Political Nutrition

Amazing as it's been, 2010 is over. Oh, pinch me.  I am not a big New Year's Eve person. Never really was. It requires you to stay up way past a reasonable bedtime. This applies whether you are young or old. When you are really young, and I mean, in your childhood, you should be in bed by 9pm. When you are simply young, and now we're talking college/early to mid-20's, you are typically too drunk to stay alert or remain functioning by 12 am on NYE. And then in your 30's, you are often either a parent, and simply exhausted, or you have worked your ass off all day and can't even think let alone get all dressed up to play sophisticated partier. And then by the time you are in your 50's...well hell. Who cares. 1990 or 2011 you are just plain getting older and need your sleep. So enough about the big event. Let's talk little events. All those wonderful stories our friends and families love to share with us at this time of year. Some call it a Christmas L...

I have 121 Friends on Facebook. I know this because my limit was actually 100 and I have gone over. Why? Not because I have too many friends. Hell, half these people are related to me. It's the Facebook peeping friends. They innocently friend you and you accept, or vice versa,  thinking won't it be nice to catch up and say hi. And usually it is. It also expands your social network and subsequently, your job network.  Which in this economy is critical. Staying in touch with people, reconnecting...it's a social weave that has become a lifesaver for many. It's helped businesses start up, or keep from falling down. It's connected old friends and created new relationships. And while it has it's downside, it's a really fabulous thing. But. (There's always a But.) Then it begins. You begin to notice them. The Few. The Quiet. The Nothings. They never post anything. They never share anything. They never comment on anything. Oh they log in though, because that...

Warning: I am going to offend anyone without a sense of humor. Particularly my Born-Again friends. If I have any. Not sure I do. Anway.... I have always wondered about something. Nothing I can find, in any of the literature or song, says you better be christian or Santa won't come to your house. You have to be nice, not cry, not shout...but since when is Santa an anti-semite? We have a lovely holiday winter solstice tree in our house filled with angels. Yep. Angels. They all say "every time a bell rings an angel gets their wings". Because we are non-practicing unitarians in the desert, the tree isn't real, and the angels are promotional items from my all time favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)  and we fill the house with all holiday music all the time. I love this time of year. I love singing Lennon's Happy Christmas at the top of my lungs with tears streaming down my face. I love hanging cookies with 5 pounds of frosting on th...

Today I will piss off my friends, both right and left. But those on the right, feel free to argue with the left as long as you like. While your average American family suffers through the worst economic crisis in years, the right and left can argue till they're blue in the face. Each claiming they want what's best. Yeah. For them. Its crap and I am sick of it. It's political tug of war and innocent, hard working people are the rope. It's disgusting. I do not claim to have answers. I don't claim this is the best option. But right now Obama's compromise budget is the only one out there and not even debating it is just repulsive. So please. Enough. I thank my lucky stars every day that my family doesn't rely on unemployment, that while it's paycheck to paycheck, we still have our home. Hubby was able to go from Unemployed to Self Employed. But so many don't. So this is about them. Not me. Not Congress. And maybe our esteemed congressmen, congresswom...

The wonderful thing about The United States is the concept that an egalitarian society could exist. One without a rigid class system or glass ceilings. Oh sure there would still be the poor, the middle and the wealthy, but unlike classes you are born into and remain in, here you could dream and achieve more. A beautiful thing. But it's gone. And it's our fault. In this age of instant gratification and entitlement, more and more voters went to the polls with anger in their hearts and ignorance in their heads. And it is tragic. I'm including some new features this holiday season. Books, music and articles that I recommend. No, not doing it for the money. Though as you'll read on, money is good. I'm doing it to help spread a little holiday joy and spirit. Because there seems to be a little bit lacking this year. Although...this season, the GOP side of the Senate is in a holiday mood. Yep. They've caught the Christmas Bug and want to bestow their favors not on the...

Does anyone else want to have a group rebellion against Groupon? I really don't know when it started. Daily offers for facials and hair removal and lava rock massages along with Yoga and weight loss plans. Sure they looked good on the surface, if not rather insulting at the same time. I thought, why are they peppering me with fabulous offers for beauty enhancement services? What are they trying to tell me? Don't they know that I'm a 50 year old with all the bags and wrinkles and war wounds of motherhood?Seems they don't. But they'd like to. In fact they want me to give them pages and pages of personal info so they can tailor the offers to suit me even better. Anyone who buys into this needs their head examined. THINK PEOPLE. Is giving away every personal detail of your life to a MARKETING COMPANY worth that extra 15 minutes under the tanning spray?  Years ago, marketing companies would send surveys out with a dollar for your time. Or, better yet, great offe...

Maybe I'm just a sap. Or a bitter old lady. But Christmas and Channukah, for me, are about joy and laughter, not getting your toes smashed by some bargain hunting crazed shopper on Black Friday. Every year, my generous employer gives us the day off after Thanksgiving. And I love it. I sleep in. Leisurely have my coffee, get caught up on the news. And I'll go walking with my Mom, who THANKFULLY is still around to walk with. Then my husband and I will drag out all the holiday decor and get busy. It wasn't always so. For most of our married lives he worked on Black Friday. Up at the crack of dawn and out the door. We usually didn't get started on the holidays until Sunday night, if then. So this year we make the most of our time. Together. It's no secret I hate shopping at malls. The only store I love this time of year is Macy's, simply for the nostalgia. But even that won't get me to a mall this weekend. There isn't one thing I need so badly that I wou...