Looking BACK At 2011

It's Friday Bloggers, and you know what that means!

And since its the last Friday before the new year, I decided to look BACK at those Wally World crazeees and the skin they regularly showcase. It's become a sport; flashing skin, and some of these people are true champions.

I'm sure that wool sweater is keeping her nice and warm in this chilly weather. You know, it can get pretty breezy some days but she's prepared. Don't you agree?

Cheeky outfit for sister here., but it's the wedgee that bothers me...ouch. She may need some surgical intervention.

This one's for Heff. I couldn't help but be reminded of him. Hee hee.

Sister broke the cardinal fashion rule here: her bra straps are visible.

What the hell is THAT? Really? That is the easiest way to ward off the chicks.

BUT, I think we may have found him a mate...a match made in heaven.

Or this one. She may be a little spicy cuz she's got attitude and plenty of it to go around.

I may make fun, but one thing's for sure...Boys like girls with back. So if you've got it why not flaunt it at your local WalMart. You never know who you may meet.

This guy made no bones about the kind of woman he's looking for.

Happy New Year Bloggers!

May 2012 bring you peace, prosperity and better fashion choices.

Hot Or Not

So yes, I saw these on TV.

Pajama jeans? I decided to inquire further. At first glance these look to be faux designer jeans and nothing that would peak my interest but I have to admit I was curious. Made from a blend of cotton and denim, these faux jeans claim to be so comfortable that you can sleep in them. (I might have slept in my jeans a time or two, but it wasn't because I thought my jeans were "super comfortable")

With "butt lifting" European stitching and a mock zip front, the brass rivets and the designer look of these jeans could fool even the best fashion expert. Or could it?

I decided to ask a trusted group of friends their opinion:

"those are gross," one exclaimed.

"Sooo not!" said another.

But being a journalist at heart, I had to argue the two sides.

For the NOT:

• They look fake and cheap. (are they? I have yet to hold said garment in my hands so these are just observations based on what I saw on TV)


• They have their own infomercial. Need I say more?


• Would you DIE if someone on the street stopped you and said, "Oh my God, aren't those the pajama jeans??"

For the HOT:

• If you have a killer figure and your ass looks good, does it really matter what the jeans are made of?


• Comfort. Does comfort trump fashion? (not in my mind, ever)


• Price. At $39.99, is this a great way to steal a fashion trend? Some designer jeans run up to $280.00. If she is rockin' jeans at $39.99, who looks the fool then?

In the end, I can't decide.

Can you believe it? Me, who has all kinds of opinions when it comes to fashion. I couldn't help but see both sides of the designer jeans debate. I guess if you look good in them, it doesn't really matter what they are and if Angelina Jolie were photographed wearing them, they might become the next greatest fashion trend. Then lots of naysayers would be caught with egg on their face.

Would I ever wear them?

Hell no, but I never said I wasn't a fool.

Dee-Leete

Anytime I see a "FW:..." in my inbox, I think the same thing; DELETE.
The other day I got this one and just as I was hitting the X, I caught what it said:

Perfect.

A Heavy Issue

Now that the major meal-eating-holiday's are over and the time to resolve is fast approaching, I want to talk about weight. I got to thinking about it because I, like everyone, over indulged this weekend, and now I am feeling feeling gross and I'm not loving the mini muffin top that has sprouted over the top of my skinny jeans. Those are the same jeans I'm supposed to feel skinny in, but don't really at the moment.

It's no surprise that losing weight is one of the most common New Year's resolutions, as the weight loss in this country is a big business. For me, this year, the issue a bit different than it has ever been. I have pretty much kept off the thirty pounds I lost two years ago, give or take a five pound fluctuation here and there, and now I'm bored with this last amount of weight I lost. Now I want more, much more. I want my friends to tell me I look like I lost weight and I want to be able to say, "Yes, I did loose weight."

I want to put on my skinny jeans and not be able to wear them because they are too big. I want to go down a whole size, and "live there", and I know exactly what I need to do to get there. Is it attainable? Of course, but I was wondering if I would ever be happy there. The mini muffin-top I speak of, should take me 2-3 weeks to get back under control, then I should be able to shed 10 good pounds in six weeks. But will I be happy at that magic number?

My trainer tells me it's not about a number on a scale, but whether or not your weight affects your overall health, and my BMI is right where it needs to be. So why am I not satisfied with all of this information? Why am I now resolving to loose 10 more pounds?

Because society dictates that women should be thin, and I'm beginning to think that no matter what weight I am, I'm never going to be really satisfied. It should be a victory, that I have kept the weight I lost off for two years, but instead I yearn to impress myself with more. I want to know in my head that I have reached that magic number and that the size jeans I am wearing reflect that. It's a psychological and emotional issue for me, and I think I will never fully understand it.

It's a constant battle.

It's like death and taxes.

And it's always there, in the back of my thin thinking mind.

Merry Christmas

He's coming, you know, my good friend in red.
All dressed in his finest, from the top of his head.
At Christmas time I get giddy with happiness and cheer.
But really, it could be from all the eggnog and beer.

So we'll invite him to come, to join in our joy.
Knowing full well that he's busy, he gotta bust out the toys.
But to me Santa just isn't a legend in red.
He's a spirit, a hero and a saint, in my head.

As I harness that feeling when I think of the old boy,
I'll try to remember that this weekend's about joy.
It's not about toys and it's not about things.
It's about family and love and about spreading your wings.

Merry Christmas bloggers, may you all experience great love.
My wish for you is for blessings, that come from above.
But can Santa do that? Can he even try?
Well, for sure he's a myth, which means we'll never know why.

May your holiday be wondrous and your heart filled with glee.
And may Santa bring you peace, all wrapped up under your tree.


A very merry Christmas to you and yours from Candy's Daily Dandy.

Hall Of Famer's

Nothing brings shrieks of delight from small children more than toys. Especially at Christmas time, when the promise of their most coveted toy possibly nestled under their tree helps to keep many awake at night with excitement. Toys are an important part of childhood, and some even instrumental in your child's development. The National Toy Hall Of Fame, based in Rochester, NY, just released their 2011 inductees, and I might have shrieked with delight myself when I read them. They are as follows:

The Dollhouse: It's been well documented here on The Daily Dandy how much I love miniatures, so I was overjoyed to see one of my most favorite childhood play things on the list. (Please note, that I still have mine, complete with furnishings, stashed lovingly away for safe keeping) The first dollhouses were created for adults only in Europe in the 1500's, and were designed to showcase a lady's great wealth. Copies of funrnishings were produced to scale with only the finest materials, fabrics and craftsmanship. It wasn't until the 17th century that German toy makers created dollhouses for small children.

