Saturday, December 06, 2008

Respect Your Elders

So I have been back in Oz where I grew up for about a week & I am quite proud to see how well the elderly are treated & respected here compared to Los Angeles when I now live.

A couple of examples;

1 - I was waiting at the counter of a chemist & an elderly woman was putting the change from her purchase in her purse in front of me. She was slow, doddery & holding up the queue. Instead of talking over the top of her & asking how she could help me, the young girl behind the counter just looked at me & smiled, saying nothing, but quietly waiting for the old woman to move so she could help me.
It didn't take much time out of our day to wait but for me, it is a lesson in respect that will last a lifetime.

In California this scenario would have been different. The girl would have served me while the old lady was still at the counter so as not to keep me waiting. Fair enough, customer is king. I think though, society would be a tad better off & if we just cooled our jets a little.

2 - I was on the Manly Ferry & a couple of hoons were being loud & silly. Harmless teenage stuff but loud none the less. They however had no thought to giving up their seat to a elderly couple when they came on deck & toning down their behaviour immediately. I know this doesn't happen all the time but I can't help thinking it happens way more in Oz than LA....& not just because there is no Manly Ferry in LA!

Well done Australia!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Barack Obama - President for the World

Everyone is rejoicing!

Why?

Well, we're finally getting an adult back into the White House - yay!

Not any adult either but an adult who has far reaching ties to every corner of the globe.

Kenya loves him as his dad was Kenyan.
Indonesia loves him as he lived there for a couple of years.
All Pacific Islands love him as he was born in Hawaii.
The whole continent of Africa (yes, Sarah Palin, it's a continent) loves him because of his black roots.
Latin America loves him just because 'sí, se puede'.
Germany loves him because he campaigned in Berlin.
Obama, Japan loves him & have even started learning the Hula!
The Middle East loves him as he has put an 'Hussein' in the White House.
Australia & the EU love him just because he is not W.
&
Ireland loves him because his name is Obama.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Hey California - Vote NO on Prop 8

I just went out front to see if there were any more trick-or-treaters cruising around & discovered my 'Vote No on Prop 8' sign has been stolen!

Now it could have been a prank of course, but since my next door neighbour's 'vote yes' sign is still solidly in the ground, as are the 3 down the street, I can only surmise it was taken by a goodly, God fearing Christian. A caring soul who believes that everybody has the right to live in a free society & have the freedom of choice....as long as that choice is in accordance with the yes on Prop 8 doctrine.

Or maybe they are just homophobic.

Or both, it's not like those two conditions are incompatible really is it?

Either way, now I have blogged about Prop 8 & will get 2 more yard signs tomorrow so their petty scheme has backfired!

Prop 8 Info

I even found a yard sign for my blog!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Content of Character V The Colour of Skin

This is what is meant in the black community by the need to be better to be equal....

What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class (894 of 899)?

What if McCain were still married to the first woman to whom he said 'I do'?
What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she was in a disfiguring car accident (and proposed to his current wife while still married to his first)?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who had been addicted to pain killers and acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain was never addicted to anything and graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama were a member of the Keating Five?

What if the Obama family adopted a caucasian baby?

What if Obama introduced his vice-presidential nominee 'Joe-anne Biden' to the nation less than 2 months ago & what if this was Biden's educational background?
-Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
-North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
-University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
-Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
-University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

What if this was McCain's vice-presidential nominee Palin's educational background?
-University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
-Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

What if Obama's vice-presidential nominee 'Joe-anne Biden' was a family values advocate but had a pregnant, unwed, 16 year old daughter?

What if Obama's vice-presidential nominee 'Joe-anne Biden' was found guilty of violating ethics laws and abuse of power as governor?

What if Obama had made all the verbal gaffs on the campaign trail?

If this scenario was reality, do you think Obama could be running at all? Of course not! He has to be almost perfect to even have a chance.

America has come a long way in race relations but still has a long way to go before a person is judged by the content of their character rather than the colour of their skin.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Happy Flowers


My friend Chrissie sent me these flowers.
Aren't they great?!
Aren't I lucky?!
Thanx Chrissie :)

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Celebrity Apprentice 2008



The following commentaries are part of an online convo I had during this season.
I STILL cannot read about the Trace Adkins/BSB interactions without laughing!
Classic IrReality TV!

Feb 18
I am so digging it!
For all you who know & loathe Piers Morgan, he's turning out to be loathed just as much on this show in the US as he is in the rest of the world! I can't believe I'm enjoying the Piers/Omorosa drama so much!!!! Who knew?!

