Coco Chanel was Right.

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As the frenzy of the holidays begins to wind down, I was heartened to hear from one of my nieces.  She recently moved and is still in that stage of paring down possessions that somehow seemed important enough to pack up and carry, but which now are appearing a little less essential.

Her life is very full.  She's going to school, working, building her own business, trying to keep up with friends and family....

Maybe she just doesn't have time to take care of a bunch of "stuff", when she's taking care of her life....

Maybe her priorities are spot on - spending more time on building her life and less (time, money and effort) on building up a storehouse of "stuff".

Coco Chanel was right.

Less       is       more.


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Another Fabulous Brownie to Try

O.k., I'm just giving up ALL the brownie secrets!!

This one was inspired by my sister's love of a Haagen Daas (sp?) special creation flavor from a couple of years ago: Dark Mayan Chocolate.

Yep. Dark Chocolate. With cinnamon.

So.....

Get a Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix.
Prepare according to package directions, using the 3 egg version. And use jumbo eggs.
(Just do it. Really.)
Add four tablespoons of ground cinnamon.
Mix well.
Bake as directed in a 13x9 pan.
I added Dark Chocolate Christmas M&M's to mine, but they pretty much sank to the bottom of the pan and the red and green ran all over so they looked, um, not so appealing. The taste, however, more than made up for the looks.

Enjoy!!
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Back to Commercials.....

In case Santa doesn't give you exactly what you want .....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdrE1VMxzoE


I know a few women who wouldn't mind finding THAT in their stocking!!

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Just Christmas Fun...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dnrosVyamY&feature=fvw


You just gotta trust me. And turn your speakers up. :)

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Linus Was Right

Finished my Christmas shopping today... I think! Except for that teddy bear for Willa... can NOT find one not made in China! Dammit!

Then there always seems to be that unexpected (forgotten??) present that pops into my head at the last minute. So that one is still lurking out there.

But, for the most part, it's done.

This year it's especially important to be timely since so many things have to be mailed (thank you, USPS, for those flat-rate mailers) or have to be dropped off at St. Patrick's Center next Saturday.

Shopping for my St. Pat's family has been so fun this year - I got a mom and her six-year-old daughter. The mom's list was so short and practical. The daughter wanted only the "Hannah Montana movie". How can you not love that?

So there are a few things in the boxes that will be unexpected and, I hope, good surprises. I'm looking forward to getting everything wrapped through the evenings this week. Sometimes I wish I could see their faces when they open things up, but mostly I'm just glad to be able to do even this one small thing to bless someone else.

Being there for someone else, giving without expectation of reward, honoring the birth of Christ by works of charity; that's Christmas.

Because the real gift of Christmas isn't in the presents. It's in the Gift.

Linus was right.

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

..

My New Idea

My sister and I were talking a while back when the subject turned to over-booked women who complain about being overbooked.

Not over-worked, mind you.

If you're female, you're probably over-worked.

Over-booked.

As in over-scheduled, compulsively (frenetically??) rushing from one activity to another as if a spare moment of relaxation were tantamount to heresy, but then complaining (whining!) (bragging??) loud and long about the drain of it all....... oh, dear!

Puh and leeze.

Just who is it who is in charge of their calendars, eh??? As if those of us with brains have not long ago figured out that the "one-uppers" could do us all a favor and turn into "shut-uppers".

So my new idea is to "One-down" the next "one-upper" I run into.

The very next time I run into one of these activity-obsessed b!tchers, I'm going to refuse to play the "I'm so busy" game, and instead just smile. And perhaps mention how transparent one's priorities truly become when one is living
a life of meaning, not just movement.

Then maybe I'll fill her in on the secret:
No one is holding a gun to her head.

The headless chicken routine has worn thin.

Senseless scurrying scuttles sanity.

Serenity is in.

It's one-downmanship, and I think it could catch on.
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Multicultural Mornings

This morning I made my favorite fou-fou coffee, GFIC's French Vanilla Cafe. Yum.

Then I started the bread machine to making a loaf of Hawaiian Sweet Bread.

And fried up some german-style pork sausage to use with scrambled eggs and cheese in a breakfast roll-up.

