I have teeth on my mind. See that photo? That's Miss Jiggy G holding one of her teeth about two weeks ago. Yesterday she had Mark pull out TWO MORE!!!!! She can not tolerate the feeling of a wiggly tooth. Ever. (Hey, Manic Mom! Whaddya think of that! LOL!)

Think about taking your child, especially a child with autism, to the dentist. Did a cold sweat just break out on your forehead? Cleanings are difficult, let alone major dental work! Listen to this story about how the world presents you with good things:


I met Dr. Bob Porper in January, at an autism event here in Connecticut. When I explained I have children on the spectrum, he reached into his sportcoat pocket and pulled out a crazy looking, two headed toothbrush. My eyes popped out of my head! My father is a retired orthodontist. "Open. Bite. Close." was common dinner table talk when I was a kid.


My girls now use the Twinbrush. It's pretty cool! And I get to pretend I'm the Two Headed Monster from Sesame Street every time they brush!

Even better? Dr. Porper is generously donating 5% back to the autism community!

Here are a few words from him.

Hello, my name is Dr. Robert Porper. I am a retired Oral Surgeon. In my practice, I specialized in the treating of special care patients, including those with autism. And I understand fully the challenges you face bringing your child to the dentist for care.


Dental disease is the most prevalent disease in the world. Over 98% of us have some form of it. The best treatment is, of course, prevention. With your children in mind, I designed a line of products and started a company called www.Twinbrush.com to making brushing more effective and easier. The Twinbrush has been clinically tested at a major dental school. Remember, "The mouth is the gateway to good health." I look forward to communicating with you and as the past Surgeon General of the United States wrote in an article a number of years ago that "You do not have good health unless you have good oral health."Let's begin our journey!


In good health,

Dr. Robert Porper


Dr. Porper is offering us a 10% discount! And he is giving 5% back to the autism community for research. Go to http://www.twinbrush.com/. When you check out, use coupon code "ageofautism" (lower case, no spaces) to save 10%! You'll see your savings before you hit send for the final order.

PATRICIA WOOD's LOTTERY LONGLISTED FOR UK's ORANGE BROADBAND PRIZE FOR FICTION!

Sadly, I've no idea what that means, except "CONGRATULATIONS PAT!" and please come explain this Brit headline from THE GUARDIAN.


After decrying the morose topics of most women's fiction (I agree!) the article reads, "Among the miserabilism came uplifting novels such as Patricia Wood's Lottery, about a man with learning disabilities who wins the lottery..."

Miserablism! I have got to borrow that word! You DO own a copy of LOTTERY, don't you? Of for goodness sakes! Click HERE to order your copy.


Pat and I breakfasted (don't you hate made up verbs?) last spring. She's the one who looks like a prize winning author. On the right.

A new friend wrote this poem and sent it to me. Enjoy!

Love all those like Reily who have healed and emerged

Love all those full soul children with voices unheard

Love all those who speak with a computerized a voice

Love all those who love by choice

Love all those who speak with language that's signed

Love who feel a little left behind

Love all the mothers like Kim, Michelle, and the mothers like you

May they and their children find joy and acceptance too

Love those like mine with her own language as she sings

Love those who feel life's little dings

Love those autistics who do not want a cure and who do

May life's gifts be given to youLove all those who have difficulty sleeping at night

May the morning shine on them with beams so bright

Love all like Seth who show their siblings fun

Love everyone, love everyone

Bear Stearns in Mary Poppins Moment.

I realize that not all bloggers are news junkies like I am. This weekend, the 85 year old, venerable Bear Stearns came to the brink of collapse, due to the credit crisis.


The Federal Reserve has propped them up and then they were purchased for a mere $2.00 a share by JP Morgan, in an emergency buyout that had to take place in one weekend, before the Asia markets opened today. A year ago, Bear Stearns was trading at $170 a share.


America's economy is cracking, friends. Tippy toppy tuppance teetering. And there ain't no Mary Poppins to work her magic.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Mark is in Chicago at the Housewares Show. I wonder if he'll get a chance to see their famous green river? I hope so! He's busy meeting and greeting and interviewing and generally being his usual "go get 'em" self. He's a good man. OK, enough wifely blathering.

Happy 90th Birthday, Auntie Gert! The girls and I attended a surprise (Scary! She's 90!) party for my Dad's sister Gertrude, nee Asunta Rossi. Aunti Gert is half Irish. Her mother (my grandmother) was Hannah Sullivan. We had a blast seeing family. And at this stage of life, it was a treat not to have a shiny pine box in the middle of the room. My cousin Fr. Tommy Rossi gave the girls a blessing, which was really nice.

