Disqualified On The Basis Of Sex

Did you see the story about what I feel is the most interesting of the Miss Universe contestant ever? Jenna Talackova, 23, has been disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada competition because she was born a male. And she doesn't look like it, because she is smoking hot. Jenna says that she began hormone therapy at age 14. At 19, she had sexual reassignment surgery.

The Miss Universe Canada web site states that to enter the pageant, a woman must be a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27. If basic requirements are met, they are asked to fill out a longer application form. The form does not mention any rules against sexual reassignment surgery. But when kicking her out of the competition the pageant organizers said it was because "she lied about her gender". Hmmm If she lied maybe she should run for political office instead of for Miss Universe.

Despite the ban, she is as beautiful or more so than the other Canadian contestants and I wish she would be allowed to stay in the competition. But the Miss Universe contest is a private one and exclusive to "natural" women only. If a private contest wants to make dubious rules, so be it. It's there show. I would love to see Jenna be allowed in and overjoyed if she won because it would be good for society, for breaking down sexual stereotypes and because it would be a much more entertaining pageant if opened to transsexuals.

These big beauty contests have become too stuffy and stale. No wonder fewer women want to be involved in them. I say let all the trannies in (If they do it I will place a bet on Miss Thailand to win). It would help break down hate and discrimination aimed at transsexual people and might revive those boring beauty pageants.

Just think of the fun in trying to guess which of the contestants is a tranny and which not, and of all the men who get boners looking at their favorite contestant and then find out the she was once a he. Too, if those stupid reality shows can have audiences vote on the winners of their production, I say the Miss Universe pageant should do the same. When a girl like Jenna wins and it is announced that the most beautiful woman in the universe is a transsexual one, the whole notion of sexual stereotypes will be destroyed. The Mr. Universe pageant (Is there one of those?) could also have their selection in conjunction with the Miss Universe version. Maybe a woman who had a sex change operation to become a man could win the Mr. Universe contest. nobody would know who should wear a dress! Men everywhere would start buying bras and walking in heels.

Maybe even the first male pregnancy would not be far behind! Ok, I am over doing it a little in expecting that. Anyway, I think Jenna's entrance into the contest was fascinating and good for society. I should go by a bra for myself to celebrate....

Too Much Noise

Are you aware that there is allot of noise out there? I am, and I don't like it. No matter where you live today, the noise level has increased and may be affected our peace of minds. It's un natural to live in a world of noise. Uh, noise is not sound. Sound is not unsettling because it is natural. A bird singing, the wind howling...those are sounds. But noises are man made irritants that have increased dramatically over time as humans have perfected newer but noisy technologies.

Some noises are more troubling to me than others. Maybe the most irritating noise is the many annoying ring tones of cell phones. Whoever determined that making loud cell noises was a need for cell users must have been driven mad by to many other noises. The "cute" jingles or obnoxious blaring songs some people use as ring tones are the worst.

And what about profanity we hear every day on the street, in private, everywhere. The loss of civility in society that marks our course culture today produces a product- filthy language. Have you noticed how profanity is spoken more loudly and aggressively than pure language? Have you noticed how people accept it as normal? Profanity may be the worst kind of noise because it is both physically distasteful and morally offensive. That it is so widely used, means it may be the canary in the mine that should tell us that it is time to tone down the noise of all types.

Another noise that is maddening to me is the loud music some people play while driving in their cars. You can bet the music is a filthy rap "song" or music that no one would listen to if it were played at a normal volume. I have never heard anyone blare classical music on his or her car radio as I drove next to them. It's probably because those who listen to classical music are far more intelligent and thoughtful than rap music fans. You can bet if someone is blasting rap music in his car it's not only because he or she likes what is played, but probably because the loud noise that the music makes keeps them from having to think, something those types rarely do in any case.

Perhaps the worst kind of noise for all of us who think the world is much ado about noise is that of cumulative noises. The world's biggest ever and most technological society has too many cars, planes, lawn mowers, TV's and sundry other devices that seem to never stop playing...loudly. They are so noisy that many of us are accustomed to noise and don't notice them much of the time. In that case, the noise has defeated us. Noise is distraction and distraction stops the mind from thinking (as the total noise level increases the aggregate thinking level decreases). When we stop thinking about matters big and small we are less aware and, thus, more easily controlled by people, governments and forces that act in a selfish interest rather than for the individual and common good. As a result, life becomes a little less pleasant.

Is it possible to escape the excessive noise today? Probably short of moving into isolation and living away from them or disdaining them as much as one can, no. It is a shame we can only cope somewhat by understanding noise and trying to adapt to much of it. The world would be a calmer, more tolerant and a kinder place if we had less noise. Just be grateful that you read this and don't have to listen to me reading it. That would be noise of the worst kind.

Don't Eat What Tastes Good

What a surprise. Today I read that another of those scientific "studies" indicates that eating unprocessed red meat (hamburger, pork, roast beef, lamb) and processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausage) may increase a person's risk of premature death and raise their risk of death from heart disease and cancer. And that's not all. In the same newspaper it also said today that people who drink just one sugary drink a day, including soft drinks, fruit juice drinks and sports drinks have a bigger increase in a risk for heart attacks than those who don't drink them. Sigh, I feel feint and need a glass of water after reading about the latest "bad food".

But wait! Don't the experts studies also say that water is filled with carcinogens and can kill you too? I wonder if anything is safe to eat or drink these days? Maybe, but those studies are attempting to kill my enthusiasm for anything good tasting. And that's not healthy! Still, something that has good taste has got to be good to eat. Perhaps those studies and not our food are the real disease causing agents. I have a secret hope that everyone who participated in food study and died prematurely, not from twinkies and ice cream, but from the air he or she breathed breathed air. They have already told us a million times that breathing air is ingesting pollutants and that has been determined to cause early death too. So it's the air pollutants that are is killing us, not the food. Better for me to believe that than the food police. I just want to eat my donuts and other bad food in peace and confidence.

It's odd that so many things we like are said to be bad for us. Too many of the habits and behaviors that are good for our souls are being tabbed as bad for our hearts or some other body part. Life should be enjoyed, and I don't think a diet or organic tofu, or whatever they want me to eat, is going to be pleasurable for me. The minute you name a pleasurable activity today, they define it as bad. I don't want to be starved or killed by a menu of nasty tasting foods. I don't want to be run ragged by needless exercise.

I don't want to be on the trendy tract that people mindlessly board these days in order to conform to the "experts" latest declarations. Being human includes enjoying a variety of activities that involve risks of varying degrees. If we only cat out on the "approved ones" we don't really live life fully.

