The Great Gas Crisis

Despite our political differences, there is one thing that most Americans can agree upon. The gas prices really suck. Here in the Cincinnati Tri-state area the gas prices can range anywhere from 2.99 to 3.21. If you are lucky, you can fill up for 10 to 15 cents less at one of the gas stations connected to a local grocery store chain if you swipe your grocery card.

I am one of the lucky ones who has an automobile that can run on ethanol or regular unleaded. There aren't too many stations offering ethanol but I went ahead and tried it anyway because it was at least 25 cents (or more) cheaper than regular gasoline. How can you beat that right?

Well....during the two weeks that I used it, I found that I was actually filling up more often than I was before. It seems that ethanol has a funny little kickback that while you are saving the environment you are actually consuming twice the amount you normally would if you had chosen regular gasoline. So ultimately that squashed all of the "I am going green" feelings that I had by fueling up with it. I must admit it did smell better than the other stuff.

In August 2005, I blogged that gas prices were 2.55 a gallon and that was with my 10 cent discount. I guess we really can't complain too much since we are really not too far away from that price today. Back then I would have expected us to be at 4.00 a gallon by now. Thankfully we have not reached that plateau.

I heard this morning that the gas companies are, once again, in the top 10 revenue/profit generating companies in the U.S. With no one pushing them to build more refineries, they have lots of money left over every year because gas prices continue to stay elevated. I have to ask myself...........if someone had a proposal to build just five new refineries in the U.S. and those new refineries would mean lower gas prices........would I want one built in my neighborhood?

I don't know if I am inconvenienced enough to say "yes" to that question. What about you?

Pope Benedict - King of the Catholics

Ahhhh yes......the Vatican declared today that the Catholic Church is the one true church and the only church that is a full church of Jesus Christ. The other churches.......well....they are only secondary entities. According to the Vatican and Pope Benedict, if they can't recognize the papacy of "The Pope"......they are wounded. They are limping around with no real reason to exist.

I wish I was joking about this self-righteous comment but if you look at Reuters.com and search for Christians...........you will find the whole ugly story.

Gone are the days of saintly Pope John Paul.....the friend to all people of all religions. The same Pope who had open dialogue with all faiths in ecumenical councils without a biased word one way or another. Granted..........there are many opinions and facts about the Catholic faith......but Pope John Paul seemed to be a kindlier, gentler soul.

Ok....let's come back to reality with Pope Benedict. He believes that even with his edict today that the Catholic Church is determined to maintain dialogues with other Christians. Wow.....who is likely to believe that any conversation with the Vatican is going to go well or come without any preconceived ideas? Who will want to talk to him?

Today, "The Church" has slipped even farther back into the middle ages. The belt has been tightened and a clear signal has been sent that there will be no more wishy-washy, gentler, kinder souls hanging around the Vatican.

I am sure that he is only warming up. His arrogance will be his downfall.

Take two of these..............

According to CNN.com today - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in visits to doctors and hospitals in 2005. Of those, 118 million were for antidepressants.

Wait.....it gets better. They go on to say that the doctors think that is good news because it is a sign that Americans are more comfortable asking for help with their psychiatric problems.

Apparently antidepressant sales rose 48% between 1995 and 2002. Hmmm.......let's see Dubya was voted into office in 2000.........interesting. But.....I digress.

In this day and age, therapy is the hip thing to do. Hip.....but not cheap. I would imagine that along with all that advice there are a lot of prescriptions being handed out. So what does this say about us? I don't believe that the antidepressant statistic is one to be bragged about.

Now I am not saying that there are folks who have a truly legitimate need for such medication, I just have to wonder if there are truly 100 million of us out there. Is it simply a panacea or are we truly a depressed nation? Are there folks who need the medication or simply being medicated because its easier for the physician?

We live in an age where a doctors visit is like a trip to the local deli counter. Take a number from the machine and the doctor will see you in about 30 minutes. Quick in and quick out........ Rapid solutions for a rapid world.......Presto chango - here is your diagnosis......stop by Walgreens on your way home.........have a nice day.

For those of you wondering.......the second highest medication prescribed in the U.S. is for blood pressure medication. So perhaps there is a linkage to Dubya being in office after all........

