Sam Smith is totally my newest favorite male artist!!

I was soooo happy that Sam Smith won the Grammy for Song of the Year! (Not to mention all of the others.)

If you have not heard this young man sing, or if you have not seen one of his gorgeous videos or performances live (he did a stint with the SNL crew - blew my socks off. I recorded it, luckily, and played the live performances over and over and over), well, if you've not listened to this angel sing, you MUST!!!

YOU MUST!!



He is, for me, a young incarnation of Boy George. I loved me some Karma Chameleon back in the day, but Sam's music (I refer to him like I know him personally - that's how GOOD his writing is) is a new level of lovely.

Harmonically and lyrically speaking, this kid is just DA BOMB, to use a very old and worn-out phrase.

I watched the Grammy's of course, because I love love love music and musicians and lyricists and producers, BUT!!! Mostly, this year? I wanted to see Sam Smith do another of his magical performances and I was NOT disappointed.

All of my favorite people were there!!!!!

Prince! Beyonce! Mary J Blige!! Rihanna! Sam Smith! Jessie J (who, by the by, looked incredible), Pharrell Williams! Katy Perry!!! MADONNA!! Sia! Kristen Wiig!!  (WOW!)

And Ed Sheeran. Could he possibly be any more adorable?

Beck!!

Even back up bands were filled with amazing talent like Quest Love, Herbie Hancock.

ELO performed. Do you know how much I loved Electric Light Orchestra in my highschool days? That band was the background music to my entire teen life!

Hozier and Annie Lennox. Absolutely stunning song. Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani? Holy schniekies! I do believe that Adam and Gwen have been drinking from the fountain of youth. Just flawless the both of them.

John Legend, LL Cool J!

Jimmy Carter for Spoken Word. Really powerful if you've not read it or heard it - "A Call to Action." Our Congress would be wiser for even having this pumped into the building.

Jeez with the food stamps now under attack? Heaven forBID we feed hungry homeless poor people.

We don't want kids actually eating FOOD, right?

They should go live off the land like the rich, fat, white bloated assh*les running our country right now.

Oh. Right. These assh*les have free lunch and free haircuts and free health care and free-DOM. More like FREE-DUM.

I cannot believe that these idiots were VOTED into office by the very people they are enjoying screwing out of their hard-earned dollars and now food? Read about it. It's a thing.

Ok. Back to the Grammys. You know how I get on a rant and can't let it go. I just hate that everytime I turn my computer on first thing that pops up is another horrid act by our GOP leadership. I seriously don't know what happened to these entitled people as kids, but they are forgetting basics like free speech and the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to our Constitution. I wonder if they could even sing our National Anthem? Or say the Lord's Prayer?

These are basic things that our original leaders cherished above all other things. Common Decency. I come from the COMMONWEALTH of Massachusetts. Most people don't know the difference between a State (like Alaska) and what it really, truly means to be a Common Wealth.

It means we take CARE of each other. When I'm up, I'll help you if you're down. And Vice Versa.

The pay-it-forward culture is alive and well and it resides firmly where I grew up in Michigan and then for almost 30 years in Massachusetts. My friends and family over there on the East Coast are fiercely smart, fiercely independent thinkers, fiercely challenging at times (which I appreciate) and FIERCELY LOYAL.

If you knew about the outpouring of love and offers of help I received from my buddies and friends and even acquaintances when I just had my identity stolen here in Alaska? You'd be shocked! And maybe jealous! I had people wanting to fly me back, I had 10 young men who call themselves my little brothers all ready to hop on a plane to take shifts protecting me and my home!

Luckily, it didn't come to that because the police (God Bless) came to my aid and took my reports very seriously. Crime is pervasive in Alaska due to the transient nature of the work force in the oil fields called "The Slope." With oil prices plummeting, the funding is drying up here, so we've got a huge homeless problem and a BIG drug and alcohol problem which fuels the domestic violence problem.

Big Oil has retreated elsewhere, leaving a lot of people without hope. Plus the return of many vets from Iraq and Afghanistan is also creating some really sad situations. PTSD left untreated? Now we've got suicide rates going through the roof and leaving behind wives and husbands and children that are lost without benefits...I've helped a load of lovely young families just to feed their children. I'm part of a couple groups here that make sure the kids and families are being aided. Clothes, boots, food, bedding. Basic stuff.

So, when Congress decides to cut funding to the VA and now for food stamps?  Yet the kickbacks of BILLIONS of dollars to Wall Street? Corporations that operate tax free?