Oh, and contemplated some "authentic Greek yogurt" I bought on sale at Dierbergs, but the roll-up really did fill me up, so that'll probably be an afternoon snack.

Just an observation.

Is This Funny or Just Sad?

So, I work with a bunch of women.

A bunch of old(er) women. Women who have known each other for years, some of them their whole lives. Some of them are related (nepotism is alive and well in American business!).

So they talk.

A lot.

Which led me to the purchase of an iPod. Yes, I bought an iPod.

Waltzed into WalMart, went straight to the electronics department, looked around for the NerdHerd helper guy (don't all the guys in the WalMart electronics department look like they play extras on "Chuck"???) and said "I need an iPod and I don't wanna spend an arm and a leg".

He blinked a couple of times and squeaked out "They're over here", showing me the counter display.

Now, let me tell you, I was simply not prepared for an entire display case full of iPod choices. I mean, what the hell???

Anyway, when I quickly dispelled the notion that I was going to pay hundreds of dollars for, basically, a tuner-outer of office noise, he pointed me toward the "shuffle". Holds about 500 songs. About as big as a stick of Dentyne. The cheapest one. Sold!

Next day at work I'm wearing it. Nobody tried to draw me into some inane conversation about high school sports or tried to tell me who's grandkid was dating who else's grandkid. I just got to work. No distractions. It was wonderful.

But here's the funnyorjustsad part:

Later, in the break room, a friend of mine and another woman were talking and when I walked in the other woman commented on my iPod (it was still clipped to my shirt). We all three got to talking and the third woman commented (bragged) about having an iPod on which she could watch movies. I said something along the lines of how wonderful it must be to watch "Master and Commander" on a two inch screen and have Russell Crowe appearing... about the size of an ant. And she said, "oh, no, my screen is really big", making a square with her index fingers and thumbs, about 3 whole inches. Uh huh.

So I said, "well you must have that $200 or so job, then" at which point she jumps in with "Oh, more like $350. It's got everything. Of course, I can't use it because I haven't loaded anything on to it yet and I've had it forever".

Moral of the story?

Don't know that there is one.

What I do know is that out there somewhere is at least one person who just had to have the biggest, bestest, brightest, shiniest, newest, fastest, etc., etc., etc. toy. And it's sitting in the box because she doesn't know how to/doesn't want to be bothered with it's use. But she can certainly comment on (brag about) having it!!

Meanwhile, the el-cheapo model is in full use and serving it's purpose marvelously well.

Reminds me of a certain Leica camera that virtually never came outta the box in, oh, six or seven years.... except to be shown off, of course.

As opposed to a trusty old (and I mean old!) Minolta that got used at every opportunity. And, um, is still in use today!! :)

So I guess I answered my own question.

Having things just so that you can say you have them is so sad.

When you love to use the things you have...

Ah, well, that's just the best.
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Holiday Thoughts

So, Christmas is, what, seven weeks from yesterday???? (Or is it "lasterday"? Inside joke!)

Wow.

Time is flying by and the fall leaves - so radiantly beautiful this year!! - are falling like snow.... which will be here soon enough!

The holiday spirit has started making itself known, too, although in tiny little fits and starts. Like shopping for my St. Patrick's Center family. That usually kick-starts the feel-good part of the season. It's so much fun imagining their faces, seeing the things they asked for on their list but then seeing the "extras" like special cookies or gourmet coffees and hot chocolate.

Knowing that I can help someone else out, because I have gotten so very, very, extremely gracious and generous help so many times in my life that I cannot begin to count them....

Knowing that for every person who butted into my life and made it harder, or uglier or tried to make it hateful, God put people in my path to make life easier, and more beautiful, and more full of love to straighten it out.....

Knowing that no matter how many times I "fail" at whatever, I'll always get a second chance from the ones who matter and especially from the One who matters most....

Well, sounds like "giving thanks", now, doesn't it?

Let the holidays begin!
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You Read It Here First

O.k., "Heroes" fans....
here's my prediction: {spoiler alert!}

"Heroes" will end up being the storyline for a virtual comic book developed online by Hiro and Claire collaborating across the globe without ever meeting in real life. They will be "real" (ordinary) people; all of the other characters will be based on their friends, family, classmates, people they don't like, old romance partners, etc....