Ta Ta!

Independence Day

As we approach yet another 4th of July holiday, we will once again be reminded about our brave soldiers overseas and the thousands of men and women who have died serving our country and protecting our freedoms.

Despite the fact that I am one of the 70% of all Americans who are against the war in Iraq, I have to give credit where credit is due to those Americans who are brave enough to go down to a military office and volunteer to serve under this new world reality. I mean.....who would want to do that in these times? I think it takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to stand up and volunteer after watching daily war coverage on any of the news networks. I do know that volunteers have slowed down primarily because of the Iraq situation, but slow down doesn't mean new enlistments have come to a screeching halt.

I don't think I would have been able to make the same decision 23 years ago but then, in 1984 we were not facing the same threats as today. I think the idea of going into the military seemed like a boring thing to do........a passing thought at best. The military was just not on the agenda when I was 18.

So today I want to give credit and thanks to those folks who, for whatever reason, will make the decision today or tomorrow to volunteer to serve in our national forces. These are troubling times across the globe and it takes courage to enlist and allow your life to be completely guided by someone elses plan and agenda.

Here we go again

If you are a news nut like me, undoubtedly you have been following the senseless tragedy unfolding in Canton, Ohio over the last 10 days. Another beautiful, young pregnant mother struck down just weeks before she is due to deliver her child. In cases such as these, you don't want to immediately look at the boyfriend/husband but you inevitably do because they are such a credible target.

This case brings back the story of Lacy Peterson. What a saga that was when it happened. It played through every available media outlet 24 hours a day. Agonizing moments with the family desperately trying to find their daughter and thousands of people searching neighborhoods looking for her. Similar to the Jessie Davis case, Scott Peterson also joined in the search to look for his wife. His half-hearted attempts to look concerned were quickly overshadowed by his outward motions to get on with his life. In two weeks, he was arrested for her murder and the murder of his unborn child.

So here we are again. It is still early so we don't have all of the details on how the murder actually happened. Depending on your choices of news outlets, the answers are mixed. Some say that he has explained to his family that he "found" her laying on the floor when he arrived at her house and panicked. In his panic, he decided the best option was to bury her body 16 miles from her home. Yeah......ok. I don't mean to pull a "Nancy Grace" but I am not buying that one. The autopsy should be very revealing and details on that should be released next week at some point. The case will escalate fairly quickly after those results and as in the Lacy Peterson trial, I would expect the death penalty to be levied in this case.

You would think that such high publicity cases would prevent men from killing their pregnant girlfriends/wives. It seems that the saying is true that men do think with only one body part and it is not located in the skull area. This particular case smacks of that from beginning to end.

This is exactly the kind of tragedy that makes Nancy Grace salivate and I know she will have this case completely resolved by next Friday at the very latest.

Celine Dion!!?

You may have missed word that Hillary has selected her campaign theme song -- 'You and I' by Celine Dion.

I should probably begin by 'fessing up that I didn't make the time to vote on this election-critical issue. Though among the choices, I probably would have given a nod to U2's 'Beautiful Day', despite Kerry's campaign using it years back. (At least that's what my NPR sources reported. I was rather uninspired during that particular election.)

I am not a Celine Dion fan. At all. Ever. Sorry.

Should Hillary be hitching her wagon to Celine? Or am I among the minority here?

Bill's choice lo those many years back, "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" resonated with the tail-end boomers who were just realizing there was something to be sentimental about AND the aspirations of generations both older and younger. I'll still crank the radio for that song.

But Celine Dion? And a song most recognizeable as used by the Canadian tourism folks to promote air travel?

I'm not Canada-bashing. I'm just not feeling election night celebrating to the sounds of Celine.

Hmmm. I bet Al and Bono are even friends...

Where do we go from here?

Is anyone supporting anything anymore? The polls don't show it.


According to the recent NBC/WSJ poll, only 19% of all Americans believe that the country is heading in the right direction. Even worse........the approval rating of the Democratic led House and Senate is only 23%. And much worse than that...........neither of the Presidential fields are really all that exciting.


Dubya's rating is at 29% and that is the same percentage as Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. Hillary fairs a little better with her 39% ranking. At this point......if we had to vote today.....Hillary would probably get a fair share of the votes but would she win......I don't think so. She has steady support in the polls but will that turn into credible votes?


