STOP THE PRESSES

I wanted to go back to school.  I wanted to study journalism. Two obstacles stood in my way.  I did not have the funds to pay for classes. Vocational Rehabilitation assisted in paying for my degrees in social work. They refused to pay for another. I do not have the stamina I used to take several classes. By the time I earned my degree. I'd be close to seventy. Too old to be embarking on a second career.

I have been writing for a local online newspaper for a little over two years. I am paid once a month. My column even made it into the paper's print edition twice. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to write and be paid/ I felt appreciated. My name was listed as a columnist. Toward the end of my writing for the paper, there were times when my columns would be lost. I have submitted the same column numerous times and never received a response.

This blog is extremely important to me. I need to know my work is valued.  Perhaps my blog is not the right fit for the paper anymore. Or perhaps, it's just time for me to move on. Whatever the reason, I am glad to have had the experience.

Writing for The Mac Wire allows me to combine two things I love. Writing and celebrity entertainment news. I am learning so much. The first thing I learned was that to report effectively I have to stop thinking like a fan. I am a journalist reporting news. It has nothing to do with me personally I am learning how to build a story around a celebrity quote, gather additional information to support the quote, and find the right photo to enhance the story.   I am seeing firsthand how quickly news becomes outdated.  

I had a deadline for a story before it became old news. I was tired. I did not know if I could write the story in time. I pushed myself. I did it. I felt like a journalist.

For the young girl inside of me who dreamed of being Rona Barrett, writing for The Mac Wire is a dream come true.

WE INSTEAD OF ME

Someone cursed me out the other day. I'm talking about the full-on Shut the Front Door F Word. The reason,? I said they'd have to wait their turn to be served, in the dining room, like everyone else. They informed me they don't like to wait while waving their arm for faster service,.They cursed again. I asked them to stop. "I'm sixty-six years old, I'll curse if I want," was their reply.

I asked for the rest of my food, ate hurriedly and left. I was angry and hurt. I didn't eat lunch that day. I ate early that evening. I was finished by the time the other person arrived. I like eating before everyone comes.in the dining room. I enjoy the peace and quiet.

The incident angered me because I  had been disrespected. I am a woman and a fellow resident. I had been waiting too. Why should someone who'd just arrived get served before me?

I wait for my turn. If I do complain, I try to as respectful as I can.. I am not perfect. I get angry, but no matter what, I always say please and thank you to anyone who has helped me. 

The Human Race as a whole has forgotten that we are all doing the same thing. We are all trying to live life the best way we can. We should be trying to help one another, not just help ourselves. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.  Everyone has a purpose. Everyone matters 

I still have not gotten an apology from the person who cursed. I do not expect one. We are not speaking yet. That may or may not change. I don't know. I would have appreciated an apology or a kind word.  I guess the person doesn't feel they need to offer one.

My prayer is that someday the people of the world stop thinking only of Me and start thinking of We. I pray that someday the world will be peaceful again. I believe it can happen if We work together.

CHER, FRAMBOISE AND CENSORSHIP

I tried it!!

Cher has just returned from a vacation on the French and Italian Rivieras. There were many tweets
from her.  There were so many photos, I felt as though I  was vacationing with her.  A virtual vacation is not the same as actually being there, but it's better than nothing.

Cher tweeted about drinking Framboise. Whenever Cher mentions a certain food, drink or something else she likes, I google it. (I once ordered her favorite drink, frozen hot chocolate, from her Favorite New York restaurant, Serendipity 3. Pacts of the hot chocolate mix were delivered to me. I am sure Serendipity 3's frozen hot chocolate is much better than the mix that I ordered, but at least I can say I tried it.)  I wanted to know what Framboise was. I googled. I saw links for it, but when I clicked on one of the links, Forbidden was the message I received again and again.

I am a writer  It felt as though my internet searching was being censored. I was not googling pornography. .I was googling to learn. I was googling gain knowledge.  I didn't understand what the issue was. This facility is part of a public corporation. As such, it can do whatever it wants. I understood this in theory My issue was that if I am to regard this facility as my home, then allow me to search the internet freely without restrictions, the way I did when  I lived in my own home.

My Facebook friends came to my rescue. They googled Framboise for me. It is a French raspberry beer. I love anything French. I hope to try Framboise soon.