Photos to follow!

Banke off Amerika

This arrived in my SPAM box from "Bank of America." Seems my "informations" be not good good but oh maybe badder than is good. Get a load of the syntax! LOL!

Oh, and I wanted to tell you all that Mark and I are rich! My spam box also informs me we have won several dozen lotteries and have millions waiting for us in Africa!

BankOfAmerica - Update Your Account Informations !

For your security, access to Online Banking has been locked because the number of attempts to sign in exceeded the number allowed. To regain access, you have to restore your online access. Please Click here and fill up all the information. Your security is important to us. If you are not aware of this situation, please contact us immediately at 1.800.933.6262.

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

1) My husband is faithful and not skanking around with hookers
2) My kids are in their own beds, safe and sound
3) My parents are alive and well, even my 85 y/o dad who spent 2 weeks in the hosp last month
4) My sister and brother and I talk every week
5) My friends are always nearby, even when far away
6) There is food in my fridge
7) I still have half a tank of gas in the minivan
8) My kids have enough supplements (thanks to so many of you) to keep them on their protocols
9) My bed is soft and warm and shared
10) Many teachers and aides work hard for my girls
11) Winter will soon turn to spring
12) My book is on its final pass before going to my agent and I love my edits
13) "My" autism site is thriving thanks to so many people who contribute
14) I can vote in free elections
15) I can vote for a black man, a white woman or a war hero
16) My hair isn't gray yet thanks to judicious plucking now and then
17) I fit into all my clothes
18) Easter, a joyous holiday of hope and rebirth, is early this year
19) My husband has several interviews lined up and a new, exciting project too
20) Eating high off the hog and sitting on a perch are highly overrated - humble builds the heart

Oil hit $110 a barrel. A new high, er low. Be afraid.

And The Poets Down there don't Write Nothing at All..... Oh, but how Bruce Springsteen does!

In a bout of perfect timing usually far out of my grasp, last night Mark and I went to see Bruce Springsteen (yes, again) at the Nassau Coliseum. No, don't get all excited for us - not the warm, beachy Nassau - the Long Island, NY Nassau. As in, "On your left is JKF, on your right is traffic and another large mall."


I won't bore you with Bruce details - either you know and love his music or you don't. If you do? "HE OPENED WITH NIGHT AND PLAYED INCIDENT ON 57th STREET AND JUNGLELAND!" OK, caps off, I promise not to yell anymore.

Here are some photographic obervations from the evening. I'm no John Robison - his photos are taken with amazing Nikon'ish cameras. I used a Palm Treo.

Champions at The Marriott next to the Coliseum. We thought we'd grab dinner. So did 15,000 others. We got beers. Mark and I met at Champions in Boston in 1989. (insert "aawwww" here.)


This is Mark in line for beer #2. Harp for me. I am quarter Irish you know.

Me and "Stalingo" as he is known to telemarketers and certain close friends. Thank God for hazy shots!

These bear a strong resemblance to the people my husband used to work for, although I can not be certain it is they, therefore I am not disparaging them.

This is inside Nassau Coliseum, home of the New York Islanders. When Bruce sang, "The Rangers had a homecoming in Harlem late last night..." everyone booed. That banner has Billy Joel's name on it.

Sharing the Caring

Have I mentioned that I am utterly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from so many of you? Thank you. I'm just going to randomly insert the word "thanks" into my posts from now on. Michelle O'Neil gets her very own cloud in heaven. A stretch cloud. A penthouse cloud. A, "St. Peter, would you go get me a latte?" cloud. And off he'll scramble to the Inthestarsbucks asking, "Extra hot, Michelle!? Like Toddy, right?"

So, here's how life works. A lovely woman emailed me through Gmail with HER story and through her Suburban Turmoil blog I found another Michelle's story of love, children, trials and the need for support. Click HERE to see a beautiful family. Check out that darling baby named Ruby (a gem of a child.) Then click elsewhere on the blog if you can.

Sunday nights just aren't the same....

Riled doesn't even begin to cover my mood.

