Happy Thanksgiving!

 

AND - I've got to get Ziggy this hat!

via GIPHY

Regardless, he will be doing just that - sitting there like like an impatient gentleman, waiting to shove his face in all the food!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Don't Forget, You Can Aways Hire Leslie Jones to Shut Down Annoying Relatives at Thanksgiving Dinner ...

 

For $29.95, Leslie Jones will come to your house and shut down anyone talking politics at the Thanksgiving dinner table 😂😂😂

(No, not really.)

I wonder if she gives lessons, though? 😉

Luckily, I won't have to worry about that, this year, as we're having a Friendsgiving!

(Leslie is welcome too, though, if she wants.  😂)

Never Mind Martha Stewart - Check Out Karen Bussen

She's a celebrity wedding/event planner, master floral designer, restauranteur, wine expert, gardener,  and author - like Martha, but better - and kinder, as I recall.

Because, you see, I actually knew Karen, back in the day -  I went to Sycamore High School with her, back in suburban Cincinnati, though she probably doesn't remember me (my maiden name is Smith) 😂

(And if she does, it's probably not a good memory, let's put it that way - I was very shy/anxious, had family issues, and was trying navigate myself out of an overly fundamentalist/evangelical Christian upbringing, while still oddly clinging to it, because it's all I knew?).

Anyway, Karen was 2 years older than me, but in my Gleek circle - and mostly what I remember is that she was one hell of an actress - perhaps the best I'd ever seen locally. 

In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I think she actually won our state's Speech and Drama competition (Ohio) and ranked pretty high at nationals?

I also remember that she was already a master of style - a bit like Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink or Lisa Bonet in The Cosby Show - marching to the beat of a her own different, but incredibly cool, drummer. 

She would wear like black and white 40s-style dresses, pointy shoulder pads and all, with red-framed glasses and a small beret, that kind of thing, which was far cry from the pink-and-aqua messes with Guess jeans and floral scrunches that we all wore. 

She was popular in our Gleek circle, but neither popular or unpopular with the mainstream, and didn't care (at least not that we could discern).  She was also incredibly smart and incredibly witty. 

Now, I'm not sure, but I think that she, like most people from Sycamore (except for me and about 10% of our classmates) came from money, but she had no interest in throwing the drunken, beer-bong, frat-style parties, and no interest in being Homecoming or Prom Queen.  She was probably considered a bit quirky by the cheerleading/dance team gang, but that quirky creativeness is often what creates a superstar later 😃

So the high school that I came from, Sycamore High School, is kind of regionally famous for churning out National Merit Scholars and extremely successful people - and yes, all the extremely successful ones already came from money.

(So not me, in other words 😂)

We're talking about sons and daughters of C-suite-level people of Proctor&Gamble, GE, Fisher Stereo (at the time), pharma companies like Meridian Bioscience, Thermo Fisher Scientific (which my dad worked for until he ran away)  and Medtronic, and state or national bank presidents. 

Their children/my classmates later became CEOs, NYC stockbrokers at Bear Stearns and Goldman Sachs.

They became world-renowned doctors who started the original hospitalist program (having an attending internal medicine doctor on hospital staff at all times, rather than patients waiting on visits from your personal physician) from USCF, which is now standard of care at all major hospitals worldwide (he is now at Cleveland Clinic).

There's his brother - who was also one of my former beloved Baskin-Robbins (ice cream parlor) coworkers -  who went on to become the mayor of Denver, Colorado.

Aside about the BR coworker who became the former Denver mayor: I still think of him as "Horace," though not his real name.  

That is because once, when bored -  in the winter, when few are eating ice cream - I took the label-maker and changed everybody's nametags to old people names like "Horace, Eugene, Beulah, and Ethel" instead of their real names.  (I changed mine, too - I was Beulah Mae, for the record.) 

Nobody noticed until later, when customers started to call us those names, which of course threw me into a fit of giggles 😂😂😂

We also had a huge whip cream fight, one winter night, and we thought we were clever and had cleaned it all up, so that the manager the next day would never know, but the nosy, cranky cakemaker came in early and found a bit of whip cream behind the waffle-cone maker and we got in trouble 😂

Very few Sycamore kids had jobs as teenagers, but we did - and despite the other above 3 coming from wealthy families, their parents insisted on them having jobs and paying for their own cars, etc.  

No matter how much money they already came from and how famous or successful they later became, at least these 3 learned the value of working for what you want very early on, and they also once wore the "brown and pink" -  the BR colors 😊

Anyway, they also became corporate lawyers who also teach at Cornell.

They became local news anchors, or even WaPo or CNN reporters.

They became CIA and FBI agents.

They became Olympic and professional baseball, soccer, football players and swimmers. 

And in our own little Gleek circle, there were spawned Broadway actors, voice actors for commercials for things we hear every day, like for NBC shows including the Olympics or Discovery Channel/TLC/History Channel projects.  

There are Broadway voice coaches, who also coach Mariah Carey. 

There are opera singers in LA.  

There are Emmy winners for writing the theme song for the soap opera, Passions.

In fact, here in Lexington, if I meet another Cincy transplant and I tell them what high school I went to, they say "Ooh la la, you're from that rich, snotty public high school, who think they're better than everybody else and had everything handed to them? "

I say, "Not all of us - I was in "the 10%" - the group that struggled financially and weren't handed opportunity with a full parent-paid ride to college, but I know what you mean.  And you'd be surprised. Some of those wealthy people were very down to earth, but yeah, there was THAT set, too, so I know what you mean." 