Playing Cards: I spent many long hours playing cards with my freinds and family throughout my childhood. I loved Solitaire, War, Crazy Eight's, Go Fish and Rummy 500, to name only a few of the countless ways to play. I've even tried to engage a friend or two in a friendly game of 52 pick up.. With cards origin's spread across the globe, it wasn't until after the Revolutionary War that American's got Playing Cards straight from England, and they have remained a favorite amongst children and adults alike.

Blanket: This one, while somewhat bizarre, I have to agree with. Bizarre because one would not think that a blanket, made for warmth and comfort, would be considered a "Hall Of Fame" winning child's play thing. On the contrary, a child's beloved blanket sometimes serves as he/she's best friend and protector. A cape, a cloak, the skirt on a movie star's dress, a head piece, a tent; the possibilities are endless. I think Frick might agree, whole heartedly, with this one too.

Hot Wheels: I have two brothers closest in age to me, so safe to say there were a lot of Hot Wheels floating around my house. They had them in tins and boxes, all brightly colored and neatly lined up, the minature lover in me couldn't help but be attraceted to these mini hot rods.According to the National Toy Hall Of Fame website:

"In the 1960s, Elliot Handler, a cofounder of Mattel, Inc., envisioned a die-cast car to surpass the popular English Matchbox brand. He wanted a line of toy cars to dominate Mattel’s boys’ division just as its Barbie doll had become the strongest brand in its girls’ division. Handler insisted that the toy cars look authentic, so the project enlisted Harry Bradley, a top auto designer from Chevrolet, to lead the toy design team. What Handler really wanted was not the cars of Detroit, but the radical versions altered by custom-car shops—like vehicles he often saw on California’s highways."

Hot Wheels popularity only increased every year after that and has surpassed what was originally ever dreamed about. The National Toy Hall of Fame website says that Mattel claims that a Matchbox car is sold in the US every 8 seconds.

And last but certainly not least..

The Game Of Life: I remember the first time I played this game, it was with my brother and I might have enven beaten him. The game of Life was a great intro to strategizing life's big picture. It's three dimentional playing board equipt with each player presented with choices about college, business, marriage and children and navigating through those choices with a Payday. In the 60's version of Life, players could end up in the "Poor Farm" or "Millionaire Acres", where as the politically correct 2010 version offers both "Millionaire Estates" and "Countryside Acres" as their game ending destination.

My most memorable Christmas as a child included an aluminum, minature kitchen set complete with refridgerator, food, dish washer and sink. As I came down the stairs, I might have passed my dad on his way up to go to bed after a long night of setup, but I never caught on till years later.

I just remember how much I loved those toys.

Smart Is As Stupid Does

Visit us and buy fine wine for the holidays.

So I have a confession to make. And I feel kinda bad about it because, you know, it's kinda like a "who the hell do I think I am" confession.

Quick version:
Frick had her senior pics take by a professional.(all the seniors do this) They're great and we have the disc to produce copies. Frack never brought home the order form for his school pics that were taken at the high school this fall, so I never even saw them, much less ordered them. This is the first year that this has ever happened, and to be honest, we all kind of let it go.

Fast forward to now. It's Christmas and Frick has these gorgeous, commerative senior pictures to frame and give as gifts to the grandparents and her father. Frack has none.

Enter: Catholic Guilt. Bad Mother. You name it, I deserve it.

Now, I can't have Frick giving everyone these great photos with Frack having none to give. Being the kind of person who kills herself with guilt over stupid shit like this, I panicked and called the school first thingy this am. I got the number to the company that took my son's shots and proceeded to ask the customer service rep if I could pay for a digital image to be emailed to me, or pay to overnight a package of his photos to me. And here's where the confession comes in..

The customer service rep wasn't smart. I feel awful for saying this, but she just wasn't. I mean, maybe this company is sort of "mom and pop" and maybe not, because she asked me what state I was from, but she tells me that, "because of security purposes they cannot email me a image of my son's photos". Now in this digital day and age, I'm not quite sure how this is possible, and I ask her to explain it a little further. Poor thing just couldn't and it really wasn't her fault. She just wasn't equipt with the correct information and she just wasn't articulate enough to navigate her way through this conversation.

Then she proceeds to tell me that their photo lab is closed for the holiday's and that I would not be able to access the photos until January 4th. A photo lab? I don't know about her, but I was just looking for the digital image of my son, which I would gladly pay for, and use the photo lab at Target.(where I can also buy the frame) I was not rude, I swear, but I nicely asked the flustered girl if I could speak to her supervisor, which put her in even more of a frenzied state. She put me on hold for a good 10 minutes and during that time, the guilt started to creep up my whole body.

Who the hell did I think I was? Again, I was never rude, I just kept thinking how stupid she was and herin lies the confession. I may have been talking down to her....

OMG, I was one of them....

While I was on hold, I kept thinking about how it wasn't her fault she wasn't trained properly and how I was the one in a pickle because I never ordered the photo's like I should have in the first place. The poor thing was probably in the bathroom crying or possibly going postal in the break room with the coffe pot as her weapon, and I was the catalyst. I then decided to take my own digital pictures of Frack today, in the backyard or something, which would probably be better that the school ones anyway, and I quietly hung up the phone before the supervisor could be located.

And I thought, Who the hell am I, thinking I'm all smarter than her? Shit, I do stupid stuff all the time and on some days I can sound like a complete moron, but I was blessed with a sharp tounge and a quick mind that usually gets me out of those situations right quick.

In the end, I am sure it will all turn out fine. I'm neeting Frack here this afternoon to snap some shots, and if they don't come out good, I assure you, I will be the only stupid one.

Packages, Boxes and Bags

I was just thinking....

• I am overjoyed that Green Bay LOST this weekend! The Pats undefeated regular season record (tying Miami's historic undefeated season) still stands. But here's the thing, some say Green Bay wanted to lose, to take the pressure off the team as they chase the ultimate goal; back to back Superbowl championships. I got to thinking about our guy Bill Belechick when the Pats were on their 2007 historic run to an undefeated season. Never was there any talk about strategic losing. Never. Belechick and the Pats just continued winning and winning big. And they ALMOST did it and won it all. They might have peaked early that season, but they continued to beat teams. And ya, I know they lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl. You need not remind me.
  
  




• I had my best day ever at The Candy Bar yesterday. Let's just say that as a retailer, I am very encouraged.





• Where is that missing 20 month old toddler from Waterville, Maine? My heart is heavy and my throat has a huge lump in it every time I think of the Polly Klass' and the Jaycee Dugard's of the world and what potentially happened to this child. It really makes me question why is there such evil in this world.
  
