DO SOMETHING (video)

John Cullum and Emily Frankel discuss the pressure that is being put on the White House to solve all the problems immediately, right away, quick!

It worries Emily, and it frustrates John.

As they discuss the urgent issues, he explains to her, and to himself, the reasons why some of the most urgent issues cannot simply be fixed, by action.

They don't know all the facts, any more than most people, but somehow, reviewing what's going on in the country, and the world, reassures them.


They may have talked it over -- and decided "low profile" fore Michelle, so that at least one of them is around for their children.

JOHN EDWARDS

I feel about John Edwards the way I feel about Elliot Spitzer, Tiger Woods, and now, Al Gore.

Why must we destroy strong men because they needed sex?

I remember the wonderful, patriotic, affirming way Al Gore bowed out of the election in 2000 --" Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome which will be ratified next Monday in the Electoral College. And tonight, for the sake of our unity of the people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession."

The work Gore has been doing for our country, and for the world, on Global Warming and preserving the environment is "gold."

Whether the masseuse is looking for the limelight and money or not, if he grabbed the woman in his hotel room out of desire inspired by the thousands of Do It, Get It, sex nagging pressuring ads, remnants of ads in the air ... because he was worn out from a day of working on audiences ... so what?

Tiger Woods has spent most of the years of his life, mastering golf, competing, and winning -- making his father's dream for him come true. He needed sex -- for whatever reasons he wanted 'wicked" sex outside of what he got from his wife. Let him be -- let him strive on, win on, be the amazing, winning golfer that he is.

Elliot Spitzer is a brilliant political leader, who realized he functioned better after quick, casual sex with a hooker (not love-making with his wife that required him revving himself up). He was publicly destroyed and punished, now he's rebounding. Let's use him. He's a sharp-minded, creative, knowledgeable problem solver. The city, the state has problems that Spitzer knows how to solve.

John Edwards -- we don't know anything about his side of the story -- a son killed, a beloved wife with an incurable cancer. I suspect the Edwards family didn't have much of a sex life ... possibly haven't had sex for a long time, and sex is in the air from the moment JE got up in the morning -- after a worry-filled, restless night -- running for election, worrying about his wife, his two kids, his body inviting him during the night to DO it by himself -- unable to because of her, because of him being 57 and what her cancer made him feel.

Why am I am sympathetic, supportive? Because the man needed sex, and despite his belief in loyalty, fidelity, despite his love for wife, reality was hitting him -- he was not going to nominated. And suddenly, out of the blue, a girl-ish babe offered him fun.

John saying the baby wasn't his was a failed rationale. If Rielle Hunter was making-out with another guy, maybe Elizabeth would understand -- John knew she DID understand that he, like she, was frightened about her cancer -- about where they were heading.

When the scandal broke, John Edwards knew he wasn't going to be president, but there was plenty of important, good work to do -- aside from their two children needing both their parents, the poor people in their city, their state, in Haiti, and El Salvador needed the help of Mr. And Mrs. John Edwards.

He's living alone now, wandering, cut off from all his old friends, and people who worked with him and for him. A man with his abilities drifting, not working -- that's cruel punishment.

Yes, I know the wives, Tipper, Elin, Silda, and Elizabeth are deeply hurt, suffering, haunted by what happened.

Yes, I know that a man who cheats on his wife is selfish, disloyal, unfaithful, and can never again be trusted. The love that was once shared is tarnished, and probably the shine, and glow of what it was before, is gone, and can never be restored.

But we aren't married to Gore, Woods, Spitzer or Edwards. We need them to be and do what they can do so wonderfully well.

DO's AND DON'T's

Getting a drink of water -- shouldn't you worry about the impurities in bottled water, or the purified water that's in-sufficiently purified?

Heading out for a walk -- shouldn't you worry about what's in the air today? Is the sky grey from pollutants? Is there too much sun overhead? What about the UV index for today? Do you have the right SPF cream for your arms, and face?

No more tanning -- not while you're out for a walk, never at the beach; and tanning salons are worse than smoking a pack of cigarettes.

Making a phone call -- does a cell phone cause brain cancer?

If you travel uptown are you going to take the germ filled subway? Is it better to take a taxi that's eating gas, filling the air with deadly, global warming emissions?

What about cup of coffee? It reduces the risk of colon cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, gallstones, but coffee is bad for sleep, nerves, and it sometimes causes rheumatoid arthritis.

Hang around the house? What about Radon? You can't smell it, but it could be there -- it's a killer -- shouldn't you get a radon checking kit and test the place?

Have a snack, eat something -- not fruit, not veggies that have been sprayed with pesticides -- not meat that's been exposed to antibiotics or growth hormones! And don't use plastic cups, plates, or utensils -- they're loaded with toxic BPA (Bisphenol A).

And bearing in mind that there's a water shortage, wash all fruit and vegetables reasonably thoroughly.

Don't use the air conditioner -- it's humid, you'll be overloading the electric grid!