And with all of that legacy comes great expectations, whether your family was rich or poor. 

So what I remember most about Karen is this story, which she tells about in one of her book profiles, so I'm not giving away any secrets.

So I believe she had a scholarship to one of the premiere drama schools in the country - I think it was Carnegie-Mellon, if I'm not mistaken - and our drama teacher heavily supported her, including even accompanying her on visits to colleges to make sure she got in.  

I believe she may have also scored high enough on college entrance exams to be a National Merit Scholar, so getting into any school itself wasn't a problem - but also getting into the prestigious drama programs and acting scholarships would need an extra push.

Then, in a sudden decision that shocked us all, two weeks before graduation, she ran off to become a magician's assistant on a cruise ship!

I know.

WHAT?!?

That's what we said, at the time. 

It broke my drama teacher's heart, saying she'd never back an aspiring actor or actress's career, no matter how good they were, and she never did.

At the time, it was shocking - such a hypersmart, talented girl with a promising career ahead of her to not even graduate high school, in the end?


HOWEVER - looking back at it now - and even somewhat then - I smile about it and get it.

Perhaps the confines and expectations of an affluent, conservative Cincy suburb were absolutely suffocating for someone so bright and creative, and perhaps she felt her whole life was already being planned for her based on their own hopes and dreams, living vicariously through her, despite not being sure what she wanted to be yet, so she had to break free and forge her own path?

I'm just guessing, of course, obviously, because I haven't spoken to her since high school, but that's my only guess, knowing where we came from.

Plus I also was very good friends with the national bank president's son, who was expected to go into finance, but instead became a famous stage actor in San Francisco, much to his dad's dismay, for the same reason - he decided to be himself and happy, and his dad eventually came around, so this is where my guess comes from.

But all's well that ends well - because Karen used that creativity and sense of style to become a famous international celebrity wedding/event/entertaining planner, restauranteur, wine expert and author, originally based in NYC, but now living in France with her new husband :)

For more about Karen's work, you can visit her website HERE. 

Or for more about her life after moving to France, you can watch her videos about adjusting to French life HERE at her YouTube channel (Here's a sample).

 

 

Just in case you find this a little too pie-in-the-sky dreamy and pretentious, like my husband did?

The "blooper" clip at the very end is more the Karen I remember.  

She says something like "We need to find out who's garden this is, this is ridiculous." 😂

That's the Karen I knew 😊

You can also find out more at her substack newsletter chronicle of her new French life. 

And here's a sample of a few of her books ... 

Go Karen, super proud of you for always having the courage to break away and be yourself!

Now, on a personal loosely related side note, just a bit of advice, if you are like me and are in that 10% of people at an affluent, conservative suburban public high school that is NOT rich and/or has embarrassing family problems - tack on it's especially worse if you are a person of color.

Learn from my mistakes. 

My advice to you is quit trying to fit in and focus on your education as much as you can, despite your home life or what the "richies" think of you - your education will be your escape out.

Because even if your grades are initially great and you test off the charts, if they ever suddenly fall, trust me -  no one in an affluent, mostly white community will ever ask you what happened, what's going on at home, how they can help, or even care UNLESS your family also has money - no one will care but you.

Learn what you can about "upper class" etiquette to use in business, sure - but otherwise, just embrace your other 10% friends like family, stop trying to fit in and be accepted by the upper class, and maybe try therapy if you want to talk to someone about it.

Because it's not gonna happen fully, they won't fully relate your struggles until much later in life (if at all). In fact, you won't ever be fully accepted by them unless you're famous (later), and then suddenly, they'll want to be your best friend 😂.

Learn to care about you, even if they, your teachers, or even your own family doesn't, or marks you up as a mess, just like the rest of your family - do NOT accept what people who don't really know you or care about you predict you will be as truth.

Just focus on your education despite what's going on with your family or the cool kids, because that is your ticket to a better life, and your education is something that no one can ever take away from you.

Most importantly, never forget where you came from or be ashamed of it - remember what's good and leave the rest - what you learned, what and who was good or kind to you - try to focus on any angels at all that might in the room, rather than the sea of a-holes.

And above all, never EVER lose your empathy for others struggling as you once did.

In fact, I remember a conversation we had after our final performance of our play at the wrap party, just after Pretty in Pink had come out.  In fact, we went to see it after our final performance, then went to a friend's house for the wrap party.

They were all talking about the class of haves and have nots, with most of my friends saying it was ridiculous because WE weren't that well defined at our affluent high school, but that movie made it seem like it was like an Indian caste system.

So I said ...

"Yeah, but see, you DO see it, at least somewhat, or we wouldn't recognize ourselves as also being an extremely affluent suburban public school, too, comprised of mostly haves versus have nots.  And that's easy for you to say, you're not in the 10% looking up."

"And it's actually worse - because where are the people of color in this movie, there aren't any?  It's actually 10x worse for them.  We just don't talk about it, but I feel very similar to Molly/Andie, even as a white kid."

In fact, the next year, my senior year, I had a very similar conversation with the Vice Principal one day, just like she did.

@johnhughesmovies Replying to @evancolemann Pretty In Pink is such a classic! #prettyinpink #mollyringwald #andiewalsh #johnhughes #johnhughesmovie ♬ original sound - John Hughes / 80s Movie Clips

So the school took no notice of me or cared until I tried to skip school for Senior Skip Day, like everyone else, for the first time in my life doing something I knew was wrong regarding school. My grades and high testing scores had been slipping since freshman year, but no one noticed or cared why.


