Spring!

Ahhhh yes........time for a renewed outlook.....rebirth....rejuvenation......having a babies.......and cutting the grass! Yeah well......for those of us who are homeowners.......old or new........yard work is inevitable so you might as well get use to it.

I have several projects lined up inside my mind for the Spring. Currently I am building a wall around my flower bed on the side of my house. You know....one of those wall thingys with the special retaining wall bricks? Yep.....it is well over due and now that I have a brand new home built right next door........I have to do everything I can to keep my appraisal value up, up, up!

I am often reminded that the projects I choose to call "weekend projects" normally take at least a month to do but hey......is it not worth it in the end? Absolutely!

I am just getting passed a horrific "pipe bursting" incident which soaked 1/3 of my finished basement! Ugh! My furniture and electronics all survived but I was pained with the inconvenience of not having my family room available to me for a month! Worst of it was I was without my cable box.......and Showtime.......for at least five episodes of the L Word! But thanks to my good friend Robin......and her brand new 46 inch HD TV with OnDemand....I am almost caught up with all of the episodes. I have two more to go and I am dismayed that someone hasn't knocked-off Jenny by now.

Another rite of Spring here in Cincinnati is.........Oysterfest! Oh yes indeed! All the oysters you care to eat and 100 ways to eat them. Ok......not quite 100 but pretty close! Beginning on Friday and running all the way to Easter Sunday.....I will be in oyster heaven. I have been nicknamed 'Rita Rita Oyst-ah Eat-ah' by my friend Joaner. She has endured many trips to the Oysterfest with me and bestowed that nickname upon me. She was a good friend to endure it all even though she couldn't bring herself to eat any of them no matter how they were cooked.

I guess I should bring up the fact that the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day is on April 2nd. I am what you would call a "fair-weather" fan of the Reds. They have been out of the post season races for so long.......why bother getting worked up anymore? Anyway......April 2nd is a huge day around here. It's the time when kids take off school to watch the Opening Day parade and then if they are lucky.......go to the ballpark to watch the first game of the season.

So what does Spring hold for you? Vacation plans? Yard work? Spring cleaning? It's all good. However.........if you are bored...........you can always join me at Oyst-ahfest!

Ta Ta!

Insemination/Baby update

Well.....after months and months of preparing for the baby to arrive, my friend looks like she is ready to deliver at any time. Ok.......she has gained a little weight.....40 pounds or so........but she definitely has "the glow". She should deliver her baby boy - Alex - around April 3rd.

I have told her many times that it seems just like yesterday that she was talking about it. It was about this time last year when she was looking through profiles and narrowing down her perspective donors. I don't think I can ever recall a pregnancy just flying by like this one. It has really gone by fast!

I think she has had 32 baby showers across three states. She has logged more driving time than an old balding trucker. Seriously, I am thinking that next time we just rent her an RV and make it into one long road trip! There were lots of people who were very generous and he has a ton of great stuff to start him on life's great adventure.

TC and I were out at the outlet mall this past weekend. I couldn't help noticing all of the cute little toddler outfits everywhere. Who wouldn't want a Ralph Lauren Oxford size 2T?

What's the song say about a "Sharp Dressed Man"? Can't start too soon!

Stay tuned!

Things that drive me crazy

On my way to work this morning, I thought of a half dozen things that drive me crazy. So I thought I would share. Perhaps we share the same gripes and maybe it will inspire you to think of a half dozen of your own.

• I cannot stand people who are not able to drive the speed limit or above in the passing lane. Yeah ok.........it is the passing lane. I am completely aware. However, if you cannot drive at least 5 miles over the legal limit (and five miles over is allowable), please remove yourself from the passing lane. Other folks have places to be....especially during rush hour.
• People (right in front of you) who take the last bit of half-n-half or skim or no fat milk and leave you with an empty pitcher staring at a cup of black coffee. Who are these people?
• Any person who is agitated enough to say "Uh uh....no she did-int" to a total stranger. Ummm.....yes she did and now is not the time to prove you're something that you are not.
• I cannot tolerate people who for whatever reason cannot show compassion or simple human decency to a person who is down on their luck. You know.....it happens a lot and from people you would not expect.
• Morning walkers. And I mean pre-dawn's early light walkers who wear no reflective clothing to highlight that they are walking in the roadway just to maintain their figure. Very frightening when you turn the corner and there they are! Eeeeek!
• The worst thing is needing a book of stamps and only having a $20 to slide into the stamp machine. Ugh......twelve dollars in change - all in dollar coins. Haven't we grown up enough now to have debit card readers on most convenience machines?

Thank God I could only think of six today..................

TA TA!

Academy Awards

Ooops.........I mean.....the Oscars. I was wondering where the name "Oscar" came from today so I decided to do a little research. I found two references to its origin......one from an Academy Award librarian named Margaret Herrick who said that the "statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar" and the second reference came in 1934 when Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used it in reference to Katharine Hepburn's first Best Actress win. (for her role in Morning Glory)

Kate was hardly an "oscar" in 1934 but then again........who knows what the term "oscar" could have meant in 1934? Hmmmmm...........

In any case, it is another grand night of television. Full of the usual glitz and glamour of celebrities walking down the red carpet exclaiming how they "never saw it coming" and how it is "just wonderful to simply be nominated". Where would we be without Hollywood?

I have to be honest and say that I have seen only one of the Oscar nominated pictures this year. I saw "The Queen" in December and I must say it was fantabulous. I really lost sight of the fact that it was an actress portraying Queen Elizabeth II. Yes yes......Helen Mirren was THAT good!
I mean.....who can ever forget the whole Princess Diana tragedy? This movie gave you the "behind the scenes" look at this stuffy old monarch's feelings surronding the whole accident. It is not surprising how much they despised Diana. With youth fading in the distance...........its no wonder that neither the Queen or King even could mention her name without throwing up. Helen Mirren is clearly the front runner for the Best Actress award for her portrayal.

One other film that is not up for Best Picture but does garnish a nomination for Best Actress......is "Notes of a Scandal". Judi Dench picks up the nomination for her portrayal of an overly possessive grumpy old teacher who is in some kind of lesbian denial. Surprising film actually. I didn't catch the lesbian aspects until about 45 minutes into the film. After that.......it was a wild roller coaster ride until the end of the movie. Not a particularly great film but it had a good enough plot to keep pushing it along for another 45 minutes. I don't expect Judi to beat out Helen for the Oscar.

While I would have liked to seen "Bobby" pick up a nomination (for Best Makeup at least) for something, it did not. I still think it is a great "period flick" that will leave you inspired.

My picks for the Oscars:
Best Picture - Letters from Iwo Jima - this will be the long shot winner
Best Actress - Helen Mirren
Best Actor - Forest Whitaker
Documentary Feature - An Inconvenient Truth

TA TA!

Campaign dilema

Unless you live under a rock, this past weekend you saw Barack Obama declare his intent to run for President of the U.S. It was not a surprised to most of us. He is one of the most intelligent representatives that we currently have in Congress. I respect his integrity and believe that whatever he touches could definitely turn to gold.

With that said, there is only one small thing that bothers me. I'm not really sure why I started thinking about this over the weekend but I did and I don't know what to make of it.

Hillary has told us that if she had known the information she knows now back when she orginally voted to go to war with Iraq, she would not have voted for it. Barack did not vote in favor of the war. He was against it from the beginning. Both candidates have been open regarding how they voted.

