In August, when Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney picked his running mate, he showed his hand.  Potential VP Marco Rubio, a man of Cuban descent and therefore thought to be able to garner a share of the coveted Hispanic vote, was the politically expedient choice, and Tim Pawlenty was seen as the safe choice.  Instead, to the surprise of many and shock of a few, Mr. Romney tapped Paul Ryan, a representative from Wisconsin who has authored several budgets that seriously address Medicare – a sacred entitlement that politicians are loathe to challenge.

Opponents of the Ryan plan argue that it will end Medicare as we know it.  Clearly, Mr. Romney is more worried about the end of America as we know it.  Romney/Ryan are concerned that America is quickly reaching Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio.  (To see the numbers for yourself google “America’s debt to GDP ratio.”) The numbers may or may not make sense to you, but what should be perfectly clear as well as very scary, are the images you see on your television screen of the riots in Athens because the Greek government has promised more than it can deliver. American politicians having been making promises that they can’t keep for too long.  Romney’s pick of Ryan sent a signal to voters that there is no way around our budget woes without taking on Medicare.  Truth number one: Romney is prepared to lead on hard problems that won’t be popular with voters, but may be necessary to save America from going broke.

Truth number two:  Mitt Romney works well with others.  Mr. Romney as the Republican governor of very liberal Massachusetts passed his signature health-care legislation with a legislator that was over 80% Democrats.  By comparison, President Obama pushed his health-care bill through Congress without a single Republican vote, thus creating an even greater tension between the two parties and major gridlock.

Truth number three:  Mr. Romney is always prepared.  If you are one of the 67 million people who watched the presidential debate you are aware of this.  There are numerous accounts from Romney’s Harvard classmates extolling his extraordinary focus and work ethic.   Can you imagine if instead of a debate to be re-elected President (no small thing!), Mr. Obama had shown up at a meeting with an important head of state so unprepared?

Further revealing the truth of Mr. Romney’s character are two anecdotal stories that have not been widely distributed by the media, but have been solidly verified.

The first is from Romney’s time at Bain.  Mr. Romney got word that a colleague’s daughter had gone missing.  Upon hearing such horrible news you would expect the President of a large financial corporation like Bain to step out of his meeting to call the distressed colleague and offer supportive words while directing his assistant to send flowers or a basket of fruit to the home.  Not Mitt!  Romney went into full crisis mode shutting down the office for business as usual and putting people to work posting flyers, making phone calls and sectioning the city into a grid for searching.  There are two truths here:  Mitt Romney is not a man who shrinks from a crisis and his compassion extends beyond words to actions.  Not to mention, this story shatters the myth put forth by his opponents that Romney is a man out of touch with humanity and solely focused on profits.

The second story took place over the summer when Mr. Romney was recording a campaign advertisement in a staffer’s back yard.  He was asked to wait in the garage, out of the sun, while they prepared the shot.  While waiting, Mr. Romney not only organized the garage he also swept it out.  Most people won’t clean out their own garages much less someone else’s.

Mitt Romney’s opposition is pressing the notion that he’s not like you and me.  Truth number six:  HE’s NOT!  He’s nothing like you and me.  He doesn’t drink, smoke or swear; he has been married to the same woman for forty-plus years with no hint of scandal (he glows in her presence!); he’s never tried drugs, but as a pastor of his church he helped counsel people with drug problems; he got a double degree in graduate school (a law degree and a business degree simultaneously) while making top grades; he sees a mess and he fixes it even when it’s in someone else’s; and, maybe the most surprising of all, he’d rather work for his money than have it handed to him — he gave away his inheritance.

The truth is maybe we shouldn’t elect Mitt Romney president — maybe we should just clone him.             

I donned a pair of new shoes, popped my popcorn, poured a glass of champagne, grabbed my Jr. Mints from the freezer, and was in front of the T.V. before the first beautifully dressed actress stepped out of her shiny limousine. I LOVE OSCAR NIGHT!

Here’s my view — the good, the bad, and the “what?”…

THE GOOD:

Billy Crystal was funny and entertaining–I loved his best movie parody and song. All I can say is bring him back next year.

Meryl Streep’s upset for best actress was the surprise of the night. She was truly shocked but very gracious (she acknowledged her husband first thing…awww), and she was not even a tiny bit “been there, done that!”

