Open Letter to Our Leaders: How America Can Get It's Groove Back!

Dear Mr President, Madam Secretary, Congress persons & Senators,



Thank you for all your good work on our behalf. I've been consistently voting in every election since my 18th birthday and I follow your careers with interest. This is indeed a challenging time to be a leader, and I admire your courage in tackling one of the greatest crisis in American history.


That said, I think it's time to stand up to those influence peddlers and lobbyists in DC that insist on chipping away at our public programs (Not funding NPR is low and hateful, but not as hateful as cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. That was the only choice I had as a young woman. No PP meant no pap smear, no breast exam, no information. Don't even get me started on privatising Medicare!) while we overlook the big money items that should be discussed.


Here's a short list of some budget worthy items for cutting:

1) Cut all subsidies and tax breaks to oil companies. I own stock in 2 major oil companies who've both reported trillions of dollars in profits, but still they gouge me at the pump and cry for govt handouts! Stop oil company welfare checks! I'll still make a dividend, they'll still make a profit. Why aren't we buying gas from Canada? Why aren't we using the oil pumped out of the Gulf of Mexico from the 1000's of (unregulated) oil derricks I saw there when I flew over the Louisiana coast in a small plane last October? I say again: Stop oil company welfare checks!


2) End tax cuts for the uber-rich. If they're too stupid to figure out how to filter their money through corporations, or let a good accountant deal with their money let them pay like I do.


3) There are trillions of dollars worth of surplus military planes and hardware sitting out in the desert corroding in the sunshine. My tax dollars paid for that wasted metal. Why doesn't the govt sell or refurbish or recycle those planes? Furthermore, if we insist on being the worlds policemen, we should get paid for that service or bring our troops home to deal with things in the US. The National Guard did amazing things post Katerina, they belong here. If the world needs us they know where we are. Besides, Osama is dead, focus! End the patriot act now.


4) End the subsidising of multi-national agribusiness to grow corn which they then make into corn syrup and put into EVERYTHING, making us an overweight, unhealthy nation. Instead, why not subsidise American farmers to grow legalized marijuana? Scientists and engineers would be put to work developing different plants for different uses. Sustainable Hemp fibre makes cloth, paper, rope, roofing material, and when used by cancer and other medical patients it relaxes them, stimulates their appetite and is less damaging to the liver than pharmaceuticals. Regulate it, package and tax it and treat it like medicine, wine or beer. It will create jobs in all sectors, ease the national use of pharmaceuticals and take another bullet out of the drug cartels assault on America. It's common sense to observe that prohibition only works to make gangsters rich. It wastes law enforcement time that could be better spent serving the community to eradicate real crime.

5) End federal subsidies and tax breaks for companies that move their manufacturing to foreign nations, or outsource jobs. How about subsidies, low interest loans and tax advantages to businesses that move to Illinois? Our governors tactics make IL an inhospitable location to do business. Frankly, it's got me looking at other states. When I go to the gas pump in MS it reads $3.85/gal, Back home in Chicago it's $4.25 at most stations. There's no excuse for that. 
 
How can we be our best when we're constantly stressed, see our hard earned money slipping away? We are encouraged by our media to point fingers at each other, as though somehow this is all our fault! That we Americans are somehow to blame for the folly of our leaders and the greed of our bankers. I think my ideas would be a balm on our collective soul. These are positive moves we can make painlessly that won't hurt but will actually stimulate the economy, create jobs and give us our groove back.

Surprisingly Affordable Secret to Fabulous Skin

“You don’t have to be rich to have a little luxury and treat yourself well. I have a secret for soft, smooth skin that anybody can afford!”

Those were the words of Carol Franklin, the wonderful woman who was doing my pedicure at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis TN where I attended the IBC’s this past February. Ms Franklin not only gave me a terrific pedi, she shared with me that her grandmother, who had raised her, had butter soft skin despite hard work and a meager income. Her secret? Milk baths!

“She just got that generic powdered milk and put a cup of it in under the taps. Then she’d soak in it till the water cooled off.” Carol told me. “Her skin was fine till the day she died!”

I’d long heard of the virtues of milk baths, but thought “How do you justify putting all that milk in the tub and then just draining it away?” It seemed an out of reach luxury only rich women could afford, but Carols’ grandma had something I was eager to try.

On my last trip to the grocery store I picked up a box of generic powdered milk, costing about $4 + tax. I got it home &amd put a cupful under the tap as I ran a hot bath. As promised, it made a lovely, warm, milky bath which I enjoyed even more when I turned on the jets of my Jacuzzi. A diva must have jets, it’s strenuous keeping in shape and one must have a few consistent luxuries! The jets whipped the milk into a frothy foam, different from bubble bath in it’s creaminess.

Soaking in the tub, I meditated on my next music project, putting the foam in my hair and on my face, until the water cooled. I washed the milk foam from my hair with that great Redkin shampoo from Ulta 2 and finished with a rinse under the shower.

I can happily report that the milk bath left my skin so soft I didn’t need to use additional moisturizer and my hair is softer than I’ve ever experienced at this point in a hard winter. Best of all it only cost a few pennies. In fact that one box holds 8 cups of powdered milk, giving me 7 more spa quality treatments to look forward to at about 50c a piece! Thank you Grandma Franklin.

To Be Fabulously Sexy Be Prepared!!

Are you looking for love? Craving romance? Itching for some one to do the horizontal dance?

Then is pays to be prepared!!

My girlfriend, "the Lovely" Mary V, always looks delectable. She's fit and trim. Shes always dressed in a cute, stylish outfit.

