So I’m sitting in the studio listening to Lionel rant. That’s his job, to rant. And I find him quite hilarious, plus a good source of new vocabulary words. Intrepidity was one tonight. Also limn. The man is a walking thesaurus.
Because of the way the set is configured these days, I can’t actually SEE Lionel from where I’m sitting next to Jim. We are on one side of the studio and Lionel is on the other, with a mess of big cameras between him and us.

The adage used to be: opinions are like…..noses. Everybody has one. These days, that old adage should be changed to: opinions are like bones. Everybody has more than 200. And that’s being conservative!

Whatever happened to the responses: “I don’t know or I’m not sure?” There never used to be a sense of shame or inadequacy because you admitted you just didn’t know enough to make an informed opinion. But these days, everyone insists on putting his two cents in, whether he knows what he’s talking about or not.

Giada, I know you asked for a blog with some laughs. After all, that is what I am known for: funny blogs! (And not necessarily in a ‘haha’ kinda way). I promise to do more of that. But not tonight. With your kind indulgence I’m just going to get something off my chest. Nothing serious. But not a bundle of yucks either.

So bear with me.

When I was growing up, my brother and I did not have a radio or record player. So we were not exposed to very much music, though I do remember listening to Dion and The Shirelles when visiting my cousin whose parents were not so strict.
We did have a small television, but my brother and I were not allowed to watch it. Except occasionally on Sundays, if all chores and homework were done. My mother would put on the Ed Sullivan Show. That’s when I first saw the Beatles and immediately fell in love with them, developing a huge crush on Paul.

So, at the top of the list, the Beatles.

What fun, talking about music, and what we like. It’s no fun discussing it with my pal Jim Watkins because he completely pooh-pooh’s my musical tastes. He really does know a great deal about music, from bluegrass to heavy metal. One of his all-time favorite bands is Metallica, and after seeing them in concert just a short while ago, you could not shut him up, he was that excited.
He calls my taste in music, Adult Contemporary. And he doesn’t mean that in a complimentary way. But I refuse to apologize or back down. I don’t care what anybody says, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer” by George Thorogood is one of the great ‘driving’ songs. And who doesn’t like “Smart Woman in a Real Short Skirt”, one of the lesser- known Jimmy Buffet tunes?

This following letter was sent to me by a friend, and I wanted to share it. I give all credit where credit is due....I did not write this. I am simply passing it along to you. Enjoy.

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative: