DIM BULBS IN CALIFORNIA






A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent light bulbs to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Light bulb Act" would ban incandescent light bulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Clearly this lawmaker hasn’t been watching the “Living with Ed” show on HGTV on Sunday nights. Ed Begley, Jr.’s wife has made a point of the fact that compact fluorescent lights are tremendously unflattering to the complexion. How long will this ban be permitted to endure in youth and beauty conscious Los Angeles? One can only imagine an entire new underground light bulb smuggling network springing up to fill the needs of appearance-obsessed citizens who cannot bear the sight of themselves when lit by a fluorescent bulb!

Given that the entire global warming panic is based on junk science and completely ignores the fact that we are experiencing a normal cyclical change that happens every 1500 years or so, perhaps California should spend less time on tinkering with this kind of nonsense and spend a little more time, energy and effort on seeing to it that their high school graduates can actually READ and understand what they’re reading? Just a suggestion, kids!

SEDITIOUS COWARDS

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
Iraq policy critics, from left, Senators Chuck Hagel, Richard G. Lugar and Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Razorbacks

As President Bush gets off the helicopter in front of the White House, he is carrying a baby pig under each arm.

The squared away Marine guard snaps to attention, salutes, and says: "Nice pigs, sir."

The President replies: "These are not pigs, these are authentic Razorback Hogs, from Arkansas . I got one for Senator Ted Kennedy, and I got one for Senator John Kerry."

The squared away Marine again snaps to attention, salutes, and says, "Nice trade, sir."


h/t the beautiful Jackie Temple

PARIS HILTON SUING A WEBSITE FOR DISPLAYING NUDE PICTURES OF HER!

Apparently Paris Hilton is suing someone for displaying personal items of hers (including nude photographs of her) which they bought (from a storage locker company where they were stored and on which Ms. Hilton apparently never paid the rental fees – she says she “assumed” someone else would pay the fees – she is truly a stupid, stupid woman) as an invasion of her privacy! I don't understand who would want to see this sticklike creature in the nude!

This is a woman who flashes her whatnots when emerging sans underwear from vehicles (in the winter no less) and who has no problem being filmed whilst having sex. And now we learn, she doesn't mind having nude photographs taken of herself. And then is dimwitted enough to store them at a storage facility and not pay the rental!

When are we going to stop making inane twits like this into celebrities? We do it folks – we enable the Paris Hiltons of this world to become famous for no other reason than that their behavior is outrageous, they dress like cheap hookers (except at far higher prices) and they have no discernible talent, nor even a shred of intelligence.

Given the preceding – perhaps we are the stupid ones!

VERY INTERESTING WEEKEND

Politics just didn’t matter to me this weekend because there was figure skating to watch. And what a figure skating lineup it was!

There was the unbelievable pleasure of watching a miracle pulled off by Belbin and Agosto. The miracle was not that they won, although they were challenged more fully than in the past by some stunning performances from other teams. However, their original Free Dance was criticized by international judges during the early part of the competitive season. Most skaters would have soldiered on improving what already existed, and perhaps might even have been defiant about it. Not these two brilliant competitors. They listened to the critiques of judges and other skaters, and went back to work creating (in only 4 weeks which seems improbably short a time) an entirely new program that features entirely new technical elements, most of which were invented by them and had never been used before by anyone. In the process, they increased the technical difficulty of their program by at least double. This is a feat nearly impossible to do and, if you can do it, impossible to skate with any style or finesse. Unless of course your names are Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. These two ARE capable of creating a miracle and having it look like something they’ve been polishing for 6 months! Which miracle was so good it brought tears to my eyes. And as good as it is right now, by March 2007 at Worlds it will be just that much better! Ah, they are spectacular. And their colleagues on the podium are almost equally talented. Neither Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov nor Meryl Davis & Charlie White will in any way embarrass U.S. Ice Dancing.

In Pair Skating, a new force has arisen – the incredible, come-out-of-nowhere pair of Brooke Castile & Ben Okolski who defeated Rena Inoue & John Baldwin for the 2007 U.S. Pairs title. They didn’t just win the Pairs title, they won it convincingly. Yes, Inoue & Baldwin did not skate anywhere near their normal levels (no doubt in part due to the mugging of John Baldwin which is alleged to have happened in Russia before Christmas). The fact remains that Castile & Okolski’s performance stands on its own as a championship performance, pure and simple.

Saturday afternoon we were treated to the ladies’ competition. World Champion Kimmie Meissner was in first place going into the final, followed closely by Bebe Liang, and Emily Hughes. The final 6 began their performances and the first to skate was Alissa Czisny who proceeded to dazzle and enthrall both cranky old me AND the throngs of people in the arena in Spokane with an extraordinarily graceful and technically sound performance wherein she truly did channel the exquisite Audrey Helpburn. In point of fact, she won the free skate. Kimmie Meissner skated a good program, although not at the level of grace exhibited by Ms. Czisny. Emily Hughes, as is her wont, fell on her not inconsiderable fundament. Yes, I realize that was an unkind comment. I harbor mostly unkind thoughts about Ms. Hughes because I do not consider her to be anything other than an entitlement brat whose skating is informed by a lack of grace and charm. So sue me. The results were Kimmie Meissner (reigning World Champion) won the U.S. Championship (Ms. Czisny was way behind coming into the final skate), Emily Hughes placed 2nd and Alissa Czisny ended up 3rd. It bears noting that Ms. Czisny is from Bowling Green, Ohio, the home town of another fairly good skater – the legendary and beloved Scott Hamilton.

