I Knew She Reminded Me Of Someone!

LOL! The other day I was hanging with my little cousin Griff and he wanted to watch a movie. So I was running through the guide and up popped "Goonies". I turned to Griff and said "Hey, let's watch "Goonies", my Frankie loved that movie".

So we settle in with our tuna sandwiches - no chips, my bad. We laugh at the funny parts and hide our faces at the scary parts. When the scenes on the deck of the pirate ship roll around, I was struck!

There was a person who was a little too strange about the blog. This person believed that things were being written here that meant something in her life. LOL! How ridiculous! Everyone knows that this blog is all about me!

Anyway, when this actress turned to speak to her screen sons, I burst out laughing! I have always thought this person seemed familiar and now I get it. She looks like Anne Ramsey/Mama Fratelli. Especially the raspy, smokers voice and the creased, wrinkled skin.

That's what I'll have to call her from now on - Mama Fratelli.

Kevin From Heaven!

I am so sad this weekend! My favorite Democrat has passed. Yeah, see, I am not so rock hard Republican, I have loved a Democrat.

Kevin Hagen White passed away Friday and I nearly wept. Kevin was Boston and Boston loved him. He did so many great things for the City.

The enthusiasm he brought to being Mayor and doing good was infectious. He roused many young people to public service here in Boston.

Kevin White's vision is a large part of why Boston is a world class city.

His stories and antics were larger than life. The Rolling Stones. James Brown. The Vault. Barney Frank. There are very good reasons that he is considered a legand.

I very much enjoyed this write-up/story .

Did I mention he was smart enough to marry a Charlestown girl? Kathryn White went to school with my Dad.

I'm So Hip!

How Thick Is Your Bubble? Guest Score » 13 out of 20 (65% ) Result On a scale from 0 to 20 points, where 20 signifies full engagement with mainstream American culture and 0 signifies deep cultural isolation within the new upper class bubble, you scored between 13 and 16. In other words, you don't even have a bubble. Quiz School Take this quiz & get your score

How Thick Is Your Bubble? » Online Exam maker

Call The Waaahhhhhhbulance!

I am having a pity party here in Boston. First off, my head cold is totally kicking my ass....still! I have a little laryngitis....shut up!

Also, a bunch of my friends are in San Diego for #West12....and I am not!

Plus, I have another little problem which is of my own doing. The worst part? I have to suffer through a chorus of "I told you so!"s from Jennifer, Grace, Bette, and Pat when she gets the chance.

I had a friend, and I use the term loosely, who liked to tell fish stories. I knew right off the bat, it's not like I even fell for them. I just figured that if this was the way she felt better....whatever.

I mean, it's not like it ever caused a problem for me. She'd make some grandiose statement about a past job or past lover and I'd let it slide. What did I care? I learned long ago that everyone deals with life's ups & downs in their own way. Some people block them, some people wallow in them and some people rewrite history.

Well, she began to spout this nonsense about someone really close to me. Also, she apparently identifies a little too closely with Hedy Carlson. It got pretty messy. I was aggravated, but it wasn't that big a deal. I told her we were no longer friends and blocked her on Facebook.

But of course, the worst part is that I have to admit to my sisters and friends that I was wrong and they were right. I was not beyond being harmed by her behavior.

You know how that kills me, right?

I'm Fighting A Cold....

...and the cold is winning!

She Lied!!!!

So last night I watched Marianne Gingrich on Nightline. Yeah, I know, I decried her statements before they were made. I questioned her motives as well as those of ABC & Brian Ross.

But I can't help myself.

Turns out, I'm glad I did. ABC did throw in the story of Marianne Gingrich's near indictment by the FBI on corruption and bribery charges. So she wasn't portrayed as St. Marianne.

Then I find out today, via the Wall Street Journal.....she lied! LOL! It's awesome. She isn't just vindictive (which is an emotion I completely understand), but she is stupid.

You better believe if I were going on national TV to rip my enemy, I would have my story straight. I might even write a few notes/dates on my arm.

This is from a partial transcript of Marianne's interview last night -

"She said Newt moved for the divorce just months after she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, with her then-husband present.
"He also was advised by the doctor when I was sitting there that I was not to be under stress. He knew," she said"

Let's review -
Newt, after having a relationship with Marianne during his first marriage, marries her on August 8th, 1981. Things weren't all that smooth. They separated in June, 1987 and reconciled six years later. They separated again on May 10, 1999 and Newt filed for divorce on July 29, 1999.