Yeah, I'm riled up today. The autism news. The job crap. The rain. The insurance worries. Bella has been a real pisser today - poor child was hungry and decided to tell me by having a half day tantrum. I'd fed her several times, of course - only to have the food end up strewn about the floor. When you can not speak, it's hard to say, "Mom, I am so sick of the gluten free rice cereal I could scream!" So she just screamed and got it over with. I hate when I can't read her mind. Makes me feel very inadequate. Like we need THAT in the house right now!

So, when I feel like biting the heads off small fluffy animals and pulling the wings off fairies and sprites, I have to calm myself. Do I reach for the Chivas Regal? Nah. The pain killers in my medicine cabinet from dental work last year? Why bother? I went to the library. Aaaaaahhhhh.

My blood pressure automatically ratchets down when I step into the library, knowing so many old friends are there to soothe me. I walked up and down the fiction aisles. I sniffed around mystery. I flounced past romance - NOT TODAY! Unsure of just which arrow to pull out of the quiver, I paced the stacks. And there he was. Him. The man I would love to meet and just sit with in silence. Just to know he was next to me would suffice. I'm not sure I could speak around him at all. A stunned silence, slack jawed, dreamy eyes would be the best I could muster.

RAY BRADBURY. I pulled Driving Blind off the shelf. Ah Ha! I haven't read this one!! Thank God he's so prolific.

At home Bella continued to howl. I finally fed her something she wanted and gave her a bath. The water soothes her little soul. As she splashed, I sat on the tile floor and read. My jaw unclenched. My eyes aren't squinting. And that crevasse in my forehead is gone. RAY BRADBURY.

What's your Bradbury?

Miss M. Plays Ball!

Last week Miss Mia participated in a Unified Sports basketball tournament through school. We were so proud of her! That's her awesome teacher Miss. E. behind Mia, cheering her on (as always.)

Miss M. dropped the ball better than any of the other kids. She's more of a computer/book kid. But no matter what's she's doing, she's gorgeous.

Way to go, Miss Mia!

You are cordially invited (by Jenny McCarthy) to a resignation party for CDC's Julie Gerberding for willfully turning her back on our children.

DO CLICK HERE, WON'T YOU?

Autism Vaccine Case Concession

Lots of buzz in the medical world following the press conference on CNN yesterday where the parents of Miss Hannah Poling (Dad is an MD PhD neurologist, Mom is a nurse and attorney) discussed their daughter's immersion into autism following her 18 month shots. She received nine in one day, as part of a "catch up" schedule. Last night on Larry King, Sangay Gupta suggested that we should break up the vaccination schedule. That was a shocker. Remember, children today receive dozens of vaccinations before age 2 with the full blessing of the AAP and CDC. In fact, the AAP representative on Larry King (Harvey Karp, SUCH an unfortunate name!) said, the vaccines are bundled for convenience. Really? Convenient. Don't get me started.

You can read much more if you're so inclined at Age of Autism. There you'll find a link to the press conference, the CDC response (Autism = sad.) and more.

What on earth can I say? Thank you. Thank you, everyone. I'm eager to pay it forward as soon as we can.

K

Warren Buffett: We are essentially in a recession. HERE.

George Bush: The economy is in a slowdown, but not headed toward a recession. HERE.


Kim Stagliano: I'm thinking a depression is on its way. Gas costs $3.30 a gallon. Heating fuel? Fuggedboudit. Jobs? Did you see 60 Minutes last night. Did you see the man who had worked for a paper factory for 27 years, as had his Dad for 41 years? He is losing his job and his wife has MS. They're fucked. No pretty way to put it. Need to take a new job? You can't go if you can't sell your house (thank God we rent, that's a huge plus right now.) Need to retire to a small condo to save money on the big house where you raised your kids? You're SOL - I see it all over my town. My well to do, whitebread town. Houses listed as "Short Sale" and "Lis Pendens" and "Foreclosing." Did you get a raise last year? My husband didn't. Did you work more hours? My husband worked 60 - 70 hours per week. Sat - Sun included. 9 - 5 no longer exists.

Many years ago I lost a co-worker to skin cancer. Dave was 43 and had three kids. He'd been laid of by British Petroleum, lost his health insurance and then his life. He couldn't afford treatment. We were in the backyard of the Cleveland Clinic and many other world class hospitals. This is STILL going on today - only there are thousands more Daves.

The USA needs a change. A very big change. I believe Warren Buffett. I do not believe George W. Bush. How about you? Do you feel safe and secure and ready to face your future without constant worry? If so, bottle that feeling. It will sell like hotcakes.

What would you do if I sang out a song?

