JLo aka Jennifer Lopez Leaving American Idol?



Word is out that Jennifer Lopez may want to leave American Idol after only one year in the judge’s seat. Makes me wonder why? Some rumors are circulating that it is just a ruse so that they will offer her more money, like she needs more money? Others speculate that she thought she was going to be the “star” judge now that Simon was gone, but it turns out that Steven Tyler stole the “star” spot with fans of the show. Tyler has already resigned for season 11.

Jennifer earned about 12 million for her one year with Idol, while Simon was earning 35 million a season when he left.

I agree with the third round of rumors. Jennifer’s career had hit a slump. She had been pretty much out of the public eye for a while, maybe taking care of her twins. I think she signed on to American Idol to boost her career and make a mini “comeback.” Her performance of “On The Floor” on Idol helped to make her song a hit, the first she has had in a long time. But, suddenly, Jennifer has a lot of things “happening” and she may not have time for Idol any more. She basically used the show for her own purposes and now wants to move on.

I’m not sure if I blame her or not. I am a little irritated because I liked her as a judge. I think she was sensitive to the contestants, but delivered constructive criticism when they needed to hear it. If she was just using the show to help her career get back on track, only she knows. And, this comes after Ellen resigned after being a judge for one year too.

However, all hope is not lost. Idol has two other very interested women in mind for the opening in the judges table should Jennifer walk out…Shania and Shakira! I would not mind seeing either of these women as judges, however I am partial to Shania, always have been a fan of hers.

It’s amazing the show has lasted all these years. Many people are getting tired of it and it’s lost it’s magic, but not me. I love seeing talented new singers striving for their dream to break into the music business and getting that opportunity through the show. Many talented and gifted artists may have never been discovered if not for American idol. A lot of the finalists and winners have gone on to not only great careers, but they have also given back to their communities and other charitable and worthy causes. They are good people. I would miss the show if it were to end because many good things have come out of it.

So, do we say good-bye to Jlo? I hope not, but time will tell.

Cindy Anthony, Casey’s Mother, Lying Too!

Cindy vs Lee

I can only stand to watch bits and pieces of this trial because it makes me sick. I look at little Caylee’s picture and she looks so much like her lying grandmother. By the way, does anyone know how Casey picked the name Caylee? It looks like a combo of her and her brother’s names: Cay (Casey) and lee (for Lee). Anyway, I have managed to catch some of Cindy’s testimony and she makes me sick.

First she began her web of lies by saying she was the one who searched for “chloroform.” Who does random searches for chloroform? Who in the world is going to believe this “bombshell?” The prosecutor counters that her work records show she was at work when the searches were done. Cinday answers that she had flexible work hours! “But when the prosecutor asks whether Cindy was at home on March 17, 2008 between 1:43 and 1:55 p.m. instead of replying with a clear” "Yes" or "No", Cindy said "If those computer entries were made, then I was home." Another lie is that she said she was actually looking for “Chlorophyll” because she was worried about her dogs, but the searches took her to chloroform. “Cindy said that she searched for acetone, rubbing alcohol, alcohol, inhalation, peroxide, and hydrogen peroxide because she wanted to know more about these substances. She said she was concerned about Caylee's safety because these substances could cause potential harm to the child.” If I was a juror I would start to suspect Cindy as being involved somehow. The study of the computer’s hard drive also shows that searches were deleted. If they were done with good intentions, they would not have been removed. Cindy could not explain how the words “how to make Chloroform” were detected on the computer.

The fact that she is obviously lying shows she has something to hide or is covering for Casey. It’s appalling and she should be charged with perjury if there is anyway they can prove those searches were not performed by her.

Now, she is being contradicted by her own son’s testimony! Lee testified that his mother sent her own investigator, Dominic Casey, to search the woods in October, 2008. Lee said it made him angry because up until that moment, the whole family still believe that Caylee was alive. “When Lee Anthony got on the stand, he testified that he and his mother fought over her sending out the private investigator to the woods.” Cindy testified she never sent anyone to investigate. However, the lead detective in the case, Yuri Melich, testified that she told him she did send a private investigator out to do a search. Surely the testimony of Lee and Melich will discredit everything that Cindy has said on the stand, including her testimony about the pool ladder, which she now recalls was left down so that Caylee could have climbed into the pool.

“Dr. Lillian Glass, who studies deception, points out the indicators of her deception at her blog. She wrote, "Then Jose asks if they were looking for a blanket, Cindy then gives way too much information about a Winnie the Pooh blanket and 70 items. It was not called for. When people give too much information that is not requested it usually means the person has something to hide. The additional information is often given as an attempt to move the topic away from the sensitive area in an effort to change the subject at hand.”

It was also believed that “Cindy Anthony knew, once Casey was out on bond, where Caylee's remains were. This is why she told the media, after kicking out Tim Miller, "George and I don't believe Caylee's in the woods or anything."


And I have to agree with Dr. Glass, Cindy’s testimony doesn’t even have the ring of truth to it and it is being disputed by others who have no reason to lie. “Dr. Glass wrote: As Lee spoke he was forthright. It was clear Cindy lied. She is despicable. I hope Linda or Jose files charges against her for lying. She cannot get away with this.”

Maybe Casey and her mother have a lot more in common than we gave them credit for? Will there be justice for Caylee? Not even her own family thinks she is worth fighting for.



Midnight In Paris…

For our anniversary, one of the thing my husband suggested was going to see “Midnight In Paris.” He knows I love French and France, maybe that was why he thought of it. He likes Woody Allen films, maybe that’s why he picked it. I heard Woody Allen, and in a instinctive reaction I made a face, the kind of face I imagine someone who just smelled a skunk might make. I never liked Woody Allen films and I dislike Woody Allen even more. The fact that he fell in love with and married his step daughter was enough for me to write him off forever. But, sometimes you have to make compromises and concessions and I owed my husband a movie, so we went.

This is a very cute little movie to my surprise. Owen Wilson stars in it, I don’t like Owen Wilson either. His large crooked nose is very distracting for one thing. It’s so hard to picture these beautiful women falling in love with him. Then there is his accent which is hard on my ears. So between him being both a visual and auditory discomfort, it’s hard to get through a movie with him in it.

Yet despite Woody Allen and Owen Wilson, this is a charming little movie. There are lots of scenes of Paris. Owen’s character is there with his future inlaws and fiancée. He is trying to write a novel. One night his fiancée decides to go out dancing with friends and he walks back to the hotel. He gets lost and at the stroke of midnight he gets picked up by an antique car and is driven to a little bar. He realizes something is amiss when he meets Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. He meets others from the past too like Gertrude Stein, played by Kathy Bates. From that point on, he says he is taking a walk every night and goes to the place where a car invariably stops by to pick him up and takes him to meet other writers like Hemmingway. He goes back in time, but is still in Paris. I found the movie enchanting and soon it distracted me from Owen and I totally forgot Woody Allen had anything to do with it.

If you would like to see a nice little movie and love Paris, this may appeal to you. I would see it again too. I know I missed a lot of little nuances the first time around. I’ll probably forget half of it when it comes out in DVD. Anyway, my husband did good this time!



June 25th, Our 28th Anniversary!

I met my husband a little over 31 years ago. We dated for a year and a half and were engaged for a year and a half. Then we spent more than half our lives with each other. We worked together, had two beautiful girls, and got a house. We raised our daughters, the older one graduated college two years ago, the younger one has one year left. My husband is planning to take early retirement next summer…so far so good!

I think the reason why our marriage has been successful is because we took our time to get to know each other. We talked, got to know each other’s families, shared our past and formed a good, solid friendship. Friendship makes for a strong foundation. I think that’s why our relationship stood the test of time. We knew each other before we married and we were old enough and ready to settle down. We discussed the future and found we wanted the same things out of life. We trusted each other to work together to get the things we wanted. We trusted each other with our feelings and inner most thoughts. We were honest with each other. We took our marriage vows seriously and kept the commitment we made. We’ve grown together. We compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses so we are stronger as a couple.