The problems in the world are getting larger and larger yet we lack that one person or body who will actually stand up and do battle with them. It's almost as though all the world leaders will not committ to anything rational until they see who we have voted in as President. (585 more days) The crisis times are here and simply getting worse. Pick your cause - global warming, the PLO/Israeli conflict, immigration, oil prices, nuclear war, etc etc etc. Americans are not just unhappy with it - they are fed up.

So where do we go from here?

Sopranos Finale

Wow....what can one say about that ending last night? Don't know if anyone else is a fan of The Sopranos but I have been a fan from day one. I just love the mob movies and this series has just been phenomenal.

How about that ending? The whole diner scene left me sitting there on the edge of my seat waiting for that diner to blow up in front of a dismayed Meadow. The whole scene was well thought out and left you not knowing what would happen. How many of you thought that the guy who was sitting at the counter.....who slowly sauntered back to the Men's room......was going to pull a gun and shoot Tony right there? Yep....I did. But when they concentrated on Meadow's three or four attempts to parallel park her car I thought for sure that the last scene would be her opening her car door just at the moment to see her entire family be blown up.

Then! Oh yeah...it gets better! Just as she opens the diner door and enters.......it goes black! OMG......at that very moment I said......"I just lost my freakin cable!!!!!!!!!" LOL
I thought for sure Comcast had sent me down the river again! But alas...........after 10 of the longest seconds on television..........the credits started to roll.........then I knew it was over. It appears that the only people who were going to be killed off last night was the audience and they did it by the quick black screen.

Truly great programming from HBO on this one. My two favorite programs are now in the HBO history books.........Sex in the City and The Sopranos. I hear that a movie is in the works for SITC and that's fine, but I really don't care if a movie comes out for The Sopranos or not. It was a great six seasons!

Now they will run it for eternity on the A&E Channel..............

Pride Patrol

Sun
Dogs
Babies
Beads

That's the short list of what I saw most of at today's Cincinnati Pride Alive fest. We made the trek from our suburban homes to the heart of Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood for the parade and fest. A few impressions as I take advantage of Rita's generous addition of me as a 'contributor' to Working the Room.

• 72 units in the parade. About five early-campaigning politicians. GLBT groups from three of the region's largest employers -- gotta love that in this conservative town, so they were appropriately applauded.
• Jack Russell terriers. Can someone please tell me why so many gay men own these dogs? On second thought, maybe I don't want to know.
• Lesbians still seem to prefer retriever/border collie mixes... though I'd have to say most lesbian couples seem to have added two-legged children to their families and left the pups at home. Wow. Aside from the contingent of lesbian mom's walking in the parade, they, and their baby paraphernalia, added a terrific family tableau to the park today.
• I heard the protest contingent was out in force for last night's fest activities -- I guess they had to spend today at the Creation Museum. Today's parade included proud and supportive walking groups from local Episcopal, Unitarian, and Presbyterian churches to name a few I spotted.
• Beads. When did they become the 'not just for Mardi Gras' accessory?

Campaign contributions

Ok....so by now we have all had an opportunity to watch one or two debates for the Democrat and Republican parties. Perhaps you have already formed an opinion on who you would like to support?

Here is a campaign donation "draw" for which you may not be aware. Several of the candidates are having raffle-type fund drives to gather as much money as possible.

• For a $100 donation to Mitt Romney's campaign, you will be entered into a drawing for a night at a Major League Baseball game - including box seats and travel expenses paid - with Mitt's son Tagg. Contest ends on 6/12.
• For a $10 or more donation to Barack Obama's campaign, you could be one of five people selected to join Barack in a private dinner - all travel expenses paid - to share your story and ideas with him one-on-one. Contest ends on 6/13.
• Last but not least..........if you donate at least $6.10 to the John Edwards campaign before his birthday on 6/10, you will receive a copy of the Edward's family recipe for their "famous" pecan pie.

So....ok.....just how far will you go to support your candidate? I must say the Obama contest is quite ingenious and should gain him more funds in his war chest. He actually needs it because Hillary doesn't have a gimmick and she is about $12 million dollars ahead of him. To date, Hillary is not having a donation contest.

As the race continues to heat up and becomes more expensive, I am sure we will see more desperate attempts to collect more funds by each candidate or ultimately they will simply retreat quietly and in six months we won't even remembered that they were a candidate.

Great artist - Katie Reider

Ok.......I didn't think I would get another blog post off until after I returned from vacation but I didn't want this to slip by.

I wanted to pass along some info on a great local artist - Katie Reider. Katie is local to Cincinnati but is now living with her partner in New Jersey. If you have never heard of Katie I encourage you to take a listen to a few of her songs out on her Myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/katiereiderband

She was in town yesterday performing for a local event called "Taste of Cincinnati". She has a huge following down here because of her years in Cincy and Columbus. Her next show is at the Turning Point in Piermont NY and I would expect she will be scheduling more venues as she becomes acquainted with the area.

Check her out!

The week that was........

As we head into the Memorial Day holiday.....let's review all the fun that happened last week.

• Mary Cheney's baby - While you would think this would score one for us, it really doesn't because Mary and her partner do about as much for the gay and lesbian community as her father has in his last six years in office. They will be acutely aware of their "rights" as they continue their life in Virginia. This is one state in the Union that fails to recognize anything about gays and lesbians.........including adoptions.
• Dubya - He is now openly admitting that July/August will be a bloody month for American soliders in Iraq. This is probably the closest thing to an admission that things are just not going well period. Thanks for not continuing to sugar coat this war any longer. 604 days and counting.........
• Democrats - Yes.........they handed the money right over to him because we didn't have the votes in the House nor the Senate to vote this thing down. September is coming folks and more money will be requested. Sounds like a good time for an old fashion filabuster.
• Rosie - Her early departure from the view was probably a good idea. However, I don't think either Elizabeth or Rosie won any points in their televised battle. I thought Elizabeth looked like the second coming of Jerry Falwell.
• Jerry - buried last week.
• Al Gore - why doesn't he just run for office? He has a lot of positive vibrations going on right now and does not have to fend questions on what he did or did not vote for. Sadly...I don't think it will happen.
• And finally......what would the week be without a Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan story? Yep.........Lindsey was pulled over for a DUI yesterday on Sunset Blvd. Cocaine was found on the scene as well. Her life is truly a tragic reality TV moment. Perhaps the next Survivor series should be 'Celebrity Survivor'. Stick them all on an island for 30 days and see what happens. YIKES!

I am off for vacation tomorrow! Yes......just in time to enter a new week with new adventures!

Ciao!

All Aboard Now...

... sayeth Noah to the animals. This coming Monday, y'all can see it in all its not-quite-real-glory at the opening of Petersburg, Kentucky's newest tourist attraction -- the Creationism Museum. Luckily I'll be on my way out of town as the faithful flock to the multi-million $ production of the Answers in Genesis cult.

(sidebar -- in case you're wondering, this is TC, not Rita. she's letting me vent:)

This 'museum' sits about mid-way between our respective houses. So I've watched its evolution (ha ha). Once a non-descript metal storage type building plopped beside a busy highway loop around Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, it's now downright snazzy. I can only imagine how proud the donors who paid for all that gorgeous river rock covering the sheet metal must be.

Whoever those donors are, I'm pretty sure they have some connection to the publishers of our local Gannet paper -- The Cincinnati Enquirer. There have been in-depth front page stories covering the museum's opening the past few Sundays (how appropriate) and it's one of the most-talked about op ed topics on the paper's Web site.

In case it's not clear; I'm not a fan of this effort.

Raised Southern Baptist, creationism isn't a completely foreign concept. They tried. I just couldn't believe. Years later, I actually find myself remembering some of the elementary science that led me to question it all. I vividly recall sitting in Sunday school classes each week, unable to contain the questions/challenges that came pouring out of me. By age 12 I'd escaped.

Then I moved to Cincinnati.

As you read in Rita's description of our local Pride efforts, this isn't the most, um, progressive community. But we're trying. Most of us.

Petersburg is about 20 miles from Cincinnati's riverfront. That means, if a family plans its time well, it could fit in a visit to the local museum that's telling the real story we should be learning from --The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. www.freedomcenter.org

"The View" catfight

More catfights on the View.....unfortunately..........the media made it look like it all started with Rosie attacking Elizabeth.

