This and That

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the political sexcapades in the news. My first inclination is to laugh - this has been going on since Thomas Jefferson's day and probably before. The only difference is that now we have taped evidence, wives in the glare of the TV cameras and/or writing books about their betrayal, a media frenzy to be the first to break the news of any misbehavior (unlike media silence re FDR and JFK), and the fact that politicians now live their lives in a glass house. That last fact alone ought to cause second thoughts when they're tempted to cheat, but they never learn. The public also should learn not to expect politicians to be better than the rest of us; they're human - they just have bigger heads than most of us.

Although I like the Colts, I'm pleased about the Saints winning the Super Bowl. This is a long-coming uplift for that city's people who have suffered so much. They really needed something to cheer about. How would you like to be there for Mardi Gras this year? I'm also inspired by Drew Brees who has overcome so much to be the leader of a championship team. I noticed online this morning, though, that Peyton Manning didn't shake hands after the game. That disappoints me; I've always thought better of him than that. Did you notice it was the Peyton/Payton game - the Walter Payton award before the game, then the Saints coach and the Colts quarterback. Funny. Speaking of Walter Payton, now there was a football player and a real man.

I see Angelina and Brad are suing a UK tabloid for publishing an article that they were breaking up. Good grief! That's the headline on every tabloid in the world nearly every week. Thank heaven Dave and I aren't famous, or as good looking for that matter. I don't know how they live with such animosity. We just recently watched "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" on TV, the first time I had seen them together in a movie, and I know it wasn't great entertainment, but we laughed all the way through it. Silly, but fun.

Joe Jackson just can't keep his mouth shut, can he? Now he thinks there was a conspiracy to kill Michael. Well, Joe has always been a little off, now I guess he's gone completely round the bend. I personally believe the doctor gave him too much anesthesia, under pressure to do so by Michael himself. But what a screwed up family the Jackson's are! So much talent, so little common sense.

Washington is bracing for another big storm, and this time we might get a little snow too. This is a crazy year: Vancouver has to truck in snow for the Olympics, northeast PA where I live has had only minor snowstorms, and D.C. is socked in twice in a week. My neighbors say this is proof global warming doesn't exist - I say it's just more proof because weather is getting erratic, and storms are more severe.

Meanwhile, as the newspapers and TV cover these stories, our young people are still dying in Afghanistan and the military is beginning a new offensive in Helmand province. Why are we so concerned about whether Brad and Angelina are happy or not when we are in a war that we shouldn't be in? Why aren't we letting Pres. Obama that we want to get out of both wars? Just think of all the money going down the tube in both wars, money that could help our own people and be used for humanitarian efforts in Haiti, etc. Somehow our priorities have been skewed and they won't change unless we let our feelings be known.