Tinka Parker

My Comments (255 so far…)

Do you still have your high school yearbooks?

I loathe the chart. Hello? WowOwow? Why not put it to the vote some day soon?

Reality television is clearly here to stay, so tell us: On what show or in what type of competition would you kick butt?

I would suck at every single one of these shows (and I watch a lot of them with great pleasure) except The Cougar. I would definitely like to audition cute young guys.

When a scare like the swine flu takes hold, do you take precautionary measures to the extreme in order to protect your health?

Totally agree, EKA. Fortify yourself - there’s no such thing as rendering yourself antiseptically clean. Just ask Howard Hughes who probably died sooner because of his obsession with germs.

Have you benefited from this recession in any way?

I have benefited on only one count: the price of the house of my dreams is falling, and soon may be affordable.

Have you ever cared for an aging or Alzheimer's-stricken person? What advice would you give someone faced with this challenge?

My mother had dementia, and even through the fog of meds which tamped her rage she knew she wanted to die - she had lost every other kind of control over her life and body. She refused to eat or drink. I honored her wish, recognizing it wasn’t "crazy" even though she had dementia, and she got what she wanted: release. While unbelievably emotional and stressful, it was an honor to be there as she slipped away, gradually, over the course of 10 days. I think even if your parent doesn’t know who you are, they can experience your love.

What's the first thing you would do if you were fired from your job?

Write that book, Laura! Could be a movie!

Psychic Says Susan Boyle Will Be the Next Jennifer Hudson

She reminds me of Kate Smith. There is such honesty and deep fervor in her delivery. Her rendition of Cry Me A River is outstanding. I agree that this is a real and long-lived career in the offing.

How do you define success?

Being useful, whether through career or service.

How many magazine subscriptions do you have?

Magazines are essential to any good john.

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

My first cookbooks were the English writer Elizabeth David. They taught me to be informal in my approach to the kitchen. Her recipes were about a paragraph long, no kidding. Measurements were like: a soup spoon of this, a dessert spoon of that, big pinch of some spice, a handful of such and such - you could hold the recipe in your head instead of consulting a book all the time. Now I cook totally without a book unless it’s baking.