Mary Flaig's Blog

The "New York Times" article of yesterday, by Carey Mulligan, surprised and enlightened me. And, what it contains makes me very unhappy. The Tea Party movement is attempting to divide this country and two brothers, the Kochs, as well as Rupert Murdoch, are bankrolling the potential disaster to our democracy. They were behind the Glen Beck, Sarah Palin travesty in Washington the other day...

Their fortune began with oil and Koch Industries has generated huge revenues from industrial products. Their agenda is against anything that will hinder their profits and increase their taxes. Their goals are to abolish basic govenment protections relating to unemployment, public health, workplace safety and subsistence of the elderly. When David Koch ran on the 1980 Libertarian ticket, his campaign called for the end of Social Security, federal regulatory agencies and welfare, and the F.B.I., C.I.A. and public schools.

Glen Beck, in his Washington speech, said we must look to "God"--I say we should all find a "higher power" to protect us from Beck and the powers that bought him...

A beautiful photo of a humpback whale breaching (jumping out of the water) near the Chatham shore, is appearing on the cover page of the current issue of the local paper, "The Cape Cod Chronicle". They've been seen at the Lighthouse Overlook and lookout at the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge trail on Morris Island flapping their tails and jumping into the air. The shark sightings here have been the attraction all summer--it's now whale time. They're not unusual here, though--they've always been in the waters east of Chatham. Sand eels are their food of choice and have brought them closer to shore. Humpbacks, finbacks and minkes have been seen. According to the article, the humpbacks are the most "showy" and can grow up to 55' in length and weight 40 tons and they raise their tails when they dive.

They're amazing to view but there is concern that problems could arise when they get close to small boats. Boaters are being urged to be respectful of the whales to avoid entanglements.

As magical as the breathtaking waterviews in Chatham are, these sea creatures only add to that feeling...

Although anything written about Angelina Jolie fascinates me, I'm passing on the recently published biography about her, by Andrew Morton. Reviews seem to be on the negative side.
To me, her life is such a triumpth...early emotional conflicts have given way to a woman who embodies great strength and compassion. Her acting ability has garnered her many awards, including an Academy Award. But, I admire her most for her work with refugees, as "Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations High Command for Refugees". She has also given large amounts of money to disaster areas, such as New Orleans and Haiti. Her family of six, 3 of her own and 3 adopted children, must be the fulfillment of a dream and, fortunately, she has the funds to have a large team to help with their upbringing. Capturing Brad Pitt, as her partner/babydaddy, has brought her great criticism, as he was married to the popular actress, Jennifer Aniston, when their romance began on a movie set. Their dreams and goals must have meshed as they've managed to continue their relationship while keeping up their individual careers and dealing with their expanding brood. Her physical beauty magnifies her appeal...she captivates and inspires me...

When I remember being an innkeeper in the mid 80's, Chatham was a quiet resort area. I did the advertising for the B&B and described Chatham as a "charming seaside village". In no time another nearby inn was using my quote in their ads. This phrase certainly seemed to inspire reservations and the guests were lovely--so happy to be on vacation and pleasant in every way. Everything has changed here. The town is overrun with tourists, many "daytrippers" due to the economy. I heard a sad report from the owners of my gallery in town, the Bartholmew. A 3 year old had knocked over and damaged an expensive item and her mother didn't want to take responsibility. The shops have door postings which clearly state that strollers and children under 12 aren't allowed. However, these policies are scoffed at by the parents who create hostile senarios with their aggressive attitudes making the summer season difficult for all--it exends to driving also, which is a nightmare. This negative feeling flows throughtout the Cape--a tourist was robbed and shot in Hyannis recently. It's a dangerous place to be--this former stylish town has drug gangs and random shootings. Unfortunately, not only the visitors, but, the local citizens have managed to tarnish the serene beauty of the environment.

The current issue of "Vogue" magazine has an article, by Jeffrey Steingarten, about the actress, Gwyneth Paltrow. I've always found Gwyneth appealing in every way...but, the article was a "love letter" about the actress. "Amazing" and "perfect" to describe her were over used...it was a cloying piece, in my opinion. I guess if you have the best management and PR team you can have total control about what's printed about you--photos used, etc. The only negative note, which certainly could have been deleted, was regarding a phone call she was making to her shrink in LA, for an appointment. A human touch amidst all the perfection.

Katie Holmes is another actress, married to Tom Cruise, who has been "marketed" to perfection by her team. Kim Kardashian, following her frenemy, Paris Hilton, came to celebrity through her sex tape...made millions through the marketing of that and now has an empire...her mother appears to be a big part of her "team" to continue promoting the large extended family that appear on their reality show on the "E" Entertainment Network.

So much of becoming a celebrity is connections (Gwyneth's parents, Katie's husband, and Kim's friends) and a great PR team to "hype" the product, that being the client. Basically, anyone can be marketed to the public...you just need the right "team"...