The Crazed Computer Monitor

So, I have this nice Dell computer with a great monitor that looks like a small TV. That sentence alone should be a huge clue that I am not the most tech-savvy gal on the planet.

Yesterday, I awoke to my computer doing weird and wonderful things. I am supposedly blessed with an easy touch system to adjust the monitor settings. But something has gone fantastically haywire with the monitor's software, as the on-screen menu is popping up on the screen at odd times & the monitor is just doing it's own thing in terms of adjusting the brightness of the screen.

Thankfully, I am blessed with a tech-geek friend, who will be receiving a call from me this evening, and this issue will be behind me shortly.

An Organizing Day

Am looking forward to a theraputic day of cleaning. With all of the huge changes my daughter and I are contemplating for our lives in the near future, sometimes there's nothing like the mindless repetition of housework. I find that as the house gets organized, so do my thoughts. When I am in the zone, there are no goals, no timetables - just easy moving from task to task. It's going to be a great day.

The Daily Post

Here it is!

Changes in 2012

Changes on the horizon in 2012...

The Dating Game

Let me begin by saying that I have been divorced for many years, and am - happily - single. I only find myself wishing for a husband when it's time to mow the lawn in the stifling July heat, when the car acts up, or when I'm too tired to haul the trashcans to the curb. Once those matters are handled, the thoughts of a spouse exit my head.

True, when my daughter first entered school, she fretted that the kids in her class didn't understand why she didn't have a father. I can still remember her fuming, "They all keep saying you must have that divorce thing and that I have to have a daddy somewhere."

We worked it out. Her little peers understood that I wasn't married when I adopted her, and if pressed, she explained that she had birth parents, whom she didn't know, in China.

Occasionally I have entertained the idea of dating - once my daughter graduates from high school. Right now, I'm just too darn tired at the end of every day. I am perfectly serious when I say that if Pierce Brosnan (Google him if you're too young to know who he is!) showed up at my front door on a Friday evening and announced he wanted to rock my world, I would thank him - and send him packing.

But somewhere, somehow, the internet has decided I should be dating. I have been getting unsolicited emails for "Senior People Meet", along with a pop-up to the right of my one email account that advises me that I can search for eligible single men in my area right now. I have not availed myself of either of these opportunities.

A thought that gives me pause - The internet has let me know that I am now considered a "Senior." Well, yes, age is just a number and whatnot, but I have yet to think of myself in the "Senior" category. And how did the internet figure out my age, anyway? Isn't fifty-five supposed to be the new forty? Hell, in my head, I still feel like I'm 25, though, thankfully, I possess more wisdom then I did at that age.

And where would one go to meet men anyway, were I to seriously think about dating? Bingo? A bar? My partying days are over - now a glass of wine or an occasional beer is a guarantee I'll be asleep on the sofa in no time.

I have a number of women friends in my age group. Most are married. The few that are single, and would like a significant other, are having a hard time meeting a nice guy. Here's what I've observed - most of the men in my age group want a woman half my age. You know the type - divorced, grown children, the careful comb-over, the expensive car. Trust - there's a lot of them out there.

Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum - the ones that DO want women in our age group. They tend to be, um, elderly, and will probably be dead in ten years, bless their hearts. I mean, I have a 13 year old daughter. Were I to take on an older gentleman, I get these nightmare visions of a few years down the road - zipping darling daughter into her prom gown, waving her out the door, then turning around to change the Old Dear's diaper.

My only other option is to become a Cougar (what a loathsome term!). It could work - I was a Cougar back when I was about 30...skinny, pre-child, and before the phrase had been coined. But that would raise another issue. How young a honey would I want? Not too young - it would be like raising two children instead of one. Not too close to my age, because he could run off and leave me for some fresh young thing in her twenties.

Hmmm...

No, I think I'll stay just as I am and continue to dump the daily "Senior People Meet" email into the spam folder. Nor will I click on the profiles of the eligible men in my area. But, once my daughter graduates from high school, I may rethink that whole Cougar thing!

How I Love My Cats...

Pets enrich our lives, pets enrich our lives, one of the cats woke me up at 3am, pets enrich our lives...

Poison Berry Taking Ex-Boyfriend to Court Again

UPDATE - The judge who heard Poison Berry's request to deny Gabriel Aubrey contact with his daughter made no ruling today. Poison will have to wait until Monday, January 30, when the judge, who would normally rule on the matter, returns from vacation.

