tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71848994677197871782024-02-06T22:35:21.775-05:00Diary of NJ Housewives Real housewives of New Jersey
*Diary of NJ Housewives 2010/2011/2012/2013/2014©Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-18680145004604612322013-09-26T15:45:00.000-04:002013-09-26T15:45:08.464-04:00Dear Bravo, Dear Viewer: Season Five and How Teresa Can Save her ass in Court.Season 5 of The <b>Real Housewives of New Jersey</b>? It sucked. It's FAKE. FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE. And yet I hate-watched every episode, and will watch the stupid 90 minute finale. (what the hell is wrong with me? Even <b>Bravo Andy</b> admitted that he skipped the last episode to watch <b>The Emmys</b> with <b>NPH</b>. ).<br />
<br />
In case anyone doesn't get this,<b> Google</b>, "frankenbytes"-(how they splice and edit to make characters say anything they want....and the timeline for this season has been so transparently screwed-with, (cast went to <b>Arizona</b> in March AFTER the stuff in the last few episodes like the "<b>Penny</b>"-crap.<br />
<br />
<b>Teresa </b>and <b>Joe </b>in a car-ride saying something like, "When we went to <b>Arizona</b>"----but (supposedly), on the way to this "everyone hates<b> Penny</b> event" that happened in January which we all know because an assault led to Real court charges? UH-no. Just NOT.Changing the events of TIME is not reality in this dimension.<br />
<br />
Yeah--so<b> Bravo</b> isn't even TRYING to be "real".<br />
<br />
WHY? One of my theories is that<b> Bravo</b> is tired of dealing-with trouble with "the law" for their network and their cast-members? So maybe <b>Bravo </b>has embraced the "we are really fake", to throw off those who would examine things closely? Are they tired of the scrutiny? Other fake reality shows don't get it as bad because other "reality" shows have been more honest about; "yeah-we're not <i>really</i> "reality" so hop off ! ".<br />
<br />
In any event-it stinks. All that is left is to look at their ugly mugs, and last year's clothes. Eventually, I predict that reality actors like<b> The Housewives</b>, will receive a class-action settlement. Because they DO improvise many of their lines, and they are not being given writing credit or pay for that.<br />
<br />
-ENOUGH. THEY JUST SUCK.<br />
<br />
<h3>
PART TWO: The Real Stuff</h3>
Meanwhile there<i> have</i> been some interesting things going-on for <b>Real Housewives of New Jersey </b>cast members in their real-real lives. Like the indictments on <b>Teresa and Joe Giudice</b>. <br />
<br />
1)-There is a reason why certain forms of credit got the name, "<i>liar loans</i>", and that was before anyone ever heard of <b>Teresa & Joe</b>. What I'm about to divulge is really a GIFT to <b>Teresa</b>, and I'm ambivalent about offering credible defense to someone who blew ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS on HERSELF basically.<br />
<br />
Where do you and I get OUR $11,000000? And would we spend it on WORTHLESS designer, expensive CRAP for ourselves? I know that I wouldn't. OK-maybe a little, but the rest of it goes straight to WORLD PEACE! And feeding hungry people. And rescuing cats. (insert your favorite charity here).<br />
<br />
Well<b> Teresa</b>, I have news for you, spending all that $$ didn't make you look classy at all. What <i><b>did</b></i> redeem <b>Teresa</b>, a little, was her hustle, and her individual style of doing it. She got out there and worked-it! Was it the redemption plot that I personally wanted to see? No. But I can't hold that against them.<br />
I wanted to see them move into the pizza-parlor, and spend within their means-(which were negative eleven million), and deal with THAT. Maybe I should just hang it up and watch <a href="http://www.trailerparkboys.org/" target="_blank">Trailer Park Boys</a> on<b> Netflix </b>instead?<br />
<br />
OK, so here it is, about<b> Teresa</b> being accused of signing false documents that stated that she was working when SHE WAS NOT WORKING in 2008?<br />
<br />
<h4>
HOLD UP HERE BITCHES. IF <b>Teresa </b>is found GUILTY of this, this affects us ALL. </h4>
<br />
As a matter of fact, I personally REFUSED to sign my own TAX-RETURNS in around 2008, because my accountant had ERRONEOUSLY listed MY occupation as, "HOUSEWIFE"! I made him change it to "<b>HOMEMAKER</b>". THAT is the crux of my legal argument here.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-l0roMyyedefZWM6OoD-KN32B8xo928J5cAK6VLc2XD3aZxp3UjYLqa-brBtxEzlSbs54nOxG2jsWqRxd5m-7cKZ7fsBUlb8XGgxUFp4KVUSA7A4RPIG6OuPTq4X1B9a4UpgaYRRuyyb/s1600/taxbillh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-l0roMyyedefZWM6OoD-KN32B8xo928J5cAK6VLc2XD3aZxp3UjYLqa-brBtxEzlSbs54nOxG2jsWqRxd5m-7cKZ7fsBUlb8XGgxUFp4KVUSA7A4RPIG6OuPTq4X1B9a4UpgaYRRuyyb/s400/taxbillh.jpg" width="346" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can YOU afford to let the law say that Teresa Didn't WORK?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
HOW could <b>Teresa</b> NOT have been WORKING? She was a <b>HOMEMAKER</b>, wasn't she? She was also having babies and taking care of them during the years that she is being accused-of NOT WORKING. (are you guys starting to follow my logic here? I sure HOPE so for <b>HOMEMAKERS</b> everywhere sake).<br />
<br />
So, maybe there was a mistake on those W2s that listed, "<b>M.E. Industries</b>", as <b>Teresa's</b> employer? Personally, I call my HOMEMAKING business "<i>My Homemaking company</i>", and deduct and I PAY MYSELF WHAT I'M WORTH accordingly. Its all very correct and very legal and WE DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR OUR WORK DON'T WE?<br />
<br />
If you said "no"---stop. Go read "Smelly Melly"-Melissa Gorga's new book which needs to be recalled and SHREDDED! I guess they can't afford a good publicist, because instead-of addressing the BOMBSHELL that was dropped on them by <b>Jezebel </b>about pig,telling people that when a woman says "NO"--to just rape her, instead-of some plausible lie, like someone hacked my book, they are creating new eggs on <b>Twitter</b> to annoy people who complain.-there is no good way to end this post, it all just makes me MAD. Thanks for reading it♥<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-4044688063396256082013-03-25T17:32:00.000-04:002013-03-25T17:32:36.354-04:00Married to Medicine:Aspirations to a Divorce from BravoI tuned-in to last night's premiere of <b>Bravo's</b> latest reality series,<b> Married to Medicine</b> and about half-way through I remarked that I would rather be homeless than have to live like the women on that show.<br />
<br />
Apparently, in <b>Atlanta</b>, if you are a woman, being married to a doctor is like being in the <b>Witness Protection Program</b> and once the ring goes on your finger, your identity is taken away. (complete with plastic surgery physical transformation of course)<br />
<br />
The plot revolved around the new-girl, who's name I won't bother to mention, because it really doesn't matter since she has no identity except that-of "doctor's wife". Her cohorts are apparently disturbed because new-girl doesn't know how to act the way that <strike>she should </strike>they want her to act. <br />
<br />
This hazing is supposedly designed to make a proper doctor's wife out of a girl from the ghetto. How being bullied, teased, and interrogated by a bunch of elitist snobby bitches transforms one into their idea of how one should act, I don't know. Clearly they wanted a reaction, and yes, the woman got upset-who wouldn't?<br />
One of them went so far as to proclaim to her face that she would never marry a man who did what new girl's husband did. (he had sent out a group-text message cancelling their wedding).<br />
<br />
The gang decides to mentor her and give her more chances to <strike>be their victim </strike> step up to the plate, and assume the position that she assumed by saying "I do".<br />
<br />
I was still stunned from what I had seen while I was watching <b>Watch What Happens Live</b>, when<b> Andy Cohen</b> mentioned that <a href="http://tv.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/arts/television/married-to-medicine-on-bravo.html?_r=0" target="_blank"><b><i>The New York Times</i></b></a> had given <b>Married to Medicine</b> a favorable review. How could they? A show that is just begging to be condemned in my opinion, and the <b>NYT</b> calls it <a href="http://tv.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/arts/television/married-to-medicine-on-bravo.html?_r=0" target="_blank">"<i>entertaining</i>"</a>! <br />
<br />
(I just checked that<b> New York Times</b> link and remembered my revulsion at the apparent fashion amongst <b>Married to Medicine's </b>cast. I don't care if it's politically incorrect to talk about someone's looks. If the "look" is a matter of style or fashion, of course I can comment, and those women certainly were not born with mouths that look like giant hemorrhoid-inflamed sphincters. THE EMPEROR HAS NO GODDAMN CLOTHES! and someone needs to tell these girls that rectums on your faces are NOT pretty!)<br />
<br />
For a television network that holds itself out to be gay-friendly,<b> Bravo's</b> characterization of heterosexual married women, is absurd. Is it because of this gay-centric perception that they get it so very very WRONG? And no credit is given to<b> Married to Medicine</b> for showcasing two of the women who happen to be doctors themselves, because those women too are given the <b>Bravo</b>-treatment and hobbled with stilts (high-heels), and forced to wear the <b>Bravo</b> uniform, (no slacks allowed, false eyelashes, more makeup than a drag-queen...), just like all of the other "wives" that<b> Bravo</b> presents to us as their idea of what a woman is supposed to be.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/03/22/leaning_in_man_style_women_just_need_their_own_housewives_to_get_ahead.html#" target="_blank">Slate </a>gets it right on their blog titled <b><u>"Hey Women, If You Really Want to Lean In, Marry a Woman"</u></b>. <b>"Lean in</b>", is the title of<b> Amazon.com's</b> current number one best seller and the recommended way of dealing-with the invisible, unbreakable glass-ceiling.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385349947/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385349947&linkCode=as2&tag=amazonatlanti-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0385349947&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=amazonatlanti-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amazonatlanti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385349947" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's what<b> Slate</b> says about "leaning in":<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"...the elegant solution of professional women refusing to have children
until someone fixes this situation has been taken off the table. It's a
major conundrum. So why not look to men for answers? Men have managed
the sticky situation of both having a job and having a home life for
decades now. Their solution is possibly even more elegant in its
simplicity than the "don't have children" one: Marry a woman...."-Slate.com</span></blockquote>
Are they joking or just looking for more options in the never ending quest for women who want to "have it all"? <br />
<b>Lean In</b> is not so much about "having it all", as it is about equality. Or maybe more about the lack-of equality between the sexes in the business world. But<b> Lean In</b> is not your typical feministic (meaning angry and aggressive) battle cry. No, author and executive big-shot<b> Sheryl Sandberg </b>didn't get to the top of the best-seller list with vinegar-she "<i>leaned</i>"-there. <br />
<b>Sandberg </b>is correct that our country needs to have this conversation. The fact that a book of this topic being so widely received is the proof. But the best advice that she's got is to "<b><i>lean in</i></b>"? I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding that. The idea of "leaning-in", in my mind conjures up<b> Little Wayne</b> sipping a little bit of cough medicine and smoking a blunt. OK-maybe <b>Little Wayne</b> leans back, a little too far-but "leaning in" just feels like having a little something and depending which way you lean-it could go either way. And either way, you're dopey.<br />
<br />
<b>Dopey</b>, of course being one of the<b> Seven Dwarfs</b>, brings me back to the topic here. Which is/was<b> Married to Medicine</b>-the television show. And the state of women, and how they are portrayed and perceived especially when it comes-to <b>Bravo</b>. <b>Snow White</b>, being the <b>Disney</b> <b>Princess</b> that she is, married the<b> Prince</b>, and lived happily ever after of course. But <b>Snow White</b> had helpers! Seven of them, and also some animated birds and characters.<br />
<br />
<b>Bravo </b>has featured homosexual couples of both sexes<b>, Brad Goreski </b>and<b> Jackie Warner</b>-to name two members of that set.<b> Slate</b> responds to<b> Lean In</b> with the suggestion that women who want to achieve career goals should take wives. But the idea that in order to be considered eligible for those top executive positions, without the worry of slipping-down the ladder of success on our children's placenta, and getting caught in the umbilical cord of love that ties us to our family so strongly-The idea, that women need wives, not so much as sexual partners, but partners in the business of life, is an idea that is legally federally prohibited in the <b>USA</b>.<br />
<br />
The federal law that states with certainty that women are not equal to men is called the<b> <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-104hr3396enr/pdf/BILLS-104hr3396enr.pdf" target="_blank">Defense of Marriage Act (link DOMA)</a></b>. There is a vote on this on Wednesday in DC. This is the federal law that permits <b>American</b> men to solicit<a href="http://www.latin-wife.com/hate_mail.asp" target="_blank"> mail order brides (link)</a> from foreign countries, but denies women the same right. Now maybe you aren't personally interested in a mail order bride, and I'm only interested in the idea enough to know that in the <b>United States of America</b>, as a woman, I am NOT allowed the same civil rights as<b> American</b> men have in this matter.<br />
<br />
And maybe THAT is what ticks me off about <b>Bravo</b>, and their idiotic portrayal of women, wives, and <b>Married to Medicine</b> in general. Maybe if there really were equal rights for all people, I could agree with <i><b>The New York Times</b> </i>about how "entertaining" it is to watch these women makes fools of themselves and their families. And although I am heartened to see that the "conversation" has been validated, the proposed solution, (lean in?), has me more than a little bit worried.<br />
<br />
The critical response to<b> Lean In</b> hints at real solutions to the fact of inequality in boardrooms and executive offices. Notions of elitism, and intellectual snobbery, aimed towards the author and allegations of political ambition are made. <b>Bravo </b>sells it's viewers to advertisers as "aspirational". As-in, we "aspire" to what we are seeing unfold before us and therefore products placed in and around the programming, are the things we aspire to buy and/or have.<br />
<br />
But what aspirations are they presenting us with? Obscenely expensive crippling foot devices, disfiguring, painful unnecessary surgery on our bodies and faces, at least two layers of make-up and glued-on/taped-on/painted-on crap on our skin, with any hairy areas being either deleted or burned into whatever position is in style, plus tight-clothing and girdles. And if all of THAT isn't enough, to make it as crystalline clear as the glass ceiling,<b> Married to Medicine</b>, now wants women to ASPIRE to having no identity at all except as the spouse of someone else. I may not ever watch another episode of<b> Married to Medicine</b>, but I'm rooting for the "<b>Ghetto Girl</b>" in all of us to say, OH HELL NO! to what Bravo says about women and our aspirations.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-79067651845866909362013-03-02T15:26:00.005-05:002013-03-02T15:26:36.614-05:00Faking it With the KardashiansSince the episode with <b>Kim Kardashian</b> finding a stray chihuahua who she called "<b>Princess</b>"-turned out to be scripted, and the story is that the dog that <b>Kim </b>"found", and kept really belonged to an assistant.(not a "stray" as portrayed on "<b>E"</b>.)<br />
And the emergency life-saving surgery left the viewers wondering about the cliff-hanger since the dog was never seen again-<a href="https://getsatisfaction.com/eonline/topics/what_happened_to_the_sray_dog_kim_kardashian_found" target="_blank">(full discussion here)</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">..."The latest episode of Kim Kardashian saving a stray dog was a complete
HOAX. I just called the Vet Clinic Kim brought the dog to and they told
me the dog is an E News employees pet and the dog is not sick... its ok
and well.."-quote from link above </span></blockquote>
And <b>Reality Tea</b> spotted and documented a great report on another scripted episode :<a href="http://www.realitytea.com/2012/01/14/photos-proof-that-kim-kardashians-reality-show-is-fake-scene-with-kris-jenner-was-staged/" target="_blank">PROOF that Show is Fake...and Staged"-article here</a><br />
<br />
I became a little worried when I heard the sad news that "<b>Mercy</b>", the cat had died.<a href="http://www.gossipcop.com/kim-kardashian-cat-dead-mercy-dies-kitten-euthanized-fatal-virus-allergic-khloe-assistant-sydney-hitchcock/" target="_blank">Story link Here/Mercy the cat is dead</a> .<br />
<br />
I was wondering how that was going to play-out, or IF it would on <i><b>Keeping-up With the Kardashians</b></i>. So I wasn't surprised to see the recent, "<b>Kim</b> is allergic to Dander"-episode, complete with a doctor's office visit and a REALISTIC-LOOKING allergy test.<br />
<br />
Hmmmm. I said to myself. Maybe <b>Kim</b> really DID have an allergic-reaction? I don't know if she did or didn't but I did a little research to try and determine IF what we saw in that episode could be faked. <br />
<br />
<b>The Daily Mail</b> has an article about the episode with THIS photo of the "allergic reaction"-skin-test on <b>Kim's</b> back (link)<br />
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/19/article-2280862-17ABA43F000005DC-298_638x359.jpg<br />
<br />
