In Search of...a consistent workout

When I started my blog about two weeks ago I was kind of worried that I would be about as consistent with it as I am with working out. And now, two weeks later, I can safely say that there have been far more blog entries than workouts.

Oh, it's not for lack of a treadmill and weights...or a yoga video...or Qigong book...or bouncy music on my iPod...or Pilates videos. I've got them all. I even have the towels and bottled water...and (it shouldn't be a total loss) the fear of an untimely death to boot.

I watch Dr. Oz every week and think, "Yeah, I'm gonna start eating more organic vegetables and do some deep breathing." And yet, here I am, shallow breath and all, playing my daily mental game of "okay Ilene, if you go work out now, you can take a half hour off and read a book later." This form of mental bribery seldom works. However, the ability to fit into my jeans generally does.

And to make matters worse, there's this awful predisposition for women to pack on the pounds as we get older and our hormones change...a predisposition I become more and more aware of as I look in the mirror and see an increased resemblance to my grandmothers. (No disrespect intended, of course).

So I'm wondering if a different kind of workout would inspire me to be more motivated. I'm wondering if there's something I could do that I would actually look forward to and enjoy.

I'm open to suggestions. But for now, I'm off to the treadmill.

Thanks for stopping by, and please tell your friends.

In Search of...a happy ending

I just finished watching Nights in Rodanthe and (spoiler alert!!!) oh my God, am I depressed! Now for all of you who would tell me that ultimately this movie is uplifting, I'd say, "Are you kidding me?!!"

And I didn't find Slumdog Millionaire to be particularly uplifting like people said it was either. Call me crazy, but any movie in which one of the lead characters is raped and sold is not a "feel good" film no matter how it ends or how cute the dance number is.

Where's my happy ending? You know what I mean. In Pretty Woman Julia Roberts gets to buy a new wardrobe, learns which fork to use, and ends up with the rich handsome guy. Now that's a happy ending! And Baby ends up dancing the night away with Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing. And Annette Benning ends up with the single handsome leader of the free world in The American President. That's the kind of happy ending I'm talking about, the kind that leaves me feeling like anything is possible and that romance is alive.

I can go back to the real world soon enough, but for a few brief shining moments I just want to be swept away in utter bliss. Maybe tomorrow will be the day...

Thanks for stopping by. Tell your friends.

In Search of...something I don't already know

So yesterday's blog entry seems to have struck a chord with people and I'm really glad about that. I've loved every one's emails and responses about being an "insider." Of course, that kind of puts the pressure on me for today's blog entry. I'll try not to buckle under the stress of your high expectations, but I make no promises...which brings me to today's topic of politics.

I suppose for the sake of moving up the Google ladder (and because it's Sunday and George is on on Sunday) I should mention George Stephanopoulos again. It was my goal this morning to come away from his show, This Week, learning something I didn't know before I sat down to watch it.


While you know I love me my George Stephanopoulos, I was not successful in this desire. The big headliner, our Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, just didn't answer the questions. Any of them. From where I sat, he didn't even look like he was trying to answer the questions. And if you read my blog last Sunday about substantive discourse, you know that makes me CRAZY!!!


Part of why it makes me crazy is that when someone doesn't answer the question they're being asked, it looks like they are lying or covering up something. And while I want to believe that Tim is a swell guy just trying to do good, I can't believe that when he's circumventing questions with a quivering voice. And also, just for the record, even if he's the most qualified guy for the job (which I don't know that he is), the appearance of impropriety should have prevented him from accepting it. Even if it was an honest mistake, I have a hard time believing that someone who didn't pay all his taxes is completely on the up and up. And that makes it harder for me to believe anything that he says, and I'm on the same team!!!

So George Stephanopoulos, if you're reading this, (and I know it's possible that you are), could you do me a favor please? If someone you're interviewing is blatantly avoiding the questions you're asking, could you at least throw in an occasional, "I can see that you don't want to answer the question" comment just so the viewers at home can know that it's not okay with you either?!! I would really appreciate that. Plus, if everyone started doing that, maybe we'd start receiving legitimate answers to our questions. Wouldn't that be nice?

Why is Jon Stewart calling more people on their stuff than network journalists? (And I don't just mean George Stephanopoulos, it's everyone.) Why do I feel like I'm getting a straighter answer when Bill Maher is asking the question? It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.

So here's what I think we all need to do: demand more. No one would be selling us a bill of goods that we weren't willing to buy. In the climate of change that we all want to embrace, let's be responsible citizens and viewers and demand something more...of ourselves and of the people who represent us and report to us.