  




• Speaking of evil, on Sunday afternoon there was yet ANOTHER attempted break in in my small town and a teen was home alone at the time. Good thing the kid did not answer the door and called police immediately. This is the 5th attempted break in this month. In a personal email to make us aware of the incident, sent out yesterday to the student body of this town by the parent of the child, "This was a frightening experience" was how it was described.
  





• Five more shopping days left and I still haven't got my parents anything. HELP! I also have more than a few things to $till buy and I'm going $hopping all day tomorrow. I should have just taken Heff's advice and just bought Christmas on Amazon. Brilliant idea! One click and you're done.





• Merry merry....have a song in your heart and a spring in your step. It's Christmas.
  

OMG! It's Madness

I'm sorry peeps...but this is me today.

I am one step away from a freakin' melt down cuz I have no time. I'm sure you can all relate.

Good Lord...give me grace.

Frick's Excellent Adventure

Dreams really do come true.

You will, of course, give our regards to Broadway.

Congrats baby girl. I'm overjoyed for you and so very proud.

Clark And Ellen's Big Comeback

That wonderful holiday season is upon us and I just can't help but use Clark Griswold's name as an adjective. Goofy, accident prone and lovable, Chevy Chase and National Lampoon created a holiday, Hollywood icon in the Christmas classic, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation".

This Christmas movie serves as my family's annual Thanksgiving night tradition. It kicks off our holiday and we can be found quoting movie lines throughout the season. It soon got me to thinking about why they never made a sequel. The movie's cast, released in 1989, reads like a who's who in Hollywood. Click here for complete cast info.

Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Julliet Lewis, Johnny Galecki make up the Griswold Family and Randy Quaid, Dianne Ladd, Doris Roberts, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Julia Louis-Drefyus round out this all star cast. A quick Google check reveals that they did make a sequel to the Christmas Vacation movie(which is in fact a sequel to the Vacation movie), but without Chase and D'Angelo this one fell flat. Centered around Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), titled "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2:Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure", even the National Lampoon endorsement couldn't save this one.

Now would be the time for a real sequel. Don't you think?

Clark and Ellen, both aging but still hot for each other, and their grown kids and grandchildren converging on the Griswold family homestead for, as Clark puts it, "a fun, old fashioned, family Christmas". It would need to be comic gold, and the cast would have to be all the originals, but if done right, this one could spur holiday magic.

Chevy's not as young as he used to be, so we'll leave the physical comedy to the kids. Beverly's smoked one too many cigarettes and gotten harsh, but I bet she could still put on a mean Ellen Griswold. Julliette Lewis is one step away from a crack addict, perfect for her story line and Johnny Galecki has proved to have 9 Hollywood lives, now starring in one of TV's hottest sitcoms. Give Julia Louis-Dreyfus a bigger part, throw in Randy Quaid and some bathroom humor and sign me up! I'm not walking out on this one.

Like my favorite quote from the movie,

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."

Cmon now, I couldn't have been the only one to think of this?

Merry Music

It was a heck of a Glee-full Christmas last night, power packed with plenty of holiday music for every Christmas music fan. Matthew Morrison's (Mr. Shue) Glee directorial debut was a holiday "special" about the making of a holiday special. Plot lines-a-plenty, I'm reviewing the music today because it truly was a holiday treat, disguised in a retro, Star Wars themed, weird, but politically correct world of Artie's holiday TV special.

My girl Mercedes got the show off on a bang, like only she can, with a Mariah holiday anthem, "All I Want for Christmas is You." Man, this girl is good. Too good, and she covered the Carey instant classic with just about the same amount of range and passion as the original. Was it predictable? Yes, but who cares, because I loved the high energy and cheer this song provided for the beginning of the episode.

Rory, the new kid, (and Glee Project winner Damian McGinty) crooning "Blue Christmas" with a smooth and tender soul, way past his teen-aged years. I enjoyed his celtic, folksy spin on this blues-y great. Channeling a boy in a foreign country, without his family at Christmas set up a Sam/Rory buddy story line based upon their mutual hard luck. Sam invites Rory to spend Christmas with his family.

When Artie is tapped to produce the local PBS station's Christmas special for under $800.00, he auditions the Glee club for musical numbers. Rachel belts out a Joanie Mitchell tune, "River", complete with sparkling Christmas trees and lots of falling snow. I felt like I was thrown back to the days of a celebrity variety show, with musical guests performing Christmas songs. Rachel was stunning, as usual, but safe and minimally memorable. Too bad, because there are so many great choices for a power house like Leah Michelle.

Rachel and Blaine perform for the Glee Club, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas". Anything with Blaine singing and count me in, but this was unexciting and just ok but I don't hate it. I LOVE both of them, and I will still download this song in the spirit of the season. But the real Christmas gold came from Artie's Christmas TV special.

Opening in black and white, Kurt and Blaine's bachelor chalet provided the perfect backdrop for the duet, and yes, My Download Pick Of The Week, "Let it Snow" . I loved the whole big band feel with the perfect blend of Kurt's mezzo soprano and Blaine's dreamy Dean Martin-esque pipes. These two have scored another holiday classic that rivals last year's, "Baby It's Cold Outside". And the dance number? Sensational and entertaining.

When did Roger's and Hammerstein's "Favorite Things" become a Christmas carol? This double team group number with Rachel, Mercedes, Kurt and Blaine was pleasant and festive but seemed a bit out of place to the Christmas music die hard. Musically this number solidifies the talent that this cast has and their star power.

Next, a ridiculously dressed Finn and Puck, as Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo, enter this pseudo soiree and perform my second favorite of the night, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". This Springsteen version of the song is great, even if they didn't change it up at all, but I'm not sure the Star Wars thing worked. It was awkward and pointless, and I'm not sure of the significance, yet Finn and Puck jamming with their instruments made me forget about their costumes momentarily.

The Cheerios and Brittnay rocked some sexy, Santa's helper's costumes with "Christmas Wrapping" and some rhythmic ribbons for effect. Great fun this was, and those girls made me smile and Brittnay was singing LEAD!!! I did not loose the power of the message of Rory's Christmas reading, and thank you to the creators of Glee for helping us to remember the peace that true Christmas story brings us.

The show wrapped with the Glee club showing up, unannounced at Sue's homeless shelter dinner for families, and made amends for canceling on her to film the PBS special. They performed the famous, celebrity packed recording "Do They Know it's Christmas". Inspirational and carried by the entire cast of Glee, I enjoyed the unity this song stands for. I even saw a tender moment where Sue Sylvester's Grinchy heart was touched by the kids from the glee club, sharing their passion to benefit others.

