amount or more and pay the already outrageous percentage rate or you will not only pay that rate but you get slapped with a fee for not charging enough.  WTF????? The financial people are telling us not to charge too much and the banks are punishing us for it. 

If you close your account you will lose your credit rating on that card, especially if it is a card you've used for years.  If it's new card, then go ahead and close it.  But.....

If you decide to keep your account open but not use your card, you will be slapped with an inactivity  fee.  Than banks have us by the short hairs and it's starting to make my eyes water.

How long do you think it will be before the American public has enough of this nonsense  and gets off their apathetic asses and revolts?   I think that day is coming soon.

I have a very good credit card.  It's good for me because it has a great rewards system.  I charge EVERYTHING I purchase so my rewards build up fast.  But I pay my card off every month, and have been doing that for 10 years.  I have never carried a balance.   I'm going to get penalized.  They raised my percentage rate from 4% to 30% just a couple of months ago.  I didn't care because I never pay it anyway.  But now I have to charge more than I want to or need to in order to avoid the fee. And I have to pay the outrageous percentage rate by carrying a balance each moth.  Let's see, if I charge $1500 per month and pay it off I get hit with a double penalty fee. one for not charging enough and one for paying it off.   If I don't use my card for a month, I get hit with a fee for not using the card AND not keeping a balance of $2400.   Those reward points are not looking too good to me right now. 

If I don't use my card anymore, I get penalized.  If I close my account, my FICO score, which is above 800 will drop. That's not a problem for me since I'm not looking to buy a home, a car,  or take out a loan.

But for those who need to keep their FICO scores up there, and for those who can't afford to buy more than they're buying now, and for those who like to sleep at night knowing they don't carry a balance on their cards each month, these fees are going to build up.  Anything you save by buying on sale or through smart shopping will go into the banks' pockets.  It seems that in order to avoid the rise in percentage rates, people have been using their debit cards more than credit cards and the banks are pissed.   They're pissed???

This is our thanks for bailing them out with billions of OUR tax dollars. 

And by the way:  Bank of America has already started this.  CitiCorp and others are following this week.   Click here for the video. 

It has been suggested by many financial experts that now is the time to look into credit unions.  Their cards don't carry fees.  

Yet. 

THE WORLD WITHOUT SOUP

"The Soup" is gone. I'm referring of course to Soupy Sales, the icon of the fifties and sixties and the one person I will remember always. Soupy died last week at 83 years of age.

Soupy Sales is often described as "zany." Soupy was beyond zany, he was just plain nuts. And we loved him.

Having attended Catholic school in Detroit and not having a school bus service, we walked home for lunch, 11:25 til 12:30. Soupy's show was on at noon so we were able to watch, then run like the dickens to get back to school on time. Sometimes we gathered at each others' homes for lunch but we NEVER missed an episode. When I started watching the show in the early 50's, it was shown live from the Detroit studio it was called "12 O'Clock Comics" and oddly enough, I can still remember the theme.

Soupy had his own brand of humor and many things he said and did were more for his own benefit and the benifit, and subsequent hysterical laughter of his crew and staff. You could hear them in the background and when Soupy looked at the crew and started laughing we knew something was going on behind the cameras.

For some reason, unknown to anyone, he called us, his fans, Birdbaths.

Soupy had two dogs, White Fang, a white paw that would come from the front of the screen, touch Soupy and talk to him:

White Fang: "Er er er er er er er.

Soupy translates: "You have something for me that you've been wanting to give me for a long time?"

White Fang: Er er.

Soupy: "Well give it to me." At this point a gun shot with a high pitched whine could be heard as a pie came flying into Soupy's face. Soupy inevitably would yell, "White Fang, you are the meanest dog in awllla Deeeetroit." Awlla, of course, meaning all of.

His other dog, Black Tooth, a black paw that would grab him, pull him toward the camera and slobber kisses on him. Soupy would wipe his face then say "don't kiss." Then added "you are the best dog in awlla Deeeetroit." It was the same every day and we waited for it.

Soupy other charcters, Willie the Worm who lived in an apple and always had words of wisdom, whistled to speak.

