Teresa, please, measure your words, updated.
While we all can understand why one would like to say
At the surprise party that Heinz organized for her fiftieth birthday, she, in turn, surprised the guests by telling them that she had "paid my dues and I wasn't going to put up with any more stuff I don't want to. Finito. It was the most liberating thing in the world."
the reason most of us don't is because we can't afford to. It is EXPENSIVE to not "put up with any more stuff I don't want to" -- expensive not only in the personal sense (because people will avoid telling you the truth), but particularly, financially. I'm sure the average visitor to this site knows exactly what I mean without my having to go into lengthy descriptions of disagreeable jobs or distasteful chores.
Yes, the voters don't vote for the First Lady. But please, this won't do:
Despite her linguistic prowess and her worldliness, Heinz Kerry has, at times, a deaf ear for the nuances of slang, code, condescension, and vulgarity in Englishfor the emotion of the language. "There are these bizarre moments that make you shudder," the Kerry adviser said. "Like calling herself African-American to black audiences." She dismissed voters skeptical of her husbands health-care proposals as 'idiots,' and, in a television interview with a Pittsburgh anchorwoman, employed the word 'scumbags' to describe some of her detractors. I doubt that she knows the literal meaning of 'scumbag,' but perhaps, after forty years in America, nearly thirty of them as a political wife, observing how the flaws and contradictions of a personality as complex as hers are melted down for ammunition by the other side, she should have learned it.
Not being in the same expense bracket as you, I'm still willing to bet that people who make less money in a year than what you spend on cosmetic procedures in a month will smile and not waste their time contradicting you when you claim you "could be 'perfectly happy' living under a thatched roof", but they aren't going to vote for the husband of anyone that calls them names. The reporters don't like it when you tell them to shove it, either. But you won't be able to tell for sure until after the election, would you?
While you're at it, "Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids," doesn't go over too well with the needy. Just so you knew.
And, by the way, nice job by Avedon with the photo.
Update, September 21: Via Tigerhawk, it looks like the New Yorker misquoted Mrs. Kerry's use of the word scumbag. Nonetheless, I stand by my advice.
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As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher's Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around... per the Watcher's instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.
Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.
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