In all the hysteria to eat what is defined as "healthier" for the body we are losing the concept that feeding our bodies, souls and spirits with goodies is that which makes life more fun and more sensible for us to embrace. Eating a hamburger and french fries should not be a "risk", it should be a reward. In life, all that we do has some element of tradeoff. We give up something to get whatever it is we choose to do. I think the tradeoff of eating the foods we like, regardless whether they are "expert endorsed", has a rather low negative when compared to many other things we do- driving on a freeway, working in a job we hate, being married to the wrong person etc.

Perhaps the experts who warn us of "bad foods" don't understand the degree of risk involved in what they warn against is really quite low in the whole spectrum of risks. Scientists sometimes live in a bubble. They know a lot about their clinical world, but lack a broader understanding of the abstractions in life, those that make life more joyous. I think that tomorrow we should conduct an experiment on the scientists involved in those food studies. If we can get them out of their bubble, we should have their low fat foods and tofu confiscated and instead force them to eat a burger, fries and sugary lemonade drink for lunch.

They really do need a better diet..... for the sake of their souls!

I've Stepped Away From My Desk

How many times have you heard it? I'm referring to the goof-off's favorite phone recorded euphemism that means he or she doesn't want to take your phone call, talk to you or do the work listed in the employee job description. Yes, the dreaded "I have stepped away from my desk" and am not going to answer your call is becoming way too common. Some employees, particularly those who work for the federal or state government, seemingly never answer their phones. The "stepped away from my desk" is on their phone every day, every hour, every time you or I call the office for the information we need. I am certain those employees can't have diseased prostates or bladders that weak. So why are they away so much?

Supposedly, the "I stepped away from my desk" message on the office phone is for the rare times the employee is in a meeting, at lunch or busy with some activity that takes them away from answering their phone. But as government has become bigger and more useless jobs created so politicians can gain votes by filling them, more and more of those employees are away from their desks. I wonder what they are doing while away and why, when I hear that message and leave my number in reply to their recording that I "please leave your name and number and I will return your call as soon as possible" (the second most dreaded employee goof-off message), they either never return my call or do it days later when I no longer need their help.

I have thought about leaving the "stepped away from my desk" message on my own phone for those times when I expect those always missing employees to return my call. But Alas! I am afraid they might leave another even more frustrating message for me in reply and never call back at all, something like, "Because you have stepped away from your desk we assume you know longer need to speak with us and will never dial your number again".

In 1930 in the United States there were about 600,000 employees who worked for the federal government. Of that total almost half were postal workers who had no desks to step away from. Today's more than 3 million federal workers (of which very few are postal workers) have plenty of company in their offices to do about the same amount of work, something equivalent to the six guys fixing a pothole on a city street....one working and five watching them work. So why isn't someone answering the ---- phone!

I am aware that in 1930 there were no answering machines to help the workers to goof-off (no wonder I hate modern technology so much) and avoid answering phones like they do today. But shouldn't someone be responsible for answering phone calls to a government offices? You and I both know the "stepped away from my desk" is a ruse, a scam, a fraud of the worst sort. If necessary to stop the constant stepping away, I say chain them to their desks like the 19th century factory owners used to chain their workers to their work machines.

I myself might even be willing to come out of retirement to answer those ringing phones if the government every decides to respect the callers enough to make sure their phone calls are attended to properly. But I can't promise you I won't step away from my desk from time to time.

The Right To Say Hurtful Words

Time for a political correctness report. In this age in the United States when people are punished for saying what is merely impolite, the University of Southern Mississippi revoked the academic scholarships of five members of its pep band for taking part in what the school claims was a racially insensitive chant directed at an opposing team's player during last week's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. What did the five band members chant that got them kicked out of the band and are now without their scholarship payments?

No it wasn't profanity or a racist name, which students and fans at every level scream from time to time without penalty at just about every sport contest every where in the world. It seems profanity is acceptable because it is more widely used than what the students yelled at one player, a hispanic guard named Angel Rodriguez. They chanted "Where's your green card", as Rodriguez attempted a free throw late in a game whose outcome was still in doubt. That's it! Apparently, calling opposing players every obscenity imaginable is in the eyes of Southern Mississippi's administration "good college fun", but a veiled reference to citizenship status is going way too far.

It's unkind to even insinuate that Rodriguez might be an illegal immigrant, but I can think of a 100 worse taunts fans make at players that I have heard at basketball games when an opposing player is shooting free throws in front of the opponents home fans. No doubt the five taunters were attempting to rattle Rodriguez, so he might miss the free throws and enhance Southern Mississippi's chances of winning the game. I doubt whether they knew about Rodriguez's background or even cared.

Just to make sure that Southern Mississippi's administration is politically correct and would not dare say anything unkind about any member of a minority group, USM President Martha Saunders issued a public apology from the school to Rodriguez. I am more offended at the school bowing to the stupidity of political correctness than about the remark made toward Rodriguez..

Surely, it was unkind to say what those students did. But should colleges teach that unkindness is equivalent to a criminal behavior? Do people not have the right to say things that hurt others' feelings? I think so and so do courts in a democratic society. Criminal language is not that which hurts feelings, it is speech that is a malicious, false, and defamatory statement. The chant to Rodriguez was none of that. But if the school wants to discourage that kind of taunt, the severe punishment it meted out in this case is a poor way of achieving it.

Perhaps a seminar class on ethics would be a more appropriate punishment than kicking these kids out of the band and taking away their scholarships. The punishment chosen by the school will instead have the opposite effect on these five and those who believe humans have the right to say things that might be interpreted as offensive.

The school released a statement to try to justify the draconian punishment of the students and it's support of political correctness rather than academic freedom. "This is a teachable moment, not only for these students, but for our entire student body and those who work with them., a university statement said." Teachable moment? Right! It teachers that a university isn't a place to express oneself, instead, it's an arena of political correctness. And that rationale is more offensive to me than five college students attempting to make a n opposing basketball player upset as he shot free throws at a basketball game.

Are The Middle Aged The Most Evolved Of Humans?

A professor at Cambridge College named David Bainbridge has a unique twist on human aging. According to his research, humans who reach middle age are the most evolved creatures on the planet. Wow! I am a superior human. Oh wait, I just looked in the mirror and the image I see refutes that. But if scams like "Global Warming is going to kill us all" can be propagated why not this one too. Bainbridge says that older men and women have become perfectly adapted to help their families and society without the burden of raising children. And while some aspects of the human body decline with age, important attributes such as brain power are at least as keen in a person's 40s and 50s as they were decades earlier.

“People below 40 worry about reaching middle age, which I think is very sad,” Bainbridge wrote in his book 'Middle Ages; A Natural History" he claims that mature women and men have such complex and intertwined roles in society that they are “the most impressive living things yet produced by natural selection.” Humans are the only species to stop breeding long before they die, usually remaining healthy for at least another 20 years. Hmmmmm I am not sure varicose veins, chronic forgetfulness, creaking joints and sagging waistlines are a sign of a higher status. Too, I think they stop breeding "for at least another 20 years" because they can't do it anymore. Who gives birth at age 60?