Jessica Chastain was stunning in a gold embroidered Alexander McQueen gown and a half-up/ half-down hairstyle that made her look like a medieval princess that any knight in shinning armor would love to joust for.

Michele Williams’ coral Louis Vuitton gown set-off her already perfect skin to breathtakingly beautiful. And, I loved the hot pink clutch that added a little pizazz to her look.

Emma Stone was not only the funniest presenter with her “first time” shtick, she looked great, too. Some critics thought her gown was too like a past Nicole Kidman dress, but I say she rocked it. The fuchsia color with her red hair and pale skin worked beautifully and the big bow was pitch-perfect for her personality–very well done on all fronts, Ms. Stone!

Penelope Cruz is always stunning on the red carpet and this year was no exception. The glamorous periwinkle, old Hollywood-inspired Armani Prive gown and her new shorter hair made me think of a brunette Grace Kelly.

Gwyneth Paltrow was bold and beautiful in a simple white, and very elegant, Tom Ford dress with a cape. She accented her look with a diamond cuff (cuffs are big for spring!) and a cool low-slung ponytail — less was more… and perfect.

Octavia Spencer who won the Oscar for best supporting actress knows how to pick a script and a red carpet dress — the pleating on her white Tadashi Shoji gown hit in all the right places to flatter her curves.

In the category of best dressed actor the winner is: the midnight blue tux. Elegant and unexpected but classic, midnight blue showed up and showed out on the red carpet. Bradley Cooper wore a Tom Ford classic shawl collar, midnight blue tux with black trim, Christopher Plummer wore a velvet version, and Gary Oldman shook things up with a three-piece black tux with midnight blue trim and a dotted pocket square — WOW!

THE BAD:

Viola Davis wore my favorite color: green. Sadly, that’s about the only good thing I can say about her look. Her hair was over-colored and her dress over-done. Ms. Davis is an amazing actress but it was just not her night.

Melissa McCarthy’s hair and make-up were glamorous and beautiful. Her dress however, was wrong for her figure type — big sleeves don’t work on a full figure.

I’m hoping that Bradley Cooper grew his 70′s-style mustache for a movie role. It so did not compliment his elegant midnight blue tux:(

Sasha Baron Cohen…obnoxious…please stay home next year.

The WHAT?:

When you are considered one of the most beautiful women in the world you shouldn’t have to try to look sexy, but that’s what Angelina Jolie appeared to be doing by thrusting her leg through the slit in her skirt. Seriously, I was waiting for her to put her thumb out.

Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz presented together and both looked stunning. When the camera cut back to the two actresses, after showing film clips, they were turned with their backs to the camera and looking over their shoulders. Why? Could it be their derrieres the two lovely ladies wanted to show-off? Their effort fell — pardon the pun — flat.

The lesson that should be learned from the Misses Jolie, Diaz, and Lopez: Sexy is better served subtle.

Until next year…

THE ARTIST is a charming film and one of two movies (Hugo is the other) that serves as a love letter to movie making. The  Artist explores the film industry’s transition away from silent movies to “talkies” and yes, The Artist is a (mostly) silent movie, but you should NOT let that keep you away. This movie has great performances, is beautiful to behold, and is a good old-fashioned love story. The Artist may prove that silence is indeed golden. (The favorite for Best Movie.)

Q quotient: QQQQQ

THE DESCENDANTS is the George Clooney film about a work-alcoholic dad that is thrown into full-throttle parenthood when his wife is injured and he has to take over. Mr. Clooney delivers the best movie line of the year when talking about his kids (one teenager and one close enough) — he explains to a friend that he has these two kids and “there’s something wrong with them.” This line alone was worth the price of admission. (If you have teenagers you know what I’m talking about.) Mr. Clooney was very good and is nominated for best actor, but I was slightly disappointed with the director’s pacing — probably because I expect so much from the great Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election). (Mr. Clooney’s performance makes this movie, but he may get edged out for best actor by Jean Dujardin from The Artist.)

Q quotient: QQQQ

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE — my least favorite of the nominated films — advertises Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock as its stars, but sadly, they have very small parts. The film is carried by a their on-screen son that may or may not be autistic, but is definitely annoying. Ms. Bullock’s performance in the last 15 minutes of the film saved it from complete disaster for me. (I can’t believe this movie even got a nomination — no chance of winning.)