Willie: " ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ "

Soupy would translate by ad libbing after some conversation with the worm much of it with double meanings, and personal remarks to the staff or crew.. Everyone would wind up roaring with laughter. The show belonged to Soupy and his staff, we were just there to watch them have fun with each other.

Pookie the Lion was another character, he wasn't my favorite, but This Video will give you a better perspective of what Soupy's show was really like. Stay with it.

The door was what we really waited for. There would be a knock, Soupy would go to the door and there, out of camera range, would be a person with a message, usually the message was punctuated with a pie in Soupy's face, or being hit with a bucket of water. We loved it.

Take a look at the most famous of all "door scenes." Seems that the staff had some ideas of their own and this one was hilarious. Soupy wasn't aware that this was going to happen so his laughter and puzzled look were genuine. He couldn't stop laughing. Caution: This video contains a woman naked from the waist up.

Next to the door was a plug stuck into the wall with a sign that read, "Do Not Touch." He always pulled the plug out, got squirted in the face with water, and we laughed just as though we were seeing it for the first time. It looks trite and sounds unfunny til you realize, as we did, that it wasn't always water, sometimes it was beer or some other liquid. Soupy himself was often unaware of what would come out of the hole.

In this video Soupy describes the type of gag he would do on his show, most of which kiddies wouldn't understand. But this one got him a week's suspension. I don't remember it, but learned about it later. I think it's hilariously funny, and this is typical of Soupy's brand of humor.

Soupy had a 15 minute show Soupy's On at 11 PM for the adults which was equally filled with off camera action, as he portrayed one of several different characters each night. The only one I really remember was Charles Vichyssoise, described as raconteur, bon vivant, man about town. Charles was a slippery, mustached, egotist who had to deal with unruly patrons in his Club Chi Chi nightspot. Funny stuff, risque dialogue just barely passing the censors, but funny.

Born Morton Supman, he took stage name of Milton Hines, the permanently changed it to Soupy Sales.

Soupy's is the only show I remember so well. There was something about his gentle character, his love of laughing at himself, and making us laugh with him, that keeps him in my memories.

Goodbye Soupy, you were the best comedian in awlla Deeeeetroit.

GET THEE TO A NUNNERY - OR A CATHOLIC SCHOOL

MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW that I have no shame.  So with that I'm going to give you a heads up on my new cooking blog before I start this entry:  Here it is.  My blog is now up and running and I'm going to have a lot of fun with it.  I hope you tune in and tell your friends about it.  The whole purpose of the blog is to give you information, instruction and recipes on cooking the best Italian food possible - and that means using fresh, simple ingredients with a minimum of effort.   This is the way Italians cook so you can too.

 Give it a look, just click on this:  The Simple Comfort Foods of Italy

A FEW DAYS AGO I SAW SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED ME.  Two nuns walking through a shopping center wearing full habits.  Haven't seen that in years.  The Catholic schools have closed for the most part and it seems that the priesthood and the nunneries are losing prospects, so seeing a nun at all is a surprise much less one in full habit.  

I got to thinking about my school days at a Catholic School in Detroit.  The order of nuns were  Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (pictured above.)   Those women were really something and my life was in their hands.  I've forgotten a few of them, maybe because they didn't leave an impression on me, but some of them will live in my mind forever. 

My first grade nun, Sister Mary Kind and Gentle  (they all took the first name of Mary, we tagged the rest of the name) was just that.  School was going to be a cinch if all of the nuns were like this one.  We were 6 years old and scared out of our wits just having a nun speak to us.  They were, well,  different and I think Sr. Mary K and G knew we were terrified.   She set the scene but it changed rapidly.  She always spoke kindly to us, we never saw the future  coming.