Here's what bothers me. As much as I like and respect Barack Obama, I have to wonder.....do I want someone in office that may not offer me all of the security and protection when the going gets tough? Keep in mind.......both Hillary and Barack heard the same reports. Iraq has weapons of mass destruction and intends to use them. This was preached by anyone with a speck of credibilty in the White House...........including Colin Powell (who i consider to be one of the greatest leaders of this century).

So with that said, he went against the grain. It takes guts to do that, but he was not given any other information at the time. He didn't agree with the war and if Iraq did have WMD's this could be a very different war.

For me........I am concerned about how he would protect us during a time where terrorists are just dying to get us. Hillary took a stand on the information she was given. While she shares some of the same democratic beliefs that Barack does, her words lead me to believe that she would stand and defend when we need her to do so.

There are some key things that the next President must do once arriving in office. We must repair the relationships with our NATO counterparts. We need them as much as they need us and we have to cooperate with each other. The second thing is to begin removing the troops from Iraq and bring them back to defend our homeland. Iraq is not going to be more civilized and we need those troops back here. Lastly, we have to restore our credibility to our own citizens. We must turn our attention to a real plan on restoring the hurricane devestated areas here in our own nation. Millions of dollars have gone overseas that now must be returned to our own shores.

I am looking for the candidate that can ensure my basic freedoms will not be sacrificed and will step up with a strong plan to keep me and my family safe. We have a long campaign ahead and I look forward in hearing more from Hillary and Barack as we streak toward the election.

Pets

Yep......I have them. I have two cats. For awhile now.......they have been the be all and end all of the pet kingdom in my house. Who needs more than two pets? This has always been my philosophy.

Well.....deep down inside me..........way down......I have wanted a dog. I have always told my mother.......who is not a dog fan.......that I was going to get a St. Bernard. Now granted, I would tell her this in the midst of some heated discussion just to get her goat.....send her completely over the edge with images of this large drooling animal bounding down my hallway to affectionately knock her down and lick her face. Oh yeah........that would pretty much push her to the brink. My mother is only 5 feet tall so she could actually dance nose-to-nose with a St. Bernard if he were standing on his back legs.

In all seriousness...this year I have decided that this will be my "year of the dog". I have always been a fan of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Don't ask me where I first discovered my interest in this breed but I am totally captivated by them. Their body frames are similar to Labrador Retrievers but Chessies are a bit more sculptured in their appearance. These are water dogs. They love to swim and their coats are suited for being in the water. Not an avid or good swimmer myself..........maybe that is why I am so attracted to this breed.

After years of reading about the breed, TC and I are going to visit a breeder about an hours drive away this weekend. This breeder has over 17 years experience with breeding and showing these dogs so I am very excited about what I can learn from her. If all goes well and I like what I see, I could have a pup of my own in the Spring!

This whole dog adventure is going to leave my cats in a state of bewilderment. I can imagine them sneaking by the crate every night just to investigate this new little "being". Since my oldest cat is the "Alpha" over every four legged species that walks into my house..........I will have to take extra care in controlling him so I don't end up with a wimpy dog! Yes......this cat wields that much power.

So I am hopeful that my weekend will yield outstanding information about a breed I have read so much about in the last 5 years. I hate to say that my life is going to the dogs but it appears that it will be in 2007!

Nine players - Nine months

For the ninth time in a year, another Bengals player has been arrested for some unlawful activity. In the wee hours of the morning, rookie Johnathan Joseph was arrested and charged with the possession of marijuana.

Three weeks ago Marvin Lewis proclaimed that he was going to get tough on his players. The gloves were off........he was not going to allow things to continue as they have been in the last year. They even brought the Cincinnati Police in to talk to the players about the dangers of drinking and driving and other unlawful activities.

It didn't work.

So here we are for the ninth time. At what point do we say, "Marvin, the players are not listening to you and it clearly shows that they do not respect you". At what point does Bengals owner Mike Brown say..........."Marvin, you have lost control of this team". Granted, we could say that Mike Brown should step in and lower the boom on these players. However, by stepping in and correcting the situation, it will clearly show that he too does not have confidence in Marvin.

I believe the players like Marvin a lot. Maybe too much. Maybe this is the problem. Perhaps there needs to be a line drawn on professionalism and coaching and being the player's buddy. Can Marvin be their friend and then turn around and be a hard-ass?

Something isn't working. Marvin has been the head coach for four years and he has only one.....yes one........winning season so far. There were lots of distractions this season primarily because of all of the off-the-field antics.

Time to up-the-anty on the punishments handed down from the front office. I don't care to win if it means we only win by drafting thugs or juveniles disguised as adults. Johnathan Joseph needs to be cut from the team. How can a rookie actually have the guts to take this kind of chance after seeing what has happened to eight other teammates?

Someone has to stand up and say........this will not be tolerated....and mean it! The arrest today sent a clear message to the community. The players are not listening and there is a lack of leadership in the Bengals organization to enforce or inspire good behavior.

The Bengals can't play or win as a team until they become a team. Right now......they are fractured and looking for something or someone to rally behind.

Wow.........just think.........this all starts all over again in 8 months.

Bits-n-pieces

2007 is rumbling in like an elephant. No one can say that January has not been a bit bizarre and twisted!

• Last week the Ohio Valley reached highs in the upper 50's. Surely part of the warmest winter in the midwest! Maybe winter will get around to us by...oh.....March!
• Rosie and Donnie have quieted their feud for now. You have to admit it was a bit comical. Not really sure what role Barbara Walters played, but like Donald......she knew where the money was and chose her battle accordingly.
• How about the kids in Missouri who were kidnapped and then rescued this week? Mighty mighty lucky! We find out now that the kid who was gone for four years actually had a profile out on Yahoo (with pictures) and may have actually even posted a message on his own missing person's website! How freaky is that?
• Ahhhh.....the football season. The AFC is falling into place exactly how I thought it would - the Colts and the Patsies for one showdown in Indianapolis. Maybe Peyton can get it right this time? How wild would it be if Viniteri kicks the winning field goal? Hmmm....methinks "Coach Hoodie" would not be pleased.
• "More troops to Iraq" declares King GW. Just how many more months of this do we have to endure?
• 12 Angry Men is the featured Coming Attraction for me for January! Hopefully I can resist shouting "Norm!" when George Wendt takes the stage. Thanks TC!
• It is Chesapeake Bay doggy visiting this month. Time to see exactly what I will be getting myself into!
• Will she or won't she? I think we will be hearing from Hillary very soon on her presidential campaign plans. New Hampshire has forced the hand of every able politician by holding a presidential debate in April 2007! Come out fighting or stay on the damn porch!

That's all I've got for now!

TA TA

Technology

For those of you who don't know me personally, I am a technology freak. If it buzzes, blinks or beeps, I gotta have it. So after I purchased a IPod Nano for TC for Christmas, I decided that I had to have one myself.

I can remember just 13 years ago when I bought my first PC. It was a 486 - "pre-Pentium anything". I think I had about 64 mgb of Ram in the thing - very skeletal compared to today's high velocity models. Even the internet was a shadow of itself. Files could be downloaded from stripped down indexed directories on primitive web pages. All via a 14K modem! The big internet provider at the time was Prodigy and then shortly after that AOL. My first experience in any kind of chat room was on Prodigy. As I think back, I was amazed that I could actually chat with women from all around the United States. Each of them with their own personalities, problems and drama. Lots of drama! I thought then.........technology has really come a long way.