I wanted the filters on the Internet to be changed. I was determined to make that happen. I spoke to the administrator, explained my issue and the filters were removed. It feels good to know that I helped make a positive change at this facility. However, I also learned that sites may be blocked because they contain harmful viruses. NHC needs to protect its computer system.  It's vital to this facility. NHC was protecting my rights, not censoring them.

MY DAD

My father wasn't home very much. It wasn't because he didn't love us. In fact, it was just the opposite. He wasn't home much because he was working. Our family had a grocery store. Grana's IGA Market. My mother and brothers worked in the store too, They all worked hard, but my dad worked the hardest out of all. of them.

I  could call my dad and ask him to bring home  Tootsie Pops and Bazooka Bubble Gum whenever I wanted. When you're seven, that's a big deal. None of my friend's fathers could do that.

On Sundays, we'd go to church. My dad was so tired that he'd fall asleep during the service. I'd be embarrassed because he snored. I was afraid others would hear him.  The minute I saw his eyes were closed, I'd begin gently poking him to make sure he stayed awake. I felt it was my job. Sunday was also the day he'd play his Herb Alpert albums. He loved them. He also played my Mary Poppins and Sound of Music albums because he knew I loved them. If I happen to hear any of this music now, I immediately smile remembering those Sundays. Before the day ended, he'd make a trip to the store too. He had to make sure things were in order for the coming week. Even Sunday wasn't a total day of rest for him.

My dad was the one I'd call to bring me a glass of water at night. He was the one who would pick me up from the floor after I'd fallen out of bed. He'd also stay with me until I fell back to sleep when I had a bad dream.

When I was eleven, and in Shriners Hospital, my dad asked the driver who delivered the Hostess Snack Cakes, to donate treats for everyone in my ward. Because the hospital only allowed visitors for an hour a day during the week and two and a half hours on Sunday, I only got to see my dad once a week. The hospital didn't allow phone calls in the evening, so he couldn't even call me. It was a long three months and ten days for both of us.

My favorite memory is watching a TV show called The Mothers-In-Law with my dad. The show starred Eve  Arden and Kaye Ballard. It was about two couples who lived next door to each other. The couples children marry. The marriage of their children forces them to become closer. The reason I enjoyed watching this show with my dad was that Kaye Ballard's character was. Italian and so was my dad was too. Every time Kaye Ballard's character would get upset on the show, she'd begin speaking in Italian. I would keep asking my dad to tell me what she said. I don't remember if he told me. I do remember we both laughed a lot.

My dad died on January 18, 1970.  I was twelve years old.  He didn't get to see many of my accomplishments. I hope he would be proud of me. .My dad didn't say I love you a lot. He just worked hard. That's how I knew he loved us.





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THE NEW RONA BARRETT

Growing up, I wanted to be Rona Barrett. I thought she had the coolest job on the planet. She got to interview celebrities, attend A-list parties and she got to go to the homes of celebrities to interview them. Who wouldn't want a job like that?

I bought all of her magazines and watched her specials on television. I watched her on Good Morning America. I looked forward to her reports featured on our local newscasts.   I read her autobiography. Miss Rona.  If she had had a new publication our or special on, I couldn't wait to buy or watch it. She was the queen of celebrity entertainment news in the seventies. If Rona Barrett reported a story it must be true.

 

I emailed Rona Barrett several years ago. I asked her to tell me her favorite memory from a Cher interview. A response came via her assistant. Rona's favorite interview with Cher was done in Cher's bedroom. Cher sat on her bad and was relaxed and happy. I was pleased to find this interview on Youtube

Today Rona's passion is helping seniors find housing they can afford with services that meet whatever needs they may have. The Rona Barrett Foundation is developing The Golden Inn & Village in Santa Barbara County. It will be a place where the elderly will be able to "live with dignity."  http://ronabarrettfoundation.org/

Rona Barrett paved the way for celebrity news reporters like M.A. Cassata. Ms. Cassata has always loved music and pop culture. She began writing for her school newspaper. After graduating, a year and a half early, she got jobs writing the entertainment scoop for local publications.  She also worked at a major record store chain. Working in the store allowed her to meet icons in the music industry. Anne and Nancy Wilson, of Heart, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, and the legendary Prince are just some of the musicians she met while working there.

Her entertainment news has appeared in major publications like USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Daily News, and Rolling Stone. At last count, Ms. Cassata has authored twenty-one books. Her list of celebrity subjects includes Cher, Elton John, Jim Carey, Britney Spears Michael J. Fox, The Monkees and many more. She has entered the world of online publishing and authored several e-books too.

