Invincible

Just saw the. best. movie. ever.

EVER.

Invincible.

My absolute fave.

Now I can add it to the top of the list of my favorite movies.

1. Invincible
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. Princess Bride
4. The Good Girl
5. Chicago

Ranked with best on top. I love love love this movie. Great story. Who'd've thought that a football movie could be that good??
Very real. Loved it.

And the very best part is (aside from the fact that Mark Wahlberg stars in it) is that it's based on a true story.

It had almost no publicity...took me tons of time to find it on Netflix...I saw a trailer of it last year and wanted to go see it but never did...had forgotten the title of the movie and finally searched for 2006 movies and found it. So worth it. I love this movie!

Stay At Home Moms & Schoolkids

I was talking with a woman I know (call her Keronna) who teaches 2nd grade.

Keronna: I've been informally surveying my students in the last 7 or so years and I found out the weirdest thing. The kids who are at least one grade level behind (or more) all come from homes with stay-at-home moms. Isn't that weird?

Me: Yeah...why did you start doing that?

Keronna: Well ever since I got my 2nd Master's, I started getting really interested in data. And, since I don't have a kid of my own yet but I want to have a kid someday....AND since I was interested in what the commonality was with these kids who are all so far behind...I started asking the kids if their Mom worked {yes, worked outside the home} or was a stay-at-home Mom. And the kids who were really far behind all had stay at home Moms.

Keronna: All these kids with Mom's at home have no time management skills, don't do their homework, and are behind the other kids...they aren't the gifted kids, that's for sure...

Me: Well, why do you think that Stay-At-Home Mom's have kids who are so far behind? What could be the reason?

[Me...thinking]

Me: Hey, do you think that it's just that Stay-At-Home Mom's can't get jobs because they don't have the same education as Working Mom's? Or maybe they're depressed because they're stuck at home and so they don't initiate anything with their kids?

What do you think? Why would Keronna see a pattern with Stay-At-Home Mom's and below grade level kids? What do you think is going on?

BTW...this is a true story.

New Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Lately I've been reading a lot about this new cervical cancer vaccine that the Governor of the State of Texas wants to make mandatory for teenage girls.

And something about the whole thing strikes me.

There is birth control for women (not men) and now there is a cervical cancer vaccine for girls (not boys). Do you see the pattern?

For some reason, it's okay to experiment on the female population (yes, I call it an experiment...remember DDS?), but not on the male population.

And yet, I've read that most generic medicines are designed with men in mind (aspirin, over the counter medication, etc.,.). Even airbags in cars were designed with the passenger in mind as a male.

And when it comes to gender, our country is more than happy to say "men and women are equal and the same" when it comes to our court system, our laws, our working environment, pay, etc.,. And we make laws to ensure that everything is "equal and the same" even though the lives of men and women are very different.

However, this equality and 'sameness', doesn't work. Because "the same" is not always fair or equal. And men and women are not the same. So our medical community focuses only on females when it comes to STD's, birth control or medication that might have an adverse effect on the human system but might help the population as a whole. So we abandon our warped notion of sameness when it comes to the above issues of sexuality and instead create very unequal medicines to go along with our distorted view of gender and biology.

And, when it comes to birth control or sexually transmitted diseases, America seems to say time and time again that this issue is a 'female' issue. And therefore justifies an experimental vaccine (I call it experimental because a whole population hasn't been exposed to it yet) that will just be given to girls.

Sickening.

Blogging Reads

I'm really tired of reading other people's blogs, where they describe their exciting lives.

The blogger who has a rock band and rocks out on nights and weekends.

Or the middle-aged woman who was recently laid-off but has rebounded with a glamorous PR job. And shopping trips to buy Jimmy Choo shoes.

Or the Googler who takes business trips every 15 minutes and posts shots of her exploits on her blog.

Then there's the New Orleans'er who describes her on-again-off-again marriage and the raising of her pubescent son. C'mon, she could write about anything and it would be exciting 'cuz it takes place in New Orleans.

And the woman (my age) who lives in some ho-dunk Californian town in the middle of nowhere but takes trips to Italy.

Okay, I give up!!! My life is one giant yawn broken up with stints of long, physically demanding hard work and extensive stressful downtime (code for layoffs). Flavored with unending financial hardship.

Yeah.

