Dear Mel,
I think we need a trial separation. I'd love to say it's me and not you... but I'd be lying. It's you. You hurt and disappointed me. I used to love (to watch) you. The sparkle in your eye. That mischievous grin. It was a match made in heaven. Then you changed. It was a slow process, just enough to make my eyes wander. But when you got drunk and said those things... those terrible things. You broke my heart, Mel. Suddenly I was no longer a fan. I was a Jew. Someone that you blamed for the world's problems. How someone living in Southern California and ekking out a living in Healthcare could be bunched in with strangers living in the middle east is beyond me. I spent my life helping people. I gave when I didn't have enough to spare for myself. I never looked at people as non-Jews. We're all people. Human beings just trying to make our world better.

I'm not asking for a divorce. I just need some time away to reflect on what has happened. One day I hope to be able to pop in my Lethal Weapon video and not think about what you have become. Or what you were all along.

Your Jewish fan,

Odessa

CNN: Women's obesity rate levels but men, kids getting fatter.ccording to the government's most accurate recent check of the nation's girth, U.S. men and children are increasingly tipping the scales. But the obesity rate among women -- who at 33 percent are heavier as a group -- held steady.

The study didn't examine why men and children are getting fatter and women aren't. But some experts think the leveling off in women could signal a turning point in the nation's obesity epidemic.

Americans are fat. We're fat. Who do you know someone who DOESN'T mention needing to lose a few pounds? When our normal food intake is twice what most people in other countries eat you know we have a problem. I remember going to Sweden and ordering a steak. I couldn't believe the difference. I asked what was wrong with it and my friend laughed, saying, "We don't inject crap into our cows. You are simply eating the beef as it is supposed to be." How embarrassing. By the time I was ready to go home I was craving an American burger. CRAVING. That's not a good thing. When you can drive by a fast food place and know exactly what their burger tastes like it's time to re-examine your eating habits. A nurse at work commented how our 'American fast food restaurants' abroad gave other countries the health problems we suffer. Not something I'm proud of. We're also lazy. For the most part we have decent weather and yet choose to drive everywhere. In Europe they ride bikes, walk or even do a half walk/half ride the public transit.

What concerns me most about this article is the children. They're weighing in heavier each year. That means a lifetime of health problems and issues. The parents set the tone. I don't give a shit how much little Johnny whines about wanting a Happy Meal. You are the parent. Instead of belittling the child, take them to a park. Drag them to an Amusement park. Get them walking. If you see your kid starting to get pudgy it's time to examine what you feed them and how much exercise they do. I'm not talking dieting or cutting out the ice cream man. I'm talking about a conscious effort to do the right thing. Get off of your fat ass and work it, girl! Or guy. Whatever.

In case you haven't read the news article, this low end (and I do mean LOW) nudie bar caused a stir by posting Vaginas R' Us on their very large billboard. The city tried to be slick and ordered them to take it down based on copyright infringement. The owner simply changed the "R" to "ARE". As annoying as it is to see some seedy joint on the way to work, I'm not one to flip my nose up. It's a job. The fact that those women have clientele like the scums that are sitting in front at 7am in the morning makes me feel sorry for them. Hell, McDonalds is better than that. I can't imagine them being bigtime tippers, either. More like shaking your booty for crack pipes and pot.

I couldn't resist snapping a picture of the sign with the revised text. I wanted to go before they changed it, but it was too dark. Here's a link to my Flickr page where I posted it. The kicker? It's right next to the Hilton and I'm working in the building after that. Lovely...