Ha! Where are we today? Intel 4.0 Gigabit processors.....Blackberry's.....IPod's......DVD's (remember the old laser disks?)......Satellite dishes that don't take up your entire back yard....Sirius/XM....Cell phones that fit on your ear....text messaging......OnStar.........and TV in your car! And how about that wireless access in Starbucks?

It's just amazing to think about the leaps we have taken in this Technological Age and how quickly we are still advancing with it.

So what devices did you have in 1995? Did you own a computer? What was your first computer experience like?

I think out of all of the ages past..........this is the best time to be alive.

Ta Ta!

Woot websites

Here is an interesting website for those who are always looking for a real bargain. I thank my friend in Napa for clueing me in on this point of interest. The website offers a variety of items at reduced cost. Today's item is a DVD/VHS recorder. You never know what will show up at any given time but the bargains are fabulous and it is for REAL!

http://www.woot.com

For those of us who like wine.............Woot provides this website as well.

http://wine.woot.com/

Happy New Year!

Here we are again........another new year. We are given another chance for making new resolutions for our lives. I am not a fan of making New Year's resolutions so I just aspire to making the new year the best year possible.

A couple things to keep in mind with 2007:

• In Chinese Astrology, it is the Year of the Pig. Hmmm....might be a good idea to shed or gain a few pounds this year.
• According to Numerology, 2007 equates to the the number 9. The "definition" of the number 9 in Numerology is "Completion". This appears to be quite providential since Bush is wrapping up his term as President.
• The number 9 also is defined as humanitarianistic, compassionate, romantic, selfless, generous, philanthropic, loving, wise and idealistic. I don't know where your life is right now, but I am sure you can find something positive for 2007 with one of those key words.
• Finally, the number 9 represents the 9th sign of the zodiac - Saggitarius and it is also represented by the Tarot card - the Hermit. I don't encourage the Hermit lifestyle so try to turn your life around in 2007, ok?

Here are my words of advice for the new year. Be positive. Be adventurous. Be spontaneous. Expand your horizons and reach beyond what is already attainable. Most of all have fun and enjoy each day in 2007!

Mary Cheney

We all know by now that Ms. Cheney is expecting a baby with her longtime partner. What we had not heard were comments from the Bush Administration regarding her pregnancy. Now of course, the reporters had to ask and it was up to GW whether or not he was going to answer the questions.

Well, yesterday.......through an interview with People Magazine and his spokesman Tony Snow...........he did.

People reports that Bush said ""I think Mary is going to be a loving soul to her child," Bush said in an interview with People magazine. "And I'm happy for her."

Tony Snow wrapped up the President's comments by saying while the President is happy for her he has not changed his own personal opinion that a child should be raised by a father and a mother. "But he also believes that every human life is sacred and that every child who comes into this world deserves love," Snow said. "And he believes that Mary Cheney's child will, in fact, have loving parents."

In other words, GW is saying - Sure glad it ain't my daughters.

Honestly, I could care less if Mary Cheney has one child or ten children. I personally do not think that she has helped the gay and lesbian climate in America. She had a podium to do so, but like her own father, she chose to take the "quiet road" and be the dutiful Republican to a christian right Bush Administration.

Mary Cheney's pregnancy was an opportunity for Dick and GW to clear away the hate and ignorance that is spewed upon gays and lesbians who want to be treated fairly and raise a loving family in peace.

Instead, we continue to have silence from all camps and it is "business as usual" until 2008.

So long, farewell, we bid you all goodbye!

Let us all take a moment of silence to reflect on all of the sad little Republicans who are cleaning out their offices this weekend for the very last time! Time is up!

The 109th Republican led Congress is officially no more and it is time to prepare for the Democratic rebellion!

Speaker Pelosi, grab that gavel and get the feel of it in your hands! Exercise your wrist!

2007 is really going to be fun!

Civil War?

A variety of news teams are now officially calling the atmosphere in Iraq a "civil war". And really, who can blame them? After months and months of denials from the White House about what is going on over there even Ray Charles could see what is happening.

Today, it was reported that we are moving 30,000 troops out of one of the provinces to Baghdad because it has been determined that the fighting is so fierce with Al Qaida that we will not win. Fabulous.

I wonder when we will come to that realization about the whole damn war.

Bobby

From time to time, there are movies released in theaters that are really worth the $10 entry fee - Bobby is that movie.

I was two years old when RFK was killed at the Ambassador Hotel so I don't have any recollection of that time period. This movie really hits an emotional nerve. It is powerful, humorous and solid in its storytelling of this tragic event. You get an inside look at normal people going about their daily lives preparing for RFK's visit.

The story is woven around RFK's basic philosophies on life, politics and human decency. Film clips of his presidential campaign, family life and political viewpoints are scattered throughout this movie. You just don't focus on his tragic death but more so on his reason for living.

After the movie, TC and I both wondered what would life be like now if RFK had lived and became President? Would the world and our nation be a much different place? I was amazed at the striking similarities of what is going on today versus what was happening in 1968.

This movie really highlights how devastating the 60's were for the U.S. Three great leaders cut down at the time when the country needed them the most. RFK's death was the final blow to the stomach. It knocked the wind completely out of this country. You feel it yourself in watching this film.

If you have not seen this movie yet, do not wait for the DVD. It is well worth the money for such insight into this period in our nations history.

Ohio State vs. Michigan

Oh good gawd........could there be any bigger matchup in college football? I know that there are other matchups out there that people feel passionate about, but I think this one is framed in sweat, blood and tears.

The hype in Ohio is awesome....huge even! I mean.....this year is bigger than it ever has been in all the years that these two teams have engaged in this battle. The OSU coach Woody Hayes started this venerable, clash of the titans. He inspired the "we can't stand 'em" attitude. This just isn't a game. If the Buckeye fans could dig Woody up and prop him up on the field.....they would do it!

I have a friend who attended OSU and she is a manic, stark raving mad fan. She bleeds scarlet and gray! This matchup is the matchup that Emily waits for all year. Any other game.....is just that......just another game. This game......winning or losing season......is about pride. It's all about beating Michigan baby. Nothing more and nothing less.

We will all gather together tomorrow....OSU grads or not........and support this battle. This is the climax to a fabulous, over-the-top season. Both teams have excellent records. The winner of this game will feel the emotion shared by many players that have passed before them. Decades of fierce rivalry that comes down to this one game.

This year, the National Championship is the reward. But don't let anyone fool you, any OSU alumni will tell you.........no matter what happens with the season.........it's all about this game and nothing else.

Go Bucks!

O.J.

You gotta be kiddin me..........we're going to be hypothetical about it???!!!

No more media coverage for this piece o' work.......

The Bungling Bengals

There are just so many things I can say about this pathetic Bengals season. Today, we squandered a 21 point lead and let the Chargers come back and beat us 49 to 41. Agghhhhhh!

The first half was pure offensive brilliance. Carson Palmer was on fire! He passed for 421 yards today! Then came the second half..........sheer domination by the Chargers.

I was reading some of the blog comments on the Bengals page this evening and I think I will let a few of their comments sum everything up. These are actual comments from the Bengals blog.

