4-30-10

In case you missed it...

SPIDEY TALK, JAMES WEIGHS IN, TANNING POOLSIDE AND SUMMERTIME
They began the show talking about the spider infestation in the Rosie Radio studio. James said he walks through spider webs every day when walking through doorways in the studio. James talked a little with Rosie about how he came to be the call screener for the program. He has been a producer and an executive producer before for Sirius radio shows but never a call screener. Joining the Rosie Radio show allowed him to work for Sirius full-time instead of only part-time. James even helped with the Mike Huckabee interview and contributes to the show by suggesting topics that he finds of interest and that he thinks the listeners would find relevant.

Rosie talked about the summer months and how her friend Jackie was going to win the summer tan challenge because she gets 2 extra peak sunning hours between 10 and 12 to lay out. She thinks she has an unfair advantage. She told the staff they are welcome to lay out at her pool from 12-2 everyday this summer. Deirdre said her goal is to get tan this summer. Rosie said she thinks laying in the sun is the most relaxing thing to do in the world. Janette reminded everyone that her boyfriend Barry is always getting pre-cancerous moles removed and Rosie called her a curmudgeon.

EDIE & THEA: A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

Edie from the documentary Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement was in the studio to talk with Rosie. "After 42 years, feisty and delightful lesbian couple Edie and Thea are finally getting married. Edie and Thea is a love story of two remarkable women whose commitment to each other is an inspiration to us all." [Source IMDb]

Edie talked with Rosie about how she met the documentary producers and decided to be married in Canada after being with her partner for over 40 years of her life. She told Rosie she wondered what could possibly be interesting about them enough to make a documentary about their lives.

Edie talked with Rosie about her life and about her realization that she was gay. She went to Harvard and moved to the west side of NYC. She said she first knew she was gay in her 20s and she ended her marriage with a man because she knew she'd never get the desire to be with a woman out of her mind. She told her husband that he deserved more and that he deserved to be the most important person to someone. She said he was very understanding. She never told her mother that she was a lesbian but her mother loved Thea very much. Thea and Edie were together for 44 years and they got married after 42 years of being together. Rosie called the documentary a "beautiful movie."

When Edie's partner Thea was diagnosed with MS and was told that she only had a year left to live the next day Thea asked Edie if she'd like to get married. Edie said YES! Edie said that the symbolism of being married felt different, even after 42 years. She and her partner never had children because they were told by society at the time that it would damage the child to not have a mother and a father. Now, of course, she doesn't believe that.

Edie is 81 years young now and Rosie commented how strikingly beautiful she is. Edie talked with Rosie about how she came out slowly and explained that she was not completely out until she met Thea. She said she didn't look like many of the lesbians she knew and the first time she went to a gay bar nobody talked to her and she left! She said Thea, on the other hand, was always with someone.

Edie told Rosie that eventually she was looking for a man with children who needed a mother because she thought "these lesbians are never going to get me." She thought there was no way lesbians were ever going to accept her. Then she heard Thea was finally not seeing anyone and she asked to come to the Hamptons for the weekend with the intent of seeing Thea again. Edie told Rosie she saw Thea that weekend and asked her if her dance card was filled and Thea said, "It is now." Awwwwwwwwwww.

Rosie told Edie that the movie is a great example of a gay relationship that stayed together for a long time. She told her how important her story is for the history of gay people. Rosie said that the love between them made her cry and she had so wished she had gotten to know Thea. Rosie asked Edie how she liked living with a shrink? Edie said that Thea once said to her, "I don't want to know anything about you that you don't tell me about you." Wow, that's my favorite quote.

Edie's wife Thea passed away about a year and a half ago and she said she's doing pretty well considering. She talked with Rosie about the day that Thea died and how lucky she feels that she was able to get to experience that kind of love. Rosie thanked Edie so much for coming in. It was a great interview!

The Trailer

Reel to Reel on Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement

Follow the group on Facebook leading up to its premiere on the Sundance Channel in June.

TALKING TO A FRIEND ABOUT WEIGHT AND PICKING YOURSELF UP AGAIN
Rosie asked the studio what to do when a good friend of yours has gained weight and the friend is in denial about it. She said she doesn't want to hurt the person's feelings but she also doesn't want to be complicit in the denial. Bobby said he feels like if they're obviously lying about it then they're not ready to tell the truth. Otherwise, she's at risk for calling them out for something they're not ready to say. Janette thinks telling someone that they've gained weight can backfire and the person probably knows they've gained weight and they're lying to protect themselves. She said pointing it out can can make them lie even more. Jeannie said it's like the alcoholic and the person has to be ready to face it. Janette asked Rosie if anyone ever mentioning her weight to her has helped her and Rosie said No. Janette also said No. Rosie talked about how she struggled to lose weight when she was asked to do so for movie roles.

Bobby said that Rosie brought up his weight gain to him in the most beautiful way by saying "I love you and I don't want you to die." Rosie said that many of Bobby's friends had called her and mentioned their concern for his weight.

Tracy has pointed out to Rosie that she drinks more when the kids are gone. Janette said she often has to remind herself that we have a choice with how we react to negative situations in our lives and we can choose to look at the positives. Deirdre said she gives herself a certain amount of time to feel sorry for herself and then picks herself up and moves on. She said we need the right to grieve whatever has happened but then we need to move on. Rosie talked about after going through the breakup with Kelli how she needed to make a choice to begin again in 2010.

BUDDHISM, MEDITATION, SHOWERS VS. BATHS AND MORTGAGES
Janette shared with the group that years ago she was a chanting buddhist. She chanted for a little bit for everyone. She talked about her own struggle with spirituality but said her life transformed when she practiced it. She said if you are regiment in any spiritual practice you can transform your life in any way. Deirdre shared that she meditates every day and has been doing it since the age of 5! She said without meditation she'd go crazy. Bobby said he can't meditate because random thoughts enter his head and distract him from the practice. Janette recommended meditating with a mantra. Deirdre recommended doing it under water in the bath. Janette said she hates bath. Rosie and Deirdre LOVE the bath. Janette said she doesn't like hot water and baths make her feel tired and sweaty. Rosie called her a curmudgeon again! lol Jeannie bought her house specifically for the bathtub and Bobby loves the shower. Janette said she loves a steam room and a sauna but not to sit in the water. She said it makes her feel like soup. LOL, I just read this paragraph over and it sounds so ridiculous. But this was the conversation they were having!

Then they had a long conversation about balloon mortgage payments and bad loans. I missed most of this conversation but they talked about refinancing, paying down loans, and Bobby being pressured by his mortgage company to borrow more money when he was trying to pay it off. They all agreed that the mortgage crisis is not over, that it's only just the beginning. Rosie wondered whether Goldman Sachs are the bad guys because she said that's where all her money is invested.

PEGGY BROXTERMAN
Peggy Broxterman was on the phone to talk to Rosie. Peggy lost her 42 year old son Paul Gregory Beatty Broxterman 15 years ago in the Oklahoma City bombing. Paul was a federal officer with Housing and Urban Development and was on the 5th floor of the building just above the nursery at the the bombing. He had only been on the job for 3 days and had just been transferred there from Arizona. She didn't even know yet what building he was working in. Peggy said that her other son called her that morning and told her about the bombing and that he thought it was the building Paul was working in. Peggy said she didn't believe it and battled with denial over his death for a long time.

Paul was the oldest of 3 boys and he had 4 children of his own that ranged in age from 15 to 7 at the time of his death. Rosie and Peggy talked about the unique bond a parent often shares with their oldest child and what a special relationship it is.

Rosie asked Peggy what it felt like to witness the execution of Timothy McVeigh. Peggy said, "It was marvelous." She said she wanted to "see that Son of a Bitch die." Peggy said there were hundreds in the lottery to witness the execution and she was called to be one of the few that could witness it. She said she was "thrilled to death" when she found out she was chosen. Rosie asked if she had any fear over witnessing the execution and she said she did not. Peggy said she wanted to see this happen. Peggy went with a friend whose brother was killed in the bombing and described walking into the room and being seated. She said that Timothy mainly looked at his family and she said it was hard to control the urge to stomp on him or strangle him herself. Peggy said she put a picture of her son Paul up against the glass and she said aloud "You son of a bitch" and someone behind her said "Amen." She said his death itself appeared easy and he just closed his eyes and "went to sleep."

She said the group of witnesses were happy afterward and they had counselors, ministers, and Rabbis available to them but no one needed them. Peggy sort of apologized for her glee to Rosie and Rosie said that she was entitled to any feelings she has. She told Peggy not to feel badly and explained that she had no judgment.

Peggy said that she followed the Terry Nichols trial and was very disappointed when he only got life in prison and not the death penalty too. Peggy befriended Terry's wife after she apologized to her outside the courthouse for what her husband had done. She said she had compassion for Terry Nichols son who was in trouble with the law and Peggy wrote a letter to the court on his behalf. Rosie was impressed that Peggy felt such compassion for the son of the man that participated in the killing of her son - the boy that had to live with the fact that his father was a mass murderer and an American Terrorist.