The men’s competition was as thrilling as anything I have seen in a very long time. Evan Lysacek skated so brilliantly with enormous technical skill and exceptional style and musicality. He signaled that he had come to Spokane to win from the moment he set foot on the ice, opening his program with a solid quad toe/triple toe combo. His spins were 1,000% better than in the short program. Ryan Bradley, who delighted in the short program, was about as exuberant and irresistible as any skater I have seen in many years. He flew around the ice as though his entire body was on fire, and while his jumps were somewhat terrifying to watch (loosey goosey is an understatement), he landed the things. And when his scores were posted, showing that he had placed 2nd, he was so excited he flew back out onto the ice and treated the audience to a back flip! This is the same young man who had a multicolored suit made for wearing in his short program, so the drummer he hears is one of a kind! Johnny Weir seemed ill trained, low in stamina and more than a little intimidated by the performance of Evan Lysacek which had immediately preceded Weir’s own skate. As I have said before, Johnny Weir needs to start concentrating on SKATING at a competitive level and less on whatever existential crap is floating around in his rather ill groomed head. Winning third place was better than his skate on Saturday night really deserved.

I've always liked Evan Lysacek's skating and he has always fared better internationally than here at home. My estimation of him took another shot upward when it was remarked during the broadcast that his girlfriend is none other than the extraordinarily beautiful Tanith Belbin. Not only can the young man SKATE, he's got great taste in women! You go Evan!

All in all, this was a more satisfying U.S. Championship than I’ve enjoyed in a very long time. My congratulations to the competitors, all of them. And my gratitude to those whose performances and brilliance made my heart ache with joy. If nothing else, I continued to ponder (lots of commercials gave me the time and impetus to do so) how different these young people truly are from so many that we see on a daily basis. These skaters have self-discipline, focus and character in abundance. We need many more like them.

GETTING AWAY FROM POLITICS AND ON TO SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT – FIGURE SKATING

Last night was the beginning of the televised coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships which are, for the first time, taking place in Spokane, WA. The various events will be broadcast tonight, Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon.

There must truly be something in the air or the water because the performances have been almost universally stellar.

Ladies
In the absence of both Sasha Cohen and the legendary Michelle Kwan, this competition was wide open for the first time in about 15 years. World Champion Kimmie Meissner currently occupies first place after the short program, well ahead of one of my least favorite skaters, Emily Hughes who is in third place, behind the energetic, bubbling surprise Beatrisa Liang (who, by the way, has emerged from her teenage dorkiness, sans braces, and is suddenly a remarkably pretty young woman). The thing that made last night’s competition so enjoyable was the fact that all of the top women skated WELL. People are not placed in spite of their skating but because of it – thus making it a true competition. And much as I dislike Emily Hughes as a skater, even I must admit that she did a respectable job last night.

Mens
Three-time U.S. Champion and flake (that's my perception of him and I'm sticking to it) Johnny Weir skated a brilliant and, dare I say it, masculine short program last night that had me breaking into applause. When he concentrates on actual skating, Mr. Weir is quite simply brilliant. When he allows himself to be distracted by all his intellectual and artistic pretensions, he disappoints. Last night he was all business.

Mr. Weir’s extraordinary effort netted him 78.14 which was not enough to secure him first place after the short program. That honor went to Evan Lysacek who landed four clean triples, including a triple Lutz-triple toe combination and a triple Axel for a total score of 78.99 points. The only negatives were his spins, an area that most men tend to relegate to second consideration in favor of ever more spectacular jumps, leaving Mr. Lysacek in the unaccustomed position of being first after the short program.

The fun of the competition came courtesy of Ryan Bradley, 3rd after the short program, who staked his claim to a spot on the podium by smashing his personal best by more than four points with a score of 73.58. This is Bradley's 10th appearance at the U.S. Championships and his seventh as a senior, where his highest previous finish is sixth (2004). Bradley was dressed in a hideous outfit consisting of a bright yellow shirt, blue pants, orange suspenders and green tie with black polka dots and appeared to enjoy himself the most of all the competitors, smiling and playing to the crowd throughout his upbeat program. For those who are a little tired of men in sequins and lace, Bradley is your go-to guy!

Ice Dancing
Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto are in first going into the final phase of the competition and should win easily. I sense that they are experiencing a bit of a letdown after the intensity of the just-past Olympic year, which could explain the normally sure-footed Ben Agosto actually tripping during the Original Dance (a tango). Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov and Meryl Davis & Charlie White are likely to join them on the podium.

I couldn’t help but consider, while watching last night’s broadcast, that these athletes represent something that is too infrequently celebrated these days. The competitors at these championships have, on average, spent the majority of their free time since ages as young as 3 or 4, devoted utterly to the building of their skills on the ice and the emotional strength required to compete at this level.

This intensity and dedication is not something that can be forced upon a young person by a parent. As an aspiring skater “back in the day”, I watched parents attempt to intimidate, berate or shame their children into the kind of effort required to be a champion. It didn’t work. It cannot work. These young people come to this drive, this passion, this utter dedication on their own and they are mature enough to understand that their achievement is only possible due to the application of enormous quantities of work. Thus, the average skater spends most of their non-scholastic hours on the ice or in off-ice training (ballet, weight training, stretching exercises, psychological counseling to deal with performance anxiety, etc.). During the years that are supposed to be the most frivolous of their lives, they have time for 3 things: school, skating and sleep. And trust me, there are times when sleep takes a definite back seat to skating. Even someone as lacking in talent as myself found it impossible to sleep in on days when I had the opportunity to get some ice time at 6 a.m. so I could work on my school figures (Hey, I’m OLD – I did them and I think it was a mistake to jettison them).

