Nothing To Laugh About

There's been a lot of talk lately about how the American men's Olympic hockey team defeated Canada to win the gold medal. 

These hockey players aren't some college kids who happen to be good at hockey. No, they're all professional hockey players. They're adults, not kids. So their reaction when the president of the United States, during a phone call to the FBI director who had absolutely no business being there at government expense, commented that he guessed he would have to invite the women's gold medal winning hockey team to the White House as well. Otherwise he might get impeached. 

What did the hockey players do? They laughed. Hahaha. Talk about a bunch of misogynists. We know the president is a huge misogynist and a sexist and a pedophile. But the reaction from the men's hockey team was stunning. No one protested. No one said anything. Nope. They all laughed. Hahaha. Very funny. I don't care whether they just won a gold medal or not. That doesn't excuse this abhorrent behavior. Do they act like this around their wives or girlfriends or mothers?

The men and the women were all invited to the White House so they could eat cold hamburgers and drink bottled water, as that's what's always served by the multi-billionaire president. And everybody was also invited to attend the State of the Union address. The women politely declined the invitations, citing other commitments. But 20 of the 25 men on the hockey team showed up. They didn't just show up, they showed up their collective misogyny. 

And today I read an opinion piece online by someone with whom I generally agree, but with whom I couldn't disagree more this time. He said we need to stop talking about the men's hockey team and its misogyny. Boo hoo hoo. 

No, we won't stop talking about it. We women are sick to death of the misogyny, of being overlooked and discounted. We're tired of being treated as less than, as second class citizens. The women's team also defeated Canada and by the same score by which the men won their game.

I suppose the statements from the president, who is mentioned thousands of times in the Epstein files and who has been found guilty of sexual assault, should, is no surprise. But the response from the men's hockey team is a huge disappointment. They should know better. Maybe someday they will know better. 

What Is Wrong With Men?

Why is it that the vast majority of negative, critical, selfish comments I read on many posts online are made by men? 

Women will make intelligent comments. Women are supportive. But not the men. All they can do is b**** and whine and make stupid comments. So many of these men e respond by hurling insults. And of course, men love to throw out the 'what about' card. What about this? What about that person?

Why is this?

It seems that a large portion of males in this country is intimidated or frightened by women, especially strong, intelligent, well educated women. And it's no surprise that Republican men are the majority of this group. They, as evidenced by the statements of the ruling regime, believe that women shouldn't be allowed to vote, that women should stay home and produce babies. Women should take care of the family, cook, clean, feed the kids, and welcome their partners home with a hot, home-cooked meal. Oh, and they must be young, slim, blonde and know their place.

Women are too emotional to govern, these Neanderthals claim. But guess what, cretins? Had Kamala Harris won the 2024 election, she wouldn't have us in the situation we are now in thanks to the bloated orange buffoon occupying the White House.

The differences between males and females, Democrats and Republicans, are always on stark display when a disaster happens. Democrats offer words of sympathy and condolence. Republicans blame the Democrats for something they allegedly did or did not do in previous administrations. And they blame the victims. 

There are exceptions, of course. Barack Obama is a master at conveying compassion, sympathy and words of support. Bill Clinton is similar, although not quite as eloquent as Obama. Barack Obama is such an outstanding and eloquent speaker that I think I could listen to him reading a phone book and be entranced. And his sympathies and his compassion aren't just for sure. They're not just words. His feelings and his support are genuine.

Sometimes, just for fun, I will read a comment without looking at the name of the person who posted it. In 9 percent of the time, if it's a stupid, sexist or racist comment, I would bet anything that it was written by a man. Not all men are like this, of course. Some men make supportive and thoughtful comments. But they appear to be the minority.

Again I ask, what is wrong with these men?

Messages from Beyond

I was talking to my dogs' groomer recently, and the subject of my heart dog Benny came up.

I told her about the dream I had a year or so ago, and the fact that Benny was in the dream. I have shared my life with dogs for more than 50 years, and this was the first time I ever dreamed about one.

