Tim Russert Must Be Spinning in His Grave

I miss Tim Russert, the late host of NBC's "Meet the Press," whose untimely death in June 2008 opened the door to a free-for-all in the political commentary arena.  Russert's tough but fair interviews, coupled with his insightful analysis of the political events of the day, made politics accessible for the average "Joe."  Always respectful, Russert was  the consummate professional who loved his country and his family ... especially his father "Big Russ" and son, Luke.  He was also a cheerleader for his hometown of  Buffalo, New York.  (And no one ever cheers for Buffalo.)

In watching the events of the 2012 election season, I can only surmise that Tim Russert must be spinning in his grave, as today's so-called journalists and quasi-journalists sink to new lows as they try to destroy the opposing party -- regardless of whether their information is true or fallacious.  The mudslinging is on both sides of the aisle.  It is hard to imagine that intelligent and educated professionals are engaged in this type of behavior.

Tim Russert was one of a kind.  I miss him and the high standards he set for political reporting and commentary.   RIP Tim ... if you can.

A Perspective on the Olympics

It's been years since I've been even moderately excited about watching the Olympics.  Although I am in awe of the athletic prowess of these young competitors, I am also suspicious that some of the amazing feats they perform may be aided by some form of banned substances (i.e. performance-enhancing drugs).  However, I still enjoy watching the gymnastics, even though the networks manage to ruin the continuity by cutting back and forth between unrelated events, therefore extending the amount of time I have to spend in front of the TV.

Although the men's gymnastic team did not get the results they wanted, the women's team has done phenomenally well. Kudos to Virginia's own Gabrielle Douglas, who is an amazing powerhouse of strength, athleticism and beauty.  And at only 16 years old!  She has a bright career ahead.

I really miss the "old" Olympics, though, when the judges held up scorecards and the announcers would boom the numbers over the venue loudspeaker.  It was less complicated and a more "pure" event.  Today's scoring system needs the analytical mind of a mathematician to understand all the subtle nuances.

Regardless of the medal count, none of the legitimate athletes that perform in good faith are losers.  They should be proud to be part of the elite representing their countries. I just wish the news media would realize that, too, and stop calling anything less than a gold medal a "disgrace."   Their commentary is a disgrace -- NOT the loss of a first place prize.

Wake Me When It's Over

I am not a very political person, but I am fiercely interested in the direction that our country is heading.  I look at the two candidates that our political parties are putting up in front of the American people this year, and shake my head ruefully.  Is this the best that we can find?  Surely there are better qualified people somewhere.  It is only mid-July, and I am already sick of the negative ads, scare tactics and outright lies that are being perpetrated on t he American public.

Why are we putting up with this, election after election?  Why can't we have dignified elections where we can judge a candidate on his or her record, experience and plan for the future?  When was the last time we had an election that felt good?


Please wake me when the election is over.  I can't take much more of the games that each side is playing.

What's So Hard About Identifying Your Product?

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The above mess of AC adapters is not mine, but it reminds me of something that gets me extremely frustrated.  Recently, while cleaning out some boxes containing assorted electronic paraphernalia, I came across three or four AC adapters.  I have no clue to which piece of equipment they may belong, nor do I even know the manufacturer.  (For example, is an adapter for one of three HP printers I have, or is it left over from the HP laptop?  Which brings me to my pressing question:

Why can't manufacturers put their name or the name of the piece of equipment to which they belong, on the AC adapter?  

Most AC adapters are manufactured by third parties and bundled with the product.  But it would sure be nice if they were required to identify which piece of equipment they belong with.  Of course, I could also label the AC adapter when I take it out of the box.   Which I think I will start doing.  

Change in Status!

It has been awhile since I've written anything on this blog; I am still "semi-retired" in my mind, but there has been a change in status, and I now find myself dragging my body out of bed at 6:00 a.m. every morning so I can get to "the office" by 8:00 a.m. and start my day. This unexpected (but not unpleasant) change happened when I agreed to fill in at Creative Office Environments while their front desk person was going out on maternity leave.  It seemed like a marriage made in heaven -- an opportunity to keep my skill set sharp and make a little money, to boot. And it would get me out of the house and back into a professional work environment. The work was going to be a piece of cake. Answer phones, greet visitors, create digital signage and prepare a few reports.  How bad could it be?

Between September 2009 and March 1, 2010, I worked just a few hours here and there, when the front desk person had doctor appointments, or when they needed someone to fill in.  When her baby was born on March 3, I began a "temporary" 40-hour week while she took 10 weeks of maternity leave.

That was more than a year ago, and I am still there.  She's not.  It's mostly good, but I'm still trying to find some much needed balance in my life.  More about that at another time!

Three Pats of Butter and Five Slices of Bread

I don't eat out very often, although I do enjoy it. I just think there are usually better ways to spend my discretionary income rather than blowing it on a restaurant meal that I figure I can cook better myself. However on this occasion, we were celebrating a birthday, and ended up at the Cheesecake Factory, which usually has good food (and plenty of it), despite its pricey desserts.

This was the first time that I walked out of the Cheesecake Factory disappointed -- and also wondering how the server determines how much bread and how many pats of butter to give a party of two.

The Cheesecake Factory bakes some very good fresh bread that is provided at the onset of your meal. One type is a sweet, dark multi-grain type. The other is a white sourdough. When the waiter put down our loaves, the basket was rather skimpy. There were two slices of the dark bread and three slices of the white. And three small pats of butter.

Is this somthing that is taught in serving school? Do you always provide an uneven amount of bread for parties of two or four or six? And is there a rule that exists to give less butter than there are slices of bread? (The butter pats, by the way, have been shrinking in size for years.)

Although we ordered an appetizer, I still enjoy munching on the dark bread -- with butter -- but the waiter seemed to make himself scarce when I wanted to ask him for more of each.

But what really intrigued me was that when two young girls sat down at the table next to ours, they received a full basket of bread (at least five slices each of the white and brown bread) and seven pats of butter. They got twice as much bread and butter!

Is this discrimination? Did the server know these girls? Why were they given special treatment? Were they younger and sexier than me and my companion? Did they look like better tippers? So many questions, so few answers.

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Whipped Cream

Homemade whipped cream is pretty darn good. If you have a good electric mixer (either a hand or stand model), you can make your own from heavy cream, available at Sam's Club for about $2.50 a quart, instead of the $4.00 it runs at regular grocery stores.

You have to keep your eye on the cream as it is being whipped, because if you let it whip too long, it will turn into butter. That's not a bad thing, since homemade butter is just as lucious. But it doesn't taste that great as a dessert topping!

All you need besides the cream is a little bit of powdered sugar which you add toward the end of the whipping process to give it a little bit of sweetness. Refrigerate any leftovers (if there are any).

This sure beats whatever you squirt out of those cans!