I'd like to trade a few days with some of the bloggers I read about.

Global Warming

Happy President's Day! In honor of so many people having the day off, the city next to mine is having a "Unite to Fight Global Warming Rally".

I'd link the site but I have some sort of virus on my computer that won't let me get the url of the Explorer browser, where all my bookmarks are. And I'm too lazy to fix it.

But onto Global Warming. I think it's hilarious and really a terrific idea. We have a ton of incompetent, bleeding heart, want-to-change-the-world but instead end up really screwing things up people in this area.

You know, the ones who demonstrate and protest for the poor and think they are helping the poor by providing free shopping carts for poor people, only to reinforce the idea that poor people should shove all of their belongings in shopping carts and live outside.

Or they protest that gardeners should get to use gas or electric powered leaf blowers because the gardeners are poor and Latino (this gets to the heart of the prejudice of these liberals who assume that everyone who is Latino is poor) and not having those kinds of leaf blowers hurts the gardener's business. Of course the fact that the leaf blowers are probably giving the gardeners lung cancer and allergies and shortening their lives is completely irrelevant to these dimwits.

So these deluded souls, who in the past have whined about everything and anything, now have a cause to focus on that hurts no one! It's brilliant! It's like creating a cause to fight the overheating of the sun. Or the orbiting of the moon. Or Tsunamis. The cause gives the slightly daft, who feel somewhat guilty about their lack of compassion for others so that they overcompensate, a place to put their energies. And the solution is brilliant also. Let's tell them to conserve energy! That way the rest of us are left alone and are spared their stupidity.

But if you feel like going to the Global Warming rally, go ahead. Just ignore my snickering.

Mrs. Roper

Since when did I become Mrs. Roper on Three's Company? You know, the ditzy, messy, older woman dressed in a muumuu on that 70's show with Suzanne Sommers and John Ritter and some other chick (I forget her name--I think it was Joyce something).

What I hate right now is that when I go shopping for clothes, I have to avoid those trendy, graphic polyester tops that are so in right now. Because when I put them on I feel like Mrs. Roper. And, worst of all, all of my potential dates look like Mr. Roper. That is not cool.

I would rather look like - oh crap- I don't know, Angela Lansbury in "Murder She Wrote" rather than Mrs. Roper.

Mrs. Roper was such a joke. And how did I let so much time go by that I could put on some cute, trendy top that looks like something I might have worn to a club in my twenties that makes me look like a middle-aged, frizzy haired, caftan-wearing, lonely, slightly dumpy woman? Well, at least I still look like a woman. Some people become gender-less as they age. So I guess it could be worse. Maybe I should just kiss the ground and thank the heavens that I don't look like Mr. Roper!

Because I Said So

Why is it that movie critics are so predictable? They panned the movie, "Because I Said So" and I know why.

If the movie had been about 4 men (gay or straight) looking for partners, critics would've raved about it. And if there was some ecological issues thrown in (Dad was a whale watching, global warming, eco-friendly, naturalist), even better!

But make a movie about a Single Mom looking for love and the critics bare their fangs. If the Victorian Age was "The Cult of True Womanhood" and, with Hemmingway penning "The Lost Generation" in his time, we are now living in "The Era of Mother-Haters". That's right...misogynists, chauvinists, and movie critics so eager to push a political agenda that they vilify so many of us. For in today's world, mothers are to blame for all of the world's ills and, specifically, America's slide into a moral abyss....at least, according to our movie critics. And any movie that attempts to portray the bind that women, specifically single mothers, are in when they try to raise their children, is, of course, going to be trashed by the critics. That explains the poor reviews.

So, here's the plot; Single Mom places a personal ad, trying to find a husband for her single daughter. Mom is dealing with impending old age and dealing with her own issues of poor past relationships, while still trying to make more opportunities for her gorgeous daughter, Mandy Moore. Why can't Mandy Moore find a man? Oh yeah. She lives in California where the men are...I'll leave it at *absent* but you can use your imagination.

Now, I usually don't like Dianne Keaton. Why? Because of her relationship with that perv, Woody Allen. And she's a nervous wreck in a lot of movies...appearing as a weak, wavering woman at the mercy of others. In this movie, however, she is aptly cast. First, she looks fantastic. Second, she is totally believable as a woman coming to terms with her own shortcomings and failings in life, while at the same time trying not to hobble her daughter with her own insecurities.

