WELCOME SPRING 2024

Around this time each year, I like to give some tips for you to try. FOOD Free Fries Friday-For the rest of 2024, Wendy's will give out free fries with a purchase. Just download their app and the offer is there! Highlawn Pavillion Bar (West Orange, NJ)-Instead of eating in their dining room, opt for dinner at the bar or at a high top. There's often music, and the menu is reasonable. It's fun and happening! Jimmy's Family Kitchen (Verona, NJ formerly Miele's)-The salads, shrimp beeps, and chicken savoy remain. The menu is much more limited but also kid friendly. The owners are lovely and the service is far better than Miele's! Licorice.com-If you are a licorice lover, this is a great site! The red and white aussies are the best! Funky Chunky-If you are a popcorn lover, try this. All flavors are delicious: peanut butter cup, chocolate pretzel, sea salt caramel, etc. Gioia Mia-(Montclair, NJ-formerly Fascino)-Upscale Italian. I haven't tried this yet, but it's on my list! Belgiovine's Italian Deli-(Montclair)-A favorite in Montclair with amazing sandwiches. BOOKS Table For Two-Amor Towles. The writing is extraordinary. I liked his short stories more than the novella. Worth the read! My Name is Barbra-Barbra Streisand. It goes on forever and you should listen to it rather than read it. However, if you are a food lover she describes every memorable meal, snack, dessert, and sandwich with intricate detail-it's hilarious. New York Magazine wrote an article about her love of food! After Annie-Anna Quindlen. It's been a while since Quindlen wrote a novel. I am in the middle of this book, which is about how a family and a best friend cope after a major loss. Also worth a look! COSMETICS (MY FAVORITE TOPIC!) Trish Mcevoy's Instant Eye Lift-$46.00. Blends flawlessly under the eye and doesn't feel heavy, or cause crease lines on aging skin. Anastasia's Beverly Hills Brow Definer-$26.00. The pencil is cut on a slant and there is a blending brush at the other end. One of the best brow pencils. Dazzle Dry Four Step Nail System-$72.00 for the system. $22.00 for the polish. This is the best polish! No need for gels ever again. This lasts for two weeks! The colors are limited though. La Roche Posay B5 Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum-$39.59. The best investment. Apply before your moisturizer in the morning. And at bedtime too. Skinceuticals CE Ferulic-$182.00. Expensive, but I love it. Apply this before La Roche Posay and wait for 15 minutes before the B5 serum. You will notice a difference in your skin. Oil Of Olay Complete Moisturizer with SPF 15-$12.00. I have used this for years! I love the original scent. Does the job and it's so reasonable. Pacific Glow Baby Booster Serum-$17.43. Add a few drops to your moisturizer. It gives the skin a healthy glow! Tan Luxe The Face-$25.00. Add a drop to your moisturizer and it will give you a pretty illuminating tan. Doesn't look orange or unnatural. Wash your hands after you apply! JEWELRY L'Atelier Nawbar-my newest obsession. I especially love the enamel atoms hoop earrings. From Lebanon. Some of the line is available at Neiman's. Sapir Bachar-The sterling silver necklaces are exquisite. The Union Choker is my favorite! It also comes gold plated. Beautiful! Dana Rebecca-I haven't seen these two bracelets in person, but I like the Ava Bea flexi cuff and the Ava Bea Zig Zag flexi cuff. Will reserve final judgement. CLOTHING Tuckernuck-The Callahan Shirt Dress. $128. Great easy dresses! Jenny Kayne-Cotton Cocoon Cardigan. $395. Cruise Boyfriend Sweater. $295. Pricey, Pretty sweaters. Mansur Gavriel-Rafia pocketbooks for summer. $545-695. Good for the beach vacation. TELEVISION Elsbeth-CBS Thursday at 10 p.m. If you loved Columbo, you will enjoy this! She IS the female Columbo. The Idea of You-Prime on May 2. Starring Anne Hathaway, a 40-year-old woman falls for a 24-year-old in a boy band. Hacks-HBO MAX on May 2. If you haven't watched this series, start from the beginning. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are FABULOUS! Unfrosted-Netflix on May 3. Jerry Seinfeld's new movie about Pop-Tarts. Palm Royale-Apple TV. This has gotten rave reviews. I find it annoying! The Girls On The Bus-HBO Max. Four female journalists follow flawed presidential candidates. I think it is very good-Enjoyable and well done. The New Look-Apple TV. The story of Coco Chanel and Christian Dior during World War II. Loved this-"elegant, ambitious, and gorgeous." Shogun-Hulu. Based on the novel. In the year 1600, a Lord fights for his life against his enemies. Mesmerizing, but hard for me to follow. Guilt-PBS. April 28-May 19. Crime series where "every character faces life defining crisis." Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story-Hulu. Documentary about the four decades of the band, Bon Jovi. Interesting! HAPPY SPRING! PEACE OUT-ONE B

