Deni G, speaking of “my arse,” I am prejudiced in favor of Liz because we have the same gynecologist. To lighten things up, shall I tell you about my last visit? I was in the stirrups and the doctor said, “Well, I don’t see anything serious,” to which I replied, “Well, do you see anything comical?”

Suzanne de Cornelia, thanks so much for both clips. I had three fleeting thoughts while watching the Queen Noor interview. My first thought was that I am grateful to Queen Noor for reminding me of my old friend Julie Ward Howe. In trying to get us back to the original meaning of Mother’s Day (for Peace), Queen Noor referenced Julia Ward Howe, who is the subject of one of the first biographies my mother gave me as a child. Most Americans know Julia Ward Howe as the lyricist of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” But few ever mention what Queen Noor emphasized, i.e., that it was Howe in 1870 who was the first to proclaim Mother’s Day, and Howe being a pacifist and a women’s suffrage advocate, thought of it as not simply Mother’s Day but Mother’s Day for Peace. My second thought as I was watching the Queen Noor clip was that she is addressing another important issue that does not get much coverage, which is the problem in Iraq of their fleeing population to neighboring countries, most of which have at this point closed the door to the refugees. I remember when reading the Queen Noor autobiography I was touched by the vivid image of another fleeing population, the Palestinians, many of whom still wear a dangling key around the neck, the key to the door of their lost home. My third thought while watching the Queen Noor clip was that I wonder if Wolf Blitzer interrupts men whom he is interviewing as much as he interrupts Queen Noor. Mary Cronin, who did cover stories for Time Magazine once told me that the secret to interviewing is to know when to keep one’s mouth closed. Truth often stumbles in out of the silence of an awkward pause.

Suzanne de Cornelia, I adore Queen Noor. What a book she wrote. An insider perspective on the MidEast.

Sometimes the page one women insert postings on the secondary pages. The feeling of hierarchy might be diluted if the page one women were to interact with the other women by having a reply button with those postings.

I am still in shock from your oreo cookie display of the overweight Pentagon budget. I read in today’s New York Times that the Iraq war budget often goes beyond what is stated because large portions of it are not in the military budget but are hidden elsewhere. Will we ever find the balance between interceding when necessary versus policing the world?

Ah, yes, the world of the story. To flesh it out. To plot it out. To think of ten options for the cute meet. Much easier to resort to violence. I went to the movies with the wonderful Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors and during the trailers, which consisted of movies tailor-made for adolescent males (aged 12 to 80), everytime there was a gunshot she loudly shouted, “Bang!” or a truck blown up “Bang, bang!” or whatever violence “Bang, bang, bang!” I sunk lower and lower into my seat. After the movie we went to dinner. She sat, took her hearing aid out of her ear, and checked the batteries. It is at that moment that I realized her banging might not have been an aesthetic statement but rather the creation of sound effects.

Cancer is a big business. A heart-breaking one.

The world better get ready for May 18th. I know everything is going to be fine.

Mugsy, And I’m glad you are here and that we are on the planet at the same time and blogging on the same site.

Suzanne Conti, I enjoy your postings. And I also have been watching Corey Booker. He is certainly presidential. Excellent article on him awhile back in The New Yorker.

Would a beta male have the courage to say his middle name is Hussein? Would a beta male have the courage to say there have been people with the name Hussein who have been just and good? Would a beta male have the courage to say for every Saddam Hussein there is a Hussein bin Talal, King of Jordan who was a man with the courage of his convictions, courage even when he was fifteen years old chasing the assassin who shot his grandfather the king in front of him and who survived the bullet meant for him because of a medal that he wore, a medal that deflected the bullet, a medal given to him by his grandfather? Would a beta male have the courage to say my father’s side of the family is Muslim? Would a beta male have the courage to say within the one to two billion Muslims in the world, there are Muslims who are just and good? Would a beta male have the courage to say that Muslims believe in the Biblical prophets and believe that the prophets are Muslims, including Jesus, Mathew, Mark, Luke, John and going back in time to Moses, Noah and Adam? Does America want a pusillanimous beta male in the White House? Never trust a man with no middle initial.

Suzanne de Cornelia , I have no thoughts about them on a ticket but, because you and I have not been purchased by special interests, I have thoughts that we might join on a write-in ticket. I volunteer to be your VP. Grace Zia Chu, one of the first to teach Chinese cooking in America, told me when she was in her 90’s that the reason she is living so long is because she never accepted president but rather always vice president. Also I volunteer to be the Hunter in this Hunter / Gatherer world, for I see you are a great Gatherer of words and of people.

Condoleezza Rice, thank you for the courtesy of having a reply button, a courageous decision since 90% of the people on this site will be opposed to any and all CR policy. On the other hand only one person (almost 100%) will not congratulate you on transcending gender and race. I say “one person” because in any group there is always an idiot.

Thanks, Suzanne de Cornelia, but I must confess that the reason I come out of a Fortune cookie instead of a birthday cake is because Marilyn Monroe’s breasts were larger.

What happens to us after we die? I don’t remember.