Random Thoughts

• Wow.....Barry Manilow speaking his mind and being kicked off "The View"! Seems he didn't want to sit with or next to Miss Elizabeth. According to Whoopie Goldberg, you don't want to sit with one of them then you don't want to sit with any of them. So he got the big axe. Never been a fan of Elizabeth Hasslebeck myself.........http://www.abc.go.com/daytime/theview/index
• I have resumed my South Beach diet routine in the last two weeks. Not that I deviated too much over the summer but I was not faithful by any means. I am back to the gym three days a week and trying to escape my cube at lunchtime to walk. This sounds impressive doesn't it? Just want to drop about thirty pounds and I will be content. The South Beach diet is a revised version of the Atkin's diet. This one concentrates on good carbs while eliminating the bad carbs. In other words......throw all of the cookies and bagels away and eat all the vegetables and meat you can hold. Yeeeehaaaa! :\
• I hear "If I Did It" is already in its second printing.
• The latest episode of "Survivor" begins tonight. www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor15 This season takes the show to China. I have to say I am losing my enthusiasm for Survivor. I think if they took a full year off and came back that would be just enough time away for me to want it to come back. I would like to see them survive in the frozen tundra.....just once. Now that would be a twist! All of the tropical locations are beginning to look the same......
• Looks like the Ladies World Cup Soccer team has a tough opponent on Saturday when they take on England. This will be very tough because those folks are given the ball at birth! Go get 'em ladies!
• And finally, this weekend we are going to do a little housekeeping on the blog. Its good to update things every now and again. Lyn has a few ideas that she would like to explore so you never know what might appear on Sunday!!!

REALity TV

Big Brother is finally over. I'm either aging out of my reality TV obsession or am just generally more easily troubled by some of these losers. So I'll ask a question -- why don't we ever see stereotypical middle-age or approaching that lesbians on these shows?

Wouldn't it be at least mildly amusing to throw a soft butch, ballcap-wearing dyke from the Midwest into the mix? Or even someone who makes us suspect they just might be that person. Not a femmed-out 20 something...

I don't know, the ad for the new Jodie Foster movie comes to mind. Sure, she plays a revenge-seeking bad grrl, but the image has certainly brightened up my Yahoo portal homepage the last couple of days. C'mon, be honest, I'm not the only one. (I may, however, have been the only one to spend a lunch hour reading the NYT in-depth analysis of why such roles work for Jodie). But I digress.

Adding an honest-to-goddess lesbian or two would vastly improve the competitions. And the potential for self-actualization, group process and drama of a whole new sort. And I think it has to be Big Brother. Not Survivor -- that's way too easy (and has been done. and done. and done.)

How about designing a season around a lesbian softball (volleyball, soccer, etc.) team? Even the average lesbian potluck gathering has been known to provide a season's worth of drama.

Hmmm. Nominees? Volunteers?

"The Killer"

I have resisted the urge many times to post a blog about "the killer" of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown-Simpson. Personally, I don't want to give the man any more media time than he deserves. Not that my little humble blog is going to matter but it is simply the principle of the thing. He does not deserve the publicity. So in order to blog about his recent stupidity, I will simply use the name that everyone knows him by......The Killer.

Apparently, "The Killer" decided to shake a few folks up in Vegas this past weekend by stealing "stuff" that rightfully belonged to him. Oh yeah....and he took a couple of thugs with him who brandished a weapon or two AND THEN he went on CNN and told his side of the story. Ooops!

Yeah.....well now he has been arrested for several counts of armed robbery and burglary all of which could account for him spending some time in jail...........if he is found guilty.

This just ends a tumultuous week for all of us who have had to walk down memory lane with the Goldmans and the Browns regarding the infamous book - If I Did It. If you have been living under a rock lately, the Goldmans won the publishing rights to the book so they can now do whatever they please with it. They have decided to publish the book with an "Afterward" about the trial. They seem to be perfectly fine with it. I think it is in poor taste and a disgrace to both victims. More publicity for "The Killer".

I don't disagree with the Goldmans effort in gaining the publishing rights, but I do disagree with publishing the book. It smells bad......really bad........and I think the Goldmans are looking at this a bit one-sided. Personally, I would have like to see them win the publishing rights and then have a televised manuscript burning......maybe on Larry King. If they want to get a last laugh on "The Killer", I don't think this is going to bring them a laugh or any peace. In fact, on Oprah last week, they acknowledged that it won't bring them any peace or money. (apparently they are only receiving 17 cents per book) Yeah....ok......so what is gained?