Then I suddenly got a big lecture from the Vice Principal about how I should be grateful because of my family troubles and that they "allow" me to still go here, despite now living with friends 30 miles away, yada yada yada.

I also got an additional lecture Andie didn't get, a big guilt trip speech, about how people supposedly looked up to me as a Christian "role model" because I won the talent show for singing with an Amy Grant song and because I was chosen to read the morning announcements over the PA, so I needed to set a better example.  

At first, I was super ashamed and took on what he was selling, and sank down in my chair like I was the worst human being alive.

But then the more he spoke, the madder I got. 

Taking a cue from Molly/Andie, you know what I said?

 "Really?  You could've fooled me.  You've never in my 3 years here so much as even said hello to me, never even spoken to me until now. And as you said, you also know that I've never once been in trouble in my entire school career, and that I don't drink or smoke or do drugs and I've never missed a day or even been late until yesterday." 

"And yet here you are anyway, speaking to me as if you know me, talking about my family troubles, based on gossip, including that you know I'm not living at home with my mom anymore and why, and that I'm living with friends 30 miles away, without ever once talking to me or asking what that's like."  

"Did that gossip mention how I manage to drive myself 30 miles to school by 7:15 every day, without ever being late or missing a single day, or that I work for 4 hours after school every day? Of course not."

"But please, lecture me more on "allowing" me to go here, living in Milford with friends, and expected Christian leadership from the good-girl, over one halo-slip moment, never once bothering to actually talk to me or ask how you can help with my family troubles - all YOU care about is how I can better represent YOU and Sycamore better?"

"Did you know that despite testing the highest in the school in reading comprehension since kindergarten, I've never even once been invited to see the guidance counselor, either to find out why my grades slipped starting freshman year, OR to come up with a career action plan like the rich kids from perfect families, or that none of us 10 percenters have.  " 

"I guess  you figure we're not worth your time, your bet - regardless of how bright, talented etc., any of us less financially fortunate are." 

"So thanks for "allowing" me to still go here, and for the the slap-on-the-wrist chat, without punishment - which is only because I've never been in trouble before in my life before - NOT because you actually care. 

"Isn't it funny that though only 1/3 of our class was in school yesterday, not a single one of the rich kids from perfect families are in your office for skipping, just me - what, were you just waiting for me to screw up, knowing my family life?"  

"Guilt trip NOT accepted. I don't think you paid enough attention to that song I sang, which you only now tell me brought tears to your eyes" 

"I didn't win because I was the best singer- I won because of the song, which is about all of us here at Sycamore, living in this "perfect" community, trying to be perfect and meet expectations and our school's reputation, as if we're not actual people, just little dolls and representations of yourselves." 

"Whatever. Goodbye, Mr. K, and good luck.  Just know I won't ever do this again - and yet I leave you with that song, since that's all you really know about me anyway.."

Okay, I was a bit angrier and more bitter than Andie was, by that point, back then, which I've gotten over, so granted, I could've said that better - but in another way, I'm proud of myself for mustering the courage, despite being shy, to say that to him because it was also very true, about all of us at Sycamore, rich or poor.

He just sat there, looking as if I punched him.  I'm not sure if he was shocked that the usually interpersonally shy me spoke that much or at what I said, maybe both. 

Either way, I just left the room, with his mouth still hanging, never hearing another word from him again😂

Food for thought for him, I'm hoping, but likely not.

But the good news is, I did graduate and ended up going to college (University of Kentucky) two years after graduation via student loans, with a 3.77 cumulative GPA, on the dean's list every semester but my first - and despite being a very large university, my professors loved me there and cared about struggles, financial or otherwise, which helped - proof positive that the environment you're in and the people you surround yourself with can make all the difference.

But you don't have that choice as a child -  so take what you learned in high school and leave the rest behind - and if in a stifling conservative environment that leaves no room for you not fitting the mold, then use your education to move on to where it IS okay to be different and you. 

College life is vastly different and awaits you, and you will find out who you really are in the real world, separate from the local haves and have nots and religious wing nuts - but at the same time, always remain open to who people are from any background - rich or poor, black or white, Christian or not - because people can surprise you, from any background.

I was also strangely reminded of the words that song that I mentioned myself, while writing this post - the one I sang for the talent show win, despite shedding the fundamentalist evangelicalism a long time ago, because out of all the religious songs I sang back then, this one fit me most - and IMO, Karen and others too?

Again, it wasn't so much my singing that won the talent show as it was the off-the-cuff speech I mustered the courage to say just beforehand I sang it, about fear of failure from the expectations placed on us by others - lyrics that everyone, from whatever background, could relate to, especially in a school and community with a great reputation and high expectations.


(Well, that and the soulful, guitar skills of my fellow classmate and Baskin Robbins coworker, John Dale, who accompanied me - thank you John 😊)

Regardless, I think everyone should have a standing ovation just once in your lifetime - because everyone deserves one, at some point in their lives - and it's not always for the reasons that you think 😊

So this song is dedicated to anyone - especially in high school or college - who is struggling with who others expect them to be versus who they actually are ...

All I Ever Have to Be - Amy Grant

When the weight of all my dreams
Is resting heavy on my head
And the thoughtful words of help and hope
Have all been nicely said

But I'm still hurting
Wondering if I'll ever be the one
I think I am
I think I am

Then you gently re-remind me
That You've made me from the first
And the more I try to be the best
The more I get, the worst

And I realize the good in me
Is only there because of
Who You are, who You are

And all I ever have to be is what
You've made me
Any more or less would be
A step out of Your plan

As you daily recreate me
Help me always keep in mind
That I only have to do what I can find
And all I ever have to be
All I have to be
All I ever have to be is
What You've made me

No Lame Duck ...