Check out the YouTube video on the right for how it all started. You go Joy!

Pride Festivals

So where will you celebrate Pride this year? There are a many noteworthy Pride events across the nation so if your hometown is as conservative as Cincinnati is.........you can always go to another city close by to celebrate.

For all of its conservative viewpoints, Cincinnati does put on a little Pride Festival. It is not as big as Columbus and Columbus is no where as big as Boston or San Francisco so you get an idea where Cincinnati fits in. At least we have something. We at least have a parade and a festival area where you can listen to some fairly good musicians perform.

I keep telling myself that I have to get back to San Francisco again. If you have never been, I can describe it in one word.......electric. The whole sense of camaraderie and the sense of belonging is overwhelming. I can remember the last time I was there (2001) standing in the middle of a very crowded Castro Street after the march from Delores Park. It was really something I had never felt before. I mean......San Francisco for Pride.......this is Mecca. This IS the mountain. If just for one week and weekend.......you feel like you are in the perfect world. Where everyone is accepting and no has time to judge or second guess you. It is one of the most vivid memories in my lifetime.

So...ok...Cincinnati is no San Francisco by any means but the camaraderie is there. This city may not be as liberal as most but it has its moments...........good and bad. TC and I will try to make a few of the festivals/parades in the summer and make the best of the moment.

For a list of the Pride events happening around your area, I recommend the following website: http://www.interpride.org/

Ta Ta!

609 days and counting

Yikes........it is truly unimaginable to think that we have 609 more days of this blabbering idiot. Did you see him with Tony Blair? What was that all about? "Hey Tony.....I need someone to say somethin' good about me. Why don't you come over for a sleepover and a couple press conferences?" Tony Blair is such the puppet. UK folks say that he is Dubya's poodle. I don't know which comparison is worse really - to be led around as if you are at the Westminister Dog Show or tossed around like the billy goat marionette in the Sound of Music. (laaaeee heee hooooo!)

Oh yeah.....and how about that surge in troops? Well....thank god we have them there. We need them all to search for the three soldiers who were recently kidnapped. I don't think we have seen real progress nor will we for the next 609 days. At this point, no one is interested in progress. We just want our troops home protecting our homeland.

The Republican party continues to struggle. They can't stand behind Dubya and they can't figure out anything creative to say on their own that will make people happy and interested in voting for them. Egads!

So what's poor Dubya to do with his last 609 days? Here are my suggestions:

• Spend more time at the gym
• Ask Condi if there is anything you can do to help
• Start working on the White House Christmas list
• Join the border patrol agents as a weekend volunteer
• More surprise trips to Iraq - I'm sure the troops just love that!
• Ask Laura if you can help her plan your library

Just a few suggestions Dubya to keep you busy since no one wants you to campaign for them and because you just can't seem to right any of the wrongs that have happened in the last six years.

Come on Down!

Last week Bob Barker began his slow fade into retirement by launching the first of a few prime time Price is Right specials. It seems like we have been hearing of his departure from television for some time now.

I think this is probably a prime example of someone hanging around longer than he really should have been on television. I watched part of his prime time special and the trips down "memory lane" with old photographs and video clips made me wonder if we were not currently watching a game show version of a "Weekend at Bernie's". I was looking for the hidden fish lines and wires manipulating Bob's arms and legs.

Another highlight last week was an interview with Bob where he was asked who should his replacement be? (Which is another question in itself - do we really need 3 or 30 more years of the TPIR?) His answer was - "I think it should be a man." Ok.....let's take a breath for a moment. I think this may be his opinion that it should not be the rumored Rosie O'Donnell. Lawsuits of the past indicate that Bob has had some issues with working with women and being an utmost professional so this insinuation does not surprise me. While I think a comedian should take over for Bob........Rosie isn't it.

I say.....let's allow TPIR to end its long career with Bob's departure. He did a great job with it for over 30 years and no one would ever be able to fill that role satisfactorily for the hundreds of aging Americans who have the time to watch the mid-day game show.

Last one out..............please turn off the blinking lights.

