Hooray to Michael! He got it right, no Palin will NEVER occupy the White House….NEVER.  I think she is and will continue to be a lightening rod for those who think as she does. Much like Ann Coulter, she will be someone that unites those who have "fringe" beliefs and attitudes.

She has the presence, personal and unique style that those people love, so I really do believe Palin will be around for years to come. Writing books, giving speeches at fundraisers and speaking engagements, appearing on talk shows, but she will NEVER occupy the White House. On this I would wager all that I own.

Reports surfaced after the 2008 election that millions of Americans voted for Barack Obama - not because they wanted him in office, but because they didn’t want Palin in office….that says something.  He’s Black….no, he’s a Muslim…no, he pals around with terrorists.….but when it came time to vote, they cast their vote for him. That is very telling.

First of all welcome back Love Goddess, its been awhile….

Great subject to tackle, and I’m surprised you didn’t touch on something that I personally believe is the root cause for men not sticking it out when their ladies becomes ill. As you said, men love being the savior, the strong and masculine one to sweep in and take care of everything. They do fight for us on battle fields and not think twice about giving their lives for us. But that’s just it. They can control a multitude of incidents where they can step in and be the hero.

When they see their woman ill and sick however, they can’t. When a man who has deep love for his wife, truly sees her as his best friend, confidante and lover, and is told she has breast cancer - he knows that is something he can’t fix. He can’t make it better, he can’t beat it up and stand chest puffed out with pride. He is left to simply stand beside her and helplessly watch as the woman he loves endure pain, a pain he can’t alleviate.  I would think a lot of men feel totally helpless when their women become ill.

I really do believe this is the primary reason why so many men flee from women when they become sick. The feelings of helplessness that they can’t solve the problem and on some level that has to play with their self ego and masculinity. "If I was man enough I could take care of this…"

But with all this said there are of course the jerks among them who simply aren’t committed to their wives and are more concerned with having a woman that is "whole"  The new poster boy for men who can’t handle being with a woman who becomes ill brings to mind John Edwards. Now that’s a piece of walking garbage if ever I have seen it.

And to think I wanted him to be our president.

Messy,

I don’t know what your religious beliefs are, but in the Jewish faith, tattoos are a "shonda" within their religion. As the letter writer pointed out, a Jew who marks their flesh can not be buried among their people. That is huge and is something not to be dismissed. So keep in mind, your opinion may be that tattoos are "utterly harmless" but in the Jewish faith they are not. Parents don’t need to know if she is having sex or in what positions. Parents don’t need to know what she had for breakfast or dinner. But her parents DO need to know if she has done something that will affect her ability to be buried among them.

As for my niece, I will forever be that buzz in her ear giving my opinion and guidance. The difference is she is her own woman. I can say one thing and she decides for herself if she should listen and apply it to her life. When she does and all is well, I smile. When she doesn’t and all is wrong, I don’t bite my tongue and will immediately remind her "I told you so"

Luckily for me my "I told you so’s" have been so frequent that she does listen to my life suggestions.

Martha Stewart like any person who gains celebrity status, is either loved or hated regardless of her faults. And she does have them.  She made millions in her long life, but not all of it honestly. This is something that many who adore her ignore. In my mind that diminishes any accomplishments she has made because they call into question her integrity and honor. For someone who has made a living on not just cooking perfectly, but decorating and presenting all you do perfectly, I find it hypocritical that she herself is so flawed.

However I love her creations and ideas and have applied many to my homes over the years. I love the fact that she stresses to pay attention to even the smallest details, I live by that rule as well. So a lot of what she has to say is of value, but there is something about her that is simply off pudding to me. It’s as if she is attempting to be a snob, above everyone else when in actuality she is not. She’s too controlled - too focused on perfection. I always feel people who are like that are hiding something.

I don’t know if this was a regional thing, but I used to love shopping in Bargain Basements. Both Woolworth’s and Gimbel’s had Bargain Basements where there was a sea of bins and tables over flowing with merchandise marked down.

Purses, blouses, sheets and towels all on sale for pennies on the dollar! If I close my eyes I can still see tons of women fighting over piles of clothes. The room was filled with chatter and action, sales clerks scurrying from here to there….I loved it! 

Those were the days.

To letter #2, honesty is always the best policy, always.

I personally dislike tattoos. My 29 year old niece who I am so close to I look at as a daughter, has numerous tattoos. All of which I hate. I warned her when she had one put on her chest of a man she was dating that she would regret it one day, pleading with her not to do it. And as I predicted years later she had it tattooed over into an image making the comment "putting a man’s name on your body is stupid and immature" Duh, what did Auntie Bee say in the first place? :-)

As a Jewish person, you knew very well what the beliefs were surrounding tattoos, you just didn’t care….be honest. You’re young and like my niece, you want to live your own life, on your own terms. But the mere fact you are questioning what your mother will says says you are not quite a woman, not quite ready to truly live life on your own terms. So with that said I would think you should tell your mother and let the chips fall where they may. Deal with the results of her response.

