Cheap liquor, Cheetos and a tax free boat?

Yea, so I have been on a bit of a hiatus. I can do that...this is my blog. Frankly, there is such thing as writer's block and sometimes you just lose inspiration. Luckly, as of late a few things have caught my attention and I feel like blabbing about them.

Let's go over a day in the news....that day being Wed, August 3rd.

I love how this article from the NYT opens with how great state-run liquor sales are. They say it's great because as a consumer you don't pay tax. Well guess what, you end up paying anyway becuase the prices are double in government-run states, than free market states. Refer to my earlier post (Straight up and with a twist) if you have any questions about that one.

Additionally, I don't think John Kerry should have to pay Massachusettes the tax on his big fancy yacht that he bought in Rhode Island. Is there someone in Massachusettes that sells the same boat? Doubt it. But you know, people are mad because John Kerry ran over to R.I. to buy a boat and in that state there isn't a tax, so people in Mass are expecting him to pay THEM the tax that WOULD HAVE existed if he bought the boat in Mass.

What the hell?? I'm not even a fan of John Kerry's, but this is ridiculous.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/us/04newengland.html?ref=us


Another hot story.....obesity has risen in the past 3 years...9 states claim that 30% of its residents are obese.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/health/nutrition/04fat.html


Maybe it's becuase of all the Cheetos they're eating. This top-selling cheese puff in America generates $4 BILLION annually for PepsiCo.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/nyregion/04cheez.html

And that's all for now....peace and love in the ghetto.

Yes, I know the last link is not working but again it's my blog and I am sick of trying to fix it. I am sure you've been there too.

My Favorite Person...The Prophet Muhammad

Guest blog! Guest blog! Enjoy this little diddy below from our favorite friend, Sam the Cheese Man.

If anyone happened to catch the 200/201 episode of South Park it has stirred up quite a little controversy. Let me give you a quick synopsis of the 2-part episode.

In the episode (200), all celebrities who have been mocked by residents of South Park plan to file a class action lawsuit against the town. Tom Cruise promises to end the lawsuit if the town can produce the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

In (201) Ginger Separatist Movement forces the townspeople to have Muhammad step out of his bear costume, we learn that Stan, Kyle and Kenny, on Mr. Hankey's suggestion, have replaced Muhammad in the bear costume with Santa Claus. The conflict between the townspeople and the Gingers is prematurely ended by Mecha-Streisand entering the town, killing Pip, and destroying Casa Bonita, Country Kitchen Buffet, and Raisins.

Wow not much of a controversy considering every time the word Muhammad is mentioned it was censored, the Prophet was never shown. But oh-no, many Muslims are enraged. Why is this? For simply mentioning the “holy” Prophet.

Here inlays the real problem. Muslims think their religion is holier than the next. They charge that the Prophet is so holy that no one can idolize him. Then why are there so many Muslim men named Muhammad? Is not naming your child after an illiterate businessman who couldn't read idolizing him?

So here we are in the 21^st century and you can have your life legitimately threatened for basically the thought of mentioning Muhammad. In fact the NYPD has upped security at Comedy Central’s offices in New York City citing a website called www.revolutionislam.com, which is the same group that organized and carried out a PRO Bin Laden rally in Queens. They are taking our wonderful rights (the right to free assembly and free speech) and using fear and intimidation to force the major TV networks into self-censorship. It’s fascism by fear. The idea that if you write satire or choose to make fun of 1 person in particular and then your life or business will be subject to violence is unbelievable.

Think back to 2005 when Danish embassies were burned and people were murdered. Name one news channel or paper that would let YOU decide what is an offensive cartoon or not. Not 1 of the major news networks stood with the Danish newspapers....Fox...MSNBC....CNN....NYTIMES....LA TIMES.....all silent and too scared to publish a satire cartoon. It’s hard to determine who is really more ridiculous the people who cower and don't stand up for free speech or the people who are running around playing the hurt feelings card and threating people with violence.

I'm just singin' in....my dreams

I dream most nights, which I am grateful for. I hear that a lot of people don't dream at all. I've been told by loved ones that I dream so often because my brain is incessantly busy. That's ok with me, because even if I dream I wake up feeling rested. Due to my active dreams and a reoccurring event in my dreams, I am convinced I played an instrument and wrote my own music in a past life. (Yes, I whole-heartdly believe in past lives and we shall leave this for a later post.) First of all, since I can remember music has been incredibly influential for me. I remember the first two musicians that I fell in love with. The first one caught my heart when I was about 3 years old. Her name was Tina Turner. I have vivid memories of her Private Dancer album playing on my mother's record player. As I sat on the floor I just stared at the record case, entranced by her long legs, shiny heels and RED lacquered nails. It was my first celebrity crush for sure.

Then we moved to Ohio and my friend's mother, who lived across the street was a huge fan of Carly Simon. By sheer exposure, I too became a huge fan of Carly Simon. I remember I had her Coming Around Again album on cassette tape. My friend's mother had it on CD so I would often go to her house just so that I could look at the CD booklet - bigger, better pictures than what you found in the cassette case. On other occassions, you would often find me in bed listening to my Sony Walkman which of course was playing a Carly song, usually my favorite, "Do the Walls Come Down," or perhaps I was on the back patio giving the trees a free concert - me lip syncing to any of the songs off that album. The best was when it was a windy day and I could pretend I was her, performing at the 1987 concert on Martha's Vineyard - a VHS I watched religiously. Thanks to a close family friend who also happens to be a neighbor, just a few months ago I enjoyed the same concert on DVD. This time it was a more grown-up experience which included a late night with surround sound, champagne and Chambord.

