The Big ‘O’ Makes It To Ten
Posted by Michelle Moquin on June 19th, 2010
Ten years that is. And no I am not speaking of my sex life, and enjoying the big ‘O’. Believe me it’s been way past ten years! :)
No , I am talking about Oprah’s ‘O’ Magazine I have always been a big fan of her, her show, and her magazine. :) I think she has done wonders for women in so many ways, and I feel quite blessed that she has been in our lives. In fact, I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.
So…today I want to congratulate Oprah for the 10th Anniversary of her ‘O’ Magazine! And, in perfect Oprah style, she congratulated all of her employees for their hard work and dedication by granting them lavish gifts. Would we expect anything less from her?
Oprah Hands Out IPads and Cash to Magazine Staffers
Call it the 2010 version of “You get a car, you get a car, you get a car, everybody gets a car!” Oprah Winfrey dropped by Hearst headquarters on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of O, The Oprah Magazine, which emerged from a famously difficult launch process to become a powerhouse title.
And she gave every staffer an Apple iPad, a leather iPad case with the staffer’s initials, and a check for $10,000, regardless of how long the staffer had worked there.
A Hearst spokeswoman confirmed the visit and gifts. “These were personal gifts to the staff from Oprah to thank them for their hard work and dedication to the magazine,” the spokeswoman said.
In 2004 Ms. Winfrey gave each member of her show’s studio audience a Pontiac G6. General Motors, which provided the cars for the publicity, later discontinued the Pontiac brand.
But we’re pretty sure the iPad has a brighter future. And $10,000 in cash will never go out of style.
Readers: And, I don’t think being a fan of Oprah will ever go out of style either.
************
Doug: My pleasure. Good luck. I hope that your lifelong dream becomes a reality for you.
Hey Zen Lill: I got your pics. Thanks. I didn’t realize that stripe top was the one I gave you…couldn’t visualize what you were speaking of until I saw it. I have an idea in mind so stay tuned. Sorry we did not connect yesterday. I was with a client until 6 last night. We’ll chat soon. Enjoy the weekend!
Emily: Thank you. Encouragement is always appreciated. And there are some days that I really need it. Today was one of them, so thanks. :)
Christie: Funny and so true…I’ve heard that exclamation many a times in that same situation. :) Ah…the power of the _ _ _ _ _. You fill in the spaces. (Hint Hint….the word was included in Nate’s joke.)
Igor: The TAO is out. And sorry I have no alien jokes to replace their presence.
Gilda: I too am so sorry for the loss of your sister. Your comment was a good reminder to all of us.
Jalalabad: Maddie is a busy GirlZ, but I know that when she is able she will go back to Iran. Keep strong and stay safe.
Lots of love…peacin’ out…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)
June 19th, 2010 at 11:20 am
10 Low-Cost Ways to Make Your Home Easier and Safer to Live In
Tom Kraeutler
The Money Pit
Remodeling a house to make it safer and more user-friendly can run to tens of thousands of dollars. But I’ve found clever ways to improve and update your home without spending much…
THROUGHOUT THE HOME
Replace round doorknobs, which are difficult to grasp and turn, with lever-style handles that you push down to open. Most of the time, the lever handles can be attached to the existing latch mechanism already on the door.
You can do the job yourself with just a screwdriver. Also, consider replacing cabinet door and drawer knobs with easy-to-grasp C- or D-shaped handles.
Cost: About $25/lever and $5/handle. Available at home-improvement centers.
Switch to rocker light switches. They are on/off switches that rock back and forth when pressed. They are larger and easier to operate, and many people find them more attractive than the standard, small flip switches used in most homes.
Rocker switches let you turn on a light with your elbow or fist if you’re entering a room when your hands are full, and they’re easier to find in the dark.
Cost: About $3 per light switch. Available at home-improvement centers.
Raise the position of some electrical outlets. Wall outlets that are close to the floor can be hard to reach and inconvenient for plugging in appliances that you use intermittently, such as vacuums, heating pads and chargers for phones and laptops.
Use those low outlets for lamps and other devices that you rarely unplug. Hire an electrician to raise other outlets at least 27 inches off the floor. They’ll still be inconspicuous but much more accessible.
Cost: Typically $250 and up to move half a dozen outlets.
Use remote controls for more than TVs. They can operate window coverings, such as drapes and blinds, so you avoid stretching and straining, and let you control interior and exterior lights from your car or from within the home to prevent you from tripping in the dark. My favorite: Lutron AuroRa (888-588-7661, http://www.lutron.com/products/wholehomecontrols).
Cost: The AuroRa entry system starts at around $800 and provides wireless house-lighting control for up to five dimmers that can be operated from the car or the bedside. Online retailers, such as Home Depot and Amazon, offer it at a significant discount.
Create “wider” doorways. Residential building codes and home builders don’t consider the needs of older people who may need more than the standard 32-inch doorway, especially if they use a wheelchair or walker
. Actually widening a doorway can be expensive and impractical, especially if it’s along a weight-bearing wall.
Instead: Replace your standard door hinges with expandable “offset” hinges. These special hinges allow the door to close normally.
But upon opening, they swing the door clear of the door frame by an extra two inches. This lets you use the entire width of the doorway when you enter or exit.
Cost: About $20 for a set of two door hinges. Available at home-improvement stores. A handy person can install these hinges because they fit in the existing holes in your door frame. Otherwise, a carpenter will charge about $100/hour.
Add a second handrail to staircases. It’s easier and safer to climb and descend when you can use both hands. Adding an extra handrail is an inexpensive and easy way to increase safety.
Make sure both handrails are at the same height and between 30 and 34 inches above the front edge of the step. Also, for maximum safety, handrails should extend about six inches beyond the top and bottom steps if possible.
Cost: About $85 to $250 for each new handrail plus carpenter installation. Available at home-improvement stores.
KITCHEN
Lower your microwave. Many home builders, contractors and home owners like to save space by mounting microwave ovens above the stove or high on a wall. This position is hazardous because it requires you to reach above your head to get hot foods or forces you to balance on a stool.
Better: If your existing microwave is on the wall, build a shelf under it where you can rest hot foods after they finish cooking. Or choose a new model with a tray feature that slides out and is easier to reach.
Example: The Sharp Insight Pro Microwave Drawer Oven installs just beneath your countertop. The entire oven slides open, drawer-style, giving you access to the cooking compartment from above.
Cost: About $650 to $850 for the microwave and $150 and up for carpenter installation.
Install a pullout kitchen faucet. Lugging heavy pots of water to the stove can be difficult and even dangerous. Many plumbing manufacturers now offer kitchen faucets featuring high-arc, pullout spouts
. You can remove the spout and use it as a sprayer hose to fill pots within three to five feet of the stove.
Cost: About $150 plus plumber installation. Available at home-improvement stores.
Install a pull-down shelving system inside your kitchen wall cabinets. Top shelves in cabinets are difficult to reach. This simple device rests in your upper cabinet until you grab a handle on the shelf frame.
A set of three or four shelves swings out of the cabinet and down toward you. The shelves lock in place so you can get the item you need. Afterward, the whole unit swings back into place.
My favorite: Rev-A-Shelf’s chrome pull-down shelving system for 24- and 36-inch cabinets. You can do the installation yourself.
Cost: About $300 (800-626-1126, http://www.rev-a-shelf.com).
BATHROOM
Add upscale grab bars near toilets and tubs. Some people have avoided installing grab bars in their bathrooms because they look too institutional.
Now, there are much more attractive versions. Brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze grab bars by Moen are designed to match other Moen bath accessories and faucets for a coordinated look.
The grab bars meet all federal government guidelines. They have a stainless steel core and are 1¼ inches in diameter, making them easy to hold.
Cost: About $25 to $70 for the bar. Available at home-improvement stores. You can install them yourself, but it requires drilling holes in the wall.
interviewed Tom Kraeutler, a former professional home inspector and contractor in New York City. He is host of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated radio show on home improvement broadcast to more than three million listeners. He is also the home improvement editor for AOL. http://www.moneypit.com.
June 19th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Sweet Lydia studies under supervision
Of Rufio, her teacher in Math I.
all night, he tutors her i long division,
Until the rising of the sun.
And now she’s got her practice down so fine
That she can quickly add to sixty-nine.
June 19th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I’m so looking forward to the pics. Where are they Michelle?
Please provide us with that luscious Zen Lill.
On that score be not tardy
Till then how can we party
Michelle, Please do stand in the way
Publish Zen Lill and make our day
June 19th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Okay Igor here is your UFO joke.
Circling in their UFO, two creatures from outer space kept their long-distance ocular antennae fixed on the traffic light at the intersection.
“Fascinating!” exclaimed one, after watching a dozen cycles. “He’s really quite a lover!. But did you notice that his second orgasm each time is yellow instead of blue?”
——————–
Lacy
June 19th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
My sweet thing I miss you so much. I know that this may not be politically correct but you have the only pussy I want wrapped around my dick. I miss your hot thighs around my bod. Frankly I am so horny for you, I can barely focus on my present tasks.
Why we are in the situation we are in is as painful as it is unknown. Who we are is not as important as our need to be together, or at least my need to have you all the time
June 20th, 2010 at 12:48 am
Michelle
I like O too. But I can’t wait to be part of your ten year party. The planet will be a better place for sure.
Zen Lill
Do you receive emails from Howie or Al? I ask because you seem to be talking to them in a way that suggest that you know something we don’t.
jackie
June 20th, 2010 at 1:04 am
Michelle
I have from the first been in lust for you. I know that you are married, but I’m in Patras, Greece so we have very little chance of meeting. So married or not, I can lust for you.
You are the classic beauty. I would emigrate to America in a minute if I thought that I had a chance to be with you. My cliche here both guys and girls debate about what you are really like.
The consensus is you are a woman who will not be denied if you want something passionately.
Most of the time I only read your comments and dream that my name will be one of the ones you choose to address. What a wet dream that would be.
I apologize if I have offended you in any way. We would like to send you and honorary membership in our Macedonia society. And we would like to invite you to come to Greece.
Peace and love
Homer
June 20th, 2010 at 1:08 am
It is almost lunch time here in Patras. I argued with Homer about his intent to woo you to Greece, And he promised to meet for lunch before he posted to your blog.
As you can see, he lied. How can you trust men. Sure I like you, but I would abide by the accepted rules.
June 20th, 2010 at 9:35 am
[...] Teddy: Luscious Zen Lill is on the way. Tomorrow I’ll make your day. :) [...]