Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Sad Case Of Gov. Eliot Spitzer


"Women need a reason to have sex, men just need a place."

-Billy Crystal

Here we go again... another politician has been caught with his pants down. For the most part, when these stories make the news, I tend to giggle a bit and then invest no more time in it. I don't happen to think it's any of my business, because overall it doesn't really affect me. It doesn't raise gas prices, it doesn't make us more vulnerable to terrorism, it doesn't screw with the economy, pardon the pun, and it doesn't cause the death of innocent people. Some would call a politician visiting a prostitute a victimless crime. I am not sure I would go that far. There are some definite victims in this situation. I am sure if you ask the wife and children of, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, how they are feeling today, you would probably get some very well spoken, and politically careful responses about the pain they are feeling, but lets face it, betrayal is going to hurt... deep.

Maybe one of the reasons I tend to take a, "who cares?" attitude is because when I vote for a politician, I don't vote for a moral leader. My father taught us, at a young age, to vote for the the politician who came closest to they direction I felt things should be taken for social and economic reasons. Of course how the man, or woman conducts themselves in public was up for consideration, but their record in their careers mattered more, because that is what directly affected the present and the future.

It never made sense to me that so much was spent on the situation with Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. So much time, money, and emotional investment, for what amounted to an affair. She wasn't a prostitute, she was a consenting adult, and so was he. In my opinion he didn't betray me, he didn't betray the office of the presidency, he betrayed those who had an emotional investment in his personal behavior. I am so sick of seeing good politicians ruined over societies views of what is sexually acceptable. On the other hand, I have to wonder sometimes if these individuals actually want to be caught in the act.

I find it striking that Gov. Spitzer worked so diligently on rounding up prostitution rings. He was tough on crime, and well respected for his efforts. He had the nickname "Eliot Ness," because he was so tough. So, why in the world did he think he could engage in this behavior and not get caught? Did he believe he was above the law, like so many politicians do? Did he have a momentary laps of judgement? Was he lonely? Does it matter what his reasoning was? There can be a million reasons why any of us do anything we do... good or bad. I don't know that we always do the right thing when we throw people away because of situations like this one, but for some reason, this case bothers me more then others have.

It seems to me that the obvious is all too true here. He should have known better. He of all people should have known that in this day and age, the chances of being caught were off the charts, and yet he still chose to put in his order for a call girl, travel from New York to Washington, booked a room in the Mayflower Hotel, which I find amusingly ironic, and then continue on with the deed. It's so sad to see what was, by all accounts a brilliant career, wasted in the blink of an eye. This is one of the few times where I find myself agreeing with those who say that he should step down.

His focus as a politician is shot. The confidence that the people of New York have put in him has been betrayed, and to recover from that will be too difficult, and it would be another unnecessary distraction from the things we should be caring about. If he does step down, it might very well mean Hillary Clinton would be losing the Super Delegate vote that Spitzer would have cast. He had given her his endorsement, and that makes me feel sad for her as well. It would mean she was hurt once again by a man's betrayal. It's a shame that if he steps down he loses the right to cast that vote, but that's the penalty for allowing your own selfishness to rule you... even for one afternoon. So sad.

-OndineMonet

Monday, March 10, 2008

Karen's Monday Photo Shoot: Far and Near

"I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may - light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful."

-John Constable

New Monday Photo Shoot #11: Take a picture of something far away - but include something much closer in the same shot.

-Karen Funk Blocker, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

Again I find myself visiting my archives to find a photo to suit an entry, but I really think I found just the right one to fit the topic! I took this photo March 7th, 2007, on an absolutely beautiful, clear bright day here in the Bay Area. In this picture you see some beautiful seagulls up close, and the Berkeley Pier in background. And further beyond that you see the hills in Marin County. :) I wish every day was this clear and calm. It was the perfect day to have my camera in my hand. :) It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Here are a few other photos I came across that fit the topic "Far and Near."