What this sport (any sport pursued with some seriousness) builds in our young people is character and the ability to focus on a goal and work to achieve it. Skaters learn enormous self discipline. So to those elite media types who poopoo the idea of competition (because somebody has to lose and then they would feel BAD), let me just say one thing – you are wrong and you are stupid and shut the hell up! If a skater feels BAD because they’ve lost, they’ll do one of two things: quit the sport (in which case, they weren’t serious anyway) or work harder and working harder is the overwhelming choice. This is one of the ways worthwhile Americans are built and thank God for it.

I HAVE SIGNED THE PLEDGE - WILL YOU?

I am supporting the Pledge.

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

I am thoroughly fed up with the un-American, quisling, spineless, appeasing cowards of the left and their fellow traveling Democrats and RINOs (yes Chuck Hagel - you are one of them). It's time to make our feelings ABSOLUTELY clear!

h/t The Wide Awake Cafe

JOHN KERRY TO ANNOUNCE HE IS WITHDRAWING FROM ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL RUN THIS AFTERNOON!

Yahoo News says that Senator John F. Kerry (D-Teresa's Pocketbook) is announcing that he will not run for the presidency and also that he plans to seek another 6-year term as Senator from Massachusetts.

It doesn't seem fair that we won't have Senator Kerry who was, let's all admit it, a disturbingly easy target for our mirth over the past few years. Then again, it's nice to see ONE politician who is at least bright enough to see that he has no chance! (Dennis Kucinich - take note)

UPDATE: 1/25/07 - Doug Powers has a very heartfelt and moving tribute to former nominee John F. Kerry on his website. Be sure to have your Kleenex handy!

NEW ETHICS CHARGES FILED AGAINST MIKE NIFONG!

The North Carolina Bar is stepping up to the plate with additional ethics charges against Mike Nifong, former prosecutor on the Duke LaCrosse case. The transcript of those charges can (already) been seen at The Smoking Gun and they make riveting reading – even if legalese makes your sphincter clench!

LAST NIGHT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

Without going into specifics of the President’s address (I approve of most of what he said – although I would have been hard pressed to resist telling the Dems – and some RINOs - what quisling cowards they are – which is why I would never claim to be a statesman) – the faces in the audience were instructive.

Nancy Pelosi as usual made me think of Hurd Hatfield in The Picture of Dorian Gray – and not in a good way. That frozen visage of hers is exceedingly off-putting! Hillary Rodham Clinton was clearly envisioning herself giving the same address in a few years – like that’s going to happen! After the speech, I surfed around for a few minutes to see what inanities were being spouted by the “talking heads”. Since they were all saying pretty much the same thing and spouting stupidities, I chose to switch to HGTV and watch a home improvement show. Power tools are FUN! And unlike most politicians, they serve a useful purpose.

I wonder: Do the liberal nutcase Dems EVER have a moment of clarity and see themselves for who and what they really are? Somehow I don’t think so. It is VERY depressing.

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE DURHAM WAY!

I confess to deeply felt confusion over why, in the name of all that is logical and just, the entire set of charges against the three wrongfully accused Duke lacrosse players have not been dismissed and a formal apology tendered to their parents. It has been estimated that the legal costs to the families is running in the neighborhood of $80,000 PER MONTH PER FAMILY and remember, this case has been dragging on for nearly a YEAR, with no end in sight. Part of the reason for this excessive cost, according to the enormously readable KC Johnson at the Durham-In-Wonderland site is that the defense attorneys are having to do the prosecution’s job for them in terms of actual investigation of this entire sorry non-incident. When the prosecution doesn’t even interview the complaining witness until a full NINE MONTHS after the supposed assaults occurred, that in itself is, to me, ample proof that there is no case, nor was there ever a case.

I would also commend to your attention an extraordinary column written by Joan Collins which continues the theme of the outrageous victimization of these young men, a victimization which can be seen as a hate crime committed against them BECAUSE they are white and the accuser (serial liar) is black. Let’s be very clear here, I am not disbelieving the accuser because she is black. I am disbelieving this woman because she has told multiple, conflicting and utterly non-believable stories that do not fit with the exculpatory evidence produced by the defense (ATM receipts, cell phone records, restaurant receipts, etc.) and the absence of ANY DNA of the true victims, the Duke lacrosse players under indictment and the PRESENCE of the DNA of five UNRELATED men in or on the accuser’s body or clothing the night of the supposed rape.

The accuser may not be a paragon of virtue, but if she had suffered the violence of rape, I would certainly want to see the perpetrators punished to the full extent of the law. But whatever happened that night, there is NO EVIDENCE that it involved any of the three young men whose lives are, at the moment, utterly shattered. In fact, there is convincing evidence that at least two of the young men were not even on the premises at the time that this accuser says something or other happened. But then how would the prosecutor have ever known that? He refused concrete and unmistakable exculpatory evidence offered to him by the defense from the very beginning and he NEVER attempted to interview the three young men that were subsequently charged with a crime that likely never happened and, if it did, certainly not at their hands.

The fact remains that this case is an absolute disgrace and if the parents of the three indicted-though-innocent young men do not sue the City of Durham and Duke University (whose administration’s behavior throughout has been despicable) for every cent they can get, then I will be disappointed in them.