My second grade nun was non-descript, don't remember much about her but on to the third grade.  Now third graders, having gone through two years of school become a little complacent and we thought we'd breeze through third grade UNTIL...... we met Sister Mary Nazi.  Sr. M. N. had a baton, pretty much like one a musical conductor uses but hers was thicker and longer.  She kept a book on her desk for the sole purpose of keeping the desk from splintering when she whapped  the baton over the top of it to get our attention.    It worked, only because we were terrified that the baton would be whapped on one of us instead. Just for the record, I never saw a nun hit anyone at any time.  This woman tolerated nothing short of complete silence. She puncutated every sentence with a WHAP!  She wanted to beat something.  But we were there to learn and learn we did.   We wet ourselves in terror but we learned. I think she went on to train attack dogs and a night class in SADISM 101. 

My fourth grade nun Sister Mary Paralysis had a medical problem.  Maybe a mental problem too but the woman never stopped smiling for one entire school year.  It was as though her face was frozen in a smile.  Today we'd think "botox overdose" but this was 1950,  (yes kiddies, I'm that old.)  We always wondered why she kept that perpetual smile on her face.   I have a feeling she always wondered, "what am I doing here and why am I wearing this  habit?" and the smile kept her from blowing her head off.   Maybe the whimple was choking her. Nobody is that happy all the time.

Then along came Sister Mary Torquemada.   I've searched the history books and can't find her name but I know  she had something to do with the Spanish Inquisition.  She was angry, really angry and showed it. Meanest, nastiest woman alive.    Nothing pleased her and we never made a sound for fear she would retaliate.  She taught religion class and I think she secretely wanted to make us martyrs.   Maybe Sister Mary Paralysis' smile got to her.  Yep, that would do it.

And last but still up there at the top of the list is Sister Mary Weak and Wan.  He real name was Sr. M. Dolorita, which means "sorrow."  This woman was the personification of sorrow, anorexia, weakness, and the sickly look on her face made us purposely misbehave because we knew she didn't have the strength to get angry.    She could barely be heard since she was too weak to speak above a whisper and I honestly think she couldn't become angry if she wanted to.   We drove her nuts.  Bill O'Reilly has a book out called "Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity."    I was that same B, F, piece of H.  That's what she called me over and over.  I still am.  The phrase must be in the Nun's Training Manual under the chapter, "What to Call an Unruly Student." Her lips would curl and she'd clench her teeth, "you bold....."  The class laughed and I loved it.

The nuns were quirky, strange, frightening at times and tough, really tough.  But we were there to learn and if there are teachers who deserve all the credit in the world it was these dedicated women.  I know that now. Didn't appreciate it then.  I learned, maybe it came easyily  to me, but I was a straight A student all through school.  Not a goody-two -shoes because my report card had a pemanent "F" stamped on it for conduct

That never changed.  My mother and my nuns never commented on my A's.  "You got another F in conduct"?   Hey ma, look at the rest of the card.  "I don't care about the rest of the card. Why can't you stop talking in class. Why do you do this?"

 Because  I've always got something to say, that's why.  AND the nuns taught me to say it properly.  And that's my next blog subject. 

SUNDAY MORNING RANTS AND OTHER THOUGHTS

APPARENTLY I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO so I'm seriously thinking of starting another blogsite featuring only Italian recipes.  I get a lot of e-mail from readers of my current food blog  Chew On This who ask for more Italian recipes so I'm going to devote and entire blogsite to this subject .  I don't know of any other ethnic food that creates such a feeling of comfort and satifaction  (notice how many Italian restaurants pop up all over town)  so I'll feature recipes, photos,  information, and write ups on Italian food.  I'll blow my horn when I get the site up and running in a few days and think up an appropriate name.    I hope you'll tune in.  In the meantime here's a shamless promotion for my other cooking blogsite.   Click here.  

A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN I POSTED the entry about "balloon boy" I hadn't been aware that Falcon Heene vomited on Good Morning America as well as the Today Show.  Seems strange that each time he was asked the question "why did you hide" he suddenly developed the urge to vomit.   Now we find out why.  I'm suddenly taken with that same urge.   Shame on the Heene family for involving so many people in the search,  at great expense and inconvenienc I might add,  all for a hoax.   How will we react the next time someone seems to be in danger?  Crying "wolf"  too many times can jade the American public.  

