HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Eat Hearty

Spunk Or Punk?

I've gotten tired of Sarah Palin complaining about the abuse her kids get from the media. If she hadn't trotted them out, including at the time unmarried and pregnant Bristol, perhaps the media would have let well enough alone.

She is, however, still complaining yet is front row in promoting Bristol and her finally ended run on Dancing With the Stars . Bristol lost. She deserved to lose and to have been booted long before the finals. The politics behind these shows is legendary so the speculation about Tea Party voters en masse is probably true.

I am glad Jennifer Grey won. I've never watched the show, it's not my (ahem) cup of tea, but I have seen Jennifer Grey dance. Years ago. With Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing . Not that many watched her, most female eyes being on Patrick. But she did dance and certainly held her own. That she can still do it at 50 while dealing with neck and back pain is deserving of a win on that alone!

But you know what? Another reason I'm glad Grey won is because Bristol lacks class. Maybe it's symbolic of the whole family after listening to the dialog between them on Sarah's Alaska escapade. Bristol did not take losing well. She had
this to say,

"Going out there and winning this would mean a lot. It would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there who hate my mom and me."

Classy.

I watched the skeet shooting episode with Sarah and Bristol and came away with another less than favorable impression. Frustrated because of her mother trying to help her shoot properly, she stunned Mom with the admonishment "Take your prom hair back home!"

Prom hair? If I had said that, in the tone she used to my Mom, I'd have been back home myself and none too happy about it. Mom, taken aback, didn't know whether to be angry with the sass or admire Bristol's spunk! Spunk? No. I don't like Bristol very much. For entirely different reasons and in a different context for which I do not care for her Mother.

What they do have in common, though, is that they bring their bad press on all by themselves.

Why Does It Never Stop?

We are approaching the time of year when, if not shopping, people tend to be more friendly and in better moods. Thanksgiving. Family gatherings around bountiful tables. Even the less fortunate are usually provided with a good meal.

Christmas. Holiday music can't help but cheer. More family and food and gifts and maybe even a remembrance of what the Holiday is about. Both holidays, a mere month apart, will seem so distant but a week after when we return to normal; school, jobs, the cold streets ~ and war.

The headlines today tell us of the North Koreans attacking an island off South Korea with the promise of more. Afghanistan. Iraq. Israel vs. the Palestinians. Iran against everyone along with al Qaeda and the Taliban. Untold African nations within their own borders and without.We have the Mexican drug cartels at war with each other and anyone who happens to get in their way. We even have our own citizens at war against the TSA for stripping away one right too many.

I write about conflict far too often. I wonder what the militias are up to. I fear we haven't enough resources to handle one more. Why does it never stop? What is wrong with man that conflict must be war, killing. Death.

The biggest mystery of all, to me, is from Genesis 1:27 ~

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

How so?

Happy Tails

Sometimes as we stagger through our everyday lives good things come along. Like fine wine, good food and friends - and dogs.

As a short week for me comes to an end I'm happy to reflect on a few days away from the everyday world. Our initial trip to Seattle was to attend the exhibition of Picasso's works at the Museum. Before that, however, we met up with our favorite wine tasting friends in Woodinville where we hadn't been in years. As happened last spring when we were tasting in Prosser, we were met by a dog at the very first winery. And as before he made a beeline toward me. I loved it.

As conversation ensued we found that a book is being written about the winery dogs of Washington. I, of course, thought this was beyond wonderful. As I sat down to write this I did some browsing, hoping to find a picture or two. Well there are dozens. There are winery dogs in Napa and British Columbia and a hundred other places. They are pets. Some are rescue dogs. Many have wines named in their honor. Like the bottlings to benefit Michael Vick's victims.

We stayed at The Willows which has it's house dog. Ruthie. We knew her from a previous visit and were delighted to find her still at her post handling complaints from her heated, massage bed just inside the door to the lobby. She doesn't get any complaints but is the recipient of numerous tummy rubs. Her only competition for attention this trip was a bull dog who was as big a ham as he was ugly. In the most lovable sort of way.

I got to thinking about the civilized things the world is missing - the ambiance of wine country inns and restaurants and tasting rooms. The tastes and the bouquet of not only wine but food too. The camaraderie of friends having a good time. And the company of dogs.

Should Hillary Cut And Run?

Cut and run could mean two adding up to one! Cut and run from the abysmal foreign policy record of the Obama administration or cut, and run for President.

I have to give Hillary credit, though from appearences it's taking it's toll, for being the good soldier and following the dictates from Obama. It's an interesting dilemma for her. Though she's said she isn't going to run, given the right circumstances I think she might. One would be if Russ Feingold challenges Obama from the left, Hillary could jump in and challenge him from the right - as far right as a Democrat would go.

The other might be if Sarah Palin actually throws her hat in the ring, which seems more and more likely. I think Hillary might find cause for a challenge because I think she'd still like to be the first female President and would loath relinguishing it to Sarah Palin. Unless things change an awful lot in the next two years, Obama will be vunerable.

The issue is what to do about her current job. It isn't going all that well. As was made obvious during Obama's recent foray out into the world, no one wants to do things his way. He's viewed as weak - and worse, wrong.

For Hillary to stay and do his bidding doesn't help her credability. Foreign policy by bribery doesn't cut it. It's a well known fact that's how much of our war in Afghanistan is being waged as was the previous effort in Iraq. Pay the war lords and they'll work with us as long as the Taliban or al Qaeda doesn't pay more. When they do. Oh well.

Yesterday the Financial TImes reported on our latest bribery scheme. This time with our vaunted ally Israel. The peace talks are once more stymied over the issue of settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu is blythly waiting to see what he can get this go round.

Here we go. The U.S. is demanding a 90 day settlement freeze for negotiations to take place. To get that we would agree to veto any anti-Israeli resolutions in the UN security council, plus provide 20 F-35 fighters to the Israeli air force plus deliver another pre-ordered 20 at no cost. All this to get 90 days to negotiate the issue!

One F-35 costs $113 million. Times 40 equals $4,520,000,000. Talk is certainly not cheap!

If I were Netayahu I'd take it, talk for awhile then resume building to see what else might be put on the table. I don't know, it's just my opinion, but pouring so many of our resources into a squabble that's never going to end seems foolhardy. Neither side wants peace as we envision it.

If Hillary wants a legacy of success she isn't going to get it as Secretary of State in this administration. If she's wise she'll consider the cut and run option - or cut, and run.