This
page shares with you some great things
I've found, and warns you about some things to avoid.
If you're a seeker of quality, it's easy to be disappointed by
the lack of it in our society. People used to take
pride in their craft or service, but finding this level of
integrity, commitment and work ethic today, seems a rare
experience. For those of you who feel similarly, write
me about a good or bad experience you've
had, and I'll try to include it here.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^
RANT:
Unless you're long overdue for a good cry, do not
see Nights in Rodanthe (Richard Gere and Diane
Lane), or wait until it hits cable--and then have some
antidepressants nearby! While it got off to a slow start, the
performances as you might suspect, were laudable. I'd liked
this pair in Unfaithful, and was duped
into seeing this film by misleading trailers
that promised a juicy romantic tale. NOT!!! While this movie
managed to convey a worthy message about family ties and emotional
integrity, these elements were totally overshadowed by strife
and pathos! Bottom line, I wanted to be entertained--instead,
I came away from the theater feeling undersatisfied, disturbed
and downright depressed--and I have a high threshold by the
way, for exposure to depressing material. Save your money.
RANT:
I am not what you'd call a politically savvy person, and I only
write about what I know about. There's no doubt that I'm pretty
opinionated, but I always try to tell the truth, and fight clean.
Having recently responded to a private e-mail asking me to share
my opinions about Sarah Palin, I thought I'd
let you read 'em too. Some of you will love me, and others will
hate me--but at least you'll know me better, so you
can make up your mind about it: "Since Palin's been
named for Vice President on the Republican ticket, I've become
anxious and uneasy. She represents a dangerous constituency
in this country that not only wants to reverse
women's rights, but undermine our separation between church
and state. Add to this, teen pregnancies and STD's continue
to be serious problems in our society; what kind of message
is being sent to our young people, when potential Heads Of State
sanction pregnancy mishaps with shotgun weddings (and have the
arsenal to back it up)!? The psychological
community does not consider that someone has outgrown adolescence,
until they pass 23 years of
age! Two wrongs
don't make a right--and this is one more pitiful example
of babies having babies, which erodes the stability and mental
health of societies everywhere. As a staunch child advocate,
I am extremely concerned about parenting deficits
that underscore failures to educate, nurture and model responsible,
healthy behaviors--and c'mon folks, if this female can't even
manage a family, and seems willing to put the critical
needs of her own infant aside, should she
be allowed to parent an entire country?? Maybe Palin's 17 year
old daughter was just trying to get (busy) Mom's attention;
it seems she's figured out an ingenious way to go about that--and
send her mother a very public "Screw You," at the
same time. Frankly, I'm relishing the irony, especially given
this climate of Roe vs Wade. There's no way I can applaud McCain's
apparently senile choice, nor the prospect of having this lipsticked
animal killer step in, when the old man can't get up for the
Party (pun intended). By the way, how can we be certain that
the aerial shootings aren't just badly wounding
those poor creatures, and they're suffering slow, agonizing
deaths? How you do anything, is how you to
everything. I don't know about Palin's God--but
mine's upset about this."
RAVE:
Mamma Mia! This film's a total chick-flick, but I've gotta tell
ya, you cannot sit through this movie, and feel bad or sad--and
if you do, you should be heavily medicated. Go see it with a
gal pal or go alone, but it's definitely worth the
price of admission! It's a musical, featuring the music of ABBA.
RAVE:
Rogaine.
I
absolutely love this stuff! My hair's been growing thick and
full, after bouts of extreme shedding over the past couple decades.
I'm using the extra-strength 5% Minoxidil (men's) formula.
This is a colorless, odorless liquid that I apply only once
a day ('cause I'm lazy), and it's worked real magic. Do not
use this where you think you need it; I initially put
it on my thinning hairline (in front), and ended up looking
like a Werewolf! Honest to God, I had to get rid of all the
little black hairs growing on my face--but at least, I knew
it worked. Follow directions! The 5% solution will last you
6 months, with once daily application. Chains like
CVS Pharmacy sell it under their name; you'll save
money with the generic, and get the same results. As for thinking
you'll have to do this "the rest of your life," so
what! You bathe and brush your teeth at least once a day, don't
you??
RANT:
Okay, I'm a Showtime fan and I like their new series;
Secret Diary Of A Call Girl (definitely a fun little
British romp)--but is anyone else having trouble understanding
the dialogue, or is it just me? I'm sitting here with my remote,
rewinding the darned thing six times, and I still can't
decifer what's being said. I need subtitles, please--or a Director
who's a bit more sensitive to American ears.
