My BEST OF DC Award

Fresh, flavorful greens. Spicy chopped B-B-Q and juicy ribs. The best (bar none) macaroni and cheese in the world… the way Mom used to make it in the 60’s… oven baked with a crispy top and REAL cheese. Jimmy Carter knows what I’m talking about. It’s the best BBQ joint in the Washington DC environs. It’s Levi’s… and it’s in a strip mall on the corner of Oxon Hill Road and Livingston in Maryland, right off the D-12 bus line. And all for only $7.95. Levi’s gets my BEST OF DC award! J

I can also tell you that the metro in Washington DC is clean and fast. And everywhere I went, people were very willing to help out this first-time DC tourist. Bus drivers who wished us a good day or a great week-end. Riders thanking drivers. Natives taking the time to show me how to use the fare machines, or giving me hints about riding the metro.

I had a FABULOUS time in DC, although I never went to a single monument or museum. That’s for next trip. Expect several blog entries about the experience, for there is too much to put in just one.

I can tell you that the Book Expo is everything they tell you it is, and then some. And although I didn’t get some of the autographs that I wanted, I got many that I never even expected. And a photo with Jay Bush and Duke!! Chocolate chip cookies with Famous Amos, and a photo with him as well! It was a talk show host heaven, with authors everywhere.

UPS makes all its profits for the year at the Expo, for someone in the organization many years ago figured that people couldn’t carry all the books they were picking up, so they created “Attendee Shipping.” Thousands of boxes are set out on tables in a back area where people come in from time to time to load them up with their prizes. Then you get them taped up and in the assembly line to be shipped. Granted, UPS isn’t the only one making a fortune. The trucking company (Freeman) gets $25 a person “handling” charge. You do the math. They never have to work another day all year. And my 25 pound box will be trucking its way to me next week.

Next time… Oasis spa and their brilliant idea, the Colonel’s Posner, and my new best friend, Dr. Susan Bartlett.

Ciao Bella!

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ps.... I know it's sad, but it was Elliott's time to go on American Idol. My prediction still stands... it will be Taylor Hicks as the next American Idol. I think he was a definite long shot when the competition began, but he has shown the style, the "It" Factor and the charm of a winner. Yahoo for Taylor and his harmonica!

American Idol, Allison and Washington DC

First of all... Happy Birthday Allison! Is it 35 this year?? I hope you had a wonderful day! You would certainly love Washington DC over the next few days! It's the annual Book Expo, and there are thousands and thousands and thousands of books here, as the biggest book trade show in the nation is being held this week-end.

It's my first time in the nation's capitol, and I'm having a great time! Today I spent at PMA University, meeting people and finding out what will be expected of me tomorrow when I am on a panel to talk about media training. I met lots of GREAT people, including my new best friend, Paulette.

Tomorrow evening I'll be having dinner with Brigadier General-select Posner and the lovely Colonel Posner. We'll be in Pentagon City. Then Friday morning I will go to the opening morning of Book Expo. I'm hoping to hit the Smithsonian in the afternoon. And somehow, I want to make it to the International Spy Museum!

Wow... so much to see here. So much to do. I'm defininely going to have to come back!

And tonight Elliot Yamin left American Idol. When you watched the show, was there any doubt who had the true magic... the true star power? To me it was abundantly evident that Taylor Hicks is the next American Idol. He rocks, he rolls, he has the right energy and he has the X Factor. Yay for him!!

Hope your May is going well. I'm having fun riding buses and metros and not knowing where the hell I am going. And I find that very exciting!

Ciao Bella!!

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American Idol Predictions - revised

I keep getting a lot of hits from people who are searching for "American Idol Predictions." Hey... why not give the public what they want?? Plus... if it drives up MY traffic, we're all winners!

Here's what I think.... (and I've got it sorted out in my brain after this lunchtime's convo with Beverly and Brandon).....

Why the heck is Elliott in the competition at this point in time? Yes, he can sing. But when you closed your eyes and listened to him last night, did you really think you would hear any of his songs on the radio? NO. He is a bar mitzvah singer. He is a lounge singer. But he doesn't have the charisma and "it" factor to be the American Idol. (and I like you, Elliott. But not in this job).

