BFFs: Presidential Candidates and Hollywood Stars

If you have been keeping up with the news at all regarding the presidential race, you'll notice that most of the presidential candidates have some heavy hitters backing them up. And these heavy hitters aren't just other politicians; they are Hollywood heavy weights who are putting their money and their name behind the candidate they believe in.

Since the days of Frank Sinatra and John Kennedy, Hollywood and Washington have been close friends despite the geographic distance. Money, power and fame go hand-in-hand with being a movie star and a political star. Hollywood actors and actresses who become stars want more influence, credibility and name recognition outside of the movie business. Political figures are drawn to the glitz and glam of Hollywood and the sex appeal of being associated with a hot actor or actress. It is only natural that these two worlds have collided on so many occasions.

Barack Obama has Oprah Winfrey. Oprah has been supporting Barack for quite some time now, having Barack and his wife Michelle on her show at least a couple times. Oprah has even hit the campaign trail with Barack, giving speeches on why she believes that Barack is good for our country. I find it not surprising that Oprah chose to support a Democrat and the only candidate that is African American. It almost makes me tune this duo out completely. Now, if she had chosen to back Edwards or Richardson, I might have said to myself, "What? Interesting. I wonder why" and then I probably would have tuned in to her show. To me, she chose the obvious candidate to support, and thus I really don't give any credibility to her decision.

Hillary has Barbara Streisand. And Bill Clinton. Let me first address Bill, who is a political rock star in his own right. As much as I am NOT a Democrat and don't support Bill or Hillary, I can't deny the fact that Bill is the "come-back kid" and is a super star in American politics. I am convinced that Bill could run for president now and destroy all the other candidates, including his wife. The public loves Bill, and this bodes well for Hillary. And Barbara Streisand has been longtime friends of the Clintons for years. Babs is an icon in American music, and she is going to belt out her support of Hillary all the way until November.

Mike Huckabee has Chuck Norris. Now, I like me some Mike Huckabee. He is a good, Christian man who I think has the best interest of the American people at heart. Although the more I learn about his political stances on important issues, I'm not quite so sure his politics are in line with true conservative principles. But that is another post for another day. Mike has Chuck. If you are a YouTube connoisseur, you'll see the ads featuring the duo, and I think they are great! And Mike is smart. Chuck is a super star on the Internet, and we all know what group is savvy with the Internet - the coveted 18-34 year olds, the group who doesn't have a very high voting percentage but a group who is desirable nonetheless.

Check out other Hollywood heavy weights supporting presidential candidates. You'll instantly notice that the Dems have a lot of stars backing them up. Not surprising. Hollywood is so liberal and out of touch with reality, it makes sense that they throw their weight to the Democratic party. (list courtesy of TheHill.com):

Clinton
Candice Bergen
Christie Brinkley
Chevy Chase
Hugh Hefner
Christine Lahti
Barry Manilow
Marla Maples
Rosie O’Donnell
Jerry Springer
Barbra Streisand

Obama
Jennifer Aniston
Jackson Browne
Morgan Freeman
Tom Hanks
Dennis Haysbert
Tobey Maguire
Barry Manilow
Branford Marsalis
Eddie Murphy
Ed Norton
Ben Stiller
Gene Wilder
Edie Brickell
Michael Douglas
Steve Martin
Lorne Michaels
Paul Newman
Elisabeth Shue
Paul Simon
Joanne Woodward
Edwards
Larry David
Seth Green
Don Henley

Kucinich
Mark Ruffalo

Richardson
Michael Douglas
Rosie O’Donnell
Rob Reiner

Giuliani
Kelsey Grammer
John O’Hurley
Adam Sandler
Ben Stein

Who Are You Like?

Take this quiz to see which presidential candidate your views are most aligned with.

Candidate Quiz

My result? Tom Tancredo

Hollywood Writers Beware

Last night as I was laying in bed trying to keep warm and trying to fall asleep, my husband and I flipped on The Tonight Show. With the Writer's Guild strike in full swing, we expected yet another re-run. What we didn't expect was a re-run from 1995. Jay Leno's hair was black. The jokes of choice were about the OJ Simpson trial...remember, the one about the murder, not about breaking into the Las Vegas casino. And the first guest was Jennifer Anniston from the "hot new NBC series Friends."

Wow. I expected a re-run, but NBC really out did themselves. I mean, they didn't just run re-run, they ran a "I can't believe Jay Leno ever had any other hair color other than gray and wow Jennifer Anniston's nose looks big and I can't believe we ever thought that outfit she was wearing was in style - cool scrunchie - and man the economy is great - go President Clinton!"

