Drawing by John Darkow-Columbia Daily Tribune

Reading about her childhood, with its constant ups and downs, was fascinating mainly because her father was the founder and owner of the Latin Quarter. Her mother was like any other kind and doting mother, except it appears she showered more attention on Barbara’s sister, Jackie, who was autistic. To her credit, Barbara admits to being jealous of that at times.

But the real reason I bought Barbara’s book had to do more with the loud, reverberating crash women heard when she smashed through the glass ceiling into a field that had always been a male bastion. She became the first female co-host of the Today morning show. In 1974, that was unprecedented. Then a couple of years later, the even louder boom–Barbara Walters became the first woman “ever” to anchor a network evening news program. Single-handedly, she turned the knob and opened the door for all the women who followed her. I will always admire her for that.

The book is a history book written in an entertaining format. Her in-depth interviews with personalities like: Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Anwar Sadat, Clint Eastwood, Oprah, Fidel Castro, Henry Kissinger, Elizabeth Taylor, Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and many others, including all of the Presidents the United States, while always revealing onscreen, are even more captivating on the pages of her book, where she discloses additional tidbits of information.

A good read! If you happened to live through it all with Barbara, even better.

Politics especially got his juices flowing. Some of his famous political one liners include:

“In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem.”

“Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.”

And this silly one – “George Washington brother, Lawrence, was the Uncle of Our Country.”

But George had a much more serious side when it came to politics and government. On lobbyists from The Nation

“The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they’re an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They’ve got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They’ve got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying – lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else,” ranted the comedian whose routines were studied in graduate schools.

On Obama from salon.com

And I’m very excited, for the sake of itself, for this Obama story. It’s very wonderful to watch and to follow and to read, because it is so different from what America has allowed itself to do. And I don’t know that it goes anywhere, and I’m not investing in it, but I do enjoy witnessing it. I think it’s a very exciting story.

Asked about the right and the left in comedy–A.V.Club

Do you think it’s possible to be truly funny from a position of power? For instance, Dennis Miller, who’s always been a smart, funny comedian, has undergone a political conversion over the past decade, and now his comedy is rooted in his support of the Bush administration. And he seems less funny.GC:

For some reason, there aren’t as many right-wing comedians as there are left or center or non-political. I read something about this recently that made sense, and I’ve forgotten what it said, of course. I have great respect for Dennis Miller’s mind and ability as a comedian, but I agree that I am not as personally entertained by his new material, which you describe as “coming from a position of power.” Of course, he always did come from a position of presumed superiority, and I don’t necessarily say that pejoratively. He did come from what appeared to be a smartass, superior platform. That’s part of what made him work as a stand-up.

As an all around comedian, George is up there with the greats. Local 6.com reports that Carlin will be awarded the Mark Twain Comedy Prize this November.

 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said that Carlin will be honored for his 50-year career as a Grammy-winning standup comedian, writer and actor.

The chairman of the Kennedy Center, Stephen Schwarzman, complimented Carlin as a comedian who can make people laugh and also make them think.

In reading the various articles that have been written about George since his death, I was surprised that the last vote he cast was for George McGovern. He never voted again after that election. I suppose he didn’t think one vote counted for much. That’s a pity. I consider my vote one of the greatest freedoms America offers. Even on my most cynical days, I am grateful for it.

I will miss George. Not too many people have the ability to make me laugh till tears stream down my face. Now there will be one less.

The Breast Cancer Website not only lists its findings, but it also lists Federal and State Recommendations to put into place in an effort to make our environment cleaner and safer. Although there are some strong advocates in Congress; Rep. Louise Slaughter, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Hillary Clinton, to name a few, it should come as no great shock that the amount of time it takes Congress to enact laws, especially those having to do with the environment, could take years.

Therefore, I suggest starting at the ground level–in your own home.

A good place to start would be to throw away those plastic containers you use for warming up foods in the microwave. Switch to glass containers. It’s a proven fact that toxic chemicals contained in plastic leach into food during the warming process.

