You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to Facebook

So here's the funny thing, I found this article about Facebook addiction on Facebook.  I don't see Alcoholics Anonymous handing out flyers at the liquor stores.  Just sayin'.

And...if you're going to give the signs of addiction, shouldn't you put the cure into steps?  All good rehab programs make it simple for the addict to seek help.  Just sayin'.

I do admit that I have a quasi-addiction to Facebook.  I wake up and check to see what has happened overnight.  Sometimes I fall asleep at night while on Facebook.  And if I'm bored standing in line at Starbucks, I'm usually checking to see what is happening.

You must also know that part of my job is to be on Facebook for work.  I'm also on Twitter for work and for personal use.  However, my latest addiction is Instagram!  I could be the next Ansel Adams.

So yes, maybe I am a bit too connected but for all of the quirks of being too connected, I will say it really has helped me keep in touch with friends and family.  And get this...I still pick up the phone and call people AND I still go out and meet with people.  It's called Striking A Balance.

Smash

Last year, NBC premiered a new show Smash. And in my opinion it was a smash! AND...it's returning on February 5, 2013 for a second season.

The show is about a group of people trying to bring a show to Broadway.  My high school friend Eugene Gwozdz who lives in New York and is a part of the Broadway scene has stated on Facebook that this really is a behind the scenes dramatization of what happens.

The show is Bombshell and is a musical of Marilyn Monroe's life.  There are some great songs and an actual soundtrack to the show will be available on February 12, 2013.  So yes, let's get this straight...

1.) This is a television show
2.) about bringing a show to Broadway
3.) about Marilyn Monroe
4.) but it's not really a musical on Broadway
5.) but it has songs written for the faux Broadway show
6.) and a soundtrack for the show that isn't on Broadway is going to be released

Got all that?

My favorite, favorite, favorite song is the final song of the show, Don't Forget Me.  Katharine McPhee knocks it out of the ballpark!

So...what even got me to thinking about this song?  Well...I was looking for something to watch on the telly tonight and looked at the On Demand selections and there was Smash. So I watched the final episode and then I got to thinking about everyone who has recently died and it made me think of this song and it brought tears to my eyes.

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This is too cute!

 

Swiss Miss
Tina Turner has announced that she is giving up her United States of America citizenship and will become a citizen of Switzerland. Tina and her longtime partner have been living in Switzerland for awhile. Speculation is that she is doing this for love and/or to avoid a higher tax rate in the U.S.A. which could be interpreted as love of money. Anywho, she is fabulous regardless of where she lives and which country she decides to claim as place of residence.

 

Together Again
I found out the other day that Manny Olivo passed away. I had not seen Manny in awhile but every time that I did he always had a big smile on his face.  Manny's death comes in the form of unexpected news and caught many of us by surprise.  He is one of several people who have recently left this world too soon.

Manny with Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

Manny had been very active in Houston. He helped raise money for various causes and will leave a void. I am a BIG Kylie Minogue fan but I think Manny is her biggest fan ever.  That is another thing I will always remember about him.

 A celebration of his life will take place on January 27, 2013 at Guava Lamp. Donations are being accepted to help offset the cost of his funeral. For more information, here is a link to the Facebook event.

Even though this isn't a Kylie song, it is a song I think about every time someone leaves us.

What's On Your Mailbox?

Yesterday, I was going through a file on here named Drafts and there were a bunch of drafts.  Many of the drafts were blank and all I could figure is that when I posted on a regular basis, I would get a thought, run to the computer, start typing and plan on getting back to it later

There were probably about 12 or so drafts and I discarded all but one.  For the life of me I couldn't figure out why I had even saved this link but it obviously made an impression upon me.  Even as I started reading it I was confused and then I remembered why I saved it.

Here is the link.

So, what it leaves me thinking is, "What type of impression do I leave upon people?"  And am I the type of person that someone would turn to if they needed something.

What's on your mailbox?

Real Housewives. Real Problems

When Bethenny Frankel was on Bravo's Real Housewives of New York, I learned to like and not like her.  At times she seemed whiny.  At other times she seemed very driven.  I didn't care for the whiny.