Bainbridge concludes that this provides an evolutionary boost in which middle-aged people can teach children and young adults important skills and perspectives to advance the species ... if they listen..which no normal teen does. Anyway in another of his books, Teenagers: A Natural History he argued that teenagers are the pinnacle of human existence. Maybe this guy is just kidding. I know older folks aren't the higher order, but teens? No way those masses of raging hormones and unpredictability can be pinnacles of anything except skin blemishes like acne.

Bainbridge says that middle age is a time of stability, purpose and cognitive power, not the time when we forget to buy the one item we went to the grocery store for and instead come back with 50 unrelated choices.. Hmmmm I don't quite believe the idea that expectations determine our middle aged life styles. There are physical aging processes that have a far bigger control over humans than does human expectation. But then the old line about being older is true also, “Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative.” So what is the point in analyzing which age is best? I try to never grow up anyway.

Although as people move towards old age they lose things they treasure, like their vitality, mental sharpness and better look, they also gain what people spend their lives pursuing. That would be contentment , resolution and sometimes what y those younger whippersnappers rarely find- happiness. But then, unhappy people tend to die earlier leaving more happy oldies to testify that they are better off than at any time in life.

Older people have fewer disputes and come up with better solutions to conflict. They are better at controlling their emotions, better at accepting misfortune and less prone to anger. And if you don't believe me...I'll throw my rocking chair at you!

The End of The Printed Encyclopedia

It's the end of an era of sort. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., far the biggest of the printed encyclopedias, says it will stop publishing print editions of its encyclopedia. That means the encyclopedia won't be available in book form for the first time in 244 years. But as you might guess, it will continue to publish digital versions of Encyclopedia Britannica. The company says ending the print edition of the 32 volume encyclopedia is a full commitment to on-line and digital publishing of the many educational products the company is famous for publishing. The Encyclopedia Britannica was first published in Scotland in 1768. Wow! That was a long life span. The power of the computer chip is evidenced with the death of those lovable encyclopedia books.

What this means is only one printed version will still be sold in book form in the U.S., the also aged and very popular 'World Book' encyclopedia, the one that was present and heavily referenced in just about every American school library for about two hundred years. The top year for the printed Encyclopedia Britannica was 1990, when 120,000 sets were sold. That number fell to 40,000 in 1996. The company started exploring digital publishing in the 1970s. and the first CD-ROM edition was published in 1989. Then a version went online in 1994. And from there the old format for referencing encyclopedias was doomed.

The cost of the final version of The Encyclopedia Britannica is a whopping $ 1,395, not exactly an inexpensive purchase when one can find free encyclopedias on line or pay a subscription service to use one for less than $50 a year. It used to be that having a set of encyclopedia books was a status symbol that every parent sacrificed to achieve. They have always been expensive to buy. Now prestige is more having a big screen TV or other electronic visual gadgets in the house....what a cultural decline that is! I remember as a child when my parents bought a set of the popular Compton's Encyclopedia for my brother and I.

We lived inside those books for years, its beautifully illustrated entries written by the most prominent experts in the fields of study. I'm surprised that Comptons survived in such good condition. One other advantage of the printed encyclopedia is the authoritative nature of the entries. They are written by pre eminent experts and as a result, are far superior to the "anyone can ad to it" style of Wikipedia.

So I think the greatest benefits to having a book format encyclopedia (and I still have that childhood set of Compton's today) is that all entries were written literately and by authorities of high prominence. It is not so with many on line encyclopedia's today. Too, the silly cultural entries we have today in digital encyclopedia contaminate the genuine ones, as in the latest report on the celebrity meltdown, for example.

The older book forms of encyclopedias tend to be purer and less of an entertainment medium than the on line versions. I also love the feel of the books, seeing the books in front of me (can anyone get excited about an encyclopedia volume inside a Kindle or computer?), and feeling an intimacy with the books that digital never gives. The old written encyclopedias were always more of a reassurance to me that answers could be found to questions without the endless debates and speculations found in politically correct digital ones.

However, the digital forms do have advantages, and those are what have killed the book format. With on-line encyclopedias, users can instantly send comments to editors, they can search across several online sources that may yield more options., they are faster to use, and are updated constantly. Too, as more "professional pay for use" encyclopedias become more prominent on line, perhaps the triviality in many on line encyclopedias today (Wikipedia) can be contained and the encyclopedia will retain its place in the world as a scholarly rather than trendy information source.

As for me, I am holding on to my ancient Compton's encyclopedia set just so I have the "real truth" available when those on line encyclopedias stray from accuracy too much.

Irish Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and all the retailers who sell the holiday. This year St. Patrick's Day (always on march 17th) will set records for Irish item sales. Because St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday this year it will be huge for retailers. According to the National Retailers Confederation, consumers expect to spend about $35 each, for a total of $4.6 billion this year on the holiday. That is an increase of 11% from 2011. And that confederation says the majority of the money spent will be on green items that signify Ireland and can help the individual avoid being pinched for not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day.

There's quite a few ways to celebrate St. Patrick's day. For the wild and crazy crowd there are Irish bar hops imbibing green beer and other alcohol until the celebration ends in green vomit. There are the traditional Irish parades, decorating the house or office in Irish fashion, the simple "wearing of the green clothes or accessories", attending a private party, a night out at a bar or restaurant or the traditional home cooked Irish day meal of corned beef, cabbage, rum raisin rice pudding and Irish soda bread. My mother used to cook that one and I ate baloney instead of cabbage instead. I absolutely despise corned beef. Rumor has it the reason I am "full of baloney" most of the time is because I never eat corned beef.

St. Patrick's Day is a "fun" holiday because the Irish people and culture have so much fun in life. I always loved the parades in New Orleans in honor of St. Patrick's day. They are Mardi Gras style parades with floats that toss things to the crowds, filled with bands that play Irish music instead of Mardi Gras or Jazz tunes and have the same kind of outlandish marching groups found in Mardi Gras parades. The mostly inebriated marches wear crazy green outfits, carry flowers on long poles and hand them out in exchange for a kiss.

Fortunately, the only marchers who kissed me were the women, but I figure even a woman would have to be drunk to want to trade a flower for one of my kiss. Every time I attended one of those New Orleans St. Patrick's Day parades I returned home with huge garbage bags filled with cabbages, onions, potatoes, and carrots that were tossed by the float riders to give us the ingredients to make an Irish stew (no, lamb tossed from a float won't work, I had to buy that).

