Mel Gibson Blames Behavior on Menopause

Mood Swings and depression are just two of the symptoms associated with menopause. Now actor Mel Gibson thinks he may have been suffering from it when he said and did those horrible things to the mother of his child.

In a handwritten letter obtained by TMZ, Gibson is quoted as saying:

"I haven't really got a grip at the moment....I don't know why I'm so whacky and depressed but I need to get well and re-enter life...Maybe it's some kind of male menopause..."

Wouldn't it be nice if every woman, entering this stage of life, could just blame her bad behavior on menopause? We could curse and scream and be as mean as hell in one moment--and in the next breath say, "Oh excuse me--I was having a menopausal moment."

We could call someone every rotten, dirty name under the sun--including the "N" word that Mel used--and then ask for forgiveness because we're whacked out and depressed at the world.

Menopause: It's not just for women anymore.

Suicide Rates are Up for Baby Boomers

Suicide rates for middle-aged people are on the rise-- particularly for white men without college degrees -- and a combination of poor health and a poor economy may be driving it, according to a new study.

Sociologists from Rutgers University in New Jersey and Emory University in Atlanta found that suicide rates have climbed since 1988 for males aged 40-49 years, and since 1999 for females aged 40-59 years and males aged 50-59 years.

Men and women with a high school degree or less are more likely to commit suicide. Rates in men with a high school diploma went up 11.7 percent in the 40 to 49 age group and 27 percent in the 50 to 59 age group. Women in those groups saw their suicide rates increase by 15 and 17 percent, respectively.

In 1979 the suicide rate for men aged 40 to 49 was 21.8 per 100,000. It rose to as high as 24 per 100,000 in 1996 and to 25 by 2005. For men 50 to 59 it was 23.9 in 1979, fell to 20.4 per 100,000 in 1999 and rose again to nearly 23.8 in 2005.

Another interesting note is the fact that the study seems to indicate the risk of suicide was substantially larger for unmarried than for married people, with unmarried middle-aged men 3.5 times as likely to commit suicide as married middle-aged men.

Personally,I would've thought just the opposite.

9/11 Should be a Day of Remembrance and Tolerance

Nine years ago today thousands of people lost their lives in an attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It has been called the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history.

There's no doubt that what happened was a tragedy and should never be forgotten. But what we ought to forget are the bigots and other idiots who have used this day to fuel the flames of hatred against others: Folks like Terry Jones, who calls himself a Reverand in Florida. For the past couple of weeks, this man has generated tons of media coverage for threatening to burn the Quran--a man with a congregation of about 50 people. This act alone should make everyone question whether Jones was called to the pulpit by a Higher Power or if he called himself. One could argue that he, too, is a terrorist threat.

9/11 should be a day of remembrance---but also of tolerance for others who may not worship as we do. Not every Muslim is a terrorist and those who believe that are small-minded.

Instead of focusing so much on the things that divide us--why not work on healing those wounds and proving to the rest of the world that America is great for something other than war.

Burn Baby Boomers Burn with Jane Fonda

It doesn't matter that she's 72-years-old or that her photo has either been photoshopped or she's spent tens of thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgery. Whatever the case might be, former actress Jane Fonda has managed to put back on her leotards and get moving again.

Fonda is preparing to release two new DVDs specifically for the tired and shiftless baby boomers. She's gonna help us put back the pep in our step.

She did the same thing nearly 30 years ago when she released her first workout tapes and got women excited about working their bodies.

If she still moves as good as she looks in this photo, the DVD will be worth our hard earned baby boomer dollars.