I wonder what will appear next on the air? Could this be the beginning of a new era in television - classic TV all day, every day? Could prime time showings of Saved by the Bell and Hanging With Mr. Cooper be next? Will Johnny Carson be hosting The Tonight Show this evening? Will I be able to watch classic episodes of Law & Order on regular network television and who the hec shot JR?!

Maybe the writers should be worried. Maybe American television viewers will say "good riddance to all your new hot shows, you spoiled Hollywood writers!" and hold out for Perfect Strangers, LA Law and Life Goes On to appear in prime time. Hollywood writer, I'd watch your back if I were you. You may be withholding your wit and quips right now, but DJ Tanner, Zack Morris, Doogie Howser and Paul Buchman might just have the last laugh.

Merry Christmas and God Bless Us All

The Christmas season is upon us, and I for one could not be happier. I love this time of year. It's cold, there is a hustle and bustle in the air that I thrive off of and friends and family come together again. I always hope for a white Christmas, though I am usually disappointed in that regard. Holiday parties are almost every weekend and all the stores are decorated for the season.

However there is one thing I don't really like about this time of year. The fact that we feel that we can no longer say "Merry Christmas." Rather, we have given way to saying "Happy Holidays" and "Seasons Greetings." These two terms are used so often, found in so many greeting cards, that I fear most people don't even give it a second thought. I fear that Christmas, the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, has become another commercialized holiday.

Now, I'm not going to get into a discussion about how Toys-R-Us and Hallmark have captured this holiday (and honestly, Hallmark really holds captive Valentine's Day more than Christmas anyway). People forget. Or they are of a different mind set or belief to think about or understand the real meaning of Christmas. "Christ's mass", as I once heard a minister break down the word, is the time when Christians remember the greatest gift ever given to man - the birth of a Savior that would take on all the sin of man, would die on a cross, so that we might have life everlasting.

Life everlasting. Yeah, that is a pretty long time. If you think about the average age of any man or woman, that seems like a long time. Seventy to eighty years of life on this Earth is a long time. But when you consider 70 to 80 years in the span of eternity, it's hardly even a blip on the time line. So, the fact that God sent his only son to Earth for a mere three decades so that we might live forever...wow. That has to make you stop and think about the real meaning of Christmas.

Forget all the political correctness that plagues our society today. Forget all the different political and world views. Forget religion. Yes, that is what I said. Forget religion. Because it's not about having a religion, it's about having a belief, one in God and in Jesus, and walking that faith every day, even when it's hard. Even when life sucks. Because you know what? Your most terrible day here on Earth cannot in anyway compare to the worst day for Jesus. He died on a cross, perhaps one of the most painful and terrible ways to die. And he did it willingly (although not without agony and pleading for mercy) for us so that we could live forever, if only a blip of that time was here on Earth.

Remember the real meaning of Christmas. A Savior was born. Hope was established. Grace was given. All you need to do is just ask for it.

Merry Christmas, and God Bless Us All!

Thanksgiving 2007 - A Success!

The husband and I made it through our first Thanksgiving as the host, and I must say that everything turned out really well! We had more than enough food and plenty of conversation. As always, I learned a few things this past Thanksgiving that I believe helped make our holiday a successful one.

I learned that five burners is better than four when cooking a Thanksgiving meal:


A fried turkey tastes really good AND doesn't take up valuable oven space:


A nicely decorated table makes the food taste better (but costs a small fortune at Bed Bath and Beyond):


Prep work is KEY to planning a Thanksgiving meal (beginning the night before and continuing early the next morning):


We were pretty happy with how our meal turned out. We planned accordingly, and didn't skip a beat on Turkey Day. With our first Thanksgiving meal under our belt, I think we are just about ready to handle Christmas.

Oh, I also learned that my dog is very shiny in pictures:

For The Holidays You Can't Beat Home Sweet Home

Thanksgiving is almost here, and the husband and I are preparing to have family come to our home for the holiday. This will be our second Thanksgiving together as man and wife, and our first time hosting the holiday. I am really excited about preparing a traditional Thanksgiving meal. We have a full menu that will ensure plenty of leftovers. We have folks traveling in from out of town. We have a brand new stove and microwave that is (almost) ready to be used (we're still in the process of installing the new stove).