Ironically, apart from in Dublin, Ireland, which has a 5 day festival that features a parade, family carnivals, treasure hunt, dance, theater to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, most of Ireland doesn't give the holiday a whole lot of attention. Mostly, in Ireland itself there is a subdued acknowledgment of the day. People traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair. That's it. The Irish immigrants to the United States made it bigger there than it is in Ireland. There are about 40 times the number of people with Irish heritage living in the United states that there are Irish in the country of Ireland itself.

Most clovers have only three leaves on them the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love. But those 4 leaf clovers add one for luck. May all your clovers be 4 leafed and may your beer be green this St. Patrick's Day.

I'm No Wine Connoisseur

I am one of those people who don't drink wine. The red wines give me a headache, the white wines are not appealing to taste. But then, I drink very few alcoholic beverages of any sort. As a young man I played sports and the culture of the athlete then was to stay away from alcohol. And as got older I never did jump into the alcohol mode. But the wine culture here in Portland is something interesting to see. Portland is a major producer of fine quality white wines. As a result there are many people here who are what is termed 'connoisseurs'.

It's typical for serious wine drinkers I (exclude the winos here), who tend to be upward economically and educationally to give themselves a fancy name. I like simple non alcoholic apple juice, but if I said I was a connoisseur of it people who have me committed. The elite crowd, as in those wine connoisseurs, always use an esoteric language like that to make themselves seem more important, more impressive than the normal apple juice swilling pigs like me.

They like terms such as "uncork". " Harold, have the butler uncork the wine", one connoisseur may say to another. Well, I never "uncork" my apple juice. Even if it had a cork and not those screw tops or pull-top tabs that the rabble like me must negotiate, I would probably say, pull the plug on my juice, will ya". If I asked a fellow common man, maybe a Fred or Sam, to

uncork it, they would probably hit me over the head with the apple juice container.

Living in Portland now, I see wines everywhere for sale and there are wine tasting groups and other wine clubs to join. Not being exposed to the wine culture is unavoidable here. So let me tell you about some of the other snooty wine connoisseur terms I am assaulted with when I drink my apple juice. Do you know these?

* Aroma- wines have an aroma. My apple juice smells. The distinction labels the wine drinker as a person of class and me as a moron. Sigh....there may be some truth in that, but I refuse to discuss the "aroma" of my apple juice.

* Body- this is the term the cons use to describe the effect the i wine has on the palate. My apple juice has a body of sort to because it has the effect of making me sit on the toilet after drinking it.

* Dry- In wine circles it refers to how much sugar is in that wine. Heck! I don't need that label. The label on my apple juice container just tells me "no sugar added' or whatever has been done to the juice. I doubt anyone could understand if I told them my juice was a dry apple juice.

* Flabby- That's the connoisseur term for low acidity in a wine. For we apple juice drinkers "flabby' is what our waistlines are from drinking too much of that sugary stuff.

* Fortified- A wine that is fortified has extra alcohol added to keep it from fermenting. But in apple juice circles "fortified" is what the label says to mean that vitamins have been added to what is largely nutritionally, empty sugar water that so much apple juice is.

* Mulled- A mulled wine is a wine that has been heated with spices. This is similar to the gourmet of apple juices, the apple cider. Apple cider is apple juice with spices added..same thing except no alcohol or pretentiousness added.

* Palate- A wine drinker talks about his or her mouth having a palate, but most apple juice drinkers don't use that word when they drink their juice and probably can't even spell "palate".

* Reserve- a wine drinker has a wine cellar with his best wines stored there. Those favorites are called his "reserves". Uh, all I have is a small kitchen pantry crowed with assorted foods where I put my apple juice. Thus far, the apple juice hasn't complained about it.

* Sommelier- Is what they call the wine expert at your favorite expensive restaurant. Apple Juice drinkers don't have a Sommelier. We just ask that fat, pimply kid in the grocery store who stocks the juice, "Hey! What apple juice is the most popular one you sell?"

* Vintage- Every wine connoisseur identifies his wine by the year it was bottled, it's vintage. We apple juice drinkers have a vintage too, called the expiration date . "Do not drink after..." Wines never expire but you better drink your juice quicker. It dies quickly.

Those terms are but a few of the language of wines, but enough to make me avoid any association with the world of connoisseur

Bad Campaining

The presidential election campaign here in the U.S. has been in full swing for months. In fact, it starts almost as soon as the previous election ends when wannabe candidates for the next election start raising money to use to campaign and start making speeches all about the country. That process is wrong and wasteful, but in a democracy you can't legislate common sense or good taste. The candidates will continue to campaigning too soon and too much, to the distaste of all the people they ask to vote for them.But that's not the only thing wrong with the presidential election process here (and in many other countries, I assume). Another thing that I don't like is how the candidates campaign to the people who already support them. They give their specs and make appearances in front of their backers instead of people who are not planning to vote for them. This makes no sense and is a waste of campaign funding they have raised.

Making speeches against the opposing candidates in front of their own supporters won't convince anyone new to vote for that candidate. Better if the candidates held rallies, made speeches, and appearances in hostile places in front of people who don't plan on supporting him. That way, there is a pool of voters who potentially might switch their vote the the candidate. Instead, they campaign in friendly places with cheering crowds of supporters, all packaged to look as if their candidate is universally popular. He or she is not and everyone knows it. I say that if you want to gain voters you have to campaign toward those not planning to vote for you and not campaign toward those who already support you.

Another thing strange about our presidential election process is that candidates talk so badly about their opponents personal lives and general state of being. Saying untrue and unkind things about the opposing candidate does more hard to the one saying those things than to the one who is slandered by him.

One who campaigns with nastiness will be perceived as he or she being nasty himself by those he or she wants to win votes from. I think a wise candidate would be the one to criticize the opponent's position nicely, not attack him or her personally. I never vote for any candidate who is cruel with his or her comments about an opponent. More politicians should pretend to be nicer toward their opponents, but attacking in nasty way seems easier for them.

Just think if Obama's opponent said, "Barrack is a nice man and has done many good things. But I can do much more that he to make America better", and then listed the positive things to undertake that Obama has neglected to do. It would shock the voters and probably make more vote against than for Obama's.

In fact, I would have a heart attack if any of those politicians had anything nice to say about their opponents.

Old And Forgotten

I was thinking today about how little I watch TV. Except when I was a boy, when TV was the rage and we all watched too much (Too much early TV may be the explanation/cause for my dull brain and lack of ambition) TV. I think there were so fewer entertainment options then that TV reigned supreme This fast paced modern age is catching up to and passing me by. I can tell this because it changes me so fast and often. In some cases things or activities that used to be favorites of mine are no longer a part of my routine. Today I don't do a lot of things I used to do, mostly because the technologies of today have made those old favorites obsolete.