Ok, so after reading this post so far, one would conclude that Marianne Ginther Gingrich was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at least six months before the divorce filing in July 29, 1999. right? She says he asked for a divorce six months after her diagnosis.....you know, when the doctor told Newt not to stress Marianne. You've got to figure the initial conversation was before he actually files for divorce in July, 1999.

But today, the Wall Street Journal links to an AP story dated July 19, 2000. The article begins with the line - "Marianne Gingrich disclosed Tuesday that she has suffered from neurological problems that could be a precursor to multiple sclerosis."

What???? As of July 19, 2000 there was no firm diagnosis? But how can this be? Marianne said Newt asked for a divorce after the diagnosis of MS.

Further in the article -
"The ex-wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sought treatment in September 1998 at the Emory Clinic for tingling in her right hand, said a statement released by Emory with her permission. Tests showed an inflammation in her brain.
''Such an episode could represent a single event, perhaps related to a viral infection, or be a forerunner of multiple sclerosis,'' said her neurologist, Dr. Barney Stern.
She was treated with a two-week supply of steroids but did not begin long-term drug therapy, which is sometimes recommended in such cases.
''We hope that as more and more time elapses, the possibility that she will develop definite multiple sclerosis becomes less and less,'' Stern said."

Is she confused?

Can she bend the space/time continuum?

Or should we go with the most obvious explanation - SHE LIED.

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned

Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned".

If I Were Newt Gingrich's Sister......

.... I would beat the bag out of Marianne Gingrich. She is a nasty, bitter loser. You already know what I think of Newt's personal life from this blog post.

ABC is facilitating this hatchet job. Scummy

I have to tear myself away from this computer to get ready for the #WarOf1812 lecture I am attending tonight.

Lowell Lecture: Prelude to the War of 1812
Thursday, January 19, 2012 6-8 PMat the USS Constitution Museum
The War of 1812 nearly destroyed the United States. New England threatened to secede from the Union as the enemy blockaded the coast and burned Washington. But the United States emerged from this somewhat disastrous war stronger than before. The War of 1812 did not bring Canada into the Union, as its promoters had promised, but it did bring the new nation a sense of unity and purpose, with heroes such as Decatur, Hull, and MacDonough, a national anthem, and a timeless symbol in "Old Ironsides."
Join us for a lecture by Professor Robert Allison, Chair of the History Department at Suffolk University as he discusses the War of 1812. The lecture will be followed by a conversation and light appetizers and drinks.
This lecture is FREE and open to the public. No advance registration is required. Supported by Lowell Institute's Lowell Lecture Series.

Then it's home for the debate. Yeah, I'm a political junkie.

Stop SOPA/PIPA

Go read

Bouhammer

From My Position....On the Way

Wikipedia

What's Closer than the Seat Of My Pants?????

The skin of my teeth!

I am in BWI on my way back to Boston. I had all day to pick a flight and arrange for the shuttle.

I dawdled online. I washed my sheets. I made pancakes. I talked to Frankie.

Then, next thing you know, it's 3pm!

Supershuttle was peeved because I was trying to arrange the shuttle in less than the optimum window as far as they are concerned. They wouldn't let me do it online and made me call. then they kept putting me on hold.

Finally, I just called a cab.

Got here and through security with plenty of time to spare......and the flight is delayed, lol!

Watch What You Say About Me, Sen. Tarr & Rep. Jones

I have been opposed to Robert Maginn's appointment as Massachusetts GOP State Chair since learning of his political contributions to Governor Deval Patrick.

Now I read at Mass Live, that my elected officials say that means I have an ulterior motive! Boy, are you barking up the wrong tree.

Senate Majority Leader Bruce Tarr said calls for a change in party leadership were not helpful to the GOP cause.
“At this point, I think it’s important that the party move forward in a very important election year, and I’m not certain having turbulence in the chairmanship facilitates that goal,” Tarr told the News Service.
Tarr’s counterpart in the House, Rep. Bradley Jones, said Maginn’s critics appear to be those who disagree with his support for Romney, and he added that some were unenthusiastic about the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2010, Charles Baker.

Well that's a load of CRAP! And I am pissed. I have a very clear record of backing Charlie Baker. I might like Newt Gingrich, but I know Romney will be the nominee and I will back him.