• NOBODY TOUCHED HIM!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!
• Shoot me now!
• Why are the football god punishing us?
• im changing the channel. this is going downhill TOO fast
• i cant deal with my team any more. i'm literally sick to my stomach
• Forget that. I'll shoot myself.
• even a FG won't give us a tie anymore.. didnt we have a 10 Pt lead 15 minutes ago?
• I refuse to call us the Bungle.............but it is looking mighty familiar.
• Someone shoot this defense. I say they call 11 seat numbers and suit up 11 people from the crowd.
• there is no god
• oh ######!!!!!!!!!! OH ###### OH ######!!
• What kind of stupid play is that?
• How is it possible to score 41 points and lose?
• oh God... I just sneezed beer out my nose... that stings.
• Can we get a turnover PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!
• wow game over baby game over

And my personal favorite:

• Jets just beat the Patriots......

Impeachment?

There are a lot of lively conversations on talk radio these days since the Democrats have won the majority in both houses. One of the topics of discussion is investigating possible crimes and misdemeanors committed by George Bush since he has been in office and whether or not there should be impeachment hearings for those crimes. The reaction to impeachment hearings is mixed.

While I believe that GW's actions should be investigated and publicized for the world to see, I am not in favor of impeachment and let me tell you why. GW has two years left in office. By the time both houses waste precious energy in gathering, documenting and validating all of his actions for impeachment, he could have less than 6 months left in office. Removing him at that point serves no purpose and leaves Dick Cheney to run the White House. It also puts the Democrats way behind in their promise to clean things up and right the wrongs that GW has already committed. This will create ample fodor for Republicans in the next Presidential election and could hurt Democrats overall.

We all remember the standstill when Congress went after Bill Clinton. It was their primary focus and nothing else was accomplished. Do we really want that now when we have just won a major victory in Washington? I believe it is better for both houses to come into session and begin cleaning house. The world sees the Democratic victory as a blow to the Bush Administration and as a sharp turn to the left in regards to healing our relationships with other key nations.

Vengence should not be the modus of operandi at this moment. We should use this momentum to enact great change and prepare for the next election. Everything that is accomplished with the new majority can be used by every candidate that runs in the future.

We have seen plenty of bad decisions in the last six years. GW is now a lame duck president with no spending money. Let him sit back and watch as the country is rebuilt around him. This in itself is far more amusing than impeachment.

No more capital for George Bush!

After a higher than expected turnouts at the polls in all areas of the country, the citizens of America have prevailed in sending a clear message to George Bush..........no more spending money!

Not only did Democrats gain the 15 seats they needed to control the House - they picked up an additional 10! The Senate race is still too close to call with recounts occuring in Virginia and Montana. James Webb (Va) had the lead at the end of the night but with such a close margin of victory it pays to be sure.

What we also know..........is we have a new Speaker of the House - a strong woman - Nancy Pelosi! Bye bye Mr. Hastert. No more coverups for your cronies and no more lies.

Already the news reports out of Bagdhad today have the government officials advising "US" that we should not pull out of Iraq and that our President is the main decision maker and he is still in office. Wait...........you are going to advice us what to do? I think Iraqi officials should be more concerned about the violence and civil unrest in their own country before they start handing out advice to the United States.

A clear message was sent back to George Bush yesterday. American's are not happy and we do have control over what goes on in Washington. If we turn out in droves, we can defeat any voting irregularities and set things back to a rational perspective.

Democratic nonsense

Ok everyone.........we are "THIS" close to an election. Can someone please shut John Kerry up? I mean really.......we want control of the House and the Senate for crying out loud!! The Republicans are doing a really great job of crucifying themselves without any help from the Democratic side.

This is the time to keep the humorous jabs to ourselves and talk about what has not happened in Washington for the last six years! Keep your eyes on the goal! Stick with hard hitting commentaries on George Bush and his policies, the war in Iraq, North Korea, soaring gas prices privatizing Social Security and how everyone else in the free world can't stand us at this point because of "Dubya"!

The last thing we need is for the tables to turn against us less than one week before an election. Keep it positive folks! Gloat after we have regained majority seats in the House or Senate! We have not won this thing yet and we can't act like we are in the home stretch when we actually have 10 more miles to run!

Someone save us from ourselves!

Ghosts

So do you believe........in ghosts? Or are you a skeptic when it comes to all things metaphysical and ghoulish?

I must say I do believe in ghosts. Have I ever seen one? Nope. Do I want to have a ghostly experience? You bet!

Much to the chagrin of "TC" I watch most of the ghost shows on cable. "Most Haunted" is one of my favorites. I am not talking about the movie of the week here. I like the true life stories of haunted houses and ghostly apparitions. TC won't have any of it. The thought of watching Ghost Whisperer sends her into momentary panic. She scares a bit easily so she can only handle it in small doses. Needlesstosay, we won't be watching The Exorcist tomorrow evening.

Did you know that you can "catch" ghostly voices on digital recording devices? Yep. If you are in a house which has a ghost, you can turn the recorder on and actually try to have a conversation with the ghost. When you playback the digital recording, you may pick up something you didn't hear when you thought you were talking to yourself. Yeah ok..........I may have sounded a bit techno-geekish there for a minute but I am determined to try that out myself one day. All the ghost hunters use them.

Perhaps I will have an encounter one day with a ghost. I am hoping that it is a friendly one and not one that means to wreak complete havoc with my life. Until then, I will continue to watch my television shows and live vicariously through the real life ghost hunters.

On a lighter note.........before I end my post this evening..........I have finally reached my 101st Blog entry. The magical 100 has been broken without any pomp and circumstance. What fun this has been for the last 14 months!

Happy Halloween!!

Musical interlude

I cannot remember if I have posted about this or not.........in any case.....the new Pink CD is divine. Yes yes......so I am 40 and I listen to Pink. Honestly.....I have been a fan since her very first CD. This one however, this one is really solid. Pink has really matured with her latest release and it is worth a listen.

I am enclosing a couple of her videos from her latest CD. Unfortunately, she has not released a video of "Dear Mr. President" but I am hopeful she will throw something out there for that fabulous song! There are quite a few folks who have made their own video montage to the song so maybe she will just let it ride that way.

Anyway.......view away and if you get a chance........listen to the whole CD once to give me your honest opinion.

Nobody Knows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDLZI36JdWY&eurl=

Who Knew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R6vBHmO4-0&mode=related&search=

Electoral counts

Here is a pretty cool site I found recently that researches and analyzes the Congressional Senate and House seats up for grabs in the upcoming election.

http://www.electoral-vote.com/index.html

I have also added two new graphs to the right of this post that automatically updates the "projected" seat wins on a day by day basis up until election time. -------------------->

Independence Day draws near

This is the time. I've been chattin it up off and on throughout the last year and we are finally here. It is election time and it is time for you to go and vote.

I don't need to talk about the issues. We have heard them played and replayed over television broadcasts, news reports, TV and radio talk shows for the last six years.

It is time for a change. A vote for a Republican is a vote for George Bush.....again. The Republicans are trying to separate themselves from him but they cannot. We all know that if we have a Republican led House and Senate we are giving Bush two more years of spending cash to buy whatever he likes.

It is time for the madness to stop. The carousel ride must come to a screeching halt. Do your duty and go to the polls on November 7th. There has never been a more important time to exercise your right to vote.

News story - Unmarried households reign

Interesting story since my last blog..............


For first time, unmarried households reign in US
by Maxim Kniazkov

It is by no means dead, but for the first time, a new survey has shown that traditional marriage has ceased to be the preferred living arrangement in the majority of US households.
The shift, reported by the US Census Bureau in its 2005 American Community Survey, could herald a sea change in every facet of American life -- from family law to national politics and its current emphasis on family values.
The findings, which were released in August but largely escaped public attention until now because of the large volume of data, indicated that marriage did not figure in nearly 55.8 million American family households, or 50.2 percent.