I pay 35% tax on my income. THIRTY FIVE PERCENT. And I'm a tiny tiny tiny business.

So, I get to earn 65 cents on the dollar.

Great. Thanks, Congress.

Oh, well. I digressed again. See? You get me going and I just explode!! But it's all true.

I'll continue my Grammy post tomorrow. So many more artists to talk about! Really a great show this year, I thought.

Ciao for now. And think about how and for whom you'll vote coming up. Please.

There's a story, of a lovely lady...Or beauty is only skin deep. And it's fleeting. Owch.

First off, free speech is a thing. It's real and it works and it creates positive social change.

When I write these works of fiction on my blog, it is to prove a point. 

The point is, that when you are shitty to other people, there are repercussions. 

I'm not wishing ill upon anyone. Not a soul. 

To the contrary, I'm gonna try to help you as best I can. I'm gonna do what I can to help you when you're in need. I did that. 

However, I'm NOT a doormat. You can't do what you want, when you want to whomever you want and expect that I'm not going to take notice. Right?

Jeez. You're smarter than all that. And I tried and tried and tried. And got my heart stomped on a bit, but I'll be okay. I promise. And I'm gonna code this so no one can read it. Except you, if you're smart enough to be able to read code. Oh. Wait. Right. You're more concerned with partying and your make up than those who really care about you. Right. I forgot that. 

Too bad. 

So, again. And again. And again. And NOW again.

This is my story. A story. It might be fictional, it might not be. And Free Speech is the First Amendment to the Constitution. It's also a real thing and you might want to read about it.

Put down the makeup and get out a book. Read. Pet your dog. Stop the madness.

Going to the club and hanging out until 5am or not sleeping for 48 hours is decidedly NOT cool. It's the opposite of cool.

If you recognize yourself in this forum that is mine, and I do not use your name at all. AT ALL, then there's probably something going on.

The only person who even saw the damn thing was my own Mother and your Mom, because she knows what I'm doing and where I am and what's happening in my life (because she's a good mother), then where's the issue?

The issue is that you treated other people very unkindly, left a big mess, hurt the feelings of my darling husband who was only kind and protected you, and you confused the LIFE out of me until I caught on.

I had to hide my belongings, lock my doors vigilantly, hide my cameras and other valuables - and even then a video camera, given to me as a gift, went missing as I looked for it a couple weeks ago and again last night. See, I was going to loan it to a friend who was interested in using old video equipment, but it was taken from my home while I slept one night.

That's some scary stuff to realize, that when you're fast asleep in one room, there are people that you don't know - AT ALL - going through your things and taking whatever they feel they are entitled to take.

I'm not saying it was you! I know it wasn't you. You leave things behind! I saw the little gifts in the bathroom, and I appreciate them. They are lovely and rather extravagant and I thank you for them.

However, I'd really like to not have to do laundry for two days and then take out the bags of garbage that will now cost us extra money and time to dump.

My husband and I were discussing it this morning (he's really upset) because no one likes to feel used. No one likes it. Ever. That's why those boys react the way they do. That's why I reacted the way I did. That's why I didn't want to see you or your precious dog when you offered to come back.

My heart is aching but not broken. I've had my heart broken and it took me three long years to put it back together again. I'm thankful I was able to do that and am grateful to the people who helped me.

I'm not trying to defend you or whatever. At some point there is no excuse for bad behavior and that's why you had to leave. That's why people talked about you and said unkind things about you. And me.

The level of complete self-absorption was really something I've rarely experienced.

I was also self-absorbed as a kid your age, but it was NOT to the detriment of people that treated me kindly.

I was taught (as you were) to go out of your way to be kind to others. Always and to a fault.

My husband was trying to juggle about 85 things these past three days. The death of a young person, their grieving family and friends. I had a virulent flu and nearly had to go to the hospital on Saturday. He had to take care of our little puppy dog who was missing her friend SO badly. And then groceries, dishes, the odd people coming to our home looking for you at night. And sometimes in the early morning. The guy who tried to break down our door looking for you. So, we had to call the police. Then there was the other guy, there, that got you involved in GOD only knows what with the fake ID and all that bullshit.

As I told you, my dear little friend, if you recognize yourself in one of my ranty posts, it's because I am simply writing about MY experience, and if you recognize yourself, honey? It's because you didn't do the right thing by us and by several other people who have reached out already to ask if they can come over and console us or do anything to help.

