Say It Ain't So Joe the Plumber

The most famous person in America is not JOE-Mama. It’s Joe the Plumber. As soon as presidential hopeful Barack Obama mentioned his name during the last debate, opponent John McCain grabbed hold of it like a pit bull and wouldn’t let up.

Joe the Plumber became the voice for every hard-working “wanna be self-employed” man in America. Initially I was proud of Joe because he represented my home state of Ohio---but then, as all good journalists do, I started looking into his background and what I found now makes me think he was a “plant” for the Republican Party.

First of all, Joe said he was a plumber and would like to buy a plumbing business but was worried about Obama's planned tax increases on small business owners earning more than $250,000. Well, what Joe failed to mention was that he makes no where near $250,000 and, furthermore, he doesn’t even have a license to do his job. The county Joe and his employer live in, Lucas County, requires plumbers to have licenses. So what’s up with that Joe?

Another thing, Joe admitted later on that he doesn't have a good plan put together on how he would buy Newell Plumbing and Heating from his boss. He said he's worked there for six years and that the two have talked about his taking it over at some point. Just how long is “some point?” It could be next week or it could be in 10 years. Surely Obama won’t be in office by then.

"There's a lot I've got to learn," Joe the Plumber told a reporter.

Joe, you said it right. There’s A LOT you need to learn so here’s my advice: Meet Joan—The Teacher. She’s someone who went to school, got a degree (license) and could certainly teach you a thing or two---especially if you’re required to take some kind of test to get your plumber’s license.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia...How Could You?

If you're a baby boomer like me, you probably grew up watching the Brady Bunch on TV This was the story of a lovely lady who was raising three small girls. She met a man named Brady who had three small boys. They got married and became one great big happy family known as the Brady Bunch--along with their housekeeper Alice and dog Spike.

In real life, the actors were far different than the roles they portrayed. Robert Reed, who played all-American dad, Mike Brady, was a homosexual who eventually died of Aids. Florence Henderson, who played goody two shoes wife, Carol, was having an affair with her TV son, Greg--played by Barry Williams.

Now we have Maureen McCormick, who played the prissy, yet sweet Marcia Brady. In a newly released tell-all memoir, she talks about being a cocaine addict who traded her body for a sniff on many occasions. "Here's the Story" reveals how the 52-year-old boomer babe got deeper and deeper into Hollywood's drug scene. She says she sought refuge in seemingly glamorous cocaine dens above Hollywood and spiraled down a path of self-destruction that took away her acting career and very nearly hr life.

Over the years she battled drug addiction and bulimia and was even treated in a psych ward and went in and out of rehab.

McCormick says she traded sex for drugs with a Hollywood cocaine dealer who later went to jail, and once allowed an older man she met at the Playboy Mansion to videotape her naked in exchange for drugs.

After several visits to a drug rehab, Maureen now lives a Brady-like life in the Westlake suburb of Los Angeles with her husband and their 19-year-old daughter. She says she has finally made peace with her past as a Brady.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia....shame on you!

Halloween: Baby Boomer Style

As you know, Halloween is just around the corner. Remember when you were a kid and you dressed up in your favorite costume?

If I invited you over to my house for a Baby Boomer Halloween Party, what or who would you come dressed as? Pick a favorite cartoon or storybook character from your past or your favorite actor/actress and tell us why you picked them.

I'll start:

If I'm having hot flashes, I'll come as Annie Oakley because she carried a gun! Otherwise, I would probably come as Little Bo Peep. I loved those puffed fancy dresses and I know I'd look really cute in one--plus it hides fat :)

Baby Boomer Sues Over Circumcision

A 61-year-old Kentucky man claims his penis was removed without his consent during what was supposed to be a circumcision.

Phillip Seaton and his wife are seeking unspecified compensation from a doctor they say performed the circumcision for "loss of service, love and affection."

The Seaton's attorney said the doctor's post-surgical notes show the doctor thought he detected cancer and removed the penis. Attorney Kevin George said a later test did detect cancer.

"It was not an emergency," George told The Associated Press. "It didn't have to happen that way."

The lawsuit court claims the doctor removed Seaton's penis without consulting either Phillip or Deborah Seaton, or giving them an opportunity to seek a second opinion.