More than 14 million of them were headed by single women, another five million by single men, while 36.7 million belonged to a category described as "nonfamily households," a term that experts said referred primarily to gay or heterosexual couples cohabiting out of formal wedlock.

In addition, there were more than 30 million unmarried men and women living alone, who are not categorized as families, the Census Bureau reported.

By comparison, the number of traditional households with married couples at their core stood at slightly more than 55.2 million, or 49.8 percent of the total.

Unmarried couples gravitated toward big cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, while the farm states in the Great Plains and rural communities of the Midwest and West remained bastions of traditionalism, according to the survey.

Gay Marriage/Unions

Call them whatever you like.......gay marriage, civil union, gay union, etc etc......they all symbolize a level of stabilization and legal protection.

On my way home this morning I was listening to our rather conservative AM station here in Cincinnati (700 WLW) and the host was discussing gay marriage. He was actually on the "pro" side of this issue since he was of the opinion that it didn't matter if it was legalized the lesbians and gays he has talked to would not opt for a legal union.

He only spoke on this topic for 30 minutes and asked for gays/lesbians to call in and voice their opinions. Well.....not one woman did but we had a few stupid gay men call in to discuss how gay marriage/unions were something they wanted so that they could have the stabilized life that straight couples were afforded. One guy said it was about riding one health insurance policy rather than two. (Hello! There are many health care providers who already cover domestic partners!) One went to the extent to say that it would somehow afford us all "acceptance".

I was sooooo tempted to call in because not one of the callers talked about legal rights protections. The right to make a decision for our loved ones without the family members overruling our decisions because we have no legal rights to make a decision. If my partner is in the hospital on death's door........no matter what conversations we may have had.....her parents can intervene and overrule. In fact, I could be legally escorted out of the hospital and banned from my partners room. Or how about the hoops we have to jump through to make out our last will and testament? How about one tax form instead of two? Now the federal and state governments have to see an advantage with that one!

In my opinion, this is what gay marriage/unions are about! I can already commit myself to a partner for the rest of my life without a legal document. What makes gay unions so important is that with approved legislation it is legally binding with all of the rights and priviliges that are afforded to everyone else.

The WLW host might be right. If it were legal, an increased rate of gay marriages/unions may not happen. I know people who do not want to be "married". Not everyone is the marrying kind.

Haven't we seen that with the rising divorce rates in this country?

Lesbian generation gap questions

So my question is today.......do you think there is a generation gap between lesbians or is it simply a question of maturity? Do women who are 40+ act any differently than women who are 25? Do we all make the same mistakes or bad choices despite the age difference?

Does one's age signify levelheadedness and maturity?

Women

Does anyone really remember what your first couple of dates were like with women?

I was reading a few lesbian blogs this morning and I had to remember what it was like for me and my first couple of serious and non-serious relationships. Looking back.......it is very much like shopping for shoes. You try some on....looking for the right size and style. Something that fits your own personality. Some of the "shoes" look promising............you take them home and in two weeks you end up taking them back because they don't fit exactly right.

But seriously..........the twenty/thirtysomethings of today should not be troubled over the dates of today. I guess in hindsight it is easy for me to say "dont' worry about it". I remember how I felt when dates didn't go well or when my head wasn't on straight and I completely blew it. Been there done that. It is all part of the maturation process.

I think the most important thing to know is that all of those past experiences will one day lead you to something grand. Don't lose faith in your future. I have several close friends who have been in long term relationships for some time and I know that the road to getting to those relationships was not easy for them. They all have their own stories to tell.

So for those lesbian twenty/thirtysomethings who happen to read my blog today, keep the faith and continue to shop!

Ta Ta!

Katie vs. Meredith vs. Rosie

Ok..........I have had a couple of opportunities to see each of these ladies in their new positions. I have to say......I am not surprised by the outcomes. I have given each of them a letter grade on how I think they are doing at this point.

• Katie Couric - Wow! What an improvement to the CBS Evening News! She has managed to carry over some of her bubbly personality while maintaining a composed professional delivery of national and world events. I have found her to be almost humble in her overall presentation of the news. I think having Walter Cronkite perform the opening monologue of the program was a stroke of genius. She is more than ready to carry on this legacy. B+
• Meredith Viera - Hmmm......I wish I could carry over the Wow! here too but I just can't. She has been on the Today Show for about a month a half. I saw her again this morning and even with the crew all around her (Matt, Ann and the weather guy) she lacks the bubbly, full of life persona needed to keep up with Matt, Ann and the weather guy. (what is his name!) Don't tell me that when Katie left she took all the excitement with her! Now granted, Meredith is great with the core news stories and she can put on a serious face with the best of them, but she lacks the laughter, amusement and quick witted jabs that her predecessor wielded daily. This is an entertainment morning show - Not 20/20, Dateline or 60 Minutes. Lighten up Meredith! C-
• Rosie O'Donnell - Wow........Rosie has had a lot of things bottled up since she had her own show! She is talking non-stop! While I find Rosie to be very funny and highly entertaining, it appears that she is having difficulty sharing the stage with three other women. I enjoyed Rosie more when she was a one-woman show. The other gals on The View seem to have a hard time getting a word in edgewise. Meredith was able to balance things out and had a bit more reserve when the other ladies were talking. I can just imagine if Star Jones had stayed around with Rosie on the program. Clearly, that would have been a nightmare because Star likes the camera as much as Rosie. Despite the non-stop talking, Rosie is hugely entertaining on The View and she has made the show more popular and entertaining. B

To cut or not to cut?

I am a little past due for my eight week hair appointment. I had it on my schedule today as a matter of fact and I pushed it off to the end of the week so I could re-evaluate my normal hair cutting routine.

Since I have yet to post a picture on my blog I should tell you that I am a redhead with no signs of gray. Ok......maybe one or two hiding in there but that is it. A couple of months ago I saw on the Today Show (pre-Meredith) about a charity that donates hair to children who are recovering from cancer. The charity is called Locks of Love. All you have to do is let your hair grow, cut it off and send it off. The charity then has the hair created into wigs for children. It is a real self-esteem boost for a child who dreads looking into a mirror after months of chemo and radiation.

I checked the website myself this evening and I think I meet the basic criteria. I don't color my hair and I am not graying. All I would have to do is let it grow at least 10 inches. Yeah I know what you must be thinking. Ten inches! Good gawd......you could be retired by then! Funny thought I know, but it isn't likely that it would take me that long! My hair grows fairly quickly and once it grows to a decent length I could actually have it permed so it looks managable and well kept. Ball caps would be a great cover on those days when I don't want to do anything with it.

Although I have had short hair for some time now.......long hair is not a strange concept to me. Been there done that! I just dread the "ugly period" as it grows. The ugly period is the phase where it isn't long enough to put up and it isn't short enough to where down without it flipping all over the place in kooky waves.

So.....I am seriously giving it consideration. I haven't told TC yet, but I would expect that she would be supportive of my decision to go "glamourama" for awhile. It is for a good cause and the thought of some child getting a little bit of a lift during a painful period in their life just makes me feel good.

www.locksoflove.com

South Beach update

Ok.......so after two more weeks......I have lost another 5 1/2 pounds. Not bad. I can handle 3 pounds a week. No sweat. I even had multiple bowls of my homemade chili during this timeframe! Yeah......can't live without my chili. :)

I have introduced more carbs in my diet but I am more conscious than ever about the carb/fat/sugar ratios that I am ingesting. This can be expected. When I finally make up my mind to lose weight, I don't go about it half-way. I go all out to ensure that I am eating the most healthy items possible.