Well, well, well.....

Hasn't this been an interesting day?

The reigning king of the conservative right has passed away. Who would have thought that at such a key political time in our country that Jerry Falwell would no longer be here to mimic, refute, criticize and demean the rights of all Americans? As a lesbian, I must say that I was relieved to know that I would not have to hear any more of his religious rantings. We no longer have to listen and watch him intimidate our politicians in bending toward his agenda.

And let's talk about the religious agenda. It's huge and hell bent in sending only faith-inspired, right-wing evangelists to Washington. In fact, it is so prevalent in our culture that they should be considered a lobbying group. We have allowed them to have a tax exempt status AND influence our leaders. Wow.....aren't we a generous bunch?

We have allowed a unified group of individuals force feed their agenda to us for the last 20 years without paying a dime to do so. So powerful was Jerry that people actually believed it when he said that 9/11 was caused by our own immoral values - pertaining to abortion, feminists and gay rights. If his death recalls anything, let us not forget that he is the founding father of the anti-gay industry in America.

I have often heard that too much of anything can be a bad thing. Jerry Falwell's legacy is certainly proof of that.

Gay role models

Do we really need them? Celebrity or otherwise......what's the point? Obviously there are "figureheads" in society - gay or straight - who could be selected as good, solid, golden rule, lip smackin models of society but do we as a community feel we need gay role models to survive? I am not so sure.

Look at the choices these days........Rosie......Ellen.......ummmm ummmm.....Melissa.....ummmmmm.....I'm fading fast here. Should we look up to these folks because of their privilege lives or do they really provide a solid foundation that we can say......Yes....this person has really done great things I want to emulate him/her. I think they bring attention to important causes and I acknowledge their bravery in certain situations but really.....is it any more than us normal folks go through?

I find Rosie's obnoxious monologue and belligerence humorous from time to time. I find Ellen's suave and clever sidewiding ways fascinating. And Melissa's strength during her recovery from cancer......endearing. However, I find the same characteristics in my friends every day yet I wouldn't necessarily find them nor they would find me......to be a role model. Ha! They know me too well.

And maybe that is the point. We see "snapshots" of the gay/lesbian celebrities and yet they are catapulted in representing every single gay and lesbian in America. Yikes! I don't want Rosie representing all of gay America! She is funny but please.....she is not the be-all and end-all.

Yet this is what happens. Gay Americans are tainted by the obnoxious behavior of those on television. Wow.....where are the positive reinforcements that overshadow the obnoxious and crude? We simply do not see enough of those folks.

Here's a thought...........what if someone over the top......charismatic, charming, influential, powerful and educated came out tomorrow? How would that influence the image of gay America?

What if it was Oprah?

My escape.......

begins in approximately 18 days.

Of course, I am speaking of my vacation out of the midwest. At the end of the month, TC and I are traveling as far Northeast as we can possibly go.........Maine! New England has been a peaceful escape for me for over eight years. The moment I set foot on the plane I can feel the sense of calm rush over me. By the time I get to Logan......I am asleep. Ha! Not a chance!

This is our first major trip together.....TC and I. Of course, TC has some trepidations about the trip. She expects one of us to strangle the other at some point in our travels and she is a little scared about my defensive driving skills on the Boston highways. To that I say......pfffft.......sit back, adjust your blindfold and secure your seat belt. Boston drivers can be a little nutty and reckless from time to time so I will fit right in with the crowd.

Seriously though, we have a few items on our agenda that are already inked into our schedule - day trips to Boston/Newburyport/Rockport and a nice three day visit to Bar Harbor. Other than that.....the plan is to mindlessly travel the highways and state routes through Maine and breathe in as much sea air as our lungs can hold.

Just the thought of being hundreds of miles away from my job will be extremely rewarding and rejuvenating for me. It's nice to step back and smell the chowdah......ok....drown in the chowdah......every once in a while. It will send me back to work with a refreshed perspective......a little more energy and a lot more attitude.

If you need to relax just a bit.........here's a lovely little spot in Ogunquit. http://www.barnbilly.com/webcam.htm

Ciao!

School snacks

We have all heard about the latest craze sweeping the country......the removal of "unhealthy"snack foods from our nation's schools. I was watching Katie Couric this evening and the story was reported again......baked snacks in and fried snacks are out. Eeeek!