After she left the show and went on to have her new show, I watched it because I really hoped she would be happy.  In my opinion, he family problems always seemed to cast a shadow on her other relationships.  So...

When she met Jason Hoppy, I was thrilled for her.  He really seemed like a nice guy and he is very nice looking.  His family really seemed to embrace Bethenny.

So, I was a bit surprised when I found out a few weeks ago that they are getting a divorce.  And, it seems that it is getting ugly; that news from New York Post.  One of things that I learned from my mom is to never take sides when a couple is separated or filing for divorce because what happens when they get back together?  Hmmm.

Unfortunately, fame has a price even if you are a star on a reality show and this divorce will play out in the press.

Another housewife with a problem is Beyonce.  Did she or didn't she lip sync the National Anthem at the inauguration?  What has me perplexed is why she hasn't said anything publicly about it.

Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

I was in the car driving around on Monday when she sang and on the radio it sounded fantastic! Watching the video, it's hard to tell. And I guess in the long run, does it really matter?

Thanx for the advice! I really mean it.

Sometimes when people say, "Thanx for the advice!" it is meant in a sarcastic way. And yes, I've been known to say it that way. However, this time I mean it. Yesterday, we received the news that Dear Abby has died. Her real name was Pauline Phillips and she along with her twin sister Ann Landers (real name Eppie Lederer) dished out advice in newspaper columns. I know at one time there was a rift between them but I'm not really sure what caused it other than having competing advice columns.

Even though she stopped writing the column, the name has lived on. Her daughter took over the column several years ago. I remember reading her column and her books. The things I remember most is that the advice was just plain common sense and she was great with the one-liners.

NBC Nightly News did a great story on her yesterday.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And if you want to read the 10 best quotes, click here.

Thanx for the advice!

Sounds Like A Sticky Situation

I've always been sort of a history nut.  I think I got that from my dad. 

I was totally confused while I was watching Les Miserables because it didn't match what I remembered about the French Revolution...not that I really studied French history but it wasn't aligning with the facts in my head.  So...

After the movie was over I and while I was still in the theatre (yes, that is the French spelling), I had to Google Les Miserables and figure just where on the timeline of French history this actually took place.  Stop...

I am getting way off subject here because this has nothing to do with what I really wanted to talk about.  So...

This morning when I was reading/looking at Facebook, someone posted a link to a story about people being killed by molasses in Boston.  Yes, molasses.  I read the story and while it is tragic, it still has me chuckling.  No disrespect for the dead but is a rather fascinating story.

To read the whole story, click here.

Golden Globes Red Carpet

So everyone has an opinion on last night's red carpet at the Golden Globes. Here is one set of critics:

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And to see more of the fashion, visit Salon.com here.

However, when it comes to fashion, there is no better fashionista than The Fabulous Miss Ginger Grant herself! Read her take on the red carpet here.

Update (01.15.13): Here is another review of the red carpet.  It was written by Clifford Pugh at Culturemap.

Update (01.16.13): This made me giggle.

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I don't mean to sound like a hater BUT...

I had a feeling the Houston Texans were going to lose against the New England Patriots and well...they did.  There's always next season.  The good news is that since they're not going to the Super Bowl and neither are the New Orleans Saints, I don't have to watch the whole game.  In fact, after Beyoncé performs at halftime, I won't have to watch the second half although I do like the commercials.

So...I'm sitting here watching the Golden Globe Awards.  I remember when I was a kid and this show was recorded and shown a week or two later on a Sunday afternoon.  I'm trying to figure out when they went primetime?  It's been an enjoyable show and congratulations to Adele for winning for Skyfall!  That is a classic James Bond song and deserved to win.

Yesterday, I posted about the Miss America Pageant.  I was only half-listening to the contestant interviews and it seems that I missed Miss Iowa talking about recreational use of marijuana being OK.  The twitterverse was alive with comments.  You can read more about it here.

And I really did enjoy Miss New York's tap dance number.  You could tell she was really enjoying herself.  Judge for yourself.

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It's a bit after 10:00P and I'm wide awake because I took a nap around 5:00P.  You see...

I worked today and had to get really early.  When I awakened from my nap, I realized that the Miss America Pageant was on the telly.  It's been awhile since I watched the pageant.  At one point, it seems that it was on it's last breath.  The organization started making changes and it went to a cable network and it changed from a weekend in September to a weekend in January and well, I just couldn't keep up.

