Words matter, especially the words uttered by main stream broadcasters like Andrea Mitchell. So when Mitchell and other journalists and talking heads toss around labels like “the anti-war left” my blood begins to boil. Mitchell used that term on the Don Imus show on MSNBC to characterize a person who questioned Hillary Clinton about her vote in favor of the Iraq War in early February. With a clear and widening majority of Americans calling the Iraq War a “mistake” and a ever widening majority calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, I fail to see how you can possibly in good conscious as an objective journalist call people who are against the war in Iraq as ‘on the fringe’ or ‘on the left’ or even out of the main stream. Those days are long gone. I think Mitchell’s characterization just proves how far she and all the rest of the media elite are in their own rarified bubble and out of touch with the American public.

Click to read more ...

I have a theory that there are no accidents in life. I tend to believe that most major events occur for a reason, that they are life lessons meant to teach us skills or change us in some meaningful way. This philosophy has helped ease the pain of two failed marriages, lots of dead end jobs and dumb mistakes. My current job has posed some challenges because it is so different then anything I’ve ever done before that I struggle to make sense of why I find myself testing people for HIV and educating people about sex and avoiding sexually transmitted diseases. It’s not really a fun job, it’s certainly not a high paying or glamorous position and it’s extremely stressful but it’s my job and it provides a salary and insurance benefits for me and my family and I do it very well. But I struggle with what life lesson I am being taught by this extremely challenging job which takes me to some incredibly depressing locales each and every week. I was washing the dishes this week when it hit me. I’m being taught to listen. That’s it. At the age of 47 after years of talking my lips off I’m finally learning to listen.

Click to read more ...

I couldn’t tell you the last time I watched the Grammy’s but for some reason I found myself in my living room snuggled up in my favorite chair in front of a cozy fire, watching the Grammy Awards on CBS last Sunday night. I knew the evening was off to a good start when Sting and the rest of the original line up of The Police reunited to sing one of their biggest hits “Roxanne.” You would be amazed how many people still ask me if I’ve ever heard that song. Get a grip, I began my career in radio as a rock & roll DJ in the late ‘70’s…round about the time that song was a number one hit for The Police, think about it. Anyway, I’m a big Mary J. Blige fan so I was thrilled that she did well in all of her categories and I loved seeing my man Prince in all his glory so things were going along really great when we got to the song of the year category in which one of my favorite groups The Dixie Chicks were nominated for their (in your face-I ain’t backing down-what doesn’t break us makes us stronger) “Not Ready to Make Nice” single was nominated. When they won I whooped and hollered so loud that my husband shouted from the other room, “Honey, did you win?” I shouted back, “In a way, I did win.” In a way, everyone who ever thought President Bush lied us into war won last Sunday night.

Click to read more ...