Category Archives: Uncategorized

Republican Sponsor Of Bill To Require Drug Testing For Georgia Welfare Recipients Arrested For DUI

Does hypocrisy in the GOP know no limits?

I think not….

I also think if they want to pursue drug testing for people who get any kind of government support such as welfare, unemployment benefits, etc, they should do random drug and alcohol tests of all elected officials.

Fair is fair.  Both groups are getting government checks…

And require an IQ test with a minimum threshold to hold office.  That would get rid of most of the GOP….

Too bad you can’t test and measure pettiness and meanness…..

From ThinkProgress:

A Georgia Republican who wants all welfare reciepients subject to drug tests failed one himself after he ran a red light on Friday morning. The Atlanta Journal Constiution has the story on State Rep. Kip Smith (R):

Smith, whose given name is John Andrew Smith, first told the officer he had not consumed any alcoholic beverages.

“I asked him again, and he stated he had consumed a single beer at Hal’s. I noticed also that Mr. Smith’s eyes were watery, and I asked him to exit the vehicle, which he did,” Kramer said in the report.

Smith told the officer he’d had the beer 45 minutes earlier, and the officer asked him to blow into a hand-held “intoximeter”. The officer said the lawmaker refused, stating he would prefer to go to a clinic or the hospital to get tested.

The officer said Smith finally agreed to blow into the device. The report stated that Smith blew a .091., which is above the legal limit of .08.

Smith is a sponsor of Georgia House Bill 464, which would “require random drug testing” for citizens on public assistance. In response to Smith’s legislation, State Rep. Scott Holcomb introduced a bill last month that would require all state lawmakers to be subject to random drug testing.

Random drug tests for reciepents of public assistance are very likely to be found unconsitutional.

via Republican Sponsor Of Bill To Require Drug Testing For Georgia Welfare Recipients Arrested For DUI | ThinkProgress.

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Happy Birthday, Charo!

It’s hard to believe that Charo is only 61 today….

It seems like she has been around much longer than that…

And I’ve always wondered:  “Why?”

She’s definitely a 20th Century Wonder who is Lost in the 21st Century….

But she is still working….

Bless her heart.  I’m sure she’s really sweet…

And she is also a truly talented classical guitarist…

Here is a video of her in her heyday:

And one of her taken last year in New York:

And proving she has a sense of humor, working with Carol Burnett:

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Mommie, uh, Maggie Dearest?

I haven’t yet seen the film, but this clip from “The Iron Lady” with Meryl Streep couldn’t help but make me think of  Faye Dunaway in “Mommie Dearest”….

I’m going to have to force myself to see this movie.  I can’t imagine 2 more hours of Margaret Thatcher after we had to deal with her for 11 years in power….

I just hope  I’ll be pleasantly surprised and “The Iron Lady” is at least half as entertaining as “Mommie Dearest”- even if I’m sure it’s not as campy….

At least Faye delivers the message more succinctly, if less elegantly….

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Kristy McNichol Comes Out

It must be so sad to finally come out of the closet and no one cares….

We all knew….

All I can think is she really must need some cash and really want a new sitcom and is hoping the publicity will make her marketable again…

So sad….that I am so cynical.

She is a really talented actress.  I think she could have been as great as Jodie Foster if she had been more secure…

But Gay people of our generation had a different journey.  I can understand her fears, but it’s just too late to matter that she’s coming out….

Most of us who are Gay and her age bit the bullet and came out years ago.  She could have, too.

While I always want Gay Actors to come out, it would have meant so much more if “Buddy” had confirmed our knowledge that she was Gay years ago.

Still, we can’t judge and look back…

I wish her the best….

Gay people always love a comeback!

From People Magazine, of course:

 

 

Kristy McNichol has been out of the public eye for 20 years. Now she’s chosen to come out – to try to help kids who are being bullied.

McNichol, 49, who has lived with her partner Martie Allen, also 49, for the past two decades, decided to make a statement about her sexuality and share this photo because she is “approaching 50” and wants to “be open about who I am.”

She “is very sad about kids being bullied,” her publicist Jeff Ballard tells PEOPLE. “She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different.”

Best known for her Emmy Award-winning role as Buddy Lawrence in the ’70s show Family and later as Barbara Weston in Empty Nest, McNichol left it all behind when she dropped out of Hollywood to focus on her health.