Look folks, there are children involved here and this book (according to the Oprah show) is not kind in its description of the killings or his description of his wife - Nicole Brown-Simpson. In fact, it is said that he paints a very derogatory picture of her. If there are lessons to be learned here, then why aren't efforts directed toward aiding the thousands of women who are battered every day by their lunatic spouses? I have yet to hear the Goldmans say that their 17 cents per book is going to go to a worthwhile cause. Let us not forget......"The Killer's" primary target that night was his ex-wife.

While I could go on and on about this, this will be my only blog on this topic because too much publicity, time and energy is given to this guy. We are 13 years removed from this tragedy and it continues to haunt everyone because we allow it to go on mercilessly. We all continue to tune in and watch the train wreck over and over again.

Commitment ceremonies

Otherwise known as marriage ceremonies, civil union ceremonies or life partnership ceremonies.......

For those of us who are gay and not living in a state where it is a legal and binding statute, it is a symbolic union of two souls. My question is...........if it doesn't carry any legal weight, why do it?

Many of you know couples who have been partners for over a dozen of years who have not taken the step of having a commitment ceremony in front of all of their friends and family members. I believe that one of the reasons that long term partners do not have commitment ceremonies is because their security with themselves and each other is well grounded. They have nothing to prove to anyone about their commitment to each other. The friends who surround couples such as these are well aware of their commitment and admire them for having the longevity and permanence that most gay and lesbian couples crave.

So then what is it about having a ceremony? Is it simply a "show and tell" event? Is it a way for one or both people in the relationship to overcome a insecurity? ("See I am lovable and we are together")

Now if you are going to say, a ceremony like this is a way for everyone to share in the joy of the couples new union together......I don't know if I buy that. As I said earlier, I know of a few long term couples and I have great admiration for their commitments to each other. It didn't take a ceremony for me to share their joy or clearly understand their commitment.

I think those who jump into commitment ceremonies in Year One or Two of their relationship are probably overcoming some kind of insecurity. Some kind of inner need to show everyone that they are committed instead of just letting things grow freely and naturally. Those that have commitment ceremonies early don't always have the relationship longevity that they hoped for in the beginning.

I have been in a relationship for two years and I am no less committed to her than I would be if we jumped in with a ceremony. I believe that the longevity of your relationship is a silent statement all to itself. What more is there to say?

So what say YOU? Have you been through a ceremony or contemplating a ceremony? What is your viewpoint on it? There are no right or wrong answers here...........only opinions.

Coach Beli-cheat

As some of you may know, it was reported this week that the Patriots used a video camera to tape the defensive plays of the Jets this past Sunday. Of course, the Patsies beat the Jets soundly 38-14.

NFL Commissioner Goodell is now investigating since it is a league rule that teams cannot use video equipment to tape the other team. Oddly enough.....as soon as Coach Belichick found out that his team was being investigated he issued an apology for the "commotion" that his team has caused surrounding the spying incident. Apparently, he has his own "interpretation" of league rules. Yeah.......whatever.

So my question is - is Belichick really a great coach because he is a mastermind of the game or is he simply great because he has to cheat to win? Talk about a no confidence vote on the abilities of your own team! YIKES!

One final word on this...........Come on down to Cincinnati boys and leave your video cameras behind. I would rather have you beat the Bengals honestly than to cheat to get the quick win!

TA TA!

^&*%$#@*&? Let's try...

... yet another course of physical therapy.

Thanks doc. But when will it stop hurting????

Like many of us 'of a certain age' I have a bad knee.

When I finally went back to the ortho a year and half or so after my last round of PT I thought for sure there'd be a magic pill/shot/outpatient surgery solution looming. Nada. Back to PT for another month to strengthen some muscle group I can't pronounce. Then we'll do another MRI and take it from there.

My slightly to considerably more athletic friends are laughing at my wincing and moaning, I'm sure. They wear their hard-earned knee/wrist scars with pride, sharing memories of the popping sound when they slid into second at every opportunity. This isn't an injury I've earned -- in fact, it's probably just wear and tear. Somewhat surprising since I didn't spend my youth and then some running up and down a court or sliding into bases. I did fall/jump/get tossed off of a good number of horses. And I've tripped and slipped on ice, sidewalk cracks and perfectly dry floors on and off for years. But that should add up a bad back, not chronic knee pain.