Rosie asked Peggy how her grandchildren (Paul's children) are doing and she said fine and then corrected herself and said well, not fine. She said they didn't take advantage of the situation as they should have. She said her daughter-in-law got remarried 9 months after Paul's death and she said her grandchildren were completely neglected. She said they had their college paid for by the government but didn't take advantage of it. She said she often thinks about how life would have been different if Paul had lived.

Peggy said she's now 79 years old and could have never fathomed that her life would take this turn. Peggy's first husband was killed at the age of 28 in a car accident and she always had a feeling that Paul would never reach old age. She said her son Paul lived a good, full life and described him as adventuresome and trustworthy. She said he got his degree in Criminal Justice and became a Mormon as an adult but "wouldn't give up his beer though." She said when she visits Paul's grave she will take a bottle of beer and pour it on his grave.

Peggy ended the conversation with Rosie by telling her how much she admired her and her documentary All Aboard. She said that they all have something in common and she understands that feeling Rosie and the other gay families have on the cruise amongst people that understand the struggles that they face because she feels the same way when she goes to memorials to be with others who have lost someone in the bombing.

Rosie thanked Peggy for calling in and sharing her story and told her she'd love to have a beer with her one day.

CALLERS
Rosie spoke to a caller about Glee and Oprah's Sirius program. She gave her a Glee prize pack and $50 gift card to Proflowers.com. The caller asked about the puppy she was going to buy Vivi but Rosie said that Vivi has decided that she wants a hamster, not a puppy. The caller suggested that Rosie look into buying her a Shih Tzu because she said they are hearty and like a teddy bear.

Rosie spoke to another caller who recommended she go to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The caller said that Rehoboth is very gay and family friendly. She told him to write her through askro and send her a link to it and she'd email him back and they could talk about it.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN JANETTE BARBER'S FACEBOOK GROUP!

Rosie closed the show.

and that's what you missed - kw

4-29-10

In case you missed it...

CRAZY HAT DAY, LITTLE LEAGUE GAMES, AND AGING & PLASTIC SURGERY
One of the studio staff members gave Rosie a coupon for her birthday that she could turn in that required all the members of the crew to wear funny hats so everyone had on silly hats for Rosie's pleasure today. They described them all. This led to a discussion about the Transformers movies and Rosie hated Transformers both 1 and 2. She said she thought it was the worst film ever made and said that no one warned her when she became a parent that she would have to sit through horrible movies like this. Deirdre, Janette, Pete and Pete's wife all LOVED the Transformers movies, thus starting a debate. Then again, Rosie admitted that she didn't like Titanic either (that went on to win 11 Academy awards which Pete pointed out).

Blake pitched last night (see Rosie's blog header for a picture)! Rosie said it was pretty intense to watch. He pitched the last 2 innings and struck the first batter out without allowing any runs. During the last inning, he walked a couple runners so he was "relieved" by another pitcher. That's the best I can do for sports reporting. My knowledge of sports is extremely limited to say the least. Rosie said she filmed Blake pitching and took about 240 pictures last night. She said she's really enjoying the "Little League thing."

Lois Heymann, the author of the book The Sound of Hope and Blake's speech therapist was also in attendance at the baseball game. If you haven't already ordered your copy you can do so HERE. I am waiting for mine to come and was thinking of writing a review of it if anyone is interested. Would you all like to hear about it?

Rosie said that apparently Kathy Lee Gifford is mad at her for the remarks she said about Kathy having plastic surgery. Rosie said she's always liked Kathy Lee and seemed sad that she is mad at her. Kathy said something like "Rosie, you can come here and see if you can find the scars." Rosie said that Kathy, Hoda and Rosie should do a whole hour show without any makeup. Rosie said her friend Georgette Mosbacher always knows who had what plastic surgery and she can spot it from a mile away. Rosie apologized to Kathy on air and admitted that she herself had a "chin suck thing." She said she doesn't begrudge anyone who has had plastic surgery except the people who totally lie about it like Barbara Walters (which she whispered). Janette admitted to having botox, a little restalin, a little liposuction under her chin and a nose job. Rosie said that Tyne Daly looks the best at her age and Rosie hopes to look like Tyne when she's older.

There was a lot of talk about movies that Rosie didn't "get" like Brazil and Blue Velvet. They talked about movies about the future and Janette said that all the books and movies that go into the future are grim which scares her. Janette recommended Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake to the listeners. A listener called in to talk about how it has disappointed her that the feminist icons like Marlo Thomas and Jane Fonda have succumbed to the plastic surgery that Hollywood pushes on celebrities. Rosie loves both those actresses and said that they both grew up with famous fathers in show business and proposed that it may be hard for women of that era. Rosie loves Jane Fonda in every capacity and she thought she was physically stunning as she was. Rosie says she has compassion and understanding for them and realizes it's there own personal decision but remarked that it is mildly disappointing. She talked about how Janette and Kelli's mother scared her about how much she was going to hate menopause and growing older. Rosie did her best "Kelli O'Donnell mama" impersonation. She said that now because of the magnifying mirror that Kelli's mom got her she has Chronic Skin Picking Disease. Rosie talked about how she saw Kelli's mom at the Little League game yesterday. She said it was a little awkward at the beginning but said what great grandparents they are to their kids. Rosie invited Pete and his girls to come and watch one of Blake's Little League games one day.

Rosie and Pete started talking about Catholic mass and how their favorite line as a kid was "the mass has ended go in peace." Rosie said she used to get anxiety over greeting everyone around them in mass and wishing your neighbors peace. She said the only Catholic masses she ever goes to now are during funerals.

THE NEW ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW: JANETTE VS. BRENDAN
Brendan and Janette debated the new Arizona immigration law that authorizes police officers to stop suspected illegal immigrants and demand proof of citizenship. The law's constitutionality is being debated. Brendan's standpoint was that he thinks we need immigration reform but thinks this is a bad way to do it. Janette's point of view was that since 70% of Arizonians supported this law we need to listen to them. Janette said that the law doesn't state that they are allowed to stop "anyone for any reason" she said there has to be reasonable suspicion to ask for someone's proof of citizenship. She also said there is a sentence in the law that states that they shall not investigate complaints based on solely race. She said that we cannot hire illegal aliens and the state of Arizona is in fiscal crisis because they have so many undocumented persons to support in their state. She said their services, hospitals, and educational system are all drained and the federal government does nothing to enforce the current immigration laws and penalties. She said that Arizona has the right to do this.

Brendan said to make this law it infringes on the rights of American citizens and it is not the solution to the problem. Janette maintained her position that nothing is being done on the Federal level! They took a few callers on the topic. Brendan said the law promotes racial profiling and said he wanted a different solution to the problem. Brendan said the law sounds like Germany when the Nazis requested someone's papers. Janette said that this was totally different and not about someone's religion or race it was about someone entering this country in an illegal manner.

Rosie asked Janette if she knows any illegals and Janette said she dated someone who was in the country illegally once. Janette said it's not about the people but about the fact that they are entering into this country illegally when there are processes in place to allow people to immigrate here in a legal way. It was a fantastic debate! I totally loved it and both Brendan and Janette brought up some really good points!

DISCRIMINATION DUE TO SEXUAL PREFERENCE
Rosie brought up the news story about a lesbian girl named Ceara Sturgis who was told she cannot wear a tux in her high school yearbook so they took her out of it entirely. Rosie spoke about the article and the girl and said it reminded Rosie of her friend Seth Rudetsky's story (whom she called an amazing, accomplished performer and musician). Seth called in to tell his story of what happened to him during high school.

Seth said in 1985 he had gotten his yearbook and he opened it up and the nickname written under his photo was "queerboy." Seth said someone had had stolen the sheet that he filled out with the facts about himself and written that nickname in and it got approved and printed in the yearbook. He said he was not out in 1985 - he was 16 years old. He was immediately ashamed and didn't want his parents to see it. His parents went to see a lawyer and the lawyer asked him flat out if he was gay. He denied it at the time. The lawyer said that they couldn't sue if he were gay (which is total BULLSHIT!) but if he was not, they could. He said the school made everyone bring their yearbooks back and crossed the word out with a black magic marker.

Seth said a year later he went back to the lawyer and told him that he realized he was gay. The lawyer yelled at him for embarrassing him and just as he was going to withdraw the case the school offered them a small settlement of $6,000. Rosie asked Seth how hard it was to be in school afterward. He said he thought is was yet again, something humiliating and embarrassing that happened to him at school. In a way he was forced to come out to his parents. Rosie and Seth talked about today's world and how things have changed (for many but not all) gay teens and the gay straight alliances many high schools now have.

Rosie ended the interview letting Seth know that she definitely wanted he and Betty Buckley to come back and do Broadway By Request on Rosie Radio! They talked about the amazing Betty Buckley and how much they both adore her.

