I admit to reading W, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vanity Fair. I enjoy seeing how the “rich & famous” spend their money. What I don’t understand is why it’s important for rich & famous women to dress so… um… how can I put this without being unkind… um… unflatteringly.

On page 230, in the December issue of W, Marina Rust is shown, in what apparently is her version of “model slouch,” wearing a little white Marni dress that doesn’t do anything for her. In the same photo, Renee Rockefeller’s breasts are on display courtesy of her transparent outfit by Balenciago and Giambattista Valli. Heaven only knows how much each of them spent to achieve such awful looks. In an adjoining photo, Lisa Cant emulates the same “model slouch” as she chats with Thakoon Panichgul, the designer of the dress she wears.

Since the rich & famous are so set on the latest fashion trends I wonder what will happen if other designers follow Jean Paul Gaultier’s lead. He’s the brave soul who included plus-size (okay, very fat) model Velvet in his spring show. Or was he merely being “amusing” by having her strut the catwalk in corset and garters? His action follows the lifting of weight restrictions for catwalk models after organizers of Madrid’s Fashion Week banned underweight models. Paris, New York, London, and Milan followed.

Catwalk fashion isn’t particularly pretty most of the time. Some of it is absolutely ugly. Like the children’s tale of the emperor’s clothes (or lack thereof) do the rich & famous feel compelled to wear anything high-priced designers create in order to maintain a “certain style”?

How many of today’s sexiest women appear in the type of outfits worn by many of the most monied women? They don’t, at least not when the cameras are pointed on them. They know looking good means flattering their bodies not hiding them under clothing only fit for the catwalk.

Browsing around the web, I have found a few sites that are particularly obnoxious. One site offers support for the spouses of fat people. According to the site, being “fat” shows disrespect.

How do we define “fat”? Is it any woman’s dress size over 2? And which size 2 shall we use? The one that designers of extremely high-priced clothing cut to? I’ve found that size 2 to be very generous. So generous that it can sometimes correspond to size 8 or 10 in less expensive clothing.

Who decreed that only thin women are beautiful? Their husbands or boyfriends? Do they really like stick-thin women who are obsessed with watching what they weigh so they can fit into awful clothing designed for coat hangers?

Perhaps it’s the media that sets the standard for female beauty. Perhaps not since a lot of the most written about women aren’t size 0’s or size 2’s. Paris Hilton might be but Pamela Anderson could never be. Which one would most men want to see naked? The fat Pamela or the stylishly thin Paris?

I thought Kirstie Alley was quite ingenious when she took her weight battle public. She “let it all hang out” and turned a sagging (no pun intended) career in a new direction. She’s older, wiser, and 75 pounds lighter now. And, if she’s like most of us, she’ll continue to battle to keep the weight from returning.

What weight is “normal”? In centuries past, very round women were admired. Their voluptuous figures reflected their pampered lifestyles. Thin meant hunger and poverty.

In decades past, women on stage and screen also were quite voluptuous. Mae West comes to mind. Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jayne Mansfield. I wonder how any of them would have fared in today’s world if they were trying to make it big in the movies or on Broadway. Marilyn wore a size 16!! Gasp!

The popular women of the 50’s were not only heavier than today’s “ideal” they were also shorter. And there’s the rub. We look at numbers… 91 (Twiggy, the start of the thin craze) or 105 or 110 or 120 which fit well with a 5′2″ frame and project those same numbers as the ideal weight for today’s 5′10″ frame. It just doesn’t work.

Shall we re-arrange our thinking so that women don’t have to binge and purge to fit into a certain size? Or shall we keep women of a certain weight ashamed of their bodies?

There are some good fat positive books available. One I recommend is FAT!SO? written by Marilyn Wann.

For the record, back when it was “in” to be 5′2″ and pleasingly plump, I was the laughable oddity at 5′10″ and 105 pounds.

Apparently no one is hungry anymore. There are, however, a lot of people suffering from “food insecurity.” Somehow that makes it all easier to swallow… or does it?

Does “self-injurious behavior incident” adequately cover someone’s suicide?

Would you buy canola oil if it was sold under its real name: rapeseed oil?

Would you order slimehead fish or orange roughy?

Fuzzy words make the unpleasant more palatable. And they help keep the people who are good at double-speak in office, at war, and in business.

Around four months ago, Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson and rocker Kid Rock got married. Actually, they said they wanted to make sure it took so they got married three separate times. Three ceremonies kept them in the headlines longer than one.

Now they’re back in the headlines as they undo what they did. Do we care? And why do we think this is far from over?

Subject: JOB OFFER
From: “Dr Colin Moore” < drcolinmoore@yahoo.com.hk>

Dr. Colin Moore
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland
Hillsborough,
Ireland BT26 6DR
Email: drcolin_moore@fastermail.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

How are you doing. I came across your email address and your brief profile through Australia email directory. I would be very interested in offering you a part-time paying job in which you could earn alot.

My names is Dr. Colin Moore and I am 58 years of age. I just resigned my job as a research scientist for ARINI (Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland and I now work as a freelance consultant for the institute which gives me very much time to do my own work which is basically being a freelance researcher who could be employed by research institutes to do research projects anywhere in the world.

Presently, I have just been granted a funding to head a research project in the tropical regions of  Asia regarding rare and vulnerable plant species and this would be commencing very soon. This research program will be funded and sponsored by some of my Australian counterparts and Associates. But the only set back is that my Australian counterparts want to make payments for the research in form of bank transfer only to any of the Australian banks. Getting an accountant in Australian or opening an account would have been my best choice but I have a deadline to meet and taking any of those choices would cost me time and a whole lot of other requirements which I am  not ready to deal with. This is where I need to employ your assistance and service.