It's de-motivating. Why keep my self-imposed commitment to exercise more regularly when I know I'm going to spend the next day with an ice pack, popping OTC pain relievers and dreading the next trip down the stairs to take the dog outside.

What's really bugging me is the suspicion that the doc would be much more concerned about mending the 'slightly' torn meni-something and getting rid of the junk floating around in there if I was a serious athlete. Or even a not-so-serious MAN who spent his Saturdays on the golf course.

112 Days, 43 hours...........

..........until Christmas.

Yes yes I know. Summer is still hanging around and I am already bringing up that dreaded word.......Christmas!

Lyn and I had dinner last night with some friends and the topic of Christmas came up. You see...my friend has an enormous pine tree in the front of her new home and we all decided that it should be decorated in grand fashion for Christmas. My friend shares my enthusiasm for the holiday so I knew that the tree decorating idea would go over huge. Of course, what lesbian would not revel at the idea of climbing into a cherry picker to string lights?

Lyn calls me "Mother Christmas". She does not share my enthusiasm for all of the preparation leading up to the big day. Just to make this clear......I do not start decorating the day after Halloween like some folks. No no......that is a bit tooooo early. I am the "day after Thanksgiving" type of gal and that is still too early for some of my friends.

So as we all head back to work tomorrow......filled with joy that summer is practically over........there is light on the horizon. There will be joy in Whoville in less than 113 days..........

TA TA!

Idaho

I have to tell ya......this week has been enlightening. Don't get me wrong. I am fully aware of the whole gay men cruising thing, but the idea of picking up someone in a restroom had not really crossed my mine. Leave it to a man......straight or gay......to figure a restroom to be a fabulous hookup hotspot.

I can't say that any self-respecting lesbian I know would do it. And if they did, their technique would probably be more clever than tapping your heels together as you sit on the throne. Eeek....now I am picturing something out of the Wizard of Oz!

It is fitting that the Senator is from I-da-ho. He certainly has gained the reputation of being with other people other than his wife. While I don't feel sorry for him, I do feel sad for her. Sad not sorry. She obviously knows or suspects that he has a problem and she turns the other head. It is sad that she continues to stand by him even after he failed to share this arrest with her when it originally happened. Who does that to a partner?

But yes I know.....I really don't want to cast a guilty eye on the Senator because that wouldn't be fair. Oh wait......he pleaded guilty, didn't he? Yeah....that is interesting too. A well-educated man....schooled in law.........pleading guilty to something he wasn't guilty of just so it would go away. Interesting tactic considering he is a high profile person who is already being creamed by his local paper, the "I-da-ho Statesman".

This is all making sense now..................

Mid-Life Crisis...continued...

Apparently no one is going to solve my 'mid-life crisis' for me. Though thanks to those of you who commiserated or chimed in with your own suggestions for improving my work-a-day outlook.

• I didn't win the powerball Saturday.


• The dog, though cute as can be in a snazzy-if-late-in-the-season haircut, hasn't auditioned lately.


• And of course, two days after I give in and post an updated resume on Monster, there's some sort of hacking going on and my plea to prospective employers is possibly being used to generate even more spam in my e-mail.

I have been giving this whole career-switch thing some serious thought. I considered several options while strolling around the season's first Oktoberfest yesterday. Yes, I said first. One beer-fueled excuse to wear silly hats, leather shorts and funny hats isn't enough in Zinzinnati. Perhaps the least expensive potential new career, start-up cost wise, came to my mind as we drank warm beer and waited for the tug-o-war between the German societies and the Ancient Order of Hibernians (GO IRISH) to begin.

One of the gaming booths at this and many other local festivals features The Rat Game -- I'm sure it has a more formal name. But the gist of it is you put a quarter on the color/number square you think the rat will run toward when released and if he/she goes down the hole on your square, you win.

Do you have any idea how many quarters beer-fueled festival goers will bet on a rat? Multiply that by three days, then by the number of potential bookings each summer/fall, subtract minimal marketing & equipment costs (Rat Game Here signs, maybe a catchy t-shirt or so for the rat handler to wear). And feeding a rat, of course, is even less expensive...

Or maybe I target a different market segment. A guinea pig instead of a rat, church festivals and pta fairs, maybe even take the game indoor since guineas are a bit more sanitary than a rat. They're also cuter and come in more varieties.

Hmmm...

Football 2007

Ahhhhh here we are again......football season! For those of us who love this time of year it has been a long time coming.