So I have shared with you the first two musical artists I ever fell in love with, but I also failed to mention that my life plays out with a soundtrack. Ask any close friend of mine and if we happen to be eating in a Chipotle, having a beer in Brooklyn, shopping at Urban or anywhere else music may be playing, almost always I will say, "Oh my gosh! This song takes me back to [fill in blank here]." My experiences are defined by the music that was playing. Whether that happened out loud for everyone to hear or if it was playing in my head...which has happened more times than I admit. There is a song from the late '90s that reminds me of an old boyfriend, however he has no idea because at that memorable moment the room was silent and the song was only playing in my head.

So besides my two major musical loves and the constant backdrop of music in my life I say that I must have been a musician/writer in a past life because I have written music in my dreams. Songs I have never heard before and when I wake up I can still hear them in my head. I can't even begin to process how I would get this music out of my head and onto paper or recorded....there is an absolute block in my brain once I am awake. So instead of scrambling to get the song recorded in some medium I just enjoy the music while it plays in my head until the rattling of the day slowly brings the music to fade.

Does music have a profound effect on you too? Any talent you have that is only used while visiting dreamland?

Oh, the pursuits of Health

Well isn't this encouraging.....


In my quest to stay true to the Angie Diet, part of my lunch yesterday was steamed vegetables. Said vegetables included: carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.


Let's also note that I am suffering from sever allergies and my nose is so stuffed up I can not smell a thing!


So I take my steamed veggie goodness and sit at my desk. Here comes Neel, tall, skinny, young salesman, zooming past my desk, his suit rippling and clinging to him because of his waif frame."Does it smell like garbage in here to you?"


Neel is known for being a bit of a smart-ass so I look at him, glare and say, "No, it does not smell like garbage!" Thinking, 'whatever skinny, go find some investors.'


Then Feeney comes over and says "Ahh, yes, I knew someone made the steamed veggies. Smells like garbage."


WHAT?! I can't smell a thing - does it really? No wonder Neel said that. Two seconds later, Nick, the powerhouse trader from Scotland with the bizarre, twisted sense of humor and his All American, straight from the heartland sidekick, Matt come walking over. Their faces scrunched like "ewww, what is that smell??"


You can guess where it goes from there. I still can't smell a thing - but was ordered by Nick to eat my food immediately because we had investors coming over for a meeting in 15 minutes. As I inhale my food out comes Matt with an air-freshener can spraying like there's no tomorrow. He totally over-did it, which is clear since Feeney is nearly doubling over coughing and spitting up 'white lilies and linen.' Luckily for me I didn't smell a thing - garbage or lilies.

What a mermaid eats

Hello Flounder, Sebastion and Ericccc....oh la la, Eric.

Still perusing mermaid status. Here's what's on tap for a mermaid lunch.

• one slice whole wheat toast


• thin layer of dijon mustard on said toast


• topped with two pieces of roasted turkey and slice of cheddar cheese


• side of steamed string beans drizzled with oil and vinegar, topped with cracked black and red pepper


• side of 1% milk fat cottage cheese


• endless tall glasses of ice cold water

Photo below kiddos! Eat up!

What did you have for lunch today?

Idiots on parade

You can guess from Koosh's Subway Manners post that we are very observant of the idiots that run rampant in this city. Of course there are plenty of geniuses in every field that pepper the town but we still have a few village idiots in residence.

I encountered two of these all-stars before the clock had even hit 8am this morning.

1. On the 1 train headed downtown. Get to stop two (66th street) and the train is packed and since I was standing right by the door I did the polite (and CORRECT) thing to do which is step outside the train so people can get off. Now the unspoken rule is...people who are waiting to get on the train must first let those that stepped off (ie: ME) get back on the train before they try to board. But no....low and behold these two ladies barrel on through in front of me (while people are still getting off mind you!) and take two steps into the train and stand right in front of the door, bodies all over the 'stripper pole' so no one else can use it. So I am annoyed, it's 7:45 and I am still suffering from sever allergies (haven't even brushed my hair in two days if that indicates how tired I have been. I have been washing it though - at least I manage that part) but my patience for morons, rude ones to boot is low....reeeal low. I try and give them the benefit of the doubt and think, ok, they must be getting off at the next stop just like me, that's why they insist on standing by the door. SO we get to Columbus Circle and I step off to exit look behind me and see that they CONTINUE to stand there not exiting in addition to not stepping aside in effort to let anyone off. I roll my eyes and think, rude dummies that are too engrossed in their own bubble to think about those around them that are sharing the train.

2. I make it 400 feet to the escalator to go up to street level and I encounter Idiot #2. The escalator is wide enough for two single file lines of people. Again, like clock-work every morning people file into their preferred line. To the right are the people that stand and want to enjoy the ride. To the left are the people who walk up the escalator in effort to catch one of the 4 MAJOR bus lines that pick up at Columbus Circle. As you can imagine from my pushy attitude I am ALWAYS filing into the left line...the one that walks up the escalator. What do I see today though....some woman decides to RUIN the whole system and stand in the left line. The whole escalator gets backed up and us left-line people just make a gruff, inaudible sound and deal with this inconsiderate, moron move. However, as always I try and give people the benefit of the doubt and think maybeee she doesn't know this rule. So that leads me to my next victim of verbal abuse (ha!) the person standing behind her. I do feel it is their civic responsibility to politely tap her on the shoulder and say "excuse me, I'd like to get by," and hopefully everyone else will follow suit and after she moves to the side 500 times she will soon realize that if she wanted to stand she should have stood on the right. There lesson learned.