Everything in life happens for a reason, this could be a wonderful opportunity to practice asserting yourself and confronting your mother and your religion on an issue that is considered important to the Jewish faith.

What’s going on with you Margo? Lately your advice to your readers is to be dishonest and evasive.

I agree with you Leigh, that’s why I say Palin in 2012! She epitomizes all that you have outlined. And her commitment to her oath of office is to be commended. Sure she left early, but only because she felt she could do more for the nation than serving as a mere Governor. She is as you said, a politician with wisdom, common sense, leadership abilities and executive experience.

She’s the total package. We would all be in such better shape as a nation if she was our President right now. She can handle all the stuff Bush left Obama, and SHE wouldn’t whine about it constantly, because she never whines. I think she is great. So did you stand in line to get her book or did you just order it online? Did the Fox reporters get a chance to interview you? :-0

Oh Mary, don’t get me started with the TXT talk wave of abbreviated speaking.   I know it sounds snobbish, trust me, I have been accused of being "too articulate" - but I wish we were a nation of people who took pride in how we communicate.  When I hear President Obama speak among blue collared folk and he turns on the Jimmy Stewart "yall" and "kinda" banter, my skin crawls.

I look at the kids in my family and how among themselves they are a bunch of goofs. But when speaking with strangers or their elders they always use proper grammar and English. I love that.

Well call me elitist, I’ll accept that label proudly. I am big on people using proper English. I have a real problem with the school systems because we have gotten away from teaching grammar, and as a result we have turned into a nation of…..well….people who think its cute to *wink* and say "ya betcha"

I would prefer my politicians to speak with authority, intelligence and knowledge.

I agree with you Deber, you are right. Barack Obama has only been in office one year and look at how he has ruined our country. Can you imagine the damage he can do in the next 3 years! Oh how I wish McCain and Palin had won. We would certainly be in better shape financially and we wouldn’t have MASSIVE DEBT because after all, it is Obama’s fault we have the MASSIVE DEBT right? So if McCain and Palin were in office we wouldn’t be in the shape we are. Obama sucks.

I am so with you on this one and I freely admit to being wrong. I stand corrected. Palin 2012!!!

From the movie Silence of the Lambs:

You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition’s given you some length of bone, but you’re not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you’ve tried so desperately to shed: pure West Virginia. What is your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you… all those tedious sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars… while you could only dream of getting out… getting anywhere… getting all the way to the FBI.

Whenever I hear of Martha Stewart, I think of this line from the movie Silence of the lambs, because the world is filled with women who have acquired success and wealth. They teach themselves how to speak correctly, walk the right way and dress with style and class.  They live in all the right communities and hob-nob with all the right people.

But underneath it all you just know they are all walking balls of insecurity. Filled with the need to appear perfect, do everything perfect and be control freaks to mask all the "stuff" they dealt with as children. I know a handful of Martha Stewart wannabees and I’m not impressed.

To letter #2, you really have to use this incident as a lesson toward being more mature.  You see your children as Angels and perfectly behaved, and they very well may be. But as Margo pointed out, not everyone likes kids. I know I don’t. I love my great nieces and nephews, but I can only stand to be in the presence of kids for very short periods of time. She may be the same way.

So the best thing to do is a lot of self talk and tell yourself she has a right to have her day - her way. Say it in a mature and honest manner to yourself, sort of like a mantra. Because truth be told, for you to obsess on why she didn’t choose you or your children to be in the bridal party smacks of selfishness. "why not me….why not my kids…we’re deserving"  When instead your thoughts should be one of selflessness "good for her, I hope the wedding goes off without a hitch"That’s what a true, mature and confident woman would say.

Letter #1 is one of those gag letters. This letter writer is the equivalent of a woman on the scene of a car accident, bodies all over the road, cars in flames, gasoline fumes galore and she is standing in the midst of all this chaos on her cell phone with her husband "there’s this accident Honey, oh my God you should see it, what should I do?" Ummm, how about call 911 INSTEAD of your husband!

The same rings true with her complaint. She knows the woman shouldn’t be running a childcare and that children are in real danger of being hurt, abused or neglected, yet she writes to Margo for resources to turn her in? Sure….like I said, gag letter.

It all depends on who the Republicans put up against him in 2012.

Say for instance if Palin were indeed to run and the Republican party were to put all their weight and energy in backing her (and Glenn Beck as I heard on the news last night - he would be a possible running mate) Barack would most certainly win no matter how the economy is going and what wars we are still in.  

However in my opinion this is all a moot point because I believe things will turn around, a form of prosperity will return (not the opulent - everyone gets rich kind we have been used to) but a type where most Americans are back to work. And with the changes that will take place, most Americans will regain their faith in him, and onward and upward to his 2nd term!