You can listen to Seth on Sirius/XM every afternoon from 3pm-9pm EST on the Broadway Channel!

MELISSA ETHERIDGE

Just then Melissa Etheridge called in to talk with Rosie! Melissa is performing in Tribecca tonight! Rosie asked her about this and she said she's only performing 5 or 6 songs and said that if it were a big concert she would have totally invited her to come. Melissa told Rosie that she will be back in NY in July and Rosie said she already has her tickets!

Rosie told Melissa how much she loves Melissa's new album Fearless Love. Melissa said she's excited about touring because she called it "the big payoff." She said she loves performing and she's going to be touring with a brand new band! She said they're incredible and she's really looking forward to going on the road performing her new music. Melissa said she's bringing along her older kids and they're pumped to go! Rosie said that this year when her kids found out she's not going on tour with Cyndi Lauper and True Colors they were all disappointed. She said to them - "Newsflash, I'm not a rockstar." LOL

Rosie asked Melissa how she is dealing with am almost 13 year old teenage girl. They both let out a collaborative UGH. Melissa said that both her older kids are musical and she loves it. She also said that they love to go on the road with Melissa and get their own bunks on the bus and each bunk has their own DVD player. She said they can play video games and it's like an adventure! Melissa also talked about her "babies" who are 3 years old! She adores her kids, it was so sweet to hear them talk about them!

Rosie talked to Melissa about how she's into "clean food" and how Rosie is thinking of doing that too. Melissa said that food was comfort for her and then she learned to comfort herself. She said she learned that food is nutrition, not comfort. Melissa said that we have more power than we know with what we eat and the emotions that we feel that can dictate our health. Melissa said she is very into eating fish and organic chicken these days.

Rosie brought up the caller who once called in who is obsessed with Melissa Etheridge and arranged for him to talk to her on the phone during the interview. The caller got to talk on the phone with Melissa and tell her how much he loves her new album and how he feels like in a lot of ways she saved his life. He said it was hard for him to explain but her music gave him something to relate to and look forward to when things weren't good in his life. He said he can put in her CD and all the bad goes way. Awwwww! So sweet! Melissa told the caller that feeling good is normal and encouraged him to find those things in life that also make him feel good and keep filling your life with them. She said he should feel like that every day. She said to him that he is a wonderful human being and he's worth love and we're better off in the world because he's in it! It was such a sweet conversation! Truly, as a fan, I totally got it. An amazing moment.

Melissa and Rosie talked briefly about her bout with cancer and how it changed her life. Melissa said that it woke her up and she's appreciative that she got cancer for that reason. She said that cancer awoke her to the reality that we're here to create love and joy every single day. She said her new album is the result of doing that. Melissa said that instead of searching for something outside ourselves we need to reach into the power that is within us. She said the secret and the goal is to be happy.

Melissa's tour starts in June and her latest album Fearless Love is available for download on iTunes now!

Fearless Love by Melissa Etheridge

FIND ME ON STAGE, GOING BACK TO DAYTIME, FEUDS, PRICE IS RIGHT AND FLAN
Tonight Rosie said she's going to see Everyday Rapture which has the same writer, director and producer that are putting together Find Me and making it into a one woman show! She said that she hopes to be reading for readings of it in August of this year and see if they can get it up and running before she starts her "daytime talk show venture."

Rosie seemed to look forward to the idea of going back to TV but when she asked for the staff's feelings on going back to TV Janette took a LONG pause. Janette said she "loves radio" and Rosie said she does too but it bothers her that it's not free for everyone like TV. Has Rosie seen a cable bill recently?
Janette said on cable networks you can have programming that you can't have on any other station and on radio you get to say what you want. Janette was making the point that if they go to network TV they won't be able to talk about or discuss issues in the same way as they can on cable or Sirius. Rosie said she would like to take the intimacy that they have now on the radio and bring it to TV. She said she would like to make her new show more of an "organic show." Janette said on TV it is sometimes conceived, typed and edited differently and "the medium is the message." Rosie had never heard that quote before so they explained its origin to her. "The medium is the message is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived." Brendan said it was also a famous scene in Annie Hall. Marshall McLuhan makes an appearance at the end of the clip:

Rosie said she just read that Melissa Etheridge was over at Elisabeth Hasselbeck's house last night watching American Idol. She said it's probably true but wished she had known that before she interviewed her because she would have asked her about it! She said that one day she's sure that she and Elisabeth will make up and she will cry. LOL

Rosie talked about who she has a supposed celebrity feud with and made it clear that she is not in a feud with Kelly Ripa. Pete pointed out that she may be in a feud with Chinese Americans so not to forget about that. Thanks Pete!

Rosie told listeners how she BEGGED for the role of host on the Price Is Right and how they had many many meetings on it. She said she likes Drew Carey a lot but doesn't think he gets excited enough for the winners. Janette said it is a good thing she didn't get it because it would have been too hard for Rosie to let the contestants lose.

They VERY briefly talked about American Idol last night and played Crystal Bowersox's performance. Rosie said she doesn't want to hear anyone being mean to Crystal ever.

Rosie took one caller who tried to convince her that she would love the flan that she makes. Rosie asked her to send her some and closed the show.

and that's what you missed -kw

4-28-10

In case you missed it...

RECAPPING YESTERDAY, GLEE, THE FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL
Rosie and the staff started today show talking about how great yesterday's show was with all the Broadway performers and Rosie asked if they should have a show dedicated to all things Broadway at least once and month. UMMMM, YES!

The staff all watched Glee last night and talked about how much they loved the episode and Kristin Chenoweth in it. Rosie called Kristin one of the biggest and brightest stars with true talent out there today. Kristin is currently starring in Promises, Promises and Rosie was supposed to go on Sunday night to the opening but she was sick. Rosie is going to go see it soon. Rosie said the show Glee makes people not need anti-depressants. :)

Rosie met someone at Sirius yesterday who loves Glee but skips through the musical numbers to which she and Bobby gasped in disbelief. Someone in the studio admitted to doing that when they watch SNL which led to Rosie talking about the times she hosted SNL and James Taylor and Whitney Houston were the musical guests the nights she hosted.

Yesterday, Tracy and Rosie went to the Family Equality Council fundraiser. The Family Equality Council "works to ensure equality for LGBT families by building community, changing hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families."

A video about the Family Equality Council

Rosie said that typically she attends these sorts of charity events as a host or presenter and last night was the first time she had been just a guest and not set in the back VIP room preparing to present. She saw Cathy Rigby and her husband. She met Stephen Wallem (the guy who plays the diabetic nurse on Nurse Jackie) and she said he was so cute and funny and he asked her to do a guest spot on the show and Kerry Butler performed. Rosie really was touched by one of the honorees at last night's event - Dr. Jane Aronson. Rosie said she had a conversation with her and said she was amazing, adorable and so smart. Rosie said she was so moved by her speech. She called her speech "soul fuel" and said she found herself audibly sighing by what she said. She said it was like listening to Stratavarious only she was the violin and the player. And the Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler also spoke. Rosie had met Jennifer before on some of the RFamily cruises and last night she talked about Mike Huckabee and his stance on gays adopting. Rosie said she had wished she had talked to Jennifer before her interview with Mike because she had some fantastic facts. Jennifer said there are over 1,000,000 gay and lesbian parents raising over 3,00,000 children already and that gay parenting and adoption is NOT an experiment. It's been going on for years and years and it's been working.

Rosie said that this was Tracy and her first public event together ever and when they got home, Tracy told her that she felt a little invisible. Janette said she too has experienced this with Rosie and said she finds it very relaxing and encouraged Tracy to embrace it. Rosie stressed that they don't get a lot of nights out together and it was different for them. Rosie ended the conversation talking about how much she enjoys Tracy and being with her.

Rosie said she spent all day yesterday on TV and talking about her book and that she was really thankful that Jeannie found the Little Red Riding Hood audio clip because it really helped her explain APD to people.

SPIDEY'S RETURN, COSTA RICA AND CALLERS WEIGH IN
Just then the studio spider made another appearance and Deirdre was summoned to kill it and flush it down the toilet. They debated if it was the same one. Janette said that they need to do a spider check before they begin each show. Either Pete or Bobby suggested that they spray for bugs in the studio and Janette said then they will all die from the spray! Rosie said Janette wants Mike Hukabee's ideal and that's impossible. LOL!

Rosie bid on several things at the silent auction at last night's charity event (especially to help increase the amount they get at their event) and ended up winning a trip to Costa Rica! Rosie said that Tracy really wants to go and Rosie recommended just putting Costa Rica sounds and music on at her house in Miami like Tommy Mottola once did. He is her neighbor in Miami and he put speakers in the trees so it sounded like there were all these exotic birds in the trees. Someone recommended to Rosie that she go on the Costa Rica trip as a trade off for camping and Rosie said that Tracy is not one for bargaining.