I RANTED ON FACEBOOK a few days ago after reading the article that 50 million senior citizens will not get a raise in Social Security payments in 2010 because the cost of living hasn't gone up and energy costs have gone down.  Really?  Then howcome so many of us around the country are seeing electric and gas bills rise?   And if the cost of living hasn't risen does that mean that all of these people deserve to live as they lived in 2009?  Tell that to that to the woman (and I'm sure there are many more like her)  who eats canned cat food because she can't afford to eat and buy her constantly rising prescription medication.   

Someone has to explain to me in childlike terms why the government is willing to bail out the companies that have been brought to their knees by greedy, incompetant and selfish company officers, then watch those officers get millions of dollars in bonuses while people in their senior years get nothing.    I'm not sure I understand this.  No, I DON'T understand this and never will.   Why is this country not protesting?  And where in the hell is our mouthpiece, AARP?

This was an article on the next  morning's home page Click here.

Let's hope something comes of this plan for the sake of thousands of Americans who are really struggling.

 

WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE STILL USING plastic grocery bags when we clearly have so many canvas bags available for purchase everywhere?   I went "green" a long time ago and I see more and more people using these bags not only at the supermarket but at other stores - Target,  Home Goods, Lowe's, Home Depot etc.  Good for them/us.   But there are an equal number of people still opting for plastic.  Are ya just not getting it?   These bags are so cheap that I keep buying them.  I bought 2 more at Target for .67 each. Hell, they're almost a fashion statement.

 I can't pass up a deal like that.   Come on people go canvas instead of plastic.  

AND WHEN WILL BILL O'REILLY STOP promoting his Fox News show with his ratings spiel and will he ever stop patting himself on the back because he is such a wonderful news analyst who tells it like it is, (NOT) and will he ever, ever, ever stop promoting his book?   Fox is coming under some heavy fire from the White House on down to the common viewer, yep that's us, because of their severe leaning to the right and their constant bashing of anything they don't agree with.  Bill is one of the worst offenders of this.  Any guest who shows any sign of disagreeing with his opinion  will not be able to get a word in because Bill overtakes the entire  interview.  He interrupts everyone who has anything to say and we never get to hear the rest of their point.   Bill  and only Bill has to be heard.   

And didya ever wonder why ALL of the women on his show are blond, young  and beautiful?  Are there no intelligent women, lawyers, news analysts etc. who are older,  plain looking,  and brunette?  What up with that?  Where's the pole?

I LOVE JOY BEHAR and I like her new show.  If you haven't seen it tune in and take a look.  Pro:  she has some great and interesting guests, her rant "Not for Nothing" is right on target along with being spiced with her brand of humor.  I wish I could think like she does.  

Con: It was going well for the first week or so now it's beginning to take on a "View" look.  I can't watch The View because I can't understand a word anyone is saying as they all talk at the same time.  The sound of 4 or 5 women yakking in shrill voices at once is like being in a hen house with a fox under my arm.   Come on Joy,  one at a time please. These people have interesting things to say.

Ciao.  

BALLOON BOY AND OTHER EQUALLY IMPORTANT STUFF

The balloon boy's  story got everyone's attention.  Including mine.  My first thought was that this was probably a hoax and someone was looking for attention.  I don't know what made me think that, I just did.  My mind works that way.  I dig too deeply and think too hard and come up with this kind of logic.   Well, guess what people?  Looks like this might be just that - a hoax.  

Last night's entire Larry King's show was devoted to nothing else but this wacky family and their  more-than-wacky story.  The split screen showing the balloon over and over and over again was more than I felt we needed to see.  The family was acting as strangely as..... well you had to see it to believe it.  

When interviewer  Wolf Blitzer asked the child why he was hiding in the attic and didn't respond when called:   "uh  you (looking at his dad) said it was for a show."  This comment is getting a lot of attention from those who are doing some hard investigating to see if this was a planned hoax or reality gone bad.   Planes were re-routed around the balloon's flight path and Denver International Airport was closed for a brief period of time.  This isn't funny. 

On this morning's Today show, balloon boy, Falcon Heene,  kept falling asleep or dozing off or whatever he was doing and suddenly woke up long enough to vomit.  Great.  This whole story makes me want to......