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a cute, sappy, Christmas story. Couple that with some great Christmas classics and my heart is filled with all the joy of the season. This episode did just that for me, and I have all the merry music to remember it by.

Hollywood Came Calling

I love this story.

Seems this average Joe, Bob Gray, and his girlfriend moved from Cleveland to LA earlier this year. When Bob signed up for a local cell phone number, he got one that changed his life. Bob inherited an old number of a famous and well connected Hollywood insider.

"The next day I get a text message," says Gray. " 'Hey man, I just saw your sh*t on TMZ.' " Surprised, he text back, "Whose number do I have?"

Gray quickly realized he had hit A List gold. He says he got a text from none other than Paris Hilton herself, inviting him to her celebrity birthday party and dozens of offers for Hollywood premiers and parties. He explained who he was and the situation to Paris, who immediately put them on her guest list. Gray says he and his girlfriend "rolled up" to the Hollywood Hills mansion where the party was in their rusted, old Dodge mini van. Security, ready to pounce, asks him for his name and then checks the list.

"He goes, 'Hang on.'

"We're wondering if we're really on the list.

"The guy comes back: 'Yeah. You're on the list.' I think he was amazed."

The phone, with all it's Hollywood connections, belonged to none other than Nick Swardson, and through the phone he has connected with Kathy Griffith, Andy Dick, Kevin Nealon and none other than Adam Sandler. Bob says a call came through with a distinctive voice her recognized to be Sandler. They had a few chuckles and then discussed writing a screenplay about the whole thing. Gray now has a talent manager and a screen writing partner and are hard at work on just that; this unbelievable story of fate.

Only in Hollywood can you make a dream materialize from a cell.

Holiday Hilarious

Order your magazine subscriptions for cheap at MagsDirect.com!

These were priceless....


Redneck Christmas card? So proud, Earl is, of his smoking hot wife...

I love this little girl's face!! It just about says it all. Why do parents do this to their kids? This one may cost them years of therapy bills.

I'm sorry...I just threw up a little in my mouth. Are these people OUTTA THEIR MINDS?

AHhahahaahahahahahahaha! Haahahahahahahaha! God bless em!

And the person took the time to get out the camera.

I swear to God, this was me on Friday night.

This was just a bad idea all around. Bad, bad idea. The kid's evidently got more man swagger than his pops.

God bless them all, everyone!

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/contests/awkward-holiday-photo-contest/

The Scales Of Justice Aren't Always Balanced

So I've got this story I've been dying to share with you, that has made national headlines recently, and I want to know what you think.

Here's the situation:

Two Massachusetts high schools, Cathedral High School and Blue Hills Regional Technical School, were competing this past weekend in a season ending Super Bowl Championship game.

Cathedral senior quarterback, Matthew Owens, rushed for the go-ahead touchdown to cap off what would have been an undefeated season and Cathedral's first ever Super Bowl victory.

On his way to the goal line, Matthew "raised his arm for two strides" before crossing into the end zone, untouched, and scored the game winning TD, with almost no time left. All sounds great, right?
Wrong, because no more than 5 seconds later the touchdown was nullified by the referee, citing a new Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rule that, "bans any celebratory or taunting behavior by someone scoring a touchdown." The rule, just instated this year, not only nullified the touchdown, but resulted in a loss for Cathedral, 16-14.

I'm going to post the play for you to see and decide for yourself. Was this "un-sportsman like and taunting, or was this a blatant abuse of power?"



Many people here feel that the ruling should be overturned, but the MIAA said in a statement to the press that "there is no provision in it's rules to overturn an official's call after the game is over".

What do you think?

Patriots Season Tickets For Sale

I have 2 Pats season tickets for sale.



My wife doesn't want to attend any more of their games as she doesn't like the person who sits in the seat next to us.



I've attached a picture with the view from the seats.



Tickets will be sold to the highest bidder.




Current Bid: $8670.00

Sweet Sixteen

Just like the legendary John Cougar Mellencamp song says, you have to hold on to "sixteen as long as you can", and those changes will come around real soon making us all women and men for sure. Sam (a reinstated Chord Overstreet) knows this only too well, as he had to become a man real fast by becoming a stripper (named White Chocolate) to help support his family. Rachel and Finn convince Sam and his parents, (was that Luke Duke from Dukes of Hazard?) to let him stay with them and help the Glee club win sectionals.

Quinn, armed with her dirty little secret about Puck and Shelby sleeping together, decides she's going to hold on to her quest to destroy Shelby's life and get Beth back. Interestingly enough, it is Rachel who provides Quinn with the morality lesson she needs to change her course. She tells Quinn that by getting Shelby fired and Beth taken away from her, she would only be destroying Beth's life in the process.

The boys are pretty much all that is left of the New Directions, save for Tina and Quinn, (Rachel has been suspended from sectionals because of last weeks disciplinary action) so they take control but not without controversy. They immediately clash over dance choreography, resulting in a division of Finn and Blaine. Finn, always the moral grown up, admits to Blaine that he has been hard on Blaine because he was jealous of his "crazy talent". They align and decide to do whatever it takes to win Sectionals.

Sam seeks out Mercedes and lets her know he is hot for her and that he will fight to get her back, which I hope happens soon, because Mercedes had been short in the story line lately and she is one of my favorites. Tina decides that she is going to be a "Tiger Girlfriend" to Mike and she goes to see Mike's dad. With a bit of attitude, she tells a displeased Mr. Chang that Mike was born to dance and that he should be allowed to pursue his dream and "honor his gift".

Then we get to the best part of last night's episode: THE MUSIC!

Starting with Sam's triumphant return song, "Red Solo Cup." This Toby Keith song I was not familiar with, but I thought Sam's vocals were spot on as he sang this fun and light hearted song. The subject matter was perfect and it was nice to see Sam back with the New Directions.

Sectionals were held at McKinnley High, the first time since 1963, and the show opened with the show choir The Unitards, singing "Buenos Aires", Madonna. Glee project co winner Lindsay Pierce lead the Unitards in this Vegas style performance. I think this girl has crazy talent and is destined to be a star.

The Trouble Tones took the stage, but not before pissing off the New Directions by announcing before that after the New Directions loose, they can join the Trouble Tones for Regional. They performed a new twist on an old classic by mashing up "I Will Survive/Survivor". This was great and got the crowd going. With plenty of high energy vocals and lots of "hairography" the Trouble Tones put on quite a show.

They always save the best for last, and The New Directions did not disappoint. 3, count em, 3 songs, all Jackson songs, "ABC/Control/Man In The Mirror" just about performed to show choir perfection. Tina, Blaine, Kurt, Finn, Quinn, Artie and even Mike Chang all had their moment in the spotlight. Seriously, can we have more Artie? The guy has one of the best voices in the cast and most of the time he is seriously under utilized. But not here. It is for sure my Download Pick Of The Week and no surprise that The New Directions took home first place.