I wanted to be as sure as I could be, before making it official, that we could do the work that marriage takes. So many couples are ready to throw in the towel when things get rough. But, we helped and supported each other through the tough times and it made those times easier to bear. And, I didn’t want my children to come from a broken home. I wanted them to have both parents and a stable, happy life. I didn’t want them growing up in a war zone either, with parents who were always arguing, because that had been my experience and I didn’t like how it made me feel. And now, I can say, that I got everything I ever wanted.

It’s been a blessing to have someone like my husband, to go through life with, knowing I can always count on him to be there. We’ve shared our best years together and there is still more to come, God willing.

Palin "Cancels" Bus Tour, Lohan Update....

Most days there is bad news after bad news being reported. It’s rare a day that goes by without something irritating or worse making headlines. But yesterday it was brought to my attention that Sarah Palin cancelled her One Nation bus tour, and for a few seconds it put a little smile on my face. Something went right!

We have to wonder why? It has been speculated that maybe she ran out of gas? “The Wheels On The Bus Don’t Go Round And Round” any more?

But then I read the whole article and she reports on her face book page that no, her tour is not cancelled. It’s just been put on hold for a while. It seems that Palin has been called back to Alaska for jury duty. Meanwhile, there is no word on when her tour will resume.

Here are her official Facebook words:

　

*Sigh* Reports of Tour Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

by Sarah Palin on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 7:14pm

Imagine our surprise when reading media reports today that the “One Nation Tour” has been cancelled. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Oh, wait, that’s because it hasn’t been cancelled. (Good ol' media... you never cease to amaze!)

As I said myself at the end of the east coast leg of the tour, the summer is long, and I’m looking forward to hitting the open road again. The coming weeks are tight because civic duty calls (like most everyone else, even former governors get called up for jury duty) and I look forward to doing my part just like every other Alaskan.

I wouldn’t think it to be such a slow news day that, what with numerous wars and serious economic woes concerning Americans, a bus is driving news stories today. The next leg of the tour continues when the time comes. In the meantime, no one should jump to conclusions – certainly not the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.

- Sarah Palin

Maybe the exhaust fumes were getting to her or maybe it was exhaustion? All I know is that the tour is on hold and I guess that will have to do for “good news.”

UPDATE on yesterday’s Lindsay Lohan peeve:

I cannot believe this! The judge slaps her on the wrist again! No more partying! You can only entertain one guest at a time! Great! I’ll bet Lindsay was shaking in her proverbial boots at that. Oh, the failed alcohol test? It was nothing. Apparently, the judged ruled that it wasn’t a violation of her probation after all. The testing requirement had ended months earlier. Really? What a shock! And all this while she is being considered for a role in the Gotti movie. A chance to resurrect her career and she is sabotaging herself left and right. But who cares? I don’t care about her career. I do care that she will soon be behind the wheel of a car with her “legal” alcohol running through her veins. I’m just glad I don’t live in LA.

Here is the whole story:
http://www.wtkr.com/entertainment/la-me-lohan-20110624,0,6170554.story



Lindsay Lohan At It Again…

It seems as though it never ends with Lindsay Lohan. A few days ago I read that, while under “house arrest” she made a very short, maybe 15 second commercial ad, for an online business. Not such big news, so I skipped over it. If you read my blogs on Lindsay, you already know I am not a fan and that I do not consider “house arrest” a punishment. She was supposed to get jail time this time around. That’s a punishment that might deter bad behavior. But sitting at her luxurious home for four months, eating bonbons, watching television and playing on the computer is not going to teach her a thing. And I was right.

Latest story on Lindsay is that she just tested positive for alcohol and has to return to court. Duh! What did the courts expect? She needed a real rehab for a long time. One she cannot check out of and go straight to a party whenever she feels like it. Well, last week she was tested twice for drugs and alcohol and tested positive for alcohol, now what?

This is apparently a violation of her probation. She is due in court this morning. She wasn’t supposed to drink alcohol while on probation because of her DUI case (of which there have been many). Meanwhile, the house arrest was for stealing a necklace. The LA Probation Dept. wants Lindsay out of house arrest and in the county jail. So do I. That is where she should have been all along. She should not be getting special privileges because she is a celebrity. She drinks, does drugs and drives. She doesn’t learn her lesson. She doesn’t stay in rehab. She can wind up killing someone or herself. And, if she does, who will be responsible? Lindsay? At this point I would look to the judges who are enabling her behavior with these slaps on the wrist, instead of what would be required of you or I with the same history. They would be just as responsible, if not more responsible, for whatever happens next.

Oh, and by the way, Lindsay has been hosting parties at her house while under “house arrest.” Yeah you read it right. Neither the Probation Dept, nor I were happy to learn about that. On June 13^th, it was reported that she threw a “Roof Party” where pictures could easily be taken by the media and tourists. A flagrant disregard for the judge’s orders that she be discreet during house arrest. Of course, the judge looks like a fool, trusting Lindsay was going to abide by any court ruling. She has proved time an time again that she has no respect for the judicial system. Beer and wine was served at the party, but Lindsay was not “seen” drinking. The party was long too, sounds like a whole day affair. Like I said in a previous blog, if this is punishment, I better go out and commit a crime!



Creating Reasonable Doubt…

The defense, in the Casey Anthony case, is trying to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury so they will find her innocent of the murder charges. They are trying to counter any and all theories of the prosecution. What are there strategies?

Well, for one, they are trying to suggest that no one killed Caylee, she died in a drowning accident. This is why April Whalen’s story is important. If they can tied her story to Casey’s copycat story, it will take away one of the defense’s ploys to get Casey off the hook.

Second, they are suggesting that if the drowning wasn’t an accident, but a murder, it wasn’t Casey’s doing. They are trying to implicate her father one way or another.

Third, if Casey is guilty of anything at all, it was merely trying to cover up the accidental death of Caylee.

Fourth, the police acquired their evidence illegally.

And fifth, the story of Caylee drowning is just as plausible as the theory being suggested by the prosecution.

These are all alternative suggestions to what the prosecution is arguing, in order to create doubt in the minds of the jurors. If all else fails, the defense will say that the prosecution failed to provide enough evidence to convict Casey of murder. And, of course, they are laying the groundwork for an appeal in the event Casey is found guilty. All this time, effort and money to try to keep a lying, murdering, sociopath from going to prison?

I have to admit that the defense’s strategy has created reasonable doubt in my mind. After watching several days of the trial I now have some serious doubts as to whether Jose Baez is actually a qualified attorney.



Casey Anthony Steals Story For Her Defense

I cannot follow the case of Casey Anthony too closely or too much because I am prone to high blood pressure and I am sure if I knew everything that was going on I might end up having a stroke. One such blood pressure raising story came out recently. Law enforcement conducted an investigation Thursday, Friday and possibly Saturday, following up on one of many leads provided by concerned citizens. Nothing is conclusive yet, but new developments may be uncovered any day.

Here’s the scoop. All this time Casey Anthony had insisted that Zanny the nanny took off with Caylee on June 16^th. The elusive nanny was never found. But, at some point, Casey changed her story. She now says that Caylee drowned in the family swimming pool, by accident, and was found by her father.

Now, it turns out, that another inmate at the Orange County Jail, April Whalen, who was a “neighboring” prisoner of Casey‘s, also has a similar drowning story. The difference is that April’s story was investigated and checks out as true. Casey may have “stolen” April’s story to use as her defense. The investigation is ongoing. April and Casey occupied neighboring cells from June 4 to June 9, 2009. There is no evidence that April spoke to Casey at this point or if a third party told her April’s story. April’s father, speaking to ABC News, stated that April did in fact speak to Casey and tell her the story about her son’s drowning.