They took several callers debating the pros and cons of Costa Rica. Rosie sounded intrigued when someone mentioned the monkeys! She won a trip where she is staying at the The Gaia Hotel and Reserve (HOLY SHIT! I looked it up and it looks AMAZING!).

Rosie took several more callers including a woman who called in to talk about Glee and Rosie and the caller started to talk about her daughter who suffers from Bulimia and anxiety. They talked about the great conversations that Glee can begin between parents and teens and the important messages it provides. A Christian minister called in to tell Rosie that not all Christians believe the way Huckabee does. He said he thinks Rosie is a kind, compassionate, person and God loves her and what she's doing and he would be proud to have a daughter like her. AWWWWWW!!!! I seriously got teary eyed. Rosie asked him why is it that more every day Christians don't get more media attention and he said most people just don't know gay people and that's the problem.

JENNIFER KNAPP, SANDRA BULLOCK AND WHAT CONSTITUTES VERBAL ABUSE
Rosie talked about the interview of Jennifer Knapp on Larry King Live. Jennifer is a Christian singer who recently came out as lesbian. Rosie talked about her minister being on and telling Jennifer that she "needs to come back to Christ." Rosie thought that if you really loved someone you wouldn't be so judgmental. She wondered why being gay is the one sin that makes you no longer allowed to be a Christian? Rosie loved Larry King and the points he made in this interview. (ME TOO! Watch it below.) She said it was disheartening to see what the pastor had to say to her. Watch below:

Rosie read that Sandra Bullock filed for divorce and adopted a baby! Rosie said that she's very happy for her! Rosie told her own adoption story of Parker and how they told her if he got under 5 pounds she would have to bring Parker back to the hospital. Rosie said she and Bobby had to weigh him twice a day and she still has the little form that they filled out with his weights and how much he ate. They would weigh him with his diaper on because he did drop some weight and got very close to 5 pounds. He even took those little preemie bottles that you can't buy anywhere and can only get from the hospital. Bobby said they were both suffering from no sleep and they needed more bottles so he drove to the hospital and asked to buy a bunch of bottles but started crying hysterically with the nurses. The nurse asked him if he was a new father and gave him a whole bag full of bottles and he went all the way back to the car crying. They reminisced about how fun it was when he was a baby and how they can't believe he's now taller than Bobby! Rosie remarked about the "little 5 pound baby boy that changed everything." It was SO SWEET! I can relate to this so much. I feel the same way about my oldest. They change you forever.

Janette told a story about how she saw 2 people wearing sandwich signs confessing that they were verbally abusive to their significant others. The girl told the boyfriend that he was verbally abusive so he wore a sign confessing that he was. Then she started thinking about herself and realized that she had been verbally abusive to him right back. It made Janette think about herself and she thought that she was maybe verbally abusive to herself in front of Barry. Pete and Bobby read the definition of verbal abuse and Rosie asked if that's what she did to Lou the first 2 weeks of the show. Janette said it was! Janette said even if the situation was a hoax she found value in it because it made her think about her own actions. Lou said what Rosie had to say to him made him better. Rosie talked about when she gets really angry how she gets very still and at that moment of stillness, she realizes that feeling of wanting to kill someone. Rosie has felt THAT angry before.

ANNE LEONARD AND THE STORY OF STUFF
Anne Leonard, the creator of The Story of Stuff, called in to chat with Rosie! Rosie said that Tracy's biggest goal is to get rid of half the stuff in her place and Rosie said she feels a huge relief from it. Rosie told Anne how she loved her story and the way she presented it. Anne said she's been working on environmental issues for over 20 years and she wanted to talk about the serious issues in a fun, engaging and accessible way. Anne said she got into environmental issues when she went to college in NYC and was mesmerized by the shoulder high pile of garbage on the streets. She said looking at garbage is like reading a city's secret diary. She then took a trip to a landfill which she thinks should be required before we get our first credit cards. Anne talked with Rosie about how it's fundamentally wrong to build an economy based on waste. Anne studied environmental science and political science in college and traveled with Green Peace for 10 years tracking the hazardous waste and garbage all over the world. She traveled to 40 countries and visited hundreds of factories studying waste. She said we have a global system that encourages consumption and waste and she studied it first hand. She said instead of thinking NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) we need to think NOPE (Not On Planet Earth). They talked about how oftentimes the poorest neighborhoods are where they dump the hazardous waste because the poor does not have political power or a voice.

Anne said that we shouldn't be discouraged because there are amazing innovations out there to improve our environment and it is absolutely possible for us to make the things we need without trashing each other or the planet. She said although she appreciates people that go green and encourage others to recycle the real way to make change is by engaging in democracy and changing legislation.

Rosie brought up the fact that we now pay for bottled water (which used to be FREE) and how "they" have convinced us that our tap water is bad for us and the waste the bottles provide. Anne said she has a whole new film all about bottled water! You can watch it HERE.

Anne encouraged listeners to slowly extricate themselves from the "consumption treadmill." She said it can be a lot more fun! She said someone studied the science of happiness and what makes people happy and it's not a new flatscreen TV or boots that make people happy. She said they found 3 things that truly make you happy: 1. the quality of our social relations 2. having a sense of purpose and 3. working with others towards a shared goal. She said we as a country are neglecting the things that actually make us happy. She said that there is no need to live with guilt because we didn't set up the economy this way - someone else made those decisions. The best thing we can do is to not feel guilty but to plug back into the political process and change the world.

At the end of the interview Rosie asked Anne if she liked camping. LOL She said that yes, she likes camping but she takes her pillow and her solar powered espresso machine so she does it well. :)

PETE'S TIRED, ROSIE'S A LES-BEAN AND THE BAGEL DONUT WEIGHT WATCHERS DEBATE
Pete was tired (and possibly was dozing off during today's show?!) and Rosie asked him about it. Pete told Rosie how he wanted to stop to get donuts this morning on the way to work and Shoshana was the "donut Nazi" and wouldn't let them stop. Rosie was given special homemade coupons from someone at the studio (possibly Brendan) and one of them is everyone in the control room has to wear silly hats and the other one was daily donuts and bagels for a full week!

Rosie said she got a letter from a kid who takes classes as the Maravel Arts Center saying how much she loves being at the school and taking her classes and she said, "I don't even care that you're a les-bean." Rosie loved it.

There was a great bagel vs. donut debate with listeners calling in and giving their thoughts on the caloric content of both and which is worse. One caller said that an original glazed Krispy Kreme donut is better for you than a bagel! She was a Weight Watchers leader and talked with Rosie about weight watchers and losing weight. Rosie talked about her friend Lauren Slater who recently gained some weight due to depression and how it changes you.

Another listener called in who started the "Robin Quivers green drink diet" to tell Rosie it's the best thing he's ever done. He did it because he had no energy and he wanted to lose weight and after the 5th day he's felt better than ever. He recommended the documentary Simply Raw to Rosie and listeners. Rosie told him she's having dinner with Robin tomorrow to discuss it!

Simply Raw diet Trailer

Rosie closed the show talking about switching to all raw foods, possibly going camping, traveling to Costa Rica and maybe even taking a hike! It's a whole new "her" she said. :)

and that's what you missed - kw

4-27-10

In case you missed it...

AMAZING THEME SONG SINGERS, ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND ACCUPUNCTURE
Rosie Radio was broadcasting live from the Sirius studios in NYC today! She had the original singers of the Rosie Radio theme song sing the song LIVE at today's start of the show. It was so perfect you couldn't even tell it was live! Fantastic job! They quickly said their names and I think they were Connie Brooks and James Filladell. (I'm totally guessing on the spelling). They are both classically trained singers. Connie is singing with the Manhattan Choral Ensemble on Friday, June 11th.

The theme song

(The recording quality isn't great, but you get the idea!)

Rosie asked Jeannie about how her Lexapro is helping her and whether or not it is the reason she seems less stressed out lately. Jeannie said it is helping her "not react" as much as Dr. Drew had advised her to do with her teenage daughter. Rosie saw Dr. Drew Pinsky this morning at Good Morning America when she was heading to film her television spot promoting her book The Sound of Hope with Lois Heymann. Rosie was recently asked about the celebrity feud between Dr. Drew and Lindsay Lohan and what her thoughts were on it. You can read about that feud HERE. Rosie stated that she supports what Dr. Drew said completely.

Rosie said she went to the doctor yesterday to have her medications changed to get off Effexor. Rosie said that since she has been getting her hormone levels checked the doctors have discovered that she is only low in serotonin and not in any other hormones. She wants to switch to a medication that only treats her low serotonin levels and nothing else. I really admire Rosie and Jeannie's honesty when speaking of their depression and anxiety issues. Seriously. They are always so open, honest and brave with their personal stories.

Rosie went to an Acupuncturist for the first time ever yesterday and she said it's the first night that she's slept well in months. Janette said her sister Lanette also loves Acupuncture and has gotten a lot of benefit from it. Rosie's now decided she's going to go once a week.