The dream was quite short, but it left a lasting impression on my heart. In the dream, I was at the Rainbow Bridge, and I saw Benny on the other side. I called out to him, "Benny! Momma is here!" He immediately started to run toward me as fast as his little legs could move. 

(Benny was a golden retriever/corgi mix. He had the build of a corgi with the coat, ears, tail and temperament of a golden retriever.) He ran into my arms, and I knew we would never be separated again. I was sad because he has been gone almost 3 years. But I was heartened to know that we will be together again for eternity.

Before this dream with Benny, I was sitting in my office talking on the phone with a friend. Suddenly I felt a dog nose 'bop' my figer. I checked to see where my dogs were. Benny was in the back yard enjoying the sunshine, and Layla was sleeping in the living room. Her sister, Bailey, had died recently. When I told my friend about the nose bop, she said it was Bailey letting me know she was OK.

The frist time I had contact with one of my deceased dogs was years ago in California. Patches was the first dog I adopted. She was a small terrier mix, and we had a very close connection. On more than one occasion, I spotted her peaking around the corner at the end of the hallway, something she did frequently. I also heard the jingle of the tags on her collar at other times. Despite the fact that she had died of cancer, the vision of her and the sound of her tags jangling was real. The only explanation I came up with was that she was checking in to let me know she was okay. 

I would love to hear from anyone else who has had experiences like these. I've had 15 dogs all told, and 13 of them have passed. So these messages from beyond don't happen very often. Somehow I wish they did. I have asked Benny to come to me in my dreams again. Even if fleetingly, seeing his beautiful face with such a treat. And it's so reassuring to know that my dogs, no matter how long they have been gone, are doing okay and waiting for me.

Celebrating A National Treasure

Dolly Parton turned 80 years old last month.

I know that many people share my belief that she is a national treasure. I don't like country music, but I happily listen to Dolly's music. She is the complete package: singer, songwriter, actress, bussinesswoman and philanthropist. She is kind and generous, and family and close friends mean everything to her.

She exudes happiness and warmth, acceptance and kindness. Her self-deprecating humor pokes fun at the many plastic surgeries and botox injections she has had. How refreshing it is to find a mega celebrity with class, no poitical agenda and no ugly gossip or scandals. She was happily married to her husband Carl, who died in 2025, for 60 years.

She grew up in a dirt poor family of 12 children in rural Tennessee. Their house had no electricity or running water. She never lost her memories of being bullied and laughed at because of her homemdade clothes. Her father never learned to read or write. This fact was the inspiration for Dolly's amazing Imagination Library program, which sends a free book every month to any child registered for the program from age birth through 5 years. I made sure my grandson got signed up. He will turn 5 in June, so he has just a few months left to enjoy the books. I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, so passing my love of reading to him is important. 

During the pandemic, Dolly donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to aid in the development of a new vaccine. That vaccine is now known as the Moderna vaccine against covid. I got an updated Moderna vaccine just last week. She helped fund a medical center in Sevierville, her home town, including the Dolly Parton Center for Women's Services.

Her Dollywood theme park in her home state of Tennessee creates good jobs for local residents in an area where good jobs are scarce. Dolly welcomes people of all colors and nationalities, and she is popular with members of the LGBTQ community. 

Her philanthropic efforts focus on education through the Imagination Library, which has given more than 300 million books to children. Through her Dollywood Foundation, she supports scholarships and efforts to decrease high school dropout rates in her home county of Sevier, Tenn.

Dolly's 'My People Fund' provided $1,000 monthly for six months to families who lost their homes in the 2016 Smoky Mountain wildfires. She also supported flood relief in 2021 and wildfire recovery in 2023.

She often supports initiatives anonymously.  Despite growing up in poverty and then achieving tremendous wealth, Dolly has never forgotten the impoverished people of her state. Nor has she forgotten to be humble and kind.