Nahla's former nanny, Alliance Kamdem, was also in court this morning, seeking a restraining order aginst Gabriel Aubry. However, the judge rejected her request calling it "insufficient and speculative." In the court documents, Kamdem alleges other "abuse" she supposedly endured at the hands of Mr. Aubry - incidents that happened many months ago, which she never reported.

********************

Halle Berry is taking the father of her daughter, Gabriel Aubry, back to court today. Ms. Berry is once again playing the abuse card. It's a card Poison Berry loves, and one that has worked quite well for her over the years.

Poison has a pattern. At the end of every relationship and/or marriage, she claims the just-ditched partner was abusive. Sometimes she hints at physical abuse, other times she hints that the abuse was emotional. But there is always a claim of abuse, and she is always a victim.

Rather then seek counseling for her pattern of consistently choosing Mr. Wrong, Poison chooses to simply grab herself a new man. Case in point - within months of Ms. Berry ditching her Baby Daddy, Aubry, she hooked up with Olivier Martinez.

But Poison can't shut Gabriel Aubry entirely out of her life, because they have a daughter, Nahla, together. But she's sure as hell trying. Where she once sat on Oprah's couch, cooing about what a wonderful father Aubry was to Nahla, she's now determined to tar and feather him with the label of Worst Father Ever.

Today's emergency hearing is Poison's latest bid to strip Aubry entirely of custody and visitation of his daughter. According to published reports, Aubry had Nahla at his home, when Nahla's nanny showed up at his house. Nanny began questioning Aubry as to why Nahla hadn't been at school that day. According to Nanny, who filed a police report, Aubry lost his temper, began yelling, "You're the f**king nanny. Who do you think you are? You are a nobody. You don't need to f**king know anything," before pushing her out the door while she was holding Nahla.

Poison must be in ecstasy if Aubry did, in fact, lose it with the nanny. Yay - more "proof" for her that the "abuse" she claims is, indeed, a fact.

I am NOT making light of abuse, having watched a friend live for years with a husband that beat the hell out of her on a regular basis. But here's my beef with Berry. She's a little too glib with her consistent claims of abuse. Because she's done with Nahla's father, she has done nothing but try to obliterate him from her daughter's life since their split.

And she's very good at making her case in public. How convenient that the paps always show up when she's out with her daughter - at the beach, at the park, dining with the boyfriend. Halle loves her daughter - look how doting she is! But let Gabriel Aubry be snapped picking his daughter up at school, and within weeks, Berry files another claim in court that he's "unfit".

Poison certainly isn't the first, and won't be the last parent, to consistently haul her ex into court over custody matters. She's not the first parent who sees "winning" as more important then the welfare of her child. She just happens to have a wider audience, thanks to her celebrity. And it's an advantage that she appears willing to exploit, over and over again.

But she will never be able to erase the fact, despite her mighty efforts, that Gabriel Aubry is Nahla's father, and that he has rights where his daughter is concerned, as well. Sadly, Poison, while claiming to do what's best for her daughter, is more then likely screwing the child up far more then she will ever acknowledge. She's determined to slaughter Aubry's reputation at any cost.

As for Olivier Martinez - he would do well to pay very close attention to Ms. Berry's treatment of her exes. Better still, he should run like hell - now.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Happy New Year - Welcoming the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Dragon.

LET'S GO RAVENS!!!

Frustration

Missed blogging yesterday - frustrated - empty head.

Leave Paula Deen Alone

Twice a year - on Thanksgiving and Christmas - my daughter and I have indulge ourselves at breakfast by whipping up Paula Deen's french toast recipe. It is, bar none, the best french toast recipe EVER. French bread, eight eggs, and two cups of half-and-half comprise a small part of the recipe. As if that weren't decadent enough, there's a praline topping, utilizing 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup, to name a few of the ingredients.

But, hey, this is a recipe from Paula Deen. Good grief, when Paula cooks, one fully expects lavish quantities of butter, sugar, eggs, cream, and fat to turn up in her recipes. I have never watched one of her shows, while thinking to myself, "Self, let's see what low-cal meals Paula's got for us today." I expect to salivate, all the while thinking that a steady diet of such rich meals would certainly add to my (already) fat ass, or clog my arteries. It's not rocket science.

The other day, Paula let it be known that she has type-two diabetes. Since her announcement, there's been a flurry of commentary. Paula should've told everyone! How dare she continue to cook all those rich meals with such awful ingredients? Oh, yeah, make some money promoting a pill and not change your lifestyle! She's being verbally tarred and feathered in some columns as a concious perpetrator of heart disease and obesity.

Get over it, people.