Chris... I have to agree with Simon's assessment last night of "A Little Less Conversation." It had no energy, no punch, no excitement. Until the end. And then you rocked! You lead with your rocker side, but your real strength FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC is when you soften down for ballads. You're good. But I think you need more general appeal.

Katherine... Wow. She's got the pipes. She's got the looks. She's got the "it" factor. But she's still a little inconsistent. She will fare well out of this competition, because someone like Tommy Mattola will give her a contract. She will guest star on sitcoms. She will grace the cover of magazines. But she's not quite the American Idol yet. There have sure been glimpses of it throughout the season. More so with her than anyone else.

Honorable Mention.... Paris. She should never have been kicked off. She is, by far, the best singer of the competition and the most versatile. (Mandisa was kick-ass, too. But you know she was voted off because she was heavy. Too bad. We need new role models). Paris could sing. But she's just 17, and she's a little like Fantasia in singing style. And the public wants different. (or at least the producers do. I wonder how much they influence who stays and who goes???) Look at all the American Idols winners so far. They are all different from each other in style and looks.

Which is why Taylor will win. And because he is a heck of a blue-eyed soul singer. I love Taylor. He is my favorite for many reasons. Because he loves to sing. He loves to perform. He gets into the music and the music gets into him. He feels what he sings. He was an underdog going in (hey.. let's have an old guy who dances weird in the top 12! Okay) And he has surprised the heck out of the producers, I am sure.

So go for it Taylor! Knock us out. And put "In the Ghetto" on your first album. That was HOT!!

Now... let's see how America votes tonight. (and lemme ask ya... how many times do you think the general public votes? Does each person vote 1 time? 12 times? 50 times? 'Cause they don't have a way of only letting a number vote once. So once again... it's WHO you know.... :)

Ciao!

Pam

My friend Allison

Allison asked me to come see her about a week ago. So yesterday, as the sky was storming and hail was falling, I went to see Allison. She had a special surpise for me.

Allison had secretly been working on a prayer shawl. She told me that several times she almost blew the secret by posting it on her blog! The shawl (or throw) is blue and white and full of love. Here's a picture of it for you to see how lovely it is.

I met Allison at the Women's Day Out event in Portales last year, and got to see her again this year. And I was so very honored that she would make such a beautiful and thoughtful gift as this for me. Thank you, Allison. You are beautiful and kind. And I will treasure this very, very much.

It's been a very good week.

Ciao,

Pamela

It was a Summa Cum Laude of a week!

Women's Day Out in Portales was a real treat again this year. I had the honor of being asked to speak again. It fuels my soul to be able to energize a group. I saw my friend Allison Stephens and got many a warm hug from her!

The office space I am getting for my studio will be available in a few days. I'm very excited about that, as well as some of the great opportunities I've been offered in the last several days. More voiceovers... more speaking engagements... more meeting facilitation. I'm jazzed.

My friend Peggy graduated from Wayland Baptist on Friday. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, with a 4.0 average! Incredible! I cried when they played pomp and circumstance and they filed in. And I cried when she got up to get her diploma. And I cried when they filed out. I am sooooo proud of her. She has accomplished so much under such adverse circumstances.

Colonel Posner and his wife Geri are leaving the base. They are headed for the Pentagon. This is quite common... a two year hitch. I was invited to both farewell dinners... last Monday for Geri, and Saturday night for the Col. The Posners bought dinner for Twila and me and sat us at a Squadron Commander table. Then, as we were leaving, Geri asked me to stay with them when I go to Washington DC in May, and the Colonel gave me a special Commander's coin, one that is in gold. I felt very humbled and honored. What a nice recognition!

So here's today's thought for the day......

You are successful in ways you don't even know!!

Think about it. And consider all the ways you affect others in your life.

Ciao Bella!!

Pam

My Beautiful Friends!

Peggy graduates from Wayland Baptist tomorrow... Summa Cum Laude!! We are all so proud of her. She wants to be a teacher, and she has worked a full-time job, kept up her family life and gone to school full-time. Oh... and then there was that cancer thing in her life. What an amazing woman!!

