Liz, Ouch. Are you OK? It has got to hurt after all these years. The resume of work at hand for you, is greater than most writer’s lifetime achievements. I count myself lucky to be able to read your words here. Thanks for your honest approach to your interviews. Glad to be back in the US with internet access to wowowow. This is a great meeting place.

 

Wowowow is addicting. Love listening to all the many thoughts. My other sight is now Change.gov The Obama administration is working to gather a steady group of a few million on-line voices and workers at the ready to continue to be a deliberative democracy. Thank you David Plouffe.

Julie, Will you be going to the movies to see the environs of New Orleans in the Benjamin Button: Brad - Cate movie? For me, it is a kick to see on the big screen places I know, have been or would love to go. I want to see slum dog millionaire since we have tickets to go to India in several weeks.

Merry Christmas to all at Wowowow. To Liz, You have taught me more than any of the women on the top of Wowowow. I fumble with words trying to express this thought. Way back in the beginning, as a first-time blogger, some of my words were wrong. I meant one thing and ended up insulting accidentally. To you Liz, I fear I owe a heartfelt apology. I am ignorant of much. I was ignorant to not know who you are and what you do for a living. It is a new year and I will make my New Year’s resolution to think before I type. Meanwhile, know you are loved out here in my bit of boonies and have earned much praise and thanks for all that you contributed here on wowowow. May your Christmas be full of smiles and blessings.

Cynthia, Caroline stands on her own efforts. A Columbia U. Law degree., Board of NAACP as legal defense. NYC education department doing an amazing job of keeping the district financially afloat when it was about to sink further. An author of renown. She has worked her entire life to read, think, consider and put her opinions into action. Was she helped by her name and family? yes. Family is important to her and I say “you go girl!”. Thank God she chose to put up with all the paperazi and work for our democracy.

Happy Happy day :) Dance, smile and hugs are even sweeter on your special entrance into our shared world. Thank God you are here and you are who you are. Give your guy a hug from a wowowow lady too. You are a thoroughbred and beautiful and strong.Your Dad must be one heck of a guardian angel and holds you in his glow.

Hi Whoopi, Soak in the love my lady. So, a person can be, just be as they are with all the inside feelings and confusions and fighting for a little bit of a niche……. and also be accepted. Very cool. Maybe we are growing up after all in this whacky world of internet, TV, cell phones and actually are connecting in some new-found wonderful way. Buckminster Fuller would be so pleased. Love your Mom too for her keeping a sense of humor in her outlook. :)

Liz, Do you have advice? Stayed in safe stocks ove the years. Split between Lehman Brothers bonds, Wachovia, Citigroup, GE, and a smattering of small numbers of others. Will Lehman be forever gone? No help there? We are scared. Poor health. Very scared.Not old enough yet for social security or medicare. No pension funds at all. We worked ourselves (to poor health )as entrepeneurs and so our money upon sale of small business was all put into investments. Have children in collegeThen we got wacked by colleges. Income from stocks abut 23,000 a year and our kids got some merit scholarships but very little. Our investments could not be seen as our only pension. We followed the American dream and are……….trying very hard to find a way to get our health care paid for. $15,000 a year for the two of us. We know retail and can find lots of empty stores now…………..but then who is to say we open a store, work 90 hours a week, and we too won’t fail in this economy? We think it is not a good time to be selling anything except soup and macaroni and cheese. Oh, but I have flour allergy, so that’s out too.So much for the bread line. Living on our hard won earnings but seeing it drop by over 50% in the past weeks and quickly disappearing has been alarming, depressing, frightening. Liz, I have been listening to Jim Cramer. Too late I am. I actually am hoping for him to be named as Treasury Secretary.

Our economy does depend on our purchases. I like to remind myself that each dollar I spend is like a vote for that item in our society. Money spent at a family-owned shop versus spent at a large chain store has economic effects. Value organic food? then buy it.. Value public transportation? then use it, or car pool when you can, or multipurpose when driving rather than making extra trips. For me, it is not about taking things out of my life, but being sure that the purchases reflect my world vision of my life. It is not about feeling guilty to spend money. A piece of art, hand made jewelry, craft, even a designer gown, supports a creative person that we value in this society. Spending according to your own earnings is appropriate. Wonderfully, some of the WOWOWOW ladies can support many creative individuals. Some of us, just craft fair artists. So it is.. Enjoy. Be reasonable and not in debt.

Congratulations Whoopi. Our democracy is working. Tues. NOv 4th ,was working at a poll, and my cell phone rang (no one is to have a phone but the judge) Inside the firehouse- garage I had no news of the state of the election. A call from Beijing, China from a jubilent daughter with yelling fans of democracy told me Pennsylvania just got “called” for Obama. My heart rose. Surrounded by half Republicans, half Democrats having worked 15 hours staying carefully non-partisan—————- We knew our national pride was back. We had protected our system and Obama had won! And you are to be congratulated for continuing to remain optimistic all these many years with Strength, pride and endurance….and Humor. Thank you.

Sen. Hillary Clinton had several write-ins for President at the Polling Place I worked. You are a great stateswoman and mentor to many. Your BEST is yet to come. You can move mountains from inside the Congress. More power to you. You have seen both sides of Pa. Ave and have that inner advantage. You go girl! :)

Obama will continue to surround himself with varied opinions and world views. With Sen Hillary Clinton in the Senate and a mandate to improve our health care system; this will go hand in hand with the second big initiative of energy sources and alternative energy develpoment as a means for growing jobs and the economy. Congratulations ! We are here for you!

Wonderful laugh on all. Where was Joe, and yes, I mean Joe the VP candidate.

Phyllis, You asked the question well. Yes, i do have children. My son and daughter were born healthy and I cherish them. The miscarriages left me in bed for months trying to save the pregnancies. My son and daughter were young. Then I was sick with strepp throat, tonsilitis, pneumonia, my hypo thryoidism, and geez, more bad health and it continues to today, wheat allergy; mitochondrial disease.But I carry on. I was such an involved Mom. Played games, puzzles, art, crafts. Sorrow makes a part become walled off, even to those we love. People would say. “So sad, miscarriage, but look at the two lovely children you do have.” People always meant well, but somehow I felt as if the lost ones were diminshed and the grief dismissed. My children, now early twenties are wonderful adults, and I consider myself very lucky and blessed. I wonder, if there coud be a poll on wowowow: how many women have lost unborn or newly born babies? Maybe some conversation could begin.

Phyllis, He was your son you did not get to know him, and yet…somehow as his mother, do you feel you did know him in some way?. My heart feel pains and is heavy for your loss. I felt so connected to the two babies I lost. My messaage said one miscarriage;, but the second was a girl. I had a cerclage to keep from loosing her, but still lost her. It has been 14and 16 years ago and I still weep even now…………………….