Obama, Osama and Matt Lauer

I think he does it on purpose.  This morning on the Today Show they ran a report on the newest search for Osama Bin Laden.  When it was thrown back to Matt after the piece he immediately said 'Obama.......excuse me...........Osama........'  and went on to talk about bin Laden. No stumbling on it, just out with it.  As if there weren't enough folks already confused about Obama's name, Matt Lauer again pairs the next President of the United States with our greatest terror enemy.   Do the Republicans pay him to do that or is he just a true believer?

BTW, thanks to D for catching this alleged 'slip'.  If she hadn't noticed it as well, I might well think I need to make myself a tinfoil hat.......

Also, BTW, or BTW Part Deux, if you haven't already, RUN to the theater to see Wall-E.  It is amazingly good.  I wouldn't recommend it for really little kids; they may be bored or scared during the first half.

See No Evil

I was in the checkout line at the supermarket yesterday and noticed that in addition to a couple of candy-free checkstands there was now a couple of 'Child Friendly Checkouts'.  Apparently some parents don't want their precious little snowflakes seeing the moral decay represented by magazine covers.  The store (as far as I know this is an individual store thing and not chain-wide) has printed up and laminated green signs that cover all of the magazines and state that this is, indeed, a child-friendly checkout.  Now, okay, I can live with that if the magazines they are covering up are Maxim or Playgirl but we are talking about my faves, People, OK, Star, Us!!!!

I mean, the stories are trashy and morally decayed and if I had a six-year-old I probably wouldn't want her to read them.  But the cover pictures are not really racy.  I think this is a case of too much coddling of the precious snowflakes.

On the other hand, why not cover up Oprah, More and AARP while you are at it. (And I know they don't sell the AARP magazine in stores.  Don't ask me how I know.)  But Oprah and Goldie and Jamie Lee, all of these women with whom I share a decade.  All looking fabulous.  Maybe some young - er - ish - middle-aged women don't want to see these beautiful women.  Maybe it makes them feel bad about themselves.  If I do say so myself I look damn good for my age but I also know when the wrinkling and sagging does set in, I don't have the money to get it repaired. So here's to the 'Young - er - ish - Middle Aged Women Friendly Checkout.'  Do you think they could fit that on a sign and cover up the great looking aging women?

Larry Craig Moments

Before Larry Craig took his wide stance into the men's room I, as a woman, would think nothing of reaching under the stall partition to give or receive that most precious gift a women's room can bestow, toilet paper.  Women do this all the time.  Women's rooms are notoriously short on paper and if you sit before you check, as I often do, you can be in trouble.  But will this activity become suspect?  I now think twice about asking for t.p.  I am less nervous giving it when someone asks.  I can plead innocence that the question, 'Could I have some toilet paper' also means 'Can we do the sexy times' especially if I am caught with wad in hand.

Today I had my mini-Larry Craig moment.  Only it wasn't in a airport bathroom.  It was in a department store fitting room.  In taking off the shirt I was wearing, I inadvertently shot my Bluetooth ear thingie under the partition and into the fitting room next door.  Not even thinking about it I reached under to get it.  Only then did I notice that the room was occupied and the feet and the girlish giggle that occupied it were no more than 12-years-old.  Shit! I grabbed the Bluetooth, lamely apologized and, had I not been half-undressed, would probably have just nonchalantly strolled out of the fitting room area.  My thoughts were racing; what if the fitting room attendant or the security cameras saw that?  What if they think I'm perverted instead of clumsy and call the police?  One has to think about these things.

Alas, nothing happened.  I finished my business, the girl finished hers and returned to her grandmother. (Oddly the grandmother was dressed totally in black with her hair arranged in white, Pippi Longstocking pony tails; but that, while an amusing image, has no relevance to the story).  I have not been branded as the local Lorrie Craig and all is right with the world. Makes ya' think though.....