The Embarassing Truth

It happens to all of us.
It even happens to celebrities.

We are not perfect, we all fall.

This is a very recent picture of the glam Salma Hayek, when she fell leaving a building with her daughter. It happened to me very recently, also and like Salma, it happened somewhat publicly.

Long story short, I was a a memorial service for a dear friend's family member. My dear friend came to me in the church after the touching service for a hug and as I rose to embrace her, my leg got caught awkwardly and I fell backward not so gracefully. I think I saw a few people chuckling.

It makes us human and it makes us vulnerable, and it keeps us in check.

We are not perfect, Lord knows that's the truth.

Cookie Monster

No wonder Cookie Monster is one of the most beloved Sesame Street characters of all time, because nothing reduces mature adults into little children more than a plate full of cookies. We had our annual Christmas party yesterday and we decided to participate in a cookie swap. Have you ever done this?

Everybody makes two dozen cookies; the recipe of their choice, and brings them to the party. The cookies get laid out on a table and the guests each get to make a platter full of two or three of each kind of cookie. We had 11 people and about 15 different varieties of cookies to make a generous platter of cookies from. The hostess bought us special Christmas platters to house the cookies and take home as a party favor. It was a blast, and all of the cookies were fantastic. We even ended up swapping a few recipes by the end of the party.

The best part of the cookie swap is that now everyone has all these different, colorful and fantastic cookies, we get to share them with our families! When I got home, the quiet household came to life and more than a few cookies were consumed before dinner. We had gingerbread men, candy canes with colorful frosting and Christmas trees. There were smores bars and wedding cakes and peanut butter cookies with Hershey's kisses. One woman made colorful bags full of a wonderful mix she called "White Trash", which was Check mix with melted white chocolate and another made homemade English Toffee.

I got a recipe for these little treats:

Pretzel Squares
Rollo Candy
Pecans

Put the Rollo candy on top of the pretzel square, then the pecan on top of that.
Place in an oven heated to 325 degrees.
Watch as the candy melts, just enough to adhere to the pretzel and the pecan to the candy, a few minutes.
Remove from oven and let harden.
Enjoy!

The tough part is now staying away from the cookie platter, especially when a cookie would make a nice breakfast on the go and great lunch follow up. Too bad there's not a fool proof way to remove all the fat and calories these colorful creations are chock full of.

Now that would be one heck of a Christmas present, right?

Birthday Girl

Ok, so I'm not that old, but I'm gaining on her...

Funny thing is, as old as I am, I don't feel it. This is kind of a big one too, but I feel good. I got a special birthday swagger going today, and I'm making some birthday wishes.

Some of my birthday wishes I won't speak of, for fear that they won't come true, and some of my birthday wishes have already come true.

Truly blessed I am, and I'm gonna party cuz it's my birthday.

Keep The Faith

Dear God,
My prayer for 2012 is for
A fat bank account & a thin body.

Please don't mix these up like you did last year.
AMEN!

Lady Love

Lady love is in the air at McKinnley High and the Glee club helps Santana find acceptance with her sexual identity. It's all about Santana, and as much as she resists. she is shown the glee club's support support by dedicating an entire weeks lesson of music to her. This is lead by none other than "fetus face" himself, Finn.

Finn saves Santana from certain suspension, after slapping him across the face for outing her in public, then bribes her into getting the Trouble Tones and the New Directions to come to a "summit" two weeks before sectionals. Meanwhile Brittnay is bribing the student body with Pixie Styx for votes in the Student Body President race with Kurt. "But they are so delicious, " a sugar high Principal Figgins exclaims. Everyone is certain she will be crowned the winner and Kurt actually contemplates cheating by stuffing the ballot box to ensure the win which will be a "brass ring" resume piece essential for acceptance to NYADA.

Sue, interestingly enough, confesses that she is not gay, in her journal writings, even though people mistake her for a lesbian. She plots to get a guy so that she can show the voters that she is not a "friend of Ellen's", and gets out her little black book. Her secret Weapon? Cooter Mankins, Coach Bieste's new object of affection.

Blaine and Kurt dedicate the first song of the week to Santana and sing, Pink's "F**king Perfect"and it might just have been that if it were only Blaine singing. Sorry I love Chris Colfer, and I loved his asymmetrical sweater, but Blaine is a freaking rock star here and YES! I want some more of that, please. Then Puck knocks out a sexy,"I'm the Only One" to the glee club and sings almost entirely to Shelby, who is clearly not pleased with this performance. Quinn seated in font of Shelby, picks up on this sexual tension immediately and questions Puck about it after, in the hallway. She then tries to use her sexuality to seduce him by offering herself, to which he turns her down and even insults her.

Finn tells Santana that she means something to him and that he cares about what happens to her, and I'm thinking "cut the bi*ch loose" after the way she had insulted and humiliated him in the past few weeks, but he ends up singing her a classic girl anthem, turned ballad, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Finn sounds great and Artie and the boys take this version to a whole new level. I really like this unique take on this song and it seemingly broke down the wall between Santana and Finn.

While Sue seems to have stolen Cooter from Coach Bieste, the show stealer and My Download Pick of The Week is, "I Kissed A Girl and I Liked It". This Glee cast ensemble pug the swagger back in Santana's step and showcased all of the talent this show has to offer. It was fun, it was naughty, it was sexy and it worked. The boys really seemed to like it too.

Kurt gets called into Figgins office where he is told that although he won the election by 119 votes, there were more ballots than seniors and that they think he cheated. Kurt admits to thinking about cheating, but swears that he did not do it. He did not cheat. Unless he can prove that he did not stuff the ballot box, Kurt will be suspended and Brittnay is named Class President.

Puck gets a call during class, which he rudely takes and leaves class citing a "family emergency". Shelby is at the hospital, distraught because Beth had fallen, causing her tooth to go through her lip. Puck demands that she see a plastic surgeon and a ridiculously helpless Shelby is seemingly grateful for Puck's assistance. We all know what that means...and of course, it happens. Shelby has post-coital regret and decides to throw Puck out before it goes any further. Puck is pissed off so he goes to the next best place, Quinn's house. After anger sex and some pillow talk Puck tells Quinn that he slept with Shelby. He tells her to keep it a secret. Like that's going to happen...

Santana tells her Abuelita, you know, the one that "raised" Santana on insults, that she is gay, and for the first time in a while I see Santana relax and come out of her nasty shell. But, her abuela is horrified, preferring Santana kept it a secret and she bans her from her home and her life forever. She sings a montage to "Constant Craving" with both Shelby and Kurt craving for their own resolutions.

