… How’s this for a headline…

“Couple Crashes White House Dinner.”

Aren’t we paying someone to keep that from  happening?

Michaele and Tareq Salahi crashed the White House State Dinner welcoming the Indian Bigshots to Washington. 

They had their picture taken with the President, and shook his hand.

They chatted him up.

Where were all the guys with the dark glasses, black suits, and ear phones? 

Break time?

They made the rounds, met a few people, had a drink, dinner, schmoozed…

…it was fun!

Well, the Secret Service, who quite frankly was at fault, says their might be a criminal investigation.

Ya think?

Paul Gardner, their lawyer says “It is unclear what the couple told officers at the checkpoint…” that allowed them to go through the security screening. He later posted a comment on their Facebook page saying his clients were cleared by the White House to be at the dinner.  Cleared through the gate and making it through a metal detector doesn’t equal invited.

Now, I’ve never been to a White House Dinner, and I’m thinkin’ that’s probably not going to change, but aren’t there place cards? (Martha Stewart could only hope so!) I really can’t see this gal plopping down in Hillary’s seat, and Tareq looks nothing like Bill Clinton.  Where did they sit?  Whom did they bump?  Are there always a few extra seats at a White House Dinner?  And if so, can I get one?

Apparently, Michaele (yes, that is the way she spells it) is a “Real Housewives of DC” wannabe. 

On her Facebook page, she posted this – “I was honored to be invited to attend the First State Dinner hosted by President Obama & the First Lady to honor India. In June 2010, the America’s Polo Cup will be between INDIA & the UNITED STATES. Please join me in this cultural celebration of politics, diplomacy, fashion, sports, entertainment & family fun.”

Hey, Michaele, you weren’t invited.

They’re Polo People BTW…and I’m not talkin’ Ralph Lauren Polo.

Tareq is of Palestinian origin, is a mover and shaker in the DC area, and was tapped by the Governor of VA to promote Virginia Wine.  In case you didn’t know, the old tobacco land is really great for growing grapes.  Who knew?

He plays polo, grew up helping his dad in their winery, and graduated from The University of California, Davis.  Business and oenology (wine stuff).  He was on the board of directors of American Task Force on Palestine.  Which is a do nothing group “that felt Palestinians should disregard grassroots political organizing and put on suits”.  I’m not even sure what that means!!

He is reportedly involved in as many as 15 civil suits, and one more may be on the way.  Or possibly a Federal one. 

They also run a charity, Journey For A Cure (which I thought was  a band).  The Commonwealth of Virginia  State Attorney General Bill Mims told reporter Alex Bogdonovich (no relation to Peter, and not the sports star) of The Fauquier Times-Democrat in May 2009 that the Salahis’ charitable organization, Journey for a Cure, was not registered with the State Corporation Commission and warned givers that the State “could not be assured that funds were being spent for charitable purposes. ”  (Please do not mistake this one for Journey for THE Cure, which is legit.)

Nice!

 So, should we be surprised?  Not really.  

Michaele and Tareq Salahi’s lives are a spectacle.  28 bridesmaids and groomsmen at the wedding for starters.   Now, they are shopping an interview on TV.  They bailed on Larry King.  Not enough cash?

The security is the worst part.  President Obama should be totally ticked off at the Secret Service guys.  And, if Mrs. Obama wants to throw a hissy, I say go ahead, Oprah’s ready when you are!

BTW, I’ll let you know if Michaele adds me as a friend on Facebook…

Berry Gordy, Jr

Born November 28, 1929, Berry turns 80 today!

Where would we be without Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Mable Johns, Mary Johnson, Barrett Strong, Barbara Randolph, The Miracles, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, Taylor Washington, Marvin Gaye, Edward Holland, Jr, The Andantes, The Contours, Shorty Long, The Valadiers, The Marvalettes, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Ruggin, David Ruffin, Kim Weston, Martha and the Vandellas, Earl Van Dyke, Chuck Jackson, Bobby Darin, The San Rmeo Golden Strings, Barbara McNair, Dorsey Burnette, Howard Crockett, Four Tops, Carolyn Crawford, Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, The Velvettes, Jr. Walker and the All Stars, Chris Clark, The Supremes, Tammi Terrell, The Monitors, The Spinners, The Isley Brothers, Choker Campbell and His 16 Piece Band, The Elgins, The Originals, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Supremes, Dennis Edwards, Syeretta Wright, J.J. Barnes, Bobby Taylor and the Vancovers, Edwin Starr, Rare Earth, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, R. Dean Taylor, Blinky, Irene Ryan – yes, Granny Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies, Rustix, Ashford and Simpson, The Supremes, Kiki Dee, Undisputed Truth, Stoney and Meatloaf, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Eddie Kendricks, G.C. Cameron, Willie Hutch, Michael Jackson, The Supremes, Tom Hale, Craig Haus, Thelma Houston,  The Commodores, Rick James, Duane Eddy, The Pointer Sisters, High Inergy, Mary Wilson, Georgia allentini, Charlene, The Dazz Band, All The Debarges – Chico, El, Bunny, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, Mary Jane Girls, Billy Preston, Angela Clemmons, Carrie McDowell, Stacy Lattisaw, The Supremes, Phyllis St. James, The Supremes,  Siedah Garrett, Bruce Willis, Boyz II Men, The Good Girls, Brian McKnight, Queen Latifah, 98 Degrees, Inida Arie, Forever The Sickest Kids, Damian MArley, Hada, Stephen Marley, The Supremes,  Blue October, Safety Suit – to name a few?