This case is a web spun of lies by a sociopath. We may never know the truth of what happened to that poor baby. I am not even sure I believe what her family has to say. All I can do is shake my head and change the channel after I’ve had enough.



Casey Anthony's Attorney, Jose Baez…

Joy Behar was questioning the relationship between Casey Anthony and her attorney, Jose Baez. I found this to be quite interesting. It’s another point of interest in this ongoing trial with so many twists and turns. Joy Behar had Bethany Marshall, a psychoanalyst, and Debra Opri, an attorney, to help answer some stunning questions.

Casey and her attorney, Jose, have been perceived as having what might be described as a “flirtatious” relationship. As far back as October 2008, it was reported that Baez was warned on at least two occasions to stop hugging Casey during prison visits in which touching is prohibited. At one point they were sitting so close together that a corrections officer had to separate them. And when Casey was out on bond, she reportedly spent six hours a day at his office, including Saturdays.

Marshall, the psychoanalyst, believes that Casey may be using “sex,“ in a flirtatious manner as a way to exert her power and control in order to manipulate Baez. That’s what sociopaths do, they relate to others with power not affection.

Opri, the attorney, feels that Baez is crossing a line. He is there to advocate for her and his touching and hugging and his protectiveness of her are taking away from his position as advocate. He really needs to be more aware of his actions because he is in the public eye.

Joy mentions that there have been rumors that Baez and Casey have had an intimate relationship, but they have not been confirmed. If this were found to be true, Baez could be in trouble with the state bar association.

Other noteworthy information concerning Baez, that speaks to his character, is that apparently he was not allowed to practice law for eight years after graduating law school.

The reason? Financial irresponsibility. He was busy spending and not paying bills, with the worst offense being falling behind in his child support. The Florida Supreme Court had this to say about Baez’s overall behavior in 2000:

"a total lack of respect for the rights of others and a total lack of respect for the legal system, which is absolutely inconsistent with the character and fitness qualities required of those seeking to be afforded the highest position of trust and confidence recognized by our system of law."

He was admitted to the bar in 2005 after taking the necessary steps to redeem himself.

Very interesting, wouldn’t you say? A shady attorney for a shady client? Sounds about right to me.



My Children’s Father…

When I was looking for a mate, one of the things that was very important to me was what kind of father this man was going to be to our children. You can’t just consider if he is husband material without taking it a step further and considering whether he has the qualities necessary to be a great dad. Having had a very loving, doting father myself, I wanted that for my children too…and I found those qualities in my husband.

My husband is a quiet man. He usually only speaks when he has something to say, unlike me, who rambles on and on about anything and everything. He loved sports all his life and one day I had hoped to have a son so that he could pass on his love of sports. I envisioned what it might be like, father and son going off to the ballpark to watch a game, going to the park to kick the ball around or watching baseball on Sunday afternoons. But we never had a son, we had two girls instead. I was thrilled with my girls, but if I had had two boys I would have tried again for a girl. So I asked my husband one day, if he felt he was missing out by not having a son, and would he want to try one more time. He looked at me and said he was very happy with his two girls and didn’t need a boy.

My husband has always been there for our girls, just like my Dad was there for me. He made sure they had not only everything they needed, but everything they wanted. He never said no to them if they needed a ride any place. Even as they got older, he would drive them here and there and everywhere just to make life easier on them. If he had sons he would have been at baseball practice Saturday mornings instead of taking his girls to ballet school. He might have had a son who joined the Boy Scouts, instead he was taking our girls to Girl Scouts on Monday nights. Both girls tried basketball and softball, but neither of them liked it. He taught them how to ride a bike and then took them to the park so they could ride it safely. He even got on the floor and played board games with them and never complained. He read them story books and took them to Disney movies. He pretended to eat all the meals they prepared in their toy kitchen. He ate the real creations that came out of their Easy Bake Ovens. While fathers with sons might come home and toss the ball around in the yard, he would come home from work, after a long tiring day, and play Barbie’s with them. Now that went above and beyond what most fathers would do! He never raised his voice to them and could not bare to see them cry. They really could not ask for a more loving, thoughtful, gentle man to be their father.

My husband is a man like my Dad. A man who loved his family unconditionally and worked hard to provide them with everything they needed. A man who was there to support, encourage and help without ever being asked. I only hope and pray that both of my girls find men who will meet the same high standards for themselves and their children. Maybe that is the day I will find peace of mind.



Father’s Day…

I miss my father. Days like this only make me miss him more. He was a good man, a kind and loving man, a hard working man, a family man. Separated from his family by the Atlantic Ocean, he came here after marrying my mom, to work and raise his own family.

I remember when I was just two or three years old. He loved to take me out for walks. I think it was so he could show me off to his friends. He was always talking to someone along the way. But, I was a lazy little thing. I complained I was tired after we had only taken a few steps, so he would scoop me up in his strong arms and carry me everywhere. I’m sure I wasn’t tired, maybe I just liked being held in his arms.

My mother insisted that I eat a soft boiled egg for breakfast when I was around two years old. I hated that soft boiled egg. I would have never gotten it down if not for my father. He would sit there, with his big “Andy Griffith” grin, and tell me two little stories in Italian and, by the time he was done the egg was gone. I still remember those two stories to this day.

Years later, when I went to college, had to take three buses to get there and three to get back home. My father worked in construction and when the weather was bad, he couldn’t work. As long as he wasn’t working and I was in school, he would come and pick me up. I really appreciated the ride, especially in the winter. One day he was laughing on our way home and he said, “You know what? I can tell my friends that I went to college with my daughter.” We both laughed. It was both funny and sort of true.

When I got married, he walked me down the aisle with his chest all puffed out. It was like he waited for that moment since the day I was born. He was always a handsome man, but in that tuxedo he looked like a million dollars. The father-daughter dance at my wedding is a memory I will always cherish.

And when my husband and I bought our first house, we were trying to paint all the rooms, but we were getting nowhere fast. My father, though he was 35 years older than we were, came over with his rollers and brushes and went through the whole house in a week. He ways so strong and his hands were twice the size of the average man’s, but he was so gentle with me.

When my girls were both, he was the proudest grandfather. He loved them, held them, hugged and kissed them. He overfed them. They could do no wrong in his eyes. His eyes would light up every time he saw them. And my girls adored him.

You always expect your father to be a permanent fixture in your life. You don’t realize that one day you have to let go of his hand and say good bye, and that it’s forever. But, sadly that day came for me on August 24^th, 2,000. It’s hard to believe it will be 11 years that he’s gone, he was such an important part of my life. Happy Father’s Day, Daddy.

Potpourri Of Thoughts

There are too many things to write about these days. So much of what I see in the news ticks me off and becomes a blog. Today I am in a quandary. Why? I don’t want to write about Weiner’s resignation, except to say it’s about time. He’s been an embarrassment to himself and his family. I need to write about things I am passionate about, but not too passionate because then I get very riled up. This morning two things have rile me up, but it would be totally exhausting for me to blog in depth about either one. So maybe I will just touch on some of my thoughts and let it go.

The first thing that has me agitated is the Casey Anthony trial. I have followed it, off and on, the past three years. Yesterday was the third anniversary of Caylee’s disappearance and possible murder. The details are all over the news. It brings back thoughts of Susan Smith, who killed her two sons by driving her car into the water with them strapped in the backseat screaming “mommy.” I will never comprehend how any “mother” could take their own child’s life. I only understand mothers who would give up their lives, in a heartbeat, for their children. Mothers who do everything in their power to protect their children from real and unforeseen dangers. Mothers who stay awake all night when their children are sick, waiting for them to come home from work or dates, or worrying about their problems and how to help them. So when it comes to Susan Smith or Casey Anthony, I don’t get it. It disgusts me, it angers me to the point of tears. Both of these women are despicable. They both had family members who loved their children and would have raised them, if they didn’t want to be bothered any more. This is not to mention millions of couples who would have loved to have a child or strangers who would have gladly taken these children into their own families.