The episode ended with some big wins and losses.
Burt won the Congress election.
Brittnay won the Class President election.
Santana lost her grandmother and
Rachel admitted to stuffing the ballot box for Kurt and is now suspended for one week, and lost for sectionals.

What's going to happen at sectionals now?

In The Black

We have lots of magazine subscriptions for the holidays!

It turned out to be a very Black Friday this year. I can report a brisk return to holiday shopping and so far, I'm encouraged. Better than expected, and I'm happy to report that it seems to be trending all over the country. According to today's news, the reports are in and this could be a very merry Christmas for retailers. Wall Street is also happy. The Dow rallied 291 points yesterday and consumer confidence seems to be growing.

Much of this weekend's hype was created specifically by the media and the retailers to create a shopping frenzy, and it worked because sales are up. "Black Friday sales were unbelievably good-really solid," said John Herman of Boston-based State Street Global Markets.
Shoppers were bombarded with Black Friday images and ads on most all media outlets, begging some to ask the question, "am I missing out on something?"

The common denominator in all this is discounts. In order to survive, retailers must be competitive and offer substantial discounts to their customers. And we did. For me, this translated into more volume than last year. With American Express sponsored and advertised Small Business Saturday immediately following Black Friday, the weekend turned into a Black Business windfall for small retailers.

Yesterday's Cyber Monday's numbers are not in yet, but early projections speculate sales increasing form last year by 15% and this could all bode well for the economy to start out the 2012 New Year.

I'm hoping to ride this wave of consumer confidence. Keep shopping America, and keep shopping local.

Khaos

Ok, so I'll admit it, I watched it last night.

I was curious and I wanted to see for myself. Sort of, because what I really saw was what the powers that be wanted me to see. After watching the premiere episode of the highly touted, "Kourtney and Kim Take New York" I know one thing for sure, the whole marriage was doomed before it even started.

The entire thing takes place immediately after the honeymoon, and Kourtney, her 2 yr old son Mason, her boyfriend Scott and Kim and Kris all move into a palatial, two story hotel room in New York City. I am immediately thinking this is a bad set up which is all for ratings. Big mistake, as Kim and Kris, just married, have never lived together before and now they need to adjust to 3 other people too?

The Kardashians are not your average other people.

Immediately Kourtney is determined to push Kim's, opinionated, loud, pushy new husband to the limit with her lifestyle choices. I almost side with him when he comes home to find his wife and four of her closest friends practicing "naked yoga" with a rasta, dread wearing, naked man teaching yoga in the middle of his living room. Kim chastises him for being rude, but I think he has a valid point here.

I don't side with him on other issues. I don't like the way he man-handles his wife and I don't like how he puts her down to try and maintain his alpha status. BUT, this living arrangement is so ridiculous, I gotta give the guy props for moving out to focus on his "training" by episode's end. He wasn't drinking the "Kardashian Kool Aid" for sure, and it became evident that all things Kim and Kourtney take precedence over everything and everyone. Like it or not.

I'm not really seeing the villian they are making Kris Humphries out to be, but according to sources, this season of "Kourtney and Kim take New York" will reveal why she couldn't take one more day with him.

I'm curious.

And in the court of right and wrong, I'm wondering who will win this battle.

Happy Turkey Day!

I'm going off grid today bloggers. I got a lot of cans to open.

I'll see you on the flip side of Thanksgiving. Best wishes to you and yours.

Who Knew Cameron Was A Kansas City Fan?

I'm a little behind schedule bloggers, because I got home last night at 1:00 am after Monday Night Football at Gillette Stadium. Sitting behind me was the guy from ABC's Modern Family, Eric Stonestreet. I don't watch Modern Family but I read enough rag magazines to know who he is and to know he is hilarious on the show.

He's absolutely adorable, and I kept turning around and staring at him (I know, soo rude) because I wasn't quite sure if it was him or not. He was slightly unshaven and I might not have even known who he was if weren't for people taking pictures of him.

Anyway, that's not really what I wanted to tell you. This morning I was working out a bit later than usual and I caught the Rachel Rae show. Today she had her "Thanks-give-away" show spectacular and she was giving away lots of great stuff. Oh yeah, she was giving away designer cookie baskets, Sears gift certificates, Dyson vacuums, watches, Kindle's, bikes, designer cookware and lots more. It got me to thinking about how all the talk show hosts today all vying to create the next "Oprah's Favorite Things" show frenzy with crazy giveaways. Ellen has her "12 days of Give Away" and Dr. Phil and Nate Burkus have been know to stow some goodies underneath the audience seats.

It's like a sweepstakes to become the next heir to the talk show taping Gods, and here's the thing...I WANT IN!!

How do I get tickets to Rachel Rae's "Thanks-give-away" show next year? I am a huge Rachel Rae fan and a true-blue magazine subscriber to Rachel Rae Everyday Magazine. (I don't throw them away and I file them by month). Count me in for the next one!

And Ellen? I guess if I had to I could fly out to LA to see my niece, nephew and his lovely wife next year and see a live taping of Ellen's "12 days of Giveaway". You certainly wouldn't have to twist my arm.

Who wants to come next year? Cmon, it will be fun and we'd have a whole year to plan it. New York or LA? Who's coming? Let's DO it together bloggers!

Talking Turkey

Ahhh, Thanksgiving.

It's that wonderful American tradition that is still held some what sacred. It's the only holiday that is completely, 100%, all about the food. Thanksgiving is a great feast.

Some observations:

• Stuffing seems to be the emotional favorite, second only to the turkey itself.


• There are those who prefer to eat out and those who prefer to stay home. I prefer to stay home.


• Cranberry sauce is in two categories: homemade and jelly. I always have to serve both because some like it jelly style, straight out of a can, and some will only eat the homemade kind with whole cranberries.


• Apple Cider. It's the only time I drink it and it is always a staple on my thanksgiving table.


• There's always one who's not speaking to so and so, and you have to be careful not to seat them next to each other or get in the middle of it for that matter.


• Thanksgiving is also synonymous with football.


• Is it legal to begin drinking on Thanksgiving day at 12 noon? It is a holiday after all.


• It's hilarious, it seems like the entire town I live in closes up shop around 3pm on Wednesday. People are either traveling or cooking, but no one is out and about after that.


• Is it legal to begin drinking wine on Thanksgiving morning at 10 am? It is a holiday after all. And I'm gonna need it to get through this one.

What are your observations bloggers?

Friday Funny

A few days after Christmas, a mother was working in the kitchen listening to her young son playing with his new electric train in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son said, "All of you sons of bitches who want off, get the hell off now, cause this is the last stop! And all of you sons of bitches who are getting on, get your asses in the train, cause we're going down the tracks."