However, I have to count on the Bengals performing well to truly enjoy the season. We have very fair weather fans here in Cincinnati and I guess we have every reason to be skeptical. After enduring the debaucal of the 1990 seasons we are running short in the faith department. We have gotten close to post season activity but have fallen short in the last two seasons due to miserable performances or intentional injury to our players.

So here we are.....yet again. The schedule is not incredibly tough. I see a few games that will definitely speak to the talent on this team. Are we in this to win or are we just a perceived threat with nothing to back it up with?

Of course.....there is one game on this schedule that is the most important to me and that is the Monday Night Football matchup with the Patriots on 10/1. This game is happening waaaayyyy too early in the season for my liking. I only have three games to make a legitimate decision on whether or not I intend to make a bet with my friends in Boston. Placing bets with my friends has only been favorable for them.........and miserable for me. So being prudent is advantageous.

For those of you who are football widows, don't lose heart. If the team really stinks you will have your partner's full attention by Christmas............just in the nick of time.

TA TA!

To hyphenate or not to hyphenate?

That is the question my dear lesbians..............

This is a popular concept with straight married women as a means to maintain some glimmer of their identity after they are married. The whole name changing concept comes from scripture which said that when a man and woman marry - they become one. I like to think of it as being a part of that subordination stuff that a woman must have for her husband.

So in your relationship...........would you hypenate your name? Would you take the last name of your partner? And what do you think that means when lesbians hyphenate? Or do you think some women us it as a "public display of affection"?

Barack Obama

What would life be without one more blog about the presidential candidates?

I watched the debates on Logo the other night. I must say that after this debate I am beginning to doubt whether Barack has it in him to be our President. He has hopes, dreams and aspirations. I am easily charmed by his vision for a better and brighter tomorrow. Who doesn't want all that?

However, we have to acknowledge that he is not going to get his way on every issue. The next President of the United States is going to be closely watched in regards to how he/she uses his powers. Of course, we have "Dubya" and Dick to thank for that extra scrutiny. So I have to be a bit skeptical about some of the ideas that Barack has recently proposed.

I don't want to say that he views the world through rose colored glasses but he certainly has such a fresh approach that perhaps his naivity is showing. Maybe a little more experience in Senate is necessary in his case.

I don't want a politician to lead me down the garden path of goodness and light. I want them to be honest and straightforward. Don't pull any punches. We all know being President is not an easy job. You have high hopes going in but you cannot be fooled into thinking that every initiative that you want to pass is going to fly through the House and the Senate unchallenged.

I think that with each debate we clearly see how much more educated and realistic the other candidates are in comparsion to Barack Obama. I have to give him a A+ for his enthusiasm and optimism but I just don't think that is enough to carry him through trying times as President.

I want to know that we have a strong person leading our country instead of a puppet with a strong VP pulling the strings. We have already endured seven years of that scenario.

542 more days to go!

Mid-life Crisis?

Oh yeah. I already had one of those. Maybe even a couple. (No snarky comments from those unfortunate enough to have crossed paths with me during one or more of those, thanks!)

So maybe what I'm really having this week (this month?) is a symptom of the ridiculous heat that's oppressing a better mood from evolving. Or maybe it's my most recent failure to 'forward this e-mail to your 10 closest friends and enjoy days of happiness beyond your wildest dreams'.

Then again, maybe it's my job. My increasingly overwhelming-workload-out-of-control-ideas-with-no-strategic-purpose-or-resources-8-to-whenever-I-log-off-at-night job. Do I need a change? If I told you how long I'd been there, you'd laugh and say OF COURSE you need a change. But as I've often joked, I'm still not sure I know what I want to do with my life.

And I don't think that's so uncommon for 40-somethings these days. Most of my close workplace-based friends (okay, sue me for segmenting) are a few years younger than me. They're just approaching mid-career. I think I missed it all together. Now I actually find myself thinking that lay off I endured in my 20s was seriously wasted on me at that point in my life. I traded one job for another so quickly I didn't even know I'd lost a job, really. And now I'm old enough and enough of a worrier (thanks mom) that I'm even afraid to contemplate change. That's even funnier when you know I have a reputation on the job for 'embracing and leading change' -- a direct quote from my last appraisal, no less. But I'm solo breadwinner unless the dog gets a big movie break or Rita finally convinces me that buying lottery tix is a viable option.

How does one find the next 'thing' they're passionate enough about to endure, oops, I mean pursue avidly for 10 hours a day? I'm pretty sure the answer isn't found at monster.com. But of course, I'm actually to afraid to go there...