The couple also sued the anesthesiologist, Dr. Oliver James of Shelbyville, claiming he used a general anesthesia even though Seaton asked that it not be administered.

The Seatons' suit is similar to one in which an Indianapolis man was awarded more than $2.3 million in damages after he claimed his penis and left testicle were removed without his consent during surgery for an infection in 1997.

Should Women be allowed in the Pulpit?

What should've been a non-story has suddenly turned into an international controversy surrounding the cover of a Gospel Magazine cover. Gospel Today decided to feature five female pastors on its cover for their latest issue.

A chain of book stores, owned by the Southern Baptist Convention, decided to pull the magazines and place them under the counter---out of public view. Why did they do it? The REAL answer remains unclear, although a spokesperson for the LifeWay Christian Book Stores says it goes against their doctrine because they don't believe in having women in the pulpit. But they do support Sarah Palin in her bid to become second in command of the whole country.

Read the entire story on Vibrant Nation

Baby Boomer Woman Gives Birth to Triplets

Here I am---a 51-year-old baby boomer grandmother who has her hands full trying to help raise my two-year-old grandson and now I learn that another baby boomer woman has actually given birth to triplets.

A 59-year-old French woman has given birth by Caesarian section to two boys and a girl, and according to a Paris hospital spokesperson, everything went smoothly.

The woman, of Vietnamese origin, is thought to have resorted to a private Vietnamese clinic willing to overlook the age limit for egg donation and in-vitro fertilization (IVF), set at 45 in Vietnam, according to press reports.

This woman has become the latest in a strong of older women who feel the need to become mothers at midlife. In 2001 a 62-year-old Frenchwoman gave birth to a child conceived through IVF, and earlier this year, an Indian woman said to be 70 years old gave birth to twins after receiving IVF treatment.

I don't guess having a baby in your 40s is a bad thing. After all, look at this list of celebrity moms who did it:

Jane Seymour Twins at 44
Susan Sarandon 46
Madonna 41
Lisa Hartman-Black 44
Iman 44
Jerry Hall 41
Annette Bening 41
Cheryl Tiegs Twins at 52
Beverly D'Angelo Twins at 49
Geena Davis Twins at 44
Helen Hunt 40
Holly Hunter Twins at 45
Halle Berry 41
Nicole Kidman 41
Sarah Palin 44

But how old is TOO OLD to have a baby?

The Difference between Sarah Palin's Daughter and Mine

Let me start off by saying the one thing they both share in common is the fact that they became pregnant as teenagers.

Now the differences:

Family

Bristol comes from a white privileged family, where her mother has a high profile as Governor of Alaska and now as the Republican nominee for Vice-President of the United States. She has two sisters and two brothers. Her father is in the home.

Janie comes from a middle class black family where her dad was absent more than he was around. She is an only child. Her mother is a journalist, who left Corporate America because her boss never respected her role as a working mom. (long, unappreciated hours and no opportunity for advancement)

Boyfriend

Bristol’s boyfriend is an 18 year old named Levi Johnson who described himself as an F----- redneck on his MySpace page before it was taken down. He also indicated he did not want children.

Janie’s boyfriend had a bright promising future as an actor or chef before he was murdered the day after Christmas for defending his little sister who was being harassed by a gang banger on a city bus.

Mother's Reaction to Pregnancy

Bristol has received very public support from her mother, who issued a statement saying her daughter was going to keep the baby and marry the baby’s daddy. The wedding date has yet to be announced. Sarah Palin is a staunch supporter of abstinence. How much she told her daughter about sex and having unprotected sex is unknown.

Janie hid her pregnancy for fear of how I would react and, rightfully, so. I was livid! Obviously, all those times I told her to keep her dress down and drawers up fell on deaf ears. I wanted my daughter to weigh all of her options because she had plans to go to college and we all know raising a child can seriously alter your plans.

Future

Bristol’s future remains unclear, although her mother has assured the public the family will stand by Bristol and offer their undying support. One thing we know for sure is she will be a mother in a few months and married to her boyfriend.

Janie, meanwhile, is raising her son alone with the love and support of family members on both sides. She is also out to prove the naysayers wrong by pursuing her college education. She is currently enrolled at North Carolina A&T, while grandma takes on the role of Ma.