Paula Deen is a typical American success story. Once a struggling single mother suffering from agoraphobia, she started selling her homemade sandwiches to bring in some money to support her family. From that humble start, she was able to open a restaurant, specializing in homemade, and, yes, fattening, Southern fare. She was able to parlay that success into a TV career, and author numerous cookbooks.

Okay, she has diabetes. Paula has the right, as we all do, to choose to disclose her health issues - or not. No one knows what circumstances contributed to her diabetes. Her dietary choices could have been a factor - yes. There could also be a history of diabetes in her family. Ms. Deen is, I am sure, armed with the knowledge and tools to manage her diabetes. How she does so is none of my business - or anyone's business, for that matter.

She is under no obligation to become a national spokesperson for diabetes. She is also, having disclosed her condition, under any obligation to raise diabetes awareness or to choose to do fundraising for the cause. Should she choose to do so is great - and her choice alone.

The media flap, and subsequent, often derisive commentary, that has followed her announcement is ridiculous. Ms. Deen has certainly not contributed to the obesity of many Americans. We all know that a poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to many health issues. Yet too many people continue to make poor food choices and lead sedentary lives.

So, let Anthony Bourdain raise his nose in the air and prattle about the joy of consuming raw gecko anuses in the Amazon. while he continues to bash Ms. Deen - and smoke (hypocrite, much?). As for me, I'll continue to enjoy Paula's shows and cookbooks, and wish her nothing but the best with her health and life.

Laugh of the Day - You Want WHO to Portray Elizabeth Taylor???

Yesterday I visited PEOPLE's website for my daily dose of celebrity dish. One of  their lead articles stated that there's talk of Lifetime making a biopic about the late, great, and utterly gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor.

In my humble opinion, about the only actresses that comes remotely close to La Liz's incredible beauty would be either Angelina Jolie or Catherine Zeta-Jones - and neither actress even remotely resembles Liz. Nor could Lifetime hope to land either actress.

Yet neither actress was named as a contender for the part. Unbelievably, the article stated that none other then LINDSAY LOHAN was being considered for the part. Okay, Megan Fox's name was also mentioned. But - Lindsay Lohan???

Ms. Fox, though certainly beautiful, basically can't act her way out of a wet paper bag. As for the troubled addict, Lohan, well...words fail. Just take a look at the plethora of pictures of the drug and drink addled Ms. Lohan.

But the producer of the biopic confirmed that Ms. Lohan is, indeed, in talks to portray Ms. Taylor. If this gentleman thinks Lindsay is the right choice for Liz, I shudder to think who he has in mind for the role of the troubled genius of an actor, Richard Burton.

Let's just assume for a moment that Ms. Lohan would manage to show up for work - sober. Nope...I don't see it happening. This poor addled producer needs to get his head out of where the sun doesn't shine and rethink his options.

LINDSAY LOHAN?????

Cue the rude laughter...

Happy 90th Birthday, Betty White!

Best Dress EVER Worn to an Awards Show

Angelina Jolie, in atelier Versace, at the Golden Globes last night.

Happy Birthday, Janet

Remembering my dear friend, Janet, who would have been 58 years old today.

Game ON!!!

Let's go, Broncos!!!!!

Her Heinous and Bozo Split

It's all over between Her Heinous and Bozo. The tender bonds formed between our sociopathic murderess and her porcine defense attorney have unraveled. The duo's relationship apparently came undone due to financial hardship. Let's take a trip down Memory Lane, and revisit those early golden days of their relationship -


The First Meeting -

Casey - "Help me, help me! Yes, of course I killed the kid, but no one is buying my lies. I'm missing Happy Hour right now and there's 10 guys I've promised to sleep with. I can't stay here!"

Jose - "Hey, you're cute! Calm down. You're a GREAT liar. First, let's pick the best lie and we'll build from there. Then we'll hire more lawyers to help us out, since I really suck as an attorney."


The Courtship -

Casey - "I'm so glad we're going with the abuse lie. Do you have your colored markers and flip charts ready honey? Let's do this - time to stick it to Daddy!"

Jose - "Sure do, baby. Those jurors look mighty stupid, so they'll LOVE my opening statement. And, just wait to see how unprofessional I act in the courtroom."

Casey - "My hero!"


The Verdict -

Casey - "Wow! Those jurors totally bought all the BS! I can't believe it. I'm important. Get me a book deal or an interview - let's make money! Have you left your wife yet?"

Jose - "Relax, I'm flying to New York tomorrow to see about deals for us. Everyone will want you. We'll be millionaires by the end of the summer"

Casey - "Well, hurry up. I need a haircut and a new tattoo before I go on TV again."