Q quotient: QQq

THE HELP was adapted from the very popular book of the same name but is even better in its movie form. While The Help purports to be a story about racism in Mississippi circa the 1960′s, it’s instead a story about mean girls. That being said, it’s a very entertaining movie.  The Help is a good story that is well-produced and rife with great performances. (Look for a best actress win and possibly a best supporting actress win.)

Q quotient: QQQQ

HUGO is directed by Martin Scorsese, takes place in a train station, and has movies and love at the center of its plot — what’s not to like? Mr. Scorsese is known for his dedication to restoring and preserving old films and his direction of Hugo is a love song to movie-making. This film is truly for the whole family:  grandparents will love the nostalgia, parents will enjoy the interesting plot, and kids will be swept away by the magic. It should not escape your attention that you are watching a movie that has a subplot about the genesis of film making, through 3-D glasses! (And the Oscar for best director goes to: Martin Scorsese.)

Q quotient: QQQQq

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS  Oh la la how I loved this movie! Set in present day Paris but juxtaposed to Paris in the 1020′s, “midnight” proves to be a magical time, indeed. A writer visiting Paris gets to meet icons from his favorite era — Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Picasso. As he steps back in time he comes to realize that he needs to make changes in his present to be happy in his future.  (This magical movie gets my vote for best original screenplay.)

Q quotient: QQQQQ

MONEYBALL stars Brad Pitt but Jonah Hill is the man to watch. Mr. Hill’s character is a pudgy number-crunching nerd that was surely the last one picked to be on any team (other than debate) when he was in school . I’m not the biggest baseball fan and I tend to favor my intuition over statistics, but I do love a good underdog.  Mr.Pitt and Mr. Hill’s movie personas work the stats to overcome their financial shortcomings to give the Oakland A’s a winning season — too bad it took so long, literally, the movie would have been much better with fifteen minutes cut out. (Mr. Hill should win best supporting actor but sentimental favorite, Christopher Plummer {Beginners}, will likely take the golden statue home.)

Q quotient: QQQq

THE TREE OF LIFE , an amazing film by the great director Terrence Malick, is part 2001: A Space Odyssey and part Leave it to Beaver. This is probably not a movie for beginning movie goers. When Mr. Malick delves into his beautiful creation scene you may think someone has slipped some LSD into your Jr. Mints. However, if you are a lover of letting visuals tell a story, this is the movie for you. Mr. Malick‘s imagines are so powerful he needs very little dialogue to communicate. The Tree of Life is an appropriate title for a grand and complex movie that explores themes that range from the meaning of existence to the loss of innocence. This is a movie that will be taught in future film classes — not perfect, but certainly profound. (This film is probably too abstract for the Academy to give it best picture, but hopefully they will see fit to reward it with best cinematography.)

Q quotient: QQQQQ

WARHORSE is Steven Spielberg’s WW1 movie based on a popular Broadway play.  At his best Mr. Spielberg is wildly creative and entertaining, but at his worst, he is over-the-top and schmaltzy. Warhorse is not Mr. Spielberg’s best effort: The performances are so-so and the direction overly sentimental. Fortunately the heartwarming story and the handsome horse offset  the negatives giving the movie goer an overall positive viewing experience. (Warhorse is destined to go home empty- handed.)

Q quotient: QQQq 

Buy your popcorn and chill some champagne. The Oscar telecast is next Sunday evening on ABC — may the best movie win.

This is what I know for certain: YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TIME! Most people assure me they have their book or screenplay completely mapped out in their head and they just need to get it to paper…right. I usually just smile. It seems rude to tell someone how hard it is to get your thoughts down in black and white — like telling someone eating movie popcorn (and clearly enjoying it) how many calories it has in it. I have been on many walks with my trusty assistant, Thor, when I’ve dragged him home from his ball-playing, hole-digging time on the beach because my head is bursting with an idea. I get home to my computer only to find that my mind has gone blank and my fingers have become paralysed. My inbox stares at me begging for attention with many unanswered (and mostly unimportant) emails, and that speck of dirt on the floor across the room just has to go. My assistant that I’ve entrusted with characters and plots is now curled up asleep on the couch and is of no help whatsoever.

