Those Eye-Catching Headlines

We’ve all seen them, haven’t we? Those appealing, eye-catching headlines.

They entice us; they make us want to read more – to turn the page or to click on a link. Or maybe the purpose is to tempt us into buying a product.

I saw a headline recently that was supposed to be appealing, but, to me, it wasn’t. It said: Back to my pre-baby weight: 25 years later.




Do you know what I weighed the day before my baby was born? If that is pre-baby weight, no, I don’t want to return to it.

Show me a way to return to pre-pregnancy weight and then I’m all ears. Or eyes. Or whatever.



I’ve given birth to three babies and now, all these years later, I’ve never been close to pre-pregnancy weight.


Part of the problem is that I gained 50 pounds with the first pregnancy, 50 pounds with the second one and 38 pounds with the third.

Another part of the problem is that I didn’t lose the weight between those pregnancies. (Hey, you do the numbers if you want to know.)

What was my pre-baby weight each time, i.e. my weight just before giving birth? Well, I could never exactly tell because I could never see the numerical part of the scales. I could see belly when I looked down, and that’s all I could see. Thank goodness. I don’t think I ever really wanted to see those numbers.

Yet another part of the problem is that I like to eat. I don’t like to diet and I’m not much into exercise, unfortunately.

Nah, that headline didn’t entice me. Show me a magic potion to get back to pre-pregnancy weight without dieting, without exercising, with lots of ice cream and pound cake.

That’s worthy of a headline.

 
 
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Whew! I am SO Relieved!

Is that a sigh of relief throughout the world?  It should be; the SC Supreme Court has made a momentous decision:

"The court was asked to determine what the Legislature meant by the term 'on the first page of the contract' in Section 15-48-10(a) of the S.C. Uniform Arbitration Act (2005). The court held that the term means the page preceding all other pages in the contract.     Richland Horizontal v. Sky Green Holdings, No. 4795"

 
All of these years -- and now, I finally know what the front page is!
 
(Yes, there was a reason this was an issue but the synopsis just hit me as hilarious, like what a news flash.)
 
 
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WW: Football and Musings from the News - Comas and Autism

Just a few days until THE football rivalry in South Carolina.  It's the Carolina-Clemson game, or, as some folks say, the Clemson-Carolina game.

I am a graduate of the University of South Carolina.  So was my dad.  Several other family members are USC grads also. 

Daughter Mandy, however, left the "religion" and married into a die-hard Clemson family.  I believe their blood literally runs orange.  :)

And, now, look at what they've done to my grandson, Harrison. 

How in the world can I be on a different side from this cute little one?   

Based on the season so far, the orange team is likely to prevail.  

And, just for the record, I wouldn't trade my orange-blooded son-in-law, Adam, for any number of USC grads. 


Now, for musings on recent news:

1.  I am totally amazed by the news this week concerning the man who was in a coma for 23 years but now has let people know that he has been alert all along or practically all along!  He could hear what was going on around him and was aware but couldn't let anyone know!!!  Does this make you wonder how many times this has happened with others?

2.  There were two stories about children with autism.  Since I have a nephew with autism, these stories always catch my attention. 

One has to do with the mother who said she helped her son and actually saved his life by baking medical marijuana into his brownies.  She and one of the doctors say that this treatment has made a major difference in the boy's health and behavior.  It has also lessened his need for many of the medications he was taking previously.  Critics say this means the boy is constantly drugged or "stoned."

The other item is about the boy with autism who survived for 11 days on the NYC subway system.  He says he survived on snacks and water. 

Both of these stories are truly "food for thought."  One thing I know is that people with autism cannot be judged the same as others.  Perhaps "judged" is the wrong word.  Regardless, especially for those with more than minor autistic symptoms, their world is different.  And so is the world for -  and daily lives of  - their families.


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Questions About Peace Prize?

The e-mail message from my son was short: “Any thoughts about this year's Peace Prize?”

Absolutely!!! I definitely had thoughts.

More than thoughts, though, were the questions.

What I question is the nominating process, criteria used and time frame.

According to news reports, Barack Obama was nominated no later than a few days into his presidency. What was the basis for the nomination at that point? Does the selection committee consider only those things done up until the point of nomination, or is it allowable to nominate someone who shows promise or someone who is expected to accomplish certain things?

The prize for literature isn't given to someone because of what he or she may write in the future or for qualities and skills that show promise of authorship. Likewise with the other categories in which Nobel prizes are given. The previous awards have been for something specific that has been discovered, studied, written, accomplished, done.