Take for example a drive in my car. What I don't do anymore so is perhaps as much as what I now do when driving. I used to unlock my car with the key I would insert into the door. Not anymore. Now I use that electronic button that automatically locks or unlocks the door. I don't roll my windows up or down with those hand cranks that were next to each door. I have auto buttons to do the same function. I don't turn on the radio to check the time anymore because all cars have long had clocks on the dashboard. I used to pump the gas I put into my car. Now in this state all gas must be pumped by attendants. I even remember the days of hand signals by the driver out of the window instead of auto turn signals. Hmmm I wonder if it's still legal to use ones hand to show whether the driver will turn or stop?

I know these examples are about an insignificant change, my driving routine. But they are a microcosm of how much our daily lives change and how fast it happens to us. It shows how little control modern humans have over even their routines. No wonder humankind is now so confused about how to behave. But the changes we make through each single passage of time are mostly positive ones for the achievement of ease of doing daily tasks. Yet, they do disrupt our routines, our sense of stability and our natural desire for consistency in life. What a trade-off this is. There is both a positive (improved ways of doing) and a negative (the loss of the familiar, comforting routines that help make for a contented life).

I'll leave it to the philosophers to tackle the question of how so many simple changes, so fast affects our psyche. But it might be fun for you and I to name some of the "things I don't do anymore'. Here's a few from me that come to my mind after a few minutes of brainstorming. I no longer..........

- type on a typewriter

- watch black and white TV or listen to am radio

- carry or use handkerchiefs (damn those Kleenex tissues!)

- wear a bow tie

- buy airline tickets off line or use a travel agent

- spend hours each day "doing nothing"

- pay most my bills by regular postal mail

- use portable heaters or fans

- play board games

- save those aluminum coffee cans

- use a fine point ink pen with an ink well

- fix broken things

- listen to a CD boom box play old CD's

- watch a video cassette

- use a doctor without insurance paying (some of the bill)

- mopping a floor with a wet mop and bucket

- frying chicken at home instead of buying it at a fast food place

- dialing a rotary phone

- using a TV antenna that is attached to the back of the set

- reading an encyclopedia

- sending a telegraph message

- reprimanding children who misbehave in public

- having camera pictures printed in paper

- hand write snail mail pen pal letters

- re warn things on the stove instead of in the microwave

- hang clothes to dry on a line outside the house

- say hello to every stranger that passes me on the street

Ok, that's a short list from me. What are some additional things are those you don't do anymore in your life?

The Oreo Is 100

I am not sure if you missed it, but shame on you if you did. March 12th, 2012 should be sacred. That's because that's the date of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Oreo cookie. That big behemoth Nabisco Inc. created the world's favorite and maybe best mass marketed cookie of all time and sold them first in Hoboken, New Jersey at 10 cents per kilo. I am guessing that the first person to buy and eat Oreos did what everyone else seems to do- pull apart the two halves and eat the cream filing separately.

More than 150 million Oreos have been sold at a cost of $2 billion dollars, so even chocolate chip cookies taken second place in cookie popularity. (But I confess to eating chocolate chip cookies as I type this to you.....I don't have any Oreos and the subject made me cookie hungry). I like Oreos so much I grind them in a food processor (with the cream filling included) add a little melted butter, and use them as cookie crusts for cheesecake or some pies. I don't mind cheering Oreos with one of the three campaign slogans Nabisco has used to promote it: 1950- Oh! Oh! Oreo! , 1980- For the kid in all of us, and 1982- America's best loved cookie.

Oreos are versatile. they come in many flavors, and in Japan there is even a green tea Oreo. Oreos have been and are sold in many different forms. There is the double stuffed Oreo for cream loves, the bite sized snack packs, the mint creme Oreo, peanut butter Oreo, chocolate covered Oroes, holiday colored Oroes, peppermint Ore, and the Golden Oreos with a yellow outside and either chocolate or creme inside. The original is still by far the favorite. But the way most people eat Oreos is not my style. Most Oreo eaters dunk it in milk. I don't dunk.

Oroes are also used by many other food sellers. Fast food restaurants often use crushed Oreos mixed with ice cream for various desserts promoted by the restaurant as its own singular Oreo dish. I think the texture of Oreos is what makes it a winner. You can't eat only one. And Oreos are not going away any time soon. Nabisco just opened another Oreo factory abroad, that one in Montreal, Canada. So grab an Oreo and take a look at the video link below that shows how modern day Oreos are made.

http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/1141435--oreo-cookie-turns-100-and-opens-its-montreal-factory-for-first-time

Ugly Video By Anyone's Standards

There are quite a few disturbing videos on Yu Tube, everything from vulgarity to suicide has appeared . It's the allure of being seen, of having a moment of "fame", about gratifying ego and a hundred other reasons that are misguided but appealing to those with fragile egos. One of the worst, because it involves kids, and in particular, insecure ones, is the 'Am I pretty or ugly' forum. So far about 1,000 preteen and teen age (mostly girls) have posted an eerie stumbling monologue asking anyone who watches and cares to answer the 'am I pretty or ugly' question. And many do. Unfortunately, instead of ignoring the question
represent a new wave of distress rather than simple self questioning or pleas for affirmation or attention.

People who watch the videos curse and declare them "attention whores," ask for sex and to see them naked. They disparage the worth of already confused sad kids. They wonder where the parents of those who post are and call them "fugly" and worse. Fewer offer support and ask the they kids to take down their 'am I pretty or ugly'" videos and instead suggest they accept and feel good about themselves. Despite the fact that Yu Tube has a no one under age 13 policy, the majority of the children posting the 'ugly or pretty' video as at or below that age.

One wonders how could the creators of this 'am I pretty or am ugly forum' could not anticipate the nasty responses. Here is the lame justification the creator of it gives at the site.

"I am a 21 year old artist, and I made this video four months ago as a piece about the struggles a girl transitioning into womanhood must go through. It is a difficult and confusing experience, and my video aims to express some of the feelings associated with this uncertain period of life. The video acted as a social experiment as well as commentary on this disturbing trend, and has recently gained a lot of media attention, from jezebel.com to Good Morning America.

Part of the reason I made this video is because I understand where these girls are coming from on a personal level. I'm sure many commentaries on other videos, as they have with my video, say that beauty comes from within. I completely agree with this, but you hear it a lot and it can lose its meaning. What I want to say is this: no one in middle school thinks they are pretty. Even the girls that you think are perfect are also insecure. Love yourself for who you are, or a lot of time will be wasted standing in front of a mirror nit picking about something other people don't even notice. Don't hate yourself for no reason.