More than mad, I'm just disappointed and so very sad. Really sad. I truly love you, still do, but I don't get why you would do those things to upset poor Mr. Big who never hurt anyone for a minute.

I'm hoping this will rattle your cage. You are a beautiful person - your downfall, perhaps, right now.

The beauty, however, is only skin deep. And it fades and then what? What have you got left?

An empty cage and people and others who've flown the coop long ago.

He Has A Name

The facts are staggering.

Since Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson Missouri, there have been 14 more young black teenagers killed by police officers.

Now, I'm not saying these kids were all necessarily innocent of doing something wrong. I'm saying that killing young people does not make the problem go away.

The problem lies in the ethics of a country where the top 2% of the wealthy

 in our nation hold 98% of all of the money.

The rich literally are getting richer (i.e. the sweetheart deal that Congress introduced, passed and then OBAMA shamefully didn't veto), and the rest of us are working our asses off just to TRY to get by.

The poor and homeless of our country are overwhelmingly people of color. Overwhelmingly so.

I'm not rich at all. I'm comfortable (thank God) because I've worked my ass off since I was about 10 years old. My first jobs were in our home and also at the Dairy Queen. I never stopped working. I worked at school, did my homework, nose to grindstone.

In order to attend college I needed good grades because my parents were unable to send me to college because they were busy working their asses off to provide me with food, clothes, heat and a comfortable place to lay my head each night.

I was lucky. I know that now. I didn't understand they why about my parents not having all this extra cash as the time. See, I grew up in a really rich community. Uber rich. Like all-my-friends-got-a-new-convertible-for-their-16th-birthdays kind of rich.

I had no car. My first car was a shitbox that I bought for $300 when I was 24.

I had a few other friends whose parents decided to teach them the value of working for something instead of just being HANDED shit. My friend Natalie drove an old clunker in highschool and she was nice enough to pick me up every morning and drive me to school!

If Natalie couldn't take me, Jill would! Or Kyle! Or Kathleen or Jenny or Kathy.

These kids were rich and super smart and a ton of fun. We giggled and carried on all through highschool. We attended a AAA-rated highschool with the best of everything. The best sports teams, best fields for practicing, the best textbooks (free), the best teachers and coaches. We wanted for NOTHING. It was an amazing experience and I just adored highschool.

I had friends of all types, the jocks, the stoners, the partiers, the academics, the goof-offs, the smokers, the "good" kids and even some of the bad kids.

What I lacked in highschool was diversity. 

I had one Jewish friend, Rachel. Because that was how it was. There were no other Jewish people to befriend! I had one black friend, Alison. One. She was the only one in the whole place. There were 1800 students and Alison was the only person of color. I don't even think we had Asian people or Hispanic people in our school, if I remember correctly (the memory is a bit shoddy).

There were foreign exchange students that I befriended but mostly they were from Scandanavian countries like Norway and Sweden. I even dated the Norwegian for a year, Tore. I'll NEVER forget him! He was a hunk and a half and magic on the soccer field.

So, what I'm saying is that I now live in Alaska. In Alaska there are a ton of people from everywhere else. Aside from the Natives I've befriended, I've mentioned that there are all walks of life in Alaska. People don't give a shit what color you are as long as you're nice and you're friendly and you do your fucking job the right way.

My friend Joe got fired from his job, as did a couple other people - one black, one white, one Native Inupiat. Didn't matter what color they were, they were just shitty workers!! Simple equation!

If only it were like that in the lower 48.

See, I lived in Massachusetts for almost 30 years. Now, there is diversity there but it's a clear division between the haves and have-nots.

When I first moved to Salem, MA, I lived in the second poorest part of town. It was a Section 8 part of the city and considered "dangerous."

Nope. Not dangerous, just poor. 

People of color lived there and then the rest of us who had no money lived there, too. I was poor as shit half the time, so much so that I'd work on the house painting, or fixing the fence to pay off my rent. My landlords were so kind to me.

But I was happy and I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride that I was making it on my own.

As I got better at managing my money and advancing in my career, I started to be able to afford to make things pretty at the house. I bought flowers for our walkway, I mulched and planted flowers in our little courtyard, put candles on the table back there, added some chairs. It turned into a beautiful little haven for my roommates and my dog!

Little by little, you could see the neighbors start putting flowers in their planters 

and flower boxes. Things that had gone vacant or held garbage 

were being transformed into something pretty for others to enjoy. 