SOAP OPERAS AND WHY I LIKE THEM

I am a regular watcher of four daytime dramas (soap operas): Days of Our Lives, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. I proclaim my enjoyment of this entertainment genre with no embarrassment and no apology. At least the viewer is not subjected to reruns! I do, however, have a few comments to make:

Days of Our Lives
Since the arrival of the new writing team, the quality and pace have improved dramatically. Even more dramatic, the men on the show actually have cojones again! This is a very welcome change. However, couldn’t we have at least one happy couple on the show? As far as I can recall, Tom and Alice were the last happily married and long-term couple on the show and HE has been dead for how many years now? Is it really necessary to play “Who’s the Daddy?” with Sami’s new pregnancy? Isn’t that cliché just a tad overdone – including recently with Bo and Hope’s new (unnamed) daughter?

All My Children
It’s time for Erica Kane to stop being such a sanctimonious pain in the butt (the same could be said of Jackson Montgomery’s character). Considering her romantic (and marital) shenanigans over the years, Erica has absolutely no business claiming moral superiority over ANYBODY! And her rampant and never ending interference in her children’s lives would have normal children cutting her out of their lives entirely.

It’s also time for her portrayer to start wearing more CLOTHES. Erica Kane has aged, at least chronologically, and while Susan Lucci is a beautiful woman, she is looking pretty stringy these days around the neck, poitrine and arms. Keep on putting her in skimpy tops in the middle of winter, or at any other time, and no illusions can survive. Bear in mind, the actress is six years OLDER than the character she plays. Age appropriate folks is all I'm asking.

And while we're on the subject, normal women do not parade around the workplace dressed the way the women of All My Children are attired, not at any time of the year, unless of course they work at "Hooters" or some place of that type.

There is fan criticism of the transgender story. I won’t join it. Despite my reservations about the story itself, the actor playing Zarf/Zoe is REMARKABLE. And Jeffrey Carlson is drawing out some amazing performances from Alexa Havens, Jacob Young, Michael E. Knight, Colin Eggelsfield, Eden Riegel and a brilliantly snarky performance from Alicia Minshew (who never disappoints).

There are some very talented people in the cast who are frequently underutilized (You permitted Julia Barr to get away in favor of an Ambyr Childers? Are you NUTS?) and some truly annoying and primarily useless “newbies” are now on board. When you have the masterful Thorsten Kaye, Cameron Mathison and Jeff Branson, why in the name of hell do you need the inept services of the actresses playing Colby Chandler (Childers) and Sydney, not to mention the unnecessary services of Sean Montgomery’s character and whoever the amateur is that is playing him? The City of New York is wall-to-wall with really talented performers seeking a break. And you already have some truly gifted people on the show (David Canary, Justin Bruening and so on) – so why these three wastes of time in human form? Write better storyline for the talented actors you HAVE and quit taking on training projects at the viewers' expense.

One Life to Live
Enough already with the brooding hero schtick of John McBain! The character is played by a talented actor who is capable of so much more nuance and range than he is being given to portray. Natalie started out as a feisty, strong-willed, intelligent character. When did she become a whining, needy weakling? And why, if a woman has Antonio Vega in her bed would she give even one look at the character of Nash? Particularly when he is played by an actor whose hair is forever hanging in his face (NOT a good look) and who seems to be perpetually engaged in doing the “potty dance” in all of his scenes?

When oh when are we going to get rid of that smirking and evil buffoon Dr. Spencer Truman?

Finally, why in the name of heaven is that boxing promoter Vincent still hanging out in town? And why should we care? Buh-bye Vincent! Why they kept you and killed off the character of Hugh Hughes is beyond me!

General Hospital
I really think it’s time to get back to doing what you’ve always done best. Center the stories around the hospital and get back to your basics. You’ve made a start in that direction with the storylines involving the return of Robert Scorpio, Robin Scorpio, Anna Devane, Dr. Noah Drake (the still dreamy Rick Springfield, whose appeal has matured along with his fans) and the bittersweet return of the Luke and Laura saga. But now Luke is out of the picture temporarily and there’s no Robert Scorpio to be seen, while Bobbie Spencer and Dr. Noah Drake are seldom on view. Instead the writers are sliding toward the road more easily taken and relying again on the Sonny/Jason/Carly/Sam characters. There is no doubt that these four characters bring a delightful edge to the program. There is also no doubt that the core families and the hospital setting are also vital to the arc of the show.

In their favor, GH has managed to make some really brilliant casting choices: Julie Marie Berman as the legendary Luke and Laura’s daughter, Lulu, was sheer genius. Laura Wright as the 4th incarnation of Carly Corinthos makes you wonder who played the part before – that’s how good she is. Pairing Julie Marie Berman with the outrageous and delightful Scott Clifton is inspired. And regardless of what others may think – Spinelli IS hilarious!

And yes, the Corinthos crime family needs conflict, but the Alcazar storyline has become tedious and utterly boring and makes me grateful for my fast forward button.

Finally, when oh when is someone going to insert a much-needed shiv between the ribs of D.A. Rick Lansing and put all of us out of his misery? A truly remarkable actor is being wasted as his character’s traits are being subverted in a direction they should never have gone. Yes, the character has always been despicable, but he was always permitted a certain level of vulnerability as well. Now he’s just pure evil. Here’s a thought – let Ric eliminate Alcazar permanently and be himself eliminated during his escape attempt! Clean, simple and efficient!

SO NOW YOU KNOW WHAT I WATCHED WHILE ON VACATION!