Writing is hard work. Like most things in life, to be successful you need to be disciplined; and, practice of and passion for what you do always makes you better. Writing is also fun — you can create a world all your own or you can opine away without interruption!

If you are one of the few who have completed a book or a screenplay you have my deep admiration. If you’ve gotten a book published or a screenplay produced you are in a very select group of people that have not just accomplished the difficult, but have achieved the near impossible.

Everyone has a story, but can anyone write a book? I recently posed this question to San Francisco author Christina Westover who has published not one, but two books. Here’s my unabridged interview with Christina’s advice on getting started:

The Iowa caucuses are the official start of the Republican primary season. For months we’ve had the chance to meet the candidates through a series of televised debates. The press has boiled the choice down to Mitt Romney or the non-Romney candidate du jour.

Michele Bachmann started strong with her Iowa Straw Poll win but was soon upstaged when the governor of Texas threw his ten-gallon hat into the ring. But, oops, it turns out Rick Perry is all hat and no cattle. Everyone wanted to like Herman Cain but it seems his libido got in the way of his good judgment.  Libertarian-leaning Ron Paul will make you love him with one answer and be terrified of him with the next. Newt Gingrich, who has been a brilliant debater, surged when Cain suspended his campaign and Perry self-destructed. But, alas, Mr. Gingrich’s past relationships — marital infidelities and Fannie & Freddie — left voters wondering about the strength of his character. Rick Santorum, a solid debater and tenacious, was rewarded with a timely surge just before the caucuses but is probably too conservative for independent voters in the general election. Jon Huntsman, the former ambassador to China and governor of Utah, is popular with independents but has barely made a blip on the primary screen. (Mr. Huntsman’s inability to gain any traction is unfortunate; he has bold ideas and a pragmatic sensibility.) This leaves Mitt Romney as the most viable choice to top the republican ticket.

Mr. Romney has shown intelligence and deftness time and time again on the debate floor and is squeaky clean in his personal life, yet America hesitates and Mr. Romney’s poll numbers stay constant but somewhat anemic. Some say the hesitation is due to a weak Republican field. I don’t think so. Every person running has helped define the type of leader that America needs, and voters have been paying attention — the many debates have been widely watched.  If voters have been slow to fall in love with Romney it may be  because they are a little “gun -shy” after electing Mr. Obama — another great debater from Harvard Law, but unable thus far to get America back on track.

What separates Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney as leaders? In a word: Experience. Mr. Obama was a community organizer, briefly a state legislator, and even more briefly a U.S. Senator before becoming President. Mr. Romney graduated from Harvard with a law degree and a business degree, went to work for a management consulting company, later co-founded and ran a private equity investment firm, took over the financially troubled 2002 Olympic games turning them into a success, and from 2003 until 2007 was the republican governor of the very “blue” state of Massachusetts. Mr. Romney has been demonized for making a lot of money but if you look closely at his resume you will notice that he has also been very successful in crisis management.

So, why is this election so important? Where do I start? Unemployment is incredibly high, Europe is going broke and America is not far behind. Almost half of every dollar we borrow goes to pay the interest on our debt. Entitlements (Social Security, Medicare) are unsustainable and will either go broke or break our children and grandchildren if they aren’t reformed. There is an Arab revolution taking place. Iran is run by a crazy man that will soon have a nuclear weapon and North Korea, which already has nuclear weapons, just lost their long-time dictator and the country is now being run by his son that we know nothing about. We are nearing crisis mode.

In the mid-term elections Republican candidates led by Tea Party types were wildly successful, Obama dug in his heels, became divisive, resorted to class warfare and America suffers.

Mr. Romney will never be loved by the far left or the far right and the press doesn’t find him exciting. There are however, plenty of people who appreciate his success in working with a democratic legislature (as a republican governor!) to move his state forward, and his business background that allows him to seek solutions to problems without letting ideology get in the way. Mr. Romney is not a dreamer he’s a doer. He’s not a cool uncle that will give you a beer and take you to a concert — he’s the dad that will make you take your medicine (and it’s not going to taste good) but you will feel better the next day, not hungover.

A dress with a FULL SKIRT that makes you look like you are floating when you walk into a room. I bought this one in a stretchy fabric from Zara for under $100 —  a price that was less than my meal at a very hip restaurant in Greenwich Village where I got three compliments on my inexpensive, but very chic dress.