The Demise -

Casey - "All you're doing is eating and going on Geraldo! WHERE IS MY MONEY? You promised me we'd be rich by now. What's taking you so long?"

Jose - "Baby, I ..."

Casey, "Oh, just shut up. I'm giving you till the end of the year to make something happen, or I WILL. Got that, Fatso?"


The End -

Casey - "Screw you, honeybunch! You thought I was just going to sit around and do nothing? Ha! Don't EVER cross me. You're outta here! I'm getting rich one way or the other, and there's NOTHING you can do about these videos."

Jose - "No, I'm done with YOU, and I'm going on Geraldo to tell everyone I'm no longer you're attorney. So, there!"

Casey - "I hate you!"

Jose - "I hate you."

Casey - "Careful, Fatso, because I can and I WILL take you down. Oh, who cares that Jumpin' Jackass Dorothy is quitting too? I'm famous. I'm going to be rich. I'm hot. You're NOTHING without me!"


Will there be a reconciliation? Will Her Heinous yet again claim abuse? Tune in tomorrow.

Three Hours and Forty Minutes of My Life I'll Never Get Back

We have fiberoptic service. Everything in the house that enables me to work - modem, TV, phone - depends on the battery pack to which all is attached.

Yesterday morning, the battery went out just after my daily blog post. Not rocket science. Foolishly, I thought a simple phone call, and, voila, a tech would arrive at the house with said battery.

That was my first mistake. Tech support was to handle "problems with my service". Little did I realize that my telecommunications company outsources their tech support.

Long story short - the battery was dead. Eight different tech support reps informed me that I had to go through "a few easy steps" of troubleshooting before they could determine "what the next step would be."

One rep actually told me that I couldn't just call in to a representative and just ask to have a technician sent to my house. Another was trying to instruct me how to disassemble the cables welded to the battery pack.

Was I angry? You betcha. But NONE of the reps would budge and schedule a technician to come to my house with a replacement battery pack.

Finally, after three hours and forty minutes, I successfully reached a rep stateside, and within 10 minutes, the appointment was scheduled.

Three hours and forty minutes of my life I'll never get back. This post would be longer, and perhaps wittier, were I not so exhausted.

If Casey Kept A Journal - Part 5

I am so done with Jose. That asshole promised me for 6 months that we were going to be rich, and NOTHING happened. It's bad enough I'm supposed to be "in hiding", but I've had to sit around and watch all these people talk about me - and make money, hello! - and all Jose has done is get fat and park his sorry ass on his good buddy's show. He actually was starting to act like HE was entitled to publicity and that Geraldo Rivera was more important then me!

You'd think he'd know by now not to mess with me. But he never believed me when I told him he had till the end of the year to get me a deal that would make me some real money, OR ELSE. He didn't, so I just did what I had to do.

Ugh, that damn dog! It wants to go out or something, and I'm busy writing. It'll just have to wait.

Besides, that idiot, Ashton, wrote that book and Dr. G. did that special, and they were getting all kinds of attention. I mean, people aren't interested in them at all, they're only interested in me. But why are they out there making money - money that should be coming to ME - when no one is interested in them?

Ashton can write whatever he wants. He's just mad I got off on the murder charges. And Dr. G.'s show...what a downer. She keeps yammering about what's-her-name being murdered, and I really don't need to be reminded of the kid. I've moved on.

I am really sick of this dog. I can never tell if it's hungry or has to go to the bathroom, but it won't leave me alone!!!

It's really been fun changing my hair color, and wearing those different fake glasses. But the most fun has been getting my nose pierced. Jose was a real downer - he tried to talk me out of it, saying it wouldn't be good for my image, but no one tells me what to do. He pissed me off so bad that I went and made a video about it, and then "leaked" it out on the internet, just like the first one. Take that, Fatso!

Yeah, and now Mason's a bit of a problem because he's all pissed about the videos being out there. He says I should've let him know what I was up to. That old fart better watch how he talks to me or he'll be out too. But I really liked how quick he was to think up that lie about computer being hacked. That made it pretty easy for me when I had to report to the probation officer. I just told her I was all upset by the videos being out there, and looked sad and scared, and she fell for it. She's stupid...she believes everything I tell her. Besides, nothing will happen to me.