What disturbed me the Casey Anthony case yesterday was the defense. Her attorney tried to show a lack of evidence in terms of DNA. That was fine. That’s his job, to create reasonable doubt, and he has an uphill battle. But, then he mentions the fact that Casey’s older brother, Lee, was given a paternity test to determine if he was Caylee’s father. Even though this test was performed long ago and excluded from being the father, it was mentioned in court to be sure the jurors heard it. They wanted the jurors to hear it and draw their own conclusions. It’s appalling. This is called justice? The defense is ready to throw everyone under the bus in order to get her acquitted of this heinous and unforgivable crime. Why can’t they just stick to the evidence or lack of it? Anyway, that’s all I’ll say today, it’s all I can stomach.

I came across an article that turned my stomach. The child abuse scandal of the Catholic Church broke out in 2002. I have been saying, since then, that I am waiting for the church to “do” something about it. They haven’t done nearly enough. Abuse cases continue to be reported. The abuse and the cover up by higher officials had me upset to no end. Maybe one day I will blog about my reaction back then. However, today I see this headline: “Catholic Bishops Change Rules On Sexual Abuse, But Victims Say It's Not Enough.” It hasn’t been enough as far as I am concerned. Why hasn’t this crisis been given the attention it deserves? Instead, the church paid out billions in hush money, to keep victims and their families quiet. Then they sent the priests to other unsuspecting parishes where they could victimize more children. Here is the crux of the latest news which upset victims:

“After a scathing grand jury report in March that three-dozen Philadelphia priests were kept in ministry despite ‘credible’ sexual abuse allegations and news in May that a Kansas City bishop did not remove a priest, who took pornographic photos in church, the nation's Catholic bishops voted Thursday to amend rules on how bishops should deal with sexual abuse.”

It’s still going on almost ten years later. The changes that were made are obviously not working to prevent abuse. So the Church plans to take further “action.” They want to equate the seriousness of child pornography with child abuse and make it a Church crime. Really? They are just now getting around to recognizing child porn as a crime? Victims feel the bishops haven’t made any significant advances to stop abuse and even more important, those that enable abusers or conceal their abuse are almost never punished.

I can’t see why it’s taking the church so long to do something. My husband said, ten years ago, they will just sweep it under the rug until enough time passes and people forget. I don’t forget. This scandal has made victims out of all Catholics, those abused, their families, and members of the Church. I know of many people, like myself, who will not attend Church any more over this. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t know a good priest from an abusive priest. Two of the priests mentioned as abusers on the list all those years ago, worked at three churches that we attended. My children had contact with both of them, thank God nothing happened, but that is little consolation to me. Father Keller who was always popular with the children and Father Maurer who was in charge of the sports program at St. Stan’s and presided over Girl Scout ceremonies. We couldn’t tell they were abusing children and for me this hit too close to home. Bottom line, the Church has failed to protect the children and continues, by lack of action, to allow this abuse to continue. It’s totally unacceptable.

So, now I need to stop before I start ranting. It’s so much easier blogging about politicians and their shenanigans. But sometimes, there are more serious issues that just can’t be ignored. We have to speak up for children and be their voice until they have a voice of their own.



A Little Ginger On The “Weener”

I keep promising I am going to move on from WeinerGate and everyday I seem to get sucked back in. What more can there possibly be? We went from the “uncertain” bloaded, gray, underwear, to lies, to naked pictures, to sexting a 17 year old, to taking naked pictures in a Federal Building, to the President thinking Weiner should resign and NOW we get to Ginger Lee and her lawyer, Gloria Allred. Ginger Lee, the blonde, former porn star turned feature dancer, who says that Weiner sent her “sexually charged” emails and then asked HER to lie about them.

Allred held 100 emails, all sent by Weiner to Lee since March, and read from three of them in which Weiner mentions his “package.” Lee has come forward because Weiner had contacted her by phone, and asked her to “cover up” for him by denying the existence of sexy emails. He wanted her to keep quiet and even offered a PR rep from his team to work with her over the scandal. She claims that he tried to engage her in sexual conversation, but that she never complied and changed the subject. Instead of following his instructions about lying to the media, Lee went into hiding and then contacted Allred to represent her.

Weiner contacted Lee after she had written favorable things about him on her blog. She wanted their conversations to remain about politics, but Weiner strayed. Here are three Weiner quotes from the emails:

"I have wardrobe demands too. I need to highlight my package."

"Alright, my package and I are not going to beg."

"You aren't giving my package due credit."


Lee has not sold her story, and has come forward to cooperate with House ethics investigations, if needed. No pictures were ever exchanged between the two.

The Real Housewives of New York In Morocco



My daughter made me watch two episodes of The Real Housewives of New York this weekend. I wasted two hours and 15 minutes of my life, but I did it for my daughter because she loves to see me get irritated and exasperated at stupidity. And, that’s the kind of mom I am. What don’t I do for my kids?


What can I say about seven women who bicker every waking minute of the day and then decide it would be fun to take a trip to Morocco together, halfway round the world? I only watched episodes two and three of the trip and that was more than enough. Now let’s see if I can keep the names straight: Ramona, Jill, Sonja, Luann, Kelly, Alex, and Cindy.


Ramona decides to tell Jill that she hurt her feelings because she acts one way with her and another way with the other women. Jill nods, but you can see she is seething under the surface. Tensions mount quickly so that they are soon both yelling in each other’s faces. You see, Ramona has been harboring a big grudge against Jill for a long time because she feels she ruined her chances to make up with Bethany (a former NY Housewife who left for her own show spin off). Jill storms off and Ramona throws herself on the bed saying out loud, with drama and uncontrollable tears, that she is having a heart attack.


Luann, the rich Countess who organized the trip in the first place (what was she thinking?), arranges for the seven women to ride camels across the desert to a wonderful tent she had set up for them with food and sleeping quarters. All but one get on the camels, Sonja is afraid and not in the mood. They no sooner take a few steps when Luann’s camel starts acting like a bronco and is determined to throw her off his back. This actually goes on for a few minutes and you have to give Luann props for staying on until one of the men, leading the group, helps her off. I have to say that scene was hilarious. I’d like to thank Luann for NOT wearing any of her “one shoulder, Wilma Flintstone-type” ensembles for these two shows. I find those the most irritating thing about her.

When they arrive at the tent, they all settle down and take a seat. There is food and drink and everyone is talking all at once, literally. Cindy wants to talk, but Sonja keeps interrupting her, to the point that Cindy jumps up and walks out very irritated. Ramona and Sonja get diarrhea after dinner and get a late start the next day when they all plan to go to a day spa of sorts. Ramona, Cindy and Kelly are getting henna tattoos and having a nice time. At this point Alex dramatically bursts in. Alex has been talking to Ramona who has been hurt, not just by Jill, but Luann too. Alex is going to address Luann the Countess, who tells her what goes on between her and Jill is none of her business. Kelly tells Alex to go out and come back in because this is a reality show and Alex is overacting. Alex keeps trying to talk. Kelly says go out and come back in normally. Luann is pissed and walks off. Alex continues to talk about the drama between Ramona and the others, and then Kelly starts yelling “you ruined my tattoo.” Kelly goes on and on about her tattoo being ruined because Alex is being a drama queen.