That's my prediction.

What's yours?

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It's So True

You know that saying "Living well is the best revenge"?

Well, it is so true.

Today, I got total validation of that.

Thanks for reading, Jackie.

p.s. comments are moderated for a reason, folks.

(and here's an article that might be interesting to people who think they're "anonymous" in cyberspace: http://aruljohn.com/info/howtofindipaddress/ . Happy day, all.)

Are You Afraid to Be Alone?

Someone asked me the other day what I liked best about living alone.
"Sole possession of the remote control?" (with a nod to Sandra Bullock)

While the conversation that ensued was thoroughly enjoyable, the question itself got me thinking.

When I was growing up, I knew a lot of girls who simply could not stand to be without a boyfriend. You know the type.

It was so freaking annoying. Honestly, it still is, only now they just get "married" over and over. And over. And over.

So for a lot of years, I sort of carried around this idea that the whole "afraid to be alone" mentality was pretty much a female thing.

Now, I'm not so sure.

From my observations, there are a lot of very emotionally/mentally/physically healthy women out here living alone and doing so with grace, style, vitality and peace.

The men? Not so much.

Why is that? Why is it that the so-called stronger ones are so collossally terrified of being on their own?

Not that I'm talking about anyone I was once married to.
Or anyone that was once married to my sister.
Or anyone that was once married to my best friend.
Or anyone that happens to be the father of one of my god-daughters.
Or any one of a number of the guys I used to work with in the PD.

So what is the deal?

Even the guys who do manage to set themselves up in a living space can't seem to do it with anything approaching the panache of the single women. A tv, a fridge, an (unmade) bed and a microwave oven. Oh, and don't forget that behemoth recliner! Done! Puh-leeze!
(note: don't believe me? Six words: "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy".)

Women I know have beautifully appointed rooms, welcomingly arranged furniture, eye-catching art... spaces that show who they are while being open to others. These rooms, these homes, are all about interaction, connectedness, sharing, conversations flowing from one to another... relationships.

Relationships with family, friends, lovers, art, beauty, intellectual pursuits, the world.

I guess when you have all of those relationships flourishing in your life you don't have to tremble at the mere hint of some solitude.

Because you enjoy your own company, in your relationship with the peace and quiet of your own space, your own thoughts, your own security.

Pretty much the idea of being a grown-up.

The Secret Brownie Recipe

O.k., here it is, for all the world to see (and make for themselves at home):

Capuccino White Chocolate Chip Brownies:

1 package Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix. Yep. A box mix.
Follow package directions, using the 3 egg version - and I always try to use Jumbo eggs because it does make a difference -- the brownies bake up really high and cakey.
Add 1/2 cup of General Foods International Coffee mix - I use French Vanilla Cafe because that's what I like to drink. (An alternate would be to boil some water, measure while it's still really hot and mix into that a rounded teaspoon of instant coffee, like Taster's Choice plain or flavored, and use that as the water in the recipe. Works just as well, and adds no more sugar.)
(As if that's your concern when making brownies. Um hmmm.)
Mix really well. Spread in well-greased 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of white baking chips over the top of the brownies (if you mix them in and then pour they fall to the bottom of the pan and burn. Trust me.)
Bake at 325 if using a glass Pyrex pan, 350 for just about everything else for about 28 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!!

Maintenance

St. Louis has been seeing cooler temperatures the past couple of days. Hope your area has, too.

Fall and spring seem to bring about the "maintenance" mindset and it has gotten me to thinking.

My mother has had some "maintenance" things done to her house this year. She gets the grass cut on a regular basis. She's been clearing out, thinning out really, the accumulated stuff (clutter?) that was once necessary, or seemed so. Thinning out is a form of maintenance, I think.

My sister has had some maintenance work done on her home, too. Once you've made the plunge into home ownership, the upkeep becomes a huge priority. It consumes a large part of your attention in that you most likely have to do some research, figure out if you can do the task yourself or have to contract it out, and then if you do it yourself you have to do all the frontloading in buying the materials, etc.... or if you contract it out you have to get the bids, etc...

