Okay, here's
where I get to take off my healer hat, and have some fun. I'll
share with you some great things I've
found, and warn you about some things to avoid. If you're a
seeker of quality, it's easy to be disappointed by the
lack of it in our society. People used to take pride
in their craft or service, but finding this level of integrity,
commitment and work ethic today, seems a rare
experience. For those of you who feel similarly, write
me about a good or bad experience you've
had, and I'll try to include it here.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^
RAVE:
Dr. Richard
Zoumalan~ the man who saved my face. I'd torn my lower lip in
half after blacking out in the middle of the night from the
pain of hernia surgery that morning. By the grace of God, this
facial trauma (plastic) surgeon came at 4:40am to put Humpty
Dumpty back together again. He's brilliant, as mine was "the
worst lip trauma" he'd ever seen, and the fact you can't
tell I was hurt 3-plus months later, is a testament to his genius.
I'm sure he'll be doing my facelift one of these days. (310)
278-1900 in Beverly Hills, and say I sent you.
RANT:
Citicard's dividend credit card.
I'd recommended this to you in the past, but we're making a
change, 'cause Citybank has changed the terms of their cash-back
card. They've lowered their point rewards to only 1% for all
spending, and they're now sending your checks, in only
$50.00 increments. But fear not--I have another solution! Chase
Bank has an array of dividend cards that will
get you far more bang for your buck! I have the Ink business
('cash') card, which I'll be using instead, from here on in.
This gives me 3%
dividend points at; restaurants,
gas stations, office supplies and home improvement or hardware
stores, and 1% on all other purchases! You'll
receive $50.00 (incremental) reward checks--but you'll be getting
more back for your spending. Here's their link; Chase
(Ink) credit cards. Enjoy more. OK,
listen up! Pay attention to your points reward section in
your bill. They'll dock you points you haven't
used (they'll expire), so you can never get the rewards
checks I promised you. It's a shitty way to do business,
and it's sneaky and unfair--but be sure to call them, to get
a gift card for Starbucks, or a restaurant they've partnered-in,
so you keep accruing points!
RAVE:
OK, for all you smokers who WANT to quit, here's a nifty gadget
that works: www.NeverLightAgain.com
(and you can even 'smoke' in public!).
RANT:
I'm disheartened
that our "justice system" is corrupt, and unjust.
I'd
had the considerable misfortune of appearing before (traffic)
Commissioner Elizabeth Munisoglu awhile back, and I'm sorry
to say that she ruled with extreme judicial prejudice--and (adding
insult to injury) downright lied in her rebuttal statements
to my Appeal. If we're sworn to tell the truth in court--how
is it, that Officers of the Court don't have to? There's
something terribly wrong with this picture, don't you think?
Be careful out there, folks.
RAVE:
I've found a fantastic bone density
scan facility! After being quoted up to $800.00
(which is heinous), this resource does your lumbar region and
hip for only $50.00! Live in Los Angeles
county? Phone (213) 742-1376, book your appointment
with Maureen--and say, "Shari sent me." Orthopedic
Hospital, 2400 S. Flower Street, L.A. CA 90007.
RAVE:
The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Loved this foreign film! Subtitled, but I had no problem tracking
with it (which is pretty rare, with my attention span). I think
you'll really enjoy it.
RAVE:
A Single Man, with Colin Firth. For the life of
me, I can't understand how this one escaped an Oscar. All the
actors were superb in this film, and Firth
should have gotten Best Actor, hands down. Such poignant exploration
of attachment, grief and possibility has been beautifully choreographed,
to remind us that each hour we're able to live and to love is
priceless. It's my favorite movie this year (and An Education
is well worth your attention too).
RAVE:
Is your computer
running slow, or kinda lousy? I recently bought a computer tool
that fixes these problems, and it's called Registry
Mechanic. It works like a charm, and it isn't costly. It
scans your entire registry system for errors, and gives you
a free report on that. I'm
naturally skeptical about this kind of thing--and always afraid
my PC will get worse, not better if I screw with it. I'm happy
to report that didn't happen with this product. I love it! Click
on the link above, to check it out.
RAVE:
Mickey Roark in The Wrestler.
Knew I didn't want to see this on the big screen, and watched
it on HBO recently. This man made me fall in love with him all
over again (and it's been a long hiatus since Body Heat--when
I was certain he'd have a brilliant career. Much to my dismay,
he really took some bad detours). But what a terrific performance.
Whew! The sweetness and authenticity of 'Randy' really got to
me. Special nod to Marissa Tomei; always a stellar actress--and
how does she keep that phenomenal body up??
