Excuse me?? to any of you saying that Ms. Kennedy isn’t “qualified” for Senate work. If you lived here in New York City, as I do, you’d know of the unbelievable amount off work that Caroline Kennedy has done regarding education and on behalf of human rights. I FAR prefer the type who just get in there and get the work done (as she does) and don’t concern themselves with getting press coverage for everything they accomplish. The “bravada” politicians are ruining our country…a quiet, thoughtful person who actually gets things accomplished is a true rarity….as a New Yorker, I would gladly support Caroline Kennedy to represent our state in the Senate.

It almost hurts to read this because it’s been so true for me. When I was about 30, the great jazz singer Cleo Laine said to me, “Sweetie, you can’t just work HARD…you gotta also work SMART. Wish I’d heard that one a little sooner. The other big disappointment is that some people never grow up….I remember being in the 6th grade and some of the girls were SO mean….I thought “Won’t it be great when I’m grown up and people don’t act like this any more?” The fact that so many keep their 6th grade mentality as adults has been a huge disappointment to me.

I read one of the “last glance” interviews on the last page of Vanity Fair a couple of years ago….it was an interview with Keira Knightly. The question: “Which of your co-stars would it surprise you the least to find had killed someone in a bar?” Keira’s answer: “Judi Dench. ” Thought that was hilarious. With the exception of Kidman…who is pretty, but a total bore…I can’t wait to see this film - Fergie, Dench and Sophia Loren?? How fantastic!

Boy, I am thankful this morning to be a part of the “superior” party that does not appeal to bitter, angry people like you. Your negative, anti-intellectual party has virtually torn our country apart for years. This is a new era… get used to being surrounded by people who are confident in our potential….not “smug.” This election was about the enlightened verses the un-enlightened - America is back on track and I deeply hope that people like you, Sarah Palin, Mary Matalin and the worst of all, Nancy Pfotenhauer disappear to the back pages.

Currently eating Halloween candy and watching the returns on MSNBC with my son while he puts his red state/blue state puzzle together as the calls are made!! Spent most of today at Election Plaza in Rockefeller Plaza and in Times Square at the CNN set after voting — NYC is the most exciting place in the world today!! Go Obama!!

Sarah Palin is a tribute only to the “anti-intellectual” movement.

Extremely engaging, thoughtful and, above all else, RESPONSIBLE ad - especially Bacall. If you don’t stop what you’re doing to listen to what that voice is saying, you have no soul.

Catherine Deneuve…no explanation needed.

It just has to be black so I don’t have to worry about what matches…If it’s black, then any of my scarves will match, so there’s some color. By the way — Fantastic article on Peggy Noonan today at: http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/10/19/peggy-noonan-journal-oped-cx_t…

Thanks for the link. Michelle Bachmann is one of the meanest and most hateful members of our government. I can’t imagine anyone ever actually listening to her and then casting a vote for her. A truly terrible person.

I would put it into a high interest account and use it for an “emergency fund” for my family and my neighborhood friends here in the theatre and music community in NYC as needed…Anytime the child of a musician/actor/backstage techie/conductor/choreographer needed some type of medical treatment, and their insurance was either gone or not enough, there would be a substantial, if not total, contribution from me. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to bail out my friends and family and take any degree of worry out of our lives where children are concerned — One of the my greatest points of envy is toward Rosie O’Donnell because of the incredible work she is financially able to do for children — she gives away an absolute fortune through her charities and I know that if I were to have a spare million that I would chose to follow her excellent example.

A few years ago, I was in Los Angeles doing a musical and was asked to be in the cast of a one-night benefit performance of “The Women.” I was so excited at the first rehearsal, because Edie Adams was playing the Countess de Lave. She was SO much fun - had fantastic stories and I spent every backstage minute listening to her. I always hoped that I’d get to see her again, and am sad to see such a great lady gone. One of the great all time tough gals.

Will be at the theatre tonight supporting my fellow artists…have watched every debate since the primaries for BOTH parties. Will watch the highlights on the net at some point….but the past 2 between Obama and McCain have been a big yawn, so I didn’t hesitate to accept an invite out tonight!

I have to say that I’d join the group heading to France. I’ve realized that my college French served me well over there and that in a matter of a couple of months, I’d be speaking like a native. It’s a country where the arts are appreciated and respected and as that’s what my husband and I do, we feel more comfortable there anyway. America’s loss of appreciation for the truly great things that we’ve contributed to the world — Jazz, Cole Porter, Ella Fitzgerald — you don’t see European countries forgetting their great contributers. I’ll never forget being in a night club in Athens, Greece a few years ago and seeing the 20-somthings all hanging at the bar bobbing their heads to a Madonna tune that was playing — AND THEN all making a mad dash to the dance floor when an ANCIENT Greek folk tune started playing. My husband is in a well-known singer’s band and we were all there with her — they got ALL of us up to learn this traditional Greek dance with them that their grandparents probably taught them…they were so proud to teach us. The European balance of keeping up with today’s trends and technology while never losing touch with their past is beautiful. When I go to Harlem and see a GREAT group of jazz musicians and see how few young people are there to take this in, I have to say it really depresses me. Same when you go to the Opera….the vast majority of the audience are so old that they are asleep by the middle of the performance. The 20-somethings here are in a club listening to a DJ spin music with no chord progression and 1 beat through the whole song - followed by the same. In the same way that our current leaders have severely fallen off of the path set by our great founders — see anyone with Ben Franklin’s intelligence or humor around? —- it is a trend in America to “hit and run” and not carry the best forward with us. Like many, I’m anxious about the election — if the Republicans stay in office, I don’t see anyone in the arts being able to make a living here.

I had two favorites: My 11th grade Trig. teacher, Mr. James Baskin (who was also my mom and dad’s high school teacher before me!) and my college freshman Political Science professor Dr. Robert Andress. Both took me seriously and opened my mind to accept and enjoy courses (math and politics) that I wasn’t necessarily considering as a profession. Having a broad point of reference in anything you do is a good thing…and I’ll always appreciate those two in particular for making me realize that there was room for all types of knowledge in our brains. As the great Roz Russell as Auntie Mame said, “Knowledge is Power!”