I was a little worried she might ask me where I got the money for the computer and the piercings, but she didn't. Money...hmmm...Now I just have to figure out what to do about those other assholes that think I messed up their lives...Zenaida, that search guy, and that stupid meter reader. Oh, and the cowboy - that jerk that bailed me out of jail a few years ago. Why is he still talking about me on TV? They all want some of the money I'm about to make, but as long as I can go into those depo...depi...depasisshuns (I have to look up the spelling of that word) and just not talk, there's not a whole lot they can do.

That's another reason Jose pissed me off. He's trying to say that by me talking on the videos that I may have to answer other questions in that depo thing. I don't know what he's worried about. That Munyon judge always rules in my favor - piece of cake. Anyway, he's out of the picture now.

Stupid dog...I had to stop writing and take it outside because it almost peed on the rug. It better not bother me again.

Now I'm watching some TV while I write. I like to watch HLN. They will talk about me all day, and they really have been since I got that first video out there. People want to see more of me, and sooner or later, they'll pay for me talking, too.

I did get pissed at that Vinnie guy when he said that I was "pure poison" and that no one in their right mind would pay to hear me talk. Wait and see, guido, wait and see. I like that word - guido - and I know how to spell it, too. I learned that one from watching Jersey Shore, just like I got that hair idea during the trial from that short girl, Snooki.

And that Nancy Grace woman...I really hate her. If it hadn't been for her big mouth none of this would've happened. She's part of the reason I had three whole years of my life taken away. And she went on Dancing With The Stars afterwards. Cow. I would've been much hotter and a much better dancer, too. But I would've had to get up early and practice and that just seems like too much work. I don't plan to work, ever.

I'm not so sure about that Jane Velez-Something woman. She liked Jose, but I can't tell if she does now. Not that I care. I'm DONE with Jose. In fact, I'm so mad at him, I don't care of he does get in trouble for how he acted during my trial. That's on him. I mean, it was good he made those jurors like him, and that sure helped with me getting out of jail. But those jurors really were really kind of stupid. Heck, half the time they didn't even seem to be listening to what was being said in court.

Ewww, why am I even thinking about those losers? I'll just have another beer and wait till my honey comes over. He thinks I'm really hot. Maybe I'll make him take me out to dinner again. I love going out with him. We always talk about me, and how pretty soon I'm going to be rich.

What does the damn dog want now? It can't be hungry...I fed it this morning, I think.

Maybe later, I'll give Mom a call. She should have some more money from that foundation she started, and I could use a few dollars till the big bucks come in. It's hard being nice to her, because I'm still mad that she liked being on TV so much, but the cash sure is nice. And she always acts so grateful that I called.

Tomorrow is going to be pretty busy. I'm working on a design for a new tattoo and I'm thinking about getting another piercing. I've got a lot of talking and texting to do, and maybe think about another video I can make.

But I'm going to have to stop writing for now. This dog is getting on my nerves, and I'm going to do something about it.

Coffee and Creativity

Okay, it's not that this blog post a day thing is proving to be that hard. Her Heinous, Casey Anthony, can alone provide endless fodder for creativity - and derision.

However, I need the caffeine from the morning coffee to kick in before being able to write. Am still swilling mine, so a more substantial blog post will have to wait...

Two Words...

...Tim Tebow.

The Living Hell of Thermostat Installation 102

Flush with my success at installing our new thermostat, Darling Daughter and I basked  in the glorious warmth emitting from our new Hunter 44132 - for two days.

On the third morning after the installation, we woke to our toasty house. However, the display on the thermostat was completely blank. I wasn't alarmed - after consulting the manual, the recommended solution for the blank display was, according to the manual, simply a matter of replacing the batteries.

After swapping out the batteries - three times, new batteries - the display remained dark. At that point, I called the toll-free help line listed in the booklet. The very kind young man on the phone suggested removing the batteries for 15 minutes, in order to allow the thermostat to reset itself. But, he said, if that didn't work, then it was a defective thermostat, and I would have to return it to Lowe's for another.

After waiting the requisite 15 minutes, I popped the batteries in again. The display remained blank. For a second time, I cut the circuit breakers, pulled the thermostat off the wall, popped it back in the original bag, and drove back to Lowe's.

Within 20 minutes, I had another Hunter 44132, drove home, installed the new thermostat, cut the circuit breakers back on, and voila - digital display and heat once again wafting from the vents.

Three days later, the digital display and heat are still fine. And, no, the second installation really wasn't hell, except for the fact that my teeth practically chatter when I have to deal with something that involves electricity. Hunter advertises "5 Minute Installation" and they aren't lying - this particular thermostat DOES only take 5 minutes to install.

But installing two thermostats in one week was enough for me. Here's hoping the new thermostat lasts for a long time!



