J B

My Comments (380 so far…)

The Blessings – and Curse – of Costco, by Jean Chatzky

I never go without a list, and I tend to buy the same things…butter, olive oil, I love their baby back ribs and pork roasts…if I’m having a party, you can’t beat their prices on party platters of sandwiches etc. At Christmas, if I’m giving someone a book, I buy it there. But you should never step foot in one without a list…and stick to it!!

You've hosted dinner parties, lunches, cocktail parties, everything. What's your No. 1 best tip for entertaining?

Keep it simple. My friends love my "Taco Bar" parties where everything is on the buffet, they build their own tacos etc. grab a margarita as they pass the bar, then we all sit around the table and gab. Always casual! I throw a pretty good barbeque as well…I just don’t "sweat the small stuff"….because I want to enjoy the party and my guests without being tied down in the kitchen.

Isn't It Time We Marry for Money? The Gold Digger Debate, by Daniela Drake

When you marry for money…you earn every dime.

Where can we find you this Memorial Day Weekend?

In the middle of a lovely 7 day vacation at our family villa on Hilton Head Island. Even when it’s raining here, it is a paradise!

Madeleine McCann's Parents to Talk About Daughter's Search on 'Oprah'

I would NEVER leave my children alone to go and have dinner…no matter how close the restaurant was to the room…they seemed so casual, saying they had done that every night that week…so yes, someone could have been watching them the entire time and formed the pattern…why this little girl and not any of the children of the other parents who also left their children alone? We’ll never know…as for this "infantile amnesia"…no…I have very clear memories of my paternal Grandfather, and he passed when I was 18 months old. My Father was stunned once, to hear me describing the way my Grandfather used to peel oranges for me…he said "You were just over a year old when he started doing that, I never told you that.." It depends on the child. My 35 year old son only remembers 1 trip to Hawaii that we took when he was 10…though we went twice a year from the time he was 6 until he was 13. He has NO memory of the housekeeper/cook from my Father’s house who was an enormous part of his life from the age of 5 until he was 13. Every child is different.

Arrested for Throwing Tot From Car, Richard McTear Jr. Explains 'It's a Dirty Game'

He had a rap sheet a mile long, the 17 year old Mother had been arrested 10 times…where in the hell was Social Services?? Neither one of them had any business being a parent or even being around a child! I say we throw him from a speeding 18 wheeler and save the tax payers some money. He had an outstanding warrant and shouldn’t have even been on the street. Disgusting.

How many magazine subscriptions do you have?

Southern Living, Sunset, and Bon Appetit. I just returned from ten days in Northern California, and Sunset helps me feel "connected" to my friends there and their fabulous way of life. <sigh> Ten days was barely enough, but I have promised to make it an annual trip. Till then I will just read about it!

What is your favorite cookbook of all time? Do you remember any special recipe you love from it?

The wonderful cookbook my Mother In Law wrote. I call it my "Kitchen Bible" though that is not the title. It is now out of print, and I treasure my copy. She has put copies away for her grandchildren, and once in a while I see a copy in a book store or kitchen shop…my favorite recipe is "Pot Roast With Savory Gravy" a roast that cooks all day and makes it’s own gravy.

What is the most exotic creature (animal, bird or insect) you have ever seen in its natural environment?

Years ago, scuba diving in Hawaii…my guide tapped me on the foot…I turned and behind us, a humpback whale and her calf…it was like seeing a skyscraper laying on its side in the water…she was that close and that huge. We floated there, mesmerized…until she went on her way. I’ve also seen black bears on my own deck…and of course there are the alligators that frequent the lagoons near our home on Hilton Head!!

Rembrandt? Picasso? O'Keeffe? Tell us: Who is your favorite artist?

I love the work of A.T. Cox…a western artist.

Liz Smith: New 'Carnage' for 'Sopranos' Star James Gandolfini

Liz - please, don’t give us too many "details" on "Precious"…I don’t want to know every nuance of the film before I see it. I’m curious to see how the book will do as a film…

The new iPod Shuffle is even smaller and holds more songs than before. Does it tempt you? If not, is there any gadget that does?

I don’t "get" the whole ipod thing…never have.

Julia Reed on Life, in All Its Gritty Glory

My Father always said "This is no dress rehearsal.." and "Life is short, live it while you have it." I believe it!! I try to live it…!! I will turn fifty in two weeks, and I see it as a launching pad to the next half of life…none of us are promised tomorrow, so we should live it up today.

Bernie Madoff: Does the time fit the crime?

Oh Lord…I didn’t know there was a house in France! I think, after all of their years of marriage, she shouldn’t be away from her husband…she should share his cell!

Bernie Madoff: Does the time fit the crime?

I had heard that his sons and family were actually listed on the victim’s list…but I’m not holding any telethons for the Madoff family. I also heard that Ruthless Ruthie may be allowed to keep the penthouse AND the house in Palm Beach…REALLY?? Can ANYONE imagine a Madoff showing their face in Palm Beach after this?? I’m amazed the house there is still standing!!