miscricket's Blog

I have to believe that there are other citizens out there who are as outraged as I am over this whole financial mess. Actually, mess is not the right word....maybe catastrophe would be better.

As President Bush prepares to address the country tonight about the potential collapse of US financial markets I hope he plans to address the following:

1. How did this happen? I don't want to hear any political lip service or pandering. I want to know just how the financial markets of the richest, most powerful nation in the world could find themselves barely able to tread water? Where was government oversight? Where was the oversight by the financial markets themselves? What about these big investment firms? Guess they weren't really taking such good care of your investment after all.

2. In  spite of years of top economists predicting that the real estate bubble would burst and housing prices would begin to plummet..why were huge red flags not put up by the government and the media about the wisdom of investing money in questionable loan schemes? Even I, an average middle class working stiff could have predicted this and did.

3. And last, but certainly not least, I hope the the President, as the representative of an administration that has been virtually impotent on this and many other issues, looks at that camera and offers the millions of working class citizens of this country ( who will now be footing the bill for the foolish decisions of all involved...including , by the way those who financed houses that they could not afford)..... I hope President Bush looks directly in that camera and offers us an apology .....and apology for the failure , once again , of the government to live up to the office of which he was elected.

Please do not make the mistake of taking this blog for an anti-Bush rant. There is plenty of blame to go around with all of our elected officials. It turns my stomach to hear Barack Obama and John McCain both stand there and tell us they will be the one to fix Washington.....last time I checked...they were both part of the Washington that they seek to fix. I challenge both candidates to roll up their sleeves and get to work on a plan that will prevent this financial crisis. John McCain has made a good first step by pledging to cancel his upcoming campaign events and do the work that he was elected to do in the first place. I challenge Obama to do the same. Don't just make this about another political opportunity, make this about real and actual change.

For the rest of us...if this issue isn't enough to light a fire under the voters of this country to start systematically ridding Washington of do-nothing political incumbents and replace them with new people, with new ideas and with people who will represent us...and not some special interest......then I don't know what is.
 

Chip's post regarding Bristol Palin's pregnancy and the circus that the media has created is right on the money.
I believe Barack Obama when he stated that this was a private family matter that the media ought to stay out of. Like Chip and others here, I find myself flabbergasted and a little dismayed over why the media continues to make a circus out of the Palin family.

That being said.. I think it would be interesting to play conspiracy theorist and hear some speculation as to the media's motivation in this.  I'll throw out the first theory and I'd be interested to know what theories others have. Here is what I believe -

I believe that no matter what any of us think of Sarah Palin politically, she and her family are showing the American people that you can make the hard decisions and make them work...and build a loving, lasting family. She and her family are proving through their actions that they are not afraid of hard choices. Take the birth of her youngest son, Trig. Knowing that this baby would be born with Down's Syndrome, Sarah kept him..and gave him a chance at life and the love of a family. Others in this forum have suggested that this was a bad decision....I suggest to you that it is important that the American people see that this was a right and loving decision.  In a society such as ours in which everything is centered around convenience...and "what's easiest", the Palin's represent the millions of other families who live in the real world.
 Now, we have the pregnancy of her 17 year old daughter, Bristol. Somehow, the media is trying to turn this into something that shows the glaring ineffectiveness of abstinance only education. Are you kidding me..?? Those of us who live in the real world know that this has nothing to do with abstinence only education or sex education.  It has to do with the fact that a 17 year old young woman...( who will be 18 and an adult by the time she gives birth) had sex with her boyfriend and got pregnant. We don't know if she used protection or not..and frankly it's not any of our business. At a time when most young women would choose the quick and easy fix of abortion, Briston Palin is showing courage and compassion by giving this child a chance at life and a loving family. The Palin family, rather than react with anger and bitterness has chosen to welcome the father of this child into their family. Whether or not they ultimately marry...this is commendable action by both families...and speaks very well to this unborn child's chances of growing up in a loving environment.   This success is something that the liberal media does not want us to see. They don't want young women to know and to believe that there is another way.