Dear Janet - Yes, Life Goes On

As I have written here before, I lost my oldest friend to brain cancer in April of 2010. Janet was only 56...we had been friends for 48 years.

On Friday, I opened the window in the office, to take advantage of the day's warmer temperatures, and settled in to work. In the midst of making my calls, the phone rang. It was Janet's husband, John.

I was only 14 when Janet first met him. I liked John from the moment she first told me about him. He was dashingly handsome, played the guitar magically, and was determined to court Janet for as long as it took for her to agree to marry him. And court her he did - he drove from New Jersey to Maryland every weekend, for four years, just to see her.

When Janet died, they had been together for 40 years - 36 of them as husband and wife. She died on John's birthday, at home, with John, their three children, and her little granddaughter at her side.

In the months after Janet's death, John and I spoke occasionally by phone - stilted conversations, as both of us tried to come to terms with our grief. Then, there was a long period where we didn't talk at all. I was afraid to call him - what comfort could we take in conversation when he was coming to terms with losing the love of his life, and my own grief at losing Janet was so enormous?

On this day, we both had the words. For two hours, we spoke of life with Janet and life without Janet. We laughed as we recalled her sense of humor, we caught up on each other's lives. We laughed wryly at getting older, we shared stories of our children.

For the first time since Janet died, I could think of the entirety of her beautiful spirit and the life she lived - not haunted, as I had been, of her agony and suffering the final six months of her life.

Her husband gave me a tremendous gift on Friday - the gift of finally unlocking the joyous memories of Janet. Yet I will forever miss her laughter. There are many days where I still reach instinctively for the phone to call her, before remembering again that she isn't here to talk to.

Janet worried about John finding his way to a new life once she was gone. But he has. No, it's not the life he wanted, but he's okay. The determined young man who courted her many years ago is now 61, and about to become a grandfather for a second time. He's looking forward to meeting his new granddaughter when she arrives. And, while Janet won't be at his side, he will always love her.

Dear Janet, though it will never be the same without you - yes, life goes on...

Casey Anthony - And No One Gets Rich

Yesterday, Casey Anthony commandeered the spotlight once again, after a "video diary" she created surfaced on You Tube.

Holly and Jon Briley, who maintain a Facebook page titled "Boycott Casey Anthony's Future Earnings - No Money for Murder" were sent a link for the video. Jon did some internet searching and discovered that the video was available for viewing on a couple of pay-per-view sites, for the princely sum of two to five dollars. Jon was, however, able to download the video for free from another link. Jon and Holly then posted the video to You Tube, where it can be seen, at no cost, by millions. 

The Brileys found themselves in an unexpected spotlight after posting the video. Their reason for making the video available to the public? Casey Anthony should not be allowed to profit, in ANY way, from the death of her daughter. Both Holly and Jon made that quite plain in their interviews with Vinnie Politan and Nancy Grace. The Brileys made NO money by posting the video, and were NOT paid for their susequent interviews.

By yesterday afternoon, one of Casey's attorneys, Cheney "Mumbles" Mason, had responded in his usual florid manner. According to Mumbles, Her Heinous was "maintaining some notes for her personal use and for future counseling purposes." He called the release of the video "unauthorized" and "inappropriate", going so far as to say that Casey's computer must have somehow been hacked.

Whatever. Casey's defense team has adopted Casey's "lie and deny" tactics for so long, that little weight is given to any of their proclamations. And who does the old goat think he's fooling, anyway? Casey's defense team hopped aboard the Lying Train for their own personal gain, period.

Mason himself stated in a taped interview that Casey was guilty, then, months later, joined her defense team. How "inappropriate" is that moral about-face? Isn't the old fart supposedly writing a book about the trial, as well?

Let's not forget the alacrity with which Bozo Baez hopped a plane to New York the day after Casey was found not guilty. Within 24 hours he'd secured an agent (who dropped him five hours later), sat for an interview with Barbara Walters, and has been Geraldo Rivera's pet ever since (Geraldo is loathsome in his perpetual championing of Baez, but that's another story for another day). Baez, who sucks as an attorney, has decided that real lawyering ain't for him. Gary Giordano, anyone?

Point blank - the guys on Casey's defense team have been thwarted at every turn in their attempts to cash in on Casey's notoriety ever since the Pinellas Pinheads handed Casey her get-out-of-jail-free card. In attempting to champion Casey, their Cashless Cow, they have destroyed whatever shred of credibility they may have once possessed.