What a week!

Wow, where do I begin? So much to talk about and it is only Tuesday!

Let's start with the debate! I think the YouTube thing was a fabulous idea. They succeeded in bringing a national town hall meeting to a room in South Carolina. I am sure that CNN was flooded with questions and I am not jealous of the person who had to wade through hours of 30 second videos to choose the most pragmatic of the bunch. As a technology freak, I can totally rally behind using today's technology to inspire more Americans to be more involved in the election process. Hillary looked great, Obama showed his growing pains.........and who was that old guy on the end? Gravel something? Honestly.....they could have clipped two people from each side of the stage and we really would have had a more lively debate with more YouTube questions!

Drew Carey......come on down?!! Whoa......totally surprised me on that one but I guess a comedian is the best person to fill Bob's shoes. I am sure that CBS was particularly antsy to fill its daytime slot with something other than Bob's reruns. I just don't know if Drew is the kind of guy you fall all over. Maybe the old ladies will rush the stage to kiss Drew but I kinda doubt that he will get the same reception from the younger crowd. But then again.....ya never know. This was probably the best choice to fill a difficult position.

Calling all cars....Calling all cars......Lindsey Lohan is on the loose again! I honestly thought that this merry-go-round had stopped once she disappeared into rehab. She never fails to disappoint. She has been arrested again for drunk driving and it looks like she had a little cocaine with her this time. I really do feel sorry for her because she obviously has no one close that has half a mind to bring this train wreck to a screeching halt. It simply keeps getting worse and worse. Paris darling.........ring up Lindsey and fill her in on the latest prison fashion!

Barry Bonds. Ok.......we know he is going to break this record. Do I care? No....I don't. The main reason and the only reason is because he is tainted. No matter if he admits it or not......the record means nothing to most Americans outside of San Francisco. This is a guy who could be swimming in endorsements but corporate America won't even touch him because of the steroid allegations. Throw in his award winning personality and why would you want to celebrate this accomplishment? It's a tough day in baseball but it will survive just as it has survived all of the other mishaps along the way. We in Cincinnati have one of our own - Pete Rose.

And on a happier note...........the NFL began training camps this week! YAY!

Muggles All A Twitter

I cheated. I read the spoilers. I know who lives, who dies in the latest Harry Potter tome. And I'll probably still read it.

When I was a kid, reading a book -- any book -- was my preferred way to spend a morning, noon or night. I'm convinced that reading Little Women at least twice a year between the ages of 9 and 15 should get me some sort of record. I even recall being disappointed when Little House on the Prairie appeared on television, and the rolling hills and trees looked suspiciously more like California than the vast stretches of prairie described in the books I'd read. Not just the one book, but the entire series, and most of the books more than once.

What those books, and the dozens if not hundreds of others I devoured, did for me a therapist would likely have a field day decoding. For a start, they expanded my horizons beyond small-town Mid-West reality. They taught me to ask questions. They taught me to use my imagination.

When I discovered Harry and his pals five or six years ago I was hooked. J.K. Rowling's oh-so-richly created wizarding world jump started my imagination -- who doesn't need that from time to time? I think I read the first two or three books in about a week during a particularly trying summer.

I chuckle first, then get downright annoyed when I hear Rowling's critics claim the books lead young readers to the occult, or trivialize the battle between good and evil. So some kids are wearing capes and waiting for owls to deliver mail; at least they're reading. And asking questions. And imagining.

Equal partnership

Let's pretend for just a moment that the gay & lesbian marriage and/or civil unions already exist in every state. We no longer have to worry about having equal treatment in our long term relationships. We all share the full legal privileges under the law just as any other heterosexual couple.

What would be the next issue that compels you to vote? What choices would you make in a candidate and what would they need to represent for you to vote for them? Would you vote Republican? Or does the Democratic party continue to uphold the ideals that you hold dear?

For many of us who live in U.S. states that continue to resist granting civil unions or domestic partnership benefits, it is the main issue that compels us to go to the polls. It is interesting to engage in conversation with folks who live in states where such benefits already exist. Some continue to vote Democratic and yet some are swayed by a more conservative standpoint.

I guess there should be some amount of apprehension when you live in a state where by law you are protected. As we have seen in some states, equality can come and go in an instant. Your vote four years ago can have quite a different outcome at the next election. Nothing is guaranteed.

So......here we are.....living in the perfect world........what is the next issue that compels you to vote?

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!