The last two months of an outgoing president's term are called the "lame duck" period - the assumption that they are now limited in power and will be quieter - but in recent times, it's been anything but. 

So when an outgoing president gives a series of executive orders, pushes acts into laws through Congress, or otherwise takes executive action in his final months as president, we call this "lame duck" legislation.

Proponents for lame-duck legislation say it's important because it's a last-stitch effort to thwart the opposition's most "dangerous" legislation incoming legislation (depending on what each party sees as "dangerous.")

Opponents of lame-duck legislation say they've had 4 years to get stuff done and lost public support and thus, shouldn't be doing much of anything in true "lame duck" fashion, and leaving the outgoing president in gives them the opportunity to take desperate measures, seek revenge, or even sabotage the incoming administration.

Now, typically, I am of the latter opinion, an opponent - you lost the election, you lost public opinion - thank you for playing, goodbye.

In fact, in the UK and other European countries, that is what they do - you're out that day, no ifs, ands, or buts - specifically to thwart lame-duck legislation and/or revenge or sabotage.

But we are in different times now - and thwarting "dangerous" incoming actions any way we can is essential, because they're not just perceived politically dangerous - they are truly dangerous to our welfare as a whole. 

Now - after having just said that, when Biden gave the order to allow the Ukraine to use missiles to fire at Russia, my first reaction was ... to smile?

What the BLEEP has gotten into me - this is war action?

So then I felt horrible.

Then I told my husband, and he actually laughed, which made me feel a little less horrible.

I think we did so because you can't help but respect and smile at Biden's very obvious FU to Putin, as well as the incoming Putin/Russia-friendly Trump and Friends.

Plus let us not forget, Russia had just announced North Korean troops were entering to fight on the Russian side. 

Who doesn't respect an "FU" message to an a-hole from an underdog on the way out with their last breath, right?

EXCEPT - we're talking about missiles and human lives!

So I slapped myself because I hate war and I hate the casualties that will occur. 

Also, I had just said last week when Zelensky wanted to start sending missiles into Russia that I don't think it's a good idea to poke the bear. 

And in the end, I think it will accomplish very little but piss the bear off, and the incoming presidency will most assuredly not back up this action anyway.

Thus, I have mixed feelings - though I respect the very clear FU message that Biden is sending Putin and Trump on the way out, I also think it's futile, will result in civilian loss of lives, and will not be backed up by the incoming administration and thus, was a bit like shooting fireworks at an oncoming tank. 

So in the end, it's desperate actions like these on the way out is why I still think we should do like the UK and several other European countries do, when they elect new leaders - it's immediate:  "Thanks very much, but get the F out.  Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 -  just go."

And the reason I still feel that way because I'm not short-sighted - can you imagine what Trump's last lame duck period will be like in 2028?

God only knows what he'll do, on the way out, he might burn down the White House, who knows  ...

Goodbye Yellowstone and Tulsa King, Then ...

Now before I begin this post, I said in yesterday's post regarding Pete Hegseth that for reasons I can't explain, it really bothers me when men who have never been cowboys, never set foot on a farm or ranch, can't ride a horse, are not from the West or South, nor are even a country singer, wear a cowboy hat.

I'm not saying I'm an expert myself, by any means, far from it - I barely learned how to saddle a horse properly -  but I did ride Saddlebred (English riding, 3-gait) when I was a child/pre-teen and have ridden my husband's thoroughbred several times, over the years - enough experience to be able to tell when actors have little or no horse-riding experience. 

So let it be known that at the very least, Taylor Sheridan - who grew up in Texas and learned how to ride on his grandparents' cattle ranch, eventually competed in "cutting" competitions - only casts men that have extensive ranch/farm riding experience (even competition experience), because he knows it will show if you're not an experienced rider (at least to other true riders). 

(Of course, he loves to show his riding skills off by putting himself "cutting" in nearly every production he makes, stroking his own ego, too.)

Thus, all the men I'm about to mention check this box, including even  Sylvester Stallone (who used to compete in polo, which isn't exactly cowboy, it's English saddle/riding (which some say is harder), but he absolutely can ride, he even rode at a competitive level ...

So there's THAT ... but now that that's out of the way, the writer of all of these shows, Taylor Sheridan, is a heck of screenwriter (though he does leave some loopholes or shark-jumps and is not the best director) and theme-song picker  -  BUT - he's also a huge egotistical, control-freak, super douche!

He sues his own cast members for their side projects and side business ventures as if he owns them, and he couldn't get along with Kevin Costner, to the point that apparently, the two are no longer even on speaking terms, super bad blood between them.

Who doesn't get along with Kevin Costner?

(Well, his ex-wives might beg to differ, but in the business, he's got a pretty good reputation for being easy to work with and being pretty laid-back, and he's typically pretty good about finding common ground with Republicans, too, enough to agree to narrate a series about the American West for the Fox News Network.)

And Taylor's other show, The Mayor of Kingstown (which I only watched once, super dark, nearly humorless), found many of his big stars leaving after the first season, vowing never to return - so good luck, Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm with Taylor's latest, "Landman."

(As a side note, I found the prequels to Yellowstone - 1883 and 1923 - super boring, despite two of my favorite actors being in them, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.)

So despite this previously being my husband's favorite show, we haven't watched the new/last season of Yellowstone yet and likely aren't going to -  not only because Taylor moved the streaming rights from from Paramount Plus (CBS's plus app) to Peacock (NBC's plus app), which I'm not signing up for, as there's nothing else there we want to watch - but because we learned they killed off Kevin's lead character in the first show in the first few minutes!