The biggest concern is the fact that there are a lot of obese school children roaming the byways and highways of America. So in order to correct this, they are removing Doritos and Pepsi from the vending machines because this seems to be the primary problem. I don't agree.

The children who have access to the vending machines at school are the same children who eat at McDonald's and Burger King regularly. You may be able to remove the snack items from their reach while they are at school for seven hours but you cannot correct their eating habits outside of school. This is where the problem really lies.

Until the FDA declares Marshall Law on all fast food chains, Lunchables and Dairy Queen, the problem is going to still exist. I guess it makes the school officials feel less guilty about the situation. They can say they are doing all they can to promote a healthy lifestyle.

I was chubby child. I am a chubby adult. We had vending machines at my school. You name it we had it. Do I think that was the source of my overindulgence? No. In fact, I rarely bought anything from the vending machines. It was the meals outside of school that assisted with my fascination with food. Good meals at home with "seconds" and feeding from the fast food frenzy with my aunt on the weekend fulfilled every food craving I had in my early teens. At that time, twenty five years ago, there was little concern about the obesity rate in children.

End result.........today's healthy eating habits must begin at home with the parents. Isn't that where everything should start? Do we have to rely again on schools to assist with the role of parenting? Let's try concentrating on keeping kids in school instead of giving them yet another reason to leave.

Baked Doritos? It's just not right.............

The Glass Closet

Speculation has occurred for years regarding celebrities who are gay. Most of us in GLBTland already have an idea of who is and who isn't. Of course, we are building our lists based on rumors we have heard in the media and putting 2 and 2 together. The person is single, attractive, has adopted children and/or is never repeatedly seen in public with the same person of the opposite sex.

Glass Closet: a contraption that allows public figures to avoid the career repercussions of any personal disclosure while living their lives with a certain degree of integrity.

So what of the "glass closet"? I guess I see it from two angles. The celeb has just as much right as I do to live my life and excel at my career without being judged about my sexuality. I can understand that thought process since I do not make any attempts to "out" myself at my workplace. Just not necessary in my opinion. It does not place any limitations on performing my normal daily routine.

However, there is another side to me that says........that's all well and good but I am not in the business of being a figurehead in society. I have a cube in corporate America. Celebrities (and I am wrapping up all types of celebrity - not just show business) have a public persona. Some are considered role models and while in some cases I haven't quite figured out why, it is what it is.

So, as role models or public faces of society, do they not own the responsibility of being honest and forthright? Does it not benefit all in our community to have this type of support from those who live the life of celebrity?

It seems to me that celebrities have the unique ability to "turn on" their support for special causes or efforts as the mood strikes them. However, the same celebrities lending their faces/voices to other causes (anti-war, global warming, etc) fail to unlatch the door to the glass closet because that is just too much of a risk to their careers. It appears that it may be truly about the dollar and not truly about making the world a better place to live for all mankind.

It is better to continue to lend support for the "high road causes" than to take the risk of losing the next movie deal, political campaign or news anchor position. They fear being known only for their sexuality and not their body of work.

So the next time you watch one of the awards or nightly news programs, look closely and you will see that nicely secured latch on the glass box that surrounds these individuals. By their silence, they are telling us that with "privilege" comes security and the avoidance of the real life struggles that all openly gay and lesbians have to endure every day.

Isn't it obvious anymore?

This is the question I have to ask myself after spending the last three days watching the latest tragedy unfold at Virgina Tech. We have all witnessed the same thing. Seemingly intelligent people.......professors and health professionals......all missed this one again.

We are continuing to hear how troubled and disturbed this man was on campus. His professors gauged something wasn't quite right.....yet they went no further than to throw him out of a couple of classes. Nikki Giovanni was one of those professors. I had the opportunity to have Ms. Giovanni for one semester at college - for Creative Writing. Very similar to what she is teaching at VT. This lady is no fool. She is a solid read of character. However, this guy didn't freak her out enough for her to react.

It appears that we are constantly being taught lessons from each of these tragedies. Yet somehow, we always have to cut people a break and not assume the worst. People fear the repercussions of jumping to a conclusion without having clear factual evidence. Unfortunately, that evidence always comes too late and at the cost of other people's lives.