RATS
AND RAVES: If you have a rodent problem
in or around your home, and you want to be rid of those little
furry creatures without killing them, do what my friend Shirley
did, and buy the PRO PestChaser (approx. $35.00). This is a
plug in unit that emits a sonic sound. The company even makes
'mini pet- chasers,' for about $9.00. Get it here; http://www.victorpest.com
or look for it at your neighborhood hardware store.
RAVE:
I
just saw a fantastic documentary film called, The Living Matrix.
Try to catch a screening, or order it here; www.TheLivingMatrixMovie.com
(click on 'store' once you get to their web site). It will forever
change the way you think about healing and health, and inspire
you!
RANT:
These damned
TV commercials about protecting your kid against the Papilloma
Virus! Read the truth: http://GettinBetter.com/earlydetection.html
(I've also posted about this issue on Twitter).
RAVE:
You
really must visit my dear friend Florentina at CiaoFlorentina.
Just landing on her scrumptious blog site is a marvelous feast
for your eyes and spirit. She adores cooking, and will share
with you her delectable recipes. On the heels of seeing Julie
& Julia recently (which I loved, by the way) I
was introduced to the delightful culinary magic of Florentina.
I may even talk her into catering my next birthday party, in
fact.
RAVE:
My One and Only is the most stunningly directed film
(by Richard Loncraine) that I've seen in a great while. Every
single frame of this period piece was a gem, and the musical
score matched. Renee Zellweger (one of my fav's) is terrific
as the well-meaning but narcissistic mother of two teen boys,
who leaves her husband after catching him with his pants down
in an extramarital affair. This movie is superbly acted, and
just prior to my second viewing, I was pleased to meet
Molly C. Quinn in the theater lobby, who plays the comely little
red-headed neighbor to Mrs. Deveroux and her sons. Ms. Quinn
is visually captivating on screen--and so lovely and gracious
in the flesh, you feel like you're meeting someone much older
than her actual age (fifteen). Catch her on the current TV series,
Castle. Great production by George Hamilton.
RANT:
HBO's Hung.
I'm thinking this one should be filed under; the bigger
they are, the harder they fall. I'm so very disappointed
with this series pilot! I was awaiting it with baited breath
for weeks, and the first episode was so anti-climactic,
I'm almost afraid to watch the second. These are the creators
who brought us The Riches (which I loved, incidentally).
What happened to that series? God only knows--must
have been too smart for middle America. I liked Thomas Jane
as the lead, but whose idea was it to hire those plump, nerdy
kids--who look nothing like either of their parents??
I'd have been far happier if the backdrop of this guy's life
had been meted out across several episodes, than shoved down
my throat (you should pardon the expression) during the first
installment! Can we spell "re-write"? Jeez--with this
premise, I'd crossed my fingers for another Sex and
the City (boy style), but this one sank like dead
wood--and do not even get me started on that
grisly show; toward the end, I literally needed subtitles
just to figure out what the heck was being said. Alexander Payne's
directorial pacing seemed slow on Hung--but then, I had the
same sense watching his movie, Sideways. I'm
looking for titillation, and humor that makes me laugh. Hung
misses on both counts.
RANT:
Trader
Joe's has stopped carrying their Purify Tangerine Sugar
Scrub! Regular table sugar or salt can be used as skin
exfoliators. TJ's product was very moisturizing, and I've mixed
some up in my own kitchen. Here's how
I did it: 1 oz. (each) sweet almond, sesame and grapeseed oils
by Aura Cacia, and I threw in about a half oz. of jojoba
oil too. For fragrance, I used Aura Cacia's tangerine oil and
lemongrass oil. I filled the rest of my TJ jar up with sugar
and mixed thoroughly. All these oils were on sale at Whole Foods,
and cost me roughly $33.00. I've got plenty left, to make up
3 - 4 more batches! PS: when it starts to get 'soupy' with too
much oil at top, add more sugar, and stir.
RAVE:
Here's a number worth putting in your cell or home
phone's speed dial: 1-800-goog411. This is an awesome service
from Google that's totally free, and fantastic when
you're on the road. Don't waste your money on information calls,
and don't waste your time manually dialing the number. If you're
driving along, and need to call a golf course or restaurant
but don't know the number, hit the speed dial for Google 411
information that you've pre-programmed. A voice prompt at the
other end says, "City & State," and you reply.