Rosie asked anyone if they could tell that she was wearing her pajama bottoms to the show yesterday and they ALL (including Pete) said YES, they could tell. Apparently she also wore them to see the physician she went to yesterday. Jeannie reminded Rosie about the time that Michael Jackson wore his pajama bottoms to court and Rosie asked her and Jackie to make sure and tell her if she ever "got to that point" and Jeannie warned her she's almost there.

JUST SAY NO TO POT, FOOD INC, AND NURSE JACKIE ROCKS

Rosie also learned at her physician's office that the worst things you can do for PTSD and depression is smoke pot. They also talked about a new study that says that pot smoking leads to psychosis. Rosie said that she was told that in terms of maintaining mental health, pot is much worse than alcohol. It has been discovered that marijuana causes panic and anxiety. Janette said she's been off the weed for a while now because she eats too much when she smokes and she feels that when you feel that a substance owns you it's time to quit. She said that if she knows that there's pot in the house, she has to smoke it. Someone in the studio googled pot and said that 1 joint = 10 cigarettes in terms of what it does to your lungs. Pete said he just saw a documentary called The Union: The Business Behind Getting High about marijuana consumption and added some of the things he learned from the film.

The Trailer for The Union: The Business Behind Getting High

Janette talked about the anxiety she feels coming off of pot. Rosie asked Janette if she ever considered anti-anxiety medication but she said she never felt well on anti-anxiety medication and said she would like to go a non-pharmaceutical route to come off of it. Jeannie talked about how the first month she was on Lexipro she didn't like the way it made her feel but that now she feels more like her old self again. As a contrast, Janette's sister Lanette gained a ton of weight and said that she feels like she lost a decade of her life to anti-depressants. Rosie recommended that Janette try acupuncture and she said she would. Deirdre said she has been doing acupuncture for a long time and she loves it.

The doctor also asked Rosie what kind of food she eats at meals and Rosie said she doesn't have "meals" per se. Tracy, Rosie's girlfriend, is a very healthy eater in comparison to Rosie. This weekend they watched the documentary Food, Inc. together. Rosie told Jeannie "this documentary will make you never want to eat again!" Rosie and the staff described the documentary and how it discusses genetically modified food and chickens that have breasts so big they can't walk. Janette said we have industrialized the food industry in a manner that has ruined everything we're eating. They talked about how we feed corn to cows because it makes them fatter but cows get infections from corn so they have to pump them full of antibiotics. Rosie said the documentary "totally changed the way she felt about food" to the point where she is almost thinking of becoming a vegetarian. She said "when you see what goes into making the average hamburger it's enough to make you never want to eat again." Janette pointed out that almost everything we buy in the grocery store has corn in it now and that's why Americans are fat.

The Trailer for Food, Inc.

They also talked about how our hormone filled food industry has been linked to the early maturity of girls. Janette recommended the book Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and talked about eating locally farmed beef and produce. Rosie said if everyone saw Food, Inc. it would change the way Americans eat and asked Deirdre if they could have the filmmakers on the show.

They took several callers on the topic of marijuana smoking and Janette talked about how she started smoking pot originally because she couldn't sleep. But, she said she always feels better when she's not smoking it as Rosie did during her "year without beer." Rosie said they are going on vacation on June 27th and asked Janette if she can go 2 months without smoking it and Rosie asked her to keep a log of what it feels like for her.

Rosie mentioned and recommended the show Nurse Jackie on Showtime. Rosie loves that show! Here's a trailer for that show. I love it too!!!!

BRIAN CHARLES JOHNSON FROM AMERICAN IDIOT ON BROADWAY

Rosie then introduced Brian Charles Johnson who she recently saw perform in American Idiot on Broadway. Rosie said to him, "You are so cute, I can't stand it." Rosie originally met Brian when she saw him perform in Spring Awakening. Brian originated the role of Otto and brought it to Broadway! Brian told Rosie that he had always wanted to perform either singing or acting. Rosie told Brian he was a fantastic dancer and Brian said he never took a dance class in his life but he did play sports all his life and took some movement classes. He said the choreographer, Steven Hoggett choreographed the dancing around their different body types and abilities in the show. Rosie loved it. She said she felt so honored to be there opening night. Brian said that the audiences have been amazing since the show has started and every night people are on their feet applauding and wanting more.

Rosie asked Brian if he was a fan of Green Day before the musical and Brian said he was. Rosie admitted that she didn't know much of their music but it was the first time her teens wanted to attend a Broadway opening. Brian said the song "Holiday" is his favorite from the show and he gets to perform it on Letterman on Thursday! Rosie advised him "not to bring up the intern thing." LOL!

Brian and his friend Chase Peacock have an R&B/rap group and they are going to be doing some gigs on nights when they don't have a performance for American Idiot. Rosie asked Brian how it is working 8 shows a week and he talked about the "boot camp" they went through to prepare for the opening. He said they've been filming through the whole process of the show and he has lost so much weight since the beginning he doesn't even recognize himself in the earlier pictures. Rosie said they should release it as a workout tape! She said the play is SO riveting and and Brian's so good at it!

Brian ended by singing the song Novocaine with Alec Berlin playing guitar.

Brian sings Novocaine

(fantastic job! I totally loved it!)

ROSIE'S ON GMA, DOLLYWOOD, AND FACEBOOK

Rosie asked the studio if any of them saw her on Good Morning America today! You can watch a clip of it below. Rosie said it's been shocking to realize how many kids have APD and talked about managing the disability for Blake but never actually being cured from it. Here is a LINK to an article about her appearance. Here is a LINK to a conversation between Rosie and Diane Sawyer about Blake and APD.

Rosie asked if anyone had been to Dollywood and said that she was thinking of taking the kids there this summer.

Jeannie talked about how involved she is getting with old school friends on facebook and how they are preparing for their 30 year reunion in October!

BETTY BUCKLEY AND SETH RUDETSKY

Betty Buckley, the Tony Award winning theater, film, and television actress and singer, was in the studio to talk with Rosie! Betty is currently starring in White's Lies, a new play at New World's Stages in New York City. She described it as a play about a man named Joe White who "has some commitment issues." Betty plays his mother Mrs. White who tries to get her son to behave. Rosie and Betty had a long conversation about her love of horses and Betty's mother and about growing up in Texas. After 9/11, Betty said that everything changed for her and she remembered her love of horses and how much she wanted to go back to them. Betty is also very into twitter and facebook and it almost sounded like she convinced Rosie to try it again!

Rosie told Betty that she used to watch the show Eight Is Enough and wish her father would marry someone like her. Then she turned 16 and realized it wasn't that she wanted her father to marry Betty Buckley, SHE wanted to marry Betty Buckley! Rosie told Betty about the first time she met her and how she was at a loss for words and instead she sang to her. Betty said for several years she lived down the hall from Robert De Niro and one time she got up the nerve to approach him and he waived her away.

Rosie asked Betty if there is a particular moment in her career that stands out. Betty said it was her first performance of Sunset Boulevard on Broadway. She said the first night on the stage everyone was really frightened and she sang her first song and the house went nuts and she felt enveloped with so much love. She said she came off stage and was breathless. Rosie recalled seeing Betty in Cats on Broadway and how her singing was unlike any moment she had ever seen in a Broadway show. Both Rosie and Betty thought Cats was a fantastic show.

Betty told Rosie how glad the Broadway community is that she's "back." Betty said that Rosie's done so much for Broadway. Rosie admitted that she's missed it, and she's missed getting to showcase Broadway for the masses. She said when she went to Broadway, she would stand by the stage door and that's where she realized that Broadway is where she wanted to be. Rosie said nothing is more exciting to her than the orchestra swelling and the lights going down at the beginning of a Broadway show. Betty said that Rosie changed everything for Broadway with her show The Rosie O'Donnell Show. She said Rosie gave Broadway performers a credibility that they had never had before. Rosie said that Broadway is the only place where showbiz feels as good as she hoped it would. May 6th is opening night of Betty in White's Lies! Rosie said she is going and she can't wait.

Betty then sang a song from Sunset Boulevard with Seth Rudetsky on piano.

(Bad recording quality but fantastic song!  You can hear my kids in the background! lol)

Seth and Betty also perform in a show called Broadway By Request where the audience members get to request the music they want to hear performed! Rosie said she wants them to come into the studio one day and do Broadway By Request on the air.

And then Seth and Betty sang a song from the musical Pippin together!

Rosie closed the show.

and that's what you missed -kw

4-26-10

In case you missed it...

THE WEEKEND UPDATE, UFC, AND DON'T POPTHATZIT
Rosie did not sing the beginning theme song today because it was raining and she sounded just a bit down or tired. Lou played I Can't Stand The Rain by Tina Turner for her and Rosie sang along.

