Helen Mirren Dear’n

I’ve waxed rhapsodic about Helen Mirren before. I’ve gone on record as saying she’s kind of what I’d like to be like as I get older.

Photographs by Juergen Teller.

So, it was with pleasure that I heard she was going to be in New York magazine (a weekly pub that I subscribe to). I was a bit shocked, though, by seeing Dame Mirren in nearly the full Monty. (Well, okay, only half a Monty, but still). (more…)

South Sarasota Needs New Representation in the State House

Want to join me at a campaign kick-off party for Nancy Feehan, District 70 next week?

Many of my readers both of this blog and from the days of my Reality Chick column with the Pelican Press live in South Sarasota, Venice, Nokomis, and Osprey – Florida State House District 70. The District includes most of the southern half of Sarasota County, from Clark Road and State Road 72 at the north and South Venice and part of Englewood at the south. It extends from Siesta Key and part of Manasota Key on the west to the Myakka River.

Nancy Feehan is running for State House Representative for the District — against Republican Doug Holder. And I’m betting on Feehan to take the race. (more…)

Cappuccino chez MC

One of the best things I’ve done for myself lately is when I shelled out $125 bucks for a cappuccino maker. Now, in the world of capp makers I know a sawbuck+ is not a lot of money. But for me, actually, it is. Still, I broke my little piggy bank and splurged because I wanted to begin my days with more sense … and in the long run, more cents.

You see, for years, ever since leaving the North End of Boston, I’ve been drinking (and I know how lame this is, believe me), either a bottled Starbucks cold coffee (with a staggering 32 grams of sugar if I recall correctly), or I’ve been actually walking or driving to a local Starbucks and shelling out three to five dollars at a time for coffee that wasn’t all that great and which, the purchase of, was actually contrary to all that I believe in.

So you see, every day, I was starting off — beginning my day — with activities that weren’t really at all in alignment with my philosophies and/or the way I want to live and/or in ways that treat my body and my wallet and my planet well.

Driving a car to get a cup of coffee? Could there be anything more self-indulgent? (more…)

Veg-ging out is in

I went to a relatively new restaurant in Sarasota a couple of weeks back — Veg. It’s a vegetarian and seafood kind of place; located in a little strip mall right across from the Gulf Gate Mall (2164 Gulf Gate Drive). (more…)

RSS SRQ MC — sign up to get your dose of MC’s reality delivered to your home page

Um, I’m all for acronyms. BFF — best friends forever. MC — Mary Catherine. SWAK — Sealed with a kiss. KISS — Keep it simple, stupid! and of course the unprintable ones — FUBAR and SNAFU (gotta love those! 😉

Well, RSS is for Real Simple Syndication.

It’s a means, basically, to “subscribe” to my blog. Or to allow me to “syndicate” my column/blog to readers who want to make sure they know when I’ve posted a new blog. (more…)

Update to Cat Depot Saves Pennsylvania Kitties story

One of the greatest things about doing this blog is when I hear about people helping each other because of connections they make or hear about here on this site. We’ve had people donating to All Faiths Food Bank — to the tune of thousands of dollars. We’ve had readers in other states giving me advice and following up on Tony the Tiger. We’ve had local doctors trying to help me get a stray kitty cat into a good home. And now, one of my readers read a blog last week, and took action about the Pennsylvania cats rescued by Sarasota’s Cat Depot story I posted and look, now I’ve received a really super nice blog comment below from the folks at Cat Depot to round the story out. (more…)

Tony the Tiger still languishes in a man-made prison

Folks, we’ve GOT to do something about Tony. (more…)

Show & Tell — give “don’t ask/don’t tell” the bum’s rush

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is such a dumbo, lowest-kind-of-thinking (or rather unthinking) policy, there are, literally, no depths to plumb on the issue.

I mean, I’m sure I don’t really have to say this … BUT if you’d let a gay guy save your life in the hospital emergency room (yes, gays perform surgery!) or if you’ll let a gay woman pilot that next flight to Detroit — taking your life in her very hands — then why would you stop at letting gays put their lives on the line for this country? And, anyway, WHO CARES WHAT CONSENTING ADULTS DO IN THE BEDROOM?! (more…)

Sarasota’s Cat Depot Saves Pennsylvania Kitties — You Can Help Too!

The local Cat Depot is helping save the lives of 12 Pennsylvania felines (read below for how you can help them too!) who were rescued last week in a raid on a Pennsylvania so-called “sanctuary” known as the Animal Friends of Elk and Cameron Counties. Some friends — the conditions at the I-can’t-even-use-the-word-sanctuary-SLUM were so deplorable, inhumane, and overcrowded that 387 cats — including numerous kittens — were removed by a team of more than 50 first-responders, aided by the American Humane Association and PetSmart Charities.

The Sarasota 12 — as I’m calling them now — after their traumatic (but welcome) rescue (more…)

There’s a rat in the kitchen, what I’m a gonna do?

This snake was relaxing atop some bushes, drinking in the drizzle of rain that was following.