Oh I agree with you Mr. Wow, gossip and shallow opinions are nothing knew. People have been curious and nosey about others lives, especially as it relates to those we deem as "celebrities" since the beginning of time. But my point was we have never had the degree of intimate knowledge about celebrities as we do today.  I don’t know how old our Mr. Wow is, but it wasn’t that long ago that the studios and talent management controlled every thing we knew about celebrities. There was no TMZ and 24-7 paparazzi outside the homes of the famous and infamous.

Now people openly open up their homes, bedrooms and lives to us…Americans. We know everything about Jon & Kate, far more than I think we should.  I have a huge crush on George Clooney. Love the man. But I am hard pressed to find out any true intimate details of his life. He does a great job in protecting his privacy. Yet people like Jon and Kate literally make a buck off of showing us the inner workings of their family life and marriage. I just think that is odd.

And I agree with you about Reality TV being a blight, most of it. The problem is it is so hard to determine what is reality tv? I like Kathy Griffin’s show, My life on the D list. I consider that quasi-reality. Some is scripted some is not.  I also like Hell’s Kitchen. Some is scripted and some is not. The line between what passes as real reality is so blurred these days.

But that’s my two cents on the subject. So much of what is happening in our world today is wonderful and progressive, but it is weighed also by alot that is happening that I feel uneasy about. But I have no choice, I must move with the tide, not fight against it.

Have a great weekend. Can’t wait to see what you will brooch as topics for discussion next week.

You know, I don’t think a lot of us stop to think about the situation Jon and Kate are in. The vast amount of kids. I know, I come from a family of 11 children, all of which my father raised on his own (my mom died when I was 6). So when you have a lot of kids it is daunting, mind-blowing!

And once the kids are here, they’re here. You have to raise them the best way you can.  What I find so interesting about the Jon and Kate issue is the fact that it is a glimpse into how far and how much we have changed as a society. Because they chose to televise their life, WE know everything about them. We all debate, judge and talk about their lives everyday as if we know them intimately. If this was 20 years ago this wouldn’t be happening.

I find it fascinating and a bit disturbing that we have such detailed knowledge of others. Think about it guys, it was just last month we had a couple who told their children to lie, put on a hoax of their child in a flying balloon for God’s sake. All to gain notoriety to gain their own reality show. Truly fascinating how people think these days…..

I LOVE Anna, but come on gang, that has got to be the worst photo you could have chosen of her.

This is a much better representation of her beauty.

I can not believe I agree with Liz Peek on something. Stop the presses!

But I do. In the respect of the growing amount of citizens reliant upon the federal government to sustain them in one way or another. I too have been following the statistics in this regard and it is scary. But in this statistic you are missing a huge point. In your article you point out OVER 50% of the nation is reliant upon the federal government. And with that number growing, less people are now actually paying out taxes to the federal government.

Yet on this site on various threads, in your articles, on the news each day we are bombarded with people like yourself lambasting the President about how he is running the country. Using the argument that he is misusing "our" money and such. I find that to be quite the contradiction.  If most of the people doing the yelling are collecting medicare or medicaid, unemployment or disability payments. On welfare or foodstamp programs. Receiving grants or funding for education, back to work programs or child care. Doesn’t that smack of hypocrisy to you?

I know it does to me. There is a lot of talk about how the majority of Americans are now against President Obama and his various plans to turn things around. Well if we are to believe the statistics that you quote, "who" are these people doing the complaining? How can they have one hand in Uncle Sam’s pocket and the other waving a banner with President Obama as Hitler in the other?

And THIS is why I love Margo! Shoots straight from the hip and holds no punches.

Letter # 2 has just received the exact advice (and in the manner I would suggest as well) that she needed to hear. Grossly obese people know they are grossly obese. Some are embarrassed by it and some could care less. But whenever it gets to the point where their weight is affecting others, as in not being able to fit comfortably in a car, or next to you on a plane, or movie theater or restaurant booth or table, we have a right to say something. And the letter writer is 100% correct to be concerned about getting a ticket. Police officers should take this law seriously. Too many people dismiss it as a non issue, that is until they hear of someone they know who died because they were splattered all over the highway.

And letter #1 - And here we go. Yet again another letter from a woman dealing with a dishonest man and missing the point that, that is the main issue at hand.  On what planet would anyone believe that the desire to see your wife engage in Gay sex was brought on by E.D.? Come on! He can’t even be honest about something like that. Would it have been to hard to simply say, "honey I don’t know why I am so turned on by that fantasy, but I am and I am obsessed with it"

That would have been much more emotionally honest to say and believe.  But it’s his lie, his excuse that gets me. If I were in her shoes I would have called him on it immediately. The part about him being obsessed with sex in general however is something only she can quantify. Sex is important to a relationship and lots of sex (in my opinion) is a good thing. So I don’t quite understand her complaint in that regard. But then again we all have varying levels of what is the norm in a relationship.