It's a lot.

Even for us condo-dwellers, there is maintenance. While my weekend has not been so much upkeep as it has been acquisition - moving a very large piece of furniture from my Aunt's house to my condo - the activity did involve some renovation-type work and will require a little remodelling to my foyer. During the move I had the chance to talk one-on-one with the son of my dear friend as he provided the much-needed muscle to get that buffet up the stairs.

We talked about relationships. (Kit is a remarkable young man with a heart as big as all outdoors. I just love this kid.)

And that's where the whole idea of "mainenance" took on a different perspective.

Face it: you maintain your dwelling because it's your safe place, your investment, your home. If your home crumbles down around you, the bricks and boards can be rebuilt. Failure to maintain your home has consequences, but they're strictly financial when you get right down to it. A house shelters you; it doesn't love you.

Once you take the plunge into a relationship - whether a new friend, a new potential romance, or a lifelong commitment - you truly are required to accept some measure of "ownership" for it. Including the maintenance.

Not that every relationship is going to be forever. Far from it.

The bottom line, for me, is to get an honest answer to the question:
Is my life better with this relationship in it?

Sometimes, sadly and painfully, the answer has been that my life was not at all better with a relationship in it.

But for those that remain or have been rekindled, there is an obligation on my part.
I get that.

Relationships require maintenance. Constant maintenance.

Time. If you're in, be in. Spend your time on your priority. If your priority is doing only what you want to do, then spend your time on only your own pursuits. But know that your relationships outside of those pursuits will suffer because of it. Your time - and not just the time you have left over after all of your own stuff is taken care of - is required in a relationship. Required. Mandatory. Not optional.

Interest. Are you showing interest in things that are important to the other person? Or is interest a one-way street headed in your direction? Do you even know what others are interested in, or have you already dismissed the subjects because they simply don't interest you? Differences make us interesting. I know things that you don't; you all know so much about other topics! How could I possibly be a great "Trivial Pursuit" partner if I didn't find you all so interesting??

Attention. Just freaking pay attention. (Umm, to the other person.)

Affection. Every human relationship involves some form of contact. Even a new business introduction includes a handshake, for crying out loud. While a handshake does not involve affection, it simply points out that humans touch each other. Period. So touch, already. Hug. Hold a hand, whether it's in a romantic way or sharing grief or just a squeeze because words have failed. Maintain affection.

Effort. What do you put your effort into? What do you spend your time on? Where is your interest? What, or who, do you pay attention to? Are you effectively showing your affection?
These are the things that maintain relationships.
These are the effort we put in.

If we are very fortunate our effort is not in vain and our lives are the better for the relationships we have.

Who Doesn't Like Babies??

So I've ranted about commercials I don't like, and posted only one that I do like, until now:

http://www.tridentgum.com/alittlepieceofhappy/#/Copy-Cat

(Supposedly there's a little "high five" at the end but I have yet to actually see it. Even so, it's a short diversion and it's cute.)

Hope you have a little happy in your day.

See? I told you they like french fries!

O.k., so at first I thought only the males liked the fries....

Um, clearly not.

Rekindling relationships

Today I had lunch - is it still lunch if it's 3:00 p.m.? - with one of my godchildren. Well, she's not a child anymore, but still...

We had lunch last month, too.

Before that, I hadn't seen her in over a year. Shame on me. Completely my fault. Never shoulda happened. I could kick myself.

But, being the incredibly wonderful, loving, big-hearted, fabulous girl she is, she immediately forgave me and took me right back in as her "Aunt Meg".
Last month she played some of her music for me. She's amazing.
Today I heard about her current boyfriend, and when school is going to start again, and the vintage dress she is going to wear to prom in the spring. And we laughed at some of the silliest things. It was wonderful.

Hailey, you are such a gift in my life and I love you so much.

To all of my nieces and nephews (by blood or by sheer good fortune), I love you all.
God bless you,
Aunt Meg

Are We There Yet?

Anyone who has ever travelled with children has heard "are we there yet" at least once.