Now I know Mrs. Steinman is going to call me out on this one and say "you are turning into a pushy New Yorker, calm down." I do appreciate her keeping me grounded. I am proud of my midwest roots and west coast chillness, but I am not backing down on this one. I'm ready for it...bring it on Mom.

I am going to look like a mermaid this summer

Diets. I think of women who talk, talk and TALK about diets but never really do them. That is why I have never done a fad diet because I don't want to be in that category. You know the woman with 85 cats, no life and constantly talking about the new diet she will start.

As some of you know I am at a new financial office now. A hedge fund, which is great. Big budgets, great amenities and the employees...young, smart, studly, men. The ratio is great too. There are two women in the office, me and Feeney, whom I get along with in every way. Could you ask for a better work situation??

Monday Feeney told me she was starting the Southampton Diet. I want to lose a few for this summer so I told her, ok I'll try it out with you. I love to research so I got online to see what this thing was all about. Not the Hamptons Diet most of you are probably thinking about. No. The Southampton Diet is old as dirt when it comes to new fad diets...it's been around since 1984 and turns out it was developed by some quack doc who died of a drug overdose while overweight and bloated in his swanky pad. Yikes! Here's a link to his obituary from the NYT if you are interested in learning more: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/01/obituaries/dr-stuart-m-berger-health-advice-columnist-40.html?pagewanted=1 Not sure I want to trust him with my bod. Especially when one of the afternoon snacks is Melba toast and a cup of beef broth - gag. Now, for the record Feeney and her family members have turned to the Southampton Diet and it has worked effectively for all of them so I am not saying it doesn't work. I just know that it's not right for me.

So now I have reverted back to what I lovingly call the Angie Diet. It really isn't a diet at all which is why it works for me. It's just the way we should be eating all of the time. High lean protein, leafy greens, veggies, low-sugar fruits, whole grains, water, tea and low fat yogurt/dairy. NO sweets, sugars, fried food, soda, fast food, heavy pastas, extra cheese or anything else I love to eat. However, whenever I do get on the Angie Diet I always see results and the first result I feel right away is light and comfortable. Immediately this feeling of bloat disappears. I am comfortable again and I don't feel my stomach protruding because I overate per usual. With that said, portion control plays a big role in the Angie Diet as well. If dining out, before you even begin to eat, push half of the portion to the other side of your plate and know that that half is going home with you and will be eaten the next day for lunch or dinner.

As I embark on the trusty Angie Diet I will keep you informed on what I am eating, learning, doing and LOSING or gaining, as in lean muscle, yes!

So far for the day I have enjoyed the following:

• Coffee with hazelnut creamer and splenda


• Egg white omelet with cheddar and broccoli (100 cals)


• Fage 2% yogurt with strawberries

And here is a helpful link regarding sugar content in fruit. Don't think that all fruit is ok to eat if you are looking to lose. You want to eat the fruit with the lowest sugar content. This means no bananas, pomegranates, cherries, grapes, pears and a few others. Who knew!? Fruits you can count on: grapefruit, raspberries, blackberries, melons, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches and blueberries to name a few.

For the entire list of fruit look here: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/whatfruit.htm

I'll also be staying active while on the Angie Diet. With this great weather in NYC I enjoyed a nice run around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. How fitting.....

The run was 1.56 miles. See the map below.

Not on the fringe

An interesting op-ed article from the NYT. Not saying I agree with everything Frank Rich has to say, but these generally are the articles you should read anyway. See and learn all sides.....http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28rich.html?src=me&ref=general

Columnist Frank Rich claims the current public rage from certain groups over healthcare is not all about the bill being passed. I say this is true in regard to the rage that seeps from the racist bigots that run amuk in extreme fringe groups, which Rich exemplifies in his article. It is an obvious assumption that true progressive steps like a black president and an openly gay man in office is what gets these loony toons all rageful and nuts-o.

However, there are a lot of *normal* people that are not jumping for joy over the new healthcare bill either and it has nothing to with race or feelings of rage.

My aunt, affectionately known as Ouiser (pronounced Weezer) said it just right.

"Here's the story kids. I always wanted the big, fancy chocolate cake at the bakery but I couldn't afford it so I didn't get it. So now the cake has been bought and I'm fine with everyone getting a piece, but the problem is we can't afford it. This healthcare bill was rushed through and shoved down everybody's throats and there was probably a better, more responsible way to get this bill passed."

I can't argue with this common sense knowledge. Can you? If so please start writing....now...start. Yes, now.

You know the last poll I saw on TV said that 56% of Americans disapprove of the bill. Not all 56% represents these psychos in Michigan trailer parks ie: that disgusting militia group called the Hutaree. So I want to learn more about the 56%. The fringe groups are getting a lot of coverage but they should definitely NOT represent all 56% who are pissed about the bill. Agreed?

Under the Covers

Wow! Another guest blogger for your enjoyment. This one from my lovely friend Sam, who resides in sunny Arizona.

I wish I could be more surprised at the latest abuses by the Catholic church. It really has hit a new low, we are now hearing of a priest molest young deaf boys. It seems again these people feel they are above the law.

