I’m embarrassed by the fact that Sam’s babysitter always sees me in the exact same clothes, since I only have one “out to dinner” outfit.   But to be clear, the confession is the embarrassment, not the lack of clothing!

I committed the host’s cardinal sin of allowing not 1, but 2 bathrooms to run out of toilet paper during our party last weekend.  I didn’t even have tissues as backup.

Michael Jackson was my first crush.

I have some mixed feelings today, but mostly I feel sad.  I don’t know whether the allegations of molestation were true.  If they weren’t, he suffered a massive injustice.  If they were, he was evil.  Either way, though, his life was obviously a mess.  What a sad ending for that adorable little boy who sang like an angel and taught the world a new way to dance.

I love Jon & Kate Plus 8.  This is the reality show about the couple with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets.  Before I watched it I figured that this was a show about a redneck religious family mooching off of gifts from people who think that cranking out a bunch of kids is the lord’s work.

They are indeed religious, which is why they made the choice not to reduce the number of embryos early in Kate’s pregnancy.  While I find that choice to be insane, like just about everything motivated by religion, I do love watching those kids.  They are just adorable.

Kate is also highly amusing.  She’s bossy, controlling, and a total neat-freak, and yet she’s likeable.  Jon seems completely spineless, but as you get to know him you learn that he is mostly just one of the most mellow people you’ll ever observe.  They’re both intelligent and, despite some faith issues, for the most part they parent consciously.  Somehow, they make their family work.  When I feel overwhelmed with my one child, watching this show sometimes helps me gain some perspective.  They have eight.  At one point, they had two 6-year-olds and six 2-year-olds all at once.  Can you imagine!

If you watch the show, tell me who reminds you most of your own child(ren).  Samantha is like both Alexis, the mischievous one, and Aaden, the one they call the “professor,” not just because he wears glasses, but because he is “in his own head” so much of the time.

I’ve grown to like Diane Rehm.  She’s a radio host with a speech impediment.  For years that fact alone made me turn off NPR in disgust every time I heard her voice.  (I’ll never get over the fact that at my very first real job, I worked with a legally deaf woman who was hired to answer the phone!)  Rehm is also an infuriating liberal.  But she is a good interviewer and I learn a lot from her show.  As long as I’m at it, I’ll admit that I think Bill O’Reilly is a good interviewer too, despite his disgusting character and idiotic populist views.  I haven’t watched his show in years, but I always thought he asked real questions, unlike so many “journalists” who elicit nothing of substance from their subjects, except what you already know.