Today, I'm asking that question in a different way -- in a sort of grateful, happy way. You see, one of my nieces has been out of work for a fairly long stretch, but we got word this week that she has landed a pretty good job and she's very excited about it. My nephew also recently found employment, albeit not in his first-choice line of work, but, hey, in this economy we aren't complaining.

A former colleague of mine just changed jobs to a bigger, better company. Two people I know who were laid off earlier this year have been called back to work.

So my question - Are we there yet? - seems to be more or less "YES!".... we (mostly) have jobs. We have income. We seem to be moving forward.

Perhaps not yet on the roads we first mapped out for ourselves, but we are moving forward.

Congratulations and God bless us all.

Dinner with Girlfriends

What is it about setting up a dinner get-together with your girlfriends that is so out-of-the-ordinary?

I mean, it's such a treat to get together with your friends over a relaxed dinner, just talking, maybe a glass of wine. Or two.

So why is it that we don't do this more often? Perhaps some of you do. Perhaps I'm just not in the loop.

But I'm working on seeing more of my friends, and not just more often but deliberately more often in relaxed, fun settings where we can just have a good time catching up. Not shopping (too expensive!), not going to movies (where you can't talk!), not running around after their kids (or worse, their grandkids! When did we get so old??). Nope. No "activity". Just talk.

That's the luxury, and I intend to indulge more often in it.

Here's hoping you do, too.

The Gift of Goodbye

I'm not a follower of preacher T.D. Jakes, but I heard a snippet of this on a tv program once, and I've seen it in print a couple of times, and it seems like something that should be shared, so here goes:

The Gift of Goodbye

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

LET THEM GO!

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of goodbye. It's the tenth spiritual gift; I believe in goodbye.

It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it.

Stop begging people to stay.
LET THEM GO!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...
LET THEM GO!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...
LET THEM GO!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...
LET THEM GO!

If someone has angered you...
LET THEM GO!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...
LET THEM GO!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...
LET THEM GO!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...
LET THEM GO!

If you have a bad attitude...
LET THEM GO!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...
LET THEM GO!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......
LET THEM GO!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...
LET THEM GO!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed...
LET THEM GO!

Get Right or Get Left, think about it, and then...
LET THEM GO!

"Enough"

I remember being a kid, but old enough to recognize when my parent's birthdays were coming around, or around the holidays... you know, when you're old enough to think about what gifts to give your folks ...

Anyway, I remember asking my mom or my dad what they wanted, and they always seemed to say some version of "Oh, honey, I don't need anything."

And I can still feel how amazed I was at that! What?!?? You don't WANT anything??!?? Who doesn't WANT stuff??!? I mean, come on, I was maybe twelve.

So, o.k., I'm not twelve anymore.

And I get it.

"Enough" really is enough! In the last three years I've gone from an eight room house to a one bedroom condo, and along the way I've given over twenty-six packing-size boxes of "stuff" to the Goodwill, the kidney foundation resale shop, or to FISH (which everyone knows is where my mom volunteers 3+ days a week!).

So, basically, I've got a tiny kitchen, a dining room/living room, a huge bedroom, and a bathroom. And a couple of decks.

But really, I still need to get rid of some more stuff.

Like the clothes I truly don't wear. Really. How long do I really need to hold onto clothes I have not worn in two years??? Or jewelry I never really liked to begin with? Well, o.k., I have to say I've divested myself of quite a bit of (ugly!) jewelry since the Big "D". But still, I could get rid of more.

But the kicker is -- I go to the grocery store, and the gas station, and that's about it.

I'm just not that entertained by shopping anymore, much less in accumulating more "stuff".
I love what I have.

So I get it.

When you have what you love in your life, you have enough!

God love and bless all you wonderful people who make my life more than "enough"!

Be nice to the birds

It's been a week of 90+ degrees in St. Louis.....

And I'm hoping you all are putting out water for the birds. It's just one little thing we can each do to help out the cardinals, the finches, the chickadees, and, yes, even the pigeons and bluejays. As much as I hate the pigeons and really get annoyed at the bluejays, yes, even they get the water.

And all of my leftover french fries.

Which, really, the cardinals go crazy for. Go figure.

Gratitude

Sometimes, you just have to throw your hands up and walk away.