Another amazing woman is my friend Twila. She left work at the county after 11 years and is now the General Manager of Interim Home Health Care... the first one in New Mexico. Twila is a single mom (with a delightful daughter named Tasan) and she has the most whimsical sense of life. Here's her photo. She's pretty gorgeous as well!

And then there's my friend Karen. She's turned around the business for her company in Albuquerque and continues to surprise her bosses. She's creative, dynamic, tenacious and willing to learn from whatever life throws at her.

Hurray for friends. I have many, and they are all a wonder to me.

And as to American Idol... yes, the right ones are getting thrown off. Many more need to go, however. :)

Ciao, bella bella!

Pam

New Directions!

Ever have one of those mornings when you wake up and say to yourself... "What the Hell am I doing??"

I had one of those a while back.

And then someone gave me a book called Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts.

And I interviewed Aleta St James.

And I had fun acting in a movie

And I decided I didn't know what the hell I was doing. So I decided to go on the journey to figure it out.

So I quit my job. And took 5 others.

And I stopped getting up at 4 in the morning.

And now I still don't know what the hell I am doing, but I DO know that I'm having more fun doing it. And less stress.

Don't I look a lot happier now??

Stay tuned for more new developments!

Ciao!
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My Kind of Town, part two....

Last night the Grant Historical dinner was amazing!

We ate in the Empire Room and the meal included Curried Butternut Squash Bisque... Peppered Beef Tenderloin wrapped in Proscuitto with creme fraiche Yukon Gold potatoes... and Le Mirior de Truffles au Chocolat, among other things.

There were only about 25 of us in the Empire Room of the Palmer House, dining upon the same china that President Grant and Mark Twain dined upon, that is only taken out of the vault to show people... never for them to dine upon. Ken said that each place setting was worth about $6800!

We were treated to a history of Chicago and of the Palmer House. I am going to do some research on Bertha Palmer. She was quite the progressive! She was the first to bring Monet paintings to the United States and helped start the first women's garment union. Really an incredible woman.

Then Ken had a limo waiting for me to take me back to the Sofitel, where I met David and Susie in Le Bar. And when I finally got back to the room, there was a Fire and Ice bath package awaiting and a single rose on the bed.

It's so nice to live the life of luxury, wouldn't you say??? :)

Today Susie and I are going to Bloomingdales for a make-over. Still have to find those martini glasses....

I love Chicago!!

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My kind of town, Chicago is....

In Chicago for the Auto Show to broadcast live as part of a contest we did on the radio. The hotel we are partnering with is the Sofitel Water Tower, truly an elegant European style hotel. Yesterday was the broadcast with the management of the hotel, and what a cast of characters they were! Rob Prohaska, the marketing director, Laurent Boisdron - the food and beverage director, and Christos Palaglou - the Chief Operating Officer. Funny, smart, clever and cute.. this was a fun bunch of guys. And a real treat. When you do broadcasts on location with people you have never met... you are never quite sure what will happen and how it will go. This went swimmingly! (pictures of the guys will go up when I get home)

Laurent convinced me to try the Lipstick Martini.... a peach concoction that came with some Bobbie Brown cosmetics. And then he ordered some champagne for us and picked up the entire bill. Thank you, Laurent. :)

Ken Price at the Palmer House found some time yesterday to sneak away for lunch at the Downtowner and he fed me like a Jewish mother! Quesadillas and crabcakes and sea bass and peapods... and a freshly baked cookie with ice cream for dessert. He is such a fascinating man! His true love is the Great American Songbook and he is bringing the Cabaret Convention back to Chicago in March. Unfortunately, they are all sold out, or I would bring Beverly back for it. It is an incredible evening.

Ken made reservations for us to come back tonight for the historical dinner at the Palmer House which will be served on the same china that President Grant dined upon. What a fabulous evening this should be!


Today I'll spend some time on Michigan Avenue doing some shopping and sightseeing. It's a little grey out today and looks quite chilly. Glad I brought the wool coat! Gotta find some martini glasses for the gang back home.

Remember when you come to Chicago to visit the Palmer House... ornate, historical, exquisite. The Sofitel is your choice for Euporean elegance and the romance concierge. And the Art Institute for a bit of culture. Chicago is definitely my kind of town. :)

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Answer this Question at your own Risk!