Listening to dad ramble on almost to the point of incoherance was really something to give thought to the fact that this could have been a "show" and if it was, he's in a lot of trouble.  He did a bad job of trying to cover up the remark.  I hope dad saved that box in the attic...he's going to need it.   Here's an interesting video showing dad throwing a tantrum as the balloon lifts.  The video right after shows the incident on the Today show if you care to watch.  

This story isn't over yet by a long shot.  

But on the bright side, it gave us some relief from the political scene.  We had something else to think about and watch on national television.  

Until next time, stay grounded.

NO MORE BIG MACS????

A few days ago my Facebook friend Linda J. posted a story about the fate of this woman,  who is now confined to wheelchair because she ate tainted meat, specifically ground beef.  

Last night Larry King's show was devoted to this same issue which is getting a lot of press lately,  and the controversy over whether or not we should all give up eating meat.   Millions of pounds of ground beef have been recalled in the past 10 years and the time between recalls seems to be getting shorter and shorter.  We have a serious problem on our hands.

The meat recalled is almost always ground beef because when grinding beef,  the tainted portion has a wider surface to attached itself and when the grinder becomes contaminated with the first batch of beef, the entire batch is then tainted.

I find this not only serious but frightening.  We are all subjected to the possibility of E-Coli form of bacteria whenever we eat commercially ground beef.   You buy the meat and take your chances.   Why are there such lax guidelines that allow this to happen?  How can an entire batch of thousands of pounds of ground beef slip through  the inspection process so that we have to wait til someone gets very ill or dies before it is contained and recalled?   

In November, a movie titled  "Food Inc" will tell you the story of the meat packing industry from factory raised cattle through the slaughterhouse along with information on other foods that we eat everyday.    I haven't seen it but it's scheduled on my Netflix queue to be sent as soon as it's available.  You might want to see it  too.   From what I hear, it's a pretty detailed and scary account of what we take for granted.  You may or may not agree with what you see but if nothing, you have to agree we are in need of stricter  laws to be made and enforced  and   you'll be educated.  

I grind all my own meat.  I have done this for years and while my family and friends think I'm nuts, I feel good about knowing that my meat is handled with clean hands, clean equipment and in a clean environment.  I and I alone control the process of grinding beef, pork and chicken.  I like that.  It takes me about 10 minutes to grind 3 lbs. of meat.   I can also control the amount of fat that goes into the finished product, and I know exactly what meat I'm eating  (chuck steak or roast as opposed to the commercial use of trimmings, and other parts of the steer.)   I don't want "other parts"  or trimmings, I want chuck and I get it. 

While the argument against eating beef  or any meat for that matter is sound for some people, though not for me because I love beef and am not about to give it up,  there is still the question about the E-Coli  and Salmonella found in vegetables, fruits,  and more recently peanut butter.   We can become vegetarians and solve the meat problem but we still had issues with spinach, lettuce, strawberries, apple juice etc. and peanut butter, an excellent source of protein.   We aren't safe no matter what we eat or where it comes from.   Will we be growing our own food in the future or will someone step up the inspection process and see to it that we eliminate the need for recall?

As for me, I'm keeping my beef to the grindstone. 

MORE STUFF TO THINK ABOUT.....

Here's more stuff that goes into and out of my mind:

ELEVEN MONTHS AGO we went to the polls and voted for the next president of the United States. We got a president all right, but we are no longer united. We are definitely divided. I'm not bashing Obama nor am I supporting him with this blog, I just want to make a point.

No matter what the candidate promises, no matter how intelligent, well spoken or youthful, the campaigner's job is to make YOU think he's the best man for the job. We chose Obama. He made promises but so did John McCain and there is no way of knowing whether McCain would have been a better choice.

Many people refused to vote for a black candidate and that's not good. But even worse, are those who voted for him ONLY because he is black. It was the "trendy" thing to do as a couple of white, 18 yr. old voters commented. And yes, the black vote was up considerably because they now had one of their own to vote for. We reap what we sow. Hopefully the next few months will bring about the change we are hoping for. At the next election, I hope more of us will vote not for the party, not for color, and certainly not for gender, but for what we truly believe the candidate has to offer. And even then........