WHAT I NEED YOU FOR?
At this point, I will be glad if you could work with me as my representative in Australia. You will be working as my payment assistant in charge of collecting the payments from my Associates. Since they will be making the payment in bank transfers made payable only to you in Australia, you will be collecting this payments and cashing them on my behalf. On agreement to been my representative, you will receive a commission of 10% of whatever amount of payment you receive from my associates.

JOB DESCRIPTION?
1. Receive payments from My Clients/Associates through bank transfers into your bank account.
2. Cash the Payments at your Bank.
3. Deduct 10% which will be your commission/percentage on Payment processed.
4. You are to remit the balance via Money Gram or Western Union Money Transfer according to my instruction.

HOW MUCH WILL YOU EARN?
10% from each transaction! For instance: On receiving 6000 Dollars on my behalf, you will cash the payment and keep 10% to yourself before remitting the balance! At the beginning your commission will equal 10%, though later it will increase up to 12%! For the research, I am expecting about the sum of $95,000 in total from the clients(though the money will be sent in install mentally due to the progress of my research). You could make over $9,500 for the little time we will be working together.

ADVANTAGES?
You don’t have to go out of your present daily activity in order to engage in this Job (i.e. you can do this Work easily without leaving or affecting your present Job). You will work as an independent contractor right from your home /office. Your job is absolutely legal. You do not need any capital to start (non of your personal funds is needed).

REQUIREMENTS?
i) 18 years or older.
ii) Legally capable.
iii) Responsible, Reliable and Trustworthy.
iv) Ready to work 3-4 hours per week.
v) Able to check and respond to emails often.
vi) Easy telephone access.

IS THIS LEGAL?
Yes it is. As a matter of fact,my lawyer checked all legal provisions to know if there is any domestic or international law against businesses or deals in this manner. And he said its allowed by all LAWS. So know that doing this work is safe and legitimate.

I hope all is well understood. I would be glad if you accept my proposal and I intend to commence as soon as you are ready. Please, to facilitate the conclusion of this transaction if accepted, do send promptly by email the following details below, to indicate your interest.

FIRST NAME…… LAST NAME…………
HOME ADDRESS  ……………
CITY……….. STATE / PROVINCE ……….
COUNTRY……………
PHONE NUMBER (S) …………..
AGE……….
BANK NAME ………………….
ACCOUNT NAME……………………
ACCOUNT NUMBER……………………
B.S.B NUMBER:…………………….

Once these information has been received from you, it would be forwarded to my Australian associates so they could commence the bank transfer to you.

I anticipate your prompt response.

Regards,
Dr. Colin Moore.

My Dear good friend,

Complement of the day, and how are you doing? I know you might find it a little confusing and difficult to remember me, but I am very delighted to contact you once more after some couple of years.  

I am happy to inform you that I have successfully transferred the fund that we tried so heard to transfer it to your account with assistance and cooperation of my new business associate. Mr. Rene. I am presently in Luxemburg trying my hands in some new ventures. For your past effort and assistance in trying help with this transaction, I made available the sum of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollar cash {$750,000,00} in a save deposit with my secretary. This fund is meant for you for your support that you gave to me through out that period. I know that this is too far below the amount that was due to you should we have carried out this transaction together.

Please do contact my secretary as a matter of urgency and instruct him on how he can this fund transferred to you as soon as possible. His name is Mr. John Williams; his private e-mail is johnwilliams_1956@yahoo.com.hk  I told him of your impending contact and to assist you with all necessary requirements to get the fund transferred to you. All necessary mandates in relation to this fund have been perfected. You need to contact him with the following information:

1.    YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS

2.    YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER

3.    A SCAN COPY OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION

As soon this is done he will start the process of get this fund transferred into your account NOTE: the fund is in a save deposit of a security company.

Thanks and I look forward in hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, Dr. Alfred Bassey.

Okay, so maybe I’m showing my age. Or maybe it’s that I’m less than secure with my body. Or, is it just particularly curious that in most magazine ads the women are barely clothed and posed suggestively next to men who are fully dressed? It’s not just magazine ads… I’ve seen a lot of near-naked females out in the real world.

How can anyone expect respect when they’re showing all the goods?

Setting aside a day to give thanks began in the 1600s after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth, off of Cape Cod. The first celebration of thanksgiving lasted three days and took place after the autumn harvest. Colonists and Native American Indians played games, feasted, and demonstrated their respective skills with muskets and bows and arrows.

While a day of thanksgiving was celebrated annually since that time, George Washington gave the first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln gave two Thanksgiving Proclamations, the first for victory in battle, and the second one on October 3rd, for thanks for blessings of the year. Since that time, every U.S. president has issued an annual Thanksgiving Day Proclamation including the Proclamation on November 16, 2006, by President George W. Bush.

Part of the president’s Thanksgiving duties is to “pardon” the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Once pardoned, the turkey and its alternative goes to Disneyland. The tradition of allowing the National Thankgiving Turkey to live out its life instead of being the centerpiece at a Thankgiving dinner began in 1947 with President Harry Truman.

Once pardoned, the turkeys will serve as honorary Grand Marshals at Disneyland’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then they join previous pardoned birds living at the Anaheim, California, theme park.