My street got gentrified little by little, young couples moved in, the section 8 people were forced out and moved over to the Dominican Republic side of town (a settlement of people from the D.R. live over in an area called "The Point.").

I guess the thought is that if you keep the poor people together it's easier to police them...

I will say that the police force in Salem, MA, are TOP notch humans and they are a diverse group of humans, too. We have officers of all races in Salem.

They helped me out in a jillion situations, they truly do protect and serve. I don't recall one incidence of the police shooting a person who wasn't already doing something to harm others like the noodlehead who was setting off explosives in his HOUSE on Halloween night. He could easily have killed hundreds of people including the kids out trick-or-treating. It was a terrifying event for all of the neighbors who literally live just ten feet away from this guy's house. So, the police tried to talk sense into this idiot, but he ended up getting himself shot because he wouldn't stop with the explosives.

So, there's the difference. THAT's the difference between good policing and just shooting someone before you even TRY to talk them down. Or put them in restraints so they can't hurt you. So that they can calm down and you can then try to talk sense into them.

When you use a choke hold and the person tells you "I Can't Breathe" - well, maybe he's telling the truth. If you watch that video is it chilling. CHILLING to watch Eric Garner being killed via strangulation.



Many of my black, male friends and relatives have told endless stories about being arrested, held against their will, handcuffed for no reason, made to get out of their cars for simple traffic violations, have had their cars SEARCHED for absolutely no reason. Have had money seized because the cops thought it was too much money and must be gang/drug-related.

I can walk around with $2000 on me. I can get pulled over and let go with a warning (and have on many occasions). I can yell at a TSA agent (which I did) and even swear at her (which I did) but I don't get arrested...I was actually shuffled into the special expedited lane at the airport in Boston as I was flying to LAX and then on to Anchorage.

I got shuffled into the express lane because I was raising a stink at the unfair, terrible treatment the TSA agent was giving to the people in line. She was telling almost everyone that they had to go back and check their bags even though every person is allowed a size-permitted carry-on and one personal item like a purse or laptop.

She was LYING to these people because, undoubtedly, she was getting kickbacks from the airline attendants who were taking these people's hard-earned money.  This shameful Indian woman was looking to line her own pockets and the pockets of the American Airlines workers.

That, my friends, is BULLSHIT.

Since when are we all enemies of each other? What the fuck?

So, I called this woman out on her bullshit. I told her to get her fucking supervisor because she is clearly ripping of the public.

I cried "BULLSHIT!"

So, I got shuffled to the expedited area because they didn't want me to talk to anyone who would listen. I told the other passengers in line to question this woman's authority and the other TSA agents really didn't like that.

I had a bumper sticker on my car for a long time that said "Question Authority" and until recently I didn't really get the full meaning and the full value of those two words. But I sure as shit do now.

Everyone out there who's bitching about the protesters and bitching about how black people and other people of color are "playing the race card."

Well, fuck yeah! Duhh.

When the talking heads dismiss an entire generation of young black men as "thugs" (Bill O'Reilly racist asshole) and when Russell Simmons can't even get a word in edgewise about the deeper, underlying issues that create situations like we see pretty much every day in every poor neighborhood of the United States?

When we can't even have a CIVIL fucking DIALOGUE about real issues that face our people of color?

What the fuck?

If you, white, middle-America and YOU, rich, white America? If you cannot understand that you grew up with more privelege and more breaks and an easy way to a better life?

You are completely lying to yourselves.

How many black friends do you have? Native American friends? Hispanic friends from a third-world country? Have you ever BEEN to a third-world country?

Have you EVER seen the plight of the people in Central America? Africa? Huh? Have you ever even BEEN to Africa?

Well, dear shitheads, unless you do your fucking homework, shut your fucking mouth and LISTEN for one second to others, you are destined to be the ignorant, racist, asshole, shithead that you are.

And, furthermore? I ain't got no time for you. NONE. Not one second more.

I have unfriended about a dozen people in the past week. I have ceased talking to a few people here in Alaska that have tried, and FAILED miserably to argue about racism, gun control, questioning authority, sexism, bad behavior, ignorance of facts and just general hatred of others who are unlike themselves.

As a scientist, lover of the environment, lover of diversity, lover of travel and other cultures and endless  empathy toward the plight of the oppressed wherever they may be, I'm a dangerous weapon against ignorance. Facts are my weapon of choice.

And they can be deadly to the close-minded.