Do some work on the computer? Watch TV? Remember to sit back -- 18 inches from the monitor, 2.5. feet from the TV that'll be brain-washing you every few minutes with ads selling you pills, pills pills.

Listen to music? Not too loud -- it's already ruined your ears.

Oh well ... what the hell ...
Be glad you know what's bad ...
So ... go!
Have a ball. and do it all !

TOM CRUISE

I am not a "fan" of any actor, actress, or theater person (other than my husband). I like some movie stars much better than others. Cruise is one of them.

I don't see many movies; rarely go to the theater; once a year I watch ice skaters; I avoid "dance." Even in my days as a performer, I avoided ballet and modern dance -- watching others distracted me from dancing the way I wanted to dance.

Tom Cruise, again, and again, creates a character that makes the story the movie tells, a story that affects me.

I wasn't aware of him before "Risky Business." Tom Cruise dancing around in his underwear tickled me. He was fun, very natural, a young guy I enjoyed meeting.

I didn't follow his career, but whenever he appeared in a movie preview, or a re-run on television, I'd find myself watching him, captured. (I watch/listen to the kitchen TV between chores, rarely stay glued to the screen).

Tom Cruise movies that stay with me, that I've seen more than once -- "Rain Man," "Born on the Fourth of July," "A Few Good Men," "The Firm." In these four films, the story, all the actors -- but especially Cruise -- were even more interesting on a second viewing. Other films -- well, I haven't been able to sit through any of his "Mission Impossible" movies -- (too much action), or his vampire movies (vampires are not my cup of tea), and "Vanilla Sky" was, for me, a bomb (I didn't like him in it, thought the plot was icky, confused.)

Yes, I saw Tom jump on the couch on the Oprah Winfrey show, declaring he was in love, and I cringed. Tom, chit chatting about Scientology, his marriage and divorce from Kidman, his verbal war with Brooke Shields, his marriage to Holmes and their baby -- during television interviews, I'm often repelled by what he's saying, and his overbearing, frantic manner.

B U T -- Tom Cruise, the actor, is such a believable strong, likable, often lovable masculine male -- the interviews, the whispers about him being gay, the annoying aspects of his public personality -- none of this affects or colors what I see and feel about the man on the screen.

Here's a short clip of his latest new movie that's playing now, "Knight and Day."




I think Cruise, in this film, is his usual good actor self. The look, the ease, the sense of a real person, a man is there, and worth spending time with. I like the character. The movie tricks, slam-bam stuff, the imminent deadly situations -- yiii -- the movie magic is mostly boring, and makes me restless. The ha-ha comedic style of the film doesn't work for me -- it seems over done. The lovely, wide-eyed Carmen Diaz, has gotten high praise (along with Cruise) for her work in this film, but I find her unreal, too-too much! Diaz doesn't hold me, Cruise does.

No I'm not a fan, but obviously I 'm prejudiced. I've got an instinct that's inbred in me by now, to really like the man, the actor Tom Cruise.

GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN

A friend sent me this brief "GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN" lesson, in an e-mail, that someone sent him in an e-mail:

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa. Half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally Beautiful! ...

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe. Well developed and open to trade, especially for someone of real value ...

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain, very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece, gently aging but still a warm and desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all conquering past.

Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel, has been through war, doesn't make the same mistakes twice, takes care of business.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada, self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.

After 70, she becomes Tibet, wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages. An adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN
Between 1 and 80, a man is like Iran , ruled by nuts.


THE END.

MUSIC

Symphonic music to me was, and still is, the most thrilling, most powerful of the arts.

I love rock and roll. I love the big band sound. But what a symphony orchestra is -- the sight of sixty, seventy, sometimes ninety men and women working together is what gets me.

Their unity is what involves me in the music. Men and woman -- their concentrated playing of instruments they love, have studied, mastered, keep practicing on, striving to perfect --the tone, speed, phrasing, dynamics -- staccato, legato , fortissimo, pianissimo -- all those lilting Italian words that represent hundreds things they all know and feel in their bones without translating.

I'm just talking about something I've experienced, and re-experience -- deeply enjoy, and treasure -- sharing it, for no reason except the orchestras of America and Europe are becoming endangered species.

Yes, museums, theaters, ballet companies, zoos, botanical gardens, and libraries are endangered. But the symphony orchestra ... I've performed as part of the orchestra, and it was as if the arms of God were on me, around me, lifting me -- gliding, guiding, and sending and me into the space that I shared with the musicians and conductor and we were one and the same. I didn't cry, laugh, or get giddy with joy because I was so wondrously IN the music. I just danced.

What a privilege! I own it. Other people do also. I'm just sending it on to you so that if you have a chance to go to a symphony concert -- GO.

TRUE FRIENDS

A very good friend of ours sent me this in an e-mail.

True Friends

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.

They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim. Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship. They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.

Long Live Friendship!!!!!!! _______________________________________________