It's my opinion that rather than vilify this family, the media should get a clue and start some solid reporting on the families that live through stuff like this every day....the real American families and not some fairy tale image that Hollywood and the media would like us to believe exists.

Last  night, I went with some friends to Glory's in Andover. I had received some mixed reviews from people who had eaten there before ( this was my first time there, as well as the first time there for 9 of the 10 people in our party). It seemed to me that the people who loved it...really loved it and those that didn't really did not like it at all. So, our group went with an open mind, not knowing quite what to expect.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a charming hostess. A lovely young woman named Courtney. She showed us to our table and offered to take our coats. It would turn out that Courtney would be one of the two high points of the evening. We had been seated for maybe 10-15 minutes before our waitress came over and offered to take our drink order. I couldn't tell you her name because she never shared it with us. She also never cracked a smile the whole time we were there.  Several of us had questions about the menu, but since our waitress was no where to be found once she dropped our drinks off, Courtney, the hostess came to the rescue and proved to be very knowledgeable about the menu.  Since the salmon dish was served with mushroom ravioli and no substitution could be made ( I don't like mushroom), I opted for the tenderloin.  I don't eat a lot of red meat, but I do enjoy a good steak once in a while...and at a cost of $33.00, I was betting that this would be a fantastic steak. I ordered it cooked medium. Most in my party ordered the salmon, one person ordered the pasta bolognese, one person ordered an Argentinian flat iron steak, and the vegetarian in our group had to special order a pasta dish. ( Surprisingly, pasta is the only option on the menu for vegetarians).  Each end of the table ordered a cheese platter as an appetizer. Although they had a very limited selection of appetizers, I would probably not order the cheese platter again, should I return there. it was not all that tasty, although well priced at $16.00.
The service continued to be a disappointment. Our waitress remained virtually non-existent. Refills on non-alcolholic drinks had to be requested several times. ( I spent the entire night with one glass of water with lime - I don't drink alcohol or soda). The food , when it arrived merits mixed reviews. My tenderloin was probably the worst steak I've ever had. For one thing, it was so undercooked it was barely rare. The friend who ordered the Argentinian flat iron steak was also disappointed and ate for the most part the french fries off of my plate since she did not like the side dishes which accompanied hers, but again. no subsitutions could be made. It actually worked out okay since I liked her potato dish better than my french fries.  It seemed that the seafood dishes turned out to be the best. Those who ordered the salmon enjoyed it. I tried a piece and it was fantastic and one person ordered the trout and he really enjoyed it. Again, service was slow. From the time the first person got their meal to the last in our party, almost 15 minutes went by. The waitress again disappeared and never came back to ask us how our food was. She did eventually come to offer us dessert menus and take our dessert order. Dessert turned out to be the other highlight of the evening. The molten lava cake was the best I've ever had, hands down...but again, the service was a letdown because one of the people in our party did not get served dessert, despite having ordered it...and everyone else was long done dessert by the time he got his...after having to ask for it again. Of course, no apology offered.  Now, this is not to say that we all didn't have a great time. In a big group, you tend to forgive lack of service, but I would probably not go there again. There are two many fantastic restaurants who are a little bit more friendly and accommodating  in this area to settle for the second rate service we received.

Kudos to the mom from Waltham for taking action to have this book removed from the shelves of her daughter's middle school library. I read this book last summer. It is an incredibly well-written mind blowing book. It's a book I would highly recommend - to an adult. At 38 years old, I found both the content and the tone of this book disturbing and haunting and incredibly sad. This is not age appropriate material for 11 and twelve year olds, even those that are more emotionally mature. It makes me wonder what the school librarian could have possibly been thinking...and moreover, it makes me wonder how many other books like this one are on that library's shelves.

