Stuff!

I'm consumed lately by nothing--stuff, totally irrelevant, boring stuff.  So tired of hearing about the Fiscal Cliff that I'm wishing away my days waiting for December 31.  I used to love riding the roller coaster when I was a child and if going down the cliff is anything like that, it might be fun. I loved that brief moment when you weren't quite sure you were going to live or die. Of course, you knew nothing really would happen but there was always that little doubt, and it was thrilling. Do you think the Congress and the President are reenacting the thrill?

While waiting for December 31, the cliff deadline, I spend a good part of my time wondering if I should buy a Christmas Tree and, if so, how big should it be.  The price is pretty much the consideration here.  While walking to Trader Joe's recently I passed a Canadian group of tree sellers.  Saw a very nice tree, about eight feet high, but the sticker price was quite a shock--$130.  If there's no inflation, and you can certainly prove that by the 1/2 percent I get on my savings, then how can a tree that cost $75 last year cost $130 this year.  I looked at a smaller tree but that also was $130.  Perhaps this will be the first year in my rather long life that I won't get a tree.  Sigh!  I might also mention that everything else has gone up in price, so why Mr. Geithner the half percent?

Aside from the price of Christmas trees I'm also thinking quite a bit about Lindsey Lohan.  I've never seen a film with the woman--apparently she hasn't made any in years other than the recent TV film, Liz and Dick, yet she's in the news every single day.  Did she or didn't she: drive her car into a truck, steal a necklace, drink too much, sock some woman in the face, make a fool of herself in Liz and Dick?  Is she really that important to the national psyche that we have to hear about her every day?  And here I am contributing to the mania.  It reminds me of the time Miguel and I returned from Italy in 2005, after living there for some five years.  Every news cast had something in it about Paris Hilton.  Who is this Paris Hilton I kept asking myself.  I never did find out, and now I find myself wondering what happened to her?  But there's hope. Today, the news is consumed with riots in Bahrain.  Kim Kardashian is on a visit.  If global warming doesn't get us, the Kardashians will. Kim actually pushed LiLo (Lohan's endearing press name if you haven't been keeping score) off the front page.  Do you think they all know each other?

And then finally there's Susan Rice, not quite as fascinating as LiLo, Paris Hilton, or Kim Kardashian, but interesting nonetheless.  Did she slant the news or just read some talking points when discussing the raid on Benghazi.  Apparently, the answer will decide if she becomes our new Secretary of State, after Hillary.  (As an aside is there any hope that John McCain might finally implode, along with his daughter?  How delightful to turn on the TV news and not see one of the McCain's spouting off.)

Not least, Maureen Dowd writes today in the New York Times, on Hitchcock, blondes, Susan Rice and, finally, her real target, Hillary Clinton--if you've never noticed, Hillary is a blonde.  I can only hope that Dowd's attacks on Secretary Clinton is a portent that Hillary will run in 2016.  Dowd hates the Clintons so much that the smell of it floats off the page. Something is up.  As an aside, any chance the New York Times might replace Dowd with a political columnist before 2016? I can get her type of stuff on Entertainment TV.  In this world of LiLo's, probably not.  Perhaps Global Warming is all we have left to count on.

What can I say.  I started off by telling you today's blog would be complete nonsense.  And I kept my promise.  But there is some good news in my world.  My black eyes is almost gone and I probably will buy that Christmas Tree.  I'm a sucker for Christmas.