And then, express gratitude.

It changes the focus.

It occupies the space and diverts the energy and redirects the attention formerly being occupied, expended and paid to a negative situation. The anger, frustration, whatever! are dislodged from any moorings they might have had and are replaced with calm.

So throw your hands up, and walk away.

And then be grateful.

Coffee with the Girlfriends

Tomorrow morning two good girlfriends will show up around 10 am for coffee and talk. What could be better?

I gave in and went to the store for some pre-made goodies, put a bottle of cheap champagne and some not-from-concentrate o.j. (hey, cheap champagne is one thing - crappy o.j. is a whole 'nother thing!) right next to it, and all I'll have to do is crush some ice and put on a pot o'joe. What, you've never had mimosas and coffee??

The fact that my house isn't spotless, and I'm still here writing on my blog instead of cleaning, must be a testament to something. Maybe I just care less about having a spotless home. Maybe I'm tired. Maybe, in the long run, I've come to realize that when I visit my friends, I don't really notice if the carpet is freshly vacuumed, or if the picture frames have a spotless sparkle.

I notice how happy we all are to be together, talking, laughing, and sharing our lives.

Yep. I think that's it.

This morning I was fortunate enough to be able to sleep in (almost 9 o'clock!). Such a luxury.

It's a cool 72 degrees and cloudy, with a great breeze. We'll probably have some spotty showers throughout the day, but just for this morning the weather was perfect for sitting on the deck, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the peace.

So I did.

Which reminded me of the mornings I could only enjoy my deck from the inside, looking out, like the morning pictured here, from just a few short months ago - a cardinal on my deck, in snow!

Good morning, everyone. Enjoy.

Commercial I love....

O.k., so I'm still on the tv commercials theme...

But here is one I love:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cNDSPutas8

These three little guys getting their groove on as they go back to school just never fails to crack me up.

Enjoy.

Food for thought

A dear friend sent me an email today that contained the line:

"A friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move a body."

As someone who has been through a divorce, I found it hilarious. Hope it made you smile, too.

Annoying tv commercials, volume 47

I don't know too many men who consume yogurt.
Women consume a lot of yogurt.
So if I were a yogurt company, and some ad exec came to me with the idea of a very young, very blonde, very pretty woman pushing her grocery cart along the dairy aisle, and then pausing in front of the yogurt display, I'd probably be onboard.

Up to the point....

Where the very young, blonde, pretty woman yanks the foil seal off of a package, shoves the package onto her face and proceeds to suck the yogurt out with such force (talent?) that the little plastic container crumples towards her mouth. She then sheepishly wipes the non-existant smear of (ahem) yogurt from her face.

http://lightnfit.com/tools_tips_experts/0_plus_on_tv.html

So just who is the target demographic for this ad, eh?

I used to buy this brand's yogurt.
You damn betcha I'm not buying it anymore.

No whining!

So today I'm not going to complain.

No trashing tv commercials, no chastising so-called news reporters. No whining.

Today the weather is cool, rainy, overcast and just plain gray. But who cares? It's not cold enough to need the furnace (not when your condo is on the top floor - heat rises!) and it is cool, so you don't need the air conditioner.

It seems like the trees leafed out overnight and the views from my decks are great - my building backs to trees and they're full and green and lush and beautiful. I'm sure the rain is helping. The calla lilies survived a winter in their pot in the storage unit, and it looks like the gladiolas and hollyhocks will come back, too. Indoors my tomato seedlings are about three inches high, and the spinach, lettuce, parsley, chives and oregano are struggling along but I have high hopes.

And gratitude.

And just for today, gratitude is all I need.