It sure LOOKS like she developed a red-bump doesn't it? But then I did a little MORE research about the allergy skin-test. What I learned, is that YES, a red bump is a good indication of a positive reaction to a substance. BUT, part of the test involves a "control" prick, which is SUPPOSED to REACT! As a matter of fact, IF the "control substance" does NOT react-(in other words if there are NO red-bumps/reactions), then the test is invalid. I enlarged the<b> Daily Mail</b> photo of <b>Kim's</b> back, and it looks to me like what the viewers were told was a reaction to "cat dander"-was the control reaction, since she really does not have any other spots big enough to be "the" "control reaction. (and I'm not even a doctor! Just nosy I guess).<br />
<br />
So. IF someone wanted to FAKE a show about someone being allergic to cats, what they COULD do is point to the CONTROL reaction, (which is usually marked with an "X" and set to the side), and say that THAT is a "dander-reaction". Here is an enlarged (modified for you © watchers!) photo of what viewers saw next to a patient who has several reactions and a control reaction marked "X". See below:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkpEyBYGWSIzMRVi6InP0ffhg7gouzfqkn4AQkSmKu06TQpD-Mi7_l0sH6ZyS-2u1sG24tKv0PG6yqLoFj_Q9X3srqM9S13zl2oS0PUMXHkOya3v6Lp2_sNN2rb4bKC_dU4TsOnNSEjlW/s1600/fake+cat+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkpEyBYGWSIzMRVi6InP0ffhg7gouzfqkn4AQkSmKu06TQpD-Mi7_l0sH6ZyS-2u1sG24tKv0PG6yqLoFj_Q9X3srqM9S13zl2oS0PUMXHkOya3v6Lp2_sNN2rb4bKC_dU4TsOnNSEjlW/s320/fake+cat+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I know that I usually don't blog about <i><b>Keeping Up With the Kardashians</b></i>, but I DO keep up with them every once in awhile. This week I saw a screaming <span style="background-color: yellow;">YELLOW!</span> tabloid headline about <b>KIM</b> having a <span style="background-color: yellow;">22 million Dollar Baby!</span> or some such nonsense-it was a great cover and really caught my eye! The story attached to that has crazy rumors about secret IVF treatments etc...And of course we ALL know that <b>Kim's</b> estranged husband allegedly wants to tell the world that the show (and the marriage), is F-A-K-E, but I'm not posting this as a "hate"-blog. <br />
<br />
I can't help but appreciate the <b>Kardashians </b>for the eye-candy that they bring to the<b> E Network</b>, and I ♥ <b>Rob Kardashian's</b> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Aurthur George</b></span> socks-(available exclusively at <b><i>Neiman Marcus</i></b>). But documentation of how scripted the show really appears to be has to be done. Why? Because defining reality is not the job of actors, or families, or television networks. If it was,<b> Keeping up With the Kardashians</b>, would be an entirely different show ;)<div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-29876907904246504872013-01-04T18:40:00.000-05:002013-01-04T18:40:11.458-05:00If you Can't say Anything Nice...And Something Nice About Bravo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">W<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">e've</span> all heard</span></span></span> the advice; "If you can't say anything nice-don't say anything at all." Until the phenomena of <b>Bravolebrities</b>, and fame-whores, in general came to my attention, I never realized the COMPLETE meaning of the old-saying.<br />
There is a series airing on the<b> TLC </b>network, (if it has not been completely canceled yet), and I won't even mention the name. Nope. I won't devote a single bold-letter to name the program, because I don't want to publicize them at all. I was planning-on waiting 'till the bitter end, but trust me, they are a goner.<br />
What this has to do with <b>Bravo</b>, is that the show that I'm "not saying anything at all"-about, was produced by the same company that brought us <b>The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</b>, AND <b>The Real Housewives of Orange County</b>, according to <a href="http://tvfishbowl.com/sin-city-rules-will-the-show-survive/" target="_blank">TV Fishbowl</a>.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I</span>F this series would have been seen on <b>Bravo-TV</b>, it could have been called, "<b>The Real Housewives of Las Vegas</b>". But<b> Bravo</b> declined to add these people to their franchise, and although the formula looks very-close to what we're used-to seeing in <b>Housewife</b>-land, these women won't ever be sitting on a couch with <b>Andy Cohen</b>.<br />
Has<b> Bravo </b>actually developed some morals? I think they have. I congratulate<b> Bravo</b> for not giving that particular cast a platform on their network. The show-that-will-not-be-named, is a flop. Earning less than half-a-million viewers, and less-than three-hundred-thousand in the "important" demographics in the most recent ratings, <b>Bravo's </b>decision to reject this group has earned some bottom-line validation, and spared their viewers and sponsors.<br />
I've noticed something else that has become more of a standard than a trend for <b>The Housewives</b> series, and that is that our <b>Housewives</b> children, and more importantly the exploitation of <b>Housewives</b> children, is no longer "mandatory".<br />
I cannot say for sure if it was EVER a requirement that Housewives kids be as available as the women need to be in-order to qualify a gal for "<b>Housewife</b>"-status. But I do recall that<b> Dina Manzo</b> lost her spot when her young daughter was no longer available.<br />
For me, that instance looks-like the dividing-line between the time that it appears that <b>Real Housewives </b>families developed the ability to choose whether or not the children were on camera, or not, without sacrificing the opportunity.<br />
It was only after <b>Dina</b> and her daughter left the <b>New Jersey </b>cast, that the viewers became accustomed to seeing the ladies without their offspring.<br />
No mention has been made of any policy changes, so whether this was an intentional decision, or just a gradual adjustment to different family dynamics, such-as with<b> Tamra</b> on the<b> OC</b> wives whose ex-husband <b>Simon</b> decided not to grant permission for their children to appear, I really do not know. But I'd have to imagine that there must have been some type of consensus to agree to lighten-up what was previously expected.<br />
The death of <b>Russel Armstrong</b> is also a major milestone on the<b> Housewives</b> timeline. I think that there have been policy changes behind-the-scenes that can be attributed to consideration of Armstrong's suicide. <br />
Now if they, (<b>Bravo</b>), would only officially find a way to embrace some kind-of disclaimer that would give their reality-talent a way to save-face in their real lives! There is no doubt in my mind that there are some <b>Real Housewives'</b> children, who have had to explain to their real-life friends and acquaintances, that their mom is not really "crazy", or a "whore", or any other of the negative labels that us "<b>haters</b>", (or their cast-mates, or the editors...), might apply. I would just LOVE to see THAT scene played-out haha! Instead-of seeing <b>Ashley</b> telling us that her mom is a drama-queen/shit-stirrer; to see one-of <b>Danielle Staub's</b> daughters explaining that her mom is just playing-the-part of a villain, and bringing drama to the show-which has GOT to be what ANY family-member, or cast-member, who's been portrayed badly would do. Wouldn't they?<br />
Using my imaginary remote-viewing of what logically HAS to be how a <b>Bravoleb' </b>deals-with after-episode embarrassment in real-life, doesn't go far-enough to protect cast-members and their families from the consequences.<br />
As long as<b> Bravo</b> maintains the illusion of reality in the strictest sense of the word, by NOT applying a disclaimer to the entire franchise, <b>Bravo</b>, in my opinion, continues to harm their cast-members families.<br />
I DO think that Bravo has lightened-up on the explicit pronouncements of the ultimate "reality", that we are seeing in the episodes. But the facts that the word "<b>Real</b>", with a capital "r", is carried with the show, and that the <b>Housewives</b> remain "in character" outside of the production, for interviews, reunions etc. demand that the "fourth wall" has got to be addressed.<br />
I'm not the first person who has equated the truth of reality-performers with professional wrestlers, but wrestling has been granted an exception when it comes to versimilistude. Magicians are another category of performer who require that we suspend disbelief, in order to enjoy the act. Pro-wrestling and Illusion are both ancient forms of entertainment, and the permission to deceive for the sake of entertainment was granted long-ago by our ancestors.<br />
Television, and TV's grand-daddy, radio, in comparison is still in it's growing-stages. Reality television, the illegitimate-child of documentary journalism, is current. In comparison to all of the other forms of media and entertainment, reality-television, could still be considered to be developing. The boundary-line of "real" continues to change, and it is left up to the producers, the performers, and the viewers to decide, on a case-by-case instance. <b>Bravo</b> continues to hold-out for the "real"-label, with a weak connection to reality. Even the most dedicated bitch of <b>Bravo</b>, has heard-about instances of other networks reality series scripting and fakery being exposed. If they're going-to script & fake an auction, a weight-loss show, or a gold-mining expedition-if they can't even trust the <b>American</b> public to be entertained with something as un-sexy and dry as a house-hunt, or a program about <b>Amish</b> people, the <b>Bravo</b>-audience is not somehow immune from the cognitive dissonance that we willingly try to ignore.<br />
Reality television has spawned parodies of itself. An upcoming program on <b>BET</b> Network bills itself as <a href="http://www.bet.com/shows/real-husbands-of-hollywood.html" target="_blank">"The Fakest Reality Show Ever"</a> . Maybe satire and parody will be the ultimate public comment on reality television as we now know it? <br />
A paparazzo was killed this week while in pursuit of teen-age superstar <b>Justin Beiber</b>. Performers like <b>Beiber</b> are a different category of celebrity from Reality-performers in that there is an ostensible talent, that earns them their celebrity. <b>Bravolebrities</b>, on the other hand, are presented as real people inviting the viewers to watch and judge them in their on-screen dramas and off-screen real life story. Although <b>Beiber</b> is a celebrity who is in the public eye, and considered a public personality who has given-up some of his privacy in exchange for public consumption, his talent and his on-stage performance shields him in ways that people who are only "<i>famous for being famous</i>", are not protected. There is a risk that was taken by the photographer in pursuing <b>Mr. Beiber's</b> private life.<br />
And that is where a <b>Bravolebrity</b> drags his/or her entire family, and their entire history, including anyone they have ever met, onto the stage with them. And there lies the dilemma. There should be no inherent danger involved in seeking the truth and/or judgement of reality. But people DO get hurt.<br />
Even the most careful of <b>Real Housewives</b>, like <b>Phaedra Parks</b> for instance, can control her own image by what she chooses to present, yet past associates are free to claim a piece of <b>Phaedra's</b> reality.<br />
<b>Angela Stanton</b> did just that to <b>Phaedra</b> in her book, "<b>Lies of a Real Housewife: tell the Truth and Shame the Devil</b>" <br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=amazonatlanti-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1935883631" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<b>Stanton </b>struck a blow at <b>Park's</b> carefully crafted "reality", and that kind of response has to be expected as long as <b>Bravo</b> withholds a disclaimer or statement that speaks to the truth of what is presented. <b>MTV</b> didn't even use words when they broke the fourth wall to let viewers know the truth about <b>The Hills</b>. The final scene answered all of the questions that viewers had waited years to learn. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/hills-finale-fake-set-emerges-kristin-cavallari-brody-jenner-goodbye-article-1.464118" target="_blank">(yes, it was scripted)</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"The curtain closed, or rather, the veil was lifted on MTV's "The Hills" last night in the final moments of its series finale. As Kristin Cavallari pulled away, off to Europe to "find" herself, pal and former flame Brody Jenner
stood on an empty LA street to watch her go. It was a bittersweet,
emotional moment. But then the backdrop rolled away, the cameras panned
out, and we saw that Jenner was now standing on a Hollywood lot,
surrounded by crews, and that Cavallari's car was parked just a few feet
away. She got out, they hugged, and that was that".-<b>NY Daily News</b> 2010</span></blockquote>
<br />
<br /><b>Bravo</b> has left viewers and cast-members in a limbo of sorts with <b>The Real Housewives</b>. Years of un-written, and un-said rules, leave it up to all of US to decide what to do with all of it. Maybe <b>2013</b> will be the year that <b>Bravo</b> brings some clarity to the situation. Or maybe we will all just have to wait 'till the franchise ends. Maybe it will all be seen as an experiment with reality itself, with all of the players contributing to the outcome. Like a story that is still being written, we just may not know for sure until the end.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-17555141882689439292012-12-19T14:37:00.000-05:002012-12-19T14:37:21.743-05:00Really LONG Story-End of Year personal blog, and...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>f you are reading this, you are probably one of my<b> Twitter</b>-followers, so I'm addressing this blog, mainly to them, (you?). In any event, thank-you for reading this!<br />
Apologies for being a bad-blogger! <br />
Sometime right after the blogger known-as <b>Lynn Hudson</b> died, <img alt="Google" src="http://www.google.com/images/logos/google_logo_41.png" /> put me on notice that they were pulling ads from this blog due to "adult content". Huh? They have the right, and the ultimate duty to protect their company, and their advertisers. I wanted to get into a war with them about, "adult content", but since they refused to tell me exactly what they meant by that, I was left to guess. If "it" was something that alerted their porn-filter/adult-content, the only "sex" that I posted here were some comments about a "same-sex"-wedding. So, for those of you who support <b>Gay marriage</b>, I was willing to take one for the team there, but I never really found-out what the problem was.<br />
<br />
There were also circumstances at that time that caused me to question whether this blog had been maliciously "reported". <b>Carly Hall</b> posted that <b>Lynn</b> had had some problems of that nature, and another "<b>Housewives</b>" blogger had posted a statement about "being reported" to<b> Google</b>. So, I was unhappy with <b>Google</b>, and possibly some random trouble-maker, or possibly someone who considered this blog as "competition", to their interests, so.....that's my excuse for not-blogging here.<br />
<br />
Speaking-of <b>Lynn</b>, I have thought of her often since her surprising sudden death this past August. I wasn't a big fan of <b>Lynn's</b> blog, but I had been there since the beginning. I respected her for her writing, and the enormous amount of work that she put into her blog. It appeared to me that<b> Lynn</b> had distrust and suspicions when it came to other bloggers such as myself, so most other bloggers were ultimately considered persona-non-Grata, or worse over at<b> IHJZ</b>, but I am fortunate in that my very last communication with <b>Lynn</b>, had been on friendly terms.<br />
<br />
So when she suddenly died on her 49th birthday, I was shocked like everyone else. I did some more research into the person who we all knew as "<b><i>Lynn N Chicago</i></b>", and I learned that her financial situation was beyond bad. I learned that in the week that she passed-away, her home was foreclosed. As a reader of her blog, I never would have guessed that her situation was so desperate. She did not share that with her readers, but if she would have informed her readers, her "<b>LynFam</b>", I have no doubt that they would have offered and tried to help her. <br />
<br />
Which brings me to my personal situation. As some of you know, I found myself smack-dab in the eye of the super-storm that hit the <b>East Coast</b> this year. Being in the eye of a hurricane is all that you would think it is-its beautiful, and peaceful. Especially when you're experiencing it in a safe, DRY, place. Its the after-math that sucks.<br />
<br />
What came-through my house is pretty-much what I would expect a tsunami to be like, without the white-caps. WATER and lots of it, and FAST. The water was gone almost just as quickly. (most of it-the rest of it lives-on as mold-spores).<br />
<br />
I had a life or death experience when I had to make some quick decisions, knowing that it had come to a point that if I made the wrong choices, that it could cost me my life. Fortunately, I did not drown or get electrocuted when I swam my way to higher ground.<br />
<br />
Why didn't I evacuate in time? I simply did not believe that the water would go much higher than I'd ever seen it in the 25 years that I've lived here. I knew that it was bad when I called my city's public works department and the man on the other end told me that the water had breached a high-tide line that had not been passed in the 37 years that he had been there. The storm was still hundreds of miles offshore at that time, but flooding had started on our barrier-island. There was one more low-tide cycle coming, but the water never went down like we had expected. I waited for my chance to leave during the low-tide, but the water just kept rising.<br />
<br />
I was alone with my cat at that point. Most of my family had scattered and I had stayed behind to see which way the storm was going to go. Usually, a predicted storm would not make a direct hit and for this one we had to wait and see if it was going to make a left-turn. I heard the news that the storm had made the turn towards the <b>East Coast</b> at about four am. I decided to get myself to the mainland and I called my husband. He told me to wait for him. It looked like we had plenty of time-it wasn't even raining and the street was dry. My husband was taking-care of a dialysis patient and it was a matter of waiting for the patient's intravenous medicine to finish. By the time the he tried to reach me, he was turned-back under orders of <b>FEMA</b>.<br />
<br />