So...I watched it tonight and actually enjoyed watching it.  There are some new twists to the show and it was rather enjoyable.  It was also the first time that I watched the show and followed the comments on Facebook and the tweets on Twitter.

Congratulations to the new Miss America, Mallory Hagan from New York!  You can read more about her here.

Today has also been a bit of an odd day.  You see...

The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon runs tomorrow.  I'm not running and I'm heading up a hoopla station either.  In fact, the route goes past The Calvinator's Crib but it's supposed to rain tomorrow and I'm not sure if I'm going to get out in the elements and cheer.  Normally on this day, I'd be very anxious or spend the day getting ready for the hoopla station.  It's been sort of nice to have to worry about it. Good luck to everyone running tomorrow.  It's gonna be a wet one.

And in case you didn't see this...

New York Times listed Houston as  #7 on 46 Places To Go In 2013.  It states things that we Houstonians have always known.  So we're rolling out the red carpet, stocking up the Welcome Wagon and preparing the crib for all of our visitors!  Y'all come!

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Meggings. One style I won't be trending.

Watch More News Videos at ABC | Technology News | Celebrity News

Would you really call 911? I think The Calvinator could rock this style.

(source: People Magazine)

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Stormy Weather

It's wet here in H-town.  The forecast calls for 100% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow.

Somewhere out there is the downtown skyline.  This is the view from the 4th floor at Legacy Community Health Services-Montrose.

So now I'm humming

except in my mind it is the dance version.

Stay dry everybody!

"Do you poop out at parties?"

I'm tired.  Excuse me, I mean exhausted.  There's really not any particular reason.  So...rather than try to think of something witty to compose, here are some photos of Houston's City Hall.  The building was lit in red, white and blue on Saturday in honor of the Houston Texans.  On Saturday, they played the Cincinnati Bengals.  Sunday, their road to the Super Bowl goes through New England.

The Voices In My Head

I used to do posts titled Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind. It was usually on topics that didn't fit anywhere else or if I had a random thought I'd post it. Not sure if I want to resurrect that title or come up with a new one. So...here are some things that are on my mind:

1. Happy 12th Day of Christmas! Today is The Feast Of The Epiphany which is also known as The Feast Of The Three Kings. Today signals the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Mardi Gras Season! For Christmas, I received a Mardi Gras wreath from sister-in-law. So...to signal the beginning of Mardi Gras Season, I hung the wreath.

2. I have never watched Downton Abbey. I've never watched Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Both shows have their season premieres tonight but so does Food Network's Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-off . AND it's the return of the The Good Wife on CBS. Decisions. So...I decided to catch a rerun of Honey Boo Boo and that show is too funny! Her Uncle Poodle is gay. Turns out she uses the word poodle for gays. Her best quote from tonight's rerun: “Ain’t nothing wrong with bein’ a little gay. Everybody’s a little gay”.

3. I'm not sure this has happened before but did you know that Adele topped the U.S. charts two years in a row for her album 21. Congrats to Adele! There are some great songs on the cd but I think my favorite is Set Fire To The Rain. If I was a painter, I would try to paint a picture of someone setting fire to the rain.

I have other things on my mind but I thing I'll end it here...for now.

It's Still The Christmas Season

and I'm going to post Christmas photos until January 6.  You see...

The Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the days from December 26 to January 6. January 6 is The Feast of the Epiphany and the beginning of Mardi Gras season!

And just so you know, a few months ago I discovered Instagram!  I took a bunch of Christmas photos with the Instagram app. I've been thinking of creating an album An Instagram Christmas.

So here is a pic from St. Anne Catholic Community. The church is always beautifully decorated during the Christmas Season.

Let's Give This A Try

So...posting from the Droid works but let's see if I can post a photo.

Happy New Year

So...it occurred to me that the Droid I've had for 11 months or so is probably compatible with Blogger and guess what...it is? There's even an app!

I've actually missed blogging. Facebook has actually replaced my blog posts. It's a new year so maybe I'll give this another try.

I hope 2013 is a great year for all of us.

God bless us everyone.