As for Her Heinous? She remains pure poison in the court of public opinion. Whereas networks may have jockeyed for an initial interview with her, and rumors of a book deal were bandied about, they quickly learned that the public will not now, nor will they ever, accept Casey Anthony profiting from her daughter's murder.

Casey, being Casey, will live the rest of her life seeing people as disposable, and herself as the only star in her twisted universe. Her lawyers will huff and puff and eventually blow themselves, mercifully, out of the public eye.

But they will never, ever profit from Caylee's death. In many ways, that is perhaps far more of a life sentence then Bozo, Mumbles, and Her Heinous realize.



***Note - Found the above picture on Google images. No credit was posted for the individual who created it. However, they have my thanks for their creativity!

Casey Anthony - Her Heinous Makes A Video

Her Heinous misses the limelight. This morning, a You Tube video has surfaced, which NBC has confirmed is Casey Anthony.

Filmed in October 2011, a blonde Casey sits at a computer, prattling for just over four minutes about - nothing. Oh, she's happy she has a new computer, that she claims to have paid for herself, yet she neglects to say how she got the money for the purchase. Turning tricks? Jose Baez? The staged pics that surfaced a few months ago on TMZ?

And Casey has a phone again. Well, according to Baez, Casey had to "learn to grieve" Caylee's death. Who knew cell phones would be an instrumental tool in grief management?

The video is disturbing and gag-worthy. “It’s just a little surreal how much things have changed since July and how many things haven’t changed,” Casey says.  Apparently, murdering Caylee was not a surreal enough experience for her.

At another point in the video, Casey indicates she'll remain at her current undisclosed location "at least until the end of February."

But she's cautiously optimistic, and really has her priorities in order - “I’m extremely excited,” she says. “I’m excited that I’ll be able to Skype and obviously keep a video log, take some pictures and that I have something that I can finally call mine. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to call something mine.”

Nice to know that she's focusing on the things that matter. Who knew that a computer and filming herself could so richly fill the gap left by a dead child? But, according to Her Heinous, it's enough.

“The good thing is things are starting to look up and things are starting to change in a good way. I just hope they stay — that things stay good, that they only get better. They’ll only get better.” Uh-huh. Is she still thinking that at some point down the road she's going to rake in big bucks by giving an exclusive interview?

She goes on to say, “Now I in some ways have someone to talk to even when I am by myself so I am not bothering the poor dog who I have adopted and I love.”

Sweet Jesus, she has a dog! How in the hell did that happen? No matter, when the poor pup becomes troublesome, Casey can trot to the kitchen, whip up some homemade chloroform, grab a few trash bags and duct tape, and it's bye-bye poochie! Hey, it worked before.

What's most disturbing about the video is Casey's titanic narcissism. There is no mention of Caylee, her family, or her attorneys. “I don’t know whether to look directly at myself or up,” she laughs. “It’s a little scary because I hate being on camera.”

Yet Casey is clearly relishing the tiny spotlight she created for herself while filming the video, and it's apparent that her intent was/is to continue filming herself. What's obvious is that she can't stand being out of the public eye, or being the center of attention. Rather then seek gainful employment, take a class, or seek professional help for her disturbing behavior, Casey shows, once again, that she merely craves the limelight and notoriety, In her mind, the only important thing in life is herself.

Scary, indeed.

H-e-l-l-o Ian Anthony Dale

Ian Anthony Dale is the main reason my daughter and I are still watching the abysmal All-Lori-All-The-Time Show, a.k.a the second season of Hawaii 5-0.

Darling daughter thinks he's one of the handsomest men she's ever seen.

Um...YES.

Note to self: Being labeled a Cougar would not be such a bad thing, were Mr. Dale my hot young(er) boyfriend.

Just sayin'...

And, just for fun, there's a poll about the second season of Hawaii 5-0 posted on this page. I'd love to hear what you think!

The Living Hell of Thermostat Installation 101

Our thermostat woke us at 5am one morning in mid-November with an intense buzzing. Bleary-eyed, I popped the cover off, fiddled with the buttons in an attempt to quell the noise (to no avail), staggered to the garage, and cut the circuits to the heat and air. Problem solved. No more buzzing, but also no more heat and A/C.

Later in the morning, fortified with coffee, I called my Wonderfully Pragmatic Friend, whom I knew would point me in the right direction. Within 10 minutes, she had one of the guys in her office call me back. I described the problem, he told me the motherboard was shot on the thermostat, and advised me it was a cinch to swap out.

Because Northeast Florida was unseasonably warm this fall and winter, and I grudgingly admit to at times being a procrastinator, thoughts of replacing the thermostat vanished in the press and festivities of the holiday season.