There is a responsibility that reporters have to journalistic integrity and that public servants have to the people that they are supposed to be serving, but we have been lax about insisting they live up to it. I for one am speaking up now. I want to know something more at the end of a news broadcast than I knew at the beginning, and I don't really care who gets uncomfortable in the process. No one's job responsibilities on either end of that equation are to be comfortable. However, they do include getting to the truth and being forthcoming. So that's what I'm expecting.

How about you?

Thanks for stopping by today. Please tell your friends.

In Search of...being an "insider"

We have a voyeuristic tendency in our society when it comes to celebrity. We want to know what they do, where they eat, what they wear, who does their hair, how they exercise, etc. We're obsessed. Frankly, our society as a whole, acts like a bunch of children who would be better off if we kept our eyes on our own papers...like we were told to do in elementary school.

I have not been above all this either. Aspiring to a career in anything to do with show business has exposed me to a lot of years that have amounted to pressing my face up against the glass window with a yearning not only to see what's on the other side, but to be on the other side.

Why do we put people on a pedestal sometimes seemingly just to take them down? Why do we always think that more is better, when sometimes it's just more? Why do we think that beauty is about appearances when we have seen some pretty attractive people do some pretty ugly things? And why oh why do we think there's intrinsic value in fame itself?

While I don't know all the answers to these questions, here's the night that changed all that for me for good, and I was reminded of it a few days ago when Stevie Wonder was on American Idol.

I don't know if you know this or not, but in show business, there's always another layer. I found this out the first time I went to an actual award show - The Grammys. They were in New York that year and for the week leading up to the show there were parties all over town each night. On the grand night itself there were also parties. Just having a Grammy ticket got you into one of them. And I thought (erroneously) that I was special. But there would be few, if any at all, "important" people at that party because that was the one for just your average Grammy ticket holders, which again, erroneously, I thought, was a big deal. So while I was dressed for the red carpet, I was painfully aware that I was not on the "inside" or even anywhere close to it. All the celebrities, I was told, were at the parties thrown by record labels.

So there I am a few years later about to go into one of the post-Grammy record label parties with a friend of mine who's a reporter. We go inside, past all the people hoping to get inside and I feel like I've "arrived." Here I am with all the young cool people at the record label bash. But "where are all the recording artists?" I'm wondering. I don't see them. I just see a lot of young cool people I don't know. It's then that I find out that they are in their own VIP room at the party. And I wonder what that inner sanctum must be like. It must be beyond cool. So my friend and I leave and I think, "Someday I'm gonna be in that VIP room." As we leave, I see the long line of people trying to talk their way inside the party, and I know that they don't know that all that will get them is some free drinks and appetizers because there is a party within the party that they will never see.

So, again, years go by and now I'm at a different awards show. A dinner, actually. And by now I know that there's a party afterward for the VIP's only. It's in the same hotel as the awards dinner was held, but by now I know enough "insiders" to get myself invited to tag along to the VIP shindig. "Wow, I'm finally going to see what it's like," I think to myself as we ride the elevators to the penthouse!

I am having an honest-to-goodness Carrie Bradshaw, Sex in the City moment, and I feel decidedly glamorous. We get to the door and there are two very large football player looking types standing guard there asking to see invitations. The person I'm tagging along with pulls out a tiny white card and then says, "These four are with me," and we go in. This is it. I'm in the "inner sanctum" with celebrities and record label execs. There's more expensive booze and appetizers at this party, not to mention a host of people to wait on your every need.

I think I'm going to feel special...different than my previous life up until that moment. But I don't. And the people I'm chatting with and nodding "hi" to in passing don't seem all that different either. In fact they mostly seem uncomfortable and not particularly happy. I think it's just a fluke because "insiders" have got to be happier and more comfortable in their own skin than the rest of us. They have to be.

Then Stevie Wonder shows up. We are all expecting the heavens to part and angels to sing when he walks in. I mean, God love the other singers, but this is STEVIE WONDER!!! The thing is that he has just lost his mother that week and his sadness is as palpable as that big, beautiful voice of his. So he doesn't stay long, and I find myself feeling his pain because I've recently lost my mother too, and I'm wishing I could stop the hurt that is overwhelming him at this moment in the same way I wish I could stop my own hurt.

A while later I overhear a friend giving Gavin DeGraw songwriting advice. I cringe because he's the one with the record deal and I think that it crosses a line that I personally wouldn't have, but that's just my opinion.

