Why can’t I hate Oprah?

For every male out there, there is something within us that screams every time we see her show. Her talk show is mostly an estrogen fest that couples your typical female show topics with some occasional softball questions being lobed at her Hollywood elite guest.

You would think that given this kind of fodder, I should have no problem shying away from her and her show, but to tell you the truth, I just can’t seem to do that. Her show… I’m still not a fan and don’t sit down and watch it ever, but for her as a person, I can’t muster the inner dislike for her.

I know what the men are saying… say it isn’t so Zo, but unfortunately, I may need to turn in my man card. So, what is causing me to like (dare we even say… admire) her?

Yesterday, I am watching Anderson Cooper’s 360 and the entire show is devoted to the school she has built with her own money for the development of some 150 young bright South African needy girls.

Anderson Cooper has an interview session with Oprah and lobs over a few questions that Oprah hits out of the park, but eventually he asks some poignant questions that unfurl Oprah’s shell a bit and we get to see a little glimpse of what this woman is all about. Anderson asks why she spent so much ($40 million) on this school. She responds by saying that “what matters is what can be done with your life. And, so, I wanted to create an environment, the most beautiful environment that would inspire the (girls)”

There has been some criticism from people to the effect of why she is doing this in Africa instead of the United States her response is that she decided to build it South Africa because she found the children are here hungrier to learn. "I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools," she said, "that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms, so they can go to school."

Here stands a woman that has come from a very similar background. Overcoming poverty, sexual abuse, and bad relationships, Oprah has always claimed more of a connection to regular people than your average billionaire. She has often said that with great wealth comes great responsibility to give those in need a better chance in life through education and inspiration. That is what she is trying to do in South Africa.

So, I have decided that not only do I like Oprah but also that I admire what she does and what she's about.

Saturday Matinee

This past Saturday our family went to the movies to see a show. We had decided that we would go see Ben Stiller's new flick “Night at the Museum.”

Spoiler Alert!!!

The movie is about a guy who is on his last job before all hell breaks loose with his personal life with his son and ex. He lands a job as a night watchman replacement for three elderly guards who are being replaced at the Museum of Natural History in New York. The plot twists as this seemingly easy job turns out to be more then he bargained for. The museums animals and exhibits come to life after dark due to the power of an Egyptian amulets curse. He is informed that he must keep the displays from leaving the museum, as they will be turned to dust should the morning sunlight hit them when they are not in the museum. To complicate the matter, the three elderly guards intend on robbing the museum of its treasures and blame the new guard for the theft.

There is some terrific comedic acting in this film as Ben Stiller almost plays the straight man to legends Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Robin Williams. There are plenty of one-liners and the storyline is better then expected. The special effects and the scenery are outstanding as the museums exhibits are brought to life.

This is a great family movie for young and old. Even my wife, who does not like Ben Stiller, liked the movie and laughed throughout it.

Useless Knowlede of the Day

I sometimes post about some little tidbid that I either recalled from the back of dusty brain or it catches my eye.

Why are most barns painted red?

This tradition began in Europe and migrated with European farmers to America. Farmers would paint their barns red because red paint was easy and inexpensive to make. It also dried quickly and protected the wood from the elements.

By combining milk, linseed, oil, lime, and ferrous oxide (rust), farmers were able to create a paint that hid dirt well and protected the wood by killing fungus, mold, and moss. The tradition continued even after commercial paints became readily available because red paint was still inexpensive to manufacture.

By the way, white paint, also inexpensive to make, is another popular color for barns.

New Year's Resolutions

Just like the rest of the sheep, I have decided to come up with a few "New Year's Resolutions.”

Nevertheless, unlike some of your resolutions, I will not try to loose weight, go to the gym, quite smoking or drinking. I think that this year I will honestly try to set my goals lower and attain them all.

This year list is going to start with something that I have very little time for. I will resolve to read a book from cover to cover, and that doesn't mean a "Cliff's Guide" version of a book. It may not be War and Peace, but then again it will not be this months Triathlete Magazine either.

So here we go….

I will resolve that I will contact an old friend that I haven't talked to last year and do something with them. I still know they live in the area as I send and receive emails from them, but it seems that the emails consist of jokes and the like. Isn't it funny how we see no problem with just forwarding them a joke, but don't find the time to actually call them and talk to them? This year I will change that with at least one friend.

I will play D & D with my friends at least once a month, which sort of ties into the above resolution. When I was high school, D & D was the big game. My friends and I would play for hours on end during the weekends. Ever since then, a few my friends will occasionally pull out the dusty D & D books and play again, but unfortunately, we seem to play less and talk less frequently as well.

I will spend a weekend alone with my wife. You might think that this is no big deal, but in our family, we do a lot of things as a family. If we are going to go anywhere for the weekend, it is going to be as a family unit. This year it will change. I know that this will involve my wife as an accomplice but I think I can convince her. I will just have to plan it all out and just have her show up.

This year I mean to show up to work on time (or dare I say it.... early) at least 10% of the time. You may be falling off your chair as this may not seem like I'm making an effort, but since my moniker is Zotime and I work flex hours, you can see how showing up on time even once could be difficult. Besides, I did say I was going to lower my goals... right?

This year I am either going to buy or build bookcases for my home office. The problem is that I just can't seem to find bookcases I like and building them... well that takes time. After six years of living in our house, the office still has piles of books on the floor that I should have moved to shelves a long time ago. It's getting ridiculous… I even know that now and bookshelves will be in place by the end of this year.