This is infuriating to have these people defend Maginn's mistakes by attacking me.

I have written to both Senator Tarr and Representative Jones expressing my strong disapproval.

Decisions

It's nearly noon.

Do I take a shower or have a second pancake? They are stuffed with Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips and flaked coconut (FULKL STOP - My Marine - Yes, I know what you think of coconut, don't say it).

Do I leave Annapolis today or tomorrow?

Flying By The Seat Of My Pants

Literally.

Andi & Mr. Andi invited me to come to their place in Virginia for a party tonight. Even though they invited me weeks ago, I couldn't say yes for sure for many reasons. Not the least of which was wondering if today would be a "I-can-go-places-day" or a "I-am-staying-in-bed-around-the-clock-day".

Then there was my stressful day yesterday.

So it was all up in the air until I woke up this morning.

We are a go!

I showered, dressed, packed, hunted the internet for a good last minute flight, booked a shuttle and jumped on the Bunker bus.

Here I am at Logan.

Soon I will be hanging with milblogger Illuminati and watching the Pats with my friend Mr. Andi.

Did I Call You?

Did I text you?

Did I almost knock you over walking to the ladies room at East Bay?

I'm so sorry!

It was one of those rare nights when I decided to have a coupla Cape Codders. I was out with Jennifer and Bette....I wish Grace was there! but it was a short notice kinda thing.

I had to do something stressful and I called Jen. Grace was wishing she was closer, but she couldn't be. So she had to settle for yelling at me on the phone. Jennifer tried to talk me out of it. She and Grace had many good points. They are smart and they are reasonable.

Finally I just sent Jennifer a text "I'm going. Are you going to let me go alone?" LOL! Talk about you're rhetorical questions. Anyway she texted back - "Be there in 5"

So we handled it. Not the way Grace want. Not the way Jen wanted. And surprisingly, not the way I wanted. It was somewhere in the middle.

Instead of going straight home, Jen suggested East Bay. So I called Bette and asked what she was doing. When I found out she was free I said we were coming to get her to go to East Bay. She told me that I sounded upset and asked what was going on. I said "Wash your face, we'll be there in 15 minutes." After I hung up, Jennifer looked over and said "Wash you face? What are you, Dad?"

So there were cocktails and nachos and happy bartenders because they have missed us. They've missed Bette in particular. When I walked in I announced "I have brought your gimpy friend!" Since Bette's accident, mobility has been an issue. Note, if you own a standard, don't break your foot.

So, the girl I knocked over.....well almost. She apologized. So on the way back I told her it wasn't her fault, but not to worry, I wasn't driving. A little later her group moved closer to where we were sitting. East Bay was very crowded. It was Friday night after all.

Next thing you know, both our groups are talking.

So, it was nice meeting you Lola, Whitney and Alyssa (sp?). Carry on your great work at Jordan Hospital. But someone needs to pop into the health food store and get Whitney some niacin.....those were the coldest hands I've felt since Harrianne used to live down the street.

Jen dropped me home and it was shocking to see it was just a little after 9pm. I got a MegaMillions ticket. Hope it works/ed.

Have You Missed Me?

I've been a little off this week. I'm not supposed to talk about all the drugs I am on. I upsets Grace . She envision someone deciding they want them and breaking in. Trust me, no one wants this stuff. So all I'll say on the subject is this - we haven't found the right combo. BlueCross; the Commonwealth Choice people & certain other entities are alternately very helpful and are-you-shitting-me difficult.

Have you heard about this little bureaucratic war between the FDA & the DEA? Certain controlled substances are meted out on a schedule by the DEA. Drug manufacturers take the supplies and make some brand name and some generic prescriptions. When the generic versions run out, the FDA asks for more of the controlled substances to be released. Sometimes they are. Sometimes the DEA says no. They tell the FDA to instruct the drug manufacturers to suck it because they chose to produce too much brand name in an effort to make more money.

Isn't that awful? A private company, employing US citizens trying to make more money? I am aghast.

So, a government agency makes it difficult for these companies by holding back supplies. Ostensibly, the DEA is supposed to be "controlling" these drugs for our safety and to prevent abuse. However some of the drugs on this list are not drugs of choice. Some are chemotherapy drugs. So all I see is a government entity trying to backdoor drive down drug prices. In a capitalist society, that's a function of the market place, isn't it?