Then it says, "Business, Name or Type of Service,"
and you reply, and hear "Connecting" and your desired
party answers the phone. How great is that?! Click this link
for a short demo; http://www.google.com/goog411/
(Business listings only.)
RANT:
I am not what you'd call a politically savvy person, and I only
write about what I know about. There's no doubt that I'm pretty
opinionated, but I always try to tell the truth, and fight clean.
Having recently responded to a private e-mail asking me to share
my opinions about Sarah Palin, I thought I'd
let you read 'em too. Some of you will love me, and others will
hate me--but at least you'll know me better, so you
can make up your mind about it: "Since Palin's been
named for Vice President on the Republican ticket, I've become
anxious and uneasy. She represents a dangerous constituency
in this country that not only wants to reverse
women's rights, but undermine our separation between church
and state. Add to this, teen pregnancies and STD's continue
to be serious problems in our society; what kind of message
is being sent to our young people, when potential Heads Of State
sanction pregnancy mishaps with shotgun weddings (and have the
arsenal to back it up)!? The psychological
community does not consider that someone has outgrown adolescence,
until they pass 23 years of
age! Two wrongs
don't make a right--and this is one more pitiful example
of babies having babies, which erodes the stability and mental
health of societies everywhere. As a staunch child advocate,
I am extremely concerned about parenting deficits
that underscore failures to educate, nurture and model responsible,
healthy behaviors--and c'mon folks, if this female can't even
manage a family, and seems willing to put the critical
needs of her own infant aside, should she
be allowed to parent an entire country?? Maybe Palin's 17 year
old daughter was just trying to get (busy) Mom's attention;
it seems she's figured out an ingenious way to go about that--and
send her mother a very public "Screw You," at the
same time. Frankly, I'm relishing the irony, especially given
this climate of Roe vs Wade. There's no way I can applaud McCain's
apparently senile choice, nor the prospect of having this lipsticked
animal killer step in, when the old man can't get up for the
Party (pun intended). By the way, how can we be certain that
the aerial shootings aren't just badly wounding
those poor creatures, and they're suffering slow, agonizing
deaths? How you do anything, is how you to
everything. I don't know about Palin's God--but
mine's pissed off about this."
RAVE:
Rogaine.
I
absolutely love this stuff! My hair's been growing thick and
full, after bouts of extreme shedding over the past couple decades.
I'm using the extra-strength 5% Minoxidil (men's) formula.
This is a colorless, odorless liquid that I apply only once
a day ('cause I'm lazy), and it's worked real magic. Do not
use this where you think you need it; I initially put
it on my thinning hairline (in front), and ended up looking
like a Werewolf! Honest to God, I had to wax off all the little
black hairs growing on my face--but at least, I knew
it worked. Follow directions! The 5% solution will
last you six months, with once daily application. Chains
like CVS Pharmacy sell it under their name; you'll
save money with the generic, and get the same results. As for
thinking you'll have to do this "the rest of your life,"
so what! You bathe and brush your teeth at least once a day,
don't you?? PS: Costco sells this product, and I've seen it
at my local (L.A.) Von's market, where you'll be able to $ave
even more.
RANT:
Okay, I'm a Showtime fan and I like their new series;
Secret Diary Of A Call Girl (definitely a fun little
British romp)--but is anyone else having trouble understanding
the dialogue, or is it just me? I'm sitting here with my remote,
rewinding the darned thing six times, and I still can't
decifer what's being said. I need subtitles, please--or a Director
who's a bit more sensitive to American ears. This
season (2010), the background music's drowning out
the dialogue. 2011 update; it's gottin better!
RAVE:
Tired
of spending a bloody fortune on injets for your printers/copiers?
I recently bought color cartridges from 123Inkjets,
and I'm really pleased. It may benefit you to phone
them, as they offer (current) specials, which could mean even
more savings to you; www.123inkjets.com.
RAVE:
If
you haven't gotten there already, go and see Lars And
The Real Girl. This is a fantastic little
low budget movie; funny, touching, intelligent, and terrifically
handled on every level! Admittedly, I generally appreciate films
with psychological underpinnings--but it's a treat when the
material's presented in such a way that makes me know without
a doubt, that the writer/creator 'gets it.' This modest but
heartfelt movie had me laughing and weeping, because
of its undeniable brilliance in this regard.
Huge applause for Nancy Oliver who wrote this little gem! Her
prodigious talent is obviously flourishing, since bringing us
HBO's Six Feet Under (which I'm still missing, by the
way). More, more more, please.