Well, here we go. Another day...and another opportunity to portray poor Barack Obama as a victim of big bad Hillary. I imagine that this is the strategy that will bring Obama straight to the Oval Office. Why else would the Obama campaign be making such a big deal out of this photograph? I mean, we see photos frequently of politicians and presidents wearing the traditional garb of the country in which they are visiting. No one makes a big deal out of any of these other photographs because intelligent people understand that it means nothing. So, is the Obama campaign doubting the intelligence of the American people? I can't believe they would be so foolish...so the only other logical conclusion is that they have seen that by portraying Obama as a victim in the media ....and Hillary as nothing more than a spiteful witch, throws the tide in favor of Obama. After all, America embraces it's victims...and we all know that's the way of the Democrats. My question to the American people is this..... Do you really want someone willing to play the role of "victim" leading the most powerful nation in the world? I know I don't. At this point in the presidential campaign it looks like I'll be going with a Write In....

I was struck by some of the comments that were posted on various blogs in response to Michelle Obama's remarks about not being proud of her country.
There seemed to be many bloggers who had a lot of pride in America and it's people..and those who were determined to find the negatives in everything.

One blogger posted a comment asking how proud we felt of our country after Hurricane Katrina. I would like to answer that question here. Personally, I felt extremely proud of the way the American people rallied around their fellow citizens. This tragedy of nature brought out the very best in people. Were their failures? Yes, of course there were dreadful failures on the part of local and state government who failed to react in time and chose to bury their heads in the sand. There were failures of the thousands of people who didn't have the critical thinking skills to figure out not to listen to their inept local government and get our of dodge so to speak. I guess my point is that if you sit like a child and rely on the government to take care of everything for you , you're in for disappointment. That is not the government's job...and it's that belief that is slowly turning us from one of the most powerful nations in the world...to a nanny state. People need to rely on themselves and each other...not "government". The fact that , more than two years after the fact you still have people living in trailers is not a testament to the failure of "government", it's a testament to the failure of people.

So, Super Tuesday ( not to be confused with the Super Bowl) is almost upon us. Are you planning on voting in the presidential primary? If yes, who will you be voting for ..and why? I am an registered voter who is not enrolled in either political party. That means on primary day, I can choose either a Democratic ballot or a Republican one. I know which ballot I will choose on Primary day....and I know precisely which candidate will have my vote on Election, should I choose to vote in the general election. You see, I haven't decided if I will even do that yet.  Why.. you ask? Well, the answer is simple. I know exactly who I want to be president of the US...what I don't know is if I'll have to opportunity to vote for that person.  You see, the person who I want for President may not even exist.
I solemnly swear that I will vote for the first presidential candidate who makes personal responsibility a part of their campaign platform. I will vote for the first candidate who can look at that TV camera or microphone and state clearly and honestly that it is time for people to take responsibility for themselves and for their children and families. I will vote for the first presidential candidate who will make it a foundation of government to reward responsible behavior instead of exploiting it and instead of rewarding irresponsible behavior. I will vote for the first presidential candidate who makes a serious commitment to the taxpayers of this country to eliminate fraud and waste.
I fear that this candidate may not exist...that he ( or she) may just be an ideal that will never materialize into an actual human being with common sense and a sense of purpose. This morning I heard part of an interview with Hillary Clinton being conducted by George Stephanopolous. She came about as close on the Democratic side as any candidate I've heard so far about holding people responsible for their bad decisions..but she only briefly touched on the subject of personal responsibility ..and school's still out on her sincerity.  On the Republican side of things, I've heard Romney briefly touch on it as well....but again...no firm view. So alas, I am left on Primary Day with a field of candidates who don't  do much to inspire me to go out to vote....but I will do my duty as a citizen and hope my fellow bloggers will give me their wisdom.