BEING ON VACATION HAD UNEXPECTED BENEFITS!

I took last week off primarily because, since the short residence of my unexpected (and unwanted) roommate a year ago, my apartment has never seemed to resolve itself into some form of its previous order. My frustration at the perceived disorder (other people didn’t see it but I knew it was there) was complicated by the fact that I was really, really, really exhausted from the emotional upheavals of the past two plus years.

The unexpected benefit was that I hardly turned on my computer during the 9 days of my vacation and only watched the television news a couple of times.

Heck, until last night, I didn’t even know that the Spawn of Satan had announced her candidacy for the presidency. And to be honest, I could have lived without that knowledge for quite a bit longer. I must admit that I am looking forward to Dick Morris' 90-minute film presentation on La Reigna Hillary which is coming to a theatre near us soon. From his description, the lady won't like it much.

I did, however, manage to keep my eye on the Duke LaCrosse persecution being conducted by now former prosecutor Mike Nifong. Can I ask a simple question? WHY DOESN’T THIS FREAKING CASE SIMPLY GO AWAY? The indictments were erroneous, the boys are innocent, Nifong is an idiot and anyone who pursues this case further is an even bigger idiot. Just my opinion.

What did I accomplish, besides getting about 9-10 hours sleep per night? (Accomplishment enough think I!) Well, I organized my pantry closet and that alone will save me a great deal of stress and money in coming months. I cook a lot of tomato based dishes and the disorder in my pantry caused me to be unable to find the stores of tomato products (crushed, whole, diced, stewed, tomato paste, etc.) that I KNEW were there but which were buried amidst the rubble of various kinds of coffee, canned goods, baking supplies, etc., etc. So of course, each time I trundled to the grocery store, I'd buy MORE.

Post-organization, I will not be needing to purchase anything in the tomato line for oh, I don’t know, another 3-6 months! I have sufficient baking supplies, I find, to last me until I’m too old or too fat to care. And the potable and intoxicating liquid supply is quite sufficient for the foreseeable future. I have, apparently, been harboring a secret fear that the world's supply of vodka is going to disappear! That's the only explanation for the 5 bottles in my cupboard!

The bedroom closet is taking a little more time because I’m low on some necessary supplies and also low on the time, interest or energy to weed out the remainder of the clothing that will be going to charity. Everything in my closet MUST be on white hangers, you see, all arranged according to function and color, all hangars pointing the same way and all garments facing toward the bedroom. It’s not that I’m OCD really (although I’m sure I am a tiny little bit) – it’s just that in the morning I’m really not wide awake enough to put together my outfit for the day unless there is a very specific organization plan at work. The spare room closet also needs attention but I need to get a supply of matching storage containers in which to put everything so that I can then easily find the materials stored and also stack them in a tidy and efficient fashion (leaving space for actual clothing of guests to also be hung in the closet).

I also spent a great deal of quality time with Sam and Tim – and that involvement was rewarded by two very contented felines who absolutely LOVED having me at home, although they saw no reason why I should be doing anything other than cuddling one or the other of them – or both of them when the spirit moved Sam to join Tim in a lapsit – on a pretty much nonstop basis. When I did venture forth from the apartment (nail appointment, hair appointment, trip to the library, grocery shopping but not for tomato products), they were MOST incensed and yammered at the front door until I was out of earshot. I did, however, find them curled on my bed upon my return, quite blissfully doing what they usually do in the afternoons – snoozing!

Vacations are a wondrous thing, made more so by reasonably decent (though cold) weather, ignorance of the world’s nuttiness, affectionate felines, and lots and lots of white hangars!

Still – it’s good to get back to normal (or what passes for it in my world).

STATE TAKES OVER DUKE/LACROSSE TEAM FIASCO!

Nifong has slithered out from under and now the State of North Carolina Attorney General's office has taken over the case.

Don't get your hopes up folks. These guys are JUST AS political as Mike Nifong and, depending on the experience and qualifications of the prosecutors chosen, could be just as inept!

NEW TELEPHONE GREETING!

Wouldn't it be pretty amazing , if this caught on, all over the country . . . ?

" GOOD MORNING ,WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES "

" Press 1 if you speak English. "

" Press 2 to disconnect until you can.”

BUT SENATOR BOXER, I THOUGHT THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT WAS ABOUT CHOICE!?

In today's edition of The New York Post:

"Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, an appalling scold from California, wasted no time yesterday in dragging the debate over Iraq about as low as it can go - attacking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for being a childless woman. Boxer was wholly in character for her party...--snip--The vapidity - the sheer mindlessness - of Sen. Boxer's assertion makes it clear that the next two years are going to be a time of bitterness and rancor... "

The editorial also takes some other prominent Dems to the "woodshed" as well. Good on you! If this behavior keeps up, these Dems are going to be facing RECALL elections all over the country based on their inability to work and play nicely with others! Nancy Pelosi and Charlie Rangel are already feuding for heaven's sakes. Seems La Pelousy has decided to bypass committee chairs in order to achieve HER agenda.

It just keeps getting better and better. I gave her six months. At this rate, six weeks will be a closer guess.

GUESS WHO IS GETTING A WEEK OF VACATION!?

Blogging will be intermittent as I apply myself to the task of organizing the spare (computer) room, the pantry and the closets. Some time will be devoted to cuddling and photographing the feline residents of my home and I will be doing some "girlie" primping as well!

Be assured that, thanks to the new computer, I will be keeping an eye on national and world events and offering my sometimes offbeat take on matters as the situation inspires.