Rosie said she saw some baby squirrels in a tree this weekend and fed them walnuts. Jeannie stayed home all weekend and Deirdre went out to dinner and saw the movie Hot Tub Time Machine and loved it! She said she was crying she was laughing so hard. Janette met Stedman Graham at the WOF retreat. (Here's a link to a BLOG about the retreat! Check out the pictures!) Janette seemed to love Stedman and his life story and she talked about how touched she was by his speech. She said her favorite part of his message was when he said we don't come from our history we come from our imagination. Rosie agreed. She said she always knew she would be famous and that all came from her imagination and her thoughts. Janette said that especially kids who have a hard childhood often dream of a better life for themselves to get through it. A few people at the conference also gave her large donations for MMFC (a cause close to Janette's heart) which made her so happy!

Rosie watched Ultimate Fighting Champion Urijah Faber lose this weekend and get "killed." She said it was painful for her to watch. Pete follows Urijah on his Twitter account and discussed some of his tweets including the pictures he uploaded after the fight. Rosie said it was hard for her to watch and Janette talked about her extremely low threshold for pain. Rosie said when she was on the set of Drop Dead Diva this weekend one of the guys on the set is an UFC champion named Demon who talked with Rosie about how you handle the pain of being hit when you're in the ring in compared to the real world.

Rosie said she's trying not to watch popthatzit videos at the advice of her therapist who thinks it is a bad thing for her intrusive thoughts. Rosie described a video that she watched this weekend of a girl who had a "spalding ball" sized abscess popped on camera and a fountain of crap came out. YUCK! Rosie said it's the most disturbing of any of them she has seen in her entire life and she was still battling to get the image out of her head.

CHELSEA HANDLER IS A NO SHOW, KATHY GRIFFIN'S BOD AND LITTLE LEAGUE
Rosie asked what ever happened to the Chelsea Handler interview that never was and Deirdre said she never got an email or a phone call about it. Deirdre said she got an email from her assistant asking if Chelsea called in that day and Deirdre told her no and then asked her what happened and never heard back. Rosie asked if she was in a feud with her now and Deirdre said "No, I am." LOL!

They discussed how Kathy Griffin would be calling in today which brought up a whole Hollywood plastic surgery debate since Kathy has admitted to having some surgeries of her own. Janette said that she read an article this weekend on how Hollywood is going on a non-plastic swing now. Rosie talked about her friend Tyne Daly and how great she looks at 64 years young!

Rosie's youngest son Blake had a baseball game this weekend and Rosie seemed a bit shocked at how intense the game and the parents were considering it was Little League. Pete said he umped for a while and said he had to quit because he couldn't handle all the coaches going crazy on him for every call! They took several callers talking about the competitiveness of children's sports - both boys and girls.

KATHY GRIFFIN CALLS IN!
Rosie then took a call from Kathy Griffin and began the interview asking her about her Cher-like bangin bod. Kathy and Rosie talked about her public pap smear that she did to promote cervical cancer awareness. Kathy said she didn't get as much media coverage on the event as she would have liked and even went to The Today Show with the idea but got "a firm No" in response to her request. Here's a clip of Joy Behar asking KG about her pap smear. She said she's gotten a lot of "we're going to pass" before but not many "firm NO's." Rosie said if she was on the air right now she would have dedicated an hour to it! Kathy talked about how women are unnecessarily afraid to get pap smears done when it's painless and only takes about 90 seconds. Someone from her team accidentally called the paparazzi during her public pap smear for her hit reality T.V. show My Life on the D-List so her privacy was completely violated!

Rosie asked Kathy how she maintains her rocking body and KG said it was her diet of "starvation, bitterness and Redbull." Ahhhhh, I love Kathy Griffin. Rosie asked Kathy what she's going to do the next time she's in Vegas and KG said she's screwed. (there are some hoagies there that she loves to eat) She said that she'll probably lose 16 bucks on the nickle slots though and then she'll be to depressed to eat. Kathy said that since My Life on the D List, she doesn't eat junk food like she used to.

Kathy talked about her recent stand up gig in Biloxi at a Casino where the first 3 rows of the venue were filled with high rollers (as opposed to fans) and she had a high level of walkouts and one elderly man stood up and flipped her off after she delivered her Sarah Palin jokes! She's doing her Bravo special this weekend called "Kathy Does the Bible Belt" and she's hoping to have some protests over her being there. She mounted a letter writing campaign to try to get Kate back on Dancing With the Stars and is truly enjoying Pam Anderson on the show who she says is two steps away from Paula-Abdul-ville. And both Rosie and Kathy are missing Paula on American Idol. Kathy said she wants to challenge Ellen to try to get her on drugs like Paula or passed out on the judges table. She said someone has to pick up the slack for Paula not being there.

Kathy's mom is now 89 years young and she's the celebrity of the retirement building community where she lives. She said her mom is still not herself without a certain amount of bitching and complaining everyday. Rosie bought Kathy's mom a bottle of Dom Perignon which her mom just poses with every year for the last seven years. Rosie's going to send her another bottle or even Cristal this time. Kathy's mom has a book coming out called "Hip it, the World According to Maggie" (I think!). She has placed many contingencies and restrictions on the publisher. Rosie wants Maggie to call in to Rosie Radio when it comes out (but post tape it because she doesn't get up early, even for press)!

Rosie told Kathy about how Chelsea Handler was supposed to call in and didn't. Kathy is friends with Chelsea and Kathy said that she didn't know if the practical jokes she writes about in her book were real but she knows that Chels enjoys her drinky-poo and the sex.

Just then the call was dropped and we lost Kathy for a minute. During the break Rosie and Janette talked about how much they loved Kathy and how fantastic she is because she is constantly doing new material in her standup act.

Kathy called back in on her cell phone as she was getting into hair and makeup for the TCAs for Bravo. She said she gets to have her own panel for the question and answers and she's going to make Tiffany and Tom sit with her. She said Tom will surely pull some hair out over the stress of it. She's happy because it's going to be at the Ritz Carlton Pasadena and she's hoping to get a free meal out of it too. Kathy told Rosie how much she misses her and how she's going to come see her the next time she's in NY (since Rosie doesn't come to LA much). Rosie said she wants to see her bangin body! You can catch Kathy's new season of My Life on the D List premiering sometime in the first week of June.

DANCING WITH LOU AND THE BLOGGERS REACT TO THE HUCKABEE INTERVIEW
Rosie asked Lou how his dance lessons are going and he said the teacher loves them and they nailed it! Rosie played the song "In the Name in Lou, cut a rug in the name of Lou" set to the song Pride (In The Name of Love) by U2. Lou's love Maral had a wonderful time too and sent Rosie a card to thank her. Rosie asked if she will be dancing at her wedding and Lou said there are no plans for a wedding yet but he hopes so! Awwww!!

Rosie said that a lot of people wrote to her and Janette about how much they loved the Huckabee interview she did. Rosie finds it strange that politicians often lump together marriage, abortion and gays adopting when they are 3 separate issues. Janette found it frustrating that his whole premise for why gays shouldn't adopt is because it is not ideal, when barely anyone has his version on ideal anymore. And then he stresses that it should be about what is best for the child. So, which is it? Jeannie suggested Rosie send Huckabee and his family on an rfamily cruise. Pete said someone should ask the kids in foster care if they would rather have no one to love them or have 2 moms or 2 dads. He bets the kids would choose to have the family and the sexual orientation of the parents shouldn't matter. Rosie said that a lot of people told her that they thought she was going to yell at him. She said she has only ever really yelled during 2 interview situations and one was with Tom Selleck and one was her time on the View with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She explained that on the View you had to shout to be heard. They took several callers on the topic. One caller spoke of how sometimes it takes tragedy to be the great equalizer amongst different groups of people and Rosie agreed and recommended the documentary To Die in Jerusalem.

LOIS HEYMANN
Rosie then introduced Lois Heymann a recognized leader in the treatment of children with listening, learning and auditory challenges. Lois is a private speech and language pathologist with more than 30 years of experience working with families. Rosie and Lois recently wrote the book The Sound of Hope together. The Sound of Hope: Recognizing, Coping with and Treating Your Child’s Auditory Processing Disorder "is the first practical guide to help parents improve their children’s listening skills so they can communicate clearly, interact well and fare better in school—whether the child has a diagnosed disorder, learning disability, or slow language development." The book also contains a foreword written by Rosie.

Lois and Rosie talked about how they first met and Blake's first symptoms he was experiencing. Lois said it is hard to say how many children are effected by Auditory Processing disorder but that it could be as high as 3 in a 100. Lois explained that to a child with APD, their world is not comprehensible to them and when the auditory transfers from the ear to the brain the information is distorted or delayed. Rosie played an auditory simulation of what a child with auditory processing problems hears. You can read that HERE.

Jeannie talked about how she first noticed Blake's tendency to search for words and his inability to find the words he needed to communicate. Lois said that the key is really about getting a good diagnosis and finding out what the weaknesses are for each individual child. She said that oftentimes children with APD are so unsuccessful at language they get frustrated, angry or withdraw. Lois said that APD can effect the whole child and how they live in the world. She said that language is power. Lois likes to work with families on how to teach them to teach the basic tenants of listening. She encouraged all parents to spend at least 15 minutes a day promoting good listening skills in their kids. Lois gives a lot of techniques for parents in the book and how to change any situation into an auditory teaching situation. Rosie and Lois took several callers on the topic. You can also find resources on how to find a speech and language professional in your area in the book.

