One of my sisters is a fan of the Lifetime movie channel. I usually stop by her house on Sundays after church. She usually has on the Lifetime channel. Because of her, I have now started watching the Lifetime channel. And, because of me, my husband now watches Lifetime. One Saturday, my husband and I watched Lifetime from 9am until 10pm, non-stop.
Well, whether you watch the Lifetime channel or not, we all have a real live Lifetime movie playing out in the headlines. It's the Petraeus/Broadwell/Allen/Kelley Lifetime movie. And, I'm hooked. And, the plot is so convoluted that my eyes have glazed over. Married four star General David Petraeus' married girlfriend, Paula Broadwell, sent anonymous harassing emails to a married Tampa, Florida socialite, Jill Kelley, whom she (Broadwell) perceived as being a threat to her relationship with Petraeus. Well, Kelley reported the harassing emails to the FBI. As an aside to the investigation of determining the source of the threatening emails, the FBI uncovered a relationship between Petraeus and Broadwell and also a subsequent inappropriate relationship between Kelley and married four star General John Allen; Allen who just happened to be in Washington, D.C. preparing for a confirmation hearing for approval to become NATO's supreme allied commander. And, also in that mix is an FBI agent who was reassigned because he sent shirtless photos to Jill Kelley during the investigation. Did you follow all of that??? I couldn't make this up. And, it wasn't too hard to snare Allen because he sent 20 - 30 thousand emails to Kelley over a two year period between 2010 and 2012. 20 - 30 thousand emails!!!!!!!!! General Allen was the top commander in Afghanistan during the time of his romantic email campaign. When did he find time to do his real job and send official emails?
Who are these people? This is cyber world. Haven't they heard that even when you delete emails, they still do exist somewhere out there in cyber space? Emails, never, ever, ever, ever...e-v-e-r disappear. I even know that! And, who are these women?? Circes??
If this was a Lifetime movie, I would complain that the plot is a bit overstated, a bit too busy, too much going on, hard to follow. But, this is real stuff! Paula Broadwell even traveled to Afghanistan with General Petraeus under the guise of gathering information for a biographical book she was writing about him. Did I mention that Broadwell had never written a book before? But, I guess one has to start somewhere. After all, this is my first blog.
But, there is yet another twist to the whole Lifetime movie. Jill Kelley has a twin sister, Natalie, who was involved in a bitter child custody battle for whom David Petraeus wrote a letter to the court on Natalie's behalf as a favor to Jill. When Petraeus wrote this letter he was Director of the CIA until he was outed and turned in his resignation to newly re-elected President Obama the day after his re-election. I wish I could get the Director of the CIA to write a letter on my behalf for ANYTHING!!
AGAIN...who are these women?? Circes? Odysseus would not stand a chance!
Ya gotta love it.
Remember to think twice before you hit that "send" key 20 -30 THOUSAND times.
Peace
Michele
Monday, November 26, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
RELEVANCY
We have just come out of and survived a contentious campaign for presidency of the United States. You are either dismayed over the results or are deliriously happy, depending upon your political leaning. The seemingly endless campaign seemed to begin as soon as Barack Obama won the 2008 presidency election. And the 2016 presidency is already on the minds of some because I have already heard a preliminary list of people who may consider running.
The economy is still sputtering along with the latest report of unemployment hovering around 7.9%; keeping in mind that 7.9% only represents those who are currently actively looking for employment. This figure does not include the people who are so discouraged that they are no longer actively looking for work, and it does not include those for whom unemployment benefits have run out or those who consider themselves under-employed.
Kids are graduating from college with unprecedented student loan balances and they can't land work or begin careers which will allow them to make enough money to put a dent in those student loans and still have money to live and plan for the future.
We are dealing with the Benghazi situation and trying to uncover the facts surrounding what really happened and what did the powers-in-be know and when did they know it. Keep in mind four people lost their lives in the attack on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
Then there's Syria and North Korea...I could go on and on and you can even add your own issues to my list.
With all of that being said, do we r-e-a-l-l-y care about the Bieber breakup? Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, that is. Justin was 16 years old and Selena 18 when they became a couple two years ago. Teen couples come and go. In teen years, two years really is a long time. Do you even remember who you dated at 16? Most people don't if they didn't end up marrying that person. I can't remember the majority of the guys I was so deeply in love with at 16 years old. And there is a reason for that. I out grew them. The guys I was enamored of at 16 no longer appealed to me as I matured. It's a growing up process. Back then my guys had to have a car at the minimum, be a good dancer, and be popular and good-looking. Or maybe good-looking was at the top of the list. Nevertheless, they didn't last. Not one of them. And for good reasons, among others...one of the guys is now homeless (I'm glad I didn't stay with him). Another guy is now gay (I guess I couldn't stay with him). And none of my breakups made anyone's newspaper, not even my high school newspaper and I was very popular in high school.