So, I'll ask you, all of my smart, amazing, incredible family and friends. Use your facts and stamp out the stupid in others. Use your words and your kindness to show empathy and kindness even to the stupid people. Just get them to listen to you for a few minutes and you can maybe make inroads that create positive change.

Some are beyond reprieve, so just move on to the next stupid person. There are plenty of them out there. Congress would be a great place to start, apparently.

Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish counterparts! Merry Christmas to my Christian counterparts! And Happy Kwanzaa to any of my friends who celebrate it!

There's room for all of us. 

There just isn't room for ignorance.

Preaching to the Choir

A peaceful little Veined Octopus that I snorkeled with off a beach in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

I know I've been on a roll lately with my bitching about our failed political system. It's just going from bad to worse with the cronyism and the stroking of each others' dicks up there on Capitol Hill.

The people listening to me are the smart, wonderful folks who already KNOW this shit is wrong and that we clearly have NO right to take 2,400 acres of sacred Apache land to suck out some oil and then give the money to a multinational corporation that plays with Iran.

You all already know this stuff, and for that I am grateful. I'm grateful I have amazing, smart, talented, informed friends who teach me stuff every day.

We, my friends and family, are not the problem. We are independent thinkers. I may not always agree with you or your politics, but I appreciate that you've done your homework and that you vote accordingly.

The problem with this whole premise is to believe that your vote is doing what you intended. The corruption in our voting system and the presence of gerrymandering and hostility toward people of color? Well, that's a problem.

Do you wanna know some dirty little secrets that I've been harboring for a while now? I've got a bunch, let me tell you!

One is that there are A LOT of men out there that like porn. (Hahaha! Like that's a secret?!!) What you don't know is that there are a LOT of men, married with children, fine upstanding citizen types, right? Well, when their wives are away on business or pleasure for a week or even just a weekend? Well, A LOT of them (used to) go to video stores and rent a crap ton of gay porn. The real gross stuff with circle jerks and all kinds of grossness.

You see, back about a hundred years ago when I was a poor whale researcher, I'd work at a video store up the street from me to earn extra cashola in the winter months.

You learn a LOT about people by what they choose to watch. Likewise, what they read also speaks volumes (pun intended).

So, when the likes of Sarah Palin and her "liberal gotcha" comment when Katy Couric (God bless her) asked what Ms. Palin reads? And then there was silence.

Yep. Of course she doesn't read. She thinks she's smart because she calls herself a "maverick" and it contains more than one syllable.

I'd rather have Wyle E. Coyote as my vice president. At least he's entertaining.

So, when these "straight" homophobic jerk-offs (literally) are telling me that gay people are unnatural or whatever bullshit religious crap you wanna spout (again, pun intended), and then on the weekend, when the wife's at church with the kids? You run into my video store and rent a gay porn and then return it exactly 1.5 hours after you came (again, intended) in the first place?

YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE.

And, further, you're gross and living a lie and ohmygod your poor thing and your poor wife and kids.

See, it's this lying thing that really gets my goat. What the hell? Why are you so afraid to be utterly YOU?

I've often contended and have been told by many of my LGBTQ friends that I am a gay man stuck in a woman's body! And it's absolutely a very accurate description of me! I'm so guy-ish with my jobs and who I like to hang (pun intended) with and I have LOADS of man and boy friends.

Same with my best friends, and particularly my bestest bestie Karen who is JUST like me except she likes Hello, Kitty and pink and sparkles and high heels and that girlie crap.

I like shoot 'em up bang bang movies and getting my hands dirty and hard, physical labor.

But that's just one aspect of me. I also love cooking, floral arranging and being smooshy with my dogs and about any other critters you can throw at me. I'm emotional as all get out and cry at those dumb commercials and little babies who laugh? Send me into orbit!

So, the moral to my story is that no one is all one thing. But if we can learn to embrace those things in each other, we'd really be making headway with all the depressed, sad and lonely people out there.

I'm sure even Dick Cheney might have one redeeming quality.

There was a young woman I heard about that passed away last night. It was unexpected and the circumstances are still being figured out. But my heart just broke for her, for her family, for her few friends. She was a loner, a very sad figure. I'd smiled and said hello to her on a few occasions, and she just sort of looked through me while she sat smoking her cigarette.

I figured she had a lot on her mind and was in a bad mood.

Well, turns out she was a depressed, sad person. Away from her family. No friends to speak of and just filled with self-loathing. She had health issues I didn't know about and she spent most of her time by herself.

