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Have you noticed how many celebrity categories there are now? In addition to the usual high society, sports and Hollywood types we now have celebrities in new categories: Gamblers, (Poker Stars,) Cooks, (Paula Dean et al), Chefs (as distinguished from mere cooks), Miners (Ecuador), Political Malefactors (former governor of Illinois; former N. Y. D.A.), Mothers of Large Broods (minimum of eight, please), GlenBeckers et al, Passengers on Interrupted Cruise Voyages, Real (?) Housewives (outfitted in ensembles that cost thousands and make Beaver's mother look like a bag lady), etc.. Artist Andy Warhol, himself a celebrity, said "Everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame." Have you had yours? Be patient.


Charles Rangel (D, NY, very popular in Harlem) is a prime example of why there needs to be term limits for members of Congress. A member of the House for 40 years he is finally being brought before a House Ethics Committee on charges of misconduct. ("House Ethics;" Isn't that an oxymoron?) Failure to pay income taxes on property he owns is only one of the charges. Rangel claims he is innocent and will not resign. Shame is a concept un known in Congress.

Mickey Rooney is 90 years old! Rooney, 50% egotist; 50% imp and 100% talent, was born to a vaudeville couple and began his show business career at the tender age of 17 months. Married 8 times he said, "Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day."

His other pastime was gambling. He confessed, "I lost $3 on a horse and spent a million dollars trying to get it back."


Benjamin Franklin asked an intriguing question, "If all your friends were blind, what would your house look like?" Many Americans take their design cues from "the mansion on the hill." Big is good; lavish is better. It's a sure sign that you have "arrived." On the frontier, settlers lived in one room log cabins or, on the plains, in dugouts. As soon as they could afford better they built something like they had back east. Moving up-scale has been a national ambition.
That upward movement has crested and the latest economic melt-down may change buying habits as the Great Depression did when people discovered they could do with less, --- a lot less and delayed gratification was not a form of torture. The lay-away plan was born. Thrift and frugality were seen, not as being "cheap" but as real virtues. My children learned an old New England saying, "Use it up; Wear it out; Make it do or Do without." Of course they never did without any of the necessities of life.
Except for the wealthy, the average new house will soon be 1800 square feet or less. Separate, rarely used formal dining rooms, family rooms, powder rooms, huge bathrooms, butler pantries, etc. will go by the wayside. Combining kitchen, dining and living room is becoming more in vogue. Smaller space means smaller utility bills and conservation of natural resources. If one cannot be happy and content in a 1800 s.f. house they will very likely not be happy in a 5000 s.f. house. Besides, real satisfaction and contentment arise from a spiritual relationship: building our "house" on the solid Rock of Jesus.
Fashion Forecast
For men: Look for the appearance of shoes in colors beyond black and brown. Red, blue and purple shoes will soon become more popular. And why not? Years ago (before the Elvis Presley era) I had a pair of blue suede shoes. I'm still looking for another pair. Red would be OK.
For women: Lower hemlines; mid-calf or to the ankles. Hats are coming back; some modeled after the 'cloche' hat, so popular in the 20's and the Depression. Appropriate for the present economic situation.
Oooookay; the Repubs are back in power,--well, sort of. After slathering their constituents with the whipped cream of promises soon forgotten after election, they appear to be gazing at each other with that, "Now what?" look. In their slash and burn drive to make the world safe for big banks and corporations they seem to have overlooked something essential: A comprehensive, clear-cut plan to help bring the country (the USA) out of the economic Sargasso Sea we are drifting in. Can any of them say "bi-partisan?"