Was the Bieber-Gomez relationship so important as to warrant the Washington Post (Love, etc.: Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez break up, November 11, 2012) devoting column space to the subject? Neither did I care about the Twilight couple's separation and Kristen Stewart's dalliance. (But, I did hear that they are back together). Or Taylor Swift's recent break up with that Kennedy kid after buying a house next to his family's on Cape Cod. Anyone who dates Taylor Swift and breaks up with her should know by now that he will certainly be fodder for her next song. Ask Jake Gyllenhaal.
Am I too old for this type of thing? This is exactly why I stay away from People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly and even The New York Post. Or is it all just relevancy? Remember Liz Taylor's eight marriages to seven husbands and all of the publicity that garnered? And the scandal of Ingrid Bergman having a baby out of wedlock with Italian director Roberto Rossellini? (Is wedlock even a word anymore?)
Maybe it is just relevancy and a sign of the times.
On the other hand, I think I would be interested in reading a newspaper article about Al Green breaking up with his wife.
I'm just saying.
Peace
Michele
The economy is still sputtering along with the latest report of unemployment hovering around 7.9%; keeping in mind that 7.9% only represents those who are currently actively looking for employment. This figure does not include the people who are so discouraged that they are no longer actively looking for work, and it does not include those for whom unemployment benefits have run out or those who consider themselves under-employed.
Kids are graduating from college with unprecedented student loan balances and they can't land work or begin careers which will allow them to make enough money to put a dent in those student loans and still have money to live and plan for the future.
We are dealing with the Benghazi situation and trying to uncover the facts surrounding what really happened and what did the powers-in-be know and when did they know it. Keep in mind four people lost their lives in the attack on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
Then there's Syria and North Korea...I could go on and on and you can even add your own issues to my list.
With all of that being said, do we r-e-a-l-l-y care about the Bieber breakup? Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, that is. Justin was 16 years old and Selena 18 when they became a couple two years ago. Teen couples come and go. In teen years, two years really is a long time. Do you even remember who you dated at 16? Most people don't if they didn't end up marrying that person. I can't remember the majority of the guys I was so deeply in love with at 16 years old. And there is a reason for that. I out grew them. The guys I was enamored of at 16 no longer appealed to me as I matured. It's a growing up process. Back then my guys had to have a car at the minimum, be a good dancer, and be popular and good-looking. Or maybe good-looking was at the top of the list. Nevertheless, they didn't last. Not one of them. And for good reasons, among others...one of the guys is now homeless (I'm glad I didn't stay with him). Another guy is now gay (I guess I couldn't stay with him). And none of my breakups made anyone's newspaper, not even my high school newspaper and I was very popular in high school.
Was the Bieber-Gomez relationship so important as to warrant the Washington Post (Love, etc.: Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez break up, November 11, 2012) devoting column space to the subject? Neither did I care about the Twilight couple's separation and Kristen Stewart's dalliance. (But, I did hear that they are back together). Or Taylor Swift's recent break up with that Kennedy kid after buying a house next to his family's on Cape Cod. Anyone who dates Taylor Swift and breaks up with her should know by now that he will certainly be fodder for her next song. Ask Jake Gyllenhaal.
Am I too old for this type of thing? This is exactly why I stay away from People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly and even The New York Post. Or is it all just relevancy? Remember Liz Taylor's eight marriages to seven husbands and all of the publicity that garnered? And the scandal of Ingrid Bergman having a baby out of wedlock with Italian director Roberto Rossellini? (Is wedlock even a word anymore?)
Maybe it is just relevancy and a sign of the times.
On the other hand, I think I would be interested in reading a newspaper article about Al Green breaking up with his wife.
I'm just saying.
Peace
Michele
Monday, November 12, 2012
FORTY-NINE DAYS TO 2013
For those who read my blog with any regularity, you know I am big on setting and reviewing goals; and with the beginning of the new year f-a-s-t approaching, (wow, only 49 days left in 2012) this topic is foremost on my mind.