LEVY JOHNSTON, THE FATHER OF Sarah Palin's grandchild is showing another bad side of himself. Literally. Levy Johnston is unzipping his Levi's and showing his "Johnston" to the readers of Playgirl magazine in an upcoming issue. As if he hasn't done enough to embarass the Palin family, the state of Alaska, and anyone who admits knowing this jerk. A little research would have told him that Playgirl is no longer published as a hard copy. It can only be read online. AND, Levy, here's another heads up: Playgirl's readership is mostly male. Yep, I hope he gets a lot of offers. Idiot!

THE SECOND LARGEST TARGET STORE IN THE CHAIN has just opened a half mile from my house. Now I can spend money on stuff I don't need 3 or 4 times a week instead of driving the 8 mile round trip 3 times a month.

This store is awesome! Limited groceries plus more merchandise than I've seen anywhere- and right up the street.

I like Target. The store carries several brands of the same item giving us a real choice and their customer service is the best anywhere, (except maybe Costco). Friendly service, best prices, good quality merchadise and plenty of it. This is why when all other businesses were failing during the recession, Target's sales were growing. Give the public what it wants and everybody wins. Figuring out what the public wants is the tough part.

TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING THE UPPER HAND in my life. I'm not keeping up with the new trends in electronics. I pride myself in being saavy when it comes to this kind of stuff. I can program just about anything and know what it does and how, but lately too much is coming on the market too fast and I can't keep up. I gotta get moving or life will leave me behind. Can't let that happen.

IF YOU'RE INTO READING BLOGS and who isn't nowdays? I would strongly suggest you read my favorite blogsite written by a woman named L.Avery Brown. She writes a blog called "When A Southern Woman Rambles" (just click on the link on the right of my entries.) This is the one blog I read every time she enters a new one and without a doubt, my favorite blogger. Her entries are interesting, humorous, thought provoking and very professionally done. I am sooooo jealous!!!

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: I am a 13 year survivor of breast cancer. Thirty years ago this would have been a death sentence for sure. We've made giant strides but it's up to us to make sure we take advantage of the technology that keeps us safe.

October is breast cancer awareness month. If you haven't had a mammogram, get one and get one every year. I had never had one til I went to see my gynocologist on a totally unrelated matter. He noticed that there was no mammogram on my record and said I needed to get one "just for the record" I was 56 years old.

He made an appointment for me and 3 days later I had my first mammogram, "just for the record."

I received a call from the radiologist that I was to find a surgeon since there was something abnormal on the film. The abnormality was a malignant tumor on my breast and another one under my arm. I was lucky. Stupid, but lucky. There were no symptoms whatsoever. Breast manipulation, even from my doctor, didn't detect either tumor. I had a lumpectomy and radiation treatments then went on with my life.

GET THAT MAMMOGRAM before it's too late.

And that's all I'm sayin'

WHAT CAN I SAY DEAR, AFTER I SAY I'M SORRY?

I'm  sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry and more "I'm sorries."  Give me a freaking break people.  Does apologizing mean you aren't accountable? Let's see if I have this right:

During an Obama speech a Rep. Joe Wilson  yells  "you liar" to the president.  And gets cheers.  HE'S THE PRESIDENT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.  Whether you agree with his policies or not, he is still the president.  How do we look to other countries?   We don't look free, we look stupid.   The congressman  apologizes.  

During a tennis match Serena Williams threatens to shove the tennis ball down the line judge's  throat , and drops the F-bomb 3 times during a tirade.  And gets cheered.  Then apologizes.

Kenye West grabs the microphone from  17 yr. old Taylor Swift  who's video won "Video of the Year" telling her "I'm going to let you finish"  (I'm going to let you finish? are you kidding me?)  then proceeds to tell the world that Beyonce had the best video of all time.  Then apologizes on Jay Leno's show the next night after receiving an  almost  standing ovation from the crowd while walking out on stage.

David Letterman bares his dirty laundry to  the world by telling the audience that he had affairs with co-workers and gets applauded for it.  Then apologizes to them.  

