Get happy, make a list, write it down...

I have been reading a fantastic book, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin . First off, I highly recommend it. It's one of those book that chooses you, when your ready. No matter who picks it up, it will shift and re-frame your beliefs and definitions about what we need, want, will never be and can accept in order to find the elusive get of "happiness".

It got me focused and a little high on the promise and pursuit of smiles and emotional freedom. I have always been a little corny and interested in esoteric thinking ( I meditate, do yoga) but to try and break down what makes ME happy was a whole other ball of proverbial glee-wax. I implore you to sit, even if only for ten minutes or so and contemplate what it is that makes you happy, feel good and enjoy your life. That is step one...a good place to start. I will try here. After this, I might try and put some into action. Who knows

Things that make me happy:

- A good sunshine filled day ( I can't control this...hm)

- The sound of my children's laughter, especially if I produced it.

- Unexpected empathy.

- Unplanned evenings that end in revelry, laughter and good friendship-bonding.

- A yoga session that leaves me tingly and energetic.

- Playful attention from a beautiful or funny man. ( including, but not limited to my husband)

- Multiple orgasms

- Chocolate English toffee

- The smell of my 2yr old's "blankie"

- Being productive and efficient

- A nice fitting dress

- Feeling and giving love

I plan on digging deeper and truly finding broad based mantra's or "commandments" as Gretchen Rubin does. I have a sneaky feeling it will lead to much more fulfilling outcomes. For now, I stick with what I can list.

What do Joe Manganiello, Alec Baldwin and Ryan Gosling have in common?

Okay, so the need to be trite and dirty has overwhelmed me and I shall share. The latest in my Top 3 Bed em', Get em' are as follows. Marriage is grand, love is beautiful, but days are long and what fun would it be to pretend that lust for outside hotties dies with fulfilling matrimony.

Here they are. Hold onto your panties, and DRINK THEM IN.

Coming in at # 1- JOE *howl* MANGANIELLO

This smoking hot 6 foot 5 inch beef cake is stunning. He plays a wolf in Seas

on 3 and 4 of TRUE BLOOD on HBO. More importantly, he is a good solid age (34) where I might actually want to talk to him, whilst I'm licking his abs. Those deep set-dark eyes, and that Italian tickle-me-hoo-ha nose is too yummy. Keep an eye out. You know I will.

Second to none: (but maybe one...see above,

for now) ALEC BALDWIN:Anyone who has stuck with me, know that I have been in love with Alec Baldwin through the tumult that h

asbeen his career and celebrity. I didn't

hate him wit

h the contrived, and baited phone messages thing. I never thought he was getting old. I swooned at his re-start and return, and I still get tickled pink at his humor and hard-core left views. He is funny, and serious, and sexy. I literally day-dream about our intellectual sparring matches followed by some nude yoga and post-coital banter. I see him smacking my butt as I walk past the flapping sheer white curtains onto the deck in East Hampton...wait am I getting carried away? He is also dating a 28 yr old yogini (like me, e

except add 5 years and 2 kids) but stick with the delusion. He likes brown girls...there is hope yet....

Thirdly, RYAN GOSLING:

People, this man played his ass off in "Blue Valentine" and has true acting chops, but he also has some serious meat on his bones. Emma Stone said it best in his latest, soon-to-be out movie: "Crazy, Stupid, Love"- "You look photo shopped!". I have loved him since he jibber-jabbered

about being a bird with Rachel McAdams in "The Notebook". I could write a notebook full of the things I would want to do with him. I don't want him to love me like I do with Alec Baldwin. I just want him to...well, you'll have to wait for my notebook.

Here's to men and sexuality and dreaming that both meet the needs and wants of our expectations!

The world may be ugly, but today Civil Rights prevail!

I've been contimplating the return to the blogosphere. Today seemed as good as any. Most days lately sound like an apocalyptic byline to a movie....

This Sunday the world is mourning at least 92 innocent Norwegian kids and adults shot down at a camp by a White-supremacists. Amy Winehouse's body finally gave up on trying to stay viable with the heroin and alcohol she festered in for the past 5 years. I will say I believe her talent and purity in music is a total loss, her soul I fear, will be better off at peace.

The bi-partisan government is fighting over paying OUR national bills. Truly, if the US gets a less than triple Moody's rating we are in uncharted territory, yet pissing match ensues. Super. Whole new meaning to pissing it all away. NFL and NBA are on lock-out because during our recession, the millionaire athletes and owners are fighting over the pie. Japan is dealing with radioactive beef due to a Chernobyl-esque situation that no one will admit to yet. England is facing Rupert Murdoch's fall from self-righteous grace because his company has been raiding and tapping personal info, phone lines and email accounts of celebrities, 911-victims and more absurd story subjects.

On the bright side, NYC is celebrating the first day where Gay Marriage is 100% legal. Civil rights are being recognized and reveled in and that, my friends is something to be proud of. Take a hard look at hetero-marriage, make a case that its been well-protected, preserved and cast an idyllic example...Right. It's reputation can go now where but up. 'Nuff said.

If ever there were a time for me to get back into meditation, and spurting out nonsense that only 3 people read, it is now. I am back to cheer you on, keep you informed, and hopefully, possibly inspire you pay more attention, live with more love and give all you have to be better, and brighter.