Moderately priced at $350, J. Crew’s  beige, pleated wool shift not only moves beautifully, but transitions easily from day to night. Wear it with a belt, cardigan, and pumps for work. Lose the belt and put on a pair of sling backs and some gold bracelets for dinner out.

If you want to splurge, go for this Alexander McQueen lace knit jacquard wool and silk print that will come right out of your suitcase ready to put on. The black and ivory color combination makes this piece timeless, so really the $2080 price is a bargain, right?

Fall has not arrived until you pick up something with SEQUINS. It doesn’t matter if wear them on tennis shoes for day or on a dress for cocktails.

Sparkle with lots of sequins — this dress from Vince at Neiman Marcus.                                                          

Or, just on your feet — Christian Louboutin’s leopard print sequin pumps.

Take a break from lady-like or just give it an edge with LEATHER. Theory has a great shell and updates a plain wool car coat with leather sleeves. Or, if you can afford them and pull it off, there are some cool leather jeans (that stretch!) out there. I have no idea how they process the leather to make it feel like it has Lycra in it but I tried them on and they are unbelievably comfortable. I loved  the L’agence lambskin pair.

Neiman Marcus says the color for fall is BORDEAUX–I say go GRAY. This neutral was everywhere and it looks great with CAMEL — clean and classic.

Favorite collections: CHOLE is divine! Stella has a feminine groove happening with color-blocking and transparent cutouts that give you all the right curves. TORY BURCH is channeling Chanel and she’s doing it very well with her tweed jackets and skirts. BANANA REPUBLIC’s Mad Men collection — chic and affordable — makes you want to have a martini.

To accessorize these feminine looks you’ll need a clutch for night and a proper HANDBAG (the strap goes over your arm, not your shoulder) for daytime. Bold, gold jewelry is big this season — I love it paired with pearls. There are GLOVES galore being shown and PUMPS, with or without sequins, are perfect to complete the look. If you are feeling particularly glamorous FUR is a great accent for this season — on cuffs, hems, or a fur scarf.

For the GUYS: If you want to update your look put on a VEST .  You can pull one of your three-piece suits out of your cedar closet or just pickup a sweater vest to wear with a sport coat and jeans. If you need a new suit the hottest jackets have a third flap pocket — called a change pocket or a ticket pocket — above the right hip pocket, and are close-fitting.

SPRING 2012 — The spring lines were showing at Lincoln Center when I was in New York. I chatted-up several models at the Starbucks on 60th one morning and the word is SEQUINS will still be around in the spring, TRANSPARENT fabrics are everywhere from blouses to the bottom two thirds of skirts, and robin’s egg blue, sea-foam green, and yellow will be the big colors.

Happy Shopping!

Here’s a look at the candidates:

MICHELLE BACHMANN — The only woman in the field, Ms. Bachmann had to answer a question at the debate about a statement she made regarding wives being submissive to their husbands. Apparently, this is how Ms. Bachmann decided to become a tax account — something she wasn’t keen on but her husband thought she should do. Ms. Bachmann is not only a tax lawyer, she is also the mother of five children and 23 foster children, was a state legislator, and is currently a congresswoman and presidential candidate — there is nothing about her that makes me think submissive. However, when she tried to explain the statement away by saying that to her and her husband, submissive means respect, I wanted to laugh. This, along with some strong rhetoric on gays, has put Ms. Bachmann in an uncompromising social conservative corner. She’s considered a top tier candidate but I don’t see any subtlety, just enthusiastic talking points. Although she won the straw poll I don’t think she stands a chance against Rick Perry, another social conservative, but with executive experience and a lot of Texas swagger.

HERMAN CAIN — A successful businessman with tons of charisma, but no political experience. Americans may be tired of career politicians, but when it comes to the presidency, they generally won’t vote for someone with no political experience . I am hoping that Mr. Cain will bring his common-sense business approach to California — I’ll volunteer to run his gubernatorial campaign. Cain in 202o?

NEWT GINGRICH –I’m always impressed by just how smart Mr. Gingrich is (in an IQ sort of way). I just can’t get past the extra-marital affairs, and his Tiffany affair. It just seems to me if someone wants to appeal to conservatives they should not have repeated affairs, and if they want to make decisions about fiscal policy they should not owe Tiffany and Co. a half a million dollars. We want intelligent politicians, but it’s imperative that we make sure they have good common sense too. And, wouldn’t it be nice if they could lead by example?