FOLLOW UP ON THE DURHAM SOAP OPERA!

Actually, as a devotee of General Hospital, I can tell you that the soaps are a lot more believable and more logically written than the latest foolishness being huckstered about by Mike Nifong, prosecutor-run-amok. For more information, go to the extraordinary KC Johnson's Durham-in-Wonderland and read all about it!

The NC Bar Ethics Hearing apparently isn't scheduled until May - but keep those respectful cards and letters headed their way!

THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BAR
208 Fayetteville Street
PO Box 25908
Raleigh, NC 27611-5908

AS PRESIDENT BUSH PROPOSES, SO THE DEMOCRATS OPPOSE!


Why is this a surprise to absolutely nobody?

The extraordinary Anchoress has a complete round up of the various quisling idiots in the left wing of the Democratic Party – and even the so-called mainstream Dems – who were totally FOR more boots on the ground, until the President of the United States, after extensive and thorough consultations with his national security people, the Pentagon, Generals in Iraq and other experts, proposed to do so.

What is it with these people? Are they such utter political creatures that their own agenda is more important than the security of this nation? Do they REALLY believe that they can negotiate with people like the militias and Iran’s current regime? Do they honestly believe that just talking to Hamas and Hezbollah is going to solve anydamnedthing?

OR ARE THEY COWARDS?

With the slavish support of the defeatist, agenda-driven mainstream media and even some so-called centrist media (Thanks, Bill O’Reilly, you unbelievable asshole!), the safety and security of the American people (which O’Reilly condescendingly calls “the folks” which totally chaps my hide), this nation is in grave danger of being destroyed.

And the most remarkable thing about all of this is that those idiots who are undermining the Great War on Terror will probably be the first to perish in the conflagration. And they just don’t GET IT!

The President is a man of faith, values and remarkable courage. Those of us who support him and believe in him must send him cards and letters (Remember snail mail?) letting him know that we believe in him and his campaign to protect this nation from further outrages like 9/11/01! And it wouldn’t hurt to let your congressional representatives know that you are fed up with this seditious nonsense.

And we must pray as we have never prayed before. Our lives and the lives of those we love (and even the lives of those we don’t like) are on the line, make no mistake.

GOD BLESS OUR PRESIDENT AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and God save us from Durbin, Kennedy, Reid, Pelosi, Murtha and their moronic colleagues.

MOST RIDICULOUS LIBERAL OF 2006


Vote early! Vote often!

LAST NIGHT I DISCOVERED A NEW SOURCE OF HEALTHY LAUGHTER!

So there I was, about 9:30 p.m., curled up in bed with the cats. Tim was in his usual spot, on top of the blanket and under the comforter, curled up against my left hip and Sam was on my right side, head on my leg (in case I developed an urgent need to pet a cat). I was doing that remote control mambo I usually do at night when I happened upon an HBO Comedy Special called “Larry Miller – It’s Just Words”. At the moment I tuned in, Mr. Miller (no relation) was describing his first ski trip and was, at that moment, pointing out the various disadvantages of RENTING equipment at the ski resort. Been there, done that, so I recognized the humor inherent in the situation and started chuckling.

Those were the last chuckles I emitted. From then on, it progressed to guffaws and then laugh out loud helplessness, which eventually led to tears running down my face! The man is seriously funny, folks and if you have HBO, I really recommend you track down another showing of the program and tape it or DVR it for current or future enjoyment. Let's get real here - HBO shows any special over and over again multiple times. Trust me, you'll find it. It's worth the search. Better yet, I’m going to try to track down a DVD of the program to keep for future use. He’s that good!

If you saw the movie “Pretty Woman”, you’ll remember him as the hilarious store employee “sucking up” to Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. From his website, I also learned that he is the author of "Spoiled Rotten America", a book that will be added to my library in the immediate future.

Enjoy! I know I did - and will continue to do so.

BY POPULAR REQUEST!


Everyone to whom I e-mailed this wanted to see it on my blog. I don't know who wrote it, but whoever did has met my cats!

Your Cat's New Year's Resolutions

My human will never let me eat their pet hamster, and I am at peace with that.

I will not slurp fish food from the surface of the aquarium.

I will not eat large numbers of assorted bugs, then come home and throw them up so the humans can see that I'm getting plenty of roughage.

I will not lean way over to drink out of the tub, fall in, and then pelt right for the box of clumping cat litter. (It took FOREVER to get the stuff out of my fur.)

I will not use the bathtub to store live mice for late-night snacks.

We will not play "Herd of Thundering Wildebeests Stampeding Across the Plains of the Serengeti" over any humans' bed while they're trying to sleep. (Sam and Tim at least once per week)

I cannot leap through closed windows to catch birds outside. If I forget this and bonk my head on the window and fall behind the couch in my attempt, I will not get up and do the same thing again.

I will not assume the patio door is open when I race outside to chase leaves.

I will not stick my paw into any container to see if there is something in it. If I do, I will not hiss and scratch when my human has to shave me to get the rubber cement out of my fur.

If I bite the cactus, it will bite back.

When it rains, it will be raining on all sides of the house. (My boss had a cat who never grasped this concept) It is not necessary to check every door.

I will not play "dead cat on the stairs" while people are trying to bring in groceries or laundry, or else one of these days, it will really come true. (Sam)

When the humans play darts, I will not leap into the air and attempt to catch them.