Our to-do list is long. Last night I worked on perfecting the guest bed, having bought a new bedspread, shams and bed skirt to accompany my new snow flake sheets. Actually, I HAD to buy a new bedspread, shams and bed skirt because last week Sydney decided to eat my old bedspread and bed skirt. Jason worked on installing our new microwave, hooking the stove up to the gas line and working on a bunch of stuff in our office. I bought new table linens and made name cards, and tonight we will venture out to the grocery store to purchase all the food needed for the big day. I'm taking Wednesday off so I can clean the house and make pies. And while my whole family can't join us on Thursday, I'm looking forward to spending time with the in-laws and my brother, and celebrating Thanksgiving in our home.

Things I've Gained My First Year Of Marriage

Now that Jason and I have successfully made it through our freshman year of marriage, I feel as though I have learned a lot these past 12 plus months. With marriage comes many things - happiness, joy, companionship, comfort. Below are some things I have gained since becoming a "wife creature":

Patience
Living with another person can test your patience. It is hard, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course I wouldn't trade being married for anything in the world, but I have had to learn to become more patient (as I know Jason has too). Someone taking too long in the bathroom? Just shrug it off and let them be. Are there clothes strewn about in an otherwise clean bedroom? Pick them up, hang them in the closet, and move on. Does it take a little longer to decide on how to decorate a room, or what dishes to buy because you have to discuss the issue? You're discussing it so that you will both agree and be happy. Trust me, a little patience can go a long way.

Wisdom
In addition to learning patience, I really believe marriage makes you smarter. After all, you always have someone there to talk with about the issues of the day, what's going on in the news, and can you explain what a first down in football means again? Of course, I wonder if you actually have to marry someone smart to become smarter yourself as a married person? I mean, I see stupid people all the time who are married, usually driving recklessly through the Wal-Mart parking lot, only to emerge from their beat-up van with four dirty kids and a pack of Virginia Slims in hand. But that is neither here nor there. I definitely know that marrying Jason has made me more aware of this world, if not smarter about it.

Stuff
Oh my God. Your stuff, his stuff, the stuff you get from the wedding and the stuff that is handed down to you. It's freakin' everywhere! You bring your boxes and boxes and boxes of books, he brings his boxes and boxes and boxes of computer accessories. You have a lot of shoes? He has a lot of ties. And shirts. And shorts. You have little knick-knacks and decorations, and pictures of your college gal pals? He has the xbox, the Nintendo, the game cube and the Wii. And then there is all the stuff you registered for. And didn't register for. Like the silver tray you received...twice. And the strange candy dishes that relatives gave you (that I have actually come to love and really enjoy, especially with Dove mini chocolates in them). All this stuff leads me directly into the next thing you gain your first year of marriage...

A New House
To contain all the aforementioned stuff, the married couple must purchase a new, preferably bigger, home. We did. We bought our current home in January, and filled it quickly with all of our stuff. We were bursting at the seams in our old house (which I loved) and now we have room to breathe and enjoy all the stuff we brought into the marriage and acquired from our wedding.

Weight
Yes...weight. I can't speak for my husband, but I am victim to the marriage freshman fifteen. I realized this a couple months ago when my fat jeans no longer fit me. After stepping on a scale for the first time during my freshman year of marriage, I discovered that I had gained about 11 pounds. Argh! I'm currently doing something about it, and please to report that the 11 pounds are gone (and then some).

I have several theories as to why a married person gains weight. Married people don't eat cereal for dinner, as singletons do. Married people have less time to go to the gym. Married people are comfortable, and thus less likely to try and maintain the elusive abs of steel because they have already secured their mate. (Although I still try to look good for my husband, and I know my husband tries to look good for me. I think that is something we'll always strive to do).

Understanding
Standing right up there with patience, I have gained understanding whilst being a wife. You know the old saying, "You don't know someone until you live with them"? Well, you don't know someone until you are married to them. Being married to Jason, I've come to understand him more as a man and as a husband. I'm even amazed when I learn something new about him, even after all this time of dating, engagement and marriage. I think this processes is continual. As the years go on, Jason and I will only learn more about each other, become more understanding of one another, and ultimately our love will grow even deeper.

So there you have it. Lessons in life and love that I have gained by taking the plunge and moving into the "married" category on my tax forms. I love marriage and I highly recommend it. Just watch what you eat, have a few extra clothes hangers on hand, and by all means, don't be afraid to return doubles of items you receive from your wedding (lest you want to end up buying a bigger house).