I never expected to have to drag THIS Huffington Post piece out of mothballs. Titled, "The Grateful Voice of the Autism Mom," it's about the two years Mark, the girls and I survived and even flourished under very trying times. Seems the trying times are back. And a new friend, a good friend, a true friend, is helping me to pry open my heart yet again. Funny, practice does not make perfect. Not for me. I'd better get it right this time. I sure don't want to have to do it again.

Thank you.


Kim

Do you know the Mary Chapin Carpenter song "Sometimes you're the windshield. Sometimes you're the bug"? This week on Monday I was the bug. Actually, my husband was the bug. (Think job security. Now think "none." Got it?)


But since Mark and I fly arm in arm, wing to wing (or is that leg to leg to leg to leg to leg to leg?) I hit too. My thorax aches. My antennae are drooping. But a funny thing happens to me when I hit the windshield at 95 mph: my stinger grows to ten feet long.

And today I got "bugly" on Huffington Post.

HERE.

Get Nate Home.

And check this out! LOLOL!!!! The MYSTERY was who put these ads around Toronto.

Jiminy Cricket this is JUST what I needed today! No, really. This is really funny! A new vaccine that even I get can behind! Oh, if only it had been available when I was 11 and Kenny Fisher touched my arm!!!!!

WATCH THIS!

Happy 11th Birthday, Betsy Spelman!

My childhood friend from The Bearcroft Swim Club was a leap year baby. So today, Betsy turns 11!

I'm having a forshit week. No explanations just yet. We're all healthy, so don't worry about that. My book didn't get wiped off my hard drive. My hair didn't fall out overnight. I'm not pregnant. (Dear God, cross your self and toss some salt over your shoulder!)

Suffice it to say I'm in reminiscing mode about easier, carefree times. And The Bearcroft Swim Club was just the best.

My Mom would bundle us into the Electra 225 and off we'd go - I can still hear "RESPECT" playing on the car radio. The club had 4 pools, tennis courts, a playground and a snack shack (next to the shuffle board court) that sold frozen Charleston Chew candy bars. The smell of Heinz ketchup on french fries transports me back to the slightly dark, camp-style building where we sat and giggled and licked out fingers clean, savoring our indepedence as Mom tanned back down by the pools. We never worried if our bellies were sticking out.

My stomach lurches still as I imagine those terrifying leaps off the high dive into the deep blue diving pool. Howie the evil swim instructor with the flat top crew cut would make us cry as we went under the depths to retreive large heavy discs.

Orange Bain de Soleil gel on my Mom's smooth stomach in her bikini. The whistle toot commanding us kids to jump back into he water while the old (50!) ladies with rubber flower swim caps and iced pink lips scuttled out to the safety of a lounge chair.

I'm growing tired of being pushed off the high dive. Oh, to be 11 again. Maybe I'll have french fries for lunch.

Are the autism "voices" going to bash NFL quarterback (and my fellow Boston College classmate) Doug Flutie the way they have Jenny McCarthy for saying our vaccination protocol is behind the autism epidemic?

These words from Doug Flutie talking about the MMR and autism on Larry King Live ten minutes ago: "I draw a parallel. The Gov't would be afraid to admit it. At least spread them out." Tony Braxton said she points the finger at vaccines. Is Autism Speaks going to disown her tomorrow on their site? Stay tuned. Jenny McCarthy and Katie Wright opened the door. Now a crowd is bursting through it.

New Jersey: Medicaid spent $73 Million on Anti-Psychotics for children '00 - '07.

I've been blogging about the overuse of anti-psychotic drugs for children. Here are stats from one state in the nation, Medicaid ONLY - you can bet private insurance covers much more. These drugs are BIG BUSINESS, not healthcare.

See the full article HERE. Below is a preview:

New Jersey’s Medicaid program spent more than $73 million on antipsychotic medications for children less than 18 years old between 2000 and 2007, according to state records, even though the drugs weren’t approved by the FDA for treating kids. And a state official acknowledges the drugs may have been prescribed for conditions other than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the approved uses. As a result, a state legislator is calling for an investigation and is formulating legislation.

“There are horror stories about these meds and there’s a reason they’re not prescribed for kids,” says New Jersey assemblyman Pat Diegnan, who adds that he plans to draft a bill to change the practice and to hold talks with the New Jersey attorney general’s office, which recently formed a task force to examine interactions between pharma and docs. “The entire issue is frightening and the state should be taking a closer look at this. I’m concerned about the casual prescribing by doctors and the enormous amount of money being spent.”