Done with acting, McNichol spends her time focusing on tennis, yoga, travel and raising her beloved miniature dachshunds. “She is very happy and healthy,” says Ballard. “And she enjoys living a very private life.”

via Kristy McNichol Wants to ‘Be Open About Who I Am’ – Kristy McNichol : People.com.

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The Unknown Soldier: Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama does not get nearly the credit she deserves….

In addition to her work on Health and Nutrition, she has worked tirelessly on behalf of Veterans and Military Families….

I was glad to see this article in US News that finally gives her some credit:

 

Often teamed with her lieutenant, Jill Biden, the vice president’s wife, Obama has organized and attended more events for and with military veterans and their families than any previous first lady, according to veterans groups. This year alone, for example, she’s participated in 50 events, many out of the eye of the media, and even dedicated the White House Christmas tree to supporting veterans. “There is this sense that this is genuine,” says Raezer. “We haven’t had this kind of visibility from the White House—ever.”

And it’s also more than a simple stop-by to drop off gifts at a local Toys for Tots outlet, like she did the week before Christmas, or a quickie visit and speech to welcome home troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama and Biden are leading the charge to encourage businesses to hire veterans, an especially difficult challenge with unemployment sky-high, through an initiative called Joining Forces. Many companies like Google now have programs to hire veterans. The International Franchise Association credits Obama with boosting hiring efforts like its bid to get more veteran couples to become franchise owners. “The first lady’s efforts accelerated those programs,” says spokesman Matthew Haller.

The first lady is also eager to get Americans unaffected directly by war to pay attention to the military and war families. “That’s one of the reasons why Jill and I started our Joining Forces initiative, because we wanted to rally all Americans to honor, recognize, and support our military families,” Obama says. Addressing military families at a White House holiday event, she added: “We wanted to make sure that never again would someone have to ask the question, ‘What is a Gold Star family and what does that sacrifice mean?’ We all should know.”

Sean O’Keefe, the former Navy secretary and NASA administrator, adds that Obama “has raised the visibility of the challenges confronted by the families of military service members—frequent relocation, psychological impact of children often raised by single parents due to long deployments, higher incidents of alcohol and drug abuse, and the often difficult access to healthcare.” Now CEO of EADS North America, he adds, “Her focus has prompted Americans to be attentive to these consequences endured by the families of those called to national service on behalf of all of us.”

via Vets: Michelle Best-Ever First Lady – Washington Whispers (usnews.com).

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Dead Man to be Sued Over Flying Body Parts

Let’s start the year off with a bit of the absurd…

It’s sure to only get stranger- it’s an election year in the USA!

From RawStory.com:

An 18-year-old man who was hit and killed by a train in 2008 will be the subject of a present-day lawsuit after an appellate judge ruled that a woman injured by his flying body parts may pursue a claim against his estate.

Ruling that the man was negligent, and that the result was “reasonably foreseeable,” the judge granted the woman’s request to allow the suit to proceed.

The initial suit had been blocked by a lower court in Cook County, which said the elderly Gayane Zokhrabov may not sue the now-deceased Hiroyuki Joho because Joho could not have anticipated the potential for third-party injury posed by his actions.

Steve Schmadeke, reporter for The Chicago Tribune, noted that the decision was reversed on Thursday by an appeals court.

The vehicle was reportedly traveling over 70 miles-per-hour when it hit Joho, who was allegedly running across the track to catch another train.

Zokhrabov suffered a broken leg, broken wrist and an injured shoulder after a portion of Joho’s body was flung more than 100 feet, smacking into her on a train platform.

“If you do something as stupid as this guy did, you have to be responsible for what comes from it,” her attorney reportedly said.

It was not immediately clear what sort of “estate” the young man’s family has.

via Dead man to be sued over flying body parts | The Raw Story.

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New Years Resolutions-2012

I don’t normally make New Years Resolutions.  It’s just too mainstream….

I mean, if everyone else is doing it, I normally refuse to do so.

Same with Popular Culture.  I refuse to watch or do whatever is “in” now.

I prefer to sit on the sidelines and do my own thing.  I am a Libra….