Kevin Costner himself reportedly didn't even know about it until it aired, finding out through friends, because he's supposedly not even on speaking terms with Taylor and the rest of the cast is under a gag-order like NDA. 

Kevin Costner carried the show, he was the glue that held the family together, for better or worse - and though we like the Rip and Beth sideline story, they're not enough to carry the show!

Plus, Taylor increasingly started making hints in his shows about leaning politically right, which really turned us off.  

He still keeps the anti-racism/anti-racial-profiling storylines in about Native Americans and people of color, as well as pro-women storylines, but other things were becoming increasingly pro-right-wing - and he started giving us hints at Trump support.

Now, Kevin is a famous Democrat, with family ties to the South, which means he's a 2nd amendment supporter - but everything else is left - which leaves us speculating if politics had anything to do with it, because he took a lot of flack from some fans for being a Democrat. 

Then Tulsa King star, Sylvester Stallone - who I actually liked as a person better than Arnold Schwarzenegger in that age-old debate  - came out of the Trump closet, on Thursday night, at Mar-A-Lago, stating Trump is the "second George Washington" for "defending his country."

What the ...?

Nope, can't do it.

If I can find several fact-based arguments against your belief - on video - that not only is this NOT the case, but that Trumpism is the exact opposite defending democracy, with Trump instead behaving like tyrant king or fascist dictator ...

... then you've proven your belief to be irrational, illogical delusion, rather than based on actual historical fact - and I have zero interest in hearing anything you have to say further on Trump or politics in general because you can't be taken seriously.

We can chat and find common ground on other subjects, but I have zero interest in your opinions about Trump or politics in general, nor will I be giving your business ventures any patronage or platform  - sorry.

So we were midway through the second season of Tulsa King, which is admittedly a well-written show, about a mafia made man (Stallone as Dwight Manfredi) who spent 25 years in prison for a murder he regretted (which was actually a mercy killing after someone else in "the family" messed up) - without ratting anyone out - only to find that after his release, his reward for doing so was being sent off to Tulsa to "start business" by the psycho son of the don, who convinced his ailing father to do so, out of jealousy/fear that Dwight would run the family now instead of himself.

He also discovered that his wife and daughter were NOT taken care of by "the family" as promised, while he was in prison - they were left penniless, and his daughter had been sexually assaulted by a member of "the family" as a child.  The mafia family claimed not to know or they would've taken care of it themselves, but he doesn't believe them.

So sending him off to Tulsa was was like sending somebody off to Siberia, in mafia language, and thus, Dwight increasingly cuts ties with the NYC mafia and does his own thing, with more heart. 

Anyway, despite being an interesting twist on a fish-out-of-water former mafia guy, I don't care how either story ends anymore - I am NOT giving patronage to Trump supporters in any way, shape, or form - sorry.

I will find common ground and work with them, chat with them  in my neighborhood etc (as long as we don't discuss politics), but giving them support or patronage?

Nope - sorry. 

Also, I wonder what his 3 intelligent, outspoken daughters think about his Trump support?

We may hear about that on the reality show that is "The Family Stallone" - or not - because his 3 daughters are actually the stars.

It also appears that he was a great kid dad, but has no idea how to be a growing/grown daughter dad (other than to protect them from men), or really, how to relate to teen, young adult or grown women in general.

However, not even sure I'll watch that, I'm so disappointed in him!

Crawling Out From Under My Bed, Just to Say ...

 

... "Yep, just like I said 2 posts below, his cabinet is full of the world's worst, except at least Satan himself is at least intelligent and qualified."   😂

Which is the worst among all chosen?

I'm assuming you mean their actual qualifications versus their character - OR the fact that not a single one of the supposedly Christian, pro-marriage-pushing men chosen possess the ability to keep it in their pants? 

Clearly, pedophile cokehead (and Botoxed Jack Nicholson channeler) Matt Gaetz as Attorney General -  who was being investigated by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee for drug usage and an inappropriate relationship with underage girls, until he resigned after Trump nominated him?

But the actual scariest for this country overall is Pete Hegseth over the Department of Defense - and I'm not alone -  actual military generals on both sides of politics are gasping over this choice.

For starters, can I just say that on a personal level, I'm not sure why, but it really bothers me when people who have never been a cowboy, never ridden a horse in their life, never even set foot on a farm or ranch in their life, aren't from the West or the South, and aren't even a country singer, wear cowboy hats?

Pete AKA Ken from Barbie is from the Minnesota suburbs - so it's like playing dress-up 😂

At the national level, not sure how being a weekend anchor of Fox and Friends and being in the National Guard qualifies you for Secretary of Defense of the USA, but alllllriggghty. 

And here's some snippets of our grand new Secretary of Defense at work!

He says he hasn't washed his hands in 10 years, he doesn't believe in germs, because it's not real if you can't see it? 

 

So Trump is a known germophobe - they'd best not ever shake hands! 😂

Now, to be fair, he says he was joking, but that's not clear, and he apparently forgot that even though he may not be a total idiot, his audience is, and thus will take him seriously.

I mean, we're talking about people who drank bleach to kill COVID because Trump said it!

Well, he went to Princeton, so I when I said he may not be a total idiot, was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but ... 

Yeah, no, never mind ... not only is he a total idiot, but he has terrible aim, and apparently no empathy or concern for the drummer that he injured, not actually going over to check on him?