You know who produces the best, newest stuff? Places where the producers can make money. You can say that it's wrong for some drugs to cost so much, but that's how they pay for the failures. Do you want them to stop trying?

People cry about the cost of drugs, but there is plenty of help out there. I was taking a drug at one point that cost $10,000 for a month prescription. My copay would have been 50%. The manufacturer helped me out. Drug manufacturers don't want people going without, they just want to collect from who they can. Then they fund more research.

And I want them to keep looking. You see me now and you think I look great and you are all excited about my remission. But they have just kicked my can down the road for a couple of years. The Multiple Myeloma people who are IgG can get 10, 20, even 30 years out of a combination of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. Not me, I am IgA. They will begin to look for signs that I am slipping out of remission 18 to 24 months after my transplant. I am fast approaching the one year anniversary of my transplant on February 10th.

I have drugs to put me to sleep and wake me up and dull my pain and counteract other drugs I am taking.

So I am a big fan of R&D.

In the meantime I play with all kinds of pills. And I am grateful to the riders Blue Cross issues so I can get brand name drugs because the DEA is messing where they don't belong.

And I am grateful to the Commonwealth Choice people and Blue Cross for their patience while I went about proving I live in Massachusetts. This is no easy feat if you don't have a mortgage or lease or rental agreement or utility bill. But I had to do that because the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires it of those who deal with the Connector. That's how people in Massachusetts purchase private insurance. Not just people who are subsidised, my premium is $800.88 per month for a single subscriber.

Thanks to RomneyCare, you can purchase insurance privately in case your employer doesn't furnish it or in my case if what your employer furnishes wouldn't take care of a pesky cancer patient like mee......but it's still a lot of "red tape".

So the long and short of it is, between drug experiments and getting the drugs covered, I haven't had time for much else. I've been sleeping a LOT.

And I have missed you too!

The Height Of Political/History Nerdiness

Yeah, here I am at the pinnacle.

First, I was sitting on a Saturday night watching the GOP debate in New Hamspire.

Second, I actually had snacks and was on my laptop tweeting it.

Third, I was really peeved when John Hunstman said this

HUNTSMAN: Yes. I would have to tell Mitt that the president of the United States is the commander-in-chief. Of course you get input and -- and advice from a lot of different corners of Washington, including the commanders on the ground.
But we also deferred to the commanders on the ground in about 1967, during the Vietnam War, and we didn’t get very good advice then.
Here’s what I think is around the corner in Afghanistan. I think civil war is around the corner in Afghanistan. And I don’t want to be the president who invests another penny in a civil war. And I don’t want to be the president who sends another man or woman into harm’s way that we don’t -- we’re not able to bring back alive.
I say we’ve got something to show for our mission. Let’s recognize that and let’s move on.

It is completely false to state that Vietnam failed because LBJ "deferred to the commanders on the ground". It shows a glaring lack of knowledge on the subject.

I am not saying everyone needs to understand what happened in Vietnam. However, if you don't know....don't speak.

I Made It Back!

Last night I had dinner at the Stonebridge restaurant in Tiverton, RI. As noted in the post below, I was worried about sitting down in close quarters with three people who are sooooooo good as calling me on my bullshit. But I made it.

First I was happy because I was only ten minutes late! Come on! For me that's practically on time. My sisters and I were heading down on Route 24 and I called to check in with My Marine. My first words are "Why haven't you called to check on me?" Of course, he has the perfect reply "I wouldn't check on you until at least 7:45 for a 6 o'clock date." Too true!

Next, the restaurant was nice, although thinking about it after the fact, I would have opted for the table in the main part of the restaurant. We were in a side room that felt a little crowded. But the food was 4 out of 5 stars. My meal was five stars on it's own. I had a super fresh salad and a melt-in-my-mouth filet mignon. It was cooked exactly how I wanted. Just a beautiful piece of meat........did I mention I was on Day 5 of Atkins. I'm only sorry I didn't order two!

Grace wasn't as happy with her meal, both her chicken and her dessert were overdone. Jen said the fish in Fisherman's Platter was good, but her scallops were delicious. Her dessert was also lacking. My Marine didn't say anything specifically, but that plate was completely empty before I finished my filet.

Our waitress was very pleasant and didn't make us feel rushed. I'm pretty sure we were the last to leave, we showed up a few minutes after six and left after ten.