But this year, after not making New Years Resolutions for more than 20 years, I will break precedent.

That means I may have a few more than the average person….

Here are my resolutions for 2012:

  1. I will go to the gym at least 3 times a week and take yoga class at least once a week.  I’ve done it before, I can do it again.
  2. I will try the “Slow Carb” Diet.  If I do not lose the promised 20 pounds in one month, I will not say “Screw it”, forget #1, and order a recliner, a carton of cigarettes, a case of wine and a pizza.
  3. I will stop running around town in my bedroom shoes.  I tell myself, no one else can really tell they are bedroom shoes, but I know better….
  4. I will do everything I can to defeat the anti-gay marriage amendment in North Carolina this year.
  5. I will try to remind myself I have lived in North Carolina almost as long as I lived in Virginia and try to let go of my Native born Virginia prejudices against all other states.
  6. I will call out companies that do not offer decent Customer Service and Customer experiences.  This may take all my time….
  7. I will try to accept the fact that I live in a declining Democracy and not expect things to work as well as they once did.
  8. I will tell Time Warner Cable to go to hell unless they give me a really good deal on cable.  I can be bought….
  9. I will accept the fact that Barrack Obama is not both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, JFK, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Jesus Christ all rolled into one and be grateful for what he has done and try to get him re-elected.  The alternative is unthinkable.
  10. I will continue to think that people who vote Republican must be very rich or very stupid.
  11. I will spend at least 30 total days in the USAirways Club and be grateful I have a job that lets me do so.
  12. I will try not to judge people unless they behave, dress or vote very badly.
  13. I will remind myself repeatedly that I am a citizen of the World, not of Greensboro, not of North Carolina, not of the South and not of  the USA.
  14. I will try to walk a mile in someone else shoes- as long as they are new- and not high-heeled.  I have bad ankles….
  15. I will recognize that I filter life through  some Elitist filters and, since they are based on education, knowledge and facts,  that’s okay.
  16. I will continue to hate USAirways.
  17. I will have no patience with people who judge only based on their personal religious or cultural “beliefs” no matter how poorly informed and uneducated they may be.  That is no excuse.
  18. I will continue to strive for a world where all people wear all natural fibers and only eat naturally grown/raised food.
  19. I will consider the words “High Fructose Corn Syrup” the worst words of profanity that may be uttered or printed.
  20. I will continue to believe Corporations are not people.
  21. I will continue to believe Jesus Christ would not recognize many modern Christians.
  22. I will continue to hope that Christians finally accept that other people’s beliefs are as legitimate as theirs and let it all wash out in the  afterlife….
  23. I will continue to hope people finally realize there is a separation of Church and State in the Constitution and that it really is best for everyone.
  24. I will hope that we reach the point that religion is such a private, personal journey that I don’t have to have some of these resolutions.
  25. I hope that there is at least one decent movie coming out of Hollywood next year and that we can continue to depend on independent films for good films that challenge the mind and don’t just give an outlet to whiny white women and eternally adolescent men.
  26. I hope there is at least one new show on Broadway that makes me want to go to New York.
  27. I will go abroad.  Somewhere.  It’s been three years.  I need to be reminded of how well some things like mass transportation, health care and food are done in Europe.
  28. I will not to kill anyone in either my birth family or my family of choice.  No matter now much they may provoke me or deserve it…
  29. I will look up at least one old friend and try to reconnect.  As we grow older, we must recognize people who helped make us who we are and what they meant to our journeys….
  30. I will go out of my way to be kind to an elderly Gay person.  The prior generations did not have the choices and benefits we have had and we must look after our own….
  31. I will wear more red because I like it….
  32. I will care even less what others may think…
  33. I will be proud of what I’ve achieved  and not think of what might have been…
  34. I will look forward more than backwards…
  35. I will let people who matter know how much they mean to me,while avoiding cheap sentiment….
  36. I will enjoy life…
  37. I will not fear the future  (My College Motto- took me a long time to appreciate this one…)
  38. I will survive the 2012 Elections no matter what…
  39. I will appreciate my friends- on the blog, on Facebook and in person- and be grateful for so many channels for friendship.
  40. I will celebrate 15 years of being with my soul mate and the most wonderful man on earth by realizing that is the most important gift of all.