We leave the party around 4a.m. and I am still trying to process the whole evening. I feel sad... like I've just found out this awful secret - that we are all the same. Even the people in the VIP room, separated from the rest of us because our society has deemed that appropriate.

It is an illusion that has been shattered for good and it has freed me, though it hasn't lessened my admiration for the work that artists do, or the talent they have. In fact, it has increased my admiration, knowing that they are just like me. Even Stevie Wonder.

Thanks for stopping by, and please tell your friends.

In Search of...the energy to write my blog

Just like the road to hell, my day was paved with good intentions...intentions that included writing an entertaining blog with underlying depth and oodles of creativity.

Somehow though, my few errands took hours and hours and left me dizzy and unable to make the necessary decisions I planned on making today...like whether to switch from Sprint to Verizon and which cell phone to get. And then there are the plans...how many minutes do I really use each month, how many people use the same carrier...or do I want to upgrade to where it doesn't matter what everyone else is using...and do I really want to text...or check email...or take pictures...or download music...or get a GPS thingy. It's a dazzling array of overwhelming choices when really I just wanted a phone.

And then there was the bottle of wine I went to buy to bring to an open house on Sunday. But I don't really know these people...or what they like...or if they drink wine at all. So I wandered aimlessly, looking at every bottle in the liquor store, wondering if the people whose house I'm going to strike me as red or white, American or imported, dry or sweet.

So here I am, finally home...with a bottle of wine I've never heard of and some Costco chicken wings I had to buy because the sample tasted so good. (Somehow the chicken wings won out over the matted Obama pictures they had for sale...which is why you should never go shopping when you're hungry.)

Anyway, thanks for stopping by.

In Search of...something better

I think this happens to everyone at some point. You wake up one day and say, "This is soooo not how I pictured my life turning out." We all do it...or at least I think most of us do. (I could definitely say that about writing this blog...was totally not on my earlier agenda.)

But here I am, and at what point are we able to let go of our perception of ourselves in order to embrace that which we actually are or a direction we never thought of going that might be more rewarding than what our little brains can conceive of on their own?

One of the many self-help-spiritual-new thought/ancient wisdom gurus that I listen to frequently (just like La Oprah does, I'd like to point out) always says to say "this or something better" when putting desires out into the universe, and I think that's a great idea.

I kind of look at it like shopping at stores like Marshalls or TJ Maxx. (And yes, it's a little scary that I approach the broader questions in life with shopping analogies, but whatever works).

You see an item on a rack of clothing and you think, "this is just what I was looking for"...until you see the item a little further down the rack...the one you never dared imagine yourself owning because it would be too expensive to wish for or imagine yourself wearing...but there it is...in exactly your size and favorite color...and Clearance priced...and it can be all yours now...but you never would've thought so...and so you never asked.

So today I'm asking. I'm asking for my life to be better than I imagined it could or would be. I'm asking to let go of all that would stand in the way of me living up to my full potential. I'm asking to be everything I can conceive of myself being...or something better. And you are all my witnesses.

And you know what else would be really cool?? If you joined me. Come on, you know you want to...ask for what you really want...or something better.

And one last thing. Since the point of me doing this blog is to get enough readers to entice the perfect publisher to grant me a book deal, I'm asking that you tell everyone in your email address books to check out this blog. See that cute little purple "stat counter" in the upper right? I'm shooting for at least the magic million number. Well, that or something better.

Thanks for stopping by.

In Search of...a good restaurant in Nashville

This may be a very short blog entry because I had food poisoning last night. And so I'd like to publicly thank The Cheesecake Factory in Nashville, Tennessee for that enjoyable experience.

...which brings me to the restaurants in Nashville as a whole, which for lack of a better vocabulary word, um, suck. On a good day I could tell you that they add cheese and sugar to most things that have no business having cheese or sugar anywhere near them. But this is not a good day.

So let me suffice it to say that I'm down to one, count 'em, one restaurant at which I will still eat and still call good in Nashville...Carrabba's in Green Hills, and that is solely because of the manager/chef, Eric Martino who makes it a quality dining experience. I'd also add Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood...but they're from Brooklyn, so I'm not sure how that works exactly.

Okay, I said this would be a short blog, and even thinking about food is making me....

Thanks for stopping by. And don't eat out in Nashville.