A customary or familiar ritual for a lot of people on January 1st seems to be to sit down and to start thinking about setting or revising goals and making resolutions. I believe there is a method to good goal setting which involves more than simply naming goals and then wishing or hoping we somehow fall into one or two of them or that maybe one or two of our goals fall onto us. If we wait until January 1 of each year to begin thinking about our goals, how long will it take before we actually start putting into place those steps or habits which will help us achieve our goals? I am putting forth the idea that we sit down now and think, visualize and talk about our goals, so that when January 1, 2013 rings in, we are already on the road to achieving them or at least to seeing progress and perhaps are cruising along at 35 to 40 miles per hour towards achieving our goals(s) versus starting out from ground 0. If we start now to look at and begin working on those things we want to achieve in 2013, we have the time and opportunity to make any necessary unforeseen changes which will allow us to better chart our courses towards success.
I've written about Vision Boards ("WHAT THE HECK IS A VISION BOARD", September 12, 2012) and visualization. I've made one vision board for myself and will begin work on a new vision board sometime within the next couple of weeks; I'm not waiting until January 1 to start to think about where I want to be at the end of 2013. On Tuesday, January 1, 2013 I want to be well on my way to seeing one or more of my goals coming to fruition. There are classes I want to take beginning in the spring, so that means I have to have a schedule of classes and have to register before January so that I can be sitting in my seat in my class at the end of January. I can't wait until January 1, 2013 to get a class schedule, register and hope to be in my class in January. If I wait until January to look into classes, I probably won't be able to take my class until next summer or even the fall of next year.
In order to achieve some of the goals I set for myself for next year, these may be some things I need to get out of the way now or finish before the end of 2012.
I also believe that sometimes you have to let other people know what some of your goals are so that they can goad you into moving forward. Sometimes when we tell significant others what our plans are, they can also help gage our progress and remind us to keep moving forward. I am not advocating telling just everyone and anyone your plans, but those people who also buy into your dreams. Those people who sincerely care for us and want to see us succeed. Those people who will remind us what we are supposed to be working on when they don't see any outward success or movement. Now is the time to start talking about your goals to those people. Who knows...maybe when we share our plans and ideas with others, they may be eager to share their ideas with us or even be in a position to help us achieve our goals?
Peace
Michele
A customary or familiar ritual for a lot of people on January 1st seems to be to sit down and to start thinking about setting or revising goals and making resolutions. I believe there is a method to good goal setting which involves more than simply naming goals and then wishing or hoping we somehow fall into one or two of them or that maybe one or two of our goals fall onto us. If we wait until January 1 of each year to begin thinking about our goals, how long will it take before we actually start putting into place those steps or habits which will help us achieve our goals? I am putting forth the idea that we sit down now and think, visualize and talk about our goals, so that when January 1, 2013 rings in, we are already on the road to achieving them or at least to seeing progress and perhaps are cruising along at 35 to 40 miles per hour towards achieving our goals(s) versus starting out from ground 0. If we start now to look at and begin working on those things we want to achieve in 2013, we have the time and opportunity to make any necessary unforeseen changes which will allow us to better chart our courses towards success.
I've written about Vision Boards ("WHAT THE HECK IS A VISION BOARD", September 12, 2012) and visualization. I've made one vision board for myself and will begin work on a new vision board sometime within the next couple of weeks; I'm not waiting until January 1 to start to think about where I want to be at the end of 2013. On Tuesday, January 1, 2013 I want to be well on my way to seeing one or more of my goals coming to fruition. There are classes I want to take beginning in the spring, so that means I have to have a schedule of classes and have to register before January so that I can be sitting in my seat in my class at the end of January. I can't wait until January 1, 2013 to get a class schedule, register and hope to be in my class in January. If I wait until January to look into classes, I probably won't be able to take my class until next summer or even the fall of next year.
In order to achieve some of the goals I set for myself for next year, these may be some things I need to get out of the way now or finish before the end of 2012.
I also believe that sometimes you have to let other people know what some of your goals are so that they can goad you into moving forward. Sometimes when we tell significant others what our plans are, they can also help gage our progress and remind us to keep moving forward. I am not advocating telling just everyone and anyone your plans, but those people who also buy into your dreams. Those people who sincerely care for us and want to see us succeed. Those people who will remind us what we are supposed to be working on when they don't see any outward success or movement. Now is the time to start talking about your goals to those people. Who knows...maybe when we share our plans and ideas with others, they may be eager to share their ideas with us or even be in a position to help us achieve our goals?
Peace
Michele
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