Well, he does interview the drummer later in the show, as this clip from CNN on the matter shows -  but you would've thought he would've run over to check on him right away!

But alas, no - he has to put his jacket back on and interview the man later in the show, stating he's okay on camera (like he'd say otherwise on camera?) - to  both avoid a lawsuit and Pete/Ken from Barbie can milk the situation for more publicity afterwards 😉

And these axe-throwing competitions have people backed up at 10 yards, with no one behind the actual target (and axe-throwing bars have them against a wall inside a cage) - - so why in the world would Fox News think it was okay to put the target on a street corner, with people behind it?

Possible answer: Because hurting other people is considered entertainment on Fox News, and is especially justified if you're trying to promote yourself.

Somebody please remind Fox News that they aren't supposed to BE the news, just report it?

Well, they can't even do THAT right - the entire outlet is just Trump and Russian propaganda fuel.

Speaking of Russia, Tulsa Gabbard/Cruella Devil over intelligence - is that Russia's intelligence or ours? 😂

Sigh.

If I didn't know better, I'd say these picks are intentionally leaving the door wide open for Russia,  but I think the intention is more about cronyism, rewarding loyalty, and leaving that door open for Putin/Russia is just a byproduct.

As for Elon Musk, who grew up wealthy in blood-diamond South Africa during apartheid - I'm actually not as worried as everyone else is, despite his shocking meeting with Iran's Ambassador -  and here's why - Elon is another Trump, but with autism.

He has no loyalty to any country or anyone but himself and even less diplomacy skills than Trump.

I predict that at some point, Elon and Trump's egos are going to clash and it won't be pretty, and it also likely won't be too long. 

Any bet takers?

Here he is, waiting for someone to bring him his white cat to stroke and laugh, while he has a Tesla employee tortured ... 😂

But the most concerning thing isn't who Trump actually picked - it's the fact that he can recess congress early and appoint these people, bypassing the normal Senate hearings and approval, according to the constitution (but apparently, the position only lasts a month before Congress must give approval?).

I swear, it's like if there's a law he can break, or a constitutional loophole he can find, Trump says "Sign me up!"

Okay.  Going to hide back under my bed now, just coming up to take a quick peek. It's about what I thought.  That is all.  😂

Just kidding, I am NOT hiding under my bed, I'm working!

Giant Killers and Near Giant Killers: The Champions Classic

Right now, many of us are looking for hope in America, anything will do, right?

So I used to be a UK basketball fan, when I went there, but in recent years, Coach Calipari was making some decisions regarding the newer NIL deals (name, image, and likeness) that benefitted him more than his players.  

For those of you unaware, NIL deals became legal a few years ago to dissuade illegal recruiting from the school itself, as well as pay players financially, some of whom did not go on to the NBA (or could have, but were injured), because the schools are making bank, but the players risk injury, grade drops and running out of scholarship money otherwise. 

Calipari was doing some weird stuff with NIA, plus making strange decisions about play time - most notably with our former downstairs neighbor, Rob Dillingham, now playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA.  

(Well, he's seen limited play time as a rookie, but he's a phenomenal scorer, and the few minutes he has played, he's managed to score it up.)

Recently, I've become more of a fan of my husband's team and alma mater, Michigan State, because of their coach, Tom Izzo.  He makes me laugh - sometimes it's because he's genuinely funny; other times, it's like a nervous laugh, like he could go off at any moment! 😂 

(And sometimes he does, but it means nothing - he genuinely loves his players like sons.) 

It's hard to explain, he's just a character.  

Like here he is, in his famous angry elf outfit ... 

😂😂😂

That picture just cracks me up - we actually saw that game, it was hilarious!

He also does a lot for his community, and not just endorsement deals - both on and off camera, and insists his players do the same, which is something Calipari didn't do unless he could make a buck off of it.

However, UK has gotten a new coach, this year, a former UK player named Mark Pope ...

An also slightly goofy guy, and very positive - and thus far, hasn't lost his temper like BB coaches often do (we'll see).

Michigan State still has Izzo, but is in a rebuilding year -  so nobody expected either MSU or UK to fare well in the Champion's Classic, this year, and neither team were ranked in the top 10 preseason.

For those unaware, the Champions Classic is an honorary game before the regular season, in which the 4 legacy, historically powerhouse NCAA men's basketball teams - Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, and Kentucky play against each other in some order.

So last night, Michigan State held their own against #1-ranked Kansas until near the end, and Kentucky beat #7 Duke!

Now, for those unaware, Kentucky fans especially dislike Duke after the infamous 1992 Christian Laettner tournament final moment that kept us out of the Final Four, but the truth is - nobody likes Duke 😂

Until the last decade or so, they recruited mostly white or light-skinned black players, almost never dark-skinned black players,  such that I used to call them the "Alabaster Army." in the 90s.

Worse, they also gained a reputation for falling down and flailing around on the ground when fouled, as if mortally injured (white fragility?), which is why nearly everyone hates Duke, except Duke 😂

(To be fair, they're doing it less, under a new coach, but it's still a dark cloud over them.)

Kansas isn't exactly a fave either, for the opposite reason - they tend to be overly dirty and their coach seems like an a-hole. 

Scrappy streetball during play is okay - MSU are scrappy players, too -  but targeting - intentionally trying to injure and take out other players  - is NOT okay.  

Kicking opposing players in the throat on a layup?  No sir - that is not okay!

To be fair, MSU and Kansas are both historically scrappy players, but IMO, Kansas  - at least previously - can be just plain violent?