So I asked her, "Mary, how do you stay motivated to always look like a fabulous dessert?"
She said "Liz, sex is very important to me so I want to be ready. I always want to look great - even naked!"

That got me thinking. She's right! Maybe looking great for a lover later is better than a chocolate croissant now? If you're in good shape you won't be worrying about the wrong things jiggling when you're getting busy. Endurance built on the jogging track translates to other areas and flexibility can equal fun! Maybe that extra ten minutes on the elliptical, that religiously attended yoga class, that extra set on the total gym is the prerequisite to a romp that will rock your block! Find an exercise that fits your life and stick with it. You'll find you not only become more fit, you'll improve your mood.


There's something to be said for delayed gratification, thinking ahead pays dividends! Next time you're tempted to hit the drive thru or soothe yourself with Krispy-Cremes think of my mantra:

Nothing tastes as good as size 6 feels.

(fill in your own perfect size, of course)

There is a wonderful book by Jill Conner Browne, "The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love."
Jill really tells it like it is! Among her sisterly advice is something like: you never know when love will come along so always shave your legs & wear nice underwear. In other words, be prepared.

That got me thinking. If the perfect person comes along, the sparks are flying & the moment seems right, but you happen to be wearing a pair of undies from the 7th grade, you neglected to shave, you last purchased new sheets in 1992 and your apartment smells like a wet dog,

YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR LOVE!!!

How to begin the process of becoming delicious? Start by being a lover to yourself. Take a good look in the mirror, would you like to date you? If you're not making the A list, it's not too late to start loving yourself to Fabulosity!



We already covered the "get your butt off the couch & start moving" part. So you're more attractive with your clothes on. Now what if you had to take them off?
The first thing you're potential mate would see is your undies. Be honest, what's in your top drawer? If the true answer is shapeless, old, grey shorts full of spots, holes & skid-marks, it's time to throw that stuff in the rag bin! Take yourself shopping for something that makes you feel sexy when you put them on.

When you feel sexy you are more confident & a confident person is just HOT.

Whether you're a man or a woman, old or young, if you want to be loved you must be lovable and like it or not looks count! Take care of yourself like you would someone you're crazy about! Buy yourself some 300+ thread count sheets, even if it's just you in that bed you'll feel loved.

Keep your hair styled, your clothes fresh and up to date, your sprouts plucked, your ears clean. Brush & floss. Spending this time on yourself isn't selfish it's a public service!

You may be saying, "Liz, you're married. Why do you need to think about love?"
And I say "Hello!?! How do you think I got this way? Plus, I want to keep having a steamy romance with my hunky husband!!"

Marriage doesn't have to mean the death of sex and the adding of padding. In fact it's those things that lead to cheating and divorce! While my husband is deployed I'm taking my own advice, shaping up for the next time we're together. At least 5 times a week I'm riding a stationary bike while watching TV or walking in the neighborhood fast enough to work up a sweat. Sometimes I add yoga or resistance bands.


I'm halfway to my goal weight, having dropped 14 pounds. I'm getting rid of my fat clothes and rewarding myself with lacy lingerie and new threads. Short term mid range & long term goals help me stay focused. If I can do it you can too. Then when love comes to town you'll be ready, you'll be more than ready, you'll be fabulous!

Are You Breathig?

"There is one common flow, one common breathing.

All things are in sympathy."

------Hippocrates

Before I became a fabulous blues diva I was a hyptnotist, specialising in behavior modification, memory retreival & past life regression. As a hyptnotist I used focused breathing to put my clients in an altered state of conciousness. Breathing helped them relax and allow what their subconcious had concealed to be revealed.

Since 2001 I've been praciticing Yoga. All the great teachers of Yoga down through the ages have stressed the importance of focused breathing to help calm the mind & body. You need to be calm & breath right to get the benefit of exercise, be it Hatha poses, aerobics classes, running or lifting in a gym.

Millions of people have trouble sleeping because of racing thoughts. The Yogis call our minds "drunken monkeys" that race from one thought to the next, getting us all agitated. Controlling that monkey is the key to calm.

"I'm already breathing!" You pant, sweat breaking out on your brow "I don't have time for this!"

Yes, you're breathing, but check yourself: most people breathe up in their collar bones, short, shallow breaths. At a point of stress or exertion most people hold their breath, cutting off their oxygen all together. You need that oxygen to blood thing to happen so you can think & all your parts can work right! Cutting your oxygen is a sure sign to your body that you're being chased by a carnivore & you need to run like hell. It turns on the adrenaline.

We live in a world that is full of stress. For your poor body, it's one adrenaline pumping situation after another. After awhile your adrenal glands get tired & your body starts breaking down. The md's write you a script & send you on your way. Without techniques to get control of your stressors you'll end up on multiple meds making some pharmaceutical company rich & your liver will pay the price. Much better would be to practive deep, yogic breathing for a few minutes every day & again if a stressful situation comes up.

Here's how to do it: Sit up straight. Close your eyes. Close your mouth & inhale through your nose to a slow count of 3. Hold it for 3 & exhale to a count of 6. Breath into your tummy so your body expands like a bellows. (This is the secret to power house singing too!) To keep your mind focused have it count for you. If you get another thought just pull your mind back to breathing. A few focused breaths does wonders, try it.

When I can't sleep I use yogic breathing, while imagining each part of my body relaxing with the exhale, starting with my feet & working up to my face. I hold a lot of tension in my jaw, so I concentrate on breathing into all the parts of my head. A relaxed face gets fewer wrinkles so it looks younger longer. If I'm still awake I go through my internal organs & relax them too.

Your breath can enhance your life, help you sleep, get better focus, stay in controll of your emotions. It's free, it's easy, just breath & feel more fabulous!