Quote by my favorite author:

Hitchens: The only worry [the Pope] had was 'Would this damage the church?' Would it hurt the church--not the children. Now what I want to know is this: what is the attorney general of the state of Wisconsin now going to do? Are we going to say these people are above our law. I appeal to people. I mean, that's what's being asked for. If you're a clergyman, you're not liable to the laws....let's not call it child abuse. It's the rape and torture of children.

To Rape and abuse and....ummm oh well, lets move him to another parish. Yah that sounds like a great idea. That should fix the problem. I mean this is absolutely disgusting. Anyone who had prior knowledge of this needs to come under indictment immediately. In fact this whole idea of the pope being anything of a role model or morally clear has become over the last 100yrs so horrifyingly false it's mind-numbingly obvious. The pope has routinely come to Africa and said basically “yah aids is a bad, a very bad disease but it's not as immoral as wearing a condom.” Ok, all I have to say is WOW. For someone to make claims like that against a preventable disease is so horrifying. As rational adults it's really time to start treating organized religion at about the same level of astrology. I will leave you with this quote.

"The church is always trying to get other people to reform; it might not be a bad idea to reform itself a little, by way of example”

Mark Twain

Hartelijk gefeliciteerd!

If my Dutch ancestors were here today that is what they would say to me. What does it mean? Happy Birthday! I turn 28 today...well in approx 6 more hours I will officially be 28. I have received so many calls, texts, Facebook messages, cards, etc. from my friends and family. I am such a lucky girl! One text conversation that I just have to share with you was very funny and telling of my age as I reflect on how much parenting responsibilities have changed.

My Dad texted me Happy bday about an hour ago. I wrote back saying, 'thanks Dad. 28 yrs ago Michael Jordan won the NCAA championship for North Carolina and oh yea you became a Dad. :)' I always bring up this career milestone game for MJ in reference to my birthday because my mom always laughs saying that my dad was by her side when it counted, like when the pain was unbearable and when I actually came into the world. However, Mrs. Steinman was in labor with me for a whopping 17 hours so how did my Dad fill his time? Why watching the NCAA basketball games of course. So while he was wandering around the hospital glued to various TVs my mom would have to send gopher nurses out to go find him. My how the times have changed......I don't think most men would get away with that these days.

So the real funny factor kicked in when my Dad responded back via text and said, 'oh what a memory....and the next day I caught a large mouth bass.'

I let this digest in my brain and I think 'WHAT?!' You went fishing the day after your first child was born????? Would that even fly now that we are in 2010? Hell, no. I mean I see baby showers now that include beer and husbands. I personally do not plan taking my own baby showers that far, ladies only please, but by George my husband would not be off on a 10-hour fishing trip the day after I squeezed out a baby and now all it does is keep me awake at night.

My how the times have changed......

Anyone else have funny birth stories?

Subway Manners

QMT is pleased to announce its first guest blogger! Please enjoy this funny and highly informative post from my sissy. Yes that's right the one, the only, Koosh!

I have lived in the Big Apple for a grand total of 2 years and 9 months and in that time
I've gotten more of an education than the thousands of dollars worth of college, from learning how to pay bills on time to learning how to NOT take NYC tourist flyers from guys with puffy North Face coats on, that say “Damn gurrrl, god bless ya motha."

One thing that has come to my attention repeatedly since I moved here, is the lack of manners. Now I wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I was taught to say thank you, you’re welcome and my all time favorite phrase to use here in the city, EXCUSE ME. I have found this phrase the least used in the city, and my favorite place to use this is… ON THE SUBWAY.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are so many things that make New York vivacious and interesting, this being one of them and that no 2 people are alike and that maybe we all don’t like the phrase excuse me- and that’s ok! But for my own pleasure I have jotted down a few Subway manners for all you folks who plan on visiting the city, and DON’T want to look like tourists ;)

1. Lay off the stripper poles

In the center of the subway you will find floor-to-ceiling silver poles, much like stripper poles, they are long, thus many hands can fit on them. Some people enjoy leaning all over them making it impossible for riders to hold onto the pole. No one wants to be thrown all over the subway so let’s all share folks. In addition, human beings do not qualify as one of these subway stripper poles, so get your paws off me… ya filthy animal.

2. “Let ‘em off!”

This is the phrase that you will hear the conductor say over the loud speaker. This means that if you are on the platform, waiting to get on the train and standing in front of the sliding doors, you are IN THE WAY; you physically cannot get on the train, and in the rare case that you manage to stampede over a few exiting people you could quite possibly end up in a brawl with a old Jewish lady armed with a Zabars bag and let me tell you, they are some tough broads. Real tough.

3. Spring Break!!

For all you spring breakers visiting New York, when you are wasted, while waiting for your train, please, in your drunken stupor, barf on the tracks, not the platform. Many of us, including myself, on an average day after work, will be waiting for the train for 5 minutes, when we realize something sticky on the bottom of our shoe, and it's not gum.

4. You missed the train

When exiting the train there is an unspoken procedure, you get off the train, and form some sort of single line or two lines and everyone gradually makes their way up the stairs and into the concrete jungle. However for the people trying to catch the train, plowing their way down the stairs, through the masses of people, they often destroy this simple exiting procedure. SO for that Joe-Schmoe coming down the stairs to the subway NEWS FLASH: YOU MISSED THE TRAIN. So there is really no need to go running down the stairs, knocking people over, to catch that train you missed- am I right? The next train will probably arrive in the next 3 minutes, plenty of time to wait for people to exit the station. So please wait for the “exitors” to exit and then proceed down the stairs.

** THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY IN SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS**

In conclusion, these Subway Manners not only apply to the guests of New York, but also to you New Yorkers out there, so feel free to add any additional manners of your own because God knows we may need them. And please, while riding the train keep all hands and feet inside the car, and don’t hesitate to refer to these Subway Manners.

What kind of party animal are you?

I am still trying to figure out who I party with. The libs or the righties. Actually I think I am a loner - I can't really find my groove at either party. On some issues I am throwin' the drinks back and saying 'cheers to that,' ie: gay marriage should be legal. So clearly I am diggin' the scene at the party the Democrats are throwing. On the other hand I don't think wealthy individuals or families should be taxed more just because they have more money than their neighbor and I do think that all states should privatize alcohol sales instead of monopolizing the state thus giving the government control (refer to Straight up and With a Twist posted on 2/19/10). I also believe in the free market. So now I am at a party where everyone is dressed up like an elephant and having a great time!

So I guess I can just run from party to party and hope I don't get arrested for open-container and public drunkeness.....???

All kidding aside, I can imagine there are many people, especially of my generation that feel this way. Is there any one political representative that represents all that we (any of us) personally stand for? Do you have one political figure that at least best fits your agenda? If so, please share.

I have a really good friend. We'll call him Sam. He likes cheese. I tend to have a more conservative view than him on many issues. Sam, if you disagree please utilize the comment space below. He and I had an interesting discussion on Tuesday, the day Obama signed a very important piece of paper. Our discussion happened via gchat. I simply messaged him "healthcare," his response: "finally." Our conversation continued and I sent him an article from the New York Times I found intriguing, headlined 'In Health Bill, Obama Attacks Wealth Inequality." Find the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/business/24leonhardt.html. The rest of our conversation played out like so.....

Sam: I like that....rich people get off really easy

Me: how so?

Sam: a lot of rich people have entitlement issues just like some poor people they feel it's their RIGHT to be wealthy....also fucking people that own a business don't pay shit anymore....almost zero jobs pay a good wage...look at any wage info for the last 30 yrs, wages vs cost of living...it's fucking bullshit. You can thank American consumers...Walmart...poor trade agreements with China....put together by the VERY wealthy in their favor....to bring horribly low priced items...who gets rich at Walmart....00.2% of their overall staff. Blah anyways I have to clean now....xoxo

Now, Sam is one of my best friends of all time and to be honest, there is nothing he said that I disagree with, which says a lot because this doesn't always happen. However, I said earlier that I don't think the wealthy should be taxed just because they have more money than their neighbor, but I happened to leave out a very specific component to my statement. Seeing that Sam signed off to go clean I responded to him via email. It went like this.....

I am so thankful for a friend like you because we are soooo close, best friends, we can always count on each other but you and I often have different opinions or perspectives and we are constantly teaching each other new things. I totally get everything you were saying about the rich and how they get away with so much. Yes you are talking about these giant CEOs of multi- billion dollar corps, they do get away with a lot. I totally agree with you.

The annoying thing is....our parents are also considered "the rich" in political terms. Our parents are not swimming in millions of dollars. They are paying mortgages on their homes and helping out family/friends in financial crunches. My dad is in the "wealthy" income bracket, which means he is lumped in the same category as the CEO of Wal-Mart yet the two certainly have VERY different lifestyles. My dad is concerned about Social Security and Medicare running out by the time he and my mom hit 65. Doubt the CEO of Wal-Mart gives a shit about that. My dad is a self-made man and does not have a big corporate pension or lifetime health insurance plan to fall on. He works for himself along with a small team of accountants. Once he retires he only has Medicare and the money he saved throughout his career to count on. The brackets need to be redefined. Our parents should not be lumped in with multi-billionaires.

And Sam's response:

yah it is time for a bracket reset, they should bump it every quarter of a mill....it sucks to pay taxes....we could possibly lower taxes at some point but we have to finish up the wars...people forget we had a balanced budget under clinton. Bush made a bad mistake by cutting taxes and funding a war. You have to increase taxes when you have a war, he kept the cost of the war on another budget(shady)they are worth it but VERY costly....1millon a yr per troop....that's the cost of a war currently, so you add up everything and divide by deployed troops....it gets very expensive very quickly

so taxes suck...rich people do pay more.....wars are expensive

but its worth the money to live in america

True dat playa. See you at the party!

You give me hives

Toxic partners in a romantic relationship. We all have a type that is toxic to us. It's like an allergy. For some of us, peanuts are toxic, for others a liberal dose of penicillin; ah-hem, I puke from that. What we are allergic to and what our bodies find toxic are different for all of us. Much like what qualities make a man/woman toxic to one person are different from those that are toxic to another person. For me the level of toxicity is extremely high in men with the following two ingredients: Aloofness and Elusiveness.

For anyone who knows me, I possess neither (at least in high quantities). This is probably why I am so drawn to these qualities, but eck why? What even sounds remotely inviting about someone who is aloof and elusive? I look back to the time I was a sophomore in high school and every boyfriend I have had since then has been packed to the brim with these two ingredients. The older I get, the more concentrated these ingredients become in the men I pursue. This also explains why I have been single for 3 years. This always explains why I haven't been in a stable and satisfying relationship in 10 years.