Someone forwarded this question to me today. I thought I would ask it of you and see what you come up with for an answer. Think about it before you peek at the answer. Then write in the comment section and tell me what you think is the reason. I’ll tell you what I thought. The answer is below the picture.

Read this question, come up with an answer and then scroll down to
the bottom for the result. This is not a trick question. It is as it reads.

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a guy whom
she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing. She believed him to be
her dream guy so much, that she fell in love with him right there, but
never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she
killed her sister.

Question: What is her motive for killing her sister?(this is a picture of me the day Traci Harris and I went to California to drive convertibles through the Hollywood Hills. Well, of course we were there for other reasons, but that's another story for another time)

Answer:


She was hoping the guy would appear at the funeral again. If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath.
This was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn't answer the question correctly, good for you.
If you did answer correctly, please let me know so I can take you off my email list...

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Definitions... they DO matter!

Don’t you hate it when people use words or phrases incorrectly? Not people who are just trying out a phrase for the first time….no… I’m talking about the people who use these phrases with such confidence in the belief that THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in their usage, that you can’t tell them any differently?

You could show them the dictionary, and they won’t believe you. You could try to gently change the direction of the conversation, and they’re not budging from their ill-conceived theories. No… these are people who think that if they just use their words LOUD enough and with enough bluster, that everyone will believe them. And they’re too ignorant to check their facts or look up the words, or consider… for even a moment… that they might be incorrect.

I had it happen to me twice last week. You just want to shake these people and say LOOK THIS STUFF UP BEFORE YOU TALK!

So in honor of those people, (and some may call them assholes), I am presenting two definitions today. One from the world of technology... and one from the world of psychology.

What is a Unique Visitor?
(this is in reference to people who visit websites)

A unique visitor is someone with a unique address who is entering a Web site for the first time that day (or some other specified period). Thus, a visitor that returns within the same day is not counted twice. A unique visitors count tells you how many different people there are in your audience during the time period, but not how much they used the site during the period.

Usually datametric companies use a COOKIE dropped into your browser to indicate that you have been counted. If the user closes the browser or is inactive for a period of time (many webcounters use 30 minutes), the session cookie will expire, and a revisit will cause a new unique visit to occur.

MOST DATAMETRIC COMPANIES USE A 24 HOUR PERIOD OF TIME AS THEIR SPECIFIED PERIOD.

Now, on two definition two:
What is Passive-Aggression and what is the behaviour generally associated with it?

The term "passive-aggressive" was introduced in a 1945 U.S. War Department technical bulletin, describing soldiers who weren't openly insubordinate but shirked duty through procrastination, willful incompetence, and so on.

People with this disorder resent responsibility and show it through their behaviors rather than by open expression of their feelings. Procrastination, inefficiency, and forgetfulness are behaviors commonly used to avoid doing what they need to do or have been told by others must be done.

A person with this disorder may appear to comply with another's wishes -- may even demonstrate enthusiasm for them -- but the requested action is either performed too late to be helpful, performed in a way that is useless, or otherwise sabotaged to express anger the person cannot relate verbally.

For example, if you are angry at your spouse who asked you to pick up several ingredients for dinner that night, and you somehow forget a couple of the items which make preparing the meal impossible, this might be considered a passive aggressive act.

Passive Aggression IS NOT when you are discussing a problem openly. (OPENLY being the operative term.) Passive aggression is typically sabotaging behaviour that is expressed separately from the anger one feels for someone else.

GET IT RIGHT… or shut the hell up.

Have a nice day!

What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year! Gourmet cheese and crackers straight from the Minnesota branch of the Girlfriends…yummy frozen margaritas, courtesy of Jose Cuervo and the Magic Bullet… and a double-decker of See’s candies that you had to play Peek-a-Boo Guess-Who with, since there was no blueprint of the ingredients.

It was Twila’s birthday on the 31^st and November heralded a new jump-off point for me, so the Girlfriends decided to go on retreat to a mineral spa just north of Santa Fe. The mineral pools at Ojo Caliente are world-famous. In fact, Ojo Caliente is the only place in the world where 4 different geo-thermal pools can be found in the same place. They include Iron, Soda, Arsenic and mud.