Recently David Letterman came under fire from critics when he said something sexually  insulting and very out of line about  Sarah Palin's 13 yr. old daughter.  He got laughs and applause from the audience.   Then he apologized. 

Michael Vick brutally tortures and  inhumanly kills  several dogs while participating in dog fighting, which by the way is illegal in this country,  then apologizes.  When he's released from prison, he's welcomed back like a hero into  a football team that gave  him a multi-million dollar contract.  And he gets applause.  Nike also re-instated  him saying "it's good to have you back."  

Roman Polanski commits acts of sodomy  and oral sex on a 13 yr. old girl by giving her drugs and liquor then flees the country before he has a chance to be  sentenced.  When the authorities finally decide to bring him back to the states for trial,  Hollywood, in their natural fashion,  stands behind HIM and petitions to have him exonerated of all charges.  Why?  Because he made some good films.   They are applauding, protecting and standing behind a man who committed a crime on a 13 yr old  then skipped the country,  just because he's a good director???  

Interesting to note that these same Hollywood stars were bilked out of millions of dollars by Bernie Madoff but no one is forgiving him.  Why?  Because it directly affected them?   Where are the petitions to get Bernie out of jail and forgive him?   Uh huh.  

The list doesn't end there. 

Have we gone nuts?  All we have to do is apologize and all is forgiven. What is it that makes us forgive so readily, the people who do wrong to others?  Why are we so willing to let these things slip past us like they never happened then ask "what is this country coming to"?   And what possesses us to applaud those people like they were heroes?

With the exception of David Letterman, who in my opinion really did no harm by having affairs with women since they happened before he was married, and are really no one's business,  the rest of these people should stand accountable for their actions.   Let's stop applauding the people who act like jerks,  and let them know that their actions are NOT acceptable.  Yeah, fat chance.

It's okay to do whatever we want to do to anyone we want to do it to as long as we apologize. That's the message we are sending to our kids, and if you want applause and publicity, do something really stupid  and unacceptable.  The world will forgive your bad behavior and will love you anyway.   

And if you think your kids aren't taking this all in, we are in deep trouble.  And for that I'm sorry.

MARY JANE IS "MARY JANE-ING" BIG TIME

"Mary Jane" of course, being the slang term for pot.  But you all knew that didn't you?   I've been reading  more and more about the "Stiletto Stoners" a term coined by Marie Claire Magazine.  These are women who toke on a regular basis and their  numbers are increasing.  It seems that in the past year,  between 8 million and 10 million women are now in the category of regular pot users.  These numbers do NOT include teens who experiment with pot,  those considered "potheads"  or medical marijuana users.  These are elite, highly paid executives;  intelligent, highly functioning career women.  They range in age from 20 to 50.

It is now the preferred method of "coming down,"  eliminating stress, relaxing,  and  clearing their heads.   Marijuan may be considered a mind drug as opposed to valium, a physical drug, but it seems to be a way of clearing the mind.  I don't know - I've never smoked pot.  EVER. So I have no real opinion about it one way or the other.   I just know it's becoming more and more popular in spite of the billions of dollars wasted of fighting the drug war. 

What I do know about pot is that it's cheap,  doesn't add calories like wine or martinis,  there's no hangover next morning when you get up to go to work,  and it's readily available.  This seems to be the attraction for these women.   They eat better because unlike liquor,  pot doesn't "fill them  up"  causing  them to skip meals.   And no one likes to drink alone.  Somehow it just isn't right, but smoking pot alone is okay and many of these women prefer it that way.

Women who smoke it have said they feel better physically, are sharper mentally and much more relaxed for longer periods.  It's their bubble bath - without the water.

It was only a matter of time before rolling papers became works of art, but they are sold in colors,  patterns and fruit flavors.  (Can't show the photos cuz they're copyrighted.)  But it seems to make it more fun.

While pot can be addicting to some, it is generally not considered an addictive drug like cocaine, heroin, etc.  It seems to be more of a psychological addition rather than a physical dependancy.  Remember there are those who are addicted to liquor and caffeine, both of which are perfectly acceptable and legal.  

