Saturday, January 26, 2013

3 years

3 whole years
and
more or less days
I have been barren
and
lost in this maze
of
dark despair
and
impenetrable haze -
how I long for clear years
and
cloudless days.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

A bit of perspective from a TV host

  For the most part, I like Kathie Lee Gifford.

I think she is funny and savvy,
has (several of) her
morals intact, and she brings
a non-formulaic breath of fresh air to the Today Show.

I don't watch the Today Show
(including the fourth hour)
as much these days due
to the fact that I work in the morning
and that the whole show
has gotten fairly
underwhelming and/or slanted in a variety of ways,
but I appreciate what this host said in a book of hers not too long ago,
and I hope she still believes it:

"Today's [talk] shows make me miss Johnny Carson. and Jack Paar. And Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, and Dick Cavett. I miss people who knew how to talk to people intelligently, without insulting or demeaning them, and also knew how to listen.

"And while I am at it, I miss Bill Crosby, Bob Newhart, Tim Conway, Carol Burnett - people who knew how to make you laugh without maiking you feel guilty about it.

Sex does not automatically equal entertainment.  Filthy words do not automatically make someone a comedian. And screaming and interrupting certainly does not equal having a conversation."

Definitely something to consider.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Outliers and my dad

My husband just read the book titled "The Outliers."

A key premise of the book is that an individual's propensity for success
is significantly impacted by said individual's environment.

Last night, my husband said (with logic found in this book) that it my dad's long life post cancer diagnosis
likely had as much to do with the community he was surrounded by than
the world-class medical facility where he received treatment.

Truth be told,
having lived in my home town from birth through college,
I wouldn't be at the least surprised.