JON HUNTSMAN — Some say that his service as ambassador to China for the Obama administration is a negative. I disagree. We need a president that can bring democrats and republicans together. I liked his answers at the debate — he’s in favor of a flat tax and he recognizes that cyber warfare is a threat that we have to take very seriously — not only for national security but for financial security. His experience with the Chinese could prove to be very valuable over the next eight years. Mr. Huntsman could attract the independent vote in the general election with his moderate stance on social issues, but the primary will be tough. The problem with Mr. Huntsman is that no one knows who he is. He doesn’t command attention, and with America and the world in a mess of troubles, we need a strong leader. Mr. Huntsman has the experience and proven record to add substance to the debate. It will behoove the process to have Mr. Huntsman become a strong candidate.  Make no mistake, the White House fears Romney and Huntsman more than anyone else in the field.

RON PAUL — Everything Mr. Paul says makes perfect sense to me.  Like Keynesian economics, Mr. Paul’s Libertarian viewpoint is perfectly sound in theory; however, in the real world we have to keep an eye on Iran and we probably shouldn’t completely dismantle the Fed. There is no hesitation from Mr. Paul when he is asked a question — he knows exactly where he stands and he sees no reason to politicize his answer. He doesn’t have much of a chance of winning, but this Texan is a straight shooter and he keeps us all thinking.

TIM PAWLENTY — Mr. Pawlenty dropped out of the race after a “whooping” at the debate and a third place finish in the straw poll. Mr. Pawlenty is a nice man but if Michelle Bachmann could take him down just imagine what Rick Perry would have done with him. He was smart to get out when he did.

RICK PERRY — Mr. Perry did not perform in the debate — he announced two days after, but he still managed to steal the show. Mr. Perry is an evangelical Christian conservative in the same vein as Ms. Bachmann, Mr. Pawlenty, and Mr. Santorum, but with a jobs-creating track record as governor of Texas. For Mr. Perry, the “T” in Texas stands for testosterone, and there is no one in this race that can “out Texas” him, and, he will eviscerate anyone who tries. His Texas “talk” will help him in the primary, but it could be the end of him in the general election — it sounds an awful lot like George W. Bush.

MITT ROMNEY — Mr. Romney has appeared in two of the three republican debates — winning both on substance if not on charisma. As the nominal front runner, Mr. Romney has taken hits from all sides and has done a remarkable job of staying calm, cool, and keeping his responses above the fray. Romney has run a successful business, he took over the Salt Lake City Olympics when it was in crisis and turned it into a financial success, and he was the republican governor of the very “blue” state of Massachusetts for four years. Not a bad resume’ considering America needs jobs, is in a financial crisis with its debt, and is suffering from gridlock due to partisan politics.

RICK SANTORUM– Mr. Santorum was passionate and aggressive during the debate. But, the bottom line is he had to raise his hand to get a question  and he couldn’t win his last senatorial race. One of my son’s friends posted on Facebook: “When Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the presidential race I was disappointed cause I was worried we lost the best worst candidate, thank god for Rick Santorum.”  Kind of sums it up.

BARACK OBAMA  –  His health-care bill spawned the Tea Party and his move to the middle on the Bush tax cuts and the debt-ceiling debate have enraged the left. His approval rating is a dismal 24% and yet he has no challenge from the left– AMAZING!  While Mr. Obama is well educated and has a strong vision for America (not that we all agree with it),  his lack of experience has led to a dearth of leadership. Although his approval rating is at a historic low, he is still well liked personally; ultimately, the economy will make or break him.

 Affluent, liberal, and politically correct Marin County, California is probably not the first place you think of when it comes to Tea Party rallies, but that’s where I had my first encounter. Early last fall I walked into the Mill Valley Community Center to the sounds of the Pledge of Allegiance and life-sized cutouts of Ronald Regan, Abraham Lincoln, and Sarah Palin — clearly, I was in the right place.