Here you see snow up close, and the lovely, green Santa Cruz Mountains in the background. :)


This is not just any sunset in my my rear view mirror, that is the last sunset of 2007! It was simply gorgeous that night, this photo doesn't come close to doing it justice. :)

"Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems - but as you approach the present, it inevitably seems incredible."

-Salman Rushdie

-OndineMonet
"Far and Near"
Berkeley Pier
Berkeley, California
March 7th, 2007
Early Afternoon

Sunday, March 09, 2008

We Are Pleased To Inform You...

"Opportunities are often things you didn't notice the first time around."

-Catherine Deneuve

Slowly, but surely, I am getting my thought process and creativity back. Sigh. I am not sure why it is taking me so long, I don't know, maybe grieving gets more difficult as we get older. Anyway, don't think I am over here in a big ball of sadness, that's not the case at all, in fact, both Alan and I have found some light moments, or is it moments of light? LOL. It's just that it seems to me, like it is taking me longer this time.

It has been important to keep to a normal schedule whenever possible, but a good healthy diversion along the way helps too. Last week, Alan and I had made plans for a night out together. We still date. Can you believe it? Married 17 1/2 years, and he still asks me out on dates! LOL. He likes me a little I guess. Anyway, we had planned to go see a good friend of ours participate in a comedy competition. We love our pal, and we were really happy to support him, so we got the tickets and made the reservation, just a few days before Darryl passed away.

The day of the competition, I asked Alan if he still wanted to go, to which he replied a resounding, "YES." I was a little surprised, I wasn't in the mood to laugh, not one little bit. Nope. But there was Alan, holding me as I cried, and still looking forward to having our night out. "Carly, Darryl would be the first one to say "Go, have fun." I shook my head, and reluctantly agreed with him. "yeah, I know." So, off we went to the comedy club. Alan needed me to be there for him. He was needing this night out. It was all he was asking me to do, so how could I say "no."

We had a good time. Bad nachos, YUM, great comedy, and we got to feel good about being there for our friend. After we got home, Alan started looking up other Bay Area comedy clubs. Tommy T's, Rooster T Feathers, Muggs just to mention a few. All of them sound like fun, but the Taco Tuesday at Tommy T's sounded like the most fun, so that is our next adventure. For the price of admission, you get 3 taco's, a margarita, and lots of comedy. WooHoo!! I will probably substitute a diet Coke, I have to think of my Type 2 Diabetes after all. I am pretty sure we will be going there soon, humor heals like nothing else can. :) And there is nothing like a night out on the town with the guy you have been dating for the last 20 years! Tee Hee.

Alan has been really quiet about Darryl's death. He is dealing with his grief very slowly, which is good I think. We are both kind of moving in slow motion I guess. And the time change today, really didn't help matters. Why did Bush have to move the time change up. It did nothing in the way of energy conservation. It would be nice if the next president put it back. Please. LOL. See, even in my grief, I can still find something to complain about. LOL. And something to laugh at! ;)


Mr Squishy's Profile :)

Oh yeah, about the title of this entry. I completely forgot to do a follow up entry about my mammogram. I got a little card in the mail from Kaiser which reads as follows...

We are pleased to inform you that your mammogram showed no signs of cancer. Please remember to schedule your next mammogram according to your usual screening schedule.

I knew it was probably going to be fine, because I am diligent about these things. I do self exams, and I stay current with the latest information. I love owning a computer, because I can have any health care question answered almost immediately. I am taking care of myself, and Alan, and Elvis. That feels good, and it's so much easier to do so then ever before. :) So no excuses!



Yum... my favorite lunch... salad! :)

So tell me, do you have a favorite website you use as part of your wellness routine? I would love to know about your favorite websites for living a healthy lifestyle. How about for Diabetes or Fibromyalgia management? Do you have a fun website that makes you laugh? What about one where you play online games for relaxation? How about gardening or pet care? What is your favorite "health" food? Share it with me... I am always looking to expand my horizons!

-OndineMonet
"A Moment Of Zen"
Japanese Tea Garden
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
March 3, 2008
Afternoon