Don't forget that Rosie and Lois will be on Good Morning America tomorrow (April 27!!) Set your tivos!!

And Join Lois and ROSIE for a book talk and book signing!!
Saturday, May 8-MT.KISCO, NY 3:00 pm
Borders
162 East Main Street
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
914-241-8387

Rosie closed the show.

and that's what you missed -kw

For those that missed the Huckabee interview...

Posted on: TruthWinsOut.org

And don't thank me, thank Liz for finding it!  :)

4-23-10

Today was a compilation of previously aired radio. 
It included the Huckabee interview and I actually listened to it again.  Good stuff.
I'm going to try to get to the questions that people have asked me over email and in the comments this weekend. 

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

xo
Kelly

4-22-10

In case you missed it...

DROP DEAD DIVA, ROSIE RADIO RANDOMOSITY, SUMMER PLANS, BLOGGERS WEIGH IN
The show was previously recorded today but all new. Rosie began the show talking about how today (Thursday) she will be in Atlanta taping an appearance for the show Drop Dead Diva. Rosie and the staff talked about the show's premise and about the show's star - Brooke Elliott - who Rosie was in Rosie's production of Taboo on Broadway!

Here is a clip of a previous episode of DDD starring Rosie

Janette and Rosie talked about how they both don't like golf. Janette also doesn't like pool. She thinks it's just geometry with a ball and golf is just geometry with a ball on an even larger scale. Rosie likes pool but does not enjoy golf and stated that until they have defense in golf (as in someone trying to keep you from scoring) she's not interested. This led to mentioning the Tiger Woods affair story and how it is now rumored that his wife is definitely leaving him. Rosie said she thought Hillary Clinton would definitely leave Bill as soon as he was out of office. When she didn't leave him Rosie said she came to the conclusion that her capacity to forgive was admirable. Rosie talked about how she told her kids she would never get divorced and Chelsea called her on it recently. She really never thought she would ever get divorced from Kelli. :(

Rosie asked if anyone in the studio had any big plans for the summer as she is currently planning her trip to the Jersey Shore. Pete is renting a beach house with his wife. Pete said he hates the beach because he doesn't like the sand and how it gets everywhere. Janette doesn't like the beach either but not because of the sand, but because she doesn't like people. Rosie and Jeannie reminisced about the days that they used to spend the whole day laying on the sand at the beach. Janette said she wants to go "somewhere foreign" this summer but she's afraid to get in a plane - that she will die in a fiery plane crash.

Rosie said that she had some friends who were supposed to go to Italy last week and couldn't go because of the volcano eruption in Iceland. Janette pointed out that there have been an inordinate number of natural disasters lately and that concerns her. Janette said that all she is saying is that may be there is a reason they have not settled on a diet (as in they're all going to die soon due to the end of the world and civilization). She mentioned the volcano in Yellowstone and that if it erupted, it could be really, really bad. Rosie commented that "It must be exhausting to be you!" (to Janette) She asked Janette if she's ever been tested for "ADHD-LMNOP" and Janette said "no." Shoshana (I think) recommended that Janette take a Xanax and Janette said she "does not enjoy pharmaceuticals at all." Rosie said that people have a lot to say about Janette on the blog. She said that she'll get 10 comments in a row of people loving Janette and 10 comments from people who loathe her. I'm a Janette LOVER, just saying. She said that Jeannie, on the other hand, gets only compliments and Pete read a compliment that was just sent in for Jeannie as they were having that conversation. Rosie then looked at the blog comments too and read a horrible comment about herself and it made her choke on her drink.

JUDY GOLD INTERVIEW DISCUSSED AND A WEENIE UPDATE
Rosie said a lot of people wrote in through the blog to discuss Judy Gold's interview and her candor about her depression. I missed that interview dammit! This is why I seriously cannot take vacations or have a life. Rosie said that since Janette lives in Judy's building she's counting on her to check up on her. Janette talked about how courageous and open it was of Judy to come on and be so truthful. Janette also wasn't surprised because she thinks all comics come from some darkness. She said in her experience as a comic and getting to know many comics on the road, all comics come from some dark place and see the world in a skewed way. She said a good comic learns how to harness that darkness and and make it funny.

Jeannie gave an update on her situation with her teenage daughter and said that things with her are probably not going to improve until the seniors from her high school leave and get back from the senior trip that Jeannie would not allow her to go on. Rosie and Jeannie discussed whether it would be worse now to give in and let her go. Jeannie said there's no chance she's going to do that.

MIKE HUCKABEE VS. ROSIE O'DONNELL
Then something weird happened and I lost the first few moments of the interview with Mike Huckabee so here's how it started for me. Also, this was a very detailed and back and forth discussion and I did my best taking notes. I apologize in advance if I get anything wrong. I really just want to write exactly what was said without opinion so that readers can base their own opinions on what was said. A good writer friend told me to do that. I did my best.

Rosie and Mike talked about how he recently lost 100 pounds but has gained about 30 of it back. He said what prompted the weight loss was the desire to be more healthy and he lost weight balancing good nutrition and exercise. Mike said that his battle with weight will be a lifetime battle and he's had to accept the fact that he loves food and has to be very careful with what he eats. Mike said that the reason he was successful with losing weight this time was because it wasn't about getting to a goal weight, it was about being healthy. He encouraged others who battle weight to concentrate on the health aspect rather than the number itself.

Rosie delved right into the questions over what Mike had to say about gay parents being unfit to adopt foster children. She asked him if sexual orientation was the only qualification for good parenting? Mike said no, that unfortunately he had a recent interview and the interview became more of a debate rather than a question and answer. He said that the interviewer began to argue with his answers and things that he said got distorted. Mike said that the ideal marriage is a traditional marriage (one man and one woman) yet we don't always have the ideal. Mike has a strong biblical world view and holds no animosity towards homosexuals and he stated that it's not his business what people do in private or his place to judge. Rosie asked Mike if the only qualification for good parenting is a person's sexuality? She mentioned how there was a constitutional amendment put on the ballot (which has since been overturned) to outlaw adoptions by gay parents and how he supported the bill. Mike sees gay parenting as one more way we were moving away from the traditional ideal of marriage. Mike said that people need to make their own decisions about what a family should look like and his beliefs are in one man and one woman, married for life. He said he is as concerned about the divorce rate amongst heterosexual couples as he is marriage amongst same sex couples because it doesn't fit the traditional view of marriage. Rosie asked Mike if he thought his view was rather pious? Mike said it's not about piety if one is a believer, as he is, and he accepts that the biblical norms are what we should live by. Mike also discussed that he believes in the literal translation of the bible but also believes that there were figurative things in the bible, too.

Rosie asked Mike if he thinks that the bible is the only true word of God? She asked him about the other books and testaments of God that people believe in and about the dangers of mixing a specific religious point of view with governing. He said that it is not about prescribing a specific religion and pointed out that we are a religious culture. Mike believes that once you choose a religion to follow you should believe in it wholeheartedly and practice it. He said it was okay to have an honest disagreement about religion. He said if all the religions are the same and there was no differentiation, they all become irrelevant. Rosie asked Mike if he thought it was elitist to think that his religion is better than others? She pointed out that if she was trying to adopt in a state that he was governing he would deem her as unfit to be a parent. Mike said that each human being should decide their own and decide their own path.

Mike brought up the issue of abortion and how he believes every life is of value and Rosie said that she agrees and asked what happens when those children become adults and if they turn out to be gay. She asked him if they are then no longer as worthy and not considered a worthy adoptive parent? Rosie called Mike a "sensible, kind guy" and really seemed to not understand how he could be so against this issue of gays being allowed to adopt. Mike encouraged Rosie to listen to the entire interview and she said she had. Mike said that the interviewer has edited out a significant portion of his comments. Rosie seemed confident that she heard the entire interview.

She again stated how she wonders how Mike, a man with children, would deem an entire group of people unworthy of being parents because of his own prejudice. Mike said they're not unworthy but the ideal environment for children is in a relationship with a mother and a father. Rosie pointed out that half the kids in our country don't have a mother and a father living in the home. She said that 50% of the marriages end in divorce. She also pointed out that she hasn't mentioned marriage once, she was talking about parenting. Rosie stated that there are 500,000 kids in foster care that have no one to love them and if there are homosexuals who want to take in these kids they should be encouraged to do so.

Mike said that less than ideal does not mean unworthy. He said that a mother and a father in the home is best where both the skills are modeled for the child. Mike said there are millions of babies who never see the light of day (an anti-abortion reference thrown in there for some reason).