Miscellaneous peeves with other tv commercials

1. Billy Mays, a.k.a. the oxyclean guy. Billy, Billy, Billy.... enough with the SHOUTING!! I just don't buy anything from anybody who finds it necessary to YELL at me, bud. (and I will not, not, not include a link. I just can't stand this guy.)
2. On the topic of shouting, the "ShamWow" guy is annoying, too. Won't buy products from him, either. (https://www.shamwow.com/ver8/index.asp?did=&refcode=1002)
3. Where did the Tasters Choice couple amble off to? I miss them. Bring them back.
4. The ads for spacebags in big bundle packages that you "can only get on tv". O.k., so it sounds like a good deal but here's the kicker - they show all these women saying how fantastic it is to store so much stuff, and the one chick actually says it gives her house "so much more living space". Like, what? They're really enjoying watching t.v. in that closet now? (watch for yourself: https://www.spacebag.com/spacebag/)
5. Does anybody else find it pretty repulsive on the Hardee's ad where Padma swipes bar-b-q sauce off of her leg and then puts it in her mouth? Ughhh! (Perhaps I'm not the demographic.) (here's the link, for you guys out there: http://www.hardees.com/#/on-tv-now/padma)
6. Geico moneywitheyes ads. Enough said. (again, too annoying to link up)
7. And perhaps my biggest pet peeve with tv ads..... the ads within the nightly newscasts. If they would just stop using so much time telling what they're going to tell me, over and over - they'd have enough time to tell me two or three more stories! Seriously, folks, I'm watching you already! Quit telling me you're going to tell me something in a minute, and tell me more news! I'll stay tuned, really I will. As opposed to tuning out, which is what I do now.

Again with the commercials

O.k., here's another tv commercial that bugs me....
Young boy is just finishing up mowing the grass in what appears to be his own front yard.
Dad comes up to him with a sandwich and drink - the sandwich is in one of those clear plastic hinged-type boxes and the drink is in a big plastic cup bearing the logo of a convenience mart/gas station chain popular here in the midwest.
The dad says something to the effect that the son has done such a grown-up job on the lawn that he deserves a "serious" sandwich.
Then the kid, holding the sandwich, launches into a daydream about being all grown up with a job, marriage, kids. And it scares the heck outta him.
So the tag line is "maybe the sandwich is TOO serious".
Clever.
But here's the part that bugs me - they're in their own yard!
Who in the heck gets IN the car, DRIVES to a convenience store, GETS out, STANDS in line, and then PAYS for a stupid sandwich to give to their kid in their own yard?
What? These people don't have bread, meat and cheese in their own refrigerator?

CNN's so-called "reporter"

First, I am not generally a fan of CNN. I think they started out o.k. and have deteriorated into a mouthpiece for the liberal left. That's my opinion.
But here's a look at who they put in front of their camera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrPzVECSjo
Apparenly CNN hired this chick. It's a CNN microphone in her hand. She's on CNN's camera.
This chick clearly has an agenda.
Whether it is CNN's agenda or not is not the issue - the real issue is "reporters" are supposed to be objective, and "news" outlets have an obligation to use only objective reporters or else label their shows as something other than "news".
"Reporters" are supposed to give us, the viewers/readers, the facts. They are supposed to deliver the facts without bias, without judgement, impartialy, without influence one way or another. They are supposed to give us the facts so that we may decide for ourselves how we feel and what we think about any given situation or event.

TV Commercials Damaging Young Women

Am I the only one who is turned off by the latest cellphone tv ad? I'm referring to the one where the dad walks in on the three girls, presumably his daughters, all holding cell phones. They have a brief conversation about his online dating experiences and the upshot is that his daughters are trying to set him up with a grandmother of one of their classmates.

His reply? "Wait. What does she look like?"

Yep.

His three young, impressionable daughters (one of whom is made to look fairly plain) ask about setting him up on a date. And his response is "what does she look like".

Am I the only one who finds this insulting? In the age of soap ads defending women of all ages/sizes/colors/whatever as the beautiful, wonderful creatures they are, do we really need a neanderthal ad like this one?

I know, I know. It's just an ad. And in some junior-high-male-mentality it's supposed to be funny.

But it shows just how insensitive and shallow people (o.k., MEN) can be - and this guy is talking to his daughters!

Advertising is so pervasive and can be so destructive when it hammers young women with the message that looks are the most important thing they have to offer. That appearance is the only thing that matters. That being physically attractive to a man is everything.

Is this really the message this vendor wants to sell? I guess I'm just not the target demographic - I am, after all, not a junior-high male.

But don't we owe our daughters better than this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFaCMUGq79k ?????