Thirteen states in the union have regulated the use of marijuana and oddly enough, there is less use in those states.   I'm not sure why some are against legalizing a drug that so many people are using  (Pot is California's largest crop)  or why so many people are against it's use.    Can it be worse than liquor?   Why?  

  I find it puzzling that the people I know who are strictly against it's use and legalization are the same people who are addicted to sleeping pills,  valium,  any number of other tranquilizing drugs,  and think nothing of drinking til they're in stupor.

I also find it disturbing that parents who are dead set against their children (of any age)  using pot,  don't seem to feel as strongly against the growing numbers of thier young kids becoming addicted to cigarettes,  the use of which is designed to kill.  And it does just that , over and over.   And that's something I do have an opinion about.

Marijuana use is not going away.  It's been with us a long time and will continue to be with us.  It's use is growing and now we have the sophisticated career woman   embracing it as  the drug of choice.   I think we may be seeing pot  in a legal form very soon. 

And maybe it's high time.  

RANTS, RAMBLINGS AND THINGS THAT GO IN AND OUT OF MY MIND

THIRTEEN IS MY NUMBER" PART 2 - It ain't over yet.   In my last blog entry I reviewed all the weird "bad luck" stuff that's been happening to me and here's a couple more:

I mentioned that I was going to drive to the concert Saturday night and I realized half way there that I was out of gas so I stopped on the way home to fill up.  The pumped stopped at full and made that clunking sound that means the pump and the nozzle has shut off.  Well not this one.  As I removed it from the gas tank it was still spewing gas in gushes all over the side of my car, my leather shoes, my pants and  10 square feet of the surrounding cement.   My garage will never lose the smell of gasoline.  Thank you  to my son who came over bright and early Sunday morning and gave my entire car the super wash. He owns a mobile auto detail business - oh okay, here's a plug:   click here

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE when you get into your car and turn on the ignition and all you hear is "click,click,click"?   Dead battery.  Why now?  BECAUSE MY FREAKING NUMBER IS 13 THAT'S WHY.  One Hundred thirty four dollars  for a new battery.  Geeeeez.

I HAVE AN ONCOLOGIST APPOINTMENT this morning.  My number better change by then.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE - if you haven't caught the Showtime ongoing series "Dexter" you're missing one of the best shows on TV.  Okay, you have to have been a fan of "The Sopranos" and "The Shield."    Dexter is not only the sexiest, most gorgeous hunk on TV but his character is that of a forensic blood splatter expert for the Miami Police Department. CLICK HERE

  He specializes in reading the blood splatters left by serial killers to determine the M.O.   What no one knows is that he himself is a serial killer,  BUT he only kills evil people, people who harm others or are a serious threat to others.  I guess that makes it okay.   Hey, with a face like his, he can do no wrong.   The unique method he uses to whack his victims is ingenious.    The show is in it's fourth season as of last night, and I have never missed an episode.   I'm strange.

AUTUMN ALWAYS BRINGS MEMORIES of the smell of dead leaves being raked from our lawn and the wonderful smell of those leaves burning at the curb early in the morning.   I'm glad we never knew about air pollution when I was growing up.  I wouldn't have missed that experience for the world.   I wouldn't attempt to burn leaves now since it's not only against the law, but the way my number is going I would burn down half the neighborhood.   

EVER NOTICE HOW PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW  to use a computer are the first to tell you that they would much prefer to write letters or talk to people face to face than e-mail or Facebook them?   If I had to write letters to people I know I wouldn NEVER keep in touch.  And neither would they.  When's the last time YOU wrote a letter to a friend?  As for Facebook, I don't think these people realize that you keep in touch every day, maybe several times a day with people you know and you can make friends with people you never knew before.  I have,  and I love Facebook for that.  It's nice to chat live with friends   clear across the country and I've discovered people I lost touch with years ago.  And they've found me.  Don't knock it if you don't know how to do it.  

SO FAR I'VE BEEN LUCKY THIS MORNING. Everything's fine.

HERE'S TO NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 12.  See you on Facebook.