The one positive thing I'll say about Duke is that like Kentucky, they tend to let their overall athleticism be their revenge and speak for itself versus the rough stuff or too much trash talk - but then again, Kentucky just takes the scrappiness in stride, whereas if Duke is fouled, they act like they just got the vapors and fainted on their fainting couch (or at least they used to, under Coach K) 😂

So watching this year's underdogs - Michigan State and Kentucky - either whip or almost whup the butts of these two top 10 teams, admittedly felt pretty good, after last week? 

Go underdogs of the world!

Because a new-coach, rebuilding, #23 Kentucky just beat #7 Duke in the CC!

So to all underestimated underdogs - especially underdogs that are ordinarily historic winners - it's just not your time yet - just gotta wait a little longer to be giant tyrant killers again! 🙂

The Press Keeps Sending Me Stuff Like ...

 ...  "Subscribe Now for Trump's first year, don't miss a moment!"

I'm already completely ignoring what Trump is saying or doing, who he's picking for this and that, so why would I want to renew for another year just for THAT?

I won't be able to sleep or eat for another 4 years as it is 😂

Plus I'm already resigned to the fact that he'll put Vladimir Putin,  Hannibal Lecter, The Joker, Bane, Lex Luthor, Lord Voldemort, Dolores Umbridge, Professor Moriarty, Dr. Evil, Goldfinger, the Ghosts of Al Capone and Jeffrey Epstein, and Satan himself, on his cabinet - plus put his limo driver, his gardener, his cook, and his massage therapist in charge of the departments of national security, defense, health and human services, and the DOJ 😂

Speaking of Vladimir Putin, I did read, this morning, that he called Trump a "real man."

Allow me to interpret?

What Putin really means is ..."You've become a real boy, Pinocchio! Good  puppet, here's a treat! Sit, please. Now beg. Good boy!"

😂😂😂

Anxiety Antidotes

And so, after staying up nearly all night, two nights ago, and letting my mind run rampant with worry, I decided, last night, to create normalcy despite the potential chaos coming and try to focus on positives in my everyday life, which is something I've learned to do to combat anxiety.

I also learned it's important to get outside of your own worries because there's always somebody with worse (something I learned from Johnny Cash a long time ago, which is another story).

So last night, we ordered comfort-food pizza with my neighbors across the hall - the ones with the new baby and my little honorary nephew, the one whose birthday party I mentioned on Saturday.  

They are from Puerto Rico.  They moved here in 2017, after Hurricane Maria - for which PR received restricted aid from the U.S., despite being a U.S. territory -  with Trump literally throwing paper towels into the crowd during his visit.

They are fun, loving, college-educated, highly-intelligent people, with a close-knit family - both here and in Puerto Rico - who are equally fun, loving, college-educated and highly intelligent, and who show up all family events and support each other, come what may.

They are also are triply worried, compared to us. 

Not only are they worried about the same stuff we are, with the US election result, but they are worried about what could happen as a result of misperceptions/American ignorance about Puerto Ricans here - who again are automatically legal in this country, as Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so they can legally vote for POTUS, etc. when living on the mainland - and thirdly, they are worried about family still in Puerto Rico, who also had elections on November 5th and thus, they're stuck in a 4-way tie.

Now - unlike most Americans, I already knew that PR was a US territory and thus their residents are automatically legal here and they can vote for POTUS, etc. if living on the mainland - but here are some more things to share that I learned that might help combat misperceptions. 

We tend to forget to focus on our own struggles here in the U.S., and at most, that our leaders tend to create a domino effect on the rest of the world, but we especially forget that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory that we neglect like a red-headed stepchild, despite the fact that we invaded it during the Spanish-American war and they are our responsibility as a US territory.

Despite a comedian at Trump's NYC rally calling Puerto Rico an "Floating Island of Garbage,"  Puerto Rico is actually a beautiful island, and it's not just from them that I've heard this - anyone I know who has ever been to Puerto Rico finds it beautiful.

"Floating island of garbage?"

I don't think so ... 

They also have a unique, diverse heritage and history of Spanish, French, Dutch, British, and African, such that one citizen can look "black," others have dark skin and hair, while the next can have light skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair! 

Although the original West Side Story meant well - and as much as I love Puerto-Rican-born Rita Moreno - the movie otherwise used light-skinned, dark-hair/dark-eyed American actors who weren't Puerto Rican or even Latino descent!

They were of Greek, Filipino, and even Russian descent, including California-born Natalie Wood to play the lead !

This did nothing to reflect the true diversity of Puerto Rico, which includes a wide spectrum of hair, eye and skin color!

(It's also fatally flawed in its depictions of Puerto Ricans living in America in general.)

Spielberg did a better job with the remake in 2021, trying to represent actual Puerto Rican diversity with skin/eye/hair color in his remake, with Ariana Debose playing Anita ... 

... except the lead playing Maria still isn't Puerto Rican - she's half Columbian and half Polish-American! 

This is despite us having a plethora of very talented Puerto-Rican singer/dancer/actresses who could've done it. 

(Well, at least she really sang and danced, too - versus having to dub Natalie Wood's singing voice, as well as keeping kept her out of most dance scenes the first go-round, because her voice wasn't strong enough and she wasn't a trained dancer).

And the story is still the story - well meaning, but still fatally flawed PR depictions, even for the 1950s.

Also, though Puerto Rico's first language is Spanish, most can also speak English.

(My neighbors speak only Spanish to their son at home, but he can speak both languages at 5 years old.)

And this diverse heritage and history shows up in the beautiful architecture of Puerto Rico, reflecting all of these influences as well.