Ok, so they get over this somehow and manage to get back to the hotel where Luann has arranged for an 8 pm dinner. Some of the women do not show up: Alex, Ramona and Sonja (the blondes). That left the brunettes (Luann, Cindy, Kelly and Ramona) to talk behind their backs. Luann is highly insulted that the blondes did not show up for dinner and did not have the courtesy to let her know. She is quite indignant over it. As the brunettes finish their salads, about 8:30, in walks Alex for dinner. Luann tells her she is late. Alex says no one told her what time dinner was and she is sorry. She takes a seat and the whole tone changes. Luann won’t let it go. Being late is inconsiderate and thoughtless. Then Luann says she heard that Ramona had ordered dinner and wine to be sent to her room for the blondes. Alex walks out. At 9:30, just when you think the arguing is going to subside, in walk Ramona and Sonja. They didn’t know what time dinner was either. Luann insists everyone knew and that they had ordered dinner sent to their rooms. Ramona says it was just a snack over and over again and goes back to her room to bring back proof.


I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted! I am ready to send them to their rooms to pack. Sorry, I can’t go on…but you do get the idea. Can you believe they haven’t cancelled this show? This is the fourth season!!!


A few more irritating things happened and then they really did have to pack and leave. But I thought I would blog about the show so if you haven’t seen it before, you can see what you have been missing, and thank God that you made the right decision.

Dr. Phil and the Britney Spears Train Wreck

Ok so this is old news, but I never knew the details till now...

Well anyone who knows me knows I love to research online and find answers. Sometimes I am unlucky, but it’s rare. This time I got some answers to a question that has been bothering me since it first happened. Why did Dr. Phil rush to Britney Spears bedside on January 5^th, 2008?   At the time, my newly formed opinions of Dr. Phil had not taken root. They were not even seeds of thought. But, I think this is where my first doubts and skepticism originated about the great and powerful Dr. Phil.

When you take a good look at what is behind Dr. Phil’s curtain, you will not see an altruistic humanitarian, but an egotistical, hypocritical, opportunist looking to line his overflowing pockets with even more money. That’s why he rushed to see Britney in the hospital, not to help her, but to help himself. Unfortunately, in his haste he neglected a few things and the whole escapade backfired in his face.  There are several online sources that reported on this ongoing story and I have collected the facts here.

Let’s start with the fact that he lost/retired his license to practice in Texas in 2006 and has never been licensed in California. (You will remember, from my recent blog, that he was sanctioned in Texas due to a complaint filed by a patient who said he touched her inappropriately.) So, when he ran into the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to speak with Britney, a certified psychologist with the California Board of Psychology filed a complaint against him. The real psychologist said he believed Dr. Phil was practicing without a license, by speaking to Britney, which is a felony. The complaint also adding that Dr. Phil divulged information about her medical condition to the media which violated additional laws. The family felt Dr. Phil had violated their trust by declaring to ET "My meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of medical and psychological intervention ... " The family said they "were looking for support here, not to add to the trouble that is already upon them.”

A petition began to be circulated to remove his show from the air. This was started by the psychologist who originated the complaints against Dr. Phil. There was also a backlash for the entertainment community which caused him to have a problem booking popular guests for his 1,000^th show. The show had to promise guests that they could promote their projects and charities and it would be considered a favor to “Oprah” because Harpo produces the show!

Well, it turns out that Dr. Phil is a wizard for getting out of deep trouble. Apparently, the charges will not stick because he did not charge Britney for his services. Somehow, they didn’t consider that what he was looking for was actually worth much more than a doctor’s call. An exclusive interview with Britney’s parents on the show perhaps? That never happened because the great and powerful Phil was bragging about his “intervention” with Britney.

Of course this was an embarrassment of epic proportions for Dr. Phil, but not enough to sink his ship. By January 18^th he had issued an apology to Britney and her family for his visit and his press release about it. By February 1^st, he was defending his actions as “non-exploitative.” Gee, that’s the very feeling I get each and every time I watch his show these days. His defense: “If you notice in that statement I said not a word, not one syllable about anything that took place while I was there. Nor will I ever. I don’t think that would be right. And I didn’t say anything in the statement that I haven’t said before and that anybody with common sense doesn’t know.” Anyone who watches the show and has common sense can clearly see what Dr. Phil is all about, that much I agree with.

So Dr. Phil dodged a bullet that time, but I’m sure there is a wealth of blog worthy information out there for me, I just have to do a little research. Stay tuned.

Read about the Real Dr. Phil in Sophia Dembling's book The Making Of Dr. Phil it has everything that Dr. Phil doesn't want you to know. Check out my blogs on this book for preview.

Casey Anthony Murder Trial

August 9, 2005 - c June 16, 2008

RIP Caylee

Casey Anthony, for anyone who hasn’t heard by now, is a mother who murdered her precious baby girl. I first heard about this Florida case when her baby, Caylee Anthony, first “disappeared” back in June 2008. The baby wasn’t even three years old. Nancy Grace was on top of the investigation, reporting every new development along the way. I watched quite a few of her shows regarding the search for Caylee and the discovery of her body.

The details of the case are that Casey left her parents home with Caylee on June 16, 2008, where they had been living. The grandparents had requested to see Caylee in the following weeks, but Casey said she was too busy or that Caylee was out with her nanny. In mid July, Casey’s parents found her car in a junk yard. It had a terrible odor and they feared for the worst and called the police. The odor turned out to be trash. Casey’s mother called a friend of Casey to learn that she was living with her boyfriend in his apartment. The grandparents went to the apartment and found Casey, but not her baby, Caylee. Casey refused to take her mother to the babysitter’s to see Caylee, so her mother, Cindy, went to the police station which was closed. At first Casey said she didn’t want to go to the sitter’s and disturb them. Then she changed her story to the sitter had disappeared with Caylee 31 days ago and she hasn’t been able to find them. Cindy called the emergency police number to report her disappearance.

Police began an investigation which revealed that no one had ever seen a items babysitter. Casey’s statements were not consistent and she told police she was investigating on her own, which is why she never notified them. In August, police got tips of suspicious items found in the wooded area around the corner from where the Anthony’s lived. In December Caylee’s remains were found in that location and identified. The case was ruled a homicide.

There is plenty of evidence against Casey that she murdered her own baby. Jury selection is being conducted as I type and the prosecution is looking for the death penalty. Casey deserves the death penalty. A mother deliberately killing her own children is the most heinously evil act I can think of. She has no conscience at all, no remorse, no feeling. As in the Susan Smith case, there were loving family members who would have gladly taken and raised that baby. There are couples all across our country who cannot have children and would have loved to raise this baby girl as their own. There families with children, who would have taken Caylee into their homes. There was no reason for Casey to end this baby’s life. I don’t know if she will ever admit to what she has done or give her reasons, but the evidence speaks for itself.

I hope they find a jury soon and they deliver the sentence that she is most deserving of…the same one she gave her own baby…death.

Ugh!!! Dr. Phil Is The New Springer!

I didn’t want to blog about Dr. Phil again so soon, but this show is hitting an all time low. It’s one step above Springer. A mother, who allows her husband, their stepfather to abuse them for years, and is still in a state of denial, even though he was found guilty and went to prison.

The two daughters, both appear to be in their late 20’s, are trying to get their mother to acknowledge all of these horrible acts performed by her husband and even her, through their childhood. It’s sickening. This woman is in denial making excuses for the unforgivable. She keeps saying she didn’t know what was happening, but it’s obvious she knew and she allowed it to go on.

The girls say when they were just developing, she took them into the bathroom and showed him their breasts. She gave them alcohol and made them watch soft porn with her and her husband. She allowed him to sleep in the same bed as the girls. When walks into the room and sees him on top of one of the girls she says he had this evil look and she didn’t know what she saw, so she walked out into the kitchen to pray. She catches him giving one of the girls a passionate kiss and tells her to leave the house and then asks him, why don’t you kiss me like that? The girls eventually told their friends and one of their mothers told their father, who went to get them.