This is where <b>FEMA</b> comes into my story. I could say that the actions of<b> FEMA</b> caused me to have to make life or death decisions , and that I resent <b>FEMA</b> for that. But I won't. What I resent <b>FEMA </b>for, is the<span style="font-size: x-large;"> hours</span> and <span style="font-size: x-large;">hours </span>spent on hold with them on the telephone. And the efforts made producing, and finding the infinite documentation that they require. (hours that could have been better-spent cleaning-up this great big MESS!)<br />
<br />
Why did I even bother with <b>FEMA</b>? Because I thought that<b> FEMA </b>would be my best choice in getting assistance. Because<b> FEMA</b> relentlessly advertised and solicited. Because I was unquestionably affected by the storm and I was willing to trust them with my personal information. OH-and because I had called <b>The American Red Cross</b> while my city was under martial-law, and after their voice-mail jail had asked me to "press 2 to donate blood", and "press 3 to make a ten dollar donation", I was disconnected. I gave <b>The American Red Cross</b> another chance to help me, when I had access to a phone that didn't run on battery-power and they told me that they only do referrals. I asked <b>The American Red Cross</b> for help two times and they had nothing available for someone who's home was destroyed. Not even a clean blanket!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span>hen the water started coming into my house, I moved the cat's food, and litter-box to the second floor. I had intended to bring <b>Bootsie</b> with me, but since it now looked like I would be swimming away from the house if I decided to leave, I wasn't sure if I could hold on to her, or keep her in her cardboard travel-carrier. Before my mother had evacuated, she had reminded me that her friends, who lived a block "upstream" from my house, had boasted that they had never flooded.<br />
<br />
The electrical power was still working in my house when I left, but it was the electricity that caused me to abandon ship. I opened the door to what used to be my laundry-room, and the floor was floating. There were at least three feet of water, and the heating system was sparking, floating, sizzling, and just looking surreally DANGEROUS. There was an electrical outlet in the floor of the TV-room, and I saw flames and sparks shooting out of it, and I heard zapping, sizzling sounds. <br />
<br />
I grabbed what was left of a regular Italian sub, and some bottled-water and some home-made brownies out of the fridge, a flashlight, a radio, some dry clothes, and my purse, and I wrapped them up in garbage bags. <br />
I put those things into a large plastic container that we use for our recycling and I tied a rope to it, and I stepped into the water. <br />
<br />
The water was up to my chest and it was cold but tolerable so I slowly waded and swam myself up the street, dragging the floating-bucket to the neighbor's house where I rode-out the rest of the storm. The next day I went back and fed the cat. I think that it took about three or four days for the electricity to come back on on our street, and my town was under martial-law for about a week. Nobody was allowed to enter most-of the island, and anyone who left was not allowed to come back until the ban was lifted.<br />
<br />
Almost everything on the first floor of my house is now gone, including the floor and the walls. (it has been gutted). I'm still here, with the cat, at what FEMA calls the "disaster dwelling". I have heat, hot-water, electricity,television, internet, and a roof over my head. Its toxic here, but I have some reasons for being here. (see cat. plus family has relocated nearby. plus someone has to hold the fort down-don't they?)<br />
<br />
I no longer have a refrigerator, a washer, or dryer. I have a hot-plate and a coffee-maker. Its the LAUNDRY situation that's getting to me. Cleaning-up after a flood is dirty, did I mention TOXIC-work. Just today I ruined another pair of boots. Not being able to wash and dry my blanket, towels, clothes...without having to improvise using the bathtub, is really getting on my nerves.<br />
<br />
I've been keeping in my mind that there are people who were killed by the storm, and some who are worse-off than I am. I consider myself lucky to still have possession of documents that are slimy with black-mold. And of course I am grateful for my own life, and everyone in my family, and everyone in my town-I am thankful and grateful that there were no casualties here. My elderly dad suffered a stroke the week after the storm, but he is recovering. So, we're ALL OK here. I really don't have anything to complain about.<br />
<br />
But I have been complaining. I have been<b> tweeting</b> my frustration and complaints w/<b>FEMA</b> and <b>The American Red Cross</b> on <b>Twitter</b>. Did I really expect my government to be able to offer me any kind of assistance while there was a major event going-on? No. It was pretty much exactly what I suspected. Which was that I would be lucky to stay out of their way and visa-versa. <br />
<br />
Did I expect that if I ever happened to be in-the-way of a major disaster, that<b> FEMA</b> would have assistance available after the event? I <i>did</i> expect that. They DID offer to relocate me at first and I did not refuse. The problem is that I didn't exactly want to be relocated. I don't have my own car, so anywhere that I would be relocated-to, I would be stranded as far as getting-around. After a few weeks, I told <b>FEMA</b> that since it didn't look like I would be able to do any laundry or store food, for awhile, that I definitely DO want to be relocated. I told <b>FEMA</b> that in fact, my "disaster dwelling" was becoming more and more toxic-(think asbestos, black mold, fiberglass, giant commercial/industrial fans and dehumidifiers, and <b>God</b> knows what else), and dangerous due to the after-effects of the storm and the construction, demolition going-on in my house, and all-over my neighborhood. Not to mention the hoards of trash-pickers, news-crews, construction-workers and random strangers who descended upon the area. <br />
<br />
Here is where I guess I should mention that there was a fire in my home a year ago last July. What that has to do with all of it, is that the re-construction work that was done at that time, caused a lot of my things, including my piano, to be destroyed.<br />
It wasn't the fire that caused my property losses then, it was what happened when the construction and cleaning people came through. Also-I did evacuate during hurricane <b>Irene</b>, and my home was looted!-They took the brand new television. Its not that material things are so important, I know that they are not, but I'm experiencing all of this as someone who has had things destroyed during repair-work, and stolen during an unnecessary evacuation. <br />
<br />
AND-I am someone who has already been traumatized by a natural disaster/flood. It was that-"<b>Perfect Storm</b>", and that storm in<b> 1992</b> was my very first experience being flooded. I dealt-with a life or death situation then, and destruction of some of my things. What shocked me the worst about that event, I've decided, was seeing WATER where I didn't expect it to be. Where water did not belong in my view of reality, and it was there, whether it was "supposed" to be there or not. I believe in the psychological effects of this kind-of trauma, because I have experienced it before, and I know what it feels like. For me it feels like jumping ten-feet in the air-being startled, when someone "sneaks-up" on me. When I start to notice that happening, I know for sure that my mind has not recovered yet.<br />
<br />
So, yeah, I'm not completely stupid. If <b>American</b> hero's like a great number of <b>War Veterans</b>, not to mention police, and emergency personnel, can be profoundly affected by trauma, I at least know better than to think that I can just shake-it-off. My doctor agrees, and I'm on my way to using all of the mental health benefits that my insurance allows for this year, and into next.<b><i> I especially want to pass that information on to anyone else who has been affected by the storm.</i></b> Yes it will wear-off on its own, (trauma), and usually within a few months at most, but why chance letting it linger when there are professionals who can help you heal from it?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>'m sure that you had some adventures in <b>2012</b> too. Maybe those <b>Mayan's</b> were right after-all? It was <b>TEOTWAWKI</b> for many in <b>2012</b>. (<i>TheEndofTheWorlAsWeKnowIt</i> in case you're not up on your eschatology/Dooms~Day lingo. And if you're not-what are you waiting-for? We don't have much time!)...<br />
<br />
But I mentioned <b>Lynn Hudson</b> for a reason: She didn't complain about her problems on her blog, or ask for help. Maybe it was because she knew that her readers and <b>Twitter</b> time-line were the type of people who would offer help in a second and she didn't want to bother them with her problems? <br />
<br />
I saw the response and outreach that happened after <b>Lynn </b>died, and her readers and friends decided that they could help <b>Lynn</b> accomplish something that she didn't get a chance to do, and that was to provide a college-fund for <b>Lynn's</b> youngest child.<br />
<br />
The closest I have been to blogging lately, was some time spent over on <i><b>Famewhorga's</b></i> comment-section. And, I posted a little-bit about my experience with the flood. The warm replies that I received there meant a lot to me, and emotionally, just knowing that there were other people who cared enough to reply with kind words and prayers, I honestly felt some healing and recovery from all of it.<br />
<br />
The day before yesterday I was on another mini-rampage on<b> Twitter</b>. Complaining about<b> FEMA</b>, and how aggravated I am with my doing-laundry-in-the-bathtub situation. Some people replied that I had confirmed their suspicions about <b>FEMA</b> and <b>The American Red Cross</b>, (and that had been what I thought was my point), and some kind people had replied to me asking if there was something they could do to help. I said that I would see how things were going and let everyone know, and I thought about that.<br />
<br />
I thought about my situation, and was it really that bad and should I turn-down offers of help? I've learned a lot from <b>Lynn's</b> story. Did she possibly make a fatal mistake in not accepting her readers help and generosity when she had the chance? (OK-I know that sounds dramatic, I told you I'm just a little mental from all of it) Do I have unrealistic mis-placed pride? And then I felt a little guilty for sounding so needy when so many people have it worse than I do. And I thought about <b>FEMA</b>, and the zillions of tax-dollars that are being collected and spent ostensibly meant to help people such as myself, and how wasteful it all seems when all that <b>FEMA</b> seems to be doing is wasting survivors time with bureaucratic paper-chasing chores, when we could be fighting black-mold, (my new hobby!), and cooking delicious meals on our hot-plates. It probably won't stop annoying me when I continue to hear just how much <b>FEMA</b> has spent on this particular disaster, and how much money has been raised from well-meaning people, when I think that much of those funds have been spent on administration and salaries of people who are in no position to do anything but refer people to other organizations who have nothing but the same to offer. (referrals to other organizations that do nothing but refer....)<br />
<br />
Just for the record, I also contacted my pharmacy to see about having my prescription paid-for, because there was news circulating that <b>FEMA</b> was offering a month supply of prescribed drugs for people in the disaster area. Some of you know that I started smoking again, and I was hoping that I could take advantage of that offer to refill my prescribed nicotine-substitute, but the pharmacies around here were clueless so I printed-out the info. for them, but I had to give-up on trying to utilize that offer for myself. (more wasted time chasing non-existent, but funded and advertised "help" for disaster-survivors!)<br />
<br />
<b>Red Cross</b>. <b>FEMA</b>. Help everywhere. Nope. Maybe if I was naked at a homeless shelter? But it sure doesn't look like a person has to be in that condition to be able to receive what appears to be the tremendous amount of help that is being advertised. There is some rule that <b>FEMA</b> must receive a certain amount of applications for the help that they advertise before they can receive their funding. <b>FEMA</b> does not have to actually insist that those applicants complete the process/receive help, and in my opinion,<b> FEMA</b> tries to "weed-out/wear-out" the applicants by generally being ridiculous and making it nearly impossible to receive the assistance that they advertise to disaster-survivors. Then they can use the allotted funds to pay the salaries of the incompetent people that they hire. I wish that I had been more cynical before I ever contacted <b>FEMA</b>. When it comes to advertising, and getting those applications, they do a great job at it. When it comes-to their employees following-through with what they promise and what they are legally mandated to do, <b>FEMA</b> is a failure. Many of those employees spend their time wasting the time of the people who's disaster-experience has made their job necessary. <br />
<br />
*I did receive a bag of groceries, (peanut-butter, cereal, spaghetti, and some canned tomatoes)- with no strings attached from the local <b>Jewish Family Service</b> agency. They have a food bank and they opened it up to everyone who was trapped on the island while we were under martial law. Since there were no stores open during that time, that was a life-saver for myself and others who's kitchens had been under-water. <br />
<br />
I wanted to press the local chapter of The<b> American Red Cross</b> for one of their blankets. They told me that are offering NOTHING except "referrals". I don't need a referral-I need a clean blanket! I gave all of my extra quits and blankets to other survivors. <b>The Red Cross</b> has received a tremendous amount of donations for people in my situation. I feel used by them. <br />
<br />
To the people on <b>Twitter</b> who offered to send help-thank-you! I don't want to embarrass you by calling you out, you know who you are. I really was tempted to say, here's my<b> Amazon</b> account, and here's a link to some clean socks and underwear in my size. The very idea of receiving clean laundry from you guys made my day. I cannot accept your offer right now because I don't think that I need it. But I want you all to know that your consideration of my struggles actually DID help me out. How hard is it to hand-wash a few pairs of socks and underwear?!!!! (not very hard really). After I post this blog, and a link to it on <b>Twitter</b>, I'm going to go do that. And while I'm doing that, I will keep your kindness and good wishes in mind, and I will send some good-wishes your way too. Yes, I spent a few aggravating minutes dealing-with disaster-related homework/paper-work today, but most of the day, I spent happily outside washing and scrubbing-away MUCK, and assorted flotsam left-over from the flood. I know that it was the boost from people's good intentions towards my troubles, that helped me get-in-gear there.<br />
<br />
I have had moments of misery, and fear, and grief over the loss of my home, and my neighbors but I know that it will get better. It already has. I kicked that mucks butt! Aside from my own problems, I am very sad about the state of the world, especially the <b>USA</b>, in general. So many traumatized, screwed-up, doped-up, incompetent and stupid people and apparently it has come to the fact that as a country, we cannot even manage to keep our kindergarten citizens safe. It won't be too many years 'till I'm elderly, and I may have rely on others to protect my health and safety. I know that "we" ARE the government. Well-we're NOT doing a very good job as a government. But as individuals, we are stronger than we may even know. You guys individually helped me just by being there for me when I needed it, and literally helped me to help myself. <b>THANK-YOU!</b><br />
<br />
So-Here's-to wishing ALL of us, and our loved-ones, peace, and joy, and LOVE, for the holiday season, and a <b>HAPPY 2013!</b></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-36352088006059663442012-10-16T19:30:00.001-04:002012-10-16T19:30:04.322-04:00As Seen on...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=amazonatlanti-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002RJIRG6" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-29248956163054862322012-06-18T18:32:00.001-04:002012-06-18T18:39:24.470-04:00Promises of Drama to Come-Watch What Happens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't know about anyone else, but what I enjoyed the most about last night's episode, was that <b>Melissa</b> and <b>Kathy</b> were not featured in it very much.<br />
Of course there was that scene with <b>Joe Gorga</b> selling his parents out, (and yeah, <b>Teresa</b> lets him have it for that in her blog), but other than that most of the episode revolved around the intense conversation between <b>Jaqueline</b> and <b>Teresa</b>.<br />
Speaking-of the<b> Bravo </b>blogs, both<b> Teresa's</b> and <b>Jaq.'</b>s make us want to "watch what happens", because they both promise drama in up-coming episodes.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
"I snap a little bit in next week’s episode. I felt rejected by Teresa. I
felt like she was being so fake. I'm not proud of my behavior, but you
will witness the "angry and hurt" me. I would like to call next episode
my a--hole episode. We ALL have one. Enjoy!"-Jacqueline's Bravo Blog</blockquote>
From<b> Teresa </b>we get:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"You’ll see in the next episode that Melissa makes a surprising
confession, and my brother and I come to an unexpected agreement. Giant
shocker and small miracles, all in one."-Teresa's Bravo Blog</span></blockquote>
And<b> Caroline</b> blogs about <b>Lauren's</b> lap-band surgery that took place after Season 3 was finished, last September. But she mentions a "melt-down" that occurs during a camping trip. Will we get to see that? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"We spent the summer trying to boost her spirits and get her on the
right track, but nothing seemed to work. She hated everyone,
everything, and most heartbreaking of all, herself. She was in the
hospital twice for panic attacks, and twice for extreme blood pressure
levels. </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="color: red; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;">Lauren</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
had a complete meltdown while we were camping in California that scared