So, I'd recommend others seeing this movie. It definitely is a chick flick. And men are supporting cast members (another reason this movie irritated critics). But the movie was deep. It was thought provoking, sweet and fun.

Britney's Shaved Head

Have you seen Britney Spears lately?

I just saw her on the morning news. Oh My!

Why didn't her family stay out of her first marriage in Vegas to the drunk friend from Louisiana??? She would have been so much better off!

Right now she looks like she's going through some form of mental illness.

More tattoos (because apparently she doesn't have enough) and a shaved head?

Didn't Britney see what happened to Anna Nicole Smith? Does she want that to be her fate also?

C'mon Britney...at least you had some sort of talent...Anna didn't have that...do you really want to end up like her?

And do you want your sons raised by partyboy, stupid-ass, can't-keep-it-in-his-pants, K-fed???

Gambling Emails

Well, I am now being spammed by online casinos...at least that's what they call themselves.

C'mon, online casinos????

What the hell is that? Tell you what, you want to gamble, send the money to me. I'll pretend I'm a casino also, and take your money.

We'll pretend there was some kind of luck or chance of huge payment involved and call it, "CeCe's Virtual Casino". Go ahead. Send some money my way.

In the meantime, all of those online whomever-they-think-they're-kidding spammer Casino jerks....stop emailing me. You have to be kidding.

Candy

I like candy.

My favorite candy is dark chocolate with nuts.

But I like Blow-Pops too. And Peanut Brittle and Payday candy bars.

The only candy I don't like is candy corn and white chocolate. Ick. I'd rather take medicine than eat white chocolate--it gives me a headache and a stomach ache and tastes nasty.

But I find that I go on candy kicks maybe once a year. Other than that, I can have candy in my house for months, years even, and not touch it.

Sassy Single

10 Great Reasons Why I Like Being Single;

1) I can watch whatever I want on the t.v. and I don't have to fight over the remote.

2) I can wear baggy sweats to bed every night.

3) I don't have to share the shower or fight over the bathroom.

4) I don't have to share the bed and I can sleep on whichever side I choose any night of the week.

5) I can plan my own vacations and go (or not go) wherever I want.

6) I can stay up late reading or go to bed early whenever I want.

7) I can eat whatever I want for dinner and I don't have to make dinner for anyone but me and Big G.

8) Makeup is completely optional and non-Makeup-Days are guilt-free.

9) I can leave the clean laundry, unfolded, on the living room couch as long as I want.

10) No one rearranges my stuff.

VD Celebrations

Yes, it's Valentine's Day...a holiday for couples and a nightmare for disgusted singles. So how to deal with this holiday/nightmare if you aren't one half of a cutesy, mushy lovey-dovey couple?

Well here's a couple of ideas...6 of them to keep you smiling on this dismal, hokey day...

1) Rent "Sleeping with the Enemy"-the movie about a woman trying to escape an abusive spouse. That's a great VD escape. You'll thank the stars that you aren't all coupled up...and think twice before you romanticize marriage.

2) Enjoy the sound of silence. That's right. Embrace the fact that no one is hogging the bed, telling you how to spend your hard-earned cash or nagging you to do what you have no interest in doing. Yes, being alone does have it's perks.

3) Consider buying a dog. Just so that you can take it out on long walks to crap on the cutesy-couples front lawn. They won't know you were the one leaving dog poop on their lawn...they aren't home-they're out for their 'romantic dinner'.

4) Go Gothic. Just for the day. It's your way of marking the holiday...all in black with a clip-on nose ring.

5) Buy a right hand ring for yourself. You know, a nice bit of jewelry preferably with a big expensive gem on it. You deserve it!

6) Turn off the phone. That way you won't be disappointed by the call that doesn't come. Oh! And don't answer the door either. That way you won't throw open the door expecting a dozen red roses only to find your irate neighbor on the other side of the door yelling about dog crap on his lawn.

Valentine's Day is just another day for merchandisers, florists, jewellers to try and get people to part with their money. Hold on to your hard earned cash and appreciate that you don't have anyone's expectations to manage. Valentine's Day sucks.

Adoption

Should I adopt?

A dog, I mean.

The thing is, they do require quite a commitment. And sometimes just taking care of my current responsibilities is too much.