The mother went nuts and told her son, "We don't use that kind of language in this house. Now I want you to go to your room and you are to stay there for TWO HOURS. When you come out, you may play with your train, but I want you to use nice language."

Two hours later, the son comes out of the bedroom and resumes playing with his train. Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say, "All passengers who are disembarking from the train, please remember to take all of your belongings with you. We thank you for riding with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one. We hope you will ride with us again soon." She hears the little boy continue, "For those of you just boarding, we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under your seat. Remember, there is no smoking on the train. We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today."

As the mother began to smile, the child added, "For those of you who are pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay, please see the bitch in the kitchen."

Too Good To Be True?

One of the perks of Candy's Daily Dandy is that occasionally someone will ask me to try their product for FREE and then tell you guys what I think. Sometime I bite at the offer and sometimes I don't. But when the people over at Vapor4Life asked me to try their e-cigarette, I practically jumped at the chance.

An ex-smoker for years, and even more recently, I had seen these electronic cigarettes and had wondered what these things were all about. Smoking safely? Sounds like an oxymoron to say the least. After a brief email exchange, I was told to go to the website and choose my "Nicotine Strength" and my desired"Flavor".

Hmmm, this posed a interesting conundrum for me. Because I have successfully kicked the habit, I am no longer addicted to nicotine and I have no desire to become addicted to nicotine again. When I logged on to the website, I was overjoyed to learn that I could choose zero nicotine strength and I then went on to choose apple cinnamon for my flavor. As promised, the little package arrived on my desk in a few days.

So what is it exactly? V4L.com describes their product as such:

"An e-cigarette is a battery powered device that vaporizes a liquid solution to create an alternative to smoking. The V4L e-cigarette is a two piece system consisting of a re-chargeable battery and cartomizer. The cartomizer is a cartridge with a coil built in that heats up a solution, which contains nicotine and flavoring. "

My battery is a chic, black, longish, cigarette looking thing with a fab gem stone at the end that illuminates purple when you inhale the vapor. My cartomizer is a pinkish red, short "filter" looking piece that screws onto the top of my black battery. I couldn't wait to try this sucker out. My battery needed to be charged before usage, and when you attach the battery to the charger and plug it into the outlet, a small light illuminates red until your battery is fully charged. I then attached the cartomizer and took my first inhale from the device.

It wasn't what I had expected at all, and at first I was disappointed. I think I half expected it to taste like a apple cinnamon-y Marlboro Light. Maybe, I thought, I might have made a mistake by not getting some nicotine. But I continued to play with my e-cigarette. Soon I was pulling good "vapor hits" and even blowing smoke rings! All of a sudden, it became somewhat soothing and satisfying and I felt like I had found my groove with this device. Who needs nicotine?

The research on e-cigarettes is all positive, as found in an article by the United Health Organization who concluded “In the short time that electronic cigarettes have become popular, the number of people who have been able to quit smoking and stay cigarette free have risen by an estimated 300%. No other methodology has proven so successful in such a short period of time.” There are also studies that claim that nicotine can be as harmful to your health as caffeine.

I have to say that owning this little device is quite advantageous for someone like me who is orally fixated, (Heff and Bama insert joke here). It quite possibly keeps me from reaching for a sugary treat, and satisfies that occasional urge to smoke that seemingly never goes away. It's cool and fun and I'm thinking it will make a great gift for that person you want to help kick the habit. I think the initial $70 to $100 dollars for a starter kit are well worth it for your health.

Thanks V4L! I highly recommend this product!

Back To Basics

Glee finally got it right last night.

It was back to the basic reason that I love the show, in that last night's episode was all about the music. So instead of telling you who did what and why, I'm going to tell you about the musical mash-up melodies that made last night's episode so great!

Right from the get go-the show opened with Puck's slammin' rendition of the Van Halen classic, "Hot For Teacher". His latest obsession, Shelby, being the object of this student's desire but, hold on...Blaine and Mike Chang singing and dancing backup??? Can you say HOT for back up? I mean is there anything that Blaine (Darren Chriss) can't do? This was just smokin hot on all aspects, with Puck playing front man and Finn holding court on the drums.

Shelby and Shue then tried to bring together the competing Glee clubs by presenting a united front. They performed a mash up of "Just You and I/You and I". How genius of producers to mix up current Lady Gaga mega hit, "You and I" and the Crystal Gayle/Eddie Rabbit cult favorite, "Just You and I". Shue and Shelby worked the mash up accompanied by guitar and Shelby showcased her pitch perfect vocals on the Gaga song. This number has something for everyone, but the Glee clubbers are not so convinced.

So much at odds are the two competing clubs that they decide a dodge ball showdown is the way to settle this score. Finn and Santana have a seemingly simmering rivalry and the entire dodge ball game is showcased to a fitting mash up of"Hit Me With Your Best Shot/One Way Or Another". Pat Benetar and Blondie, sung lead by both Santana and Finn, was a power packed montage of face slammin, body flying, world rocking dodge ball that was at times, hilariously fun. Of course, it's always funny until someone gets hurt. A victorious Santana finishes off Finn then, she and the Troubletones take it too far when they gang up on the new kid and he ends up with a bloody nose. Santana got some anger issues, that's for sure.

The Mash-Off begins with the New Directions rendition of the Hall and Oates 80's classics "You Make My Dreams Come True/I Can't Go For That". The costumes were great with some of the guys sporting neon t-shirts with Miami Vice Blazers and others rocking cheezy moustaches ala Oates. It was an 80's spectacle with big hair and lots of sparkle that was a lot of fun to watch. Especially if you grew up in the 80's like I did.

BUT was it good enough to win the great McKinnley Mash-Off?

Sorry, but the Troubletones brought the house down with, my Download Pick Of The Week, "Rumor Has It/Someone Like You". Sexy, sultry, Adele mash up lead by Santana and Mercedes, had not only relevance (cuz who doesn't love Adele right now), but with Santana's character struggling with her sexuality, it gave this number a hauntingly engaging element that was emotionally palpable.

I will say that the episode ended on a sour note when Santana viciously attacked Finn and slapped him across the face for "outing" her in public. I'm sorry, but if Finn doesn't punch her in the face I'm going to. Really? She keeps attacking him with a venom filled tongue, so what does she expect? I would have flattened that bit*h out 3 episodes ago. Just sayin.

Anyway, I got the music in me today because last night was a virtual playground for my iPod.
Keep the mash up's coming Glee, and we'll keep coming back for more.

Today I'm Channeling Sofia Vergara

And it's not why you think.