In Search of...(come on say it with me) George Stephanopoulos

So I missed a day, and all of one of you asked me where I was! I needed to calm down after my last blog entry. I don't know if I succeeded, but here I am anyway.

So I decided to check out just how far down in the Google search my blog is when I type in "George Stephanopoulos," and I'm sad to say that after about page 17 I gave up looking. However, after trying many configurations I can tell you that if you type in "Ilene Angel + George Stephanopoulos" this blog will come up first! Of course, I'm not really sure who would be doing that and why, but I thought I'd let you know...particularly because the irony of that is not wasted on me.

I have recently been back in touch with some people I used to work with at a now defunct clothing company. It made me a little melancholy for....oh, who am I kidding?! I spent every waking moment dreaming of getting out of that and all of my other "day jobs." And here I am writing...songs, books, blogs, you name it.

Just to stay on point, my book (In Search of George Stephanopoulos - A True Story of Life, Love, and the Pursuit of a Short Greek Guy) is not only about trying to meet George Stephanopoulos, it is also about my adventures in the music business. Want to know what it's like to have dinner with Brooke Shields or write for a teen Disney star?

Stay tuned. There just might be an excerpt or two coming up in future blogs.

Until then, thanks for stopping by, and tell your friends.

In Search of...substantive discourse

I know the words "substantive discourse" are mighty big ones to start my blog entry with, especially when the last entry was about cancelled TV shows, but I just finished watching This Week with George Stephanopoulos and my blood pressure has risen yet again.

Every pundit, every Senator, Congressman, reporter, and commentator seems to be saying...nothing. And frankly, it's exhausting. And infuriating. It doesn't matter what network you're watching or paper you're reading, they're saying nothing...except why whatever we're doing is going to fail and how it's the other guy's fault. So I'm going to go out on a limb and say something! Who knows, maybe I'll even start a trend.

I'm fine with using taxpayer dollars to extend unemployment benefits for people who've lost their jobs. I'm fine with using it to build roads and bridges that are in a state of disrepair that I've never seen before in my lifetime. I'm fine with spending money to improve our public education system that I am a product of. I'm more than fine with finding a way to accomplish universal health care that we are behind every other progressive nation in. I'm fine with spending money on medical research that will not only save people's lives but save untold sums of money by curing diseases that currently cripple our health care system. I'm fine with spending money to keep ordinary citizens who were duped by greedy mortgage lenders in their homes at a reasonable interest rate without a "balloon." I am fine with spending money to develop and implement alternate clean sources of energy for our cars, homes, and businesses that will not only ultimately save money and make us energy independent, but will save the planet. And I'm fine with finding a way to make college affordable so that we will have the brain power to accomplish these things.

Here's what I'm not fine with. I'm not okay with bailing out big business. Maybe I don't have a master's degree in economics, but here's what I know. If I go to Vegas and plunk down money at the Russian Roulette table and the little ball doesn't land on my numbers, I've lost my money. Period. End of story. I've gone into it knowing it was a gamble, knowing that the odds were against me, and knowing that as soon as I walk away from the table there will be someone new there to take my place. The same is true in business. If there is no failure allowed, there is no space for a different businesses to arise, businesses not based on the unregulated corruption of the current ones.

Now I'm sure some braniac would like to explain to me the intricacies of why our entire economic system would be in collapse if that happened. But the way I see it, we're pretty much there now, aren't we? (And if you don't think we are then I suggest you talk to someone who until recently was considered middle class, but who now finds themselves homeless, unemployed, and wondering how to feed their kids.)

Change comes with growing pains. It is often messy and ugly and seemingly interminable. But it is necessary. And those of us who have been silent must speak up now and speak up loudly because that's what it's going to take to drown out those who are invested in the status quo or who make their living instigating conflict and confrontation. We don't have that luxury at this moment in history.

So speak up, call and write your representatives, and thanks for reading this. Tell your friends.

In Search of...my favorite cancelled TV shows

Every time I like a new TV series it's the kiss of death for it. Seriously. Maybe it'll last a full season, maybe not.

Life on Mars is the most recent casualty. When I heard the announcer say not to miss the series finale, I screamed out loud. Last season it was Eli Stone...which miraculously lasted two seasons. And yet Scrubs has managed to survive several seasons and two different networks! I don't get it. (Normally I would be worrying about upsetting all the Scrubs fans out there...but since I've never actually met a Scrubs fan, I'm not sweating it.)