Was the prize awarded to Obama simply because of his election? Did the committee believe that his election sent a peaceful message to the world? If the award was on that basis, then the committee should have said so.

Instead, the committee said it was “motivated by Obama's initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism.”  Had those initiatives been undertaken at the time the nomination was made?

The five Nobel prizes were created by Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will, which designated the peace prize for "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."  [emphasis added](http://www.nobelprize.org/) The Nobel prize web site further says that the annual prizes are given "to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

Poland’s Lech Walesa won the peace prize in 1983. When asked by a news organization about Obama’s recognition, he replied, “So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far….”

The 1984 recipient, Archbishop Desmond Tutu called this “an award that speaks to the promise of (Barack Obama)…”

One thing is clear. This was indeed a selection made by choice rather than by default. There were 199 nominees this year, the most nominations ever. Among the reported nominees were Colin Powell and singers Pete Seeger and U2’s Bono. Further, there have been 19 years in which no prize was given, including during the two world wars.

Yes, I have questions but I also have hope. I hope Obama will live up to the award and help attain peace and stability.

WW: They Won!!!!

This photo isn't one that I took but it's one that represents so much more than most!






Perhaps you remember the post from several days ago - Bride-to-be - about my friend's daughter, Kimberly Wright. About a month after Cecil Bradstreet asked her to be his wife, she was diagnosed with Stage 3-C colon cancer.

She has been undergoing chemo treatments as part of this emotional roller coaster they have been on. In the meantime, the groom-to-be entered them into a Columbia, SC, TV station's "Dream Wedding" contest.

Two or three weeks ago, the couple learned they were finalists -- one of four couples. The winner would be determined by votes from the public. Some of this blog's readers let me know they voted online.

Early this morning, Kimberly and Cecil were announced as the winning couple!!!

Here is this morning's e-mail from her happy father:

Hello Everyone!
Just a quick note to tell you that my daughter, Kimberly Wright, and her fiancee, Cecil Bradstreet, were announced this morning as the winners of the WIS-TV "Dream Wedding" Giveaway at The Mitchell House in Lexington! They appeared live-and-in-person this morning at about 6:45AM when they were officially announced! They have selected Saturday, December 26th as the date for their wedding, because that date falls on the "off-week" between her 10th and 11th chemotherapy treatments.
Thank you for helping me help them make their dream come true! You truly played a great part in this!
You're the best!
God Bless!
David

Her father, by the way, is a cancer survivor.

Thanks to all of you readers who took time to vote!!!



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Michael Jackson and Us: Why Am I Even Writing About This?

Add me to the list of those not quite understanding all of the hoopla surrounding the death of and memorial service for Michael Jackson.

He died on June 25th, the same day my husband, The Dawg, died. It’s been 12 days.

Yes, Michael Jackson died at what our society considers an early age: 50.

Yes, Jackson’s death was a surprise; it was unexpected. We knew Farrah Fawcett was seriously ill and nearing death, so when she died on the same day, it was not a shock.

Perhaps some people thought Michael Jackson was healthy. As the clips of Michael Jackson from the last year or so fill the television screens, I see someone who walked as though he were drugged on occasion, or on several occasions. He didn’t look healthy to me.

Yes, there are questions and suspicions about Jackson’s death. How did he get the drugs found in his system? How did he get those quantities?

Michael Jackson was a talented musician and a terrific performer, but other performers have died in the last few weeks: Karl Malden, Gale Storm, Billy Mays, Fred Travalena, Ed McMahon, David Carradine, for example. Were they as sensational as Jackson?

Probably not.

Nor were they as controversial. Questions and allegations were a big part of the last several years of Jackson’s life. Some even described him as “freakish.”

Still, the coverage of the aftermath of Jackson’s death has gone beyond the pale. (No pun intended.) Today the three major networks are changing regular programming to cover the memorial service.

This kind of treatment is usually reserved for presidents and royalty. The last time I remember so much hoopla was in 1997 when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. But, of course, Jackson was royalty of a sort; he was the “King of Pop.”

Probably more influential to music, though, was James Brown, the “King of Soul.” There was no such extensive coverage for him.

Yesterday, seven American servicemen were killed in Afghanistan. Those are the heroes and they are the ones who deserve the coverage.

Where are our values?





Jackson photo from Wikipedia.