"TC" asked me today how I thought this compared to Weight Watchers. As some of you may know, I had huge success on WW. I think its a great plan. The problem is.......real life is not about counting points. While you are living in the WW world you are tracking numbers..... you are still eating very healthy but everything you push into your mouth has a point attached to it. Once you have reached your goal......you have to continue to rely on attending WW meetings and staying with the program. ( A program which has changed several times since it was originally founded)

I think SB allows you to make normal healthy food choices......same as WW........but without sacrificing. It is direct in telling you.......you don't need dessert. WW says......go ahead and have it when you want it.......but oh by the way that scoop of ice cream means you only have 10 points out of 25 for the rest of the day. Eeeek! I would gladly sacrifice ice cream for a full meal.......anyday.

So anyway.......progress is being made. I think TC and I are doing a fabulous job at this point and by Christmas should be looking and feeling fabulous!

Ho Ho Ho!

Bengals defeat!

Yes yes.......in case you missed it........the Bengals went down mightily to the Patsies this past Sunday. I admit.....I didn't see that coming because we were favored to win. End result - Patsies 38 - Bengals 13.

To my friends in New England, I will happily keep up my side of the bet. I will even send you the brands that you requested - that's just the type of gal I am.

Onward and upward.............the Bengals begin their two week bye. Hopefully with a little rest and a little extra coaching with Marvin, we will be back on the road to recovery. We currently sit in 2nd place of the AFC East at 3-1 behind the extremely hot Baltimore Ravens. They sit alone at the top of the AFC kingdom with the Colts as both teams are still undefeated.

After the bye, our next opponent is Tampa Bay. TB is currently winless this season but it is the winless teams that can cause the most damage with a surprise win here and there.

Rest up Bengals..........the road to the Super Bowl is not lost with your first loss.......but hopefully you learned some bitter lessons and can overcome them.

Ta Ta!

South Beach - progressing!

I am almost 3/12 weeks into the South Beach diet program. I must say I have been pleasantly surprised of the results. The first two weeks I lost 10.5 pounds and I have had lots of energy. Of course, my eating habits have changed and my vegtable intake has tripled. All in all, the diet really doesn't stray too far from the recommended daily allowances of vegtables, protein, fats and grains. It just makes you more conscious of your food choices.

I have decided to weigh in every two weeks so I don't get too wrapped up in the actual numbers but just enough to give me the psychological edge. Losing weight is about what is going on in your head as well as your body changes. The psychological boost of seeing the the number go lower and lower is very helpful.

I have noticed slight changes in my clothes. Nothing major since my problem area (hips and upper butt) is always the last thing to go. Pant sizes do not drop easily for me because of it. Of course friends and coworkers can see the weight loss in my face. My grandmother use to always tell me that I lose my weight there first. Great..........I've lost 10.5 pounds and it came from my face!

Seriously though, this has been a very good experience so far. Have I been exercising? I would say low to moderate exercise is what I have been doing week to week. I certainly have not gone out of my way to start jogging or riding my bike daily. Later on down the road though.........I will have to begin a nice regimented exercise routine. Perhaps when the fitness room is finally open in my community.

Ahhhhh well.......progress all around. I shall weigh in again on Wednesday to see how much more I have lost in the last two weeks.

For those who are interested in jumping on the South Beach diet, there are a lot of websites out there dedicated to it. Just Google! Meanwhile, here is one site I have found to be extremely helpful.

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/kraft/kraft.asp

Who Dey? Not the Steelers

WHO DEY!

The headline on the ESPN page right now says............."Believe the Hype". Today's game against the Steelers was the prime example of a grudge match. Bengals' fans have been waiting for this match-up since last January when our quarterback was ruthlessly taken down in the playoffs. There was no one believing that this was going to be an easy victory today. The Steelers were just coming back from a humilitating loss to Jacksonville on Monday night football. We knew it would be tough.

Long story short...........the Bengals answered when the going got tough - Bengals 28 - Steelers 20. So.....believe the hype.......the Bengals will not fade away when the game starts heating up.

Next up - the Patsies come to town next Sunday at 4:15. I have accepted the wager from my Boston friends. To them, please note...........I like Chardonnay.

WHO DEY!

South Beach Diet

Approximately two weeks ago, TC and I began the latest diet craze called the South Beach Diet. What we thought would be a diet of "steak and nuts" has turned out to be quite the routine to turn your eating habits around. The diet is basically a revised and revamped Atkins plan concentrating on not just low carbs but low fat and low sugar as well - the staples of the normal American diet.

The diet plan has a "phased" approach. Phase One lasts for two weeks and it contains no carbs (bread, pasta, cereal, etc) and very low sugar and fat saturated foods. All fruit is forbidden on the first two weeks because you are trying to move past craving high fructose. Low low fat cheese is allowed. This part is killing me because I love cheese. You could put cheese on a stick and I would eat it!

Phase Two allows you to bring back to your daily diet the foods that were forbidden in Phase One. With one exception, no white flour products allowed. Ever. Kiss them goodbye. You slowly phase in certain carb and sugar options and keep an eye on your weight loss to ensure that you are eating a healthy balance while still maintaining or losing weight.

So......it will be two weeks on Wednesday. During this time period I have tripled the amount of vegtables I normally eat while forgoing all of the bad stuff.............junk food.......fast food......and glasses of wine.

I will say that this diet truly gets you back to a healthier way of eating. Less prepared foods.......and a little more preparation of foods. I eat steak, pork and chicken. I keep a nice mix of vegetables going but I must say my usual intake of salads at lunchtime is getting a bit stale. I don't normally crave anything in particular until I see it sitting on a store shelf or in a display case.

Did you know that Starbucks has a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin out now for the Fall? Yeah........I now know that myself and it is a real temptation. A good cup of coffee and one of those........heaven.

Ahhhhh well.....Phase Two comes on Wednesday and I am certainly looking forward to that day. I will weigh in at that time and see what I have accomplished over the last two weeks.

It might be jubilation or a strong lean toward Starbucks and all the Pumpkin muffins I can hold!

Ta Ta!

WHO DEY!

My my my...........the Bengals are off and running! Yes......for once we have a real football team in Cincinnati that is worth spewing about! Carson Palmer is back and looked strong against the Chiefs yesterday in Kansas City. We didn't have as many passing yards and completions as I would normally like to see but they certainly brought their defense!

Attention all other teams in the NFL........the Bengals are not the pansies of yesteryear. You better bring your game when you come to Cincinnati! The Bengals have a tough schedule this year and if they can handle their road games as well (or better!) as they handled the Chiefs yesterday, I think you will be hearing me yell "WHO DEY!" more often.

Now.......to my friends in Boston.......(and you know who you all are) if you would like to make a friendly wager on the Bengals/Patriots matchup (10/1)this season............bring it! I am not afraid. I saw what it took for you guys to win on Sunday against the Bills. A safety??!!! Oh......wait......that's right. You lost your golden boy kicker - Viniteri to the Colts! No more last minute wins by relying on your field goal kicker! Come on............bring it!

Oh yes indeed.....FOOTBALL season is here!

Blunders of the week

Wow......where do I begin with the following two stories? Blunder really isn't the word for today's events - locally and nationally. I guess we will just jump right in and start nationally.

