HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY KID SISTER, KARA

I am proud.

My kid sister turns 40-something today and I've never be more proud of her and the person
she has become than I am right now.

No, Kara is not the CEO of a Fortune 500 company,  a movie star, or anybody famous, for
that matter. She is much more than that.

Kara is a mother who has raised four incredible children, all unique in their own way. She is
the loving wife of Chad who has given her the great life she richly deserves.

And she is my sister. An incredible one.

Kara has  always been there for me through the trying times, and there have been many of
them over the last several years. She has been my Dr. Phil, the one to  make a call, drop a
note of encouragement or kick me in the ass when I needed it.

That's my sister, Kara, who when growing up, was so much like my father: tough, driven,
resilient, but with a huge heart and a great sense of humor to match. It was that drive and
mental  toughness that helped her become a world-class swimmer and an All-American at
both Florida and USC.

But a funny thing happened to Kara almost as soon as she hung up her goggles and retired
from the sport. She morphed into my mother. Kara became so unselfish, thoughtful, and
giving. She put everybody else before herself. Never asked for anything and would not only
give you the shirt off her back, but the sweater, coat and scarf, as well.

Oh, she didn't lose my father's toughness or drive, it just became camouflaged by her
kindness,  thoughtfulness, and spirit. And that sense of humor passed on from my father
hasn't gone anywhere. It just seems to have gotten stronger. Kara is one helluva funny girl.
She is also a fitness junkie, who after four kids, has a six-pack and has the body fat of
welterweight fighter.

Kara is not perfect. She sometimes talks like she knocked off a case of Red Bull for
breakfast. When she's on the phone, the words often come out so fast, I have to get
a translator from the United Nations to figure out what the hell she is saying.

Other than that, Kara is truly amazing.  An amazing mother, wife, and friend. She is my
sister and I admire her so much.

Happy Birthday, Kara, you are the best!

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V. STIVIANO GETS HER 15 MINUTES OF FAME

Believe it or not, there was a time when people had to have a real talent to be a star.

Long before steroids, implants, and mindless reality shows, stardom was achieved the
old-fashioned way: by working hard on your craft and earning it.

Not anymore.

Thanks to social media, the land of 1,000 channels, and the aforementioned reality
junk, which ironically, are from from being real, anybody can become a star almost
instantaneously.

Say something stupid, do something controversial, or release some kind of sex tape or a
tape with heavy dirt on someone else and all of sudden, you become important. Katie,
Oprah, or Dr. Phil want to get the "exclusive" interview. The Today show wants to have
you on "live" because that would be a big "get" and a boon for the ratings and, after all,
in television, it's all about the ratings.

We've seen the likes of Snooki, Sitch, the housewives of everywhere, and all the
 Kardashians become rich and famous without having any discernible talent. Rachel Uchitel

achieved instant stardom for being Tiger Woods' girl. Yes, she was just one of the many
who Tiger had an affair with, but the media made her the most recognizable.

Now, V. Stiviano's 15 minutes of fame is on the clock.

Stiviano is the girlfriend or ex-girlfriend (In L.A., you just never know if it's current or
former) of Donald Sterling, whose racists comments got him banned from the NBA life.

Stiviano, who gladly accepted a Ferrari, two Bentley's, and a $1.8 millon condominium from
the longtime Clippers' owner, took a tape recorder into his home and all but egged her
80-year-old boyfriend (Sugar Daddy) into making insensitive comments.

From where I'm from and how I was raised, that's what you call a rat. That's what you
call sleazy. But in our world today, snakes who do this, seem to get glorified.

So, it wasn't a surprise when I clicked on the computer Saturday and saw that Stiviano is
going to be interviewed by Barbara Walters, who beat out everybody for the exclusive.

Yep,  Stiviano, who recorded Sterling spewing hate against minorities but said she wasn't
the one who released the tape to TMZ, is now a somebody. Right, and if you believe that
she didn't control who receieved the tape,  you have an I.Q. of less than two.

That's right, it just happened to be released so everybody on the planet could hear what
most people already knew: Sterling makes racist comments.

Stiviano knew exactly what she was and is doing. She's angling for her moment in the
spotlight. She has taken the shortcut to stardom, albeit temporary. I guess she had to do
something to cover up those blemishes on her rap sheet. Stiviano was arrested twice
in the past for petty theft and possession of a controlled substance. Sounds like a class
act to me. (wink, wink.)

There Stiviano was on the Barbara Walters special all dolled up, looking serious, and
trying to sound intelligent. She, of course, played the role of the victim and just about
every news outlet on the Internet picked up the story and promote it.

Stiviano is now a somebody. All she had to do was throw Sterling under the bus. Man,
that was easy. She'll be an Internet sensation and probably be "trending" over the weekend.

I'm sure there will be other interviews to come and offers to be made. A reality show is
likely in the works and you can bet Playboy will ask her to bare all for hefty sum.
.
Stiviano knows her star has a limit on how long it will shine and she is going to milk it
for as long as she can. What a beautiful human being.

Stiviano is bad news. She brought down Sterling and now she's being rewarded for it.

Only in America. Yes, only in America.

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