Her websites www.themacwire.com and http://ontheteenbeat.com/tag/m-a-cassata/ offer the latest in entertainment news. Her author website http://www.macassata.com/ has everything you need to know about Ms. Cassata and her works. Check them out.

It is difficult for Ms. Cassatta to pick a favorite interview. She contributed to as many as twenty-five publications at one time. She was intent on getting interviews and meeting deadlines. Contributing to so many publications barely left her with time to breathe.

Some celebrities she would love to sit down with for an interview are  Eminem, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, Howard Stern, Katey Perry, and Neil Patrick Harris. 

When Ms. Cassata was just starting out she worked for the publishing company that published Rona Barrett's Magazines. She got to read some of Rona's personal notes and files. She said it was inspiring. I can only imagine.

Ms. Cassata loves her work. She cares about the fans. I am sure Rona Barrett would be proud to know her legacy of entertainment reporting lives on in part due to Ms. Cassata.





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A NEW DAY

The Resident Council is a monthly forum  It's a safe place where residents are free to discuss any issues or concerns they have. Residents are free to talk about anything. It is our meeting. No one is judged.

Each month the head of a department is invited to participate in the meeting. to discuss specific problems or issues that need to be addressed within that department. The department head uses what they learn from residents in the meeting, to make positive changes in their department.

Suggestions for activities are discussed in the meeting. Suggestions for The Meal of the Month are given. This is a special meal voted on by residents. Also, suggestions for the Dine in Meal of the Month are given. Dine-In means food is purchased from a restaurant, usually fast food. Residents place their order and pay for it through the Activities Department. Someone from Activities picks up the food. This month's Dine-In will be from Applebee's/

All this week residents may cast their ballot for a new resident counsel president.. I hear residents complain a lot about conditions here. Very few attend the meetings. I stopped going because I felt nothing ever changed.

We have a new administrator.  Soon we will have a new resident council president. I  hope this is a sign of the positive changes in store for this facility. I want to become more involved. I want to help make this facility a better place.

I hope all residents will vote. I hope more residents will attend the council. 


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I CHER-ISH MY MEMORIES

Yesterday I received a personally autographed photo from Cher.  The photo arrived a week after Cher gave me a shout out on Twitter. After receiving both the shout out and the photo, my first thought was, "I wish Mom was here." 

Six years ago, when I got my first Cher Tweet, I started to call out, "Hey Mom, look at this." Then I remembered. She wasn't in the next room, I was alone in my house. As happy as I was, that realization made me sad.

Because of  Cher, I have fond memories of times I spent with my mom and grandma.

Every time I would buy a new album, my grandma would listen to it with me. She was in her eighties, I am sure she would have rather listened to something else, but she did it because she knew it made me happy. She watched Sonny and Cher too. She may have fallen asleep during the show, but she did her best, so we could talk about the show the next day. She thought I was a little nuts but in a good way.

The last time I saw my grandma was the night after I had seen Sonny and Cher in concert. She was in the hospital. I didn't realize how sick she was. She listened as I prattled on. Reciting Sonny and Cher's dialogue word for word. Had I known that would be the last time I'd see her, along with telling her about the concert, I would have told her I loved her one last time. I would have thanked her for being my best friend.

When I'd finished reading Cher's book, The First Time, my mom wanted to read it. I told her Cher used profanity a lot in the book.  "Oh for heaven's sake, you don't think I've heard those words before?" Mom read the book. She laughed.

I'd buy tee shirts at Cher's concerts I didn't want anything to happen to the shirts, so I never wore them. Each concert, as we made our way to the merchandise area this would be our conversion.

Mom "You really don't need another shirt. You never wear them."

Me:  "Yes I do. It's memorabilia."

Mom: " They are expensive."

Me:  "I have money."

I won't tell you how old I was when we had this exchange, but in 2014, as I  bought my shirt, I missed it.

When fans blocked my view, during The Farewell Tour, my mom told the security guard, "We paid good money for these tickets and my daughter can't see.." When fans still didn't move, Mom got up and began whispering in my ear. She described what was happening onstage to me until I was able to see the stage again.

When  I saw the photo Cher sent me, these memories and more came back to me. Memories shared with the two most important women in my life.

I hope my grandma and mom were looking down on me yesterday. I hope they heard me whisper, "Hey Mom, look at this."









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