The other day after work, I stopped at my local CVS to purchase some cold medicine for my son who was not feeling well.  I guess it's been a while since I have purchased cold medicine since while I was aware that there were some changes in what you could buy and how you could buy it...I had never personally experienced them. Anyhow, the cold medicine my son has always used when he has a bad cold is Advil Cold and Sinus. Now, I realized that because this medicine contained psuedophedrine ( not sure of the spelling), that it could only be purchased by asking a clerk..because it was kept behind the counter. Still...not a problem..and completely acceptable...always willing to do my part to prevent drug abuse. What I did not realize was that I would have to present an ID which was then scanned into some sort of database. This, I found disturbing...and I have to say it left me with an uneasy feeling.  While I understand the reason for doing it...I just have to wonder....how much more law abiding citizens will have to sacrifice their privacy in order to protect a group of people ( drug addicts) from themselves. What will be next?  Now, my ID ..with my personal information has been scanned into some sort of unknown, Big Brother type database..all because I purchased a package of cold medicine for my son.  It just doesn't sit well with me. Of course, on top of that....a transaction that should have taken less then a minute took about 10 minutes...because the clerk couldn't get my ID to scan right...and had to manually enter my personal information. 
It just doesn't sit well.

Yesterday, I was reading an article online about a woman, Janet Martin, who is launching a one woman crusade against the use of those plastic shopping bags supermarkets use . According to Ms. Martin, it takes 100 million barrels of oil annually to produce these bags - most of which get thrown away and end up in a landfill somewhere. By the way, she states, most of them are non-biodegradable in landfills and less than one percent of them are recycled.

 It seems to me that in this age of high fuel prices and more awareness of our environment that it would be a no-brainer to make the switch from plastic bags to reusable fabric shopping bags.

I applaud Janet Martin and her efforts to make this small albeit significant difference. What if she could manage to reduce the need for these bags by 20 or 30 percent? What an impact that could have on the environment...??? Not to mention the need for 20 or 30 million LESS barrels of oil?

I'm curious to know what you all think of this? Are you willing to make a change that will benefit the environment with almost no inconvenience to you? 

I actually started using the reusable bags a few months ago because Shaw's was selling them for 99 cents each. Not only did I use them at Shaw's but at other stores where I shop. Now, I've noticed that more grocery stores are offering these bags.
I will admit that at first I was a little self conscious, but now I don't even think about it.

So now, how about it..?? What would it take for YOU to make this small change in habit...one that can only result in a positive impact ?
 

According to this morning's Boston Globe, Deval Patrick  is seeking legislation which will make online gambling ( read online poker ,etc.) an illegal activity in Massachusetts punishable by fine, prison or both.

A few thoughts come to mind after reading the article. First, it is my opinion that the governor can't have it both ways. He can't in one breath, state that there is nothing wrong with casino gambling and in the next breath state that that same gambling activity is a crime if conducted online, in the privacy of one's home.  As far as I'm concerned...the Governor is okay with gambling....but only if the state is receiving the benefit.  This seems a little disingenuous to me.  I mean...you are either for gambling or opposed to it.  Is this simply another example of a politician refusing to take a side on the issue? Or is Patrick really that naive?

The next thought that comes to mind when I read this article is that people in places like Roxbury must be jumping for joy. This must be a great day for inner city, crime infested areas of the state. Why you ask..??? Well, Patrick wants to make online gambling a criminal offense, punishable by prison time. That tells me that  crime must be way down....the courts and the police have nothing else to do . The Governor must feel this way....since otherwise, well  it would be incredibly foolish of him to introduce another waste of time piece of legislation.
 

Okay...so I don't go out to eat all that often....but in the last couple of weeks I have found myself  out to dinner twice. The first time, a week ago Tuesday, I went to a local restaurant, Grassfield's, for dinner with three other friends. Now, this is a restaurant that I have been to dozens of times over the years and have always enjoyed the food and the service. Anyhow, this time was about as close to a disaster as you can get at a restaurant. It wasn't so much that our waitress was terrible on purpose, she just seemed young and inexperienced. It began with an incredibly  waits for drinks and orders...continued into receiving wrong entrees and culminated with the waitress spilling hot coffee all over my right pant leg. At that point, after apologizing , we didn't see her again until she brought the bill....again with an apology. In fairness to the restaurant, the manager on duty did come over and apologize and paid for my meal as well as gave us a complimentary dessert ( a Ghiradelli brownie sundae goes a long way in salvaging a disastrous girl's night out...lol ).  We left the waitress a good tip because we felt bad for her....she really was nice.... and I will certainly return  many times to Grassfield's because it's a fantastic place to eat.