I will not swat my human's head repeatedly when they are on the family room floor trying to do sit ups. (this will never be an issue in Gayle's house)

When my human is typing at the computer, their forearms are *not* a hammock.

Computer and TV screens do not exist to backlight my lovely tail.

I will not puff my entire body to twice its size for no reason after my human has watched a horror movie.

I will not stand on the bathroom counter, stare down the hall, and growl at NOTHING after my human has watched the X-Files.

I will not drag dirty socks onto the bed at night and then yell at the top of my lungs so that my humans can admire my "kill."

I will not perch on my human's chest in the middle of the night and stare until they wake up. (Tim)

I will not walk on the key board when my human is writing important adagfsg gdjag ;ln.

If I must claw my human I will l not do it in such a way that the scars resemble a botched suicide attempt.

If I must give a present to my human guests, my toy mouse is much more socially acceptable than a big live bug, even if it isn't as tasty.

The End

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FLORIDA GATORS!

What - you expected a BIG picture? I'm a good sport but not that good!

WELL, NOW THE DEMS ARE IN CHARGE OF THE U. S. CONGRESS - BOTH HOUSES!

Apparently the new House Speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, believes she is experiencing a coronation, not an election to a position that can be taken from her at any time. Based on her pathetic demonstration of non-leadership so far, that is likely to happen. She and her asinine cohorts are now promising to fix all the ills of America in 100 hours because they are so skillful at running the government. Sure they are.

Ms. Pelosi was not terribly skillful when she intended putting an impeached federal judge in a position of power on the House Intelligence Committee, a chairmanship that should have gone to the qualified Jane Harman and ended up in the hands of the unqualified Rep. Reyes. For our sake I hope that Rep. Reyes now knows more about our enemies than he did a few weeks ago.

Despite promises of bipartisanship, Ms. Pelosi is doing everything in her power to block members of the House who happen to be Republican from any of the deliberations taking place.

Ms. Pelosi also apparently has overlooked the fact that anything proposed and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives still needs the concurrence of the U.S. Senate (where the Dems only have a 1 vote majority and Joe Lieberman isn't that dependable any longer) AND the signature of the President of the United States who is STILL Commander in Chief and who still outranks her (thank God).

My view is that Nancy Pelosi will, in the fullness of time, begin to torpedo the possibility of any leadership position for a woman in this country for a good 50 years. At that point, Mrs. Clinton may be moved to swift and decisive action vis-a-vis Ms. Pelosi's Speakership. I give it 6 months - maybe less than that.

FIVE THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME!

1. One of my favorite movies is “Gumball Rally” which stars a very young Michael Sarrazin and the truly hilarious Norman Burton and was my first introduction to my most beloved (and sadly now gone) actor – Raul Julia.

2. I cannot sing, and won’t do it even in the shower. I do, however, sing to my sister very, very early on her birthday every year. My theory is that after hearing that, her day WILL go uphill.

3. I have worked as a waitress, on-site superintendent in the construction industry, accountant, legal secretary, paralegal, point-of-purchase demonstration manager (you know, those folks who fry eggs without butter or oil at the entrance to your local J.C. Penney store – or at least they used to) and assistant producer of a radio talk show in Cleveland, Ohio. I think I might still have one more career left in me!

4. I am currently reading “Pawing Through the Past” by Rita Mae Brown and her co-writer, her cat Sneaky Pie Brown. Mystery novels are my way of decompressing after the holidays or after any other stressful time in my life.

5. I insist that all my hangers in my closet match exactly in color and that they are all hanging in the same direction. Further, my clothing in my closet is arranged according to color and type of article. To those of you who think that’s insane, I don’t disagree.

I was tagged by the beautiful and talented Pam over at Blogmeister. I will be tagging: Ms. Kitty over at Kitty Litter, Aaron from Lifelike Pundits, Brooklyn Boy at Hillary Needs a Vacation. Laura Lee at The Wide Awake Cafe, and Dave over at http://thirdwavedave.blogspot.com/.

Life is pretty depressing too much of the time. We might as well have a chuckle!

SOMETIMES YOU JUST HEAR THE DAMNEDEST THINGS ON CNN!

I was channel surfing last night (what - you though only MEN did it?) and happened upon a round table on CNN just in time to hear a female panelist who clearly thought our nation having open borders was just the coolest thing around make a remark that absolutely floored me. She said, "The Founding Fathers were all illegal immigrants!" and my jaw definitely did drop open!

This is proof positive that there are way more ignorant people on the left than even I had originally thought. And the moral relativism implicit in this comment was stunning.

The Founding Fathers were BORN HERE you ignorant buffoon and it wasn't even a country yet!

If you're going to be an anti-American, morally deficient idiot - at least do a little research! Oh, but wait, people who actually understand and know our history generally are CONSERVATIVES. And those who manipulate the FACTS in our nation's history are generally either college professors or liberals.

There are days when I despair of our nation's future - then I remember those intelligent, well-educated and steadfast young men defending us in Iraq, our President and the good people I know and I once again feel hope.

BARBARA WALTERS DOESN'T REGRET HIRING ROSIE O'DONNELL

Ms. Walters has now returned from vacation and the 75 year old creator of "The View" avers she is not sorry she hired the bombastic and controversial Rosie O'Donnell. Ms. Walters says that the ratings are up and that justifies the retention of Rosie O'Donnell on "The View". Have we heard the liberal viewpoint expressed any better? For liberals, the end DOES justify the means. Ms. O'Donnell can defame anyone she wants to, say anything vile and despicable she desires, insult the President of the United States (on the airwaves that still, Ms. Walters, belong to the AMERICAN PEOPLE, not you) and she can do so with your blessings?