the hell out of us. Al and I decided that we needed to take drastic
measures and we suggested to Lauren that she get lap band surgery."-Caroline's blog</span></blockquote>
<b>Teresa's </b>eleven-page blog clears-up a lot, and lets people in on some inside secrets like the fact that the same day that Jaq. and <b>Ashlee's</b> dad did the scene for <b>Bravo </b>where they<b> Skype </b>about how "awful" <b>Ashlee</b> is, what a loser etc., and they decide that <b>Ashlee</b> does not have a home to go to, well, <b>Teresa</b> clarifys by informing us that that was the very day that <b>Ashlee's</b> dad was arrested for his little arson charge.(Ouch!).<br />
I know that I promised a "Part 2", or a separate blog to examine the phenomenon that <b>Teresa</b> has become, and just why she is so well-liked, (and it is coming), and<b> Teresa</b>, in my opinion is risking alienating some of her fan base by trying to help the<b> Bravo </b>viewers understand what really goes-on. In my opinion, the more that <b>Teresa</b> detaches from <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b>, the better for her. Her blog was long, but it really is a masterpiece worth reading. She even talks-about wanting to write a book about her bankruptcy when she is legally allowed to do so.<br />
<b>Jaq.s</b> blog on the other hand, is a confusing mess, and all over the place. I didn't care-for her little theory about <b>Teresa </b>wanting to "profit from people's pity"when she said it in the episode, so seeing it again in her blog didn't make me like that idea any better. Why does she care about that anyways?<b> Jaquileine </b>is so pretty and she can be so silly when she lets herself, but she has chosen to be <b>Caroline's</b> bitch. I guess it makes sense, because if <b>Jaq</b>. ever faced facts about how negatively <b>Caroline</b> has affected<b> Jaq.'s</b> life, it could be too much for her in my opinion. And mostly I'm talking about how <b>Caroline </b>set <b>Ashlee</b> up to be the black sheep, because no one was supposed to outshine princess <b>Lauren</b>. <br />
<b>Caroline </b>also asks in her blog that people stop hating so much on <b>Twitter</b> and social media. Sorry <b>Caroline</b>-but she can stay-off the www all she wants. The haters are going to keep on hating.That's what the internet is for isn't it? She puts herself and her family on television, and we get to talk about them online.If she doesn't like that, well she knows what to do.<br />
There has been some chatter about <b><i>Watch What Happens Live</i></b>, with <b>Teresa </b>and <b>Joe Giudice</b> last night, and the after-show that is posted online. I thought that the most interesting thing was when <b>Teresa </b>confessed that she would, "Leave the country"-(quote <b>Teresa</b>), rather than go to jail, which is exactly what I always suspected that <b>Teresa and Joe </b>have as "Plan B'. <br />
<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-11343043960940222932012-06-13T13:17:00.000-04:002012-06-13T13:17:10.481-04:00Yes Hunny, it IS "The Teresa Show"! (Part One)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
June 13, 2012- So I watched part 2 of, "<b><i>My Big Gay New Jersey/Mid-West Wedding</i></b>", and the most interesting thing for me about this episode has been <b>Teresa's Bravo</b> blog.<br />
Yes, the Civil Union, or Domestic-Partnership ceremony was touching and sincere. And the wedding-vow scene was about the only part of the episode that seemed REAL to me. Maybe because I've been to a wedding in <b>Illinois</b> in June, and I have to wonder if no air-conditioning is part of the <b>Mid-West</b> tradition when it comes to weddings?<br />
The perspiration on the groom(s?) was/were noticeable. Is surviving the wedding and reception and having a good time in sweltering heat part of a successful marriage-omen for <b>Mid-Westerners</b>?<br />
I also noticed<b> Joe Giudice's</b> product placement scene in this episode.(When the camera zoomed-in so that we viewers could see the brand-name of some kind-of sex-juice that we could buy the next time we're in the grocery store) I wonder if <b>Joe</b> get's a cut of the ad-revenue there? <br />
More<b> Carolyn Manzo</b> giving dirty-looks, and complaining in her talking-heads about <b>Teresa</b>......OK <b>Caroline</b>, we get it! Even <b>Teresa </b>finally get's it! (um-she did know that <b>Teresa </b>would SEE all of this on television-right?)<br />
So what does <b>Teresa</b> do? Well, she is starting to respond/fight-back if you could call it that. Starting with her appearance on <b><i>The View</i></b> last week where she insisted on a solo interview-<br />
And here is where I'll comment on <b>Melissa's Bravo</b> blog. Where <b>Melissa</b> goes on and on about how <i><b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey </b></i>is "NOT" "<i><b>The Teresa Show</b></i>". Sorry <b>Melissa</b>,<i><b> The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b></i> IS all about <b>Teresa</b>. <br />
There really isn't much about any of the other cast-members that is compelling or interesting in my opinion, and when I took some time-out from my day last week to tune-in to <i><b>The View</b></i>, I caught one glimpse of <b>Melissa</b> and <b>Kathy</b> slinked-down on the couch and I turned-OFF the television and went back to my day.<br />
Separating herself from the pack in such a clear way, only proved to me further that <b>Teresa</b> is the only thing that <i><b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b></i> has going.<br />
The only time that the other cast-members are relevant at this point, is when they are talking about <b>Teresa</b>, and even that is starting to get old. <br />
The thing about<b> Teresa's Bravo</b> blog that caught my attention, was of-course her going in-depth to explain how FAKE and PHONY her cast-mates were being about the magazine pictures and stories. I had posted a blog last week, explaining how that works, (how magazines will pay for photos but not interviews), but to see<b> Teresa</b> expose some inside industry info. to her viewers, and then to give the viewers a heads-up that there is more "bad-acting" from her cast-members in up-coming episodes, well, I'm starting to get the opinion that<b> Teresa</b> has literally lost-the-plot. Or maybe she was not given a script, or she was given a different script than the one that everybody else has?<br />
This is where the enigma that is a secret, that is a mystery, that is the entertainment that we call reality television gets confusing. Scripted? Reality? Fake. Real??? And don't forget the EDITING!<br />
(uh-oh, I better stop here before I get started on FRANKEN-BYTES! but that's a whole other blog post)<br />
I am a reluctant convert myself to "<i><b>The Teresa Show</b></i>". I was forced to re-examine my conclusions about her when she started gaining momentum. There was MORE to this Jersey Girl than we 1st thought-isn't there? She could have played in the mud with her co-stars, but she didn't. I had to agree with<b> Melissa</b>, who gave her Sister-in-law credit for having the guts to be seen in public after the embarrassment of The<b> Giudice's</b> financial problems and her husband's legal problems became known. <br />
Even-if <i>some</i> of the Tweets, and blog-comments, and book-sales, are shills, or fake to make it appear like a public person has fans, there was no denying that <b>Teresa Giudice</b> had some REAL FANS. I made it my business to find-out WHY would anyone admire<b> Teresa</b> when she apparently lacked common sense in my opinion.<br />
I don't know if I would ever call myself a "fan" of <b>Teresa Giudice</b>, but I started gaining respect for her when she pulled a classic, "<i><b>ANNIE</b></i>"-move, and stuck-out her chin, and kept-on going despite her haters and her problems. This blog-post is getting a little long, so I think that I'll break it up.<br />
I have studied<b> Teresa</b>, and her success in depth, and I think that it has a lot to do with why <i><b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b></i> has become, "<i><b>The Teresa Show</b></i>". But I think I'll have to save that for another blog.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-21651021235800960792012-06-09T20:36:00.000-04:002012-06-10T14:02:45.877-04:00Season 4--Deja' View all over again and again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Do they really expect the hard-core viewers and fans of <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey </b>to be interested in arguments over magazine articles that came-out last year? Now we're re-hashing "How did <b>Teresa's</b> relatives get on the show?", on <i><b>The View</b></i>, and then in the blogs..wait-a-minute! I thought we covered all that at the beginning of LAST season, (Season 3), when we were first introduced to the<b> Gorga's</b> and <b>Walkilies</b>?<br />
Haven't most people who follow the series already made our minds up about how we feel about that? So what is the point? And the stories circulating that the <b>Gorga's</b> made a video promising to destroy <b>Teresa</b>? I can't be the only one who remembers hearing this before. And I'm sure that I'm not the only one who recalls seeing this video or still-photos of the supposed audition-video online or<i> somewhere</i>, yet now the existence of this video is being questioned. And no I cannot find it anywhere although I have looked, but from what I remember I distinctly recall seeing at least a still photo of the<b> Gorgas</b> wearing camouflage-gear, dressed like<b> Rambo</b> with ammo and machine guns, illustrating a story about how "desperate"-<b>Melissa</b> and <b>Joe Gorga</b> acted very <b>Jersey</b>-tough and parodied <i><b>The Sopranos</b></i>, and asked to be put on <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b>.Maybe it was a Halloween costume? I don't know, but the "audition-video"-story is making its way around again, and if there is a season 5, maybe we will "officially" hear that story again then, or maybe IF there is a season 4 reunion,<b> Andy Cohen </b>will ask <b>Melissa </b>if there was an audition tape?<br />
The only difference that I can see is that <b>Teresa </b>is starting to throw some zingers of her own towards her cast-mates. And although I can't blame her, I think that a great deal of <b>Teresa's</b> appeal and popularity has been because she has not made herself dirty by playing in the mud with her "frienimies" and family.<br />
What <b>Teresa </b>did say on <b>The View</b>, that could be considered new, was confirmation that until she is watching the show, she really did not know about all the dirty-looks, and nasty comments that her co-stars, mainly the <b>Manzo</b> family, were directing towards her. <b>Teresa</b> told us several times on <b>The View </b>that seeing and learning all of this now is "hurtful". (and by several times, I mean using that exact word "hurtful", which I found strange in her delivery. She used the word verbatim, almost like she was afraid to deviate from the exact words that she had been scripted/ or coached to say. How hard would it be to change-up the words so it wouldn't sound so stiff?). Personally, I thought that it would sound much more natural for <b>Teresa</b> to say, "My feelings have been really hurt.", instead-of, "It is hurtful." Here's a paraphrased transcript of <b>Teresa's</b> interview from <i><b>The View</b></i>:<br />
<br />
<b>Barbara</b>- "Would you do another season?" <br />
<b>Teresa</b>- "Its been hurtful, Barbara."<br />
<b>Barbara </b>-"how does it make you feel seeing what they say behind your back?"<br />
<b>Teresa-</b> "It has been...hurtful."<br />
<b>Barbara</b>-"So, if they offered you a chance to come back next season, would you do it? You're planning on coming back-right, you won't turn-down an offer-would you?"<br />
<b>Teresa</b>-"It has been very, uh, its been hurtful?"<br />
<br />
Another thing that feels as recycled as an episode of <b><i>House</i></b>, is the winning <b>Bravo</b> formula of "mean girls", and picking-on the underdog. Everybody loves an underdog-right? It worked for <b>Bethenny</b>, why won't the same thing work for <b>Alexis </b>on <b>The Real Housewives of OC</b>, or <b>Teresa</b> in <b>New Jersey</b>? And in another of the higher-rated plots, it didn't work-out so well for <b>Danielle</b>, but the viewers did tune-in to watch, so it worked-out for <b>Bravo</b>.<br />
Well-for one very important reason, reality is not drama. You can't have it both ways-either a show is scripted or it is NOT. Using the scripted drama <b><i>House</i></b>, as an example of a show that had some success using a formula that everyone expected and enjoyed, (patient has strange illness, <b>House</b> almost kills them, investigate the patient's home, <b>House</b> takes some pills and saves the day...), well, having some predictable familiar gimmicks is fun for a reality show, but in reality, people have a way of not doing what we expect them to do. They go "off-script"-or, improvise. Things happen that we couldn't even imagine. THAT is one of the reasons that people like to watch reality television.<br />
And that's why when I watch an episode of <i><b>House</b></i> or<i><b> Law & Order</b></i>, I anticipate the expected formula, but I feel cheated when its served-up in my reality favorites. Because "reality" is life, and life does not play-out the way we expect it to-does it? <br />
Another thing that has been bothering me this season so far is the complaining about magazine "stories" being sold. I did a great deal of investigation into celebrity and gossip magazine stories when I was looking into the strange story about the little girl who's mother supposedly gave her botox©. It turned-out that the mother of the girl claimed that she had simply sold PHOTOS, and in reality those photos were allegedly posed to make it appear that the child was having her face injected. And the pictures were indeed sold for an admitted $15,000, (<b><i>Good Morning America</i></b>, a NEWS organization was involved in this alleged hoax. "<i>We do NOT pay for interviews, but we DO pay to use photos</i>"-was <i><b>GMA</b></i>'s quote as well).<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/botox-mom-injected-year-entire-story-fake-bid/story?id=13645562">link to botox hoax story</a><br />
I know that has nothing to do with this,but what I learned in that instance was that publications, and even television networks, DO NOT ever like to admit for paying for stories or interviews. They WILL admit to paying for photos. So, all of this talk about <b>Teresa</b> "selling" her story, selling her apology...they ALL know that it doesn't work like that. Its the pictures that are being paid for. Sometimes the photos are brokered through an agent, and sometimes interviews and quotes are given, but basically,<b> Teresa</b> can honestly say that she has NOT been paid to "sell stories". (I'm sure that they ALL have been paid for their photos ;)). And if the people who choose the cover-photos want <b>Teresa</b> instead-of <b>Caroline</b>, THAT is who they are going to pay.<br />
But we, the viewers of <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b> haven't learned a thing about how that all works from watching the show, although I find it very interesting. Instead, we are being jerked back and forth between what happened, on screen and in real life/real-time last year, and Season 3/Season 4, (which we are seeing now. And they are blogging-about now, but which actually happened last year...and then just to make it MORE confusing, who knows WHAT they are Tweeting-about!). OH-and one other interesting current piece of information that was disclosed on <i><b>The View</b></i>, is that <b>Teresa</b> has not seen her relatives since the Season 3 Re Union, which was recorded last September. <br />
-So it does at least make some sense, that <b>Bravo</b> had the foresight to get almost all of Season 4 done, before whatever it is that happens at the end-of Season 4 at the fashion show, and the Season 3 reunion, because <b>Bravo</b> must have had an inkling that they would not be able to be friendly after all of it.<br />
I'm watching a repeat of <b>Rosie</b> and <b>Kathy </b>discussing<b> Rosie's </b>homosexuality right now and <b>Kathy</b> says to her sister <b>Rosie</b>, "When you came-out to me.", and it almost sounds unscripted, but not quite. Who uses such politically correct phrases with their own sister? Even-if it is a touchy subject, I'd have to imagine IF someone were to have a conversation like that in real life, that it would sound more like, "remember the first time that we talked about you being gay?", or is homosexuality such a tricky topic that sisters and close family members talk like that? (But friends and acquaintances and co-workers like<b> Joe Giudice</b> are graphic, insulting and crude?) .<br />
Maybe the title of the episode should have been, "<b><i>How to/How not-to talk to gay friends and relatives</i></b>"? The entire topic just feels a little forced, and again-scripted. The sexy married-lady in the hot-tub party, just made me wonder if the Wakilie's didn't really know how to behave at a party, but that they've visited a few orgies with their hookah-pipe?</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-22284596853059408962012-06-02T12:08:00.000-04:002012-06-02T12:08:58.230-04:00Are we Being Fed a Big Fat Load of Lauren Manzo?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceI6kzOuk6QO-ai836XvrsMzSY44UA_2_GMJTR5m_WtwidJqeI4YdKRHULEaq5-Hu1Ff__eSG8AWwDm923eEh5p-KFvhuYCXALT3R5ElY_gYYhVR-qMuek8nWrcsjA_TeiOBHHyXoi0hA/s1600/AAAAAFATMANZO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceI6kzOuk6QO-ai836XvrsMzSY44UA_2_GMJTR5m_WtwidJqeI4YdKRHULEaq5-Hu1Ff__eSG8AWwDm923eEh5p-KFvhuYCXALT3R5ElY_gYYhVR-qMuek8nWrcsjA_TeiOBHHyXoi0hA/s400/AAAAAFATMANZO.JPG" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did You see what I did here? YES! Its Smelly Melly's fatsuit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
This season's storyline for <b>Lauren Manzo</b> has been about her alleged weight-problem. I say alleged for a reason. I had my suspicions, especially since except for a few strategic camera close-ups, which were obviously done to make <b>Lauren</b> look as large as possible, I cannot, or do not see an obese person when I see <b>Lauren </b>on <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b>.
Yet <b>Caroline Manzo</b> goes on and on about it like its the great tragedy of the century. (Meanwhile,<b> Caroline's</b> estranged sister <b>Dina</b>, devotes time to children who are ill with cancer. No one needs to tell me why those two don't get along).<b>
</b>
So I did a little online research on <b>Ms. Lauren Manzo</b>, and it was her OWN message to a fan's question on <span style="color: cyan;">Twitter</span>, that convinced me that<b> Lauren's</b> "fat"-"problem", is nothing more than a BRANDING/MARKETING opportunity.