…How ’bout, “no shave no-never”?

And in reality, I’m kinda’ glad it’s over.  Some folks just shouldn’t have beards.  But, you don’t know til you try it. 

Ah, facial hair.  A topic on which no one is in the middle.  Everyone has an opinion on facial hair, beards, goatees, mustaches, side-burns…and soul patches. 

Now, I started a no shave movement of my own in 1971.  And with the exception of six weeks of boot camp in 1975  one year in 1978, I’ve had a beard ever since.  I like the way I look with a beard, and can’t remember myself without one. 

My children have never seen my full face. 

My niece, Amy, called it ‘fuzzies’ and learned to pull up by hanging onto my beard.

My daughter, said, “it wouldn’t be you dad, without it.”

When I grew it, my Mother said, “You were always so much cleaner than that, I never thought you’d grow a beard.”  I found this especially interesting.  The first place she went was, unshaven > unwashed.  Well, I’ve seen some of the folks she grew up around, and it isn’t hard to make that leap in some cases.  But, I assured her that in my case, it just wasn’t the equation.

My dad, channeling Red Foreman, said, “you look like a Bolshevik!”  He was not pleased.

But that passed.  I don’t think anyone would know who I was without it.

And it’s changed over the years.  It was black.  Now, no so much!

It was longer…now, ah, no.  Somehow along the way I started cropping it closer and closer.

And it was soft, now…not really.

But, it’s me, and I like it, and I feel like it makes me look like me. 

No shave November started out as a fund raiser on a college campus somewhere.  The debate and credit grabbing is universal, so I’m not going to land on any one place, we’ll just say it started on a college campus.

But think about it.

For thousands of years, beards were de rigeur -

The first primative shaving utensils are considered to be 30,000 years old.  Assuming one believes man has been on earth that long. 

Around 4000 BC, Women were removing body hair by making their own depilatory creams which contained combinations of arsenic, quicklime, and starch!  OUCH! Wonder how that got started?  Did Moses line everyone up and say, “ok, ladies, time to mow!”? 

Once metalworking began, permanent shaving devices came into play around 3000 BC.

Alexander the Great was a shaveaholic and would not go into battle with a five o’clock shadow.  His boyfriend hated it.  He also made his warriors shave, that way the enemy had nothing to grab for during hand to hand combat. 

Peter the Great made all the Russian aristocracy shave to “westernize” them.  i.e. he thought they looked like a buch of hicks. 

But beards have changed over time.  There were no options, now there are hundreds. 

King Gillete created the safety razor and changed shaving forever.  Lt. Col. Jacob Schick created the blade cartridge modeled after the repeating rifle, and an empire was born. 

The 40’s and 50’s saw only mountain men bearded, and facial hair became associated with hicks, foreigners, and ner-do-wells.

The 60’s brought the hippie movement and beards became a political and social statement letting the establishment know they weren’t going to follow along like cattle.

I grew mine because it was cold at Ohio State in January, I had an eight o’clock class, I could sleep later if I didn’t shave, and it kept my face warmer. 

There are religions that allow beards only on married men, and once you grow one, you can neither shave it nor trim it.

Some people hate them, some love them.  Beards instantly turn someone into a bada”", they make some people look smarter, some just scruffier.  It may make for a handy disguise.   And in an emergency, everyone turns to the bearded man.

During The War Between The States, (yes, I said that.) beards were on almost every general – on both sides.   And following said war, several of our Presidents had beards.   Abe Lincoln and Jeff Davis had beards.  Legend has it that Licnoln was advised by a woman to grow a beard simply because he was so ugly.  Nice gal! 

A patchy weak beard makes a man look patchy and weak.  If you can’t grow a good one, shave.

(B. Harrison, our last bearded President)

Beards are in beards are out.  But No shave November is here to stay.

…Sadly, Thanksgiving Day to most people only comes once a year.   Shouldn’t we be thankful all year long? 

We are very fortunate and blessed and have so much to be thankful for. 

I am thankful for my family.  Though I won’t get to see all of them this season, we did spend the day with our daughter, Shelby, for whom we are very thankful as she was a wonderful miracle and a is a great blessing.  We’re spending the day in Nashville with our son, Donovan.  Who is a wonderful blessing as well.

…Hope you have a great Thanksgiving Day.