RAVE:
I'm
delighted to say, HBO finally gave us something worth
watching. TELL ME YOU LOVE ME is very raw,
real and intelligently directed (special kudos, to
Melanie Mayron). While I might be hooked for another season,
I have some gripes about this show: First, with the exception
of only two episodes, I'm cringing
at the way the therapist's part (played by Jane Alexander) is
written; seems to me, the creator of this series (Cynthia Mort)
hasn't had any valuable or meaningful therapeutic experiences
(which may be her point). Pity. I'm also dismayed by
the gratuitous sex, which (while very realistic) is unnecessarily
graphic and far too frequently utilized, for me to think the
writers are confident in their ability to keep us entranced
week to week. Besides, if I really wanted to see senior
citizens getting it on, I'd install a #@$%^&+*
mirror on my bedroom ceiling! Thankfully,
this show's brilliantly acted, and interplay
between its characters is sufficient to keep me
watching--but while I could never be considered a prude, I
do feel I'm being manipulated with all those sex scenes.
And speaking of manipulation, we now have yet another
television series, that's given us solid portrayals of borderline
disordered women. Who says, television isn't educational?
HBO has said No to a second season, by the
way.
RAVE:
Are
you happy with your chiropractor? Dr. John Min's beautiful new
Marina Family Chiropractic and Massage is right here
in L. A., on Washington Blvd. John's terrific with adjustments
(for me, it's all about the neck). Here's their
phone: (310) 301-0558, and the new website should be up soon.
Visit John's existing site, and view his photography; www.johnemindc.com.
When you meet him, say "Shari sent me."
RANT:
Avoid
Best Buy stores! If you're considering an electronic
purchase (like a new computer), your best buy is to
get it somewhere else! Under an extended warranty, I brought
them my laptop for repair (the manufacturer diagnosed
the probable issue as a "video card" problem,
which I stated 3 times, at drop-off). I was
told there'd be a 14 day wait, so I called the store for status
on the 15th day. Turns out, my computer had come back in 4
days, was awaiting pick-up at the (Culver City) store--and
nobody had phoned to tell me. To make matters worse,
the problem wasn't fixed! Instead, they'd
"replaced the LCD." This 'replacement' part was banged
up/scratched, and was obviously someone else's old monitor casing
(mine was in pristine condition). In case you're thinking
all this was bad enough--hang on, there's
more: While sitting in Best Buy's service department or
with the 'Geek Squad' in their store that extra 11 days,
my software program for processing credit card payments was
stolen! The ramifications of this theft have
been unimaginable, in terms of what it's cost me in time, energy
and revenue. Thankfully, there have been no negative consequences
for any clients--and I use a different system now, but save
yourself from consumer abuse; purchase your
next computer elsewhere. PS: My new PC repair
guy says he's personally heard at least 50 horror stories
from other people about Best Buy, that make mine
seem insignificant by comparison (scary)! Don't
ever say I didn't warn you--and if you've already
had a personal run-in with this company, write and tell me about
it. I'm taking 'em to court!
RAVE:
E-machines
computers (made by Gateway) deserves honorable mention,
in reference to the above entry: During this horrible fiasco
in the summer of '07, I called their corporate offices out of
sheer exasperation. I explained that my "extended warranty"
with Best Buy was about to expire, and I obviously couldn't
trust them to re-repair my computer! I told
the gal who answered my call that they were my last hope for
resolution, and I didn't know where else to turn. She sympathized
with my predicament, and arranged for a pick up of my laptop,
even though they "never" work on a computer
that's past the (one year) manufacturer's warranty. This company
demonstrated something we never hear of anymore; they made an
exception to policy, and stood behind their product!
I am really impressed, and my PC's been running
great ever since. Thank you, E-machines!
RAVE:
Do
you
know about www.OldVersion.com?
This is a fantastic site! You can
find and download older versions of software there, "because
newer, isn't always better." Various programs, upgrades
and applications are available to you absolutely free! This
site came in handy recently, for my older latop; its operating
system can't support AOL's newer software, and I needed to reinstall
their 8.0 version. AOL's phone tech took me there (yes, now
and then they're actually helpful)! Make sure to save this site
to your *favorites* and tell all your friends about it! PS:
Here's another one of these sites, just in case you're needing
more; www.versiondownload.com
RAVE:
Stupidly,
I cleaned my old laptop (Compaq Presario) with something I shouldn't
have, years back. When I needed to use it as a back-up recently
(my current PC went in for minor surgery) the palm rest area
was so sticky and tacky, I couldn't stand it (obviously, this
is why they tell you not to use anything but
water on these things!). Well, not having found answers
to this problem on the internet, and being determined
to find a way to improve this situation, I began experimenting
with all kinds of 'solutions' I had around my house (including
contact lense solution, if you can believe it). Long story short,
I tried Johnson's Baby Oil. A few careful applications
of this (with a rag, of course) brought the finish almost back
to normal, and what a relief!!! My techie
uses rubbing alcohol to clean PC's. It works really great!