The disclosure comes amid growing debate over antipsychotics. At issue are fears that children are misdiagnosed; drugs are inadequately studied; some docs presribe the pills too readily, and drugmakers promote the meds improperly. As reported previously, a growing number of states are suing various drugmakers over marketing that led Medicaid programs to pay unnecessarily for the meds.

Storm cloud. Ominous. Threatening. Frightening. Dangerous. Storms destroy lives. They make the news. People hate them. They can also blow over. Head out to sea. Relief. For some. Stay tuned.

David Kirby: US Government Concedes Vaccine Autism Case (the sentence below is a link.)

After years of insisting there is no evidence to link vaccines with the onset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the US government has quietly conceded a vaccine-autism case in the Court of Federal Claims.

Bye, girls! Mommy loves you! Bye, bye!

By the grace of God February vacation is over. We had snow. We had the end of a sinus infection and colds. We had boredom. We had a nice camp too from THIS wonderful organization.

Today I crack my knuckles and start to put the final polish on my MS. I'm really fired up about the edits I have. They rock. They make the book better. And my pal Pat made a statement that struck me -I'm really submitting my second book. The final MS is so different from it's earlier versions. Dang, this is fun.

Happy Monday!

Lenten Checks Sent to NH to all who helped. THANK YOU. K

Overmedicated Kids: From NYT

My kids had a babysitter who went off to college many years ago.One day, her mother told me she'd put her 18 year old daughter onto Zoloft because, "Freshman year is so stressful." To which I thought - "Christ, I just got blottoed at Sigma Nu to relieve stress." If her daughter had started smoking pot daily to relieve her stress, I'm sure this Mom would have been horrified.
This blog piece from the Times is very interesting. What happens to the 18 year old who relies on Zoloft when she hits 40? Do all of life's stresses require medication?


".......In this age of personal trainers for tots and pre-K tutors, isn’t everyone always fighting to do whatever they can do to give their kids an advantage? Take away test jitters with Zoloft, super-prime their minds for cram sessions with Adderall, chemically lobotomize them into the kind of docile behavior that wins a spot in the very, very best private preschools?"



Read the full piece HERE.

Snow Day in New England. What to do???

Blogger Polly Kahl sent me a disturbing article today about a 13 year old with Asperger's who stabbed schoolmates - and was "committed." The article pisses me off for many reasons. Not the least of which is the portrayal of Asperger's a "mental illness." You can read the article HERE.


Last year a boy with Asperger's in Sudbury, Massachusetts murdered a schoolmate with a knife.


But there's no emergency. No epidemic. Autism is beautiful. Really. Trust us. Or ask those young men. Visiting hours are......


I also ran this over at Age of Autism to reach a large autism audience.

It's the economy, stupid.

Two retailers filed for Chapter 11 today. Sharper Image (remember Samantha from Sex and the City returning her "neck massager" to Sharper Image?) went bust. So did the catalog company Lillian Vernon. Good sized companies with a national presence. GONE. 2008 is going to be interesting. Hang on for the ride.

Are you watching the lunar eclipse?????? It's beautiful. I can see how ancient humans would have been terrified by the moon disappearing like this. I'm using binoculars and you can really see the surface of the moon. THE MOON!!! Space is cool.

Okey dokes my astute readers. This is a real estate ad from a national site for a house in my town. Can anyone tell Miss Kim why this house hasn't sold? Keep in mind, I live in Fairfield County CT, one of the most expensive counties in the nation. A 7 BR house would sell for well over a million in my town. Need hint? I have a feeling you don't have to turn on any lights for the house to glow.

$439,900. 3200 Sqft, 7 bedrooms, 3 baths, full basement. Bonus 3 Bay Garage, with 800ft loft. 1.40 Acres. Extras include Power Lines, Substation and Easement Make an offer, we are ready to move.

The house in the photo is 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Do you recall that address?

I met an autism Mom today dropping off my girls at a vacation camp. She had triplets in tow - darling boys. I asked. "Do all three have autism?" Her answer: "Oh no! If I had three with autism I'd blow my brains out!" To which I responded, "I have three with autism and I still have a brain." Then I turned on my heel and walked away.

Can you imagine? What a disgusting way to talk about your own child, my kids, your kids. "I'd blow my brains out." I'm guessing that autism takes away from her tennis court time.