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My Grown Up Christmas List

People tell me I am impossible to buy for at Christmas time, so I thought I would make it easier for them this year.

Here is my Grown Up Christmas List.  I don’t mean that smaltzy song about no more wars, no more people torn apart, etc.  I’m not that optimistic, so I’ll set my sights a little lower…

I have more than enough “stuff”, so here is what I really want….

If you can’t get it all now, I’m patient.

My Birthday is in October…

  1. That I win the Powerball lottery.  I’m not greedy, but it would be nice if the Jackpot was more than$50MM.
  2. For there to be a retro revival among today’s youth making Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Lena Horne, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen Role Models again.
  3. For all religious Colleges and Universities to go out of business so their “students” would have to deal with the real world and a diversity of opinions and backgrounds while getting a real education.
  4. A return to the concepts of personal honor, responsibility and dignity.
  5. Manners.  Good manners…..
  6. The understanding that it is preferable to look and act like Ladies and Gentlemen rather than Goths, Pimps, Bigots, Braggards, Thugs, Slackards, Bikers and ‘Ho’s…
  7. That Occupy Wall Street comes roaring back to life in the Spring and is the major force in the 2012 elections.
  8. The abolition of all MBA programs and a renewed focus on Liberal Arts Educations that teach people to think, not manipulate numbers for personal gain.
  9. A decent nation-wide passenger train service so we can avoid our horrible airlines.
  10. That Virgin Atlantic airways takes over the entire US Airline industry and shows them how to do it right.
  11. The understanding that some countries do some things better than we do and that it’s okay to learn from that…
  12. The return of the Preppie Look that was so popular in my youth. We really did look cute….
  13. Laws mandating technology that Telephones and mobile devices will shut down while a motor vehicle engine is running or the person is in a Theatre or Concert Hall.
  14. For people to finally realize and accept that Marriage is, in actuality, only a legal contract between two people, regardless of their sex, that conveys certain public and private protections and obligations and that has nothing to do with religion.  Therefore, it’s not any one else’s goddamn business but those two people so contracted.
  15. If we can’t legalize Gay Marriage, let’s criminalize Straight Divorce.  I’m not above revenge….
  16. That people realize there is no longer any such thing as a Country Club, fiscally responsible, socially liberal Republican.
  17. That someone can logically explain to me why people who think they are such good Christians and moral arbitrators will vote for a  man who abandoned his first wife in the hospital for his mistress, then had an affair on wife number 2, said mistress,  with the latest Mrs Gingrich, but still claims to support a “no adultery” pledge.
  18. Someone to prove to me that Mitt Romney is real and isn’t just a big robotic Ken Doll- made in China, of course.
  19. For all the Crocs factories to go out of business and all existing crocs to spontaneously combust.
  20. Public funding of all US Elections and the abolition of private and corporate donations to political candidates.
  21. A Constitutional amendment that Corporations are not People and that Money is not Free Speech.
  22. The instant revocation of the tax exempt status of any religious institution of any kind that dabbles in politics by telling people how to vote.
  23. For people to realize, once and for all that it was deregulation and primarily the policies of the George W Bush Administration that ruined our economy and caused the deficit.
  24. That some of the Wall Street “leaders” who helped cause the economic crash actually be held accountable and go to jail.
  25. That people realize we have to invest in the future to grow out of the deficit.
  26. While we are at it, that people finally realize George W Bush and Dick Cheney are War Criminals and they are prosecuted as such.
  27. Fox News goes bankrupt and shuts down.
  28. Legislation that states “opinion” journalism must be so identified on TV with a border of flashing red lights and tap dancing pigs so people will know the difference between reporting and propaganda.
  29. Legislation that all company profits, over a certain percent,  must be reinvested in growing the company and creating jobs, not just sat upon or used for Executive Salaries.
  30. All Corporate lobbying expenditures must be matched equally with taxes -paid dollar to dollar, no loopholes.
  31. Legislation that no company employee may make  salary more than X percentage more than the lowest paid employee.
  32. Permanent incarceration, in solitary confinement, of anyone named Khardashian.
  33. The Cancellation of “Jersey Shore”.
  34. A committee, headed by and with veto power held by me, to be created to determine who is an actual “Star” and who is just trash after some cash.
  35. If the GOP wants people to pee in a cup for a check, then all politicians should do the same.
  36. An IQ test and threshold to run for Public Office.
  37. That all my friends from the past years, who meant so much to me, would join Facebook so I could find them and be in touch again.
  38. That people would exercise some control over how many silly pet pictures with captions they post on Facebook.  An occasional one is  cute, but too many, especially as we grow older,  makes one fear they are becoming pet hoarders or otherwise demented.
  39. That everyone had a full length mirror in their home and looked at it long, hard and critically before going out in public.
  40. Effective Mass transportation in all cities with more than 50,000 people.
  41. Renewed focus on planning, creating, saving and building for the future instead of shopping for useless crap to own now.
  42. Renewed focus on the concept of Quality over Quantity.
  43. Legislation prohibiting any more Broadway Musicals based on relatively recent movies.
  44. That television shows must be at least as long as the total air time of their commercials.
  45. Regular, heavily discounted airline fares between all US  airports and London and Paris.
  46. Requirements that all school districts fund Senior and Junior High School Cultural Exchange Learning trips abroad for all students.  You may raise my taxes for this….
  47. For people in the South to realize the Republican Party is using you and not working for your interests….
  48. For the Tea Party People to finally admit they are just bigots who hate President Obama because he is Black….
  49. That 2012 brings us an election resulting in a Democratic President, Senate and House.  At least, something positive might get done…
  50. That the Tea Party is dead and gone.
  51. For people not to argue about the “War on Christmas” or what holidays and traditions should be recognized, but to just shut up and enjoy a season of good will and sharing time-and cocktails- with friends.
  52. Respect that we share many Holidays and Traditions in December- and at other times-with many people who may not believe as we do- and that’s okay.