This past Tuesday night found me out to dinner with 7 other people from work. We went to The Loft in North Andover, on my recommendation. They're food is great and I have always had great service when I have gone there. Well.....the food was great and we had a great time....but the service was terrible. The meals came out a couple at time...with a lapse of almost 30 minutes between the time the first meal came out to the time the last meal came out. The waitress had to be asked several times to clear the appetizer dishes and plates....and those who ordered salads received them after they had received their meal. She never came back to check on us and we sat in front of empty plates for over 45 minutes after we had finished. Now, keep in mind that it was a Tuesday...and not particularly busy.  No matter, we had a fantastic time anyhow...and once again left a good tip.

Two things occur to me after the fact..... (1) the waitress from the Loft bears a very strong resemblance to the waitress from Grassfields and (2) it makes me wonder if the restaurants perhaps tend to put the less experienced wait staff on during the slower nights. Makes sense....but in that case don't you think they should have someone working with them?
 

A few months back, I was having a "problem" with one of my neighbors - a young man who had moved in several months prior with his girlfriend. Up to this point, they had been quiet neighbors and we rarely saw each other...and when we did, it was just a quick "hi". Then, all of a sudden, I was being kept up til all hours of the night because they were blasting their bedroom TV. This would go on for some nights until 2AM! We live in a townhouse....and the way it's set up...we share walls with their unit. Well, needless to say, not being good with confrontation, I chose to say nothing...hoping the neighbor would come to his senses.....and well....grow up. Of course, this didn't happen....and this went on for weeks...all the time...me thinking what a complete jerk and loser this guy was ...and how inconsiderate. Anyhow. it finally culminated one night in angry words on my behalf...which wound up causing a huge argument between my neighbor and his girlfriend. Although I felt bad that they were arguing, I felt vindicated because, well he turned down the TV and I was actually able to sleep. The next morning when my husband went out front to get the paper, he found a note from the neighbors apologizing for the fact that the TV has been such a nuisance and hoping to make things right with us. Apparently, my neighbor ( who is rather young) had gone out and purchased a surround sound system for his TV and had no idea that we could even hear it. They have since moved their system around and all is peaceful in the home. 

 

Which leads me to my second story. I foster kittens for a local ( fairly) animal shelter. I've been doing it for a while. The last litter of kittens I fostered, I was supposed to have for 2 weeks, I wound up having them for 7 weeks because there was some sort of outbreak at the shelter. Anyhow, after 7 weeks I brought the kittens back to the shelter on a Thursday night after work. Because of traffic, a trip that usually take about 15 to twenty minutes one way took a little over an hour one way. Tired and hungry, I arrived at the shelter, kittens in tow. When I walked in, the man who was working behind the counter ( whom I had not met) looked at me, then looked down at the kittens, then back at me with the most judgmental look I have ever received. You could just see the disdain on his face and hear it in the tone of his voice. He was assuming that I was yet another irresponsible pet owner turning in a litter of kittens. Of course, once I identified myself and the girl I usually dealt with , his tone and expression completely changed. On the way home, however, all I could think of was how unfair it was of him to judge me . I mean, shame on him,..... I'm a good person....doing a good thing for that shelter and those kittens. It made me angry to be judged...and I kind of mentioned it in passing to the director of the shelter, who is also a friend of mine.

I tell these two seemingly unrelated stories for a reason. I did not like the feeling of being judged unfairly - yet I judged my neighbor unfairly. I was guilty of the same thing I  accused this person at the shelter of doing. It's a humbling feeling to realize that I could be so mean. I don't consider myself a mean person.