I turn 28 on Monday. I am not freaking out about being single. Matter of fact a whole smorgasbord of successful, hot, charming men was just thrown in my face this week thanks to my latest career endeavour, so no need to panic and scream "where are the men?!" And actually, as of late, my entire focus has been on my personal interests, goals and deeply valued relationships with friends and family. However, my subconscious is not as serene as the awake me.

Last night I spent some quality time with a girlfriend of mine just chillin on her couch and chatting. As young, single ladies we have to throw in the standard question when catching up..."so any updates on [insert boy name here]?" So I dive into, "no not really. Just the same old text, phone call here. We meet up if we both are out but that's the extent. I don't look at him as boyfriend material, but even with these low expectations he is struggling to meet them. Which is a shame because he is soooo hot and sexy to me. Must be that aloof, tortured artist thing. You know I love a good, cold fish. Oh, well."

So as I leave her place and walk down the tree-lined sidewalks in the West Village I start feeling bad about my behavior. Why am I putting energy into Mr. Slit-My-Wrists? He is more of the same, just in a hotter package. Come on, don't do this again.....you know better. You said you wanted someone that was Mr. Jokester, outgoing, not uptight or overly-sensitive. What are you doing......?

So let that dialogue fester in your brain for the next 20 minutes as you ride the subway home. You are feeling pretty crappy about yourself. Why do we do this to ourselves when other people do just a fine job making you feel crappy about yourself. Do you really need more of it? I think not. Tell that annoying person in your head to shut up. Now it's time to go to bed. You've thoroughly enjoyed a recent issue of US Weekly and you are not chastising yourself anymore. Why should you anyway, you have your sister to do that for you.

I pass into sleep and now I encounter one of my favorite exes of all time! He just loves making random appearance in both my dreams and in real life. He is pretty good at that and oh-so-annoying when he does. If I were to sum up the feelings I have regarding the last days of our relationship it would be anxiety, rejection, claustrophobia. Lovely I know. With those endearing neuroses in hand, I greet the day with a serious dose of crappy emotions thanks to my subconscious sleepover with Mr. Ex-boyfriend. I just love reliving those feelings!

I feel a little irritated and bummed as I head to work. I was hoping all of this would pass by now. Thankfully I am greeted by friendly and good-looking co-workers who do get me out of that isolating funk. But I do think it is best to heed the annoying lecture I received from my subconscious. Especially with a fun-filled birthday weekend coming up. I can not have more of the same raining on my parade. Here's to finding you Brad, the ever-loving, social butterfly that you are!

Now I ask you - what is or has been your toxic ingredient? And as for the celebrity pics? Even if the guys weren't right for me I do want to respect their privacy so I pulled these pics to represent them. At one point, while watching the following movies (The Last Kiss, Atonement and Romeo and Juliet) the actor's performance and/or appearance reminded me of an old flame. Some of you can probably guess who is who..... ;)

Millionaire Dogs

I wanted to save this post for a rainy day and let me tell you it has been a rainy day for TWO days now. Last weekend we enjoyed beautiful weather. So beautiful that us New Yorkers are still talking about it. Or should I say we are now bitching about this crap weather and inserting, "why can't this weekend's weather be like last weekend's weather? What a tease that was!"

Remember the disclaimer I wrote at the bottom of last weekend's wicked weather post? Do not take aforementioned good weather as a sign that winter is over. It's not. So, as I sit in my apartment while it continues to be a wet mess outside I want to share a little sunny weather activity with you. It's free, it's fun, it's outdoors and you will often talk in a baby voice saying, "ohhh you are soo cute!"

I give you - the Dog Park.


If you live in a place with seasons and the tail-end of winter has been keeping you down take advantage of those sunny, warm days. Everyone is in a good mood and you can literally sit there in the warm sun doing nothing and feel like you made the most of your day. You can also have a full day without spending a dime which is how I like to do things.

Now I give you the other component to accomplish this no-spending-money part. The ubiquitous Starbucks gift card that is given to EVERYONE over the holidays. If you're smart, you've budgeted well and you still have some $$ leftover.

So the day goes like this. Wake up late because it's the weekend and you enjoy sleeping in. Freshen up, grab your coat, shades and head to the nearest Starbucks with your gift card. Purchase whatever you want.

Then walk over to the nearest dog park and ENJOY! Koosh doesn't seem to have a problem with the enjoying part. Look at her - just a picture of bliss.

As you can see we made a few friends along the way. This fox terrier chillin'

with Koosh is named Nola. She had a big buddy with
her who resembled our beloved
Cooper. AKA Coopies, Cooper Pooper, Coop,Coopy and it goes on.












So, chat with people, cuddle with dogs, throw tennis balls, close your eyes and look to the sky. It's a free, mood-lifting activity that everyone should give a try.

Could it be....