The abuser was arrested and brought to trial. The mother sits on the side on the defendant, not with the girls. When he was found guilty, she went over to their home, after the father left, and wanted them to get on the phone and apologize to the stepfather. She denies all these things. The mother keeps yelling, nothing is getting resolved. It’s plain to see that this woman cannot be reasoned with and these girls will never get what they are looking for. They want her to acknowledge what happened and her responsibility for allowing it to happen and go on. She will not.

There is a shouting match, at the end of the show, between the three of them. Dr. Phil is sipping his glass of water.

I hate to say it, but tomorrow is part two. Dr. Phil claims there is going to be a surprise ending. I cannot imagine what that will be. I feel sorry for these women and, if they need this mother to own her failure to protect them, I cannot see that happening.

These are the shows they save for Sweeps month. Shows that are ratings bonanzas. Lots of graphic material. Stories that people eat up. Stories that shock. Is there anything to be learned from this? Will it help these sisters heal and move on? Can they ever have a relationship with their mother? I have no clue. This may well be my last season with Dr. Phil. I think I’ll switch to Dr. Pepper.

What’s In Sarah Palin’s Emails?



I waited until the media had time to sort through the 24,000 or so emails. I am not that ambitious and I find I often need a translator to help me decipher what she is trying to say. So, I thought it best to let professionals handle the bulk of it and then read the results of their sifting in plain English (something Sarah seems to avoid). The emails cover the time period of when she became Governor in 2006 until she became a candidate for Vice President. So far, this has been much ado about nothing, in my opinion. Here is a representative sample of her emails.

The first thing they reported is that Sarah Palin was trying to get “discovered or noticed” by McCain and his campaign, months before she was actually selected. I guess it worked?

There was an email from Erika Fagerstrom, the Executive Residence Manager of the Governor’s House, asking where Sarah would like her tanning bed and giving her two options so she could arrange for the electrician to install it.

As for Alaska’s budget? Well Governor Palin didn’t have a clue so she went to a higher authority: “"I have been praying for wisdom on this ...... God will have to show me what to do on the people's budget because I don't yet know the right path ...... He will show me though," she says.

The Bridge to Nowhere? The following email went to Palin “Also, FYI, in case you didn’t see there was an ugly ad by the SU in the Juneau Empire yesterday: Re: “Gov. Palin’s Bridge to Nowhere” To which, Palin replies: “What’s the bridge? And the SU?

Even though her daughter, Bristol, was pregnant at the time of her nomination for VP, Palin’s email states: “"I wish I could shame people into ceasing such gossip about a teen, but can't figure out how to do that," she wrote on April 22, 2008. Apparently, the gossip was widespread, and even Palin's pediatrician had heard about it, which she addressed in another email: "Hate to pick at this one again, but have heard three different times today the rumor again the Bristol is pregnant or had this baby. Even at Trig's doc appt this morning his doc said that's out there (hopefully NOT in their medical community-world, but it's out there). Bristol called again this afternoon asking if there's anything we can do to stop this, as she received two girlfriend-type calls today asking if it were true."

Sarah’s praise of Obama just 3 weeks before being nominated: Obama had given a “great speech” in Michigan, and she praised his mention of Alaska. “We need to take advantage of this a[nd] write a statement saying he’s right on,” she wrote. In a follow-up email, Palin added Obama “did say ‘yay’ to our pipeline. Pretty cool. Wrong candidate.”

Palin’s stance on global warming from “junk science,” to a different opinion just a short time before being nominated: “climate change is the top issue for our state.”

If anything worthwhile is found, meaning something scandalous or very intelligent, I will be blogging again.  But so far, these emails, are nothing of substance, much like their author.

That's a lot of emails!  Oy vey!

Palin’s Emails To Be Released

CNN is reporting today that Alaska is planning to release Palin’s private and official emails which she was governor of Alaska. They estimate that 24,000 pages will be handed over to CNN and other news organizations. CNNPolitics.com is going to make them available to the public over the weekend. The news organizations requested this information under the Freedom of Information Act. Certain emails, about 2,300 pages, will not be release due to legalities. The emails sent to CNN fill up six boxes. Palin does not seem to be concerned.

If I were Palin I would be concerned. If she wrote these emails assuming that no one but the recipient would be reading them, who knows what could be in them. We could speculate or just wait till tomorrow and read them for ourselves. I’m sure that the media personnel will be combing through them piece by piece today and posting the very best of Palin’s correspondence online as soon as they can, trying to beat out each other on the scoop. I’ll be looking for them, yep, you betcha. I am always eager to hear what fascinating things Sarah has to say when she isn‘t rewriting American history.

Sarah has already prepared an “ass covering” remark. The emails will be “taken out of context,” and therefore I am guessing they will not be interpreted correctly. Well, in or out of context, I have a hard time understanding anything that Sarah Palin has to say until Tina Fey repeats it on Saturday Night Live. I just don’t know how Tina is going to be able to handle the volume of comments and quotes from these emails? She will be bombarded. The SNL writers can now take a long, overdue vacation. Maybe we need to start interviewing for more Sarah Palin look-a-likes to deliver her lines?

Here is an interesting quote that I wholeheartedly agree with: “The Alaska Dispatch political columnist, Amanda Coyne, says all the attention is "for what I'm betting won't be much."

If it is coming from Sarah Palin, all it can be worth is a few hearty laughs, an endless pile of jokes, and some serious head shaking and eye rolling. I would be happy to read a few coherent sentences. After all, she is a journalism major, communications should be her strength, but it seems her greatest weakness. How she got this far is what is amazing to me. I still don’t believe it.

I guess there will be more to blog once the emails are published. For now I found this video on a few “gotcha moments” that Anderson Cooper’s team put together. Have a look and then prepare yourself for a few more of these to come.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/10/alaska.palin.emails/index.html?eref=rss_politics&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_allpolitics+(RSS%3A+Politics)

Weiner’s Overworked Weener...

I thought this subject was exhausted, but I was wrong. I can’t get away from it. Three things I heard just this morning are making me blog again about Anthony’s overworked weener.

First of all, aside from being the most talked about “weener” since Oscar Meyer, Anthony’s weener has made new headlines. This time the famous “Weiner’s weener” is being credit for doing what God Himself intended it to. Yes, procreate. It was announced today that Anthony Weiner’s wife and aide to Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin, is 10 months pregnant with their first child. What a way to start a pregnancy! So much for avoiding stress, as her husband’s scandal has not died down, if anything it’s heating up some more.

It seems that the man, Breitbart, who created and runs the Big Government website that broke the scandal, was on a local radio show called Opie and Anthony. He was there to discuss the scandal and how it broke. Then he said a source sent him the actual “naked” weener that the Congressman tweeted. He had it in his phone. Opie and Anthony wanted to see it. Breitbart was apprehensive, he didn’t want the picture to get out. Opie and Anthony assured him there were no cameras in the room, they just wanted to see it. So, trusting their word, Breitbart pulls out his phone and gives them a peak. The next thing he knows, the naked weener is all over the internet. There was a conceal camera in the room that took a picture of the lewd tweet photo. Breitbart was not happy to find it was posted to the internet. And it is, because if I can find it, anyone can find it. This story is going nowhere anytime soon, unless maybe Arnold Swartzenagger has a few more love children out there who want to announce their paternity.