The sooner you start loving yourself the sooner life gets easier. Adolescence is something that every one experiences, and most people say middle school was the worst time of their life. It was for me, but it's gone uphill from there, high school was better, and college was great. Some features that I like all of the time, and some features I like only some of the time. You are beautiful and unique and if anyone says otherwise, it is because they are insecure, and making other people feel bad makes them feel better. Now get off the internet and go eat ice cream!!!!"

Much is made today of cyber bullying and pedophiles who cruise the Internet, and of low self-esteem among pre-adolescents and adolescents, especially girls, as their brains continue to develop. The videos seem to play into that. As a parent of a teen age girl I am very sensitive of young girls lives being so negatively impacted by such a forum. Negative feedback that is personal is rarely easy to hear at any age, but to tweens and teens who value as well as incorporate feedback into their own sense of worth, it can be devastating. To, the sad videos are almost a form of self mutilation or character assassination. Below is one sample of "Am I pretty or ugly?" You watch it and tell me how you would react if the child posting was your own daughter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwU2OcJVoIg

Death Of Breakfast

Did you eat breakfast today? Most people eat or drink something in the morning that one could define as breakfast, but most of us don't eat the old style heavy breakfast meals that the generation of physical workers did. Work today doesn't require consuming a large volume of food and calories to keep us going because most of those who work today are working at white collar or service industry jobs. What we eat for breakfast has changed as fast as your changing technologies.

I can't speak for other cultures on this, but I would think that the west is not the only one that has a smaller, less nutritious breakfast meal as the standard today. In the west, most people no longer eat the old style breakfast meal of stacks of pancakes, sausages, toast and jam, coffee and orange juice. They don't have the time to cook it or eat it, don't need it to function at work or school and have been bombarded with quick fix smaller plate alternatives.

I think that along with tea, juice or coffee, cereal might be the most popular breakfast food today. It's light, easy to prepare and eat and so sugary and addictive it's like having dessert for the morning meal. We get addicted to those cereal meals by our childhood fascination with the, TV advertisers endless sugary cereals to kids as they watch their morning cartoons on TV. That translates later in life to their eating phony "fiber", "natural", "multigrain" or other alleged "healthy cereal" that are, in reality, just a variation of the non nutritious, sugary cereal of their childhood.

If the breakfast diner doesn't like cereal there is usually a substitute made of a bagel, donut or sweet roll, or fruit in place of the cereal. Consistency in the breakfast meal is the norm. We seem to eat mostly the same few things for breakfast each day. The only time we have an old style "big breakfast" is on weekends (when we have the time for it) or when eating breakfast out.

I wonder if breakfast is not just down sizing, but disappearing for many. Some people actually drink a cola or other soft drink each morning and call it breakfast. They seem to function as alertly and efficiently at school or at work as those who eat a bigger breakfast. This makes me think the old adage about how eating a good breakfast makes us do better at school or work to be a myth. Whatever, breakfast is now the least important meal to most westerners. It may eventually become as unpopular as wearing a wrist watch is today.

Leap Day

Another of those "leap year" days has just passed. You'll notice that I put the "holiday" in lower case letters, since it's a day no one celebrates. Unlike real holidays that are fun, leap year is that extra day of work your employer gets free in February or the day your crazy Uncle Fred has what he calls his 20th birthday instead of his 80th, making each year four instead. Really, few people notice leap year. They appreciate the clever way it keeps the calendar from being out of whack.

Leap day is equivalent to other lower case non event days such as "income tax day", or trash pick-up day". But what does a person born on leap year day do when his or her birthday appears....or doesn't appear? Most celebrate it either on Feb. 28th or on March 1st, an un fulfilling prospect. Celebrating the day after is sort of like accidentally seeing or hearing the ending of a play you will attend next week, thereby ruining the experience. Or for those who celebrate the day before it's like eating a cake not yet iced. Hmmmmmm Maybe the hospital where the child is born on lap day should just lie about the date and claim the birth was on Feb. 28th.

There is one group that loves leap day. It's the commercial horde who uses any event to announce a sale. There are leap sales for cars, houses, electronics, you name it. I was amused to read in my newspaper recently about a big "leap year mattress sale". The association of mattresses to leap year is a stretch. What is one supposed to do when browsing in the mattress store on that day? Should they jump up and down and scream "Happy Leap Day"? I doubt the store would approve, yet they set aside a sale for such a nebulous event.

One weird leap day tradition is that when are supposed to make marriage proposals to men. Hmmmm Id' rather a lady wash my car or take out the trash on leap day, but in my case an sensible woman would probably dump the trash over my head and run me down with my car if I suggested that. There are supposed to be two traditions that may explain the leap day proposal, The first is that in the 5th century St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait too long for their suitors to Propose. St. Patrick then decreed that women have one day, leap day, to propose to men. (This also probably explains why so many men hide on leap day)

The other possible explanation for women proposing on leap day is that Queen Margaret of Scotland established a law there that set fines for any man who turned down marriage proposals made by women in leap day. Even today a man better accept a leap day proposal. In Denmark men who refuse the leap day proposal must give the proposer 12 pairs of gloves.

Anyway, if you have a leap year marriage proposal to give me I think I can avoid any penalty. No court would rule you sane if you did propose.

Please Don't Vote

There is a big election upcoming involving the current president, Barrack Obama, and the Republican party nominee. I would name him too, but most Republicans are so alike it's like trying to distinguish between two identical looking glazed donuts in a bakery case. What's the point? The Republican guy or gal hates the Democrat who equally hates the Republican....who are both envied by the independent candidates that no one votes for and everyone knows can never win a presidential election. And in the end, which ever candidate wins does largely what the losing candidate would when elected, anyway.

But what's really important isn't the candidates. It's the voters. We have too many people voting here because they are told that it is their "duty" to vote. I think that bit of nonsense about civic duty is just used to coerce those who don't care to vote, don't know the people or issues they are voting for or don't want to vote anyway. People should only be urged to vote, to decide who wins based on their fitness and or desire to vote. The prospective voter who doesn't know anything about the election apart from how it might benefit his narrow special interest should stay home on election day. Some people are too dumb, too little informed or too little interested to follow an election carefully enough to vote wisely. I hate it when one of those negates the vote of an informed, educated interested voter.

I know we can't lock them in their rooms on election day, but if we could the welfare of the entire nation would be improved. If only qualified voters participated candidates would embrace real issues and speak intelligently about their plans instead of calling the other candidates names or distorting his or her record, making promises, lying, pretending....all the things the voters now use as a basis for choosing their favorites. It is amazing that Paris Hilton has as much power in the voting booth as a qualified voter like a university professor of politics to decide who is to lead the nation. It's like allowing Angelina Jolie to build a new bridge or having your appendix removed by a plumber.