LOVE MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY

"Love means never having to say you're sorry" is the famous line from Erich Segal's novel, Love Story. In the book/movie, the line infers that if two people love each other enough, then, no matter what transpires in their relationship, there is never a need to apologize. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! I believe apologies are very necessary in a loving relationship, in a friendship, with family members, and at school and at work. However, an apology must be genuine in order for it to be meaningful and effective. But, many times, an apology can seem insincere and as an empty gesture. So, when is saying I'm sorry actually meaningful? If you have hurt someone, either by performing an offensive action or speaking malicious words, you must be truly regretful. You must admit the role you played in inflicting pain. The apology must be heartfelt and contrite, and then you should be forgiven. Often, though, there are times when proclamations are dishonest and you apologize out of selfishness because you don't want to feel guilty anymore. Or you may apologize just to end the dispute-you become tired and bored with the ongoing disagreement and just want to end it! This will appease the person you have offended, but it is just a deceptive tool to prevent further discussion. This is a manipulative tactic because one offers up the words I'm sorry not because they truly think they are wrong, or that the offended person deserves an apology. Rather, they just want to move on, and chances are, they will hurt you again in exactly the same manner. An example of this manipulative tactic follows. Recently, Khymani James, a leader in the Pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia University, was quoted as saying that "Zionists don't deserve to live." After major criticism, he posted a statement on social media saying, "what I said was wrong." He has been banned from Columbia (for the time being or forever-it's not clear). Hours earlier, James refused to apologize for the video in question. His apology was not heartfelt. He refused to admit it was disgusting and unacceptable rhetoric. Rather, He has tried to justify his words, and when asked if he saw his statements as problematic, James responded with "NO". This was not a sincere apology and he is not a remorseful individual. He should not be allowed to matriculate at Columbia, and he should not be forgiven. We are all imperfect people and inevitably we will hurt the ones we love. Alexander Pope said, "To err is human, to forgive divine." We all make mistakes and it is brave to admit them. If you can't be vulnerable and say you are sorry, the offended party's resentment festers. We can only move forward when atonement has been made by the perpetrator, and absolution is made by the wounded person. "LOVE IS HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY EVERY FIVE MINUTES" John Lennon PEACE OUT-ONE B

THE GREATEST HOUDINI OF OUR TIME

It astounds me each day that Donald Trump continues to evade most legal repercussions. Yes, he has been fined for and found liable of sexual assault and impeached twice. But, how is it that that someone who is charged with 88 felony counts still has the support of so many? As we know, he has been nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate of 2024. Go figure! He falsified business records, hid classified documents from the FBI; paid hush money to a porn star he had an affair with while his wife was home caring for their newborn; he obstructed justice and incited a riot at the Capitol; he didn't care if his Vice President was murdered during the Capitol takeover and insists the people that killed police and destroyed the Capitol are very nice people; he defied scientific advice during the Covid epidemic and told people to drink bleach or use ultraviolet lights instead of getting vacinnated; he interfered with the election and denies Biden won; and, he readily admits his admiration for Putin, Hitler, and Erdogan. If he is reelected, He threatens revenge on his enemies, and he plans "payback" on day one. There are so many people to blame for his evasive, sneaky, and slimy ability to get away with so much and be punished for so little. First, there was William Barr, the Attorney General from 2019-2020. Barr lied to congress to cover up Trump's corruption. He now admits that Trump's election fraud lies were "total nonsense and bullshit". Too little too late, sir-Barr should be disbarred. Then there was Merrick Garland, who Biden nominated for U.S. Attorney General and who dropped the ball with an extremely slow investigation, all because he didn't want to be perceived as political or controversial. Oh, and how about Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan D.A., who failed to prosecute Ivanka and Donald Jr. for misleading potential buyers of Trump's SoHo building. Kasowitz, the then lawyer for the Trump children paid Vance a visit and donated money to Vance's reelection campaign. Another lawyer who should be disbarred! Let's not forget Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of NYC, and buddy to Donald, who has been ordered to pay $148.1 million in damages for spreading horrible lies about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the two upstanding, and dedicated election workers from Atlanta. Rudy's right to practice law has been suspended-no final disbarment yet. Finally, how can I not mention the Judges on the Supreme Court, who are dragging their feet on a decision to review the claim that Trump has presidential immunity from Jack Smith's election subversion case? Jack Smith may be the only hope left in successfully prosecuting Trump. Let's face it-Fulton County D.A., Fani Willis doesn't stand a chance in winning the case against the former President for attempting to overturn the 2020 election result. She blew her opportunity because she had an affair with her top special prosecutor, Nathan Wade. All credibility is lost because of her foolishness. She shouldn't be disbarred but she should have her head checked-such a stupid move. The other henchmen that Donald surrounded himself with haven't been quite as lucky as him. Due to their past or current loyalty, he is unscathed. He remains untouchable and I think, even more brazen in his behavior. Many of his associates are willing to cover for him and continue to blatantly lie. The following have either been indicted, convicted or imprisoned: Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, Steve Bannon, Allen Weisselberg, George Papadopoulous, and even The Trump Organization itself. I can't understand the hold he has over these individuals and why they would risk anything for him-totally bizarre! Their reputations and lives are forever ruined, and to what end? Thankfully, Mike Pence finally came forward and said he will not support Trump in the next election. If only the Republicans in Congress and the Senate would do the same. Even more astonishing, is the support he receives from Pentacostal Christians. He doesn't act like a Christian-he bullies people and name calls, he is twice divorced, he rarely if ever attends Church. Suddenly his fervent religiousness and bible selling schemes appeal to his supporters. His "indictments and transgressions are their indictments and transgressions". They believe he was sent to them to fight for them. He is a victim and they are victims. Trump attains his supporter's passion by "portraying his prosecutions as their persecution" and their victimization. He warns, if they are not careful, they will be next. And finally, there are those who back him, solely due to their love of money. Their theme song is 'First I look at the Purse"! They believe they were better off financially when Trump was in office. But, were they really? While US markets grew under Trump, indices have surged during Biden's term. The S&P is up 40% since Biden took office, U.S. employment is 10% above what it was when Biden was sworn in; his job growth in first three years is faster than any of his four predecessors. People complain about food, gas, and house prices. And, that does play a significant role for people with less income, but wages(especially for the poorer population) are rising and have outpaced inflation. When it comes down to what is really important, where do you stand? Do you want to reinstate Roe Vs. Wade so women once again have the ability to choose? Do you want to maintain our democracy? Do you want to address climate change and saving the environment for our children and grandchildren? Do you want better gun control laws enacted? Do you want someone who continues to advocate for better health care and monitors prescription costs? OR, would you prefer a chaotic, authoritarian govenment? Someone who opposes abortion, opposes most climate change legislation; someone who is suspicious of free trade and alliances with other countries such as Nato? Someone who threatens to pull back on defense commitments to Ukraine? And if reelected, Trump vows to undo all gun restrictions enacted by Biden. So, are more mass shootings your preference? Another four years of Trump? My advice is to heavily invest in pharmaceuticals! All the valium and xanax and ambien in the world won't be enough to keep us calm! Oh, and invest in spray tan and hair dye too....it takes a village to keep Trump ORANGE!! PEACE OUT - ONE B