Recently, I judged Chrissy based upon my somewhat faulty recollection and based purely on the tone of her argument with Dave. I was wrong to do that..... I realize in (my old age) that is was actually someone  else. I am still bothered however, by the assumptions being made by some of the bloggers regarding other people's intentions or meanings when they respond. I am challenging both Chip and Chrissy to point me in the direction of one blog posting where Dave calls any blogger and idiot. If you can point me to that one thing, it will convince me that you all aren't just judging Dave based on what you feel his motives are and not what they really may be.  And, if you guys all decide that you really can't get along...well..then feel free to air your personal differences here...and keep them out of the news blogs,

 

Okay, so this afternoon, I had some time to play on MYFox and I've been going back and reading all the posts that I've missed. Especially the ones with regards to whether or not one should feel guilty ( or be made to feel guilty) because they don't tip at coffee shops ( IE Dunkin Donuts). Instead of trying to decide with post to respond to I just decided to post one of my own. 

I find it a little sad that the level of conversation between all the nice, good hearted, well-intentioned people here has deteriorated. The funny thing is, if everyone would just put personalities aside, you're all kind of saying the same basic thing.        

Here's the thing, Dave is clearly a very kind-hearted person. He seems like he takes pride in his generous nature and he has a lot of empathy for people in the service industry. My guess is that because he, himself works in the service industry ( are you still working for that same hotel Dave?? ) that he looks at it from a little different perspective than others may. I understand that... I was a waitress for many years... so I get what that's like. However, Dave, some of your thoughts, however well intentioned are a little extreme. For example, you state in one of your posts that if you don't have enough money for a tip when you get your coffee, then you skip the coffee altogether. Following that thought to it's logical conclusion, what would happen, if over the course of the day, a hundred other people who also frequent your particular coffee shop felt the same way as you? Then there would be a hundred less people buying coffee on that particular day, sales would be down...which would translate to an eventual reduction in hours for one of the service staff. That itself would be more harmful to the coffee shop employee than the failure of some customers to leave a tip. I understand , Dave, your desire to show kindness, I do. But, I've also learned that there are a hundred other ways to show kindness besides an extra few cents with an order of coffee. Telling someone they look nice or that they are nice, and being nice to people can mean a lot more.

Chrissy, I was thinking about your feelings of guilt for not tipping and this is what I think. It used to be that tipping was a choice in many cases and it still is . I think what bothers me the most about places like Dunkin Donuts putting out tip cups is that it gives the appearance of being an obligation rather than a kind gesture, It gives one the impression that a tip is expected and not earned.

You know, when I waitressed, I did okay... I made great tips and I worked very hard for every dollar I earned. Now, when I think back over those years I realize that the most valuable thing I received in that job was not a tip, it was the customer service and people skills that allowed me to move on to a better paying career. When people that I meet professionally complement me on my customer service skills I proudly state that I learned everything I know about customer service as a waitress at Friendly's.

And, finally, Chip, it pains me just a little to see you and Dave in so much disagreement. You guys both seem to see the same things...but just from such different angles. Maybe your kind act of the day( week, month, etc...lol) can be for you to be nicer to each other.

 

 

 

 

In watching this afternoon's coverage of the whole gay marriage thing, I found a few things very interesting, but not surprising.  First of all, let me just state for the record that it makes no difference to me that gay marriage is legal...it has no bearing on my life or the lives of my family members, and frankly , I believe that this state has far more important things to worry about than legislating love and commitment between consenting adults.

What really made me want to scream were two things: the first is Sal Dimasi, with a straight face, telling a news reporter that there was no arm twisting and coercion involved in today's vote. Is he for real? Does he think the people of Massachusetts are so stupid and gullible that any of us, no matter which side of the vote we were on really believe him when he's looking into a camera and telling a bold-faced lie to the voters of MA? ( of course, maybe the people in his district are that stupid and gullible because they keep voting clowns like him into office).