Finally, a new peeve to the situation comes from Barbara Walters’ appearance on The View today. Yesterday her co-hosts did a number on Weiner, and rightly so, for this ongoing scandal. They had plenty to say and it was all valid. Everyone thought he should resign from office as he was no longer credible and has broken the public trust. For me it was also the utter stupidity of what he did. Let’s face it, if you are going to do something wrong, and do it for three years, have the sense to use a phony account, not use your personal accounts and for pete’s sake, do NOT include your face. That makes it pretty hard to deny it was you. And yet, knowing that he had all this lewd stuff out there, pictures and conversations, he still tried to lie his way out of it. That was a pathetic attempt on his part. But, I digress. Barbara Walters came riding onto the set today, almost a like a white knight, to come to Weiner’s defense. After all they are friends, so a different set of rules should apply to him (and for the sake of his wife) than applies to others. Even as Elizabeth, who I really dislike much of the time, tried to assert the facts of the scandal, Barbara kept trying to shut her up, saying we already know how you feel. It was only when Whoopie Goldberg inserted her calm, rational two cents, did Barbara listen, but she did not back down. I think I lost a little respect for Barbara Walters today. She is always about the “facts,” but today she was all about “opinion.”

There is no telling if or when this scandal will die down. People here are asking for Weiner’s resignation. He is trying to hang on and wait it out. Meanwhile I hear a Congressional investigation is going to be conducted about his behavior. More taxpayer money wasted. He should have to pay for that, seriously, if he decides to stay in office. Or he can step down and avoid that bill. This is appalling that Congress has to waste time and money on his stupidity when we have huge problems to work on.





Too Stressed To Write…

Some days are stressful. One big thing goes wrong and a few more little things are bothering you and, before you know it, stress and anxiety are overwhelming. Well, that was my day yesterday. I had been somewhat stressed already, but then the big one hit and put me over the top. So I apologize for no blog yesterday. I couldn’t focus, concentrate or even try to be funny. I’ll explain.

My younger daughter started her senior year at college which takes place off the main campus. I worry a lot. It was a new location and I always hate it when my kids have to drive anywhere anyway. She had never parked in a parking lot…I worried about that.

I saw my oncologist this past Thursday. I got a good report, except they saw something on the bone; she thinks it’s nothing. But, she wants me to have a bone scan. My husband already took Monday off so we would be home for my daughter’s first day. I decided to make the appointment early, for when she would be in school. I had no idea it was three hours between getting the radioactive shot and the actual scan. I had no idea that they made a 10 am appointment and had no intention for giving me the shot till 10:30 am. I raced there, in the heat, to be on time. We had to walk almost a half mile from the train. Then I sat and waited. Once I got the shot, we went to have a breakfast at McDonald’s to kill part of the three hours. They did not call me for the scan until 1:40 pm. My anxiety was climbing as I wanted to be home or at least near home, when my daughter left school. She was let out early, 2:10 instead of 3:30, and I was still in the scan. I waited to take the train home until I knew she had gotten home safe. Meanwhile, the thought of the test results are subconsciously eating away at me.

I get home, hug my daughter, and we talk about her first day. I begin to relax. My husband comes up with a piece of mail in his hand. That is never a good thing. The bank says there was a security breach three months ago. A computer got a virus and it may have the potential of allowed personal information him to be accessed. It’s too late to call the bank, they are all gone. So I called yesterday at 8:30 am to speak to the branch manager. I got the Asst. Manager, Nancy. She could not answer my questions, but said someone would call me. Five hours later, after no one called, I call her back. She asks, “No one called you?” I said, “No, that’s why I am calling.” All the while my anxiety is going through the roof. She tells me she will take it upstairs herself right now. Forty minutes later I get a call from Joe Pompalone. He is sorry for the “inconvenience.” I ask all my questions, but I am not very reassured. My husband will have to have a :Fraud Alert” placed on his credit file with all three credit bureaus. The bank is paying for 12 months of credit monitoring to protect us from their mistake. I tell him, first of all we do not bank online nor do we pay bills online to protect ourselves. It’s you that exposed our information to the internet. Secondly, your own company, BreachSecurity, says that we need to be vigilant about checking our credit for 12 to 24 months, but you are only providing 12 months…who is supposed to pay for the additional 12 months? He agrees to throw in another 12 months of credit monitoring. My husband just has to go to the bank and speak to Nancy, the Asst. Manager.

Now, if nothing happens, and I pray to God it doesn’t, that is enough of an “inconvenience.” But if there is a case of identity theft, well that is a horror story I would rather not think about. Unfortunately, I can’t stop my subconscious from thinking about it. So I woke up five times during the night and haven’t been sleeping well, even though I am dead tired.

We have been banking with that branch for over 30 years. Since before we were married. We opened our first joint account there to save up for our wedding. We open our savings and checking there, after we married. We got our home mortgage from them. We have our IRA there. We trusted that bank to protect our money and our personal information. Now, I have to be thinking about this for at least 24 months, and that’s if no other bank or business compromises our information.

That’s why there was no blog yesterday. Life threw me a curve ball and hit me in the head. Hopefully, I will begin to relax soon. I am still waiting for the scan results. My daughter has managed to complete two days of school and tonight is her big “white coat” ceremony! I am so proud of her and I will focus on that today.



Weiner Admits “Mistakes,” Palin Does Not!

Anthony Weiner, crying on CBS News a few minutes ago, admitted to tweeting his weener and a lot more of the past three years. Some pictures were even X-rated and there were conversations both of which took place before AND after his recent marriage. Weiner realized his mistakes after he lied and more pictures began to surface which he could not deny, because his face was showing and everyone could see, with “certitude” that it was him. Several women, at least 5 or 6, must have come forward to contribute to the ongoing scandal. Weiner apologized profusely to his family and his wife and the young woman who did not deserve all the questions and media attention for his “stupid mistake.”

Okay well he had to come clean, there was too much information out there and it was snowballing. However, this was not a stupid mistake. A stupid mistake is to do it one time, not several times over the course of three years. Perhaps he needs some kind of intensive therapy? He says he isn’t resigning and plans to get back to work.

As for Sarah Palin and her rendition of the Ride of Paul Revere…she is sticking to her guns. I barely understood her explanation the second time around, but I did not care for it. Paul Revere did not ride ringing bells and blowing whistles and firing gun shots. She could very easily have looked it up, but no, she continues to rewrite American History and swear by it.

I am sorry to have to belabor these stories, but these politicians will not let me rest. They keep supplying me with reasons to be peeved. I hope they all go into hiding for a while and regroup and give me some time off!



Sarah Palin Rewrites American History!

Well, it’s not like I should be surprised when I hear anything regarding what Sarah Palin has to say. She said plenty during the 2008 Presidential Campaign in her 68 day run for Vice President. She made a lot of money for a lot of people with her answers to questions, most specifically Tina Fey and Saturday Night Live. The writers didn’t even have to edit or add jokes to anything Sarah Palin said. All Tina Fey had to do was watch the video tape and repeat it word for word, and there was a hilarious skit. I hate to say it, but the same words coming out of Tina’s mouth, almost made a little sense. That’s probably because, instinctually, Tina might have made subtle changes in tone and paused where appropriate, without stuttering or stammering. I will have to pay closer attention this time around.

Okay, what has me so riled up this morning? Well, yesterday I caught a video of Sarah being asked if she knew who Paul Revere was. I will have to copy and paste her answer here:

“He who warned uh, the British that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms, uh by ringing those bells, and um, makin’ sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.”

I will try to embed the video, but if it doesn’t work, please use the following link:
http://wonkette.com/446806/sarah-palin-has-no-idea-who-paul-revere-was-or-what-he-did

For Sarah Palin, everything is about the right to bear arms. However, in this case, the Right to Bear Arms was in the Bill of Rights and had not become law until about 16 years after Paul’s famous ride. If you can, please go to the link to see how far off Palin’s answer was from the facts.

I feel like I am doing a public service by spreading the word around every time Palin says something that would get her kicked of a television show called “Are You Smarter Than A First Grader?” A candidate running for any office, but especially Vice President or President, should be somewhat familiar with the history of our nation, don’tcha think? Instead, she just makes it up as she goes along.