On New Year's Day, for Pete's sake, I had to mow the lawn, basking in the 75 degree temperature. Then I watched the news on Sunday night. To my horror, the weatherman was announcing that we were about to get hit with the first major cold snap of the winter - on Monday evening.

After doing a quick internet search and having a conversation with my brother on Sunday evening, I bounced into Lowe's on Monday morning. I asked the young man behind the counter to point me in the direction of the thermostats. He informed me that Aisle 3 would afford me a wide variety from which to choose. What I found were a sea of outdoor lights and doorbells.

Heading back to the desk, I informed the young man that no thermostats were to be found in said aisle. He said he would get an associate to assist me. Fifteen minutes later, a grandfatherly gent appeared. We walked together to the opposite side of the store, as I told him what I needed. He looked askance when I described the old thermostat buzzing, then asked - somewhat in disbelief - if I was going to be installing the new thermostat.

Faking a confidence I didn't feel, I told him I would, indeed, be the installer. With that, he handed me an $80 thermostat, telling me it was just what I needed. I politely, but very firmly, informed him that I had no intention of paying that sum for a thermostat, especially as the average prices of the ones in front of me were about $39. Ten minutes later, I was headed home, my new programmable Hunter 44132 universal thermostat - $29.95 - resting on the seat next to me.

The package boasted "Easy 5-minute installation.. The directions were clear and concise. The problem, however, was the wiring on the old thermostat. I had labeled all wires, as per the instructions. In theory, I should have been able to pop off the old thermostat, put the carefully labeled wires into the corresponding slots on the new thermostat, flip the circuit breakers back on, and - voila - enjoy the blessed sound of the heat cutting on.

My downfall was the "E" wire. It had been jumped to the "W2" wire. The new thermostat had nothing to allow for such a configuration. In approaching panic, I returned to the internet. 

Three hours later, I was paralyzed with terror. Too much knowledge is not a good thing. My head was spinning from reading about terminals and what those prettily colored wires may or may not be, or may or may not do, if I put one into the wrong spot. Though Hunter has a tech support number listed on the package, no one was available to take my call as it was, alas, a holiday.

As visions of a freezing child and burst pipes danced in my head, Wonderfully Pragmatic Friend called. I blathered about my wiring confusion. She calmed me by saying to forget the "E" wire, and just hook all the other wires up as described on the package, then to call her back after I did so.

Hunter doesn't lie. It literally took only 5 minutes to hook up the new thermostat. I flipped the circuit breakers back on, slid the button on the bottom of the thermostat to "heat" and air immediately began flowing out of the vents. Sheepishly, I called Wonderfully Pragmatic Friend back, thanking her profusely for her help.

But we didn't get the blessed heat that we needed last night. This morning, the thermostat was blowing coolish air. And I knew immediately what the problem was. The old thermostat had an orange wire hooked to an "O/B" connection. The new thermostat had separate "O" and "B" slots. The instructions suggested using the "B" terminal, which I did.

Even with less then half a cup of coffee, I assumed it would be a matter of turning off the circuit breakers - again - unhooking the orange wire from the "B" slot, and moving it to the "O" slot. But I decided to err on the side of caution.

At 5:19am, I texted Wonderfully Pragmatic Friend - hey, she gets up early, okay? She called me back, I explained my dilemna, and she laughingly told me to switch the cursed orange wire from "B" to "O".

That did the trick - blessed heat began coursing immediately from the vents. No pipes burst, the house hasn't burned down, Wonderfully Pragmatic Friend still takes my phone calls, and my daughter had a good laugh at my installing my first thermostat.

By the way, I DO know that the thermostat pictured above is a Honeywell, and not a Hunter!

Just for the Heck of It - A Year of Blogging

Last year, one of my clients was challenged by her sister to post a "Photo of the Day" on her Facebook page. Linda decided to accept the challenge, and on January 1, 2011 her first photo appeared. Before long, people were commenting to me (I'm her virtual recruiting assistant) how much they enjoyed the photos on Linda's page, and how they made a point of checking Facebook specifically to see the pictures.

Linda's photo journal of 2011 was such a hit that she's continuing the tradition into 2012. And, as one of her Facebook friends that came to look forward to the daily pictures, it got me to thinking of a challenge to myself. Despite being a harried single mother with not enough hours in the day to do it all, could I - starting today - do a year of a blog post a day?

I'm up for the goal I've set for myself - count this as the first entry - my year of A Blog Post A Day has officially begun!