• John Mark Karr - Congratulations to the Boulder Police for continuing to show everyone that they still (10 years later) do not have a clue about the JonBenet murder. Karr was released today from a Boulder jail after DNA testing concluded that his DNA was not at the scene of the crime. Fabulous! Karr still has outstanding warrants in California for child pornography so its doubtful he will be a free man for very long. Give me a break!
• Marcus - Many of you won't know of this story but I will talk about it anyway because it has everyone in the tri-state area frustrated and angry. Marcus was a 3 year old autistic child living in a foster home on the East side. He was cute kid. Well......about 10 days ago he turned up missing at a local park. His foster family said the mother had a seizure and when she woke up.......Marcus was gone. Naturally, this initiated hundreds of volunteers to begin searching the wooded park and the surronding neighborhood. No Marcus. Today, we found out that Marcus has been gone since August 6th. His foster family lied to the child welfare agency that came by to check on him on August 16th. The foster mother also lied about her seizure in the park. It turns out that the foster family intentionally locked Marcus in a closet on August 4th and then went out of town for a family reunion. He was dead when they returned and his foster father took his body to another county and burned it. Yep...........all this and they have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. The mother "faked" her seizure and spent two days in the hospital! Her husband appeared on television to talk about his missing "son". Several days later........the mother was on television pleading for his safe return. All the while knowing that the child was dead. Now they are both resting in a local jail and the rest of their children have been placed in safe haven somewhere. Thank God!

Remind me again that in the state of Ohio I cannot adopt nor foster a child because I am gay? Yeah, I can certainly see how this child would have been worse off if he were in the home of a gay couple.

What's wrong with being alive?

JonBenet

Ok.....so we have all heard by now that there is some pitiful dude over in Bangkok who has "confessed" to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. I must admit.....when I heard this on the news this afternoon it left me scratching my head.

Most of the evidence didn't point to someone outside of the house. No footprints in the snow outside the house.....the murder weapons were all items from inside the house.......and even the scratchpad that the killer left the ransom note on was from inside the house. The house itself was a maze of rooms and hallways. Even a person familiar with the house would get lost in it. Yet somehow, a person who lived outside the house.....got in......took JonBenet and made his/her way to the basement.

Now I admit that I never bought the notion that one of her parents killed her.......but I did buy the idea that one of her siblings did the deed and the parents were a shield for him/her. I mean.....that's what parents do right? Unconditional love?

So....they get a confession from this guy in Bangkok. Did I mention that he had done time in a Bangkok prison for some kind of dastardly deed? Yeah.....the Bangkok prisons make our prisons look like Ritz-Carltons. Maybe that's why he is confessing.........life in a U.S. prison could be mighty appealing. I don't know if they have the death penalty in Colorado so that might be another plus for him.

After ten years.......we finally have hope that this little girl will finally rest in peace. I guess it is true that in time everyone has to "meet their maker" for the injustices that they have done to someone else.

Hey O.J., how's the hunt for the "real" killer going?

Still here!

Wow.....most would think that I fell off the face of the earth since June! On the contrary, I am alive and well after taking the whole month of July "off" from blogging.

Let's see.......have we missed much?

• My friend who has undergone Artifical Insemination (twice!) is now officially pregnant thanks to a little help from the fertility drug Clomed. No word on whether she is having twins. She will know more after her first Ultrasound in three weeks. Regardless, she has lots of solid positive support from her friends who will be ready for her next big day - the delivery!
• Hocking Hills camping adventure in the cabin was quite restful. We had a power outage one day which gave us all a scare because that weekend was very hot and humid! All went well after a couple of hours and the weekend was pleasurable for all.
• Joe Lieberman is having a little difficulty with his Senate campaign. He is lagging behind his competition by double digit points now! Hmmm....guess this is what he gets when he continually lends his support to a President who does not meet favor with a majority of Americans. This should be a warning to the rest of the congressional leaders. You had your fun and now its time to clean up the mess!
• Speaking of Congressional leaders........Hillary really grilled Rumsfeld last week. Just one word for that........FABULOUS!
• The NFL Season gets underway this week! Damn.....where has it been? The Bengals kick off their first pre-season game in Cincinnati against the Redskins on August 13th! ROAR! Here is the early Bengals fight song to get you in the mood for the upcoming season!
  http://www.bengals.com/fans/fightsong.asp

On that note.............I am off! More to come in the very near future!

TA TA!

Artificial Insemination

Let me begin by saying that this particular posting and future postings are not related to the religious debate of whether or not this should be morally acceptable nor is it a posting related to my own "AI"! Instead, I will discussing it from a "second/third person" perspective.

One of my best friend's has been wanting a baby for years. This has been her goal. This morning, after months and months of preparation and research, she will undergo the insemination process. I am very happy that she is allowing me to follow this step by step.

I must say this whole process has been quite fascinating to watch over the last several months. I was familiar with AI but not to this level of detail. She must have scanned at least 100 profiles looking for the "right" donor. When I say "right" I mean, at least 5'10" tall, over 190 pounds, athletic and the right educational level. Each profile also offered an essay - a little perspective or restrospective from each of the men, tons of medical history on them, their parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. It almost seemed like they went as far back as their 3rd cousin removed! Phew! I remarked to her at one point while we were reviewing the profiles "does this seem to be a little Dr. Frankenstein-ish to you?" Looking at pictures and trying to choose which one will be the best match with her own physical traits and features is a bit wild and "lab-like" as well. All highly detailed profiles into lives of men that she will never meet in order to conceive. Their "donation" is frozen in a test tube in the lab waiting for her arrival this morning.

Apparently the actual "AI" takes less than 20 minutes. A brief minute or two to inseminate and then a resting period before she can leave to ensure that the sperm are swimming towards their target.
She is a healthy woman so my prediction is that conception will be on the first attempt. Many women often have to try two or three times to become pregnant. This, of course, comes at a great cost to them each time they are inseminated.

It has been an educational process for me and if fate would have it.........nine months from today could be celebration time for my friend!

Gay Marriage

I listened to a report today that talked about how countries around the world are about to add landmark legislation to their bylaws regarding gay marriage. The temperament for gay marriage seems to be more accepting in countries that are considered to be dominated by the Catholic faith - Germany, France, Italy and Ireland. Go figure.

In the United States, as you all know, studies show that most Americans are resistant to gay marriage.

Ok.......now let's take this one step further.

No gay marriage in the United States but..........

Abortion is accepted and legal.
Divorce is ok.
Better for a child to live in an orphanage than with a gay couple.

How's that for a fine upstanding moral attitude?

Keep one committment in 2006 - vote in November.

Ho hum

~Good tidings to one and all!~

Yes yes.......I have a been a bit laxed in my postings of late. You know though.....it is Summer. I have been out and about doing those summer fun things.......volleyball games on Friday night, summer parties......yada yada yada. My girlfriend and I are planning a nice 4th of July getaway at some far away hilltop somewhere. I have never been there but it sounds restful. We debated the whole camping thing for awhile. You know......sleeping in a tent instead of the Hilton? Yeah well.......we decided on a nice little cabin. I have never been camping and I just could not think of a worst time to go camping - in the middle of summer. Yikes! Who wants to sleep in that hot weather with mosquitos? Anywho.......I should have lots of enlightening moments that I can share with you when I return. ha!

