The Passing Of An Angel

To say she was a star in the series Charlies Angels misses much of who she was. Farrah was multiple Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated American actress. She was the "face of an era."

I remember her when she was in the Ultra Brite commercial. The jingle when: "Mother had a feeling, I might be too appealing. So mother never told me about...Ultra Brite." Then she smiled that big smile. I was still a very young girl wondering what I would look like when I was a grown woman and I was certain I wanted to look like her.

While I NEVER watched Charlies Angels I couldn't help but know who she was. She was the woman in the one piece red bathing suit who's picture adorned every teenage boys bedroom. She was the woman who's hair style adorned every teenage woman's head whether the cut flattered them or not. She will always be associated with her work on Charlies Angels even though she was only on there for one season.

Fawcett won critical acclaim for her 1983 role in the off-Broadway stage production of the controversial play Extremities, written by William Mastrosimone. She followed Susan Sarandon in the role, in which she played a would-be rape victim who turns the tables on her attacker.

Her role as a battered wife in the fact-based TV movie The Burning Bed earned her her first of three Emmy Award nominations. It was one that was very relevant to me as I was a battered woman.

She was nominated for Golden Globe awards for roles as Beate Klarsfeld in Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story and troubled Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton in Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story, and won a CableACE Award for her 1989 portrayal of groundbreaking Life Magazine photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White.

Her role in the miniseries Small Sacrifices earned her a second Emmy nomination and her sixth Golden Globe Award nomination. Diane Down's story had happened when my youngest son was little and I couldn't imagine a mother who would kill her children to be with a man. The miniseries was adapted from a book written by one of my FAVORITE authors, Ann Rule.

On June 22, 2009, The Los Angeles Times and Reuters reported that Ryan O'Neal has said that Fawcett has agreed to marry him. I honestly felt uncomfortable with Ryan saying that they'd marry even if he had to nod her head yes. Obviously they loved each other enough to stay together all these years but it's unfortunate that they didn't marry sooner, (IMHO).

Farrah Fawcett died on June 25, 2009, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. She was 62.

I Love My Son

Today when I was in Third Period I had just finished explaining exam procedures when the door opened. It was a young man I knew from around school. He was carrying these beautiful pink flowers. Actually it was the butterfly bouquet that I had really wanted. 

“Oh,” I said, “Who are they for? “ The boy answered, “They’re for you Mizz Cope.”

I was taken aback. Only Darryl sends me flowers to school and we had agreed not to spend money on that this year. I had hoped to win some flowers but since I didn’t I was surprised to see them.

I opened the card and it said “You’re the best mom in the world. I may be stuck in Iraq but I will always love you. I’ll see you in a few weeks. Love Mike.” I busted out in tears. The kids were all laughing saying they wished they had their cameras. I just couldn’t get over it. They are beautiful.

I love you Michael. What a wonderful beautiful thing you did. I am so blessed to have two wonderful boys and blessed that they are both well and doing OK.

A few weeks ago I wrote about how ill Farah had become. As a teen I wanted to look like her. As a young woman I watched her life played out in the papers on the checkout stands of the grocery store. As a woman I watched her movies even though I never watched an episode of Charlie’s Angels. I ignored my Mother’s oft given advice “Never wish you could be someone else because you don’t know the troubles and challenge that they face.”

Today the news of Farrah’s illness has gotten worse. Ryan O'Neal is breaking down about his longtime partner's battle with cancer. "It's a love story," he tells People magazine. "I just don't know how to play this one. I won't know this world without her. Cancer is an insidious enemy."

The actor admits his angel has lost her trademark tresses and her treatment has neared its end.

"She stays in bed now," he says. "The doctors see that she is comfortable. Farrah is on IVs, but some of that is for nourishment. The treatment has pretty much ended." Farrah’s weight has plummeted to 86 pounds, according to her son, Redmond O'Neal.

Fawcett, 62, became an international sex symbol in the 1970s for her famous swimsuit poster and her role as one of a trio of female private detectives on the hit television show "Charlie's Angels."

Another major story is the Drew Peterson story which broke last night. He has been charged with murdering his third wife and held on $20 million dollars bail. Kathleen Savio, his third wife, was found at home dead in a dry bathtub on March 1, 2004.

Here is Rome there is much to do about of 19-year-old Jeffrey Pledger of Cedartown during a violent robbery attempt on East 19th Street in Rome around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Three men were arrested and a fourth one is being sought.

The chatter has been upped because police stopped and questioned three men that they said may have been on their way to Rome from Polk County to seek revenge for the murder. The men were briefly detained Wednesday night in a black and white sedan on U.S. 27 south of Rome near Booger Hollow Road.

Finally, as long as this is a particularly newsworthy day I see that the word is getting out about how much the DEMS knew and when they knew it as far as torture. After all remember, EVIL Bush did all this in secrecy didn’t he? It was him and crazy Carl Rove and Dick Chaney while the poor DEMS Champions of all that is good and just were kept in the dark about waterboarding. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The CIA has leaked a devastating document detailing the dates and explicit details of secret Congressional briefings in which members of Congress were told of the Bush administration’s torture techniques and when they had been used.

The document is explicit (PDF here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124174688873899443.html ). Most damningly, perhaps, is its description of a meeting held between CIA staff and then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Porter Goss and now-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which shows that Pelosi was briefed on the Bush Administration’s torture techniques in 2002 — even though she’s publicly said she was never told about the use of waterboarding.

Equally striking, however, is the volume of the briefings that have been conducted on the CIA’s interrogation practices since 2002. The document runs ten pages, with up to four briefings a page.

I always suspected that this was why Pelosi said they wouldn’t impeach Bush. She and many high powered Dems were afraid of what would come out in regards to the war and in regard to “torture.” Call it blackmail. Call it the Sword of Damocles. It hung over Polisi and others and they didn’t want the truth to get out to their followers. Some how they said with a straight face that they weren’t aware that when they voted for action in Iraq they weren’t voting for Bush to move forward on it and millions of American Idol watching voters nodded their heads and said “Evil Bush tricked them.”

Gee how smart were you if someone you proclaimed to be a moron was able to trick you? Come on now. I say “Be Careful What You Ask For Because You Just Might Get It.” Many of them studied law in college I’m surprised they don’t take to heart the axiom “Never ask a question that you don’t already know the answer to.” Basically this means that when you are examining a witness in court don’t ask them a question you haven’t already asked them before because you don’t need any surprises, any Perry Mason moments, in court.

Oh how heavy is the head that wears the crown.