I'd have to find someone to take care of the dog if I chose to travel. I'd have to exercise and feed the dog every day.

And then there's the vet bills. Plus I've become used to spreading out my papers and bills and I couldn't do that with a dog around (that might be a good thing).

I go back and forth on this issue. Part of me really wants a dog, a companion. And part of me doesn't want the responsibility. So, I revisit this idea of adopting a dog every now and then.

A few days ago, our neighborhood had a home invasion. I know that a dog can't really protect you from crazed, drugged out, home invaders. But a dog would give me some pretense of security.

Anna Nicole Smith

Just read about how Anna Nicole Smith has died in her hotel room in Florida. Sort of a sad but fitting end for a woman who had so many problems.

I guess she made the best of what she had...huge boobs, a big ole' Texas-sized personality and lots of insecurities. Say what you will about her, she was a beautiful woman, crassness not withstanding.

But while she was alive I really resented how she used her sexuality and her "po' little me" personality to hook dirty old men and take them for all their money, her poor parenting abilities (or lack thereof) and her attempt to take shortcuts in life. Oh...and all of her drug and alcohol problems.

You'd look at her and just feel so sorry for her. She was a mess. And in being such a mess, she was a man magnet. Because so many men find helpless, weak, troubled women attractive. Many men love the idea of being a rescuer and give such a helping hand (and all of their available cash) to a woman who can appear helpless, weak and, yes, dimwitted. Anna Nicole had the act down pat. And for that, I will always dislike her.

But despite my dislike and disdain for her and her manipulations, I do feel sorry for her. She lost her son, had no self respect and was such a mess. Poor Anna Nicole Smith.

Blogging About Babies...

My zillionth friend is pregnant and I find myself knitting baby hats and blankets for other peoples babies and I, myself, am going thru a mid-life crisis (yes, I lied, I actually am in my 40's but don't tell anyone).

You see, when a woman hits her forties, and really in her late thirties, she starts craving a baby. I do mean craving...at least that's how I've been feeling. And no amount of, "what are you crazy?" or "Yes! We ARE using birth control!" or "Retirement? Who wants to think about retirement when you can have another baby?" will deter those thoughts.

So, when almost all of my friends start calling or coming by with the exciting news of their pregnancies, I just want to cry.

To compound all of my baby woes, I recently was approached by another woman at work. "When's your due date?", she excitedly asked. I am not pregnant.

If you read my earlier blog, you know that last year, this time, in a 3-month-span, 3 people asked me if I was pregnant. One person (my manicurist) followed up with, "Oh Honey! You need to work out." And that was after I'd already given her a big tip (no, I haven't gone back to that nail salon and won't).

You see, I am not unattractive, I look like I'm in my early thirties, and I have that early 40's-start-of-a-belly thing going on if I don't stand straight. Which looks really bad when I wear certain clothes. At least that's how I'm rationalizing this onslaught of questions.

But wouldn't it be great if I could come back with, "Why, yes! I am pregnant! How did you know?" Of course that invites the comeback--"Well, it's not hard to guess, you look like you're 10 months along!"

Mr. Newsom's Nookie....

So, I have officially recovered from the cold/flu virus going around, and thanks to Gavin's antics am fully entertained. (recap: Gavin Newsom, the Mayor of San Francisco, was having an affair with the wife of his campaign manager and outed himself a few days ago).

So, who wouldn't have expected this? Doesn't Gavin have the look of a party boy?

What was so surprising was that he dis'ed his pal (by sleeping with the guy's wife).

When I was in college, I knew of these girls who would sleep with their friend's boyfriends/husbands - in fact, many times, they took it as a personal challenge to try and jump their best friend's guys. I had a 'friend' who wasn't much of a friend...and we all knew better than to keep her around our male friends.

But guys have this unwritten code. They somehow don't seem to 'do' their friend's wives or girlfriends. At least, it's much more rare than what women do.

But this 'affair' or whatever you want to call it, happened during Gavin's divorce to Kimberly Guilfoyle...I have to wonder--did she know he was a player? C'mon, she had to know she married someone who couldn't keep it in his pants. Was that the real reason for the divorce?

In any event, you have to feel for the campaign manager who was cheated on. What could he do but quit his job?

Maybe we'll find out that Gavin was also boinking the campaign manager! It is San Francisco, after all.