We can talk all day about hindsight, but the fact is there were a lot more warning signs this time around and everyone chose to ignore them by taking the less painful options. What we are left with now is everyone's psychological analysis and unadulterated opinions of what happened and how we could be so blind.

In the future, I think we need to worry less about hurting people's feelings and keep the interest of the "whole" in perspective. Thirty-two lives were lost this week because of one individual's feelings and well-being. In reality......more concern about this gentlemen's "well-being" might have made this week a very different week for everyone concerned.

My head is going to explode

Sounds like an allergy problem doesn't it? I would love for it simply to be an allergy issue. However, it is my job that is keeping my brain consumed five days a week.

Have you ever had such a long busy day at work that your brain seemed completely full? As if you could not compute or breakdown one more issue or tend to one more task. I think the word I am looking for is saturation. The brain is saturated.

I think I now fully realize why my aunt is as forgetful as she is these days. Granted.....she was losing her memory 12 years ago......at that time I thought it was peculiar but I was not particularly overwhelmed by it. I think I can now understand it. My memory these days has not been as sharp as I believe it should be for someone who is 41 years old. I have noticed a decrease in it in the last four years or so. Now....before there is complete utter concern........I am not forgetting my way home or missing meals. Clearly......missing meals is not happening!

I think in my own zealous drive to perform and continue to feed my sense of self accomplishment at work.....I have worked my brain to a state that demands a breather. Do I think that it has something to do with turning 40? Maybe......but I wouldn't hang my hat on it. I think it has to do with the level of competitiveness I have with my own spirit and the fact that I insist on completing tasks on time and worrying about what happens if I can't perform as expected.

I am a ESTJ in Myers/Briggs......"Life's Administrator" is the mantra for people of this personality type. I often wonder if I will have enough "administrator" left after life in Corporate America to make it through the rest of my life.

Maybe it is just part of the maturity process that causes us to pause and take a look around. I think I need more pauses.....more breathers. Less consumption about how I can continue to maintain my above average performance reviews and more time to concentrate on my well being.

Am I ready to quit? Heck no, but I certainly don't want to spend the last 2o years of my life having someone else cut up my food for me because I can't remember the difference between a knife and a fork. Eeeeeek!

Meanwhile.........I wait for my long overdue two week vacation at the end of May. A nice week in New England where I can concentrate on being a tourist and enjoy the company of good friends and TC.

Life does not get any better than that.............

Baby update

Ok.....as I type this........it is my fondest hope that my friend has had her baby! The reason that I say that is they induced her early yesterday morning! Amazingly enough.......after nearly 30 hours later......she was still able to text message. Yeah....I know.......I would think I would be a bit busy with other things too but hey.....I am not going to complain. I am getting the information first hand!

So at 4:20ish or so this afternoon.....she was 8 centimeters. Given my limited knowledge of birthing children (zero and counting), I do work with a lot of seasoned veterans who were able to tell me that she was "going to blow" at 10 centimeters. At this point in time.......I am very hopeful that she and the baby are resting quietly. After a long day like today........no doubt both deserve it.

I am truly overjoyed for her. For as long as I have known her, one of her primary objectives in life has been to have children. Today, she has Alex - her main man.

I have to pause a moment to be a bit philisophical on how her life is going to change once Alex is handed to her. I mean........her perspective may be different. Tomorrow she may not look at things the same way again because of Alex. Life changing events have a way of doing that to us. The sky will be just a little bluer tomorrow because of her new found joy. And........she has the rest of the summer off so who can complain about that?

I am hopeful that TC and I will have our chance to babysit. No....I haven't been drinking. I did really say it. I am just hoping that he doesn't pick up any habits that I can't explain away easily. Obviously........a very clean vocabulary and no glasses of chardonnay will be in order for his first adventure with me. While I am excited for the opportunity, I fully expect though that this little boy will not be far from his mother for at least three to six months.

To be continued..............

SNL & Peyton Manning

In case you missed Peyton Manning's debut on Saturday Night Live..........here's the United Way spoof!

Wayyyyy funny even if you aren't a football fan!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=84993

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!