Apparently, word is out that<b> Lauren </b>has allegedly lost some weight and she has been sighted out and about looking gorgeous and thin. Here's a photo from <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/real-housewives-of-new-jersey/articles/weight-loss-alert-lauren-manzo-sheds-unwanted-pounds-photo">Wetpaint.com (article on Lauren link here)</a> that they say was posted on <b>Caroline's</b> Facebook page. Notice the high-angle the photo was taken-from? And is <b>Lauren </b>following <b>Jill Zarin's</b> advice to wear THREE GIRDLES??? here? I'd hate to see the red-marks when she peels them off!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.wetpaint.me/rhnj/ROOT/photos/Skinny-Lauren-Manzo-Strikes-a-Pose-With-Her-Brothers-4374168654940993069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://static.wetpaint.me/rhnj/ROOT/photos/Skinny-Lauren-Manzo-Strikes-a-Pose-With-Her-Brothers-4374168654940993069.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> From WetPaint "Weight Loss Alert"-story. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
But as I said earlier, it was <b>Lauren's</b> own <span style="color: cyan;">Tweet</span>, that outed the marketing and branding plan. In the Tweet, <b>Lauren</b> alludes-to a deal being made.Someone had asked<b> Lauren</b> how she managed to lose weight, and <b>Lauren </b>replied that she cannot say yet because of "contracts". So she's waiting to get a deal to sell her , (alleged, supposed...), "weight-loss"/diet story to the highest bidder? Here's a screen-shot of the <span style="color: cyan;">Tweet</span>:
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl5xm0mA1ttXipFc9lzgpoqAVMsT5PF7cSvtezD5qlE4LKLjSlubQq7ivnOrOPuUeRqcZwsVBCEyB4h-t5RmJr7EuJyu3_8uBofDAOGg-KTmnEq08or7N5xIdgDVLEyLYbxHBLB9loMst/s1600/AMANZOTWEET.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl5xm0mA1ttXipFc9lzgpoqAVMsT5PF7cSvtezD5qlE4LKLjSlubQq7ivnOrOPuUeRqcZwsVBCEyB4h-t5RmJr7EuJyu3_8uBofDAOGg-KTmnEq08or7N5xIdgDVLEyLYbxHBLB9loMst/s1600/AMANZOTWEET.JPG" /></a></div>
I know that I titled this post with a question mark, but I'm just going to come out and say that I think that the whole "<b>Lauren</b> is overweight", is a fake, phony LIE! I have to give them credit because usually we criticize the media for using Photo-Shop© and other tricks and smoke & mirrors to deceive us into believing that people are thinner, and/or prettier than they really are. This would be the 1st time that I can think-of, where the media attempts to fool the public by having us believe that someone is heavier. OH wait a minute! I just remembered those AWFUL super-close-up cover photos that <b>The National Enquirer</b> used many years ago, when they were feuding with <b>Liz Taylor.</b> But that is the only example that I can think-of, maybe there are more?<br />
(THIS HAS BEEN A SMOKE-FREE BLOG) </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-55119841110815146482012-05-02T00:05:00.000-04:002012-05-02T00:05:51.728-04:00Last two posts invisable now due to False info posted by myself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Attention: </span>I am making the past two posts on this blog invisible. That read-between-the-lines one was really hard to do, but there were serious UNTRUE accusations, posted by myself there so it needs to be redone.<br />
<b>J. Laurita</b>, got-wind of my rude demands made on her publisher, and although she did not have to do it, she posted her current, valid, (as far as I know and I believe it) Cosmetologist License online.<a href="http://www.jacquelinelaurita.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/license_small.jpg">(link here)</a> <br />
I will say this in my defense- I was NOT one hundred per cent certain about what I was posting, but I had left a message in the voice-mail of the<b> Nevada Board</b>, and they returned my call the next day when I was away from my desk. In case it is not obvious, I do not know how to spell<b> Jaq's</b> 1st name. But that did not matter because the woman that I spoke with from the state Board told me that no one in the <b>State of Nevada </b>by the last name of "<b>Laurita</b>" was licensed. She also said that if I gave her the license number, that she could look it up that way but the online NJ database is pretty simple and it all goes-by names so I believed her.<br />
I did ask how I could obtain documentation or further proof of that fact, and the woman told me that (incorrectly, which I just found-out earlier), "<i>only employers</i>" were allowed to have that information.<br />
What I found-out earlier while continuing to research this matter, is that<b> Nevada </b>state law states that they MUST furnish that info. to THE PUBLIC if it is asked-for.<br />
<br />
But back to my apology. Not only did I post, and rant-about mis-information myself.<b><span style="font-size: large;"> I mis-judged Jacqueline Laurita. Maintaining a professional license, while also raising a family, and being a Home-Maker, not to mention her career as a television personality...............well. I didn't think that she had it in her to keep-up with the hard and strict requirements of maintaining professional credentials, so I was more than ready to believe the WORST. And I am very sorry about that too.</span></b> <br />
<br />
<b>I am also terribly SORRY for speading un-truth and mis-information to all of you here and on Twitter, and on Self magazine .com. And wasting your time with this</b>.-HousewifeHater</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-65154621115871852492012-04-20T19:01:00.001-04:002012-04-24T13:47:10.186-04:00Pre-Season Warm-Up!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QULZm51OIAs?rel=0" width="270"></iframe></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-91818701433601467722012-04-13T07:56:00.000-04:002012-04-13T07:56:21.949-04:00I was Wrong About Lisa Lampanelli?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">When I saw some of <b>Lisa Lampanelli's </b>comments in print the other day, I think that I mis-judged her.<br />
<b>Reality Blurred </b>had a post entitled <i>Lisa Lampanelli uses racial slurs against Dayana Mendoza</i> <a href="http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_celebrity_apprentice_5/2012_Apr_10_lisa-dayana-racial-slur#disqus_thread">http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_celebrity_apprentice_5/2012_Apr_10_lisa-dayana-racial-slur#disqus_thread</a><br />
I don't want to post<b> Lampanelli's</b> comments here again, because they are ugly and I have come to the conclusion that any mention of <b>Lampanelli's</b> words, outside-of her insult comedy act, would be "out of context"-anyways.<br />
When I first read <b>Andy Dehnart's</b> post the other day, I went on a little <b>Twitter</b>-rampage, then I did a little research on <b>Lampanelli</b>, then I wrote a reply to the item linked above.<br />
I did not notice 'til after I hit "post comment" that there is a policy on <b>Reality Blurred </b>about using real names. Luckily I had saved my post before sending. So here it is:<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>I was horrified when I first read this article. I haven't missed one episode of this round of Celeb Apprentice, but that is ALL that I knew of Lampanelli. That, and she's supposed to be a comedian. If she has been telling jokes on The Apprentice, they must have been edited-out, because she hasn't made me laugh once there so far. The way she has treated Lou Ferrigno was just nasty.<br />
I went digging for more info. Too bad I looked at her Twitter timeline first because I didn't find the funny there either, just what looked to me like an elitist attitude, and more (unfunny and ignorant for someone who apparently considers herself to be so much more intelligent then just about everybody else),- use-of the "R"-word. Can someone please send her that memo?<br />
<br />
That, and the fact that she refuses to apologize for anything that she says.<br />
I continued to dig because I really wanted to see at least one example of where she is actually funny or doing her act, and then I hit paydirt.<br />
On Amazon there is a book about The Friar's Club, where she talks in detail (Friars Club Private Joke File page 232), and she admits that when she uses stereotypes, she is making-fun of the stereotype itself, or making-fun of people who believe such things. I don't want to speak for her but, this is a quote, "...If you've got a good heart and you don't mean any of the ridiculous things that you say...""--good heart, how would I know that? But she admits more than once that she doesn't believe the stuff she says, and I don't want to apologize for her but, in PRINT here what she has said does not come-across sarcastically, or even intentionally humorous. Maybe if I saw it or heard her saying it, it could be taken as "joking". It really isn't a good joke. Certainly not worth using an offensive slur.<br />
-but I will say that I personally think that I misunderstood her intentions. If she doesn't mean what she says and it falls-under the umbrella of her, "insult comedy"- I think that she should at least recognize that a lot of people don't know who she is, so it would help her to introduce herself better if she let people in on her little "joke".</i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" class="Bs nH iY"><tbody>
<tr><td class="Bu"><br />
</td><td class="Bu"><br />
</td><td class="Bu">Here's a link to the Friar's Club book mentioned above:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1579125506/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=amazonatlanti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1579125506">Friars Club Private Joke File: More Than 2,000 Very Naughty Jokes from the Grand Masters of Comedy</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=amazonatlanti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1579125506" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-18163332175393552962012-04-03T16:17:00.000-04:002012-04-03T16:17:25.822-04:00Michael Mazzela does NOT want to be a Role Model!+ How to get Financial Aid 4 skool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Some of you here probably know that I am banned and blocked on that blog from <b>Chicago</b>. Occasionally, I lurk there and very rarely, in an "emergency",(like once or twice in the past year) I will post there using some random name. I saw something there the other day that I thought was important enough for me to post.<br />
Unfortunately, the post did not get-through. It must have still been bothering me, because I then went to the trouble of finding one of the bloggers from that site, and contacting them on <b>Twitter</b>.<br />
I asked this person if I could quote his DM, but so-far I have not received an answer on that. Actually, we had a few DMS. And yes, this guy got pretty nasty with me.<br />
I'm almost afraid to post the quote from that site, because he became very annoyed-with being quoted with what he had posted but in the interest of making-sense, here copied directly, is the quote from that blog:<br />
<br />
<b><cite class="fn">Michael Mazzella</cite> <span class="says">says:</span></b> <br />
<b>April 2, 2012 at 12:52 am </b><br />
<div class="comment-body"><b>I understand that but who is going to pay for it? I cannot get a scholarship I’ve tried very hard and the only person who would be fitting the bill is me… Education is great but there are other ways to make it and no need for me to its the many that did. I have always been a terrible student, always. I’m on such a good track and have made so much head way… there is not point in stopping….besides it’s not an option $$$ wise</b><br />
<br />
OK-so, my reply that didn't get through was something-like, "I understand that you are doing other things right now, but you should be aware that there is something called, free financial aid, and most students complete the federal financial aid application and receive grants based-on income for education. -Just something like that so that IF there were some other young person, or ANY person who could be reading that, OR if <b>Mr. Mazzela </b>would ever change his mind, that he would know that there are funds available. I don't know exactly what the extent of his "trying very hard" entailed, but I DO understand that there are multiple fraudulent companies out there, besides the general competitive nature of most scholarship opportunities.<br />
The quote above is a reply to a very nice message advising <b>Mr. Mazzela</b> to pursue his education.<br />
So-for some reason, this was bothering me. The fact that this mis-information was online, and that apparently, <b>Mr. Mazzela</b> himself, was unaware of the opportunity for free financial aid for education.<br />
So I Tweeted him. He replied that I should CHECK MY DM. We began a discussion, and it did get nasty, but it would not be right to post what he thought was a private conversation. At some point, I told him that I would be blogging about him, and I requested permission to post one of his DMS, that I thought pretty-much explained his view of the topic. He responded that he would like to have his say, so I invited him to email me, and I said that I would post whatever he liked.<br />
The gist of the (140 characters at a time!), argument, was that I should MYOB. And that Mazzela did not need or want to per-sue any educational activities. Like I said here, and to him, that's his business. And-I respect that. BUT, what he didn't seem to understand, (or really care-about either), is that his ignorance of how paying tuition for higher education works, could affect OTHER people.<br />
I tried to explain it in an excruciatingly 140 character at a time way. I just reviewed the entire conversation, and technically, he did give me permission to post it, but really that would not be fair to him so I'm not, you'll just have to trust me that he was pretty rude. Here is where I tried to explain how the mis/dis-information could lead someone ELSE astray:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjov5I-dFYMx-yDTw8vaHjj8-_Ky3XdTkPsqGD4kIy2lWYnkOErxRp1NBzSkYnWGDIBr8l5o1b1QrTAoJLmC8OLwEI5RKHl_dWwnPXqZ9bhtSzkKmWKIW3rGEGAv_H64hvlMl2Ingjkx6w1/s1600/AAATWEET.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjov5I-dFYMx-yDTw8vaHjj8-_Ky3XdTkPsqGD4kIy2lWYnkOErxRp1NBzSkYnWGDIBr8l5o1b1QrTAoJLmC8OLwEI5RKHl_dWwnPXqZ9bhtSzkKmWKIW3rGEGAv_H64hvlMl2Ingjkx6w1/s1600/AAATWEET.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yes, I did get personal with the blogger and believe me I'm sorry if I offended him. He only had to tell me once that he really wasn't interested in school for me to get it. And yes I was concerned for him. I was worried that based-on what he had posted, that he had ruled-out the idea of being able to afford tuition, and I wanted to make sure that he knew that he obviously had not taken the correct steps when he was interested. His replies indicated to me that he should not have to worry that people would make decisions based-on what he had posted.<br />
I guess he is right in that you really cannot trust any information that you see online. I learned that the hard-way that time that I followed the step-by-step instructions for cleaning my keyboard on a joke website that I did not know was a joke! But I look at that kind-of statement almost as a testimonial. I got the idea that he is tired of people telling him that he should be in school, and that's his problem to deal-with. If I were that age, and people were telling me that I should be in school, I guess it could be taken as an insult? I really didn't understand his attitude, but maybe it came-across as-if I were calling him "un-edumacated"?<b> </b>That was not my intention.<b> Mazzela</b> has chosen not to attend school, and personally, I think that he may be too busy for that right now and he's pretty clear that he doesn't want to be in school.Yes, I think that young people in general need to learn and become educated, but if they really do not want to be in school, that's fine too. Ironically, he has chosen to put himself in the public as a talk show host, which implies a certain amount of trust in what he says. I'm sure that he'll learn how that works even without sitting in a classroom ;). If he sticks to talking-about what he knows, he should be OK. As long as he is aware that he may be called-on to set-the-record-straight, when he doesn't know what he's talking-about.<br />
Also -Mis-information, dis-information,and mis-perceptions/deception are some-of the main reasons why I care about<b> The Real Housewives</b> and the ideas that people get from watching. Because the shows are aiming to be "aspirational", I think that its important to validate those aspirations. "Its ALL real"-"Its not real"-- Just recently, yet another <b>Real Housewife</b>, the new one on<b> OC</b>, was quoted as saying, "Its real". Well, in this case for example, someone who watches <b>The Real Housewives</b>, may be aware that<b> Kelly</b>, who's intelligence has been compared-to "rocks", and some other women who don't seem to be very bright, have earned degrees. Well, that may be true, but I'm sure that her education didn't hurt her. Using a little twisted-logic, I could see a person who's been fed a steady-diet of <b>The Real Housewives</b>, convincing themselves that they are already smarter than <b>Kelly</b>, so why bother? Personally, I think that <b>Kelly </b>must have been hit-on-the-head with a surfboard, or flat-out cheated a LOT, but that's my personal opinion on that. And I don't like cheating either, but just because there is some cheating and politics in education, well, that's life in general.<br />
In case anybody <i>is </i>wondering how to apply for <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">free</span> financial aid. <a href="http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/">This is the official government website where the application is located.</a> http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ If you notice, it is a "Dot gov"-site, and that is extremely important to avoid scammers. It costs nothing to apply, but you do need to have some information like your most current tax-returns. AND they have a deadline, (state and federal). So if you are planning to attend school next year (the 2012-2013 school year), it has to be done now. Even-if you have not applied to a school, you can go-back to the form when you know what school you want to attend. It does take about a half-hour to fill-in the forms, but at the end they can tell you what kind-of grant you can expect. Of course the college Board, or the SAT official site has links to scholarship applications, but I prefer the FAFSA because it is a sure-thing, and many schools require it these days. Also, if the grants that a person will receive, will not cover the expenses, including room and board, transportation, books...the FAFSA site also provides links to official student loan information. That is important because there are still some companies out there that would pass themselves off as "student loan", companies, but they would have someone paying tuition, or necessary finances, at consumer interest rates, which is ridiculous because the government student loan rates are at least 10 per cent less expensive. This financing goes for any type of education that is certified including trade schools and many certification and licensing programs as well. <br />
<br />
</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-63509505188026273492012-02-27T22:53:00.000-05:002012-02-27T22:53:55.998-05:00I thought I said ENOUGH!?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">OK-so this <b>Taylor</b>-story refuses to die already.<br />
Let's just assume that<b> Taylor Armstrong</b> was abused by<b> Russell</b>, and I'll explain why even IF that were true, she still would not be an acceptable spokesperson for domestic violence.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Most survivors of domestic violence and abuse take a life-saving leap-of-faith at some point. </span><br />
<b>Taylor Armstrong</b> did NOT do that. Her alleged abuser is dead. Game-over. She NEVER did the hard things that survivors do like filing restraining-orders. In her book she speaks about wanting to have a family relationship with <b>Russell </b>ON HOLIDAYS. Yes some divorced spouses can manage to get-along for the sake of the children, but in cases of domestic abuse and violence of the magnitude that <b>Taylor </b>claims, restraining-orders and documentation of the violence/abuse make sense. That is what <b>BRAVE</b> abusive-relationship survivors DO! <b>Taylor Armstrong</b> did no such thing.<br />
Who could allow someone who committed the kind-of violence and rage that <b>Taylor</b> describes in her book, near their child or themselves? I'll tell you who, someone who has either NOT truly experienced such insanity, OR someone who has not even come close to healing, recovering, and surviving the turmoil, that's who.<br />