RAVE:
Tired
of spending a bloody fortune on injets for your printers/copiers?
I recently bought color cartridges from 123Inkjets,
and I'm really pleased. It may benefit you to phone
them, as they offer (current) specials, which could mean even
more savings to you; www.123inkjets.com.
RAVE:
If
you haven't gotten there already, go and see Lars And
The Real Girl. This is a fantastic little
low budget movie; funny, touching, intelligent, and terrifically
handled on every level! Admittedly, I generally appreciate films
with psychological underpinnings--but it's a treat when the
material's presented in such a way that makes me know without
a doubt, that the writer/creator 'gets it.' This modest but
heartfelt movie had me laughing and weeping, because
of its undeniable brilliance in this regard.
Huge applause for Nancy Oliver who wrote this little gem! Her
prodigious talent is obviously flourishing, since bringing us
HBO's Six Feet Under (which I'm still missing, by the
way). More, more more, please.
RAVE:
I'm
delighted to say, HBO finally gave us something worth
watching. TELL ME YOU LOVE ME is very raw,
real and intelligently directed (special kudos, to
Melanie Mayron). While I might be hooked for another season,
I have some gripes about this show: First, with the exception
of only two episodes, I'm cringing
at the way the therapist's part (played by Jane Alexander) is
written; seems to me, the creator of this series (Cynthia Mort)
hasn't had any valuable or meaningful therapeutic experiences
(which may be her point). Pity. I'm also dismayed by
the gratuitous sex, which (while very realistic) is unnecessarily
graphic and far too frequently utilized, for me to think the
writers are confident in their ability to keep us entranced
week to week. Besides, if I really wanted to see senior
citizens getting it on, I'd install a #@$%^&+*
mirror on my bedroom ceiling! Thankfully,
this show's brilliantly acted, and interplay
between its characters is sufficient to keep me
watching--but while I could never be considered a prude, I
do feel I'm being manipulated with all those sex scenes.
And speaking of manipulation, we now have yet another
television series, that's given us solid portrayals of borderline
disordered women. Who says, television isn't educational?!
(HBO says No to a second season, incidentally.)
RAVE:
Are
you happy with your chiropractor? Dr. John Min's office is in
the Los Angeles area. John's terrific with adjustments (for
me, it's all about the neck). Here's their
phone: (310) 301-0558 or visit his website, to see some amazing
photographs; www.johnemindc.com.
When you get there, say "Shari sent me."
RANT:
Avoid
Best Buy stores! If you're considering an electronic
purchase (like a new computer), your best buy is to
get it somewhere else! Under an extended warranty, I brought
them my laptop for repair (the manufacturer diagnosed
the probable issue as a "video card" problem,
which I stated 3 times, at drop-off). I was
told there'd be a 14 day wait, so I called the store for status
on the 15th day. Turns out, my computer had come back in 4
days, was awaiting pick-up at the (Culver City) store--and
nobody had phoned to tell me. To make matters worse,
the problem wasn't fixed! Instead, they'd
"replaced the LCD." This 'replacement' part was banged
up/scratched, and was obviously someone else's old monitor casing
(mine was in pristine condition). In case you're thinking
all this was bad enough--hang on, there's
more: While sitting in Best Buy's service department or
with the 'Geek Squad' in their store that extra 11 days,
my software program for processing credit card payments was
stolen! The ramifications of this theft have
been unimaginable, in terms of what it's cost me in time, energy
and revenue. Thankfully, there have been no negative consequences
for any clients--and I use a different system now, but save
yourself from consumer abuse; purchase your
next computer elsewhere. PS: My new PC repair
guy says he's personally heard at least 50 horror stories
from other people about Best Buy, that make mine
seem insignificant by comparison (scary)! Don't
ever say I didn't warn you--and if you've already
had a personal run-in with this company, write and tell me about
it. I'm taking 'em to court!
RAVE:
E-machines
computers (made by Gateway) deserves honorable mention,
in reference to the above entry: During this horrible fiasco
in the summer of '07, I called their corporate offices out of
sheer exasperation. I explained that my "extended warranty"
with Best Buy was about to expire, and I obviously couldn't
trust them to re-repair my computer! I told
the gal who answered my call that they were my last hope for
resolution, and I didn't know where else to turn. She sympathized
with my predicament, and arranged for a pick up of my laptop,
even though they "never" work on a computer
that's past the (one year) manufacturer's warranty. This company
demonstrated something we never hear of anymore; they made an
exception to policy, and stood behind their product!