The flaw in democracy is that it requires an educated, informed, interested voter to voice his or her choices. But society today is filled with too many idiots more informed about the candidates on a reality TV show than about those running for office and executing the responsibilities that the office requires he or she discharge. It's why I hope as many of the unqualified voters stay home on election day. Even informed or sincere voters make bad choices (I voted for Obama last time, I confess it is one of my own bad votes). But at least they are equipped ot vote and more often than not make better choices.

We should have a different style of campaign this presidential election, one for voters. I think a "don't get out and vote if you are stupid" (ok, we can substitute a less offensive word for "stupid") might be the best way of stopping the election of the ship of fools that so often win. Well, since voting is an irrational act, so I guess I can be irrational about who should vote.

Anyone Can Spy

The latest technological invasion of privacy may be the least known but fastest growing of all. It's the GPS tracking unit. You can buy a GPS device for about $250 that is no bigger than a cigarette pack, attach it to any car without the driver's knowledge and watch wherever the vehicle goes while you are at home spying on your computer. It is bad enough when stalking as person by monitoring his or her cell phone, but now hundreds of thousands of Americans and snooping types abroad are using GPS spy trackers that the courts have not quite determined uniformly as to whether the use of them is legal or not.

People spy with them for every imaginable purpose, to track an elderly parent with dementia or a reckless teenage driver, or to spy or stalk a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or an employee. And of course, many criminals use it as an aid in their crimes. Burglars love it, because when using it on a potential target, they can know when the homeowner is out or at home. Ironically, the ones who should be able to use it, law enforcement personnel, are not able to place the device on a car without first obtaining a search warrant from a court.

Courts have ruled placement of a GPS tracker on a suspect's car by the police to be a search and require court orders be obtained by the police before using them. But obtaining court orders take time, time which can be used by the suspects to escape detection.
Sales of GPS trackers exceeded 100,000 units last year as employers and individuals, for a multitude of largely unregulated uses and reasons, are growing in number, raising new questions about privacy and a legal system that has not kept pace with technology. Some private detectives say that so many married person who are suspicious or curious to find if their spouse is cheating are using GPS tracking to spy that it has caused their detective business to plummet. Sellers of the units estimate that over 30,000 parents now track their teenage children's' driving habits with GPS tracking.

But even if used legally and out of concern for family members, the secret use of GPS devices poses ethical questions about the right to privacy. With each technological device introduced we seem to lose more of our right to privacy, and yet not realize or care about the loss. Humans are so enamored and addicted to technology today that they rarely ponder questions about abuse of the gadgets. So far, the courts that have ruled on use of GPS tracking have said that if the vehicle being driven is owned (registered in his or her name.

as in a husband and wife who are both registered as car owner or a employer using it on company owned cars that employees use) by the person tracking with it, it is a legal use, though the person driving should be told they are subject to being tracked. Placing it on someone else's private car has been seen as illegal in almost all cases (police search warranted use excluded). But anyone curious and devious enough to spy on another with a GPS tracking unit will probably do it, legal or not.

I wonder when technology addicts will ever ponder the cost effect of unrestricted use. They better hurry before it's too late to even think in private.

Mardi Gras

I enjoyed my return to New Orleans, seeing Mardi Gras, visiting, and eating some of the best food in the world. It is said that when one travels he or she takes on new perspectives of places seen or lived in. I think it is true. Being in New Orleans reinforces my positive beliefs that the people there are among the friendliest and funniest and that New Orleans food is special (every meal I had was a 4 or 5 star one). It also reminds me of some of the negative aspects of the city, the too hot and humid climate, the high poverty and crime rates and the risk one takes in, living in a city that is one flood or hurricane away from obliteration.

My return also makes me reflect on my new home of Portland. I was reminded of how beautiful Portland is and its wonderful climate. negatively, it also reinforced my displeasure with the food here and the aloof nature of Portland's people. On the whole, I think both places are better than most and I have been fortunate to live in each during my lifetime.
But Mardi Gras was the allure for me to return and it did not disappoint.

I am one of the group of people who loves Mardi Gras, seeing it as a catharsis and the embodiment of the fun atmosphere of the people of New Orleans. I attended some parades prior to my day in the French Quarter Mardi Gras Day (where some of the best costumes can be found) and the atmosphere along the parade routes was electric , welcoming and exciting. I remember the family from Houston (who also who had moved from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and were back in the city for Mardi Gras) who practically adopted me that day with food offered, conversation about what we all missed after being away from the city, sharing parade throws caught from floats etc.

It is said that carnival can't work in any other city because the people in other places don't know how to behave. With a million people on the streets at Mardi Gras it's amazing that the controlled chaos results in fun and laughter with crime or unpleasantness happening on a rarely, parade goers can drink too much alcohol without being unpleasant, can set up chairs, small tents barbecue pits or seafood boils without imposing on others, can compete for throws from floats without ever fighting over what is tossed, can appreciate the bands and elaborate floats that are presented for enjoyment by private krewes who pay for it without any public money being spent, can do what New Orleanians do best......have more fun in a safer and bizarre way than residents of any other city.

Genealogy

Genealogy is a nice thing. To know one's family history helps one know self, including what medical problems are common in one's genes, the talents that blend through generation etc. But today people are less and less interested in knowing their family history. I think it's been defined as an old person's enterprise because it can be tedious to execute and requires a great deal of time to search. People today like instant gratification because their electronic devices are designed for that.

I also think that the presence of so many "single parent" children (I could have used the old "bastard", but it has a bad connotation and is not nice) world-wide makes it harder to find one's family tree. Illegitimacy increases dramatically when a place has a good economic base, so since the 60's, worldwide, the number of children born who do not know their fathers (and in some cases moms) has exploded. In the U.S. alone the illegitimacy rate is now 40%. So, how can a child trace his genes if he never knew his father?

Ironically, the age of the Internet makes genealogical research by the average person a much easier thing to do. Web sites that are free or minimal cost have access to most of the available world's records, yet a smaller percentage of people today are interested in find their family history. There are many benefits of knowing where and who we came from, but the best of all is that finding our ancestry shows us how alike all humans are. It tends to reduce any feeling of superiority one might have because in every family tree there is the good , bad and ugly. Everybody has a big bag of genes, and we show know ours to help explain who we are and why we behave as we do.

I see many family traits in Jane that help define her. These come from both my side of the family and her mom's. Sometimes I can even predict Jane's behavior because she behaves so much like my late mom. Had I would have never known my own mother I would never be able to anticipate what Jane will do in those circumstances. Ergo, knowing about our ancestors is an aid in predicting how we will behave and what our physical profile is and will be. Uh....I know. It means that in my case there must be another nut or too in my lineage.

He Wants To Ban Sugar

The food police are on the prowl again and this time their target is sugar. Robert Lustig, the leading expert in childhood obesity at UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine, is on a crusade against my favorite food item The article, “Is Sugar Toxic?”, explored Lustig’s efforts to convince the American public that sugar is a toxin, He even calls sugar “evil.”. In partnership with two other health policy researchers they write in February 4 issue of the journal 'Nature' that the government should regulate sugar to protect public health. There are few things I would start a revolution against, but banning sugar is one for which I would fight to the death.

Those three sugar deprived doctors claim that fructose is a slow killer, and that though eating a little sugar is harmless, over time allot will destroy the liver and kidneys. Well, a lot of celery or broccoli would do the same. Asking the government to be another mom, to tell us "no sweets", is not only anti democratic, but is insulting to person's right to freely choose his or her food intake. It is contrary to all research that says that sugar is a harmless empty calorie. It's mom who started the sugar kills nonsense, all in order to get junior to eat more of her asparagus casserole, not because mom ever believed sugar would kill her boy.

Why do the health nuts always pick on the fun, good tasting foods to ban? Other food police types have suggested taxing those sugary soda pop drinks or products with added sugars, and want to curb the availability of sugary foods in schools and the advertising that promotes them. Lustig goes further by theorizing that he is combating this societal ill of c sugar by calling for even more nazi tactics against sugar. He wants the U.S government to remove sugar from the Food and Drug Administration’s “Generally Regarded as Safe,” honor roll and....the mad man wants to impose an age limit on those allowed to buy sugary beverages; and legally prohibiting children from patronizing convenience stores.

Hnmmm Making stores that sell sugar into crack houses, equating sugar with cigarettes makes me wonder if Lustig is sugar deprived and needs more sugar for his brain. One wonders what other "bad" foods or ingredients would be next on Lustig's list. In truth any food eaten to excess will cause harm to the body. Even water will destroy the kidneys if taken in in excess.

Foods or products we ingest should only be banned when they cause a direct and proven health hazard.. Sugar does not. If people are fat or have health problems because they like sugar too much, they should make the decision whether to ban it for their own diets. Most people who eat sugar do not abuse their intake of it. Banning sugar would cheapen real bans, as in the bans on various bans on cigarettes and drugs, by equating a harmless natural ingredient with the real evils.

A government can not ever save us from ourselves (or our poor eating habits), nor should it try to. (I am eating a candy bar as I type this!)

Valentine's Day Is For Women

Every February 14th women everywhere wait for their honey or perceived honey to make a gratuitous attempt to convince her that she is the one and only love of his life. And yes, every February 14th we men are either hiding or somehow manage to screw up our Valentine's Day obligations. I use the word obligation because Valentine's Day is a non reciprocal holiday. Women get and men give. It rarely works in reverse. this is why so many men hate VD. Too, VD never seems to bring much love to anyone, given that women expect far more largess from their lover than the men can possibly fulfill. I wonder how Valentine's Day works for lesbians and gays? I have no idea, but it has to be better than the current heterosexual arrangement.

I notice a new trend among both men and women to ignore Valentine's Day. They actually join with others for "Ant Valentine's day' parties or get together. These include singles with no lovers and married and singles who have relationships. The general idea of it is to avoid the disappointment of VD by denying it and substituting an alternative activity for it. One is to meet with a group and banter over drinks or food about some of the most hilarious or worst Valentine's days the group members have had. Here is one popular anti Valentine Day web sites to check http://www.antivday.com/forum/forum-1.html Ugh! It's a depressing place to be. Those who post there should try to find love more often and forget the bad love relationships in their past.

But by nature, anti anything isn't usually satisfying. Some of the Anti Valentine Day celebratory crowd seem a bit angry about love or their lack of it, about bad past relationships, about everything. As much as I think Valentine's Day is a one sided male massacre. I would chose to celebrate it rather than Anti Valentine's Day. God! I hope the male community doesn't know I wrote that. They might decide to start a new VD celebration by crucifying me in public on Feb. 14th. Ideally, most males would just like to forget the whole VD obligations, not celebrating it and not being anti about it.

And women? They see Valentine's Day as a day of entitlement for the female. On VD, the male is supposed to grovel and presents gifts to her, all the while being castigated for "the cheap gift" and yes...in the end...winding up sleeping on the couch.

Happy Valentine or Anti Valentine's Day! It's your choice.

Better Not Rob Her

Every day on line I try to I read some of the New Orleans 'Times Picayune', my former home town newspaper to keep up with the events there. Well, today I noticed a crime piece that took place in the suburb (Kenner) where I lived that is typically New Orleans in weirdness and thought it was funny enough to pass along to you. It's kind of primer for a lady who is a target for a purse snatching. This is how the 40-year-old woman targeted as a victim apparently scared off a purse-snatcher who approached her in a Kenner grocery store parking lot.

The Times Picayune reported the following, taken from a police report that was filed....

"The woman had finished her grocery shopping at the Winn-Dixie (grocery store) in the 2100 block of Williams Boulevard and was walking to her car at about 5 p.m. on Jan. 29, the police report said. She said she noticed a man with the hood of his hoodie shirt covering his face, which she thought was odd because it wasn't cold, the report said.

Her purse, described in the report as a brown, medium-size shoulder-strapped accessory valued at $65, had been in the child seat portion of her shopping cart. She grabbed the purse and placed it around her neck and shoulder and turned her back toward the man, the police report said. Moments later, she felt someone hit her back and grab the shoulder strap of her purse and try to lift it over her head.

She turned to face the man, the report said, and yelled at him, "Mother-f-----, you ain't getting my purse!"

He released the purse strap and took a "fighter's stance," the police report said. The victim took a defensive stance too, the report said, and shouted, "Boy, I will kick your a--."

The man, later identified as Angelo Molinario, 27 , said, "oh, s---" and ran and "dove" into the rear passenger window of a green Toyota Camry, the police report said. Police later determined that an accomplice drove that car, the report said.

Before the car drove away, the victim wrote down the license plate and called police."

Wow! Police arrested the attempted and very embarrassed purse snatcher Molinaro and his getaway driver shortly thereafter. Too bad she didn't have again so she could have shot his ---. That woman needs to have her own action TV show. Hmmm It could be called 'Kicking ---" Or maybe just "You Ain't Gettin My Purse, Mother-f-----" Haha I may finally be persuaded to waste time and deaden my brain watching a reality show if they gave that lady her own TV series.

I used to shop at that grocery store often. It's not a crime ridden area, sitting in the midst of middle class and upper income subdivisions. The Treasure Chest Riverboat gambling casino is a short walk from the store and one would think there is more robbery (of people who turn over their money to the casino every time they lose at the gaming tables) just down the road.

Anyway, I hope Hollywood or some boxing or wrestling promoter signs that kick --- woman to a contract soon. Hmmm Even the Winn Dixie store could use her as a one woman kick --- security team.