And if you’ve been using plastic baby bottles–STOP.

Following is a small section of the report regarding plastics.

The three plastics that have been shown to leach toxic chemicals when heated, worn or put under pressure are polycarbonate (leaches bisphenol A), polystyrene (leaches styrene) and PVC (leaches phthalates).

Bisphenol A is used in the linings of cans, baby bottles, sports water bottles and dental sealants. The evidence about bisphenol A and its many effects on human health is convincing and growing. Studies funded by the chemical industry say it’s harmless; non-industry studies show it’s a powerful hormone-disruptor linked to breast cancer.

Start looking for toys that are clearly marked BPA Free and if that sippy cup isn’t BPA free–trash it.

And by all means, listen to your gut! If it feels wrong, it probably is wrong. Back in the day, and I do mean 20 or more years ago, I told my doctor, following my complete hysterectomy, that I did not intend to take the hormone pills he was prescribing. He was quite incensed. He told me hormone therapy was the regimen he subscribed to, and that I made my decision “at my own risk.”

To be honest, back then it was hard to find reliable information about hormone therapy. There was no Internet. Very little scientific research made it to the printing presses. But the little bit I did read, just didn’t feel right to me. It was a gut reaction more than anything else. Now, of course, everyone is aware of the dangers we face from hormone therapy, and from hormones used in the production of our food.

We’ve come a long way since then. Now it’s time to step up. Be pro-active to protect the children. If you don’t, who will? Inaction is not worth the risk!

I think what really put me in the mood this year was an email I received this past week about the popularity of Irish Dance at a school in the Bronx. The New York Times wrote about the music teacher and posted one of the most heartwarming videos I’ve seen in a long, long time. I’m so used to seeing bad news that the sight of these inner city kids kicking up their heels gave me goose bumps, it really did. Go here to see the video — Keltic Dreams.

Did you know that New York City has been hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Parade since 1762? Is that unbelievable, or what?! Incidentally, Patrick didn’t chase all of the snakes out of Ireland, either. Another myth totally shattered according to the National Geographic News.

And I suppose it wouldn’t be a proper St. Patrick’s Day without the mention of Leprechauns. I had no idea that if you catch a Leprechaun, he’ll lead you to his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but according to Sherri Osburn, that’s the case. So, it might be a good idea to get crackin’ on making a Leprechaun Trap. (A really good project to do with the grandkids.) Take a look at some Leprechaun Trap Photos.

Now for an easy recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage, but be prepared to hang around the house for several hours.

Photo from

Corned Beef
5 or 6 potatoes, quartered
head of cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
carrots, as many as you would like.

Wash corned beef under running water to remove surface brine. Put in pot and cover with water. (Most corned beef roasts bought from a supermarket come with all the seasonings enclosed. Add them to the water.) Keep lid on pot. Once water comes to a boil, cook for 3 1/2 hours on low/medium heat.

During the last 30/45 minutes, add cabbage wedges, potatoes and carrots. Add more water to cover. Keep lid on pot throughout.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Can you believe it? My blog has been awarded the E for Excellence by Catherine from The Political Voices of Women.

Along with the award comes the opportunity to award the big “E” to ten of my favorite blogs. Here goes.

1. I ran across this blog purely by chance because I happen to like the song As Time Goes By.
2. This blog has always tickled me. Where do all these unusual maps come from?
3. My friend writes a very thought-provoking blog. Visit her at Lee Cantrell Speaks.
4. If you’ve ever visited Paris (or not), you’ll love reading about the City of Love here.
5. I often read this political blog written by a woman, Barbara’s Blog.
6. This is an eclectic blog. I never know what I’ll find there. Changing Places.
7. It’s especially nice to know that there’s a thirteen year old out there blogging for her peers. Take a look at Nicole’s Blog.
8. I’m bestowing the “E” on this blog, because it often makes me smile. Don’t Tell the Children.
9. It’s about food, chocolate and Ireland. What’s not to like. It’s Ice Cream Ireland!
10. And last but not least, there’s always some interesting information about Social Security and Medicare at Entitled To Know

I had one problem with the yoga class; it’s held at my local hospital for the 55+ gang on Tuesday evenings and, as it happened, I had an appointment to get a pedicure last Tuesday. Pretty much, what I know about pedicures is it’s a form of relaxation, your feet and legs receive a massage and it, too, requires no bouncing.