Rosie said that as an adoptive mother, to hear him compare her parenting to getting a puppy was hurtful. He said that is not what he said or what he meant. He said that the primary decision for adoption should be what is best for the child and what is ideal (and that is a mother and a father). Rosie asked what Mike was trying to say when he said that we're talking about adopting a child not a puppy. Mike said it was an off-the-cuff comment taken out of context. She asked him if a child should stay in foster care rather than be adopted by a loving gay woman. Mike said he wishes children weren't abandoned at all. Rosie pointed out that we all wish that but they are! Mike said they're just talking about different ideas about what is ideal. Rosie called Mike out on the word "ideal" and asked him if that isn't just code for "heterosexual."

Rosie hoped that Mike would get to know some children raised by gay parents so that he would know that his fears aren't founded on any facts that gays can't parent as well as heterosexuals. She again pointed out that there are half a million children in foster care and for any publicly elected official to try to lesson the pool of adoptive parents isn't right when so many kids need homes. Rosie asked Mike if he's against single straight parents adopting also? Again, he said the ideal would be that both parents (a mother and a father) would be involved. Rosie said that less than 50% of children are raised with 2 parents! She said that in her belief what is best for a child is to have a loving permanent, forever home. She said that she has dedicated her life to finding homes for children who had no place to go, raised millions of dollars for this issue and it is a cause she is very passionate about. She also stated that she was raised in a heterosexual home where there was great abuse, so sometimes, that is not always the "ideal." She told Mike about how much his statements hurt her and how they hurt many people. Mike said that he does not have to accept all values and viewpoints that differ from his. And Rosie said that he is trying to legally discriminate against her right to parent in his state. Then Mike said something like if the prevailing view is that it is acceptable for gay people to be parents than that is what should be law, not his personal views.

Rosie said that gay people have parented since the beginning of time and said it's "Not a new phenomenon, Mike." Mike said that as with all people who adhere to a biblical practice a mother and a father is the ideal relationship for him. Rosie asked Mike if he would think about the human beings he's disparaging with his remarks. She challenged him on his Christian tenants and said that his beliefs do not hold to that. She told Mike that his comments were painful to hear. Mike seemed sorry that he hurt her but said that this issue is not the biggest issue that he even focuses on in political life.

Rosie asked Mike to research COLAGE and spend some time with families with gay parents and said if he did he wouldn't have the kinds of fear based statements that he has. She said he doesn't have to say "they're the greatest things in the world" but to say that unwanted children, unwanted and uncared for children, should not be allowed to be parented by gay people is an unChristian view. Mike said that he tries to be as honest and candid as he can. He said he thinks it's even worse when politicians aren't frank and candid with each other. Rosie asked Mike if he thought children should just languish in foster care rather than go with a gay couple. Mike said that that decision is in the hands of each state. He said that he doesn't question that she doesn't love her kids. He knows she loves them. Rosie said that Parker, her eldest son, came home from school the other day and said "Did you hear that Mike Huckabee guy thinks gay people shouldn't be parents? You should talk to him, mom. You should call him and invite him over for dinner."

Mike said that when he talks about the norm, the ideal, he gives his answer. He said that it may not be the answer that she would give and they don't have to agree. Rosie asked Mike if he knows anyone growing up in a gay family and he said he does. He reminded Rosie that he never said they should go in and take the kids out of the home because of it. Mike said that he too has often been criticized for his views. He said that he loves this country because they can still have mutual respect for each other while holding differing points of views.

Rosie asked Mike what he would do if one of his kids were gay and Mike said that he would love them anyway. He said there would be no less love for them. She asked him if he has any friends with gay children. Mike said that he has had employees, friends, and colleagues who are gay. He said he doesn't point in their face and say, "I disagree with you."

Rosie asked Mike if he believes there is a genetic predisposition for being overweight. And Mike said he does believe that genetics plays a role in weight. Rosie asked Mike if he thinks that gay people can choose to just buckle down and be more ideal (like he did about losing weight) and not be gay. Mike said he's had these types of conversations with people who ask him if they should just suppress their feelings and not be gay. He said that he cannot tell someone else what they have to do. He said that he struggles with what he has to do himself. Mike said that he struggles and fails everyday. He said God is about grace and forgiveness and that he himself is a sinner. He said being a Christian is to love God and to love others. Mike said that God never condemned. He said that God focused on forgiveness and He doesn't put a big spotlight on sin He puts the spotlight on His own grace and says to you "I still love you."

Mike talked about the love he has for his children and Rosie said that he loves his children just the same way every gay parent loves their kids. She said that maybe he should rethink what he says the next time he is asked about gay parents.

Mike thanked Rosie for being so compassionate in the interview with him and said that he's sure if he met Parker he would love him. Rosie said that she hopes everyone can come together in this country and realize the worth of every human being. She hopes that they could come together as parents and find some common ground. And that was the end of the interview.

MIKE HUCKABEE INTERVIEW DISCUSSED
James was in the studio today and said that he couldn't dislike Mike although when he first read what Mike had said about gays not being ideal parents he was insulted. Rosie said that she was also insulted and the puppy comment was very hurtful. Janette said that the "ideal" (mother, father and child) no longer exists. Rosie said that saying "ideal" is really a covert way to say heterosexual. She commented that she thought it was interesting how he kept trying to change the subject to marriage or abortion. Janette said that maybe that's because children don't occur without marriage in his mind.

Rosie said that finding a forever family is the most important thing for foster children. She said we have to care about the kids more. She wonders why the Evangelical Christians in his state don't each adopt a child from foster care then?!

Tracy's daughter was in 17 foster homes and none of those people wanted to adopt her until Tracy. She seemed very upset that the "gay thing" trumps and clouds your vision so much, even over the needs of a child. James said that is because gay people are seen as intrinsically gross and evil - especially gay men. Overall, Rosie said she was glad that Mike called in. Janette said she respects him that he was willing to have the conversation. Janette referred to Rosie's film A Family Is A Family Is A Family and the scene when the little girl said "they wanted me" in reference to her gay adoptive parents. Rosie said that so many of the kids in foster care have been so ostracized by society and they really need families that understand what that feels like. She sees gay parents as being great at understanding that way to be in the world because they have struggled with it too.

ROSIE RADIO RANDOMOSITY UNTIL THE END
They talked about how they love the show Glee and they loved the Madonna episode. James talked about his own experience with theater in high school. Rosie said she never got cast in any lead roles in high school and is still carrying resentment about it. When Janette was in musicals in high school they asked her to mouth the words because she's 2 steps from tone deaf and it was throwing the rest of the cast off. HA!

Shoshana listed off some of her favorite authors and discussed how she is moving from Chick lit to more serious works for women.

Rosie asked what Chick lit was and the book The Devil Wears Prada came up and Rosie said when she saw that movie she thought "What the heck are those assistants complaining about? She's not that bad!" Janette said the book was much worse than the movie. Rosie said the last thing she ever wants to hear from an assistant is how hard it was to do something she asked! (Got that Shoshana? lol)

Shady (Rosie's squirrel) came up to the window during the conversation and Rosie confirmed she is a girl.
Pete gave an update on his daughter and 2 evaluations later, it has been decided that she's totally normal. Rosie told him if that's true he needs to just "suck it up." lol

Janette talked about the book she is reading entitled Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope In A Chinese Orphanage about a woman who volunteered to live in a Chinese orphanage. Janette told Rosie about the book. She called it an "inspiring story." Rosie is reading Anne Lamont's Imperfect Birds. Rosie said she loves everything that she writes. Janette is reading The Lost City of Z. Rosie said she read it but it had a disappointing ending. James recommended Tweak and Beautiful Boy.

James shared his fitness story with everyone and said that he started going to the gym in his early 20s with his friends just because they were going. When he stopped going he put on a little bit of weight and then he changed the way he ate and made going to the gym a habit. He says he feels so much better. Rosie asked him if he does it because it's part of the gay culture (for men to be very fit) and James agreed that it is part of the gay culture but said that he does it to be healthy. James is going to DJ'ing on Fire Island at a club named Cherry Grove on July 10th and Rosie said she is going to be there at the same time! Read more about James and check out his DJ gigs on his website HERE.

This began a great speedo debate, Pete said if he was skinny and "hung" he would wear one. Janette doesn't own a bathing suit and Rosie recommended the website Junonia to find the perfect bathing suit. Rosie loves that site. Rosie said she thinks it's important that your kids see that you're not ashamed to wear a bathing suit. Pete said he wears a tshirt because he doesn't like his body and he's very hairy. He's worried that people will be grossed out. Janette said she knows no one else cares what she looks like in a bathing suit but SHE cares. Rosie encouraged her not to prevent herself from swimming because of that.

Janette said she's also afraid of sharks in the ocean. She says she knows it's a ridiculous fear but one time she tried to go snorkeling and every time she put her face in the water she heard Jaws music. She also gets sea sick and she can't snorkel for very long. Pete googled the statistics of the chances of getting killed by a shark which are slim to none.

Rosie went to commercial singing along to Macy Gray's Beauty In The World.

and that's what you missed -kw