I am an independent voter but I was interested to see and talk to this group of people that had been so maligned. Nancy Pelosi called the Tea Pary “astro turf” in an effort to marginalize them and the media seemed to only cover the gun-toting types. Were they crazy, bigoted, flash-in-the-pan extremists? A few were (one man wearing camo wanted to talk to me about eugenics — scary!), but for the most part they were a group of people that felt very strongly that America was on the wrong track. Overwhelmingly, their main concern was America’s debt.

I was surprised to see an athletic-looking sixteen year-old young man at the rally. It was a beautiful day and I asked him what he was doing at a Tea Party rally when the beach was just a few miles away. He told me he was trying to figure out “what was up” with his future. Also surprising: While most appreciated Sarah Palin for the focus she brought to America’s debt problem, the majority said they would not vote for her if she ran for president. There was something palpable in the room and it went beyond passion — these people were committed.

A few months later a group of Tea Party candidates got elected to Congress, and with the debt limit debate, they’ve changed the conversation in Washington.

The debt limit has been raised 74 times since 1962 — never with any conditions attached. Republican and Democratic administrations have raised the limit and Americans have not even blinked as our spending has spiraled out of control.

Generally, Deomocrats want to raise taxes to address the deficit and Republicans want to cut spending on social programs. Voters don’t like either of these options, a fact that Congress is well aware of, so Congress gets a new credit card with a higher limit and no one has to feel any pain — or lose their next election. America’s debt continues to mount and Republicans and Democrats blame each other because nothing has gotten done.

Enter the Tea Party.

They came to Washington with a mission to get America’s spending under control and to reduce debt. They were pummeled from the left and the right during the debt-limit debate but they stayed on message.

They continue to be attacked. John Kerry and the media suggested that America’s downgrade from a AAA to a AA credit rating was the Tea Party’s fault. While Standard & Poor’s cited Washington’s inability to work together to address the debt as one of the reasons for the downgrade, no one can doubt that the debt is the problem, not the Tea Party. Blaming the Tea Party for the downgrade is shooting the messenger. Plus, it may surprise you, but contrary to the media’s protrayal that the Tea Party segment of the Republican party was responsible for the no votes on the debt-limit bill, more Democrats voted no than Republicans, with a combined House and Senate total of 101 Democratic no votes and 85 Republican no votes. 

The debt-limit deal is far from perfect: it doesn’t address the big drivers of our debt — Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, and, we have to think about tax reform. The Republicans didn’t get cuts in social services and the Democrats didn’t get tax increases, but the Tea Party got a conversation started —  and the American people are beginning to listen.

*If you want to be part of the conversation call, write, or email your representatives and demand that they make the hard choices to get America’s fiscal house in order. Be prepared, if government does what it has to do to make us a strong nation again, we will all have to feel some pain — better a little pain now than a lot of pain later.  Contact Elected Officials | USA.gov

  Sultan Ahmed ordered his mosque built (1609) with six minarets — the same number that Mecca had at the time.

 You can’t go inside a mosque during Friday prayer time — we were there just before. We toured the mosque and as we came out, men were washing their hands and feet, a ritual done before entering a mosque and praying. The Muslim’s Friday noon prayer time is like the Christian’s Sunday morning, or Saturday Sabbath for the Jews — the most holy part of the week.

 The beautiful cascading domed ceiling of the Blue Mosque.

Our next stop is the grand Hagia Sophia.

Built between 532 and 537AD  by Emperor Justinian, this Byzantine architectural masterpiece is known for its massive dome and was the largest church in the world for almost 1000 years.

 The Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople (aka Istanbul). Mosaics and paintings depicting Christ and The Virgin Mary were plastered or painted over as Islam does not allow for the use of images of people or animals.

 After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, Turkey became a secular state, the Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum, and the Christian paintings and mosaics were uncovered.

Another historical and magical structure in Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, built in the 6th century it shows just how seriously the Romans took their water systems.

 336 columns support the domed ceiling of this underground cistern. While the cistern has a capacity of 100,000 tons of water storage, it currently holds only a few feet and some big fish. Wooden walkways have been added so that the cistern can be explored by foot.

  The beautiful columns in the cistern are of varying types of marble and their capitals are inconsistent — some are Corinthian and some are Doric. It is believed that the columns came from around the Roman Empire in a sort of recycling effort. Interestingly, there are a few Medusa heads used as bases of columns — they are placed sideways or upside down. The mythological character Medusa was said to be able to turn people to stone with a single look. The Roman builders of the cistern may have placed the heads any way but upright to negate Medusa’s spell!

