Abuse of the elderly is nothing new. I think living past 80 is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. You better make sure you were damned good to your relatives if you plan on living a long life. I know first hand resentments and bitterness await those who were not kind to family and have the gross misfortune of longevity.
Mrs. Brooke Astor is 104 years old and has been living in deplorable conditions according to close friends. So much so that her son (who is 84) has been relieved of his duties as her primary care giver, both financially and physically speaking. Mrs. Astor has been placed in Lenox Hill Hospital and her care is now in the hands of a close family friend as well as JPMorganChase in charge of her finances.
Mrs. Astor for those of you who don't know, had the reputation of giving generously for decades in New York City. She was left a wealthy widow by her difficult husband after only five and a half years of marriage. Many other relatives were cut from the will and she was left to spend freely on the community. I have enclosed some links if case you want to brush up on the amazing lineage of the Astor name. Once the wealthiest people in the world, it's unbelievable to hear about Mrs. Astor existing in her own waste day after day. Apparently there are some resentments over money and Mrs. Astor is paying the price.
Yea, yea Lance Bass is gay. Congrats Lance on coming out now the tabloids can't bore ass you about it anymore.
War is raging on in the middle east and the US can't do shit about it because we jumped into our own little thing with Iraq three years ago. Speaking of which, I just spent $32.00 to fill up my Nissan Altima. How insane is that?
I took my nieces to the Franklin Institute the other day and it was really, really cool. I haven't explored the museum since I was a kid.
Woody Allen's new movie Scoop is being released this week. I'm starting to really enjoy Scarlett Johanson as an actress. Look, I'll die a Woody Allen fan I don't care who he marries.
I had a meeting with my accountant. I've visited my doctors for routine stuff. I feel great, fantastic.
Only three more weeks left of my summer but I have to give myself credit- I really made the most of this summer. I didn't do any of the things I thought I would do (with the exception of a planned vacation) but I did everything I needed to do. I put first things first and I managed to play. I also have a brand new dream destination- Positano, Italy(see picture below).
Tara Connor, Miss USA as an "icon of beauty?" I was never so disappointed in my life!
"Are you people serious?" I muttered at my TV wishing I had Dan Renzi's phone number so I could call and vent to him.
Dear Project Runway, next time you tease us in the previews make it worth our while. Remember it is the more discerning viewer that watches PR. This isn't that cheesy Rock Star 2 Supernova crowd you know. Stop piecing the clips together and making it seem like something huge is about to happen when you know your only parading an F-list celeb out on the runway.
I was anticipating at least a Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie, some one half way interesting in relation to fashion, but a beauty pageant contestant? Does anyone even follow who Miss America is any more? The last time I was aware of who a Miss America was it was Vanessa Williams. Of course Tara Connor was the standard all American, cheerleader who dates the jocks type of beauty. The gown she picked was gawdy and made by the guy who actually works in the pageant industry *yawn*. To top things off they cut Malan and the only thing I can say about that is his dress was ugly but he made for some damned interesting television. Am I the only one who likes the elitist types (IE Laura)?
By the way, Michael Kors shouldn't get any more days off. I live for his one liners.
I took my four year old niece to the grocery store today but I should have realized before hand her reason for going, I've been through this with her before. When we got to the store she wanted to be pushed around the aisle in a great big cart shaped like a car. Being a kid, she was already well aware of this great attraction Acme provides it's customers (Thanks Acme). How could I say no? You should have seen me steering that thing up and down aisles trying not to clip other people's carts.
Thats a funny expression, getting your ducks in line. I think thats impossible because life isn't something we control. Whatever I achieve it always seems I push myself for more. I have to start letting things be enough. I need to remember that I will never have my ducks in a line because there is no such thing.
"I cannot tell you how fascinating it is to watch these various condemnatory narratives about me spin around in cyberspace. " ~ Dr. Diana Blaine
I happened upon a link today where I had posted a comment. When I type my name in certain places it sets some people off on a venomous rant about me. I find it rather humorous that I have affected them in this way. This anonymous female person goes off on a whole tirade about how fat and boring and untalented I am. Even going as far as to mention me in relation to crystal meth. Funny, considering I barely drink. Why have some unknown female misfits latched onto me in this wild wacky world of cyberspace? Glad you asked because I have a theory.