I hate to see any of them go as the dynamics have been so good!
The whole Big Pussy thing was hilarious!

I have a new respect for Trace Adkins - I always thought he was a doofus but he's not so bad & he's come up with the best ideas. He's so droll.

How funny was it when Lennox Lewis was PM & everything was a vote?!

I don't mind Marylou so much either, I think it sucks she has to leave her team & join the enemy.

Tito has skated thru this whole thing so far, he's just gone along for the ride!

I thought the whole show would go downhill after Gene Simmons left as he was the spark in the first couple of episodes but it just gets better!
I can't wait to see 'PiersOrosa' crash & burn!


Feb 22
Adios Marylou.
Piers is such a knob eh?!
Trace continues to impress me! He's still creepy, but impressive!


Feb 29
OMG! Hats off to Omorosa!!!! She's an evil genius!!!
I can't stand her but she played Tito last nite like YoYo Ma plays a cello!!!!
She said she wanted PM but it was all calculated - she didn't think she could win against Carol Alt but didn't want to look like she was dodging PM!

OMG! Even now when I think about it I'm gobsmacked!
No wonder the Donald loves her - he must be in love with her mad manipulation skills!

Haven't we been watching her pour liquid over Piers all season? They need to think up something different, maybe spagetti bowl over the head or something!


Mar 7
We're 'Omorosa free'!

I'm not as satisfied as I would have thought after that thrashing last nite. I think actually I would have been more delighted if it was reversed & Piers was the one who was butchered!
She was great at the door ushering everone to her side tho - Lennox didn't know what to do!

How was the look on Trace's face when Piers kissed him! I don't think he'll ever recover! He acted like a classic closet homophobic cowboy! Maybe not so in the closet anymore - he seemed really pissed after the 'event'!

I love this show!


Mar 14
I can't believe I like Trace so much!!!! He is so dry!

I wish Piers would lose & lose big!
He was so much more tollerable when Omorosa was there, now he's just a non-tanned annoying Simon Cowell!
I can't wait for next week - I'm totally sucked into this show!

I kinda wish nobody got fired & they just did challenges every week - that would be great!.....They could do it all around the country, not just NYC.....then after a couple of seasons of that....they could do 'Worldwide Apprentice'....& drink tea off the top of a hot air balloon....oh wait....


Mar 21
I think Piers really gets under Trace's skin! Although I'm sure he annoys the majority of the people he meets.
I felt sorry for Carol, beaten coz Piers is so annoying!

I bet the voice that is heard for Piers at the auction is Simon Cowell! Piers & Simon together - ugh!
I hope Trace has other stars turn up at the auction besides his country sleb friends.

I can't believe the BSB are the dicks they're being made out to be - I'm sure there is some sabotage going on there.
Do they really have no clue who Trace is??? I didn't see a lot of recognition there from them. I'm no country fan but I knew who he was before this show started, I can't imagine other performers don't know!
Trace's reaction to the wheatgrass request was priceless - 'Am I being Punk'd?"

I hope Trace wins & I think the Donald does too. I can see him getting much more out of Trace than Piers in the future.

I have really enjoyed his show!


Mar 27
OMG!!!!! Are you watching??????

It's FANTASTIC!!!

I'm laughing out loud & so much I'm crying!!!

I LOVE this show & I LOVE Trace Adkins!!!!! Not so much his music but I sure dig him!
"Don't get me started on the BSB".......Hysterical!!!!!


Mar 29
Piers was the right choice for winner but I think everyone conceeded that Trace was the best man!
Did you notice the Donald didn't fire Trace? He just said Piers, you're hired.

I have a suspicion that Piers' charity was a deliberate choice on his part to help him win & not because he has an overwhelming sense of affection for it. He's so manipulative!

The Cantor/Fitzgerald guy was who Piers called & said "you don't know me but..."
Piers sure has a successful way of raising $ that's for sure!
I could have done without the whole Simon Cowell thing - it was a bit staged & unnecessary.

I was crying at the thought of Trace & Lennox buying nail polish, & how Trace explained why he wanted Lennox to deliver it was priceless!

Who knew the BSB were such dicks!!! I thought they must have been winding Trace up but I guess they weren't.

I'm laughing now as I'm writing about him telling how he played with a broken leg & how he got 12" of his colon cut out after a gig...& how he appreciates himself more after this! .....Classic!

He 'might just add wheatgrass to his rider'! hahahahahaaaaa!

What a great show - the whole thing was awesome.

Well done Donald - I can't wait for the next season!

Recaps