The question is-which one is <b>Taylor Armstrong</b>?<br />
In either case,<b> Taylor</b> cannot speak for survivors.In either case, and it can only be one or the other, all it tells us is that she is messed-up, not-right-in-the-head, and certainly does NOT have anything worthwhile to offer to anyone else, except the fact that a person can appear to look pretty and be sooo messed-up.<br />
Yes, at the time of<b> Russell Armstrong's</b> death, <b>Taylor</b> was physically and probably legally separated from <b>Russell,</b> and separation in a sick marriage is a good thing. But many say that <b>Taylor</b> was only pushed to do that when<b> Bravo</b> flat-out refused to allow <b>Taylor</b> to be on the<b> Real Housewives</b> anymore. We do not have one concrete legal filing to prove that<b> Taylor</b> was ready to stop, "<i>Hiding From Reality</i>". Nothing, in the way of violence or abuse was officially documented by <b>Taylor</b> until after <b>Russell</b> was dead.<br />
She claims in the tabloids that she was afraid to speak-out while Russell was still alive. OK, so she forfeited the chance to speak when he died in my opinion. <br />
And that brings-up the other problem. She just cannot have her cake here and eat it too. He is dead, and the fact that he can no longer speak for himself or tell his side of the story is seen as an injustice by many people.<br />
The fact that this violent person that she describes, also happens to be her child's father, and that the child and his other children already have to deal-with grief, and suicide of a parent, and now this half-baked biography, is another sore spot.<br />
Lately there have been at least three newer blogs that have popped-up to discuss the disputed items and the details that were published in <b>Taylor's </b>book, and discussed on T<b>he Real Housewives of Beverly Hills </b>, and the book tour.<br />
<b>Chirpy</b>, <b>BravoTvLover</b>, and some children who don't speak <b>English</b> as a 1st language.<br />
The, "children"-posted an email purported to be a response from <b>LAPD</b>, in regards to <b>Taylor</b>'s story, on their site today, and then they took it down. (yes I have a screen shot saved).<br />
There has also been some blog-fighting over the "timeline"© (ha ha). For the record, <b>TVTime101 </b>posted the ORIGINAL timeline, WITH photos. That should have put <b>Taylor </b>and her publishers on alert that bloggers were ready with an endless multitude of photographic evidence. At least as-far as when and where <b>Taylor</b> was seen sporting a black-eye, injuries, or as it turned-out to be mostly NOT!.<br />
OTHER<b> bloggers</b> and<b> Tweeters</b>, and<b> Commenters</b> took-up the task of working on the timeline© (ok-I think that I'm jk about that <i>©</i>) Namely, myself, and <b>Diva</b> over at the <b>blog I will not name</b>, and the people on the <b>SurvivorSucks.com</b> website, and then someone developed the Grandaddy-of-them-all, the Chicken McNugget of TIMELINES©, and gave it to <b>StoopidHousewives</b>.<br />
When there was a squabble about that on SHW dot com by the way, I was able to sneak a post in there in the comments BUT in that comment, someone deleted my mention of the FACT that <b>TVTIME101 </b>did it first, I posted a follow-up and that Diva and others had done a lot of work too.<br />
Through-out much of this, there has been quite a bit of blog vs. blog, or "blog-wars" going on. The "theft"-of the timeline©, just when "the book" was being released, was just one dramatic happening in bloggy-land.<br />
Now I see <b>BravoTvLover</b> being annoyed and supposedly attacked, and I see <b>BravoTvLover</b> fighting-back, and possibly aligning themselves a little too closely with the <b>Bravolebs</b> who are generous enough to give them "scoops", and "WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE"-interviews.<br />
But <b>BravoTvLover</b> is walking a fine-line between impartial interviewer, and grateful, starstruck blogger. One of the "<b>Taylor Camp</b>", posts some "information", telling <b>BravoTvLover</b> that "hobby bloggers" cannot obtain police records and public information, and without even trying to obtain the information, <b>BravoTvLover</b> goes-on a posting rampage asking the media to obtain the public records. <b>BravoTvLover </b>then insinuates that ALL of the people who doubt <b>Taylor's</b> inconsistent stories, in-fact ALL bloggers are either violent imposter criminals, insane, or WORSE!<br />
In any event, it appears that the "<i>Ninja, Dog-fight</i>"-(quote<b> The Chirping Twit</b>), as described in <b>Taylor's</b> book, on television by <b>Taylor</b>, on <b>BravoTvLover's</b> site, by someone claiming to have BEEN THERE, (and also claiming to have an 18 minute video of the event), is not dead-in-the-water yet.<br />
Also claimed on<b> BravoTvLover's</b> site is that the incident occurred on or about May 22, 2009. That 911 was called. That an ambulance came to the residence on <b>Roscomare Rd, in Bel Air</b>., That <b>Russell Armstrong </b>made a police report of his own concerning the incident a few days later that may have been retracted. There is also the name of one of the alleged victims of the alleged incident posted there, and elsewhere, but personally, and being from NJ, I have a policy of not interfering in the personal business of people in the waste management business as much as I possibly can.<br />
That in my opinion is enough information for anyone to request information from the LAPD. Even bloggers who may be fat, illiterate, insane, or foreign. <br />
<b>The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</b> Season II-is over, but <b>Taylor Armstrong</b> and/or her supporters keep trying to have "the last word", and continue to draw-out the story.<br />
Is it possible that the mainstream and big tabloid blogging media, are blackballing <b>Taylor</b>, and refusing to post her stories/photos because of commenter-FLACK? And lack-of evidence which is why this topic refuses to die a merciful death?<br />
Could that be the reason why flimsy verification of the tall-tales in <b>Taylor's</b> book are being force-fed to the public in excruciating and insultingly teasing ways? <br />
I really don't know WHAT is going-on behind-the-scenes, but it appears that we have reached an impasse' with the "proof", and evidence of that fateful Scalping Ninja, drowning-poolfight.<br />
But even-if there IS proof, and it did happen, it really is time for <b>Taylor</b> to be a good<b> Real Housewife</b>, and let some of the other wives and shows have a little bit of the attention.<br />
In other words, it is time for Taylor to put-up, AND shut-up. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-29702677033982505442012-02-17T20:05:00.000-05:002012-02-17T20:05:17.101-05:00ENOUGH!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbBZyeof81r0FI4q4JJ3OX-WmxTzR75sF3F0vl2X74maCMKZEfaAyqxUlnYlLkwOJ7krzKqC_GNNQ6RGY50jIqT3QM7H0lvSKNreiewlpA36-KQzh8FCjuounBcLuOzBq5kGtLpJ88oM0/s1600/AAAJAMMIES.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbBZyeof81r0FI4q4JJ3OX-WmxTzR75sF3F0vl2X74maCMKZEfaAyqxUlnYlLkwOJ7krzKqC_GNNQ6RGY50jIqT3QM7H0lvSKNreiewlpA36-KQzh8FCjuounBcLuOzBq5kGtLpJ88oM0/s320/AAAJAMMIES.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you get this we've both had ENOUGH!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-45508154155148095312012-02-13T19:39:00.000-05:002012-02-13T19:39:30.089-05:00Another Inconsistency Discovered in "The Book".<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_66us0X53_JqQHBYJHgVdR6DpMBCylov3eyoxd5RmI5dKTzj8Q7t7eDYwOeuDbGScwZwGyJ6fkM08FiQ4exP1XEtOsvj9mlLnb7ZGkMUtcz2Z4j0VEN1IZlQcrXabGF9M59tK34DPIUf3/s1600/ATimeline.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_66us0X53_JqQHBYJHgVdR6DpMBCylov3eyoxd5RmI5dKTzj8Q7t7eDYwOeuDbGScwZwGyJ6fkM08FiQ4exP1XEtOsvj9mlLnb7ZGkMUtcz2Z4j0VEN1IZlQcrXabGF9M59tK34DPIUf3/s320/ATimeline.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.radnet.com/locations2.php?recordID=51">http://www.radnet.com/locations2.php?recordID=51</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Thanks-to an in-depth discussion and post on the blog, <a href="http://thechirpingtwit.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/the-book-the-text-and-the-timing/#comment-91">The Chirping Wit, (link here)</a> , where an anomaly with the date on the medical paperwork that <b>Taylor Armstrong</b> posted on her <b>Facebook</b>, (and then deleted), was questioned, yet another untruth from <b>Taylor's</b> book was unearthed.<br />
The screen-shot and link at the beginning-of this post shows the hours of operation for the medical imaging place which was documented as performing the Cat-scan of <b>Taylor's</b> eye. Much was made of the fact that the document that <b>Taylor</b> posted, (and then deleted), was dated as having done the scan on <u>June 22, 2011</u>.<br />
Here's another screen-shot from searching "inside the book", where <b>Taylor</b> says that she received this Cat-scan on <u>June 26th</u>, which happened to be a Sunday, when the place was CLOSED. I know that celebrities are used-to receiving special-treatment in the Thirty Mile Zone, but bringing-in enough staff to operate a CAT-scan machine for <b>Taylor </b>on a day-off, just doesn't make any sense, so I'll have to go-with thinking that the place was definitely not-open on June 26th.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYIpjyDeU-xKYRT74yrMyBxOWIU5hAygQKcSHd4UYcgvuP39clHscB9Z2UF_Dk-TLAAQ75SliQ3EYZU14vHwz30w9fZ-sz22Vbn-wPQnWMyFNUPsq-xrra0wWTG53YGRbtLxzX0Jr_TJg/s1600/Atimeline2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYIpjyDeU-xKYRT74yrMyBxOWIU5hAygQKcSHd4UYcgvuP39clHscB9Z2UF_Dk-TLAAQ75SliQ3EYZU14vHwz30w9fZ-sz22Vbn-wPQnWMyFNUPsq-xrra0wWTG53YGRbtLxzX0Jr_TJg/s320/Atimeline2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><br />
A "mistake"? Just like using the term, "<i>dislocated</i>", as a medical-diagnoses, instead-of a "feeling", could be considered an "error"? <br />
Like many other people who have been following Taylor's stories, I've done a lot of research to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Sorry but I can't recall where I saw the<a href="http://www.astrochicks.com/2012/02/celebrity-psychic-predictions-real-housewives-taylor-armstrong-and-christina-aguilera/"> link to The AstroChicks latest prediction posted (this)</a>, but the advice that they give to <b>Taylor </b>is what I would say to her at this point:<br />
<div style="background-color: cyan;"><b><i>"I don’t care much for who she is trusting right now, if I was speaking with her, I would tell her to TRUST NO ONE! If you can’t even trust yourself, how can you then trust another, especially when it comes to career and money!"-AstroChicks<span style="background-color: cyan;"></span> </i></b></div></div>-And in my mind,that includes <b>Bravo Andy</b>. Was <b>Taylor</b> in-on the premise that her appearance on <i>Watch What Happens Live</i>, was nothing more than an infomercial for "Norwegian Hair", or whatever product endorsement that <b>Andy</b> was pushing? Because I certainly hope that they don't expect people in dangerous relationships to follow <b>Taylor's</b> plan. <br />
We all know people who have walked-out of abusive relationships with nothing. Maybe those aren't the kind-of people that <b>Bravo</b> wants their viewers to aspire to be? Maybe those people are too busy putting their lives back-together to care about red-bottom shoes, or rented mcmansions, fake-eyelashes, or girdles? <br />
And maybe that's why we won't see those people on <i>The Real Housewives</i>? That's too bad, because those are the "real" people who could really teach all of us a thing or two worth aspiring-to, isn't it?</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-82585499833283651072012-02-07T12:49:00.000-05:002012-02-07T12:49:33.228-05:00The Book , How I "stole"-it, and did Dr. Sophy (accidently/iatrogenically) Kill Russel Armstrong?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_top&bc1=000000&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=amazonatlanti-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1451677715" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<br />
I am not going to buy <b>Taylor's</b> book. I am not going to ask my local public library to buy it. I would not even borrow it from a public library if they already have it.<br />
A commenter on <b>Tammara's</b> blog said that they would donate the money that they would have spent on the book to support victims of domestic violence. I like that sentiment, and the idea is something that could help right some of the wrongs that <b>Bravo</b>, and <b>Taylor</b> are committing by continuing to perpetrate <b>Taylor's </b>storyline. Right now,the <b>Kindle</b>-version is for-sale on <b>Amazon</b> for $11.99. <br />
There was only one thing that I wanted to learn-about from <b>Taylor's</b> book, and as-far as I could tell, (more about that and how to read the book for <span style="background-color: yellow;">"free"</span>-later. Access to all<span style="background-color: yellow;"> free</span>-tips via Amazon link at top), the crucial info. was not there.<br />
What I wanted to know, was simply, :<i> </i><br />
<i>"<u>Why</u>, and <u>when</u> did <b>Taylor Armstrong</b> have a Lasik© procedure, preceding the "incident" of post-Lasik© alleged abuse?</i><br />
<i>(copied)</i><br />
<h3 style="background-color: cyan;">Appropriate Candidates</h3><div style="background-color: cyan;">Appropriate candidates for LASIK surgery are patients under 55 years of age with at least one year of stable vision and who have:</div><ul><li style="background-color: cyan;">Nearsightedness</li>
<li style="background-color: cyan;">Farsightedness</li>
<li><span style="background-color: cyan;">Astigmatism </span></li>
</ul><i> </i><br />
According to<a href="http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Physicians/Cedars-Sinai-Medical-Group/Treatments-and-Programs/LASIK-Surgery.aspx">(link to source quoted above)</a> LASIK© is only recommended for 3 reasons. No where in the book did I see any mention of <b>Taylor</b> having LASIK©, or even wearing glasses, until she claims that <b>Russell</b> hit her in an eye that "should have had perfect vision, because she had just had LASIK©" . There is also a lot of weaseling about exactly what happened to her eye. She mentions the "possibility"-of a "titanium implant", being recommended, but I could not see where she says that she actually has one. Many LASIK© patients report severe damage following the procedure. The, "flap-repair, flap-wrinkle" that she reports having on July 5th, 2011, weeks after Russell alledgedly hit her, is a common result of LASIK damage.<br />
This is how I read so much of <u>Hiding From Reality</u> for free on <b>Amazon.com</b>: I have already downloaded and installed the <span style="background-color: yellow;">Free</span> <b>Kindle for PC</b> on my computer. It can also be installed on mobile devices. If you have a <b>Kindle</b>, its even better because with a<span style="background-color: yellow;"> free</span> trial-subscription to<b> Amazon Prime</b>, you can actually download one free book if it is in the lending library, (along-with the other great "<b>Prime</b>" services like free-shipping, video...).<br />
If you don't feel like using the download, no-problem, just click the<b> free</b>-preview where it says, "<i>look inside the book</i>". (But if you do download the <b>Kindle</b>-sample, you get a little more from the 1st chapter).<br />
Also-you can see much more if you are logged-in to<b> Amazon</b>.<br />
Now here's where it gets a little tricky, but it really pays-off. There is a search-box where you can enter keywords. I must have searched 75 to 100 different terms, and cross-refrenced that info. with the page/chapter outline that was available to establish a "timeline" to the story.<br />
Posted-below are some highlights/review, but the most important thing that I learned concerned <b>Russel Armstrong's</b> death. If what <b>Taylor</b> says about <b>Russell</b> taking medication is close to the truth, I believe that <b>Russel's</b> death was directly related to the use, and sudden discontinuation of powerful psychiatric drug(s) that <b>Taylor </b>claims were prescribed by <b>Dr. Sophy</b> for <b>Russell's</b>, "<i>anger</i>".<br />
In the book, <b>Taylor </b>reports that<b> Russell </b>had an immediate, and noticeable effect from the drug(s), even-though they had been told not to expect anything right-away. (I was unable to see if <b>Taylor</b> named the drug or not-someone should certainly ask her this important question but I have a feeling that the networks/lawyers/drug-companies will not allow that). By entering more search-words, I was able to see that <b>Taylor</b> also claims that <b>Russell </b>said that if he had had the medication ten-years ago, he would have spared people from his trouble. The book details further remarks about the meds, and then documents that <b>Russell</b> had been expected to refill the prescription on the Thursday immediately preceding his suicide, but that he neglected to do that, thus-terminating the drug without medical supervision. Unfortunately, that scenario is part-of the "<b>Black-Box</b>", side-effects, which are known to result-in accidental suicides due-to a chemical imbalance which is caused-by suddenly starting, and/OR stopping certain drugs. <b>Russell Armstrong's</b> suicide is a textbook example of the "<b>Black Box</b>"-warning suicide/side-effect.<br />
What drug was <b>Russell</b> taking? I would like to know, but there are so many, including drugs like <b>Accutane©</b> for pimples-that are required by law to carry a "<b>Black-Box/Suicide</b>"-warning, that it really does not matter.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://psychcentral.com/blog/images/blackboxwarning.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://psychcentral.com/blog/images/blackboxwarning.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BLACK BOX from<a href="http://www.prescriptiondrugsarekillingus.blogspot.com/"> http://www.prescriptiondrugsarekillingus.blogspot.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Prescription drugs are very dangerous and in my opinion, if <b>Russell </b>really did take the meds, (and stop taking them suddenly without supervision), and he really did experience effects from the drug(s), it is very easy to draw the conclusion that <b>Russell Armstrong</b> was suffering a chemical sensitivity, (like an allergic-reaction).<br />
I am not accusing <b>Dr. Sophy</b> of intentionally causing his patient's suicide. Most Psychiatrists put a lot of faith in prescription drugs. NOT-prescribing drugs could be considered "malpractice", and <b>Dr. Sophy</b>, (as-far as I know), was following the current recommendations for treatment by offering drugs to <b>Russell Armstrong</b>. "Drug-abuse" and misuse, occurs when patients do not follow the instructions given to them by a doctor, or pharmacist. The standard-of-care, when prescribing any drug, includes instructions for the patient to follow-up and discuss any changes to a medication regime, many times including a warning to notify the Dr. immediately, and not to suddenly discontinue a substance without a doctor's advice. <b>Taylor</b> also claims in her book that<b> Dr. Sophy </b>had not heard from <b>Russell</b> in the days leading-up to the suicide. If that is also true,<b> Russell </b>made a critical mistake. A mistake, that <b>Taylor</b> would certainly have known was serious IF she had known at the time, considering her own medical degree. (I sure don't have a medical degree, and even I know that this stuff can and does KILL!).<br />
In my lay-person's uneducated opinion, I think that the coroner's report should list <b>Russell Armstrong's</b> death as, "Death by pharmaceutical mis-adventure." <br />
What did I learn from "stealing" <b>Taylor's </b>book?<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Taylor</b> says that she didn't like her life and wanted to be someone else.</li>
<li>In addition to student-loans, <b>Taylor </b>had a $30,000 credit-card debt in college because she liked the "<b>Beverly Hills</b>" lifestyle.</li>
<li>She seduced her best-friend's boyfriend </li>
<li>She had her breasts augmented and her lips done</li>
<li>Her aunt was in the music biz. and her mom was for a short-time</li>
<li>She studied medicine in college for some reason that she doesn't quite understand</li>
<li><b>Russell</b> rejected her and gave her phone number to his friend and she finally accepted a date with friend to <b>Russell's</b> surprise-party. Hijinks ensued.</li>
<li> She claims that <b>Russell's</b> mother suffered "hypomania", and hinted-at a genetic source for mental illness.</li>
<li>She alludes that <b>Russell</b> had paranoia, delusions, and a possibly severe, undiagnosed mental illness</li>