RANT:
Ok, I'm probably gonna get a lot of flak about this
one--but as that's never stopped me before, here goes: An old
friend (let's call him "Vinnie") left a voicemail,
and invited me to call back and "catch up." We hadn't
had a chance to visit in years, so I looked forward to it. We
had what I thought was a terrific conversation, and
I asked if he'd done some inner work--or perhaps some couples
therapy with his (soon to be) Ex-wife, because it sounded like
he had a better grip on himself than before. To this, he replied
that he'd gone to Landmark Forum.
As this topic had come up organically, I shared some views (both
pro and con), based on what clients and friends who've "done
the Forum" have told me. I've known people who worked for
Landmark and conducted their seminars, so I'm familiar
with their program. Vinny had evidently benefitted from this
venue, and I was pleased for him! I've always said,
the very best advertisement is example.
If someone notices a positive/enhancing change in you,
they'll (at least) consider it for themselves; it's simple human
nature. Anyway, Vinnie left another message the following
night, saying he was uncomfortable about something, and wanted
to "clean it up" with me. Nothing had shown up on
my radar, but I phoned him the next day. Turns out,
he'd neglected to invite me to an introductory Forum seminar
(I'm now hearing the real reason he's making contact
after all this time). I said I was glad this hadn't come up
during our initial dialogue, as I'd have surely resented
it. Vinnie got defensive when I suggested he might to be trying
to "clean up" something with himself, rather
than with me; it seemed his motives for calling
(as stated) weren't honest or clean, and perhaps this
troubled him. Maybe he regretted missing an opportunity to pitch
The Forum, but I'd have respected him more, had he stated his
intent, and not tried to camouflage it! I congratulated
Vinnie for trusting his instincts enough in our earlier
dialogue, to sense that I wasn't open to being recruited. Apparently,
Landmark doesn't teach you this critical
life skill--but perhaps they should.
RANT:
Is
it just me, or has HBO been falling
down on the job? Remember their slogan; "Sunday
nights are HBO"? Well, those days are
obviously gone! For the past couple of years, their programming's
been in serious need of help, and Sunday nights aren't
just lacking good shows, it seems we're expected to
endure all these horrible, tedious documentary series! Is this
entertainment? I think not. Can someone please tell
me what the hell happened to those HBO execs who believed in
entertaining their audience? Frankly, SHOWTIME
gets my vote these days (their original programming
is sensational), with Dexter, The Tudors, Brotherhood, The L
Word, Weeds, etc. I'm also a big fan of the FX
channel; Dirt with Courtney Cox is great, as
is Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck
etc., and do you think Eric Schaeffer's Starved
is ever coming back? I sure hope so; what a brilliant,
talented (but neurotic) guy! I'm totally hooked on
Mad Men (on AMC). Anyway, as soon as the final
season of The Sopranos is over, I
may cancel my subscription. If you share these views, maybe
you should, too. When HBO's popularity falls and hurts
their revenue, maybe they'll (finally) get the hint over there.
RANT:
Beware of LastMinuteTravel.com! I used this
site for a recent trip, and they sent me confirmation
for round trip tickets on Alaska Air. Leaving nothing to chance,
I called Alaska to confirm my reservation two nights before,
and was told I was flying out on Delta and returning on American.
LastMinuteTravel.com never even hinted
at this! Apparently, some airlines have contracts
with other carriers for places they don't fly into. The upshot
is, if I hadn't made that call, my cab would have dropped me
at Alaska Air's terminal--and I'd have very
likely missed my plane! Avoid using
this (non-refundable) service!!!
RAVE:
If you live in the Los Angeles area and have problems
with your feet, see podiatrist, Dr.
Mel Present. I've known Dr. Present for about 3 decades,
and he's been wonderful with me, and many of
my friends. He's an honest, highly skilled, kind/caring practitioner
who will never do a procedure you don't absolutely
need. I totally trust this man, and so can you. Mel's great
with all kinds of foot problems, and he can fit you with orthotics,
if you need them. New Beverly Drive/Pico office: 310 659-6088.
Say "Shari sent me."