No sooner than a week from now, I will be back in full throttle commenting on the latest sexting scandal, recommended music, being quasi-political, quoting good movies and probably rambling on about sex. That's what you get. You just read this far...you're in it now.

Until then...

Tips for you Rep. Christopher Lee lovers...wannabes:

Alrighty cheaters, listen up! I know my time would be better served watching CNN right now, as the fate of Egypt unfolds to the tune of Anderson Cooper's voice, but here I am instead...multi-tasking.

We all know that GOP Rep. Chris Lee loves ladies. We know that Republicans love his hair. We know that he is married, 46 years old and has a young son. More interestingly, he isn't so smart. (on many levels, but let's stick with horny stuff.) The "leggy" lady who received his photo, and within 6 hours of his sexy big fingers punching the "send" button, he was resigning. Think about that. You know when you get that tummy-drop and sweaty prickly feeling that the universe sends you to give you the heads up that you just did a DUMB DUMB thing? Yep. He does too. So some lessons to learn here:

1. DO NOT lie about your age. What is it with saying

39"? People like to avoid 40. 40 is grand and distinguished. The thing is, a girl finds out your lying about your age and she is immediately going to want to call you out. Send your bare hairless chest to Gawker...maybe not, but still. C'mon.

2. DO NOT show your flexing fist....'Nuff said. Dude? Really....and see point 1. No one is really in awe at those guns, or your sucked in tummy. Stop. Just stop.

3. DO NOT show your face. WHAT? (sigh) If you are married, have a child, and sending a sexy* picture out into the oblivion to a stranger. Take SOME precaution. Jeez, no one could figure out Favre's man-meat cause it was attached to nothing. TECHNICALLY, it was debatable. AND...too rotten for mass media to make viral.

4. DO NOT use a gmail account with your REAL NAME, that is also attached to your FACEBOOK account. This is getting painful. Honestly, my 5 year old already knows how to cover her tracks when she watches "Spongebob Squarepants"...she changes the channel twice (Disney, then PBS) so as not to be found out on the "LAST" button.

5. DO NOT jump ship so quick. I think if Spitzer would have been caught sending a topless picture and NOT humping a hooker, he would of laid it out straight like he does on CNN. Shit, Clinton would have laughed a little, patted the back of whomever was near him when he found out the pic leaked and said: "Aw, boys...looks like someone hacked my account and sent a picture I took for Hilary to the young, lost woman trying to make a buck." -That's genius.

The little leggy lady said it herself: "people cheat everyday, only the dumb ones get caught."

To take a look at Little Lee's pectorals and fists...take a gander and CLICK HERE.

Ponder this cautionary tale. Think harder, fluff and flex less and be smart.

Thursday Roundoup

On this third day of February, the world is an interesting place....

-In Cairo, the army has stepped in to manage the pro-and anti-Murbarak crowds. I have a sneaking suspicion what CNN is giving us is only the tip of the pyramid. Jordan's new reining Abdullah, and the turmoil bubbling in Yemen and the whole

Mideast. Image: Getty Images

Is anyone else thinking of that silly Mayan prediction of the end of the world in 2012? Hm....

- Wall Street executive paydays broke a record. Total Compensation hit 135 BILLION in 2010. Crazy to think the market crashed, and bailouts ensued only 2 years ago. Curious. Very curious.

- Charlie Sheen is a waste of space in news media/TV and his daughter's lives.

- New movies out tomorrow: "Sanctum" and "Roomate"....yawn.

In better news, the groundhog in Pennsylvania did NOT see his shadow. For the silly and superstitious, this means our Spring will come early. I'm happy to believe it after witnessing the cursed Snowtastic mess of Chicago yesterday. 21" of snow, followed by a deep freeze drop to -5 today. Wooo hoooo for winter.

Book Review: Lotus Eaters

Okay. Here we go, what's it been? Eight months? More...who cares. I have spent my time doing many a thing, none-of-which I am particularly in the mood to share. However, In some twist of events, or rather my halting writer's block, I have been reading a book a week. The latest book to move me was The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli.

I had seen this book a few times and passed over it, skimming the back, having no interest in war. One day, as I was longing for more than my usual chick-lit pop, I opened the book with the interest in love triangles. (That is how People Magazine had described it in a blurb.) This book is more than three lovers. Although their passion and pulling and pushing does bring a reader to the brink. It is so much more. Set in the late sixties and seventies in Saigon and all over Vietnam during the war- the landscape is breath-taking.

The main character is a young, female photography with a secret mission to understand warand the loss of her brother and father. Through her eyes you encounter the very grey line between the enemy and the nationalist and the voyeurs looking to make some money on the carnage. She falls in love with a weathered (Rob Redford-type in my head) photojournalist, assimilates quickly and faces unspeakable truths of a country and it's people I knew nothing about. Throughout her disillusionment, I found that I was carried away in the mist and muck of the adrenaline rush of war and fear and love.

The story unfolds and lays out with tension and suspense and aching heart. I couldn't put it down. I am embarrassed to admit I didn't know much about the Vietnam war other than the award winning movies Hollywood made. This book is thoughtful in its depiction of the waste of war, the addiction of one's passion, the hole of loss and the beauty of love.

Hold onto your heart and brace your stomach. This book will not disappoint.