Jealousy. That's right I said it, jealousy. The same kind of petty jealousy some girls dealt with in high school. The miscreants find one another in cyberspace and they proceed to do what they do best- tear other people down. We see it all the time on these celebrity blogs. The famous are called names and the dirt is dished daily (say that fast three times). Sooner or later they happen upon a real person like myself and find themselves enraged at my nerve to actually live a life.
How does she have so many interests? How does she know everyone from accountants to drag queens? How does she afford to travel? She is pretty so there has to be something wrong with her body? They really want to know how I have this full life as a single woman over 40. Surely, I'm miserable and just not fessing up.
They read every word I write and examine every picture I post of myself eagerly looking for clues and insight into what certainly must be my fake happiness. In my case they even found a guy I hung out with a few times. He was more than happy to "expose" the real me, especially after I failed to pursue a friendship with him. Of course they would never believe that but oh well such is life. You can't always pick winners.
In my life I don't accept abusive behaviour. I know who I am and I speak my mind and that threatens some people. I have a damned good life and that pisses a lot of people off. I have loads of family love and support. I have smart, talented friends who are socially aware and work to make a difference. I have role models all around me and I learn from them.
If you want to keep following me around the net, studying my every word go right ahead. Your disdain for me is your problem. I will keep living my life happy joyous and free. I'm sorry that threatens you and makes you angry. Maybe someday girlfriends, you can get lives of your own and start your own blogs with real thoughts and interests instead of petty little message boards where you spew hatred and cast aspersions on strangers. Maybe someday you won't be ashamed to post pictures of yourselves and you will stop staring at mine. Let me warn you if & when you finally make it, there will always be some asshole in cyberspace waiting to rip on you. That's OK though you will be strong enough to handle it because by then you will be secure within yourself. Just like me.
Sometimes it seems easier to lean on our mate for all decisions and all direction. Then we do not have to risk creating our own life path. Some people think they can avoid that risk by striking a bargain with their mate. They so fully immerse themselves in their mate's identity that they never have to face their own. Some couples unconsciously agree that one partner will do all the thinking and the other will have all the feelings. The result of their bargain blunts the spirit of both people, because neither grasps the challenge to see life through her or his own eyes. When both us know how it feels to walk in the other's shoes but still see our life through our own eyes, we find the greatest personal empowerment and spiritual freedom.
Think of a time when your relationship was stronger because you took the risk to be different.
Photo of Yosemite courtesy of Dr. Blaine's flickr page
Yesterday I heard something that made sense to me. The idea of walking around numbed out. Just showing up and not feeling. Tripping and stumbling never knowing what hit you. I was accumilating some nice little resentments and not really knowing the origin. I thought I was mad about one thing but it was really something else. Nothing satisfied me, nothing felt right. Slowly, I starting waking up at the beginning of 2006. It was like coming out of a coma. I had a lot to relearn. Now its summer and it's been a month of awakenings. I'm refocused once again and becoming alert and oriented. I feel better.
What the hell is Kim Jong Il wearing? At first I thought it was a jump suit, like the kind a service station attendant wears. Then I realized the man never let go of the leisure suit. Oh well Laura Bush is still sporting the Dorothy Hamil haircut and a uniform, right? CNN reports that Kim (I'm thinking his friends call him that) is only five foot three inches tall and wears......get this......platform shoes. Looks like we have a new Lil' Kim. Holla!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later that day, my nieces played some games and I snapped some pics.Click below for pics
I just realized that I have 217 songs on my i-Pod nano (2GB) and I can have 500!! 283 songs to go. This is so exciting, I'm in heaven. I just bought new ear buds yesterday and loaded it up with more songs today. Now I want one of those i-Pod gift cards for my birthday and X-mas.
The Wow Report staff made a fetching (grrrrrr... that word) list of annoying phrases or words they find extremely irritating. The all time most annoying phrase used on me is .......*drum roll*
That's so funny (when it's really not that funny and they don't get it)
I knew two people who used this all the time and I knew it was because they didn't get it! How iRrItAtInG. I wanted to send them to the guillotine every time.
Jose Conseco