Yes that's right, it's me! If you click on the Women for Women International link from my previous post you will see the photo of Naomi Campbell, an unidentified woman, Zainab Salbi and Mary Robinson walking hand-in-hand as they reached City Hall Park in lower Manhattan. Look closely between Naomi and the unidentifed woman's shoulders. Do you see a blond girl with really bad roots, wearing a green sweater and looking down? Yep, that's right. It's me! Totally walking in the VIP section, oops! I guess it's fitting since one day I will be VIP! (Photo is also shown below)

Join me on the bridge

The sun was out again in New York and I was pleased to celebrate International Women's Day with what seemed like thousands on the Brooklyn Bridge. Did you know that March 8th is International Women's Day? I had no clue, yet this is such a moving and important day to observe since countless studies have shown that the most effective way to lift societies out of poverty is to empower and educate women.
The first IWD took place in 1909 - you mean I've been oblivious to that many?! Well not anymore. Thanks to my involvement with an amazing (<--- this word is sooo overused, sorry about that) organization called Women for Women International (W4Wi) http://www.womenforwomen.org/ I was made aware of IWD. I spent my afternoon walking with both women, men and children across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge ending at City Hall Park in lower Manhattan. A famous celeb was also walking with us - Naomi Campbell. I didn't realize it was her until about the third time I was standing next to her, I expected her to be taller. No worries folks, she did not have a cell phone in her hand. Kate Spade's presence was made thanks to her team wearing t-shirts for her worthy project Hand-in-Hand. Go shopping here! http://www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp;jsessionid=V8QYLVLQq0BJLtLPl0DGzZWcy3hXHpfNln5NJSZsq7JRVlnQB57s!-914882045?productId=3898279&view=all&cp=3896905

While I'm being a little link happy, check this one out. Good resource: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Mayor Bloomberg also happened to be on the Manhattan side of the bridge. We thought he was part of the walk until we realized that he kept talking about historical facts of the bridge "Did you know folks that this part of the bridge was built on sand pits?"

"...Um what does this have to do with IWD Mr. Mayor? Oh, right, my bad. You have nothing to do with today's festivities, Cheerio mate, moving it right along...."

After walking across the bridge we were greeted by bongo players who were the epitome of zeal and happiness. They kept us light on our feet, that's for sure. The founder of W4Wi, Zainab Salbi spoke along with other supporters of the event. In the posted video you'll see a woman with a short hair-cut being interviewed by a TV reporter, that's Zainab, yea that's right, I just got right in there for the shot.

I also got a chance to paint something special on the peace banner. I tried to get a cool photo of my bird (pink and yellow), heart and my initials before Naomi Campbell and an onslaught of reporters were stampeding toward me....so all you get is half of my painting. Oh well, at least the women in the Congo will enjoy the art. Not to mention Naomi TOTALLY painted something right next to my bird so maybe we'll see more of my art on the airwaves.

Check out my little flip video below. Not my best work but the cause is worth showing. :)

What the sun does to Manhattanites

Today, in the Big Apple, we are experiencing our first beautiful day of the year. Crystal blue skies, bright sun and a slight breeze. The word slight being very important. Koosh, our red-headed friend Speegs and I enjoyed God's mercy today. (I do not use God and his mercy lightly here, did you see the blizzard conditions last week??) The best thing about the arrival of good weather aside from the obvious is that odd behavior is totally acceptable. We are just so euphoric as a society and we will not judge others that want to partake in the joy-fest of soaking up the sun. For example a common scene is a fully clothed business man sprawled out on the grass in one of the many parks in NYC. He usually lays on his back, arms and legs stretched out as if he is ready to make a snow angel. His nice tie-up business shoes are kicked off along with his crumpled socks laying close by. Pants are rolled up just above the ankles and his eyes are closed with a slight, peaceful smile on his face. Yes, he has been waiting for this moment.

Today I saw another scene of people enjoying nature's gift. While walking around the trendy meat packing district with Koosh and Speegs we approached a packed restaurant. The restaurant offered dining on the sidewalk out front and of course all of these tables were occupied by smiling, upbeat, glowing folks. Something was out of order though.

However, because today was a day like this the odd behavior was totally acceptable. Two young women, dressed to the nines grabbed two extra seats from the outdoor dining, happily carried them to the edge of the sidewalk and set up camp on the corner of 20th and 10th Avenue. The women threw their heads back, put their shades on and basked in the sun's rays. Their skin glowed and you could see the slightest move or twitch in their lips with the sun highlighting their lip gloss - it looked like heaven. We all knew it was totally out of order to grab restaurant chairs and treat them as lounge chairs on a busy corner street in Manhattan but who could blame them? Imagine mothers that smile endearingly as their child greets a small dog with a huge bear hug. It's cute and you love to see your child displaying such enthusiasm but you know it is slightly out of place and over the top. That is today and I am loving it. These days and the small moments you can catch make the cold winters so worth it.*

*Here is the other thing though. These days are tricky....next week it will probably snow again, but the good thing is there will be more days like today and before we know it we will be in the hot, sticky summer. Which is quite alright with me.

State of the Union - Part Deux (yes, I've been bad again)

Back from the [blogosphere] dead! I have been the perfect example of what NOT to do if you want a successful blog. I disappeared for weeks without hardly a note explaining why. Shame on me! Cue music please! "Bad girl, drunk by 6..."

Here is the reason though, COMPANY. I was home, on the ranch in Arizona with Daddy-o and Mrs. Steinman for about 8 days working on a very special, top-secret project, which you will know about one day, I promise. Then Mrs. Steinman and I hopped a jet to NYC where she proceeded to stay with Koosh and I for over a week. Did I also mention that Koosh's friend from college flew out from L.A. to stay with us as well? Yes, it was crazy, crowded, fun, but not the best environment for writing. However, QMT and my dear readers were always on my mind. I can't help but write, even if it is in my head or in conversations with people. I always think, 'that would be a great blog post. Totally writing about that.' So there are plenty of fun posts ahead, please don't get off this train.