What’s next? The Boston Tea Party wasn’t really about tea and taxes, it was about our right to bear arms? Aside from being embarrassing, as everything Palin says becomes fodder for jokes, what are other countries to think of us, that any of us could even consider electing her into office? Instead of going to the White House, I think she needs some remedial classes in English and History for starters. Then a class in geography might come in handy. Add course or two in foreign policy 101, so she understands that being in close proximity to another country, doesn’t mean you have “experience” dealing with them. And, I don’t even want to think what kind of math skills she has or if she can fully comprehend the scope of the national debt…remember she was building a bridge to nowhere at great expense to taxpayers. Ok enough, I have a headache and need some rapid release, extra strength Tylenol plus two motrin.

See you tomorrow!

John Edwards, Most Despicable Politician?



I was still working on Athony Weiner's "weener" when I heard some disturbing news yesterday.  I barely have time to finish writing a blog on one politician when another story is waiting in the wings. Yes, John Edwards has made news headlines again, as if his past indiscretions weren’t enough, he has now been indicted for the misuse of 925,000 dollars of his 2008 campaign money to “hide” his mistress and their child.

Here is the recap: John Edwards was a two time Presidential candidate. He is an educated, professional man who had a good wife and family. His wife, Elizabeth Edwards, helped him campaign even after she found out she had breast cancer. She stood by his side while he was using her to gain political favor and votes. I say using her, because he was cheating on her. He had a mistress, Rielle Hunter. This was no fling, it was an ongoing affair that began in 2006. Hunter was hired to video behind the scenes footage of his campaign. In 2008 John Edwards admitted to the affair,, but by that time Mistress Hunter was pregnant. Mistress Hunter eventually had his baby. When it came out in the news that the baby was suspected to be the child of John Edwards, he denied his own child for two years and only admitted it was his baby in the summer of last year, before his wife, Elizabeth, died in December 2010.

Well now John has been indicted for the misuse of campaign funds. He knew that a pregnant mistress was not going to help him win the 2008 Presidential election so he had to do something. Telling the truth is not an option, especially when you cancer stricken wife has been at your side during a long and grueling campaign. It doesn’t look good for a “family man” to cheat on his wife with a mistress a produce an offspring, just ask Arnold Swartzenagger. So John took a reported 925,000 dollars and spent it to keep his mistress and baby in hiding while continuing to pursue the presidency. After all it was very important to maintain his “image.” A plea deal was in the works, but never came to fruition. John wanted to cop a plea to a charge that would enable him to continue to practice law. The prosecutors wanted him to plea to a felony, which would certainly put his law license at risk. So the two year investigation has ended with an indictment.

Frankly, I hope they throw the book at him and Elizabeth is watching this all play out up in in heaven. He deserves everything he gets and then some. This man has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I feel sorry for his children, who lost their mother so early in her life, who now have to rely on him to parent them. What can he possibly teach his children? He has no morals, no ethics, no decency. It seems to me that maybe someone should strip him of his parental rights. I hope he goes to jail so they will be sent to live with Elizabeth’s family, where they can continue to be raised in the way she would have wanted.

It must have been agony for her to know she was not going to beat cancer and was going to be leaving her children in the hands of this despicable man. It’s bad enough to have to leave your children before you are finished raising them. To agonize over the things you will never be there to share or to teach them. And then to find out that your husband is a lying, cheating, immoral, unethical, devious, conniving user who had a mistress and child on the side? How does a woman deal with all that? She had to be depressed over her illness. How could she concentrate on fighting this disease after learning what she did about her husband? I can only hope that she managed to arrange her affairs in the way that brought her the most peace.

I hope Elizabeth Edwards has a front row seat, and from where she is sitting, I hope she gets some great measure of satisfaction to see that all her husband’s deceitfulness is finally going to get him some payback, and for her some justice.

I will be following his case and hoping for the worst for him. No one deserves it more!

Update on CopterGate and WeinerGate!

Governor Christie has decided to reimburse the state of New Jersey $2,100 for his helicopter flight to his son’s baseball game and return flight. He has also asked the state Republican Party to reimburse the state $1,200, because part of that return trip was to go to a political dinner for GOP donors. He doesn’t feel he was obligated to repay the state or that he did anything wrong by using the helicopter, he just wants to eliminate this unnecessary distraction so that can get back to handling the “real” problems of New Jersey.

I feel this was a very smart move on his part. It takes all the air of the media attacks on this incident, it turned negative publicity into positive publicity, and maybe they won’t look into the other 35 flights he has taken since he was in office. I think he acted swiftly and did himself a huge favor in the process, especially since he may have aspirations of one day running for President. These little things have a way of coming back to bite you in the proverbial “ass” and let’s just say, his derriere would be a huge target. So for now CopterGate seems to be “closed.”


Back to Anthony Weiner, who cannot seem to figure out if the picture tweeted was of him or his underwear. It either was or it wasn’t. But he is unsure and is still investigating. It makes me wonder how many people take photos of themselves in their underwear and then forget they took them? I know I never have. If someone “hacked” my account just to send a picture of me in my alleged underwear, I could unequivocally say it was NOT me. However, Mr. Weiner must have taken pictures of himself if he has any doubt and one of them found their way to twitter and into the phone of a college coed in Seattle, who Mr. Weiner is “following. Turns out, Mr. Weiner is following several young girls on Twitter. The question is why? Why does a newly wed, middle aged man, with huge political aspirations, follow young girls on twitter? Why does he tweet them his underwear and then delete the photo and need to investigate. Mr. Weiner is not answering any questions. Unlike Governor Christie, who knows how to put out a fire before it escalates out of proportion, Mr. Weiner is throwing gallons of fuel on his with every breath he takes. Threatening to have news reporter, Marcia Kramer arrested for going to his office and asking the questions that are on everyone’s mind is a bit excessive.

The fact is Mr. Weiner has not denied it was his photo and stutters when asked questions. He can’t deny it just in case the photo can be traced right back to him. Then he would also have to deal with lying to cover it up. As far as I am concerned, he is lying. And this investigation, by whatever law enforcement agency, into the “hacking” is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Maybe I should tweet Marcia Kramer and she can suggest he pay for the investigation should it be determined that the tweets cane directly from him?

Mr. Weiner would like us all to forget about his “weener,” but it’s almost impossible to do that. The media and the comedians love this story. It’s a news story you can actually have fun with, not just because of name play on words, but because Mr. Weiner is squirming and altering his story slightly every time he opens his mouth.

Here is a little clip of his answer:

Congressman Anthony Weiner was questioned by Luke Russert:

Weiner: “I didn’t send that picture out.”

Russert: “That’s not a picture of you?”

Weiner: “You know, I can’t say with certitude. My system was hacked. Pictures can be manipulated. Pictures can be dropped in and inserted.”

Weiner also talked about why he hasn’t reported this to authorities.

Weiner: “We don’t know exactly what happened here. It was a prank. You know, it is not a national security thing. I’m not sure I want to put national, federal resources into trying to figure out who posted a picture on Weiner’s website of, [smiling] whatever. I’m not sure it really rises – no pun intended – to that level.”

Unlike CopterGate, which is closed, WeinerGate is wide open and the questions are still coming. Weiner only follows 198 people, so reports say, so it’s peculiar as to why so many he follows are young girls? Here is a link where you can see the pictures of some of them: http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/05/gennette-was-not-alone-weiners-twitter-friends-include-dozens-of-young-lucious-hook-ups/

Now, when you add those two facts together, the tweeted weener and the usually “large” number of young girls in his “follows” list, it just “arouses” one’s curiosity and desire to know what the hell is going on. If he tweeted his weener to my daughter you can bet I would want some concrete answers to some hard questions and I would want them with “certitude.”