Had I known any of those things, I'd have reached out more and tried to help.

Last thing I'll say is that it's the holiday season and it SUCKS when you're alone and away from your family or loved ones. Sometimes even a person's family can be toxic, especially if they're judgemental hypocrites who don't understand you or your personal path.

Be kind to each other. Always and to a fault. Everyone is not necessarily happy even if they're smiling on the outside. And people are told that they SHOULD be happy.

"Don't cry, it's okay."

I heard that a million times during my bout with situational depression.

NO! Dammit! Sometimes it simply ISN'T okay. Sometimes things suck. Like when your dogs die and then your grandmother dies and then one of your best best friends dies and then you get in a car accident and lose your house in a divorce.

That? That fucking SUCKS!

Just acknowledge when someone's life is hard. Just be compassionate and try to just listen. Don't interject your own story. Ask questions. Ask if there is anything you can do to help.

It made all the difference in the world to me when my friend N & K reached out to me. And when my little cousin called to tell me she prayed for me every day. And when my Dad told me to have hope that  things would not always be so bad. And when my Mom would cry with me and tell me to please not hurt myself because she would not be able to carry on if I did.

I'm crying right now just remembering how much those little gestures meant to me. That these fine people were rooting for me and had faith in me, made ALL the difference in preventing me from committing the terrible act of suicide.

Thank you so much & I wish you a good day and the happiest of holiday seasons.

I'll keep writing. I just feel sad today about this girl and I need fluff and silliness for a while.

Ciao for now.

Gorgeous tangs feeding on the coral reef.

Monday Musings

So, my last post was rather ranty - about immigration, but mostly a response to John Boehner's blatherings about Obama's executive order providing relief to 5 million immigrants who were in danger of deportation.

I'm going to try not to be so ranty and provide a more balanced look at subjects in the coming year (an early resolution).

Of course, the other side of immigration is over-population and the troubles that arise from it - lack of infrastructure, non-insured overwhelming the health care system, not enough books for some schools in areas inundated by children of illegal immigrants, and the list goes on.

Rarely is there an issue that is completely black and white. However, we cannot just solve these issues by ignoring them (i.e. Congress sitting on a bill for over a year) or creating a one-size-fits-all solution to a very complex problem (i.e. the executive action).

The real basis for the bigger problems in the US (I believe) is the refusal of our Congress to work with a Democratic president. The lame-duck approach to government is an affront to ducks. At least ducks seem to get along and get their shit done in a timely matter.

Is there a way to refuse to pay these fools for a job not done? If we all behaved as they did, we'd lose our jobs. We certainly wouldn't get paid and we wouldn't get our pensions and insurance paid for the rest of our days. I certainly don't have all the solutions, but I can identify that unless Congress gets a bit of a fire under their collective asses, we have two more years of this ridiculousness to come.

Ok. I'm done with that (for the moment).

In other world news, my husband is doing MUCH better with his shoulder and biceps. He's able to dress himself and even wash his own hair!! Score for me!

My Dad's wonderful wife just has surgery this morning. Spinal fusion and a laminectomy. Ouch. I spoke with her in the recovery room, and she's in a lot of pain, but doing okay...good thoughts her way are appreciated.

And lastly, my beautiful friend Bob, who lost his partner Marcel to liver cancer last summer - well, his Dad just died on Friday. Again, any good thoughts or prayers you've got laying around waiting on a good cause - well this is a good one. Bob is no less than an angel on earth. One of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure to know. In fact, his whole family sort of adopted me after my divorce - warmly, welcomingly and kindly. They deserve only the best. Much love to them.

Now for something completely different!

I just saw a TED talk this morning about a singer from Australia who struggles with a speech impediment in her daily life. She's a great speaker and makes the case about not judging people. I love these TED talks. Really uplifting. I often get them via a great site called Upworthy - they collect all manner of stories from around the internet that will make you feel better about humans (and sometimes other animals!)...This TED talk is worth the 13 minutes. Click HERE to see it.

Now, to round out the day, a few sillies that have tickled me recently...

My two dogs? Their names are commonly, "Stopitstopitstopit!"
and "Heyheyheyheyheeeeyyyy!"

I adore John Oliver. I would love to be stuck
in a room with John Oliver, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart!
How much fun would THAT be?

World's best photo-bomb EVER!!!

Thanks for reading! Ciao for now.