I always love it when my sisters, who are so important to me, get to meet my "imaginary friends". Especially one I love so much.

I thought the funniest part of the night was when he was telling a story about someone who was bothering Mary Ripley, Media Marketing Director at US Naval Institute. Mary is good friends with all of us, but I don't think My Marine realized that she is also an honorary McInnis sister. I already knew the story, but watching both my sisters perk right up in "defense mode" at the mention of someone bothering Mary was funny. I knew he was surprised, but Jen explained, complete with hand gesture and raised eyebrow "Mary's....in the circle.".

Another funny thing was how people who were mentioned popped up in my email and Facebook today. I came home to an email from the Ogre and I thought "How does he know?". Then this morning, our friend Karen Frecker popped up on my Facebook. I told her that we had told My Marine all about her wine tasting a few months ago. We can't wait for her beer tasting in March! And if you ever find yourself in or near Hudson, MA, pop into the Harvest Cafe. Stuffed French Toast......mmmm..

There was lots of good conversation and some of it was contentious. People who read this blog and know My Marine will back me up when I say that he will stick to his point like a pitbull whose jaw is locked onto your ankle. But we were up for it! And the thing of it is, if he argues with you, it's a compliment. He thinks you are up for it. He thinks you're smart and worth arguing with.

There was however, one downside.....................I couldn't go to the ladies room. I couldn't leave them alone at the table to discuss me!!!!!

What Have I DONE!!!!!

Tonight I am going to dinner with My Marine.........and both my sisters!

If I'm not out here tomorrow, send a rescue team to extract me.

I Don't Want To Hear Another Word About Newt Gingrich's 1st Wife

UPDATE #2 - This has nothing to do with politics. I am not saying that you should vote for him based on this point I am making.
Also, sadly, it appears that not every state has an exception written into their statutaory rape laws regarding imbalance of power (i.e. teacher/student).
UPDATE - I've been asked about the 17 year old part. Newt was born 06/17/1943 & graduated Baker High School in June, 1961. He was 17 years old his entire senior year.
I knew that most accounts of Newt Gingrich's first marriage portray him in a very poor light.

I knew that people who want a reason to dislike Newt trot this story.

I knew people who want to back Newt are dismayed by this story.

No matter where you are in the political spectrum, what could be worse than to be tarred with "Served his wife with divorce papers in her hospital bed after a cancer treatment!!!!" He is portrayed as the aggressor, she is the victim.

So I knew that it was not as salacious as his enemies made out. I knew that when a marriage breaks up there are stories and exaggerations and hurt feelings. I know that we can never know and how we feel is colored by how we feel about the participants.

However, thanks to Sunday's Boston Globe (it's a pay site, sorry), I now know everything I ever need to know about Jackie Battley Gingrich.

Jackie was his high school geometry teacher. She was/is seven years his senior. She began molesting him while he was a student in her classroom.

Stop. Read that again. "She began molesting him while he was a student in her classroom." That's not how it's written everywhere else I have read it. It's written that he had or started an affair with her.

No.

That's not how it works. A boy does not start an affair with his teacher any more than a girl starts an affair with her teacher. I don't see any difference. I had boys, two sons and two extra. Anyone who says that boys can't be taken advantage of by female teachers is ignorant or lying. Your choice, I could give a shit and I will call you out no matter who you are.

One - Age disparity, seven years difference. When you are 30, seven years is not a big deal. When you are 17, it is.

Two - In loco parentis. All consent laws make an exception for cases where there is a power imbalance. Jackie Battley was his teacher. Therefore, she was his abuser, not his lover.

Ephebophilia describes an adult whose sexual preference is mid-to-late adolescents. Acting on it is a crime. A crime called statutory rape. The gender of each party is immaterial.

And what is the number one characteristic of all child rapists? Manipulation.

So there is not one thing you can tell me about Newt Gingrich's divorce that doesn't come back to Jackie Battley is a manipulative, sick, criminal. As we say here in Charlestown, she is a diddler. And everyone knows that you don't trust diddlers.

Also, if you want to talk about Newt and his fidelity problem, you must frame it in the terms you would apply to any other child molestation survivor.

We are all a product of the experiences that molded us. Tell me an experience that leaves a more indelible mark than having your early romantic/sexual memories be that of your molester/rapist.

A child is never a willing participant in their own rape.