If you do celebrate Christmas, I ask you to take this time to think  not just about Jesus’s birth but about his life and what he stood for- helping the poor, feeding the hungry, loving your neighbor- and see how you can emulate these Christian behaviors throughout the coming year.

Let’s try to keep this in mind instead of judging and trying to force your beliefs on others throughout the year….

That’s my job.

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The Ghosts of Parties Past….

I was looking for retro Christmas Menu’s and came across these…

The menu’s have not changed all  that much, but look at the prices!


1959 Backyard Tented Summer Dinner Dance for 50 People

Cocktail Hour Smorgasbord
HOT: 
BBQ Ribs
Sliced London Broil
Fried Chicken Wings
Chicken Liver & Bacon

COLD:
Artichokes with Sour Cream Caviar
Cold Shrimp
Cold Lobster Tails


Dinner Menu
Assorted Dinner Rolls
Chicken Tettrezinni
Prime Rib Roast Beef with Tomato Aspic
Caesar Salad
Fresh Fruit

Dessert
Vanilla Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries & Strawberry Sauce



Barman & Bar Supplies
Chairs,, tables, yellow cloths, hurricane lamps, club soda, ginger ale
Liquor supplied by hostess

Food
$6.50 per person = $325.00, tax $48.45

Barman
$17.00, plus extra items

Grand Total = $487.50

 


Early 1960 Sit Down Christmas Dinner for 20 People

Cocktail Hour Smorgasbord
Assorted Cold:
Stuffed Beets
Savory Filled Crème Puffs
Deviled Eggs
Cold Shrimp
Cold Lobster Tails

Hot Canapes Passed:
Chicken Liver & Bacon
Quiche Lorraine


Dinner Menu
Assorted Dinner Rolls & Butter
Crudités – Celery, Olives & Radishes
Roast Turkey with Cornbread Stuffing
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping
Green Vegetable Platter with Stuffed Onions
Spiced Peaches
Ambrosia
Seafood Aspic


Dessert
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Whipped Cream


Food
Two tables of 10 at $14.00 per person
Plus chairs – $15.00

TA DA – Grand Total = $295.00

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Pearl Harbor: How Soon We Forget….

The attack on Pearl Harbor was 70 years ago today- December 7th, 1941.  I’ve seen almost no mention of it on-line or in the news….

Almost 3,000 people died that day- just like on 9/11….

Makes you wonder if, in 70 years, one of the defining events of our era, will be a historical after thought as well…

Funny how history works and the world moves on…

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