See? 

Very tropical, colorful, and beautiful!

It's ironic that comedian at Trump's rally called it a "floating island of garbage" - because I consider Trump to be a floating island of orange garbage!

Even IF that were true about Puerto Rico - which it's not (the comedian likely never having been there)  - it's a US territory, so we'd be responsible for cleaning it up, then, wouldn't we?

(And with more than paper towels thrown by Trump after major hurricanes!)

But there are "slum" areas, just as there are here - it's just those "slum" areas are a bit worse because of the job and housing shortage. 

So there is a job and housing shortage, made worse by the two prior administrations misappropriating (stealing) funds that were supposed to be set aside to assist, with no prosecution for the corruption.

Much like here, corruption and cronyism (rewarding loyalty with high-ranking jobs despite not being qualified) are now "cool."

Things were made worse after Hurricane Maria in 2017, for which they were not eligible for full FEMA benefits or US tax credits such as the child credit - until Biden sponsored a bill approving them more aid and tax credits and increased federal disaster-relief support.

Privately owned farms are shrinking - the US claiming most of the crops, with PR's citizens having to buy back their products at high prices, as their sales tax is 11.5% on products. 

(For comparison, our sales tax on products here in Kentucky is 6%)

Though they pay less than some states in federal taxes, the difference is made up for, and then some, with that 11.5% sales tax on products.

And yes - they do pay Medicare and Social Security as well.

As for the current election, Puerto Rico is in a 4-way tie for governor (well, the 4th candidate just conceded). 

There are generally two parties in PR, just like here, with different names, but a third independent candidate - backed by reggaeton star Bad Bunny - is in the tie. 

The two main contenders, in fact, are Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon from the New Progressive Party (Republican rep in the US) and Juan Dalmau, from that new third party, the New Independence Party (left-leaning) - the two middle candidates in the photo.

Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (politically right, Trump supporting) is expected to edge out Juan Dalmau (politically center-left), in the end.

So to oversimplify things, based on my brief conversation and limited understanding, last night, here's a brief overview: 

Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon is a Trump supporter -  Juan Dalmar is not.

At stake are people wanting full statehood versus people wanting full independence from the U.S.

This is because although Puerto Rico has a certain degree of autonomy, they also are restricted in some ways by US law, as well as restricted in what type of tax funds and aid they receive (which has recently been stolen/misused) and little oversight.

Thus, the message is, as worried as we are about things for ourselves in the U.S., there is always somebody else with even more worries.,  and you may find it helpful to get outside of your own worries and help them?

It's also helpful to try to find the positive and forward-think.

For example, though we were tense, arriving at the polls on Tuesday, half-afraid of some gun nut letting loose, it was actually less tense than in 2020.

We arrived at 5:45 a.m. and a large line was already there, made worse by the new iPad they were using to scan driver's licenses wasn't working.

I saw many of my neighbors there,  and we all chatted and cracked jokes with each other, Trump voters and Harris voters alike, never mentioning who we were voting for (we just knew based on prior conversation or small worries mentioned).

Directly in front of me were two women I hadn't met before, who were chatting amongst themselves and made clear they leaned right, without using Trump's name,  and my senior veteran neighbor and his wife, who I did know and despite being Trump supporters, are very lovely people. 

So the conversation went something like this: 

Me:  "I love your black-and-white tortoiseshell glasses, I haven't seen ones like that before, where did you get those?"

 

Lady 1:  "Thank you!  Simpson Optical, they're awesome there, I love Simpson Optical."

 

Lady 2:  "I need to get some, but first I get some knee replacements.  I picked the wrong job for that, or standing in this line - I work at day care. Or I should say "child development center," they tell me (eye roll)"

 

Me: "Ha! That almost sounds worse than calling it day care - like they're little lab specimens instead of children  lol. But are you okay? My mom just had two knee replacements, and has it rough both before and after. There's some chairs down the hall, there.  I'm surprised they didn't put them right here."

 

Lady 2: "Nah, I'm fine, it's just I hope they fix it soon. "

 

Lady 1:  "You'd think they'd have a backup one, but no. It's not their fault, really, they work with what they're given and they're volunteers, so we appreciate them."  

 

Lady 2:  "True, the stuff they probably have to put up with.  So I hope y'all don't mind my Louisville Cardinals attire.  I was already worried something might happen at the polls today, and then I wear my Louisville stuff, which is grounds for trouble in Lexington with UK fans lol."

 

Me: "Um ... have you ... MET my husband, proudly wearing  his Michigan State stuff today?   Don't worry, they'd head for him first  😂.  Plus it could be worse - you could be wearing Duke stuff."

(Everyone laughed 😂).

 

Lady 2:  "Okay, I'm gonna have to sit down, this is killing my knees."

 Then she sat right down on the floor. 

Everyone - including the veteran and his wife, Lady 1, us, and the Harris supporters behind me, asked if she needed help.

Lady 2:  "Nah, I'm good, I do this all the time, working in a day care - I mean - child-development center. It's the getting back up part that's hard."

 

Me:  "Well, you've got an army of people here to help you back up, if you need it, it seems, so let us know when you're ready." 

 

Lady 2:  "Well it will take one, because I'm pretty sure I'd pull you and your husband both down with me lol."

Finally, they fixed the iPad driver's license scanner and the line started moving, and we all helped her back up. 

It was kinda cool to see that, after so much tension - people being kind to each other, sharing jokes, etc., right? 

Gotta find little positives where you can, when things get rough - I learned that a long time ago.

It takes me a minute at first, but I always do - it helps 😄