I think it is time for ABC INC CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND PUBLISHING, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California 91521 (818) 460-1000 to start receiving snail mail expressing OUR opinion of Rosie O'Donnell's continued employment on "The View". As always, do not stoop to the kind of language employed on leftist blogs. I would like to think - and actually do believe - that we are better than that.

HANG ONTO YOUR BVDs - IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY RIDE!

The always amazing A.J. Strata points out that Nancy Pelosi and her confreres have painted themselves into somewhat of a sticky corner with their 100-hours rhetoric. Amble on over to read all of it. To me, the money quotes are:

"But ramming bills through the House could end up being little more than a symbolic gesture. The tougher test for Democrats will be getting the same measures through the Senate, where the incoming majority leader, Harry Reid, will have only a one-vote majority and the Republicans will have the procedural power to gum up his agenda."

"The showboating inherent in the 100 hour promise is not on anyone’s national priority list. And when all that work is thrown out to the realities of their situation Democrats will, as they deserve, look petty (for wanting to show off) and inept (for wasting time). "

####

Brilliant analysis, as always, and if Strata’s predictions are as correct as I suspect them to be, it’s going to be a very fun first 100 hours – for us, not the Dems.

TONIC FOR THE SOUL

Please do read the extraordinary Anchoress today. There is much on which to reflect in her writings, today more than usual.

MIKE NIFONG CONFUSES THE HELL OUT OF ME!

A newly published interview quotes Mike Nifong as saying that if the accuser cannot or will not identify Evans, Finnerty, and Seligmann, then Nifong will be forced to drop the charges. Excuse me for stumbling on this one a little - how could she NOT identify these three young men whose PICTURES have been plastered all over the newspapers and television for nearly a year? And shouldn't the accuser have participated in a proper line-up quite some time before the first hearing in February?

This IS the same Mike Nifong who said if there was no DNA match, no charges would be filed?

This IS the same Mike Nifong who has PERSECUTED three innocent young men for nearly a year?

This IS the same despicable cretin who just had ETHICS charges filed against him by the State Bar of North Carolina, including charges that he talked entirely too much to the press?

So of course, this latest unbelievable statement was part of a THREE HOUR interview just concluded with Mr. Nifong and the New York Times!

The mind reels!

WELCOME TO 2007!

There will be lots of changes in our lives, I’m sure, due to the Democratic majority. The one change I think we should not expect is a dialing down of the rhetoric and hate speech emanating from the left. Their unreasoning and over-the-top hatred of President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and, for that matter, any Republican has become and continues to be somewhat frightening.

What exactly do these left wingers expect to accomplish by labeling the President of the United States in such pejorative fashion? Do they REALLY believe that President George W. Bush has committed the sins that Hitler did? Enslaving an entire group of people (millions of Jews) and herding them into death camps? Do they honestly believe something that bizarre about our President? And do they believe that they’ve just gotten lucky that they haven’t been herded off to those camps? Or are they just plain nuts!?

The disconnect and lack of logic is actually awe inspiring in its own way. On the one hand, these leftist mouthpieces label the President of the United States as performing all manner of heinous acts and Tim Robbins’ even goes so far as to say the “chill wind” of repression of speech is blowing – but it sure doesn’t stop HIM from running his mouth at will and babbling all manner of inane and scurrilous remarks about the man who is his President every bit as much as he is mine. Nor has this so-called chill wind stopped ANYONE, including but not limited to, Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Natalie Maines, Cindy Sheehan, all the readers of Daily Kos and an entire host of other somewhat out-of-touch characters. In fact, as far as I’ve been able to see, ONLY people who don’t agree with Robbins, Penn, Streisand, et al. are expected to shut up and not express themselves.

What we have here, to borrow a phrase, is a failure to communicate: intelligently and rationally. When President George W. Bush won (yes won – there have been numerous recounts conducted by numerous independent news organizations who have no reason to love President Bush and all have concluded that he DID WIN Florida – fair and square so don't EVEN start that nonsense with me) the 2000 election after Al Gore’s extended temper tantrum put our entire nation through hell for a number of weeks, it seems to me that a large number of people on the left became completely unhinged and, without proper treatment, none of them have recovered.

And regardless of the claims of the left, President George W. Bush WON the 2004 election as well. The claims of “thievery” in Ohio have been completely debunked, as have the claims made elsewhere. The fact of the matter is, the left considers any election they don’t win to have been “stolen” – regardless of what the facts prove.

I have concluded that the completely unacceptable and vile rhetoric of those who revile President George W. Bush stems from the baby-boomer generation who were taught to HAVE self-esteem, rather than EARN self-esteem. They want what they want when they want it and, if denied, they will rant and rave and throw their bodies to the floor (metaphorically speaking) and pound their little fists in complete frustration.

I think we must work very hard during the next two years in our efforts to put these whining, crabby babies on “time out” until they learn to work and play nicely with others, something that is clearly out of their range at the moment.

In the meantime, responding in kind is – or should be – beneath us. If someone has to exhibit the kinder, gentler nature in this political landscape, I think it must be us. I have found most conservatives to be mature, intelligent, thoughtful, well-educated and, most important of all, sane. If the rhetoric is to be cooled, it is, therefore, up to us to show the way with patience and as much kindness as we can muster. And if that doesn’t work, smack their little bottoms and send them to the corner until they learn to behave themselves!