I just finished up, literally,(cuz I was too lazy to do it last night) cooking a Latin inspired dish for Frack's theatre company to enjoy tonite at their upcoming high school's show rehearsal. It's a spicy, sumptuous, salsa inspired dish that is always a crowd favorite. I've been making this dish for years, and as the recipe in the book, "America's Best Loved Community Recipes" says:

"Marcie Benne and her friends often have small dinner parties and pot lucks, and Marie usually brings her specialty, Enchiladas Con Pollo. She tells us that this is a dish she can serve confidently. "They will always be delicious."

I am living proof that true to her word, they always are! Today I decided to share this little gem with you, so that you can unleash your inner Sofia Vergara too.

Enchiladas Con Pollo from "America's Best Loved Community Recipes"


This is the finished product for tonite

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (8 ounces)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (10 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped tomatoes

1/3 chopped black olives

1/4 cup chopped green chili peppers

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 16 ounce jars taco sauce or salsa (3 1/2 cups)

10 6 to 7 inch flour or corn tortillas

Chopped black olives (optional)

Chopped tomatoes (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3 quart rectangular baking dish.

2. In a large bowl , stir together 1 cup of the cheese, the chicken, tomatoes, olives, chili peppers and onion. Add 1 cup of the taco sauce or salsa and mix well.

3.Place the remaining taco sauce in a shallow dish.(like a pie plate) Dip the tortillas in the sauce, one at a time, covering each side with salsa.

4. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up, on a cutting board, and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. (this will be very messy but keep going) Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas.

5. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the enchiladas and return to the oven, about 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped olives and chopped tomato, if desired. Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Spice up your life and enjoy!

I Really Don't Discriminate When I Am Buying Product

So Frack had his math tutor last Wednesday night and I had an hour to kill before I had to pick him up at the library. An hour to kill and Candy unleashed can be a very dangerous thing, indeed. The library is very close to a local CVS so I figured I would go grab a few things like toothpaste and such and effectively kill the hour. Sounds innocent enough, right?

This particular CVS drugstore is open 24 hours and is very large. It has a new area that looks to be it's first foray into the high end cosmetics and skin care market. Of course, I am immediately drawn to the isle, after all I, have an hour to kill. Research and development, I like to call it, and I throw myself into looking at everything. There were lots of brand names that I didn't recognize and I got busy, reading and touching and smelling. Before I knew it, I had about six or seven products in my cart and I was really excited about them.

Lord knows I don't need a GOSH DARN thing, but I just can't help myself. I am a JUNKIE.

Anyway, one of the products I bought is a great product, on the cheap, that I want to share with you. It's by a company called Roc. Roc has a great line of skincare products that claim to be effective. Reasonably priced, and I mean a quarter of the department store brands, these Roc products consistently receive positive reviews on the makeup sites like MakeupAlley.com. The buzz on Roc is you can get a good, inexpensive, anti-aging product at your local drugstore.

I bought the Roc Daily Resurfacing Discs and I am in love with them. At $10.99, these pre-moistened cleansing pads are two-sided. One side is soft and foams up beautifully to gently remove dirt and makeup. This side also works great to remove eye makeup effectively. The other side has a slightly rough, buffing texture that also foams up and sloughs away dead skin cells. I use them at night because I really feel like I am cleaning off the grime of my day and these pads actually re-texturize your skin's surface and give dull skin a fabulous glow. I also love the convenience of the plastic tub, with the flip top for easy access.

Fellas, these will make great prep before shaving. Not only will they cleanse and tone, but the buff side will cause hair follicles on your face to rise to optimise your daily shave. Dare I say it? I actually feel like this products possibly cleanses my face better than my pricey foaming cleansers. Next time you are in your local drugstore, give them a try. I like them so much I am going to buy them for Frick. It's hard to get a 17 year-old to understand that taking care of your skin is important at any age. I think she will love the easy access to these pre-moistened, self foaming pads. Maybe now I can get her to remove her eye make up before bed because she hardly has to do a thing but rinse!

And as soon as Frack's whisker's come in, I'll buy him some too which could be a lot sooner than later.

I just noticed for the first time this weekend that his voice is changing...

For My Dad, The Walking Man and Every Other Brave Soldier In The World

Happy Veterans Day!!

May your weekend be filled with the joy of freedom that our soldiers fight so valiantly to provide for us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I Was Just Thinking....

What the hell is wrong with this world?

My morning paper is filled with tawdry and tragic tales of sex crimes. Are people really that stupid? Lets talk first about legendary Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno. While the facts on this case seem solid, the details are wherein the devil lies. Literally. What a horrid mess of details. Coach Paterno's former assistant, Jerry Sandusky has been charged with 8 counts of sexual molestation with boys in 15 years.

In 2002, Mike Queary, came to Paterno to report seeing Sandusky in the showers with a 10 year old boy. At that time Patreno took the matter to athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz. All three of them are jobless today and dishonestly discharged from their respective careers. At 84, this legendary role model disgraced his name by taking a play directly from the Catholic church's play book; shut up and make it go away. Maybe Bernard Law and Joe Paterno can now become Penn pals, complete pun intended.

Then there's Cain. Herman Cain has taken a play directly out of the Bill Clinton playbook and is playing the adamant denial game. Now this is a little something I know about. Liars always believe their own lies. After a while they are so convinced of their innocence that they will go to great lengths to convince you and themselves of it. But it never pans out and karma is a bitch who will never let you forget. One woman interviewed in the Boston Herald said, "Herman Cain is a sociopath. You can catch them doing something on video and they'll deny they were even on the planet." My point exactly. And this guy want to run for President? These are not adulterous charges, these are titilating and scandalous charges by multiple women.

Then there's this doosey: A woman in Attleboro, MA stands accused of forcing her 10 year-old daughter, crying, to stand naked in front of her computer web cam so a "photographer" could measure her body type for a bikini shoot. Seems this 41 year-old mother was shopping around for a modeling gig for herself on the internet when she received a Facebook message from a man claiming to be from a Florida photography firm. She then sent pictures of her naked breasts to him and told him about her 10 year-old daughter.

"John" then told her he had a client who wanted to do a bikini shoot with a mother and daughter. The planned a Skype conversation with "John", who explained that his camera was broken, which is why the mother and daughter couldn't see him. The mother then had her crying daughter strip naked and pose in front of the camera for about 15 minutes. "John" was arrested in Iowa after the mother's sister tipped off police. She told authorities that "John" had offered the mother $20,000.00 for her and her daughter to come to Florida for the shoot.

I'll say it again, are people really that stupid? What the hell is wrong with this world? Sex and scandal and stupidity.

That's a daily trifecta that has no winners.