So have you caught the new television show "Treasure Hunters"? Yes......me and "TC" watched the first episode last night and we are hooked. Greedy little vixens we are.......clamoring to win the treasure by playing along with the online game. I must say it has been quite fun. I don't know if any of you remember the PC game "Myst"? The online version of "Treasure Hunters" reminds me a lot of that game. It appears that the next episode of the television show won't be on for another week so if you have a chance to catch the rerun of the opening epidsode and play along online - you too will be amused. Ok....maybe not as much as me but maybe slightly.

Before I go this evening, I would be remiss if I didn't talk about Miss Mary Cheney's book. I have heard it has only sold 6500 copies. Simon and Schuster will be hard pressed to see any of the million dollar advance they gave "old Mare" to write the damn thing. Well....it's like I said......she so desparately wants to be a part of the family but she is looking like a two-headed monster instead.............a Republican monster at that.

So that is all I know for now...........and that is probably a good thing at this point! More on my camping misadventures later!

Ta Ta!

Is it election time yet?

I normally don't place links in my blog commentaries to other sites unless I find them to be poignant and well placed. However, I was reading an online article by Lou Dobbs this afternoon and I found it quite stimulating.

It should give us all a good scare - Republican or Democrat.

We have a huge election coming up in November. If the election is solely driven on "wedge issues" - you know.....the favorites of the religious right.........abortion, gay rights and gun control.....we could be down the same path as we are right now. This election has to focus on the the main issues - Immigration, Social Security and the war. These are the issues that GW has failed with during his eight year reign. Our Congress has failed because they let GW run with governing power unlike any other President.

It wasn't until early last week when his "power" finally got the best of Congress - when the FBI seized documents from William Jefferson's office. Suddenly.........Congressional leaders got a backbone and said....."You can't do this. You are over-reaching with your Executive power!".

What??? You let him do it for 6 years! It's too late to complain about it now!

Anyway.........please read the article that is attached to the link below. I found it very interesting and it drove home some very good points about where we are today.........six months away from the next election.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/30/dobbs.May31/index.html

Gobble gobble?

I looked forward to spending the first morning of my three day weekend sleeping in for a couple hours. It had been a hectic week last week.

It was about 7:35 when I heard a peculiar screeching sound outside. The screech was a cross between a crow and a duck. Since it was earlier than I had planned on getting up, I stayed in bed and tried to go back to sleep. No luck.

I got up about 25 minutes later and as I raised my bedroom blind, I saw them. Four wild turkeys outside of my bedroom window. Actually, three hens and a "Tom". (according to Google he can also be called a Gobbler - imagine that) Apparently, it is mating season and this guy was all "puffed up" and giving the ladies his best effort.

Now even though it was early, I must say my interest was piqued because never have I had the opportunity to witness the mating rituals of the American Wild Turkey. Imagine........."Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" in my own backyard!

Anyway, his whole routine looked familiar to what I have seen in some bars - gay or straight. The "Tom" put on his best show........feathers fluffed out like a peacock......chested thrusted forward. He strutted around the three hens for at least 30 minutes - who were either playing "hard to get" or simply not interested.

After thirty minutes of watching this sad spectacle and deciding that this must end for the "Toms" sake, I picked up my 16 pound cat Oscar and set him on the window ledge.

This cooled his mood dramatically and everyone mosied off into the woods.

It's left me craving a turkey club.

Hicks-ville

I would be remiss if I did not provide a little "sumthin sumthin" about this year's American Idol broadcast now that the season has come to a close. I must say that I was not thrilled with the two finalists. Taylor had charisma and Kat had cuteness. I was a bit disappointed in both of their voices from time to time although Taylor did seem to do better than Kat. He knows how to work the stage and perhaps it was this footwork that allowed him to "walk away" with the title of "American Idol".

I'm sure you are all aware that the producers of American Idol lock down managing rights with their winners. I am not really sure how many albums they lock these kids into but Kelly Clarkson is on her third album and she is still being managed by Simon Fuller. If they hoped to make money from the winner, is Taylor Hicks a money machine? I don't know about that. I am still trying to figure out his musical genre. Although.......with that bright purple jacket he was wearing on Tuesday night I would have sworn he was heading to Vegas.

Egads......Vegas. Barry Manilow may finally have some competition with the little old ladies!

Ta Ta!

2006 Hurricane Names

While I am on the Hurricane topic this evening, here are the names of this year's storms. I think Oscar will be a doozy.

Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William

Man the lifeboats!

Above-Average Hurricane Season Projected!

New Orleans re-elects Ray Nagin!

Both of these headlines, if used on the same page, should scare the bejeezus out of folks in New Orleans. It is a frightening thought really. While the Army Corp of Engineers are rebuilding the levies, they are nowhere near what they should be to protect the city from another head on collision with a Category 3 storm. Mayor Nagin says he now has a new evacuation plan to get citizens out of the city. Let's call it - Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Hopefully, his plan will actually work and not be quite as comical as the Steve Martin/John Candy movie.

So let's just say they are successful in evacuating the city. What about the city? As I said, the levies will not be strong enough to protect it. Recent news stories about the New Orleans levies sight years and years of government monetary cutbacks when it came to building these levies up to protect it from high category hurricanes. Numerous local agencies could never agree on what was practical and rational........so little or no money was thrown at resolving the issue. In other words, the devestation was inevitable and it will be again.

After Katrina, billions of dollars were poured into New Orleans by people and corporations from around the globe to get the city back up on its feet and provide aid. I gave a monetary donation because I thought it was the charitable thing to do. I can't say that I am going to repeat my performance year after year after year if the city or state government does not take the steps to a more permanent solution. I don't think that they will find Americans as generous the second or third time around.

Hurricane season starts on June 1st. Many Americans will sit glued to their televisions when the storm path sets its sights on New Orleans. Yeah.......it's good television.

Who needs Big Brother or Survivor anyway? A new reality show begins next month...............

Mary Cheney

Mary Cheney's new book is called "Now It's My Turn". Apparently it is filled with her thoughts and feelings of the last six years that she has chosen to keep to herself.

I watched her on Larry King last night talking about her life and the book. It doesn't appear that the book contains any new revelations about her that we don't already know. Yes....she is gay and is living happily with her partner. She is against the Marriage Amendment yet still thinks George Bush is the best thing since sliced bread. While this book may indeed be "her turn", I don't believe that she is really showing a side to herself that we don't already see. She appears to be a devoted Republican and refuses to make any waves with any kind of political statement even though GW and Dick are well into the "lame duck" portion of their terms. In fact, she appears to be a "chip off the old block". She is Dick in a blonde wig.

The timing of her book and her appearance on Larry King are nothing more than a good will campaign for the GLBT vote. With elections drawing near and the Republicans in trouble, she has become the token lesbian who is so devoted to her father she would do anything to garnish more Republican votes. Unfortunately, her book is receiving bad reviews on both sides of the aisle so it may just end up being a wash.

Thanks, but no thanks Mary. You continue to lose golden opportunities to do something really worthwhile for the community that you say you embrace.

Annnnnnd......their off!

Tomorrow is the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby. For most, a horse race is just another horse race. Around here, the Kentucky Derby is huge. The bourbon will flow and women will wear the most outrageous designer hats........all for a two minute race.

The bourbon will flow at my house too tomorrow but not in the form of the traditional Mint Julips. We are having Bourbon Slushes. We will have hats too! My girlfriend came up with the nifty idea that everyone will wear a derby hat and the best one will win a prize. It should be very fun to witness since I have some ingenious and creative friends.

So if you are curious, here is the list of horses that will "Run for the Roses" tomorrow. Good luck!