I mean, I'm not bucking to take Fifi Bresci's crown or anything but..... (That blurry photos says, "Italian Mother of the Year Fifi Brescia" and is from dear Cleveland, Ohio's 2006 Columbus Day Parade, in Little Italy I gather. Around the corner from where Mia and Bella were born.

AUTISM IS TREATABLE. SOME KIDS RECOVER. AUTISM CAN TURN A GOOD PARENT INTO A MONSTER.

Read this inspiring blog post and watch a movie on a recovered boy over at my other place THIS.

So, what's Hillary Clinton thinking today after last night's Wisconsin drubbing by Obama? Two photos for what she's "saying" and one for what she'd like to say....... Comment away!

Oh dear! I'm going to need a bigger hat!

5 quick facts about Kim Stagliano:


Kim Stagliano is the mother of three girls with autism...


Kim Stagliano has a similar game over at her blog today...

Kim Stagliano has written another brilliant autism piece over at the Huffington Post blog...


Kim Stagliano is rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers...



Kim Stagliano is a very brave, witty woman who is raising three daughters with autism...



LOL! This is from some blog grabby-info thingy called Pipl. Thank goodness it didn't grab my all time favorite tidbit: "Kim Stagliano's writing is pathetic" from some disgruntled autism dude.

Happy Valentine's day and all that. My brother, whose birthday happens to be today, sent me this link. It's clean, don't worry. From a Dutch department store website. Very funny! Open it and then watch what happens.

http://producten.hema.nl

What if Autism Were Contagious?

Read my piece at Huffington Post HERE.

And JB Handley's organization Generation Rescue ran an ad in USA TODAY today with support from Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy.

"Green our vaccines.And administer themwith greater care."

SEE THE AD HERE.

Monday! Bloody Monday!

My blog/writing buddy Manic Mommy is running a contest to encourage people to give blood. I got to my appointment today. Best part? I got weight checked! LOL! Almost as good as getting carded.

Lenten Living

I'm not exactly a textbook Catholic, after all I have two empty seats in my minivan that serve as proof. But Lent, the 40 days before Easter, is here. That means doing some penance, and doing without. No meat on Friday. Giving up something we enjoy. When I was a kid it was potato chips and mint chip ice cream. Now I'm a grown up. The stakes are higher.

I just learned of a family with a child with autism who is in need. They can not afford to heat their home. In New England. It's damn cold here in New England. I learned of this family from an autism list I am on for families with three or more kids on the spectrum. There are a lot of us on that list. Too many. We decided to send the Mom donations. Autism may bankrupt the checkbook, but never the soul.

If you would like to send a donation to this family, send me an email. You can send a check to me. I'll make sure it gets to Mom.

BLECH!

Ha ha, men! Now if they all have 9" penises this will be women's perfect revenge for size 0 models with 36DD boobs!

Mitt Quits!

And then there were two. Huckabee and McCain. Think either can beat Obama or Hillary? I just heard that Mitt Romney spent $35,000,000 of his own money on this campaign. Think he decided he just didn't want to spend any more? Hillary Clinton just lent her campaign $5,000,000. Can you hear Chelsea screaming, "GAH! Mother, what did you do?"

Interesting.....

Today I made history.

I am a registered Democrat in CT. Now, before you jump down my throat for my political persuasions, let me tell you that I was a registered Independent from age 18 - 36. I've moved several times, to different states. I've also been a registered Republican. I really am an Independent. I have only registered for a party when I had a real, heartfelt desire to see a certain candidate elected in the Primary. (No it wasn't George Bush when I was an (R).)

Today, I took the vote sheet in my hand and marveled that for the first time in the history of this nation, I was choosing for either a Black Man or a Woman. I felt a deep wave of emotion. I know that sounds sappy. I almost whipped out my cellcam to take a photo of the ballot, but I thought I'd launch a wave of heart attacks among the elderly poll workers. A man of color and a woman on the ballot. My oh my what a wonderful day.

Tomorrow is "Super Tuesday" in America. That means registered Republicans and Democrats in several states vote in the primaries.

Independents do not vote in primary elections. Only declared party members.

GO VOTE!

Monday Morning Quarterback says: Congrats, NY Giants. And Eli. Did I mention I was talking about looks yesterday when I first posted this? It's not going to be an easy day in the Stagliano household. Wow.

NO CONTEST.

BARBARIC


I could write for years about this. But I won't. I might get particularly ugly and downright offensive to many, many, many (did I mention many?) people. Fucking sick. That about covers it.