It just amazes me how many men and women are emotionally dishonest with one another. It’s really sad.

I have a thing for jewelry and have always loved diamonds. When I was a girl I saw the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s and became obsessed with jewels. While my girlfriends were oohing and aahing over the latest fashions, I was always wishing and hoping for diamonds. A big aspiration I’ll have you to know, given I was the daughter of a preacher and lived in a middle class community.

My first big splurge was on a pair of diamond earrings that I still have to this day. Little diamond dust stud earrings that you have to squint to see. But oh how I remember how I felt when I brought them…..I was in heaven!

First of all Mr. Wow, a big THANK YOU for putting Natalie Morales name out there so that more people can become fans of this fabulous reporter. I have followed her for awhile now and think she epitomizes what a good reporter should be.

I saw both interviews and I have to tell you, as much as you and I are oil and water on some subjects, there are others (like the Limbaugh love-fest - it was NOT an interview) that you take the words right out of my mouth. Did you see those bare ankles…yuck!  But you have to admit, now that he has lost some weight, the caps on the teeth are a pearly white, the skin looks tighter….he does look much better than he did. Not as oily, bloated and winded as he usually does. I’m not so sure I’d want to see him in a shirt with a tie. Can you imagine the strangle hold that would look like?

It’s so funny because it really was almost….almost as if Rush had written the questions in advance and gave them to Wallace to ask. He answered them as if he had them rehearsed to some extent. But then again his responses are many I have heard him say on his show time and time again. Obama is bad for America….Obama is a man child…Obama, Obama, Obama…I think he has tourettes when it comes to Obama.

Oh my goodness I didn’t realize Tommy Tune was still alive! He looks so healthy and well…..alive!

I say it all the time Liz, you my Dear do indeed live the life O’Reilly!

I’m speechless Amy.

No, your version of Mayberry is not one that I aspire to live in….far from it.  I may be naive, but I honestly never think of not being accepted in a small town because of my race. I tend to believe there are more people in America who aren’t racist than are. We may differ on religious beliefs, politics or morals, but that doesn’t mean I would be disliked because of my race. so I always assumed the one problem I would have in making my way to small town living would be, being accepted for who I am as a big city gal. Would my outspoken nature clash with their slow way of dealing with things.

Because it is a small town, are their ideas about women, work, morals and values antiquated? And if they are, how could I handle being around that? Some reading your post about a doctor calling other physicians to what I would call "bad mouth you" may think you sound paranoid. However for reasons I can’t go into because of where I work, I can attest to the fact this type of thing does indeed happen among professionals. It’s ridiculous and petty, but it happens everyday all over the country. 

I really have taken this subject seriously and actually have done my homework in trying to find a small town to move to.I’m torn because I really want to land a job in D.C. But in 10 years I want to be retired in a small quiet place off the beaten path. It will be interesting to see where I ultimately end up.

Amy, it sounds as if you have had many obstacles and trials and tribulations in your life. And it’s heartbreaking to hear you are still going through them (through no fault of your own) but you also sound optimistic about life and what lies ahead for you. Kudos to you Dear Friend, all will work out best in the end. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.

P.S. Your artwork is beautiful. You have a true gift.

I always wished I had come from a small town in the way that you explain Mary (sans the no Black people for obvious reasons :-)

In my mind they always seem so quaint, laid back and slow.  One of my favorite old shows is Andy Griffith’s Mayberry RFD. The town fictitious as it may be, has a charm about it that fits my personality. I am always talking about retiring in some off the beaten path small town where people can sit on the porch at night and drink lemonade, not worry about locking their doors and hang clothes out to dry on a warm Summer’s day.

Problem is I think a place like that only exist in my mind. Something tells me I would be hard pressed to find that type of community anymore in this day and age.

Letter #2, great letter. So many women I am sure can relate to how you feel. I can’t agree with Margo more, the answer is definitely to take a break from one another and allow your daughter to deal with whatever the issue is. If she will.

We see this in all types of relationships, that being that no matter what you say to someone they become defensive. And the answer is always that it is something bigger than is being presented.  Letter writer 2 needs to be emotionally prepared for hearing the root cause of her daughter’s animosity. Something tells me based on her letter it must be something deep-seated.

You were experiencing hypothermia and Your Mother chose to give you liquor over rushing you to the emergency? Yep, Laurel I stand corrected. You have a mother that made wonderful choices for you when you were a child. Forget everything that I have said, your mom did a great job raising you.

BTW, I never talk "smack" - I’m far to mature for that. I believed we were engaging in an exchange of opinions. You must have confused me with some young woman who is your contemporary.