Hmm. What to choose, what to choose…

Image from

Here’s something to think about from Yoga Informer regarding relaxation.

The eye-catching promise of poise, grace, and flexibility are the common reasons why people—especially females—are being drawn to yoga classes nowadays. Having a similar stance with ballet, more and more people see yoga as a relaxing yet more elegant form of exercise.

But there’s something to be said for the pure pampering of a spa pedicure, too.

It isn’t often that a woman’s feet get to relax. Constantly on the go, with careers, family, and other commitments, the feet often take more than they deserve. Making the time to visit the beauty salon for spa pedicures rejuvenates the feet and keeps them looking their best.

Hmm. What to do, what to do…

I decided to check in on MSNBC to find out what ideas the exercise experts have beeen touting lately:

…new guidelines call for healthy adults to engage in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 30 minutes five days each week…

…The new guidelines offered specific advice for people 65 and older, urging them to consider lifting weights, improving their strength to prevent falls, and working on flexibility exercises and balance training.

Okay, I can forget about the weight training. That’s not going to happen anytime soon while I’m dealing with a rotator cuff tear. But there’s that flexibility and balance training again. It’s clear I should give yoga a try. And as an added bonus, if I yoga my heart out for an hour each week, I’m half way to meeting the five day requirement–well, almost.

Being a firm believer in having the best of both worlds, I attended my first yoga class on Tuesday; I rescheduled my pedicure for Thursday. The choice wasn’t so complicated afterall.

Photo from

This year, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers have been flitting in and out of the hole. I haven’t seen the babies yet, but the mom and pop are hard to miss.

This particular woodpecker is the reason I became interested in birds back in 1994. That was the first time I ever saw one. I walked out onto the patio and he was standing by a row of evergreen trees in my backyard, examining his surroundings. At first, I was drawn to him because of his bright coloring. I leaned my elbows on the railing and rested my chin on my fists, and tried to be as invisible as possible. while he conducted a thorough survey of the yard. When he finally flew up into the trees and disappeared within the branches, I was hooked. The very next day, I bought my first bird guidebook.

Since then, I haven’t seen another Red-Bellied Woodpecker, so this year I’m having the time of my life watching and waiting for the birth of new baby woodpeckers.

Now for the rest of the story. (And you thought only Paul Harvey said that.)

I noticed this past weekend that there hasn’t been much bird activity out back. Usually, in addition to the woodpecker nest, there are loads of other birds chirping and flapping from one tree to another — frivolity reigns– at least that’s what it seems like to me, the observer.

However, on Saturday, when I sat on the porch to finish my cup of tea, I missed the frenzied pandemonium. A curious pall had settled in. Then something large flew overhead and cast an enormous shadow on the ground. When it came into view, I realized why things had become so still and quiet. Nesting in the other tree was a Red-Tailed Hawk.

The wing-span on these hawks is colossal.

Being able to observe another nesting pair so closely should’ve given me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Instead, I fretted over “my” woodpecker nest. Would they have to abandon their nest? It appeared every other bird in the neighborhood decided to vacate.

But, so far, the woodpeckers have remained steadfast. Surprisingly, the hawks have kept to their own tree. As the weekend came to a close, both sets of parents appeared to be living in harmony. Still, I ‘m a nervous wreck.

Of course, my woodpeckers are not the only birds in harm’s way. The recent oil spill in the San Francisco Bay left birds suffering with people helplessly watching in despair. For an eyewitness account, visit a blog written by a gentleman who lives in San Francisco.

http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/oil-spills/