pre-sliced .....

Exactly how does pre-sliced cheese differ from sliced cheese?...Or pre-sliced turkey differ from sliced turkey?...Or pre-sliced ham differ from ...well, you get the idea. I do not understand why the term pre-sliced has become so popular in marketing. If it is sliced, it is, of course, sliced before packaging or it wouldn't be sliced. Pre-sliced is redundant. Sort of like pre-cooked. Why can't we just advertise whatever we have pre-cooked, as cooked? Cooked slowly or cooked like Mom would cook it. Or Pre-sweetened....it is either sweetened already....or not. Add your own sweetener....or not.

Maybe we should use the prefix "pre" more sparingly. Maybe only before nouns...as in pre-teen. Or in words like preview....meaning, I suppose, someone else has looked at this Movie or book or video so that you don't have to worry your little head about forming an opinion about it. Maybe, I should just "get over it.!"

Mother-in-Law of the year

Another son has married....a happy occasion. I now have two daughters-in-law....and I love them both. However, I just realized that I am now a mother-in-law...twice over! Of course, I have thought about my sons marrying, and have bragged about my daughters-in-law...but somehow I have only now realized that I am a mother-in-law.

Society has almost made that term a pejorative one. Father-in-law doesn't have that connotation...there are few father-in-law jokes. On sit-coms the son-in-law doesn't roll his eyes when the father-in-law enters the room or makes a pronouncement.

Becoming a mother-in-law was never on my to-do list (I am a list maker). There is no way to prepare for the role. One hardly ever hears, "I hope I am as good a mother-in-law as my mother-in-law is/was." Even the best mothers-in-law are never recognized as perfect....there is always room for complaint it seems. I had a good mother-in-law. Pleasant to a fault....well, see what I mean?

Anyway, I hope that the worst thing that can be said about me by my daughters-in-law is that I am pleasant to a fault....even though that sounds like I am about as exciting a a bowl of Jello!

An Open Letter to the Media

I do not care if Senator Obama is wearing a flag pin. The source of Cindy McCain's recipes is of no interest to me (and what good cook hasn't "stolen" a recipe or two?). The gaffes that the candidates make are sometimes amusing....but really now, are they that important? They get played over and over again on the nightly news, the talk shows, and even the comedy shows. The Constitutional requirements for being President are being a native born American and over 35 years of age. Both candidates qualify. What I want to hear are what are their plans and how will they achieve their goals on the economy, global warming, the war in Iraq, our nation's crumbling infrastructure, education, civil rights, and the other problems that have been ignored for 8 years.

I want to know how the candidate approaches and solves problems. Does he listen to opinions from across the political spectrum..or only to those who agree with him? How does he handle confrontations with people who disagree with him? Can he disagree without becoming disagreeable? I want to know how he will try to restore our reputation in the World Community. I want to be assured he will order the immediate cessation of torture. It doesn't work and it provokes more, not less, terrorism.

Tell me something I don't know. Help me to become an informed voter. Thank you.