And this is not just a recent trend either. There was a show I adored called That's Life with Ellen Burstyn and Paul Sorvino. And Philly with Kim Delaney and James Denton (when he played a hot judge before he was a hot plumber). Stop me if you've heard of any of these. See...kiss of death.

Right now, in my trusty DVD player I'm about to watch Book of Daniel...which lasted seven episodes before being axed and it never aired in the south (where I live) because they found it morally offensive. If you ask me, we should be finding war and poverty more offensive than a TV show about about a minister who pops a few vicoden and talks to Jesus...but that's just my opinion.

So my point is this - when I make an emotional investment in a show, I need closure. Closure like we had on MASH or The Mary Tyler Moore Show or Happy Days or The West Wing. Closure like ER is nice enough to give us for a whole month now. I want to know that the people I've cared about are going to be okay in their alternate universe. Because if they're not okay in the land of make believe, then how on earth are we going to be okay in reality?

By the way, the only new shows I'm loving are Lie to Me and Castle. We'll see how long they last!

Thanks for stopping by again, and please tell your friends.

In Search of...something a little more upbeat

Yesterday's blog was a little maudlin and so I was planning on getting back to something trivial and meaningless today...like why ABC cancelled Life on Mars and how many times I can say George Stephanopoulos in this particular blog entry.

The thing is I've been getting these daily updates about an acquaintance of mine, a man I've known for about thirteen years, but wouldn't particularly call more than an acquaintance. He is larger than life, with a big voice and an even bigger persona and he is dying of brain cancer. He will leave behind a wife and four children and I estimate that he is not more than a few years older than me...probably the same age as our President and the same age as, yes, George Stephanopoulos.

The last time that I saw him he was with his son getting ice cream at a local Nashville place called Maggie Moo's. He looked as vibrant and healthy as ever, and I would never have guessed that I would be sitting here writing this now. But that's the thing about life (and death)...we just don't know.

So I'm wondering if there's some meaning I can glean from the interactions that I have had with him, and if there's some way I can honor his spirit in the course of my own life. Maybe I can find the part of me that's larger than life that I seem to hide most of the time. Or maybe I can not take things so seriously. (Okay, realistically, that's probably not gonna happen). Or maybe I can just remember that my time here is fleeting and to make the most of the little moments like the evening runs for ice cream.

As for the book deal, I still hope it happens because everyone loves a story where the underdog succeeds. Oh yeah, did I mention that that was the point of it? Well, it is.

I'll be back to the meaningless entertaining dribble soon, I promise.

Until then, thanks for stopping by again...and tell your friends.

In Search of...living in the present moment

I was up until at least 2a.m. this morning, unable to sleep for no particular reason. All I could find on TV at that hour was paid programming and those Access Entertainment Insider gossip shows which I finally succumbed to. They spent the entirety of their episodes on the death of Natasha Richardson, as did Larry King. Her death was so overwhelmingly sad and unnecessary to me that I finally had to switch to the cooking knives being offered on QVC.

But channel switching couldn't keep me from wondering what the last interactions Natasha had with her children and husband were. Did they end with "I love you?"

Barring any long term illness, most deaths are unexpected, and yet few of us live from that place of recognizing and appreciating the fragility of life until it's too late. We let our lives be consumed by the mundane minutia that occupy our days. Little things become big, and in the grand scheme of things most of us would agree that a lot of it is meaningless.

So I, for one, am going to savor each moment today and appreciate things like the taste of my morning coffee, the sound of the birds chirping outside my window right now and the people who make my life beautiful and love-filled.

Thanks for stopping by again, and tell your friends...that you love them.

In Search of...a more profound blog entry

So it's day 3 of my blog and I'm questioning my depth because I want to talk about last night's American Idol. And by the way, thanks for the comment requesting Day 3. I believe they call that a fan base, boys and girls! (Or at least I'm delusional enough to call it a fan base.)

So this season's AI (American Idol) has the best singers vocally that we've seen, but I'm annoyed with the judges who seem to contribute...nothing. As a matter of fact they severely detracted from this season by squandering their wildcard opportunity to bring back some truly great singers (like Danny's best friend) and instead bringing back the pretty girls that Simon liked. So now we, the American public (whom I have renewed faith in since Obama got elected), are left to vote them off again! Didn't we vote them off the first time?!! So that's my gripe and we'll see in several hours who gets the boot this week.