The second thing that made me want to scream is the vision of Deval Patrick celebrating his "victory". Congratulations Deval....big achievement. Too bad you don't put that same kind of effort into making things better for the people who actually made the mistake of voting for you. So far, this guy has been a joke as a governor. How about showing a little effort and passion when it comes to defending the rights of the middle class. What about all the promises you made to us? How about doing something that benefits ALL the citizens of MA....not just a few. Oh wait a minute...that's right...if you just wait long enough, there won't be a middle class. They'll all be living elsewhere.

 

Our state politicians have no cause to be patting themselves on the back. If not for their failure over the course of many years to address gay rights issues in this state, this issue never would have come before the supreme judicial court. And after the SJC was forced to address the issue, the legislature took no less than 17 constitutional conventions to get them to take an up or down vote....and that was only because they were under threat of the SJC to do so. Instead of celebrating, they should be ashamed of the way they've handled this and supporters of gay rights should be outraged that the legislature kept them in limbo for years due to their refusal to act. This state legislature is the most impotent group I've ever seen.
 

 

First of all, thank you Mattatonic for your thoughtful and timely post. I would like to respond and to talk a little about this whole idea of being a victim.

Much has been made in the media these last couple of weeks about the whole Don Imus incident. Without question, Imus's remarks were in poor taste, as are most of the comments he makes about well, just about everyone. He is an equal opportunity insulter, if there is such a word.

What I'd like to write about are the responses that people have to such things. If you ask me, there are people in this world whe spend far too much time and waste far too much of this short existence we are given on earth worried about what others think.  My first piece of advice to Mr. FIerstein would be this: If you are offended by remarks that David Letterman makes in his opening monologue, then you sir, should stop watching the show. Why on earth would you promote something that offends you? David Letterman makes fun a fat people. He makes fun of people based on physical appearance. Big deal....so does the majority of the media. In fact, our own Fox 25 morning celebrity, Gene Lavanchy ( and VB......though talk about throwing stones) makes no secret of the fact that he considers fat people an inferior class worthy of his riducule. ( and yes, ladies, that includes all you size 14's out there...lol) . By Lavanchy's standards, I would considered one of those inferior fat people. ( Meaning I'm not a size 5...lol).  Now, when I hear him make his little jokes, I have the option of changing the channel. The fact of the matter is, that I do not.  I continue to watch the show because I enjoy it. I am not insulted in the least bit by comments he makes or his attitude? Why..?? Because in the grand scheme of my life, he means little to me.

My second thought is this. Mr. FIerstein is an extremely talented , celebrated person.  The very fact that he feels like a second class citizen tells me two things: either he is not comfortable with his homosexuality and/or he clearly has absolutely no idea as to what being a 'second class citizen' really feals like. Either way, I am sad for him. Sad, that this talented, lucky individual chooses to define his life not by his successes but by the two things that make him feel inferior.

I am not gay, but I am Italian. DO you have any idea how many innappropriate Italian jokes there are out there..?? Should I be offended by any of them...???I don't think so. In fact, I think most of them are pretty darn funny.

My point is this.....people say things, some time stupid things all of the time. WHy get offended about something that is a generalization? If you portray yourself to society as a victim, then you've already lost. If you're offended by something you read in the newspaper or see on TV, then put the newspaper aside and change the channel. If enough people agree with you, the newpaper will go out of business and whatever show you're switching off will disappear.  But, why be offended in the first place..?? Who cares what some TV personallity happens to think. Why not just worry about what those whom you are closest to think? Why must we all feel that we somehow have to be the same....that everyone is supposed to agree with each other? How boring would that be? When I start getting bothered by the negativity of today's media , guess what I do? I read a good book..and turn off the TV. I spend time with my family.

Life is short. Do you want to spend it happy? Or would you prefer the sad existence of being a victim?