For intrigue and drama it’s hard to beat Topkapi Palace. More of a small town than a palace, Topkapi was the official residence for the Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years, and at its busiest housed 4000 people.

 This stone path led into the Harem. Returning to the palace with the spoils of of war, the sultan would ride his horse through this door where he would be greeted by “the ladies” and shower them with gold coins.

 The Harem hung out in this room until summoned by the Sultan. The women were guarded by eunuchs; the Sultans did not like to feel threatened. The eunuchs that guarded the harem lost all of their genitalia, others that performed some secretarial duties were simply castrated. They weren’t the only threatening males — when a sultan died his oldest son took power; the new sultan would then have all of his brothers killed to secure his position.

 Housed in the Imperial Treasury at the palace you will find religious relics: Mohammed’s vest as well as a tooth and a hair from his beard, the staff of Moses, King David’s sword, and this 86-carat diamond — the 7th largest in the world.

No trip to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the colorful Spice Market!

  A great place to buy souvenirs, tea, spices, or the famous and delicious Turkish Delight candy.

 The colors and smells are a party for the senses!

Pack your bag — next stop Israel.

Sirince was settled by Greek immigrants who built white houses with red tile roofs which reminded them of home. In 1923 there was a compulsory population exchange between Greece and Turkey — ethnic Greek Christians had to return to Greece and ethnic Muslim Turks had to return to Turkey.  Attaturk, father of Turkish democracy (1923) is revered for “westernizing” Turkey, bringing it into modernity and making it the successful country it is today. The population exchange however, is generally regarded as a mistake. This picture is the little main street that we drove down to get to our hotel –can you even imagine how narrow the side streets were?!?

We stayed at Terrace Houses in the Fig House, a rustically charming and eclectically decorated cottage that was a nice break from hotel living. We had an incredible home cooked meal served up with a stunning view. Too bad this picture doesn’t have sound effects — we sipped our wine and ate our dinner to a duet of a donkey braying and the Muslim call to prayer. The next morning we were awakened by the call to prayer and a rooster crowing. Aysel, the cook, made us a delicious breakfast, cementing my opinion that this was the best food in all of Turkey — the cheese came from a cow down the road and the vegetables from the back yard. Fortified with a good night’s sleep and a very strong Turkish coffee (Aysel took me into her kitchen and showed me how to make it), we ventured on to Ephesus.

Ephesians is the tenth book of the New Testament and its formal name is “The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.” If you are wondering who the Ephesians were and where they lived, wonder no more. Ephesus, a Greek city until it was taken over by the Romans, was once one of the largest cities in the world. Positioned on several important trade routes and with a harbor (at the time) Ephesus, at its height in the 1st  and 2nd centuries AD, is thought to have had a population of almost 500,000.

Paul was eventually driven out of Ephesus by the silversmiths of the city. His pronouncements that worshiping idols, it seems, was bad for business.

John is also believed to have come to Ephesus with The Virgin Mary. John had promised Jesus that he would look after his mother and they are both thought to have died and been buried nearby.

Ephesus had it all: baths, temples, a large and important library, a brothel, theaters, and shops with goods from near and far. I, however, found the public latrine one of the most interesting buildings. It seems that the latrines, and not just the bath houses, were very social places. In this picture you can see that people were not shy. The waste dropped down a considerable ways into the sewage system of the city, and in front of the “toilets” you can see a trough on the floor right in front of where feet would be if one were sitting on one’s “throne”.  This trough had a continuous flow of fresh water for “cleaning up” after taking care of business — a sort of toilet paper of the day. The Romans were truly incredible!

There are great ruins in Rome, and Pomeii is very interesting, but for me, Ephesus was by far the best “view” of life in an ancient time.

Bodrum is a port city that is best know for its resorts, nightlife, and as being the point of embarkation for boat trips around the Aegean Sea. My seventeen year-old daughter, who was traveling with a friend’s family before she met us in Istanbul, delighted in the later two. She assures me that the clubs are fabulous, the shopping superb, and cruising the Aegean magical. I simply relaxed, took in the views and enjoyed a great dinner on the beach.

Tomorrow: back to Istanbul for a tour into its Ottoman past.