Whew! I needed to get that out! So now that I have, on to more important things...like George Stephanopoulos. My cousin Erik assured me that even though his name doesn't seem to be highlighted in my blog entries, it's counted nonetheless and will raise my Google search standings as I progress. I will believe him, blog expert that he is! So for the sake of raising my stats, here we go again...George Stephanopoulos, George Stephanopoulos, George Stephanopoulos. And just to show that I'm an equal opportunity blogger - Ali Wentworth, Ali Wentworth, Ali Wentworth.

So as far as my book goes, I'm intending for my blog to have the "big announcement" when I do get an offer. While I realize this statement is a little premature, I'm visualizing it as I type this to have The Universe working on my behalf as well.

For those of you who don't know me or the premise of my book, it started around the time that People Magazine listed George Stephanopoulos as one of their most eligible bachelors...which happened to coincide with a string of bad blind dates I was going on. Upon looking at the list of attributes that my potential Mr. Right should possess, I thought...George Stephanopoulos. Why not?!! On paper we seemed to be pretty well suited, more so than the guys I was actually dating. The only real deterrent was that I was in Nashville pursuing a music career and he, uh, didn't know me from a hole in the wall. Minor details when you think about it.

So that's how this journey began...with me looking for a date. Now I'm looking for a date and a book deal.

Until next time...thanks for stopping by. Tell your friends.

My Second Blog Entry (and I'm sure I'll stop counting soon)

Well, it's day 2 of my blog, and I don't mind telling you that I have a migraine. Coincidence? Probably. I get them all the time.

Migraine aside, today I'd like to start off by saying that I am truly disappointed with Dancing with the Stars this season. If this group of people that I've largely never heard of are considered "celebrities," then I should be on it by next season. So stay tuned. I can't wait to wear the glitter and the spray on tan!

You know who would be really fun to watch on Dancing with the Stars? George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth! (Nice segue, huh?) But I did have to get it back to them somehow and I think I have thousands more times I would need to mention either of their names to get anywhere near a good position on the Google search. And as for the highlighted name thing, it doesn't seem to be working. This might take some investigation.

Today is St. Patrick's Day, and even though I'm not Irish, I do have a great appreciation of their finer contributions - like soda bread, George Clooney, and Dermot Mulroney...not particularly in that order. Unfortunately, the only thing green I can think of to wear today is my "Rent" sweatshirt from a million years ago. I suppose it will do.

For those of you who salivate over politics the way I do, George Stephanopoulos is supposed to interview John McCain today on Twitter - another technology I know nothing about. And I'm not too crazy about the name either, but what do I know? I'm only on Day 2 of my blog!

Time to go work out...can you believe I just said that?!!! Thank you SO much for stopping by again! Tell your friends.

In Search of...my first blog entry

A friend of mine who's an editor at a publishing company told me that I would significantly up my chances of getting a book deal if I had my own blog and came with an audience. So here I am, and there it is - full disclosure.

Another person told me that if you mention someone famous in your blog, their name is highlighted and the more times you mention them, the higher up your blog goes in the Google search. I don't know if either of these things are true, but on the off chance that at least one of them is, let me just say this - George Stephanopoulos, George Stephanopoulos, George Stephanopoulos. (And I have no doubt that I will say his name many more times, both randomly and superfluously in future blog entries.)

My book is a memoir called In Search of George Stephanopoulos - A True Story of Life, Love, and the Pursuit of a Short Greek Guy. And yes, I know that George is married now, but he wasn't when I started writing the book, and that's the important thing. Besides, why should his current marital bliss stand in the way of my book deal? (Thank god his wife, Ali Wentworth, has a great sense of humor! And her name will most likely come up randomly as well.)

Anyway, I figure this blog is the perfect opportunity to tell you what's on my mind about a variety of topics - just like those ladies on The View - the best gig in television, if you ask me. I mean, how nice is it to sit around and get a pay check for telling people what you think about stuff?! (I almost said something snarky about Elisabeth right here, but then I got to thinking, "what if when I get the book deal I'm promoting it on The View and they find out about my blog?" Whew! Disaster averted!) Of course, Oprah now does her "Fridays Live" thing with Ali Wentworth on the panel, and that's great too, partly because it allows me to mention Ali Wentworth semi-legitimately, and partly because Gayle King wears a different pair of cool eyeglasses each week. (And by the way Gayle, I vote for the green ones you wore a couple of weeks ago. They were awesome!)

Okay, so I think this is enough for my very first blog entry. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll do it regularly. Actually, I hope I do it regularly because if this is anything like exercise, we might all be in trouble.

Thanks again for stopping by, and please tell your friends.