Now that I have groveled and explained myself let's get to my latest rambling. Part two of our on-going dissection of the State of the Union Address from President Obama. While in Arizona me, Daddy-o and Mrs. Steinman enjoyed a nice dinner at CPK discussing what I am sure most neighboring tables were thinking, "how inappropriate - at the dinner table?! In public no less." Yes, politics. I give you the State of the Union Address, Part Duex, enjoyed over a Mai Tai, Margarita and Coke, respectively.

• Use the $30 billion Wall Street repaid the government and give that money to small, community banks so they can provide loans to small business owners. I say, no, no, NO! We never had that $30 billion in the first place, last time I checked our national deficit was somewhere in the TRILLIONS! So now, luckily we get that $30 billion back and instead of using it to pay OFF some of our debt or helping out Medicare and/or Social Security, we are spending it AGAIN. What kind of example is that? Society, media and the president himself have all agreed that Americans need to learn to save their pennies and live within their means - shouldn't our national leader be setting this example? Daddy-o's comment: Do these small banks even need the money? According to reports, no they don't. I pulled this from an article: Easily overlooked amid the crisis of big banks today, small-scale financial institutions are, for the most part, holding steady—and sometimes even better than steady. According to FDIC data, the failure rate among big banks (those with assets of $1 billion or more) is seven times greater than among small banks. Moreover, banks with less than $1 billion in assets—what are typically called community banks—are outperforming larger banks on most key measures, such as return on assets, charge-offs for bad loans, and net profit margin. Entire article is here: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2008/0811.longman.html
  

• Proposing a new small business tax credit to those that hire workers or raise wages. This sounds like a nice reward for business owners taking a risk, but really it's unnecessary and again, keeping the government from collecting much-needed taxes. I say let the free market play itself out. Daddy-o is a business-owner himself and he said that regardless of a tax-credit he will hire if he needs to hire and not hire if he doesn't need to hire. I pointed out that this tax credit will likely not even cover the expense/salary of bringing on a new employee so I think this incentive doesn't make a single difference. The government loses tax dollars and the business-owner's behavior is not swayed either way. He/she will continue to hire and fire as needed and possibly get a cushy little break out of it if he/she just happens to need to hire.
  

• Put people to work via infrastructure projects such as the high-speed railroad through Tampa, Florida which is funded by the Recovery Act. I smell a rat. High-speed railroad in Florida of all places?? Do we really need this? This project sounds like some lobbyist pet-project. I appreciate that we are putting people to work, but how about working on our already deteriorating infrastructure like our bridges. Remember the tragedy of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis? After that terrible collapse everyone was up in arms about how badly our bridges need to be repaired. Let's get to work on those bridges instead of creating a high-speed railroad that is better suited in Europe than Tampa.

• Put more Americans to work by building clean energy facilities. I don't know what these clean energy facilities are. Anyone have some insight out there? I can say it is good when jobs are available so I like that part of this.

• Give tax rebates to people who make their homes more energy efficient which will support the growth of clean energy jobs. You know, earlier I was bashing this idea mostly because I don't like the idea of tax rebates when we are soooo broke as a nation, but this move does help build the green market, thus creating jobs. However, I feel people should live more green because it is our responsibility as a society not because there is incentive. Koosh and I recycle everything and we even wash our ziploc baggies to reuse them instead of just throwing them out to sit in a landfill. So do we get a rebate? No? Fine. That's ok with me because I do all of this with a conscience (!) not because I want a tax rebate. Daddy-o had some insider info from a friend who bought solar panels for his house. According to his friend, it takes 50 years to even break even when factoring in the cost of the panels and the total amount of money you save on your energy bills. Ironically, the panels are generally busted by year 50 and it's time to buy them all over again. So for those who just want a tax rebate and don't care about being green - let's hope the rebate covers your expense. Otherwise, kudos to those who do it because they want to and now you'll enjoy a tax break.

• Slash tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in U.S.A. Now I may have read this wrong, but I had NO IDEA companies were getting tax BREAKS for shipping jobs overseas. What is that all about?? I thought we were all about creating jobs in America? If I did indeed flub up on my research, please let me know but this is how I read the text from the NYT. Anyhow, props to Obama for not rewarding people for shipping jobs overseas, I am happy to hear the tax breaks will end. As for the tax break part for creating jobs in America, you know how I feel about that. A tax break/rebate (it's all the same) for hiring people won't affect business owner's choices. What will affect their choices is supply and demand. If there is more demand for a company's product they will have to produce more and thus hire more employees. Now as consumers we want the cheapest price. Most of the times the cheapest price comes from overseas - why do so many people buy leggings from H&M instead of American Apparel? They are cheaper! Crappier, but cheaper and most decisions are made with regard to the bottom line. American labor costs more than Chinese or Indian labor so how can we level the playing field? Import tariffs. Forget tax breaks, let's impose some taxes with this one! So why don't we slap on a few import tariffs? Well, one reason is.....LOBBYISTS. Major business is done overseas making many a man/woman rich, rich, rich and in order to keep their business booming they rely on the cheap labor and American dollar. So they hire lobbyists to convince our government officials to not impose import tariffs thus keeping the imports cheap, which in turn provide a high supply and demand for international employees instead of our own employees on American soil. So chew on that folks.

Ok, so why don't you let those roll around in your head for a while and get talking! See what your friends and family think about these State of the Union initiatives that are taking shape this very minute. Come on, do what I did, make that cardinal sin - talk about politics on your first date. Shoot me in the foot - why did I do that again?? Was it all of the wine? Oh well, it was a great meal! Talk to you later kiddies.