I am really impressed, and my PC's been running
great ever since. Thank you, E-machines!
RAVE:
Do
you
know about www.OldVersion.com?
This is a fantastic site! You can find
and download older versions of software there, "because
newer, isn't always better." Various programs, upgrades
and applications are available to you absolutely free! This site
came in handy recently, for my older latop; its operating system
can't support AOL's newer software, and I needed to reinstall
their 8.0 version. AOL's phone tech took me there (yes, now and
then they're actually helpful)! Make sure to save this site to
your *favorites* and tell all your friends about it!
RAVE:
Stupidly,
I cleaned my old laptop (Compaq Presario) with something I shouldn't
have, years back. When I needed to use it as a back-up recently
(my current PC went in for minor surgery) the palm rest area
was so sticky and tacky, I couldn't stand it (obviously, this
is why they tell you not to use anything but
water on these things!). Well, not having found answers
to this problem on the internet, and being determined
to find a way to improve this situation, I began experimenting
with all kinds of 'solutions' I had around my house (including
contact lense solution, if you can believe it). Long story short,
I tried Johnson's Baby Oil. A few careful applications
of this (with a rag, of course) brought the finish almost back
to normal, and what a relief!!!
RAVE:
Check
out this fun, new visual search engine; www.Pagebull.com.
RANT:
Ok, I'm probably gonna get a lot of flak about this
one--but as that's never stopped me before, here goes: An old
friend (let's call him "Vinnie") left a voicemail,
and invited me to call back and "catch up." We hadn't
had a chance to visit in years, so I looked forward to it. We
had what I thought was a terrific conversation, and
I asked if he'd done some inner work--or perhaps some couples
therapy with his (soon to be) Ex-wife, because it sounded like
he had a better grip on himself than before. To this, he replied
that he'd gone to Landmark Forum.
As this topic had come up organically, I shared some views (both
pro and con), based on what clients and friends who've "done
the Forum" have told me. I've known people who worked for
Landmark and conducted their seminars, so I'm familiar
with their program. Vinny had evidently benefitted from this
venue, and I was pleased for him! I've always said,
the very best advertisement is example.
If someone notices a positive change in you, they'll
(at least) consider it for themselves; it's simple human nature.
Anyway, Vinnie left another message the following night,
saying he was uncomfortable about something, and wanted to "clean
it up" with me. Nothing had shown up on my radar,
but I phoned him the next day. Turns out, he'd neglected to
invite me to an introductory Forum seminar (I'm now hearing
the real reason he's making contact after all this
time). I said I was glad this hadn't come up during our initial
dialogue, as I'd have resented it. Vinnie got defensive when
I suggested he might to be trying to "clean up" something
with himself, rather than with me; it seemed his
motives for calling (as stated) weren't honest or clean,
and perhaps this troubled him. Maybe he regretted missing an
opportunity to pitch The Forum, but I'd have respected
him more, had he stated his intent, and not tried to disguise
it. I congratulated Vinnie for trusting his instincts
enough to sense that I wasn't open to being recruited, in our
earlier dialogue. Apparently, Landmark doesn't teach you this
important life skill. Perhaps they should.
RANT:
Is
it just me, or has HBO been falling
down on the job? Remember their slogan; "Sunday
nights are HBO"? Well, those days are
obviously gone! For the past couple of years, their programming's
been in serious need of help, and Sunday nights aren't
just lacking good shows, it seems we're expected to
endure all these horrible, tedious documentary series! Is this
entertainment? I think not. Can someone please tell
me what the hell happened to those HBO execs who believed in
entertaining their audience? Frankly, SHOWTIME
gets my vote these days (their original programming
is sensational), with Dexter, The Tudors, Brotherhood, The L
Word, Weeds, etc. I'm also a big fan of the FX
channel; Dirt with Courtney Cox is great, as
is Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck
etc., and do you think Eric Schaeffer's Starved
is ever coming back? I sure hope so; what a brilliant,
talented (but neurotic) guy! I'm totally hooked on
Mad Men (on AMC). Anyway, as soon as the final
season of The Sopranos is over, I
may cancel my subscription. If you share these views, maybe
you should, too. When HBO's popularity falls and hurts
their revenue, maybe they'll (finally) get the hint over there.
RAVE:
The
healing power of magnets! I'd been
struggling for months with leg spasms during my sleep.