After a little brouhaha about our rooms, we finally retired to the Hill House (they called it a “modular house” … we called it a double-wide. You say tomato.. I say tomatoe). I had the first massage of the group and it was with a delightful woman named Storm. She elbowed and fore-armed my erector muscles until they finally released. From there I had Alex for a deluxe facial. It was heaven! I fell asleep every time she laid the herb-soaked hot towels on my face. I WILL be trying that at home!

From there I soaked in the iron pool, on to the soda pool and finally to arsenic at a comfy 98 degrees. What a way to relax!

We opened presents and ate snacks and drank margaritas. And we were all ready to go to bed before midnight. But we had to see Dick Clark! So we talked to keep ourselves awake. Was it heart-wrenching to see Dick Clark, still dealing with the affects of the stroke? Yes. But then, it really became uplifting. Because it was courageous. Here was a man who certainly didn’t need the money or the exposure, but Rockin’ New Year’s Eve was his baby. And I do believe he was proud of the progress he had made since the stroke. And BRAVO for him for being such a wonderful role model to imply by his appearance… no matter what your disability (for indeed, a stroke is a disability).. don’t let it stop you from doing what you love! And isn’t that what we should be portraying on TV, in the movies, in magazines… instead of too-skinny women, outrageously expensive clothes and pop figures who have no reason to be a part of our culture except they have good PR people? (yes, I’m talking about you, Paris).

So BRAVO Dick Clark!!

And as for those who think Mariah Carey looked a little “chunky” on the show…. let me cash your reality check. You’re part of the reason that people have problems with their self-images. You’re the reason Hollywood is portraying skeletal women as “normal.” Mariah looked just fine, albeit too under-dressed. My problem with Mariah was how she kept “working it” as if her whole identity was tied up in her sexuality. Thank you MTV, VH1 and BET.

Twila and I saw Brokeback Mountain in Santa Fe on the way home. (Because it was never going to come here.) Wow. WOWOW is all I can say. Incredible acting. Luscious cinematography. And a well-told story. Heath Ledger captured the quiet and closed-lipped cowboy to perfection. Jake G (because I can’t spell his last name) exuded his torment without chewing the scenery. It would be a tough call to say who was the better actor. I can’t remember a movie I felt was better crafted. And oh, that Randy Quaid! Just a look and he says it all!

So it was a wonderful end to the old year and start of the new. I am sure this year will be full of abundance and change. And I anxiously look forward to that.

May your New Year be the start of something big!

And here’s a quick tip for you:

Keep in mind that toilet seat covers in restrooms are meant to disintegrate when they get wet. Consequently, when you step out of somewhere wet… oh, let’s say a mineral pool or something… and you use one of those toilet seat covers… they’re going to disintegrate. In places from which you will have trouble removing all the little dissolved and semi-dissolved pieces.

In simple language… dry your butt before you go.

Love and kisses….

P

Plagiarize... let nothing evade your eyes... *

From Reader's Digest ...

(hey... at least I attribute!)

From television shows to sports arenas, everything seems to have a sponsor. The Washington Post asked its readers to come up with logical patrons for some important historical events and life stories. Their results:

The Strom Thurmond Story... brought to you by Pop Secret

The Life of Captain Kidd... brought to you by IHOP

The Success of Jeb Bush... brought to you by Hasbro

And finally... a good read for you if you are tired of having too much stress, feel you are over-booked and over-scheduled, and know and want to make changes in your life.

Aleta St. James is the author of Life Shifts. Her website is www.AletaStJames.com. You may have read about her in the news last November when she became one of the oldest women to have twins (she was 57). She is also the sister of Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels. And she's a great interview! (watch for her to show up on my podcast in the coming days)

And from the BAD headlines department... This comes from the Tacoma Washington News Tribune.

"Man Jailed After Striking Boy with Dog."

I bet he swung him by the tail.

Ciao Bella!

Pam
* And this itself was stolen from the incomparable Tom Lehrer, from the song Lobachesky. Does anyone know where he is, by the way? I'd love to write him.