<li>That <b>Taylor</b> was followed and investigated and <b>Russell </b>allegedly told her not to worry when her email was compromised Apparently<b> Russell's</b> loved-ones were concerned about <b>Taylor</b> from day-1. </li>
<li>She reports going to a "sex-hormone-therapist/Dr." herself, to try and improve her relationship with <b>Russell</b>.</li>
<li>The bit about taking a gender-test to determine if<b> Kennedy </b>was a boy or girl.</li>
<li>That <b>Russell </b>convinced her to take a polygraph-test because she had a famous NBA basketball player's phone number on her phone.</li>
<li>That <b>Russell </b>beat her friend <b>Jennifer's</b> fiance, <b>Mark</b>, so badly that <b>Mark</b> needed new teeth.</li>
<li>That police were involved with that incident because-of the violence and that police questioned<b> Taylor </b>because <b>Jennifer</b> said that <b>Russell</b> tried to kill <b>Taylor</b>, <b>Mark</b>, and some dogs, by drowning them all in a swimming pool</li>
<li> That <b>Dr. Sophy</b> is the greatest, and that <b>Sophy</b> consoled <b>Taylor</b> after <b>Russell's</b> death telling her that <b>Russell</b> had been very sick for a very long time and that <b>Russell</b> did not receive treatment soon-enough to prevent his death.</li>
</ul><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-24636541501662388042012-01-16T11:04:00.000-05:002012-01-16T11:04:30.186-05:00Thank-you and Welcome Home USA Soldiers!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: red;">H</span></span>opefully our country will have the opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank our brave Troops. While we are waiting for that to happen, I'd like to extend my personal message to the homecoming men and women who served in time of combat. : Your service will never be forgotten. Your protection was felt here at home while you served us in those harsh conditions. I don't know why we don't say it loud-enough, or often-enough, but I am saying it here and now, and meaning it every day:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> THANK-YOU!</span></b></div><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-28704693901435864742011-12-05T18:44:00.000-05:002011-12-05T18:44:12.664-05:00Joining in Solidarity with Another Blog/ Why we Should let Bravo know how we Feel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;">S</span>omething important is going-on over at <b>StoopidHousewives.com</b>. <b>SH</b> is doing a series about how <b>Taylor Armstrong's</b> storyline on this season of <b>The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</b> is affecting the late <b>Russel Armstrong's </b>children, Ex-wives, and his family. Apparently, one-of <b>Russel Armstrong's</b> ex-wives, (<b>Barbara</b>), has confided to <b>StoopidHousewives.com</b>, (<a href="http://stoopidhousewives.com/2011/12/05/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-shanalynettehughestaylorfordarmstrong-taylor-armstrong-and-bravo-get-russell-off-rhobh/">full story here</a>), and the information has incited <b>SH </b>to call-for letting<b> Bravo</b> and others know how the public feels about airing the late <b>Mr. Armstrong</b>, as part-of this season's story.<br />
Copied from the story and posted below is one example of what the viewers didn't see, this is heart-breaking to me, and even-though I put the blame squarely on <b>Taylor</b>, (and her party-planner), after seeing this, I feel personally responsible to agree with <b>SH</b>, and I will be joining in the effort to let <b>Bravo </b>know how I feel about this. (full instructions on how to do that in the item:<a href="http://stoopidhousewives.com/2011/12/05/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-shanalynettehughestaylorfordarmstrong-taylor-armstrong-and-bravo-get-russell-off-rhobh/"> http://stoopidhousewives.com/2011/12/05/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-shanalynettehughestaylorfordarmstrong-taylor-armstrong-and-bravo-get-russell-off-rhobh/</a>)<br />
I won't lie and say that I won't be watching tonight's episode of<b> The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</b>, because I plan-on watching it this week. But I cannot just stand-by and digest this BS. The one thing that I will say in <b>Bravo's</b> defense, is that (so-far), as-far as I can tell, the viewers are NOT falling-for<b> Taylor's</b> act.<br />
Is that because <b>Bravo </b>has edited things in <b><i>Russel's</i></b> favor? At this point, its hard to tell, but <b>Russel Armstrong's</b> family has continued to maintain that ANY airing of the late <b>Mr. Armstrong</b> is causing them, and his children pain. The least that I can do is join the message-campaign, and furthermore, I will NOT be watching any more 1st runs of <b>The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</b>, this season. IF I watch it at all-it will be the re-runs.<br />
Clipped from <b>StoopidHousewives.com</b>, is what finally provoked me to take action. No its not the viewer's fault that this happened, but as consumers of the series, it would be irresponsible to think that WE were not considered, and therefore very indirectly, played a part in what<b> SH</b> (and I agree 100%) calls "despicable" behavior.(copied):<br />
<h2><span style="color: #f00e52;">How Shana and Bravo REALLY do birthday parties… from Barbara…</span></h2><blockquote>“Oh we forgot to mention to you another important note…. Kennedy’s birthday party at the Saddle Rock Ranch was also supposed to be a belated party for Russell’s 11-year-old, too. Yet, they put the wrong year on the Costco cake and no one even sang happy birthday to him.<br />
FYI: Kennedy’s cake was $2,000.00. Also, Russell’s 14-year-old was there to confirm and told me that his brother was very upset and said “this sucks” and Aiden said “Mom I told him told I know and I told him it would be OK.”<br />
And to add more pain and misery…he didn’t get one gift and Kennedy got a horse and so many gifts that they had to be taken out in a truck. She (Shana) made sure the boys had nothing!”</blockquote><br />
(end copy)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-60661258636624103662011-11-28T20:12:00.000-05:002011-11-28T20:12:42.212-05:00RiDonkulous!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> "That wasn't cool at ALL!"-Kandi's mom</span></span></blockquote>I know that I've been a bad blogger lately, and even my links need to be refreshed/updated...but I'm still here.<br />
Since <b>The Real Housewives of Atlanta </b>are currently airing, I've been meaning to add at least two local "<b>Atlanta</b>"-blogs that keep showing-up in my searches for info. about the <b>Atlanta Housewives</b>.-to the blogroll.<br />
One is the <b>Southern</b>-sweet,<a href="http://www.tamaratattles.com/"> http://www.TamaraTattles.com/</a> and the other is<a href="http://straightfromthea.com/2011/11/28/meet-redickulous-atlanta-housewives-stripper-of-season-4-photos-video/"> StraightFromTheA.com/</a> , which is a little bit more urban, but between the two sites, they have <b>The Real Housewives of Atlanta</b> <u>covered</u>!<br />
I would love to grab a screen-cap of <b>RIDICKULOUS</b>, from <i><b>Straight From The A</b></i>, but instead, I'll just give the link to this post, so you can see for yourself if you like. (no nudity the last time that I checked, but be warned anyways) <a href="http://straightfromthea.com/2011/11/28/meet-redickulous-atlanta-housewives-stripper-of-season-4-photos-video/">http://straightfromthea.com/2011/11/28/meet-redickulous-atlanta-housewives-stripper-of-season-4-photos-video/</a><br />
After taking a look at <b>Mr. Ridikulous's</b> face, in the link above, I was surprised that I didn't notice what a nice-looking guy he is when he appeared on RHWOA last night, but he was wearing a hood, and then all-that commotion!<br />
Am I on "Team<b> Nene</b>", or "Team <b>Phaedra</b>"? BOTH, ha ha. In my opinion, what <b>Bravo</b> chose to set-up, was obscene in my opinion, AND, in the opinion of many communities in the <b>USA</b>, which I'm sure <b>Mrs.Phaedra</b> knows is what defines "obscenity". (the legal definition of obscene is normally delegated to community-standards). <i>but</i>. For some reason, I want to give <b>Phaedra</b> a pass. I think that she made a mistake, or maybe everyone who was there was "in" on what was going-to happen? In any event, I'm rooting for <b>Phaedra</b> to come-out smelling like a rose, even-though what what we think that we saw was definitely wrong.<br />
It must be that<b> Southern Belle </b>charm, and myself being a <b>Yankee</b> from <b>Yankee-land</b>, I'm a sucker for it every time. <br />
I'm glad that some of the party-goers expressed discomfort with what apparently happened! And I loved the way that all of those name-brand designers rolled-out of <b>Nene's</b> mouth in her moment of flight. I don't know if I detected a slight<b> Italian</b>, or<b> Euro-French</b> accent in <b>Ms. Nene's</b> pronunciation, but I liked that too.<br />
I could go on and on about why I think that Bravo crossed-the-line with this, but the two main problems that I have concern, one-the performer himself, because I'm not so sure that what I think I saw him doing wasn't physically harmful. Since double-negatives confuse me, I'll say it another way, I think that it is possible that what I think we saw him do was painful, and could cause permanent-damage.<br />
Hopefully I'm wrong about that, and <b>Mr. Ridiculous </b>is not abusing himself to entertain people, but <b>Bravo</b> could have AT LEAST added a <i>"Don't try this at home"</i>, warning. <br />
Am I taking it too seriously? I don't think so. I don't think that <b>Bravo</b> took the performance seriously enough.<br />
And that's why I have to say that I'm one-hundred percent two-faced on this one. I hope that <b>Phaedra</b> recovers from whatever part she had in this, yet I'm firmly on the side-of <b>Nene</b> and <b>Kandi's</b> mother when it comes to having the right to be offended. It was outrageous, over-the-top, inappropriate...and whatever other ways that can be used to describe how WRONG it is to surprise people with something that could be considered obscene.<br />
As a viewer, I was offended. And I would have liked to have-had the opportunity to put a prayer-cloth over my television! I did learn something about myself from this, I am personally equally sqeamish about seeing men be exploited for their naked body-parts, as I am when it comes to women. <b>Kandi's</b> mom had it right when she said that it<i> "wasn't cool"</i>.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-22754473264848500002011-11-07T21:53:00.000-05:002011-11-07T21:53:42.764-05:00What's in Kim Richards's Medicine Cabinent? Rx's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://design-milk.com/images/2007/09/happy-pills-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://design-milk.com/images/2007/09/happy-pills-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br />
<a href="http://design-milk.com/happy-pills/">http://design-milk.com/happy-pills/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">S</span>o I jotted them down, and looked them up for anyone who is interested, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000530/">Trazadone (link to med info)</a>, most-likely used as-an anti-depressant. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000214/">Lexapro(link to med info) *also called Escitalopram</a>, another drug that seems to affect one's Serotonin, also noted for use with anxiety/nervousness. And most interesting to me because I've never heard about this one before, and I don't know if use for treating alcohol-cravings is considered, "off-label", or not, but, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000998/">Topamax(link to med info) *also called Topiramate</a> a drug normally prescribed for Epileptic seizures, but also noted for use in treating Alcoholism. <br />
Was the scene with <b>Dr. Paul</b> set-up as a good opportunity for <b>Kim </b>to reveal and share this very personal information with us on <b>The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</b>? She certainly would have been afforded privacy in answering the question on camera if she really wanted-to right?<br />
(And does anyone wonder just what <b>Taylor</b>, and the others answer would be, and why we didn't see their answers?)<br />
Wow--that is some heavy-duty medication there, and if anyone else is saying that <b>Kim</b> is brave for sharing this, I'd have to agree. Either that, or maybe not being able to lie is one of the side-effects? (I've heard-of stranger side-effects, and after reading the monographs of these particular drugs, I'd say that would be a mild one).<br />
Of-course by now, she may have decided to try something else. In any event, this new development of naming exactly what meds a <b>Real Housewife</b> is using is pretty interesting to me.<br />
And just for the record, I'd guess from the glass-of <b>Pepsi©</b>, or <b>Coke©</b> that <b>Kim's</b> boyfriend was drinking when we were introduced to him, that they met each-other in treatment.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-14191977087445666062011-10-27T15:49:00.000-04:002011-10-27T15:49:00.209-04:00Its a Joke-Right? Or Why Andy got The Bitch-Edit at the Re-Union<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbp2Qqo8pWVIJMnWv1OpCO5AYgj221hmF5z-BXb07gbglzyxMqHhFgEVXj-76RGkmTbXFjOkqS2l3yuKriccVLxzoLS00wNvbBCcc8w7cZMz4vYiOVqRx3wuKwmFsjUqoxuQO1yExTpAe/s1600/A1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbp2Qqo8pWVIJMnWv1OpCO5AYgj221hmF5z-BXb07gbglzyxMqHhFgEVXj-76RGkmTbXFjOkqS2l3yuKriccVLxzoLS00wNvbBCcc8w7cZMz4vYiOVqRx3wuKwmFsjUqoxuQO1yExTpAe/s320/A1.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>I don't know why <b>Andy</b> got the bitch-edit. At the end of part 2 of <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season III Re-Union</b>, <b>Andy</b> did admit that he too had an issue with <b>Teresa Giudice</b>. The thing is that <b>Andy</b> chastised <b>Teresa</b> for something that she didn't do.<br />
In case you missed that part,<b> Andy</b> went pretty hard on <b>Teresa</b> for <b>Joe Giudice's</b> never-ending use of the word, "<i>faggot</i>" while the camera's were rolling.<br />
<b>Andy</b> made a point of highlighting the fact that the word has been used in instances of bullying, and worse, (hate-crimes, and violence), but as usual,<b> Andy's</b> personal offense was wrapped in an enigma of irony, sandwiched in hypocrisy, frosted with BLING.<br />
<b>Cohen's</b> defense was no excuse for what viewers of<b> The Real Housewives of New Jersey Re-Union Part 1, and 2</b>, witnessed. I really think they could have named this finale' <i>The Bloodbath in Redbank</i>. <br />
<b>Teresa</b> made sure that her star would shine the brightest by wearing a giant BLING-badge on her dress. Maybe it was in her contract that she alone would have the biggest BLING-for-the bang, but it turned-out to be a booby-prize in my opinion.<br />
When we were first introduced to<b> Caroline Manzo's</b> son<b> Christopher</b> in Season 1, he came attached to the "joke" that he aspired to running a car-wash that featured strippers.<br />
In Season 2, we even got to see the hilarity come true. It was clearly the intent of <b>Caroline</b>, <b>Christopher</b>, and<b> Bravo</b>, that this stripper/car-wash idea was supposed to be a cute, funny, joke.<br />
In Season 3, when <b>Teresa </b>mentions the gimmick in her cook-book, all of a sudden, the "joke"-is fighting words?<br />
And speaking-of bitches, when did <b>Caroline Manzo</b> become the The Queen of Mean? The<b> Re-Union</b> editing in general was very "choppy" in my opinion, but they certainly didn't delete the eye-rolls, grimaces, sneering, evil-eyes, (or as they say, "ma-loinx" in Italian), and just-plain rotten-dirty-looks that <b>Caroline</b> directed towards <b>Teresa</b>.<br />
<b>Caroline's</b> body-language was as over-the-top as a <b>Gorga/Giudice</b> Christening party, and it wasn't pretty.<br />
Neither was what she said.<br />
<b>Caroline</b> has said some pretty nasty things about her step-niece <b>Ashley, Danielle's </b>young daughter's, and even her own daughter, but she saved the worst for <b>Teresa's </b>daughter <b>Gia</b>.<br />
In commenting on<b> Gia's</b> performance of a song that <b>Teresa's</b> daughter wrote and sang at her sister's birthday party, <b>Caroline </b>shouted at <b>Teresa</b> that it was "<span style="font-size: large;">A DISGRACE!</span>"<br />
I went-back to watch the scene again on<b> Bravo.com</b>, and <b>Bravo</b> made a point to caption <b>Caroline </b>whispering to her husband <b>Albert</b> that <b>Gia's</b> song was "stupid". In other commentary of <b>Gia's</b> sad-song, <b>Caroline</b> refers to it as, "tragic".<br />
<a href="http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/season-3/videos/singing-in-the-pain-pt5#.TqlOz6V89L0.blogger">The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 3 - Singing in the Pain, pt.5 - Video - Bravo TV Official Site</a><br />
After Part 1 of the re-union, I noticed that some online commenters were wondering if<b> Teresa</b> had been sedated. I hadn't considered that myself, but at the conclusion of Part 2, after the entire ambush ended and the worst they got-out of our body-slammin', table-throwing<b> Teresa</b> was "<span style="font-size: large;">Go Scratch!</span>", the tranquilizer idea made sense to me.<br />
I was particularly offended by the criticism of <b>Gia</b>. How could <b>Bravo</b> have even allowed those remarks to stay, when as I mentioned above, the whole production was so heavily-edited?<br />
For one thing, <b>Gia's</b> number was cute. And it was a perfect demonstration of what most normal 10 or 11 year-olds would come up with. It wasn't real entertaining, but it was what it was, and it was short, and very sweet.<br />
<b>Caroline</b> had no right to make those pronouncements on that child. <b>Gia's</b> little a' Capella Birthday performance might not have been the kind-of thing that makes the charts, but we all can see that that little girl is one hard-working trouper when it comes to talent.<br />
<b>Caroline's </b>scorn might be something that the grown-ups like <b>Kim G</b>., and <b>Danielle</b>, in <b></b> Jersey,<b>Franklin Lakes, New</b> have to learn how to avoid the hard-way, but we don't allow that old skool Spirit-crushing to go on here any more when it comes to children.<br />
That's why your widdle<b> Cwitofer</b> was allowed to get-away with his, "cute joke" about the strippers and the the car-wash for too long honey. <br />
Yet it was <b>Caroline</b> who's eyes almost popped-out in her overly-dramatic display-of frustration with what she wanted us to think was <b>Teresa's</b> lack-of-insight.<br />
It was all just too much, and yes they got their ratings but at the expense of disgusting the viewers in a way that cannot be justified no-matter how many sock-puppet comments they pay to pollute the www with.<br />
But it wasn't just <b>Caroline</b> who grind-ed her ax on <b>Teresa</b>, <b>Andy</b> made sure to mock, highlight, and dwell-on in a mean-girl-way every mis-pronunciation, and misunderstanding that <b>Teresa</b> made.<br />
<b>Teresa's</b> confusion with the English language is part of what makes her unique and interesting. Somehow this season, her quirks were presented as ignorance and a lack of intellect. Its never a fair-fight when you take-advantage of someone who is weaker-than you. Isn't that the definition of a bully? <br />
The fact that <b>Teresa</b> grew-up in a home where English was not spoken, did not go un-noticed by the audience when we paused to wonder how <b>Teresa</b> changed from being charming into being "un ucated". <br />
We may not all have an Italian heritage, but everyone who is not a Native American has ancestors who immigrated here at one time or another. <b>Teresa's</b> husband may be a serial-offender at using the word, "faggot", and I think that<b> Andy </b>may have got his message across to some die-hards, but I'm not aware-of when it became politically correct to insult immigrants either.<br />
Or-for the host of a panel to join-in on a "slam-session" against an individual. <br />
<b>Melissa Gorga</b> tried to get-away with sitting-pretty, but her contributions to <b>Teresa's </b>interrogation did not go un-noticed. Was it really necessary for<b> Melissa</b> to correct <b>Teresa</b> when <b>Teresa </b>was trying to make the point that she had scaled-back on over-spending? Of course it wasn't. And if <b>Melissa</b> had not piped-up and informed everyone that <b>Gia</b> did indeed have an I-phone, then <b>Teresa</b> would not have had to explain that yes, <b>Gia</b> does have the I-phone now, but she did not receive both that, <i>and </i>another very expensive gift at Christmas-time.<br />
<b>Melissa</b> also demonstrated her acting-ability, which wasn't much better than<b> Caroline's</b> in my opinion, when she used the phrase, "Its all public-record?(isn't it)." to telegraph to the audience, "We all saw the public-records of the horrendous legal and financial problems that your family has."<br />
Real subtle<b> Mellisa</b>-not.<br />
<b>Melissa</b> even came with her own electronic shit-list of her complaints with <b>Teresa</b>, in case they ran-out of material. She did admit that she's a double-talker when she owned the remark, "at least we pay our bills", and confessed that what she really meant was that<b> Teresa</b> and<b> Joe </b>are deadbeats. <br />
<b>Kathy</b> made-out "OK", but she didn't bother to try and defend<b> Teresa</b>, or if she did that was edited-out.<br />
Speaking-of editing, for all that was shown on the Re-Union, the audience doesn't know what was left-out, or how "real" what we saw was. But we did see <b>Teresa</b> saying, "This is me, this is real."<br />
What kind-of "real" mother would allow a blow-hard like <b>Manzo</b>, get-away with calling their child a "disgrace", on national television no less? Yet <b>Teresa</b> posted a message to<b> Twitter</b> that the only reason that she wasn't promoting the <b>Re-Union</b> along-with her cast-mates, was because she was busy working-on the set of <i>Celebrity Apprentice</i>. She also Tweeted that she did not have a chance to see the edited version of the Re-Union part 2, before it aired, but hey she was there. <br />
Most-of <b>Gia Giudice's</b> 10 and 11 year-old peer-group are old enough to know better, to know that little<b> Gia </b>is not a "disgrace", as <b>Bravo</b> allowed <b>Caroline </b>to proclaim. But by not having a disclaimer to point-to <b>Bravo</b> has left <b>Gia</b>, (and other child reality cast-members) to her own devices when it comes-to explaining things to their friends.<br />
<br />
We already know that <b>Season 4</b> has mostly been recorded, and rumor is that <b>Caroline</b> drops-out somewhere during <b>Season 4</b>, we really don't know how much longer <b>Caroline Manzo</b> will be part of the cast.<br />
Since <b>Bravo</b> took the unusual route of mixing-up the timeline by doing the Re-Union to <b>Season 3</b> while <b>Season 4</b> was being made, the audience lost the choice to speak-out on our casting wishes for <b>Season 4</b>. <br />
The only choice that <b>Bravo has </b>left the viewers is to "<i>Watch what happens</i>", or not.<br />
I'm leaning-towards "not" at this point.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-41463885532667581332011-10-18T08:30:00.003-04:002011-10-18T09:36:45.066-04:00The Sickening Truth About Reality-Television and My Theory about the Dina Fued<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">On the <b>Today Show</b>, yesterday morning,(October 17),<b> Giuliana Rancic</b> had an announcement to make. When she revealed that she has breast cancer, reality-viewers were stunned because the<b> Rancics</b> have allowed the public to follow their quest to make a baby on their reality show on the <b>Style </b>network, <b><i>Giuliana and Bill</i></b>.<br />
Just five days ago, <b>US Weekly </b>published an interview with <b>Bill Rancic</b>, that could not have possibly been true. <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/momsbabies/news/giuliana-bill-rancic-continue-ivf-not-opposed-to-adoption-20111510">(link to US Weekly October 15 interview)</a> That interview was picked-up by <b>Radar Online</b>, and other major media-outlets, and quoted widely online. Here is a snip with some of the quotes:<br />
<blockquote><div style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><b>"</b>the<b> E!</b> Host and hubby <b>Bill</b> are in the midst of giving in vitro fertilization yet another try. <b>We're not opposed to adoption, but at this point we're going down the IVF path," Bill, 40, told <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/" target="_blank">Us Weekly</a> Thursday at the Nivea <i>New Year's Eve</i> preview in NYC. ...</b></div><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> </b><br />
<div style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><b>But in the middle of their third IVF treatment, Giuliana, 37, and Bill are hopeful. "If [our doctor says] after this cycle, 'I don't think this is going to happen for you naturally. You're going to have to look at more options,' then we will," she told <b>Us</b>. "But if someone is telling you, 'I can get you pregnant,' then we're trying it."-(Bill Rancic to US Oct. 15)</b></div></blockquote></div>Compare those words with what the same publication, <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/giuliana-rancic-i-have-breast-cancer-at-37-20111710">US, said yesterday (link here)</a>:<br />
<blockquote><div style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><b>"...Instead of a happy pregnancy announcement, Rancic, 37, told Ann Curry: "I have early stage breast cancer." The E! News host and Giuliana and Bill star made the frightening discovery back in August, as she was preparing for her third attempt to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization.</b></div><div style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><b>Rancic explained that her doctor sternly insisted that she get a mammogram before going through with the third IVF treatment. (The pregnancy hormones could "accelerate the cancer," Rancic recalled her doctor as saying.)</b></div><div style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><b>The star, who said she has no family history of breast cancer,..."-(Giuliana Rancic quoted by US October 17)</b></div></blockquote></div><br />
Am I heartless? Obviously, this couple deserves some privacy and their personal medical information is none of my, or the public's business-right? Not really. Not when you put yourself and your very personal medical problem in the spotlight of reality-television, and ask us to believe that what you are telling us is "real". Starting-with the premise that <b>Rancic</b> is dealing-with "infertility". At 37, her inability to become pregnant is not considered infertility, it is merely a fact-of-life, and quite normal for someone her age.<br />
<br />
<b>The pregnancy hormones could "accelerate the cancer," Rancic recalled her doctor as saying.</b>-Pregnancy hormones?<span style="font-size: x-large;"> WHAT? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span> Oh-I get it, since they added "recalled her doctor as saying", the accuracy of medical information "doesn't count"? I have never been treated for cancer myself, or fertility, and I certainly am not a doctor, but I can tell you that this information is incorrect and misleading. What she is calling, "pregnancy hormones", and implying that the hormones that her own body would produce in the event of a successful pregnancy, are really the fertility drugs, that she has already, obviously, <a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-11-22/entertainment/29441793_1_giuliana-rancic-ivf-giuliana-bill">taken too much-of</a>.(link)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPKCJlzFyLqLF-ULHUyWS1g-U06YfayU2LJsgD9cxMLmeRlYKzb0NglZwcTiqE9tM5yXy_zwD8HDbvB7CELuApygRasRB05giHveDI2EmQzFBawLZ6erfKFn7DQLOmrwA6C_CJfqz7Tb3/s1600/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlplp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPKCJlzFyLqLF-ULHUyWS1g-U06YfayU2LJsgD9cxMLmeRlYKzb0NglZwcTiqE9tM5yXy_zwD8HDbvB7CELuApygRasRB05giHveDI2EmQzFBawLZ6erfKFn7DQLOmrwA6C_CJfqz7Tb3/s400/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlplp.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">67 "Pregnancy Hormones" shots a month?!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
YES-it is sad, and it is her and her family's private sorrow, but when you share personal medical information with the public and call it, "reality"-you have an obligation to the public to GET IT RIGHT. <br />
<br />
<b>Rancic</b> says that she wants to urge women to get mammograms. In her case, that may have saved her life at this point, but if she is claiming that she wants to better inform women in general, about the dangers of fertility-treatments and cancer, then in my opinion, she should be advising women who take ANY kind-of hormone, (be it fertility-related like egg-donors, infertility, birth-control, for menopausal-symptoms, menstrual-cycle symptom relief...), the thing that would prevent women from having to deal with the risk, is a simple test to find-out if it is safe for them to take hormones in the first place.<br />
<a href="http://ivfbreastcancer.com/">(link)Apparently, some women are genetically not able to metabolize some drugs, so those drugs become toxic in their bodies and can produce cancer.</a> The link at <a href="http://ivfbreastcancer.com/">http://ivfbreastcancer.com/</a>, is an extensive resource created by a woman who is recovering from breast cancer and the treatment for breast cancer. The author also underwent IVF, and because she ultimately used a surrogate, and an egg-donor to produce her children, (causing those women to submit to an unnatural use of hormone treatments), in her quest to have a family, she unwittingly exposed herself and at least two other women to something that was more risky than it could have been. (if they had been tested before-hand, that risk would have been known and possibly mitigated, or avoided).<br />
People who take certain statin-drugs for heart disease are now required to have such a test before beginning statin-therapy. The pharmaceutical industry will lose some customers and sales when this type-of genetic-testing is required for all prescriptions, but it will protect people from accidentally harming themselves with drugs.<br />
I sincerely hope that<b> Giuliana </b>makes it through her cancer-treatment, and survives to tell the story. The <u>true</u> story. I honestly cannot hold <b>Giuliana </b>and <b>Bill</b> responsible themselves, for what I see as a tremendous violation of the public's right to receive accurate health information. It is just too-big, and too much of a responsibility to place on someone who's only, "crime", (yep-I put the quotes there to mean "not"), is to be a bit of a famewhore who wanted to have a baby or two. We are all responsible for our own health decisions when it comes down to it-but WHO is responsible, when not only are we not given the correct information, but we are given outright lies? There have obviously been lies told, and omissions of the truth, since at least August, when the couple heard the bad news. Was it because the news of <b>Giulianna's</b> diagnoses would have coincided, and disrupted the timeline of <i><b>Giulianna and Bill</b></i> , which was airing the IVF-treatment episodes at that time? We may never know the answer to that because no-matter what kind-of contract a person signs with reality-television, <b>HIPPA</b>-laws protect a person's medical privacy at any stage in the game, and even famewhore/reality characters have rights to their own private matters. <br />
In situations like this, the viewers have no choice but to allow <b>Giuliana</b> to reclaim as-much of herself as she needs from the public stage of reality television.<br />
<b>Rancic</b> has also announced that she intends to follow a pretty standard recommended treatment for her type of breast-cancer, which is what most people who want to save their lives would do. Chemo, and radiation, and although I personally hate cancer, and what chemo does to people, especially people who do the treatment and end-up dying from the chemotherapy treatment.......but unfortunately following the treatment that our doctors recommend, is usually the best option. Which brings me to <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b> and the snake-oil that they have been hawking on Season 3. In interviews and elsewhere, they have propagated the myth that their drink was invented by sisters from Canada who cured their own mother of Breast Cancer. Although I feel very sorry that <b>Giulianna Rancic </b>is looking-forward to really bad sickness caused by her treatment, at least she is not being mislead to drink <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=amazonatlanti-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00507A02Q" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>(read the reviews if you want to avoid this;))<br />
BLK Water, at $55. a case instead-of taking what her doctors are offering. I was astounded to see what <b>Jackie</b> said about this product that she and her husband have invested-in on her <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/season-3/blogs/jacqueline-laurita/its-her-party?page=0,2">Bravo-blog (link)</a>.</div><blockquote><b>"Since the launch of BLK, we have received letter after letter about how it has helped many people with many different conditions, ailments, and diseases including people and children with AIDS, cancer, MS, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, autism, etc. It has often been said that it helps cure a hang over."-(Jaq.'s Blog)</b></blockquote>I was shocked to see this in print on <b>Bravo's</b> website. I am not in favor of with-holding alternative medicine from anyone. But making a health-claim for ANY product, UNLESS it has been through the rigorous-testing that is required for products that make health-claims, (essentially drugs and medicines), is dangerous and there may be some kind of loop-hole that allows them to get-away with it, but I don't think so. Maybe there are some good treatments for ailments and diseases that deserve to be made available, but there clearly has been NO MEDICAL RESEARCH AT ALL done on this product. Therefore-they simply cannot make ANY claims whatsoever. Furthermore, I don't even believe that she had received so many letters since the product was hardly available when she posted the blog.I have searched high and low for the name of one person, including the two women who appeared on <b>The Real Housewives of New Jersey</b>,(and I could NOT find their names anywhere) who are claiming to have "cured their mother's breast cancer" with this stuff-and there is not one single iota of research or evidence of the claims that the people who are selling it are making.<br />
As a consumer, I was interested in the novelty idea and marketing of this product, and most importantly I wanted to be sure that consuming a little bit would be safe. I can see by the crazy, sneaky way that they are trying to promote this as some kind-of, "cure-all", that they are more interested in selling this to desperate sick people than as a fun beverage experience.<br />
Maybe the whole <b>Dina vs Caroline </b>"feud", has less to do with <b>Teresa</b>, than it does with <b>Dina</b>, not-wanting to be seen endorsing this product? Besides what <b>Jackie</b> has posted at <b>Bravo</b>.com, health claims have been made by <b>Albie Manzo</b>, among others involved, but <b>Albie's</b> comments are particularly grievous because he claims to have sent this concoction to a mother who wanted to give it to her child.<b> Dina's</b> work with <b>Project Ladybug </b>would make any association with this product an ethical dilemma at best. <br />
Anyone who has been reading my <b>Real Housewives</b> blogs for awhile, knows that it particularly irks me to see certain issues portrayed, like<b> Ramona'</b>s bizarre pregnancy-scare at age 53, and other inaccurate plot-devices disguised-as real-life events. I don't blame reality-television for <b>Rancic's</b> breast cancer, but I do blame reality television for what happens, (or doesn't happen), to viewers who mistakenly make their own health and life decisions, based-on what they think that they have learned by seeing other people's real-life experiences. <br />
<br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184899467719787178.post-32137350269319328822011-10-14T11:38:00.000-04:002011-10-14T11:38:00.451-04:00Project Ladybug Online Financals are Updated!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">(see video at the end of this post for more)<br />
This is the most recent report, copied from the <b>State of NJ</b> website. The report date is listed, "2009", but it was not posted until recently due to an extension being filed on <b>Project Ladybug's</b> part, and clerical issues with the State's website. *I may update this information later with comparison to the 2008 information that was posted online. And/or more details about what <b>Project Ladybug</b> has been up-to since they were previously mentioned. I don't know if this report covers ALL of the Ladybug branches. They have been very active in <b>Chicago</b> with fundraising, and in supporting the children and families at the <b>Comer Children's Hospital</b>, (part of The University of Chicago), who are dealing with childhood cancer<a href="http://supportucmc.uchicago.edu/site/c.phLWJ6PFKmG/b.6445899/k.CBD7/Welcome_to_Atia8217s_Project_Ladybug_Fund.htm">.Project Ladybug in Chicago (link here) </a>is not listed on the, <a href="http://supportucmc.uchicago.edu/site/c.phLWJ6PFKmG/b.5880769/k.2A81/Honor_Roll.htm">"honor roll" </a>of donors to UofC, but the hospital has not updated their list since before Ladybug really got started there. I was corresponding by email and telephone with the donation department because they did have a statement and phone number listed inviting people with questions to contact them, but after waiting months, (literally), the only info. that they would give me regarding any monetary figures was to call <b>Project Ladybug</b> and ask them. <br />
I'm also posting a 3 min. <b>YouTube </b>video called, "<i>How Atia's Project Ladybug Funds are Used</i>" following the data. The video was posted this September, it describes some of the things that PL has done in <b>Chicago</b> at an acceptance speech for a fifty-thousand dollar (!) donation to the fund. The audio is a little tricky, but it is worth listening-to if you want to get an idea of how the funds are being used. Personally, I'm impressed by the diverse amount of worthwhile spending activities that they have done to help families and children so far.<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table><tbody>
<tr><th colspan="5">PROJECT LADYBUG</th></tr>
<tr><td align="center" colspan="5">705 EWING AVE, FRANKLIN LAKES NJ, 07417</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" colspan="5">Phone: 201-320-0132</td></tr>
<tr><th align="left" colspan="2">Income</th> <th colspan="1" width="30"><br />
</th> <th align="left" colspan="2">Expenses</th></tr>
<tr><td>Direct Public Contributions:</td><td align="right">$128,476.00</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td>Program Expenses:</td><td align="right">$70,000.00</td></tr>
<tr><td>Indirect Public Contributions:</td><td align="right">0.00</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td>Management Expenses:</td><td align="right">$10,025.00</td></tr>
<tr><td>Government Grants:</td><td align="right">0.00</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td>Fund Raising:</td><td align="right">$47,917.00</td></tr>
<tr><td>Program Service Revenue:</td><td align="right">0.00</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td>Payments to Affiliates:</td><td align="right">0.00</td></tr>
<tr><td>Other Support:</td><td align="right">0.00</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td>Total Expenses:</td><td align="right">$127,942.00</td></tr>
<tr><td>Total Revenue:</td><td align="right">$128,476.00</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td><td align="right"><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="5"><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>Registration Number:</b> CH3177400</td> <td width="30"><br />
</td> <td colspan="2"><b>Report in File:</b> 12/31/09</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here is the glossary of terms used copied from the State of NJ website:<br />
<br />
<b>Glossary of Terms</b> <br />
<ul class="bodytext"><li><b>Fund-Raising Expenses</b> - The dollars that are spent raising money to enable the charity to continue to exist. </li>
<li><b>Management & General Expenses</b> - The dollars that are spent running the organization such as salaries, office expenses, etc. </li>
<li><b>Net Assets</b> - Sometimes called "net worth", net assets equal a charity's assets minus its liabilities. </li>
<li><b>Payments to Affiliates</b> - The dollars that are spent by national charities to the local or state chapters; conversely, some local chapters pay dues to national offices. </li>
<li><b>Program Expenses</b> - The dollars that are spent on the activities or programs for which the charity was founded. </li>
<li><b>Total Gross Revenue</b> - The total of direct public contributions, indirect public contributions, government grants and any other support.</li>
<li><b>Total Expenses</b> - The sum of the expenses categories . </li>
</ul></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F6BCgZTMx9k" width="420"></iframe></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">pub-2850471624684337</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com