I'd had Ultrasound scans (to check my circulation) and approached
this from a supervised nutritional standpoint,
but these horrible cramps were still waking me up to nine
times per night! My pain and lack of sleep were very
troubling; these symptoms continued until 6/9/06. To my utter
amazement, the first night I slept with magnets around my ankles,
my sleep was painless and uninterrupted all night!
In addition, my focus and physical energy are improved,
and my mood is consistently lighter. I'm not experiencing
sparks/shocks getting in or out of my car anymore, regardless
of the weather. Sensitivity (to touch) near my ankles has disappeared
as well, and I haven't taken any supplements in weeks! I'm naturally
skeptical, so these changes are very surprising. I immediately
sent my niece a couple of these, and she reports that they've
helped with her Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. If you're here
in the Los Angeles area, Magnalinx magnets
can be purchased at The Grove Shopping Center, Third Street/Fairfax
Ave., at one of the kiosks (they've
moved a few times, so you may have to look for them). You might
do internet research on magnet therapy first, as they can help
with many pain/health issues (including sleep disorders). I
bought the strongest ones available (the "ball"
and "rock n' roll" designs) but there are lots
of styles. James Westbrook is the President of Magnalinx
and if you meet him, say; "Shari
sent me!" If you live outside the L.A. area,
Magnalinx should (hopefully) have their site up before long.
Magnets have greatly enhanced my life, and I hope they'll work
well for you! [Hopefully, I'll be able to post an online link
for you, soon!]
RANT:
Beware of LastMinuteTravel.com! I used this site
for a recent trip, and they sent me confirmation for
round trip tickets on Alaska Air. Leaving nothing to chance, I
called Alaska to confirm my reservation two nights before, and
was told I was flying out on Delta and returning on American.
LastMinuteTravel.com never even hinted at
this! Apparently, some airlines have contracts with other carriers
for places they don't fly into. The upshot is, if I hadn't made
that call, my cab would have dropped me at Alaska Air's
terminal--and I'd likely have missed my plane! Avoid
using this (non-refundable) service!!!
RAVE:
If you live in the Los Angeles area and have
problems with your feet, see podiatrist, Dr.
Mel Present. I've known Dr. Present for about 3 decades,
and he's been wonderful with me, and many of
my friends. He's an extremely honest, highly skilled, kind/caring
practitioner who will never try to sell you on
something you don't absolutely need. I trust this man, and so
can you. Mel's great with foot problems, and he can fit you with
orthotics if needed. Wilshire Blvd./Doheny, office phone: (310)
659-6088.
RAVE:
Citicard's dividend credit card. You'll love
it! www.citicards.com
RANT:
Remember when the expression, "I'm BUSHED"
meant that you were exhausted? NOW,
it just means you're screwed.
RAVE:
Go
see the movie, Derailed. Jennifer Aniston is
superb and stunning in this complex
thriller. Clive Owen delivers a perfect performance, and Vincent
Cassel and other supporting actors are nothing short of splendid.
This is a tight, well acted/directed screenplay that'll keep you
on the edge of your seat and offer some
juicy bonuses!
I
also recommend Prime (purely entertaining
& delightful) and, A History of Violence
(though I found the first scene a bit saccharine and over the
top). Thumbs way up for Walk the Line;
I'm always pleased when films reveal how childhood abuses
cause unavoidable consequences in adulthood.
LOVED
Capote. Would have gotten my vote for
best picture!
RANT:
Forget Bill Murray's Broken Flowers. The only
redeeming aspect of this movie was its performances. Still,
a terrible waste of good talent (did someone get sexual
favors to make this film??). The story line's completely
devoid of meaning or climax, and goes utterly nowhere. Agonizingly
slow, depressing and darkly shot. Frankly, this is one I should
have demanded my money back on; I wanted to throw fruit at the
screen when it finally ended.
RAVE:
By
default, I recently saw Adam Sandler's Click,
and loved it! I'd begun watching another film, hadn't
realized it was animated and went in search of something
more to my liking. Sandler's great, Chris Walken's delightful,
and the entire film was fun. I was concerned about distractions,
because of all the small children that were in the audience,
but I wasn't aware of their presence during this movie. This is
an intelligent, adult film by the way. It's got some suggestive
material, which (depending on the age of your little
one) your child may not understand, but better safe than sorry.
I didn't see parents leaving the theater with their kids--so if
they're not worried